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TPWD Outdoor Annual 2026-27

Texas Hunting Seasons 2026-27

90 dated segments for 19 game species, from the Sep 1 openers through Aug 31, 2027. Grouped by species and zone, with a live open or closed flag on every line.

Deer seasons Waterfowl Deer by county

90Dated segments

19Species with dates

6Year-round species

2026-27Season year

Photo: born1945 (CC BY 2.0)

Texas sets most seasons by zone rather than statewide. White-tailed deer run on a North Zone and a South Zone calendar, turkey has separate fall and spring maps, and dove, duck, goose, crane, javelina, squirrel and mule deer each have their own lines. Besides deer, 9 species groups in the zone tables use more than one zone this year. The license year runs Sept. 1, 2026 to Aug. 31, 2027, so one license year stretches from the September dove opener through the following August.

White-tailed deer Mule deer Pronghorn Javelina Turkey Quail Pheasant Chachalaca Squirrel Dove September teal Ducks Geese Sandhill crane Rails and gallinules Snipe Woodcock Alligator

Big game and upland birds

Deer, mule deer, pronghorn, javelina, turkey, quail, pheasant and chachalaca. The Today column reads your device date against each segment.

White-tailed deer

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes
Archery Only	Both zones	Oct 3, 2026	Nov 6, 2026
Youth-Only	Both zones	Oct 30, 2026	Nov 1, 2026
General Season	North Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Jan 3, 2027
General Season	South Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Jan 17, 2027
Muzzleloader	90 counties	Jan 4, 2027	Jan 17, 2027
Special Late	North Zone	Jan 4, 2027	Jan 17, 2027
Youth-Only late	North Zone	Jan 4, 2027	Jan 17, 2027
Special Late	South Zone	Jan 18, 2027	Jan 31, 2027

Bag: County-set; statewide annual max 5 deer, no more than 3 bucks (not applicable on MLDP properties). County bags range 3-5.

Zones: North Zone: 231 county areas; South Zone: 30 county areas; closed in El Paso and Hudspeth.

White-tailed deer guide · TPWD species page

Mule deer

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes
Archery Only	Panhandle	Oct 3, 2026	Nov 20, 2026
Archery Only	Brewster, Pecos, Terrell Counties	Oct 3, 2026	Nov 26, 2026
Archery Only	Trans-Pecos	Oct 3, 2026	Nov 26, 2026
General Season	Panhandle	Nov 21, 2026	Dec 6, 2026
General Season	Brewster, Pecos, Terrell Counties	Nov 27, 2026	Dec 13, 2026
General Season	Trans-Pecos	Nov 27, 2026	Dec 13, 2026

Bag: Panhandle and Trans-Pecos: 1 buck all seasons combined. Brewster, Pecos, Terrell: 2 (no more than 1 buck); antlerless by MLDP tag or antlerless mule deer permit only.

Zones: Panhandle: 55 whole counties; Brewster, Pecos, Terrell Counties: 3 whole counties; Trans-Pecos: 16 whole counties.

Mule deer guide · TPWD species page

Pronghorn

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes	Today
Regular Season	Permit counties	Oct 3, 2026	Oct 18, 2026

Bag: 1, by permit only (permits issued to landowners/agents).

Zones: Open counties: 41 whole counties.

Also needed: Permit Required.

Pronghorn guide · TPWD species page

Javelina

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes	Today
Regular Season	Southern	Sep 1, 2026	Aug 31, 2027
Regular Season	Northern	Oct 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027

Bag: 2 per license year; possession 2.

Zones: closed in 155 counties; Northern: 49 whole counties; Southern: 50 whole counties.

Javelina guide · TPWD species page

Turkey

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes
Fall Archery Only	South Zone	Oct 3, 2026	Nov 6, 2026
Fall Archery Only	North Zone	Oct 3, 2026	Nov 6, 2026
Fall Archery Only	Brooks, Kenedy, Kleberg, Willacy	Oct 3, 2026	Nov 6, 2026
Fall Youth-Only	South Zone	Oct 30, 2026	Nov 1, 2026
Fall Youth-Only	North Zone	Oct 30, 2026	Nov 1, 2026
Fall Youth-Only	Brooks, Kenedy, Kleberg, Willacy	Oct 30, 2026	Nov 1, 2026
Fall season	South Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Jan 17, 2027
Fall season	North Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Jan 3, 2027
Fall season	Brooks, Kenedy, Kleberg, Willacy	Nov 7, 2026	Feb 28, 2027
Fall Youth-Only	North Zone	Jan 4, 2027	Jan 17, 2027
Fall Youth-Only	South Zone	Jan 18, 2027	Jan 31, 2027
Spring Youth-Only	South Zone	Mar 13, 2027	Mar 14, 2027
Spring season	South Zone	Mar 20, 2027	May 2, 2027
Spring Youth-Only	North Zone	Mar 27, 2027	Mar 28, 2027
Spring season	One-Turkey Counties	Apr 1, 2027	Apr 30, 2027
Spring season	North Zone	Apr 3, 2027	May 16, 2027
Spring season	East Zone	Apr 22, 2027	May 14, 2027
Spring Youth-Only	South Zone	May 8, 2027	May 9, 2027
Spring Youth-Only	North Zone	May 22, 2027	May 23, 2027

Bag: Turkey (4-turkey counties): 4 turkeys, gobblers or bearded hens (unbearded hens prohibited). Annual aggregate max 4, only 1 from the East Zone. Turkey (one-turkey counties and East Zone): 1 turkey, gobblers only.

Zones: Fall: South Zone: 26 whole counties, 4 split; Spring: South Zone: 32 whole counties, 4 split; Fall: North Zone: 107 whole counties, 11 split; Spring: North Zone: 107 whole counties, 13 split; Spring: One-Turkey Counties: 11 whole counties, 6 split; Spring: East Zone: 8 whole counties, 4 split; Fall: Brooks, Kenedy, Kleberg, and Willacy Counties: 4 whole counties.

Also needed: Upland Game Bird Endorsement Required; Mandatory harvest reporting within 24 hours, all counties.

Turkey guide · TPWD species page

Quail

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes	Today
Regular Season	Statewide	Nov 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027

Bag: 15/day, possession 45 (bobwhite, scaled, Gambel's). Mearns' quail no open season.

Zones: Statewide: 254 whole counties.

Also needed: Upland Game Bird Endorsement Required.

Quail guide · TPWD species page

Pheasant

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes	Today
General Season	Panhandle	Dec 5, 2026	Jan 3, 2027

Bag: 3 cocks/day, possession 9 cocks.

Zones: Panhandle: 37 whole counties.

Also needed: Upland Game Bird Endorsement Required.

Pheasant guide · TPWD species page

Chachalaca

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes	Today
Regular Season	Open counties	Nov 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027

Bag: 5/day, possession 15.

Zones: Open counties: 4 whole counties.

Also needed: Upland Game Bird Endorsement Required.

Chachalaca guide · TPWD species page

Sources: white-tailed deer; Outdoor Annual, read October 11, 2026.

MLDP ranches, year-round game and items with no dates

Feral hogs, exotics, rabbits and nongame have no closed season on private property. 4 items in the regulations carry no date this year.

The Managed Lands Deer Program lets an enrolled ranch run longer deer seasons on MLDP tags instead of license tags. MLDP tags replace license tags; no personal or annual bag limit for the tagged deer type; hunters need Resident or Non-resident General license; archery stamp not required for MLDP-tagged deer type.

MLDP season	Species	Opens	Closes
Harvest Option antlerless	White-tailed deer	Oct 3, 2026	Feb 28, 2027
Harvest Option bucks (archery only except unbranched; youth weekend any means)	White-tailed deer	Oct 3, 2026	Nov 6, 2026
Harvest Option bucks any lawful means	White-tailed deer	Nov 7, 2026	Feb 28, 2027
Conservation Option white-tailed deer	White-tailed deer	Oct 3, 2026	Feb 28, 2027
Conservation Option mule deer	Mule deer	Oct 3, 2026	Jan 31, 2027

MLDP information

Species	Season	From	To	Notes
Rabbits and hares	Open year-round (private property)	Year-round	Year-round	No closed season or limits.
Furbearers	Recreational harvest	Sep 1, 2026	Aug 31, 2027	No bag/possession limit; may not be sold.
Furbearers	Commercial harvest (trapper license), except nutria and beaver	Nov 1, 2026	Mar 31, 2027	Nutria Sept 1-Aug 31; beaver Oct 1-May 31.
Bobcat, coyote and nongame	No closed season	Year-round	Year-round	Private property, any lawful means; hunting license required.
Feral hog	No closed season	Year-round	Year-round	No license needed on private property with landowner authorization; hunter education rules apply.
Exotics	No closed season on private property	Year-round	Year-round	Hunting license and landowner permission required.

Listed without dates

Species	Item	Status
Desert bighorn sheep	Permit only	Dates set by permit.
Light geese	Light Goose Conservation Order	2027 dates not published in the 2026-27 Outdoor Annual goose page as of 2026-10-11. See regs_flagged.json.
Dove	Special White-winged Dove Days	Eliminated for 2026-27 (New This Year).
Lesser prairie chicken	Closed	Prairie chickens are upland game birds by definition, but no season is listed in the 2026-27 Outdoor Annual.

Sources: MLDP; nongame and exotics; new this year, read October 11, 2026.

Squirrel, migratory birds and alligator

Every migratory bird needs the Migratory Game Bird Endorsement and HIP certification. Waterfowl hunters 16 and older also carry a Federal Duck Stamp.

Squirrel

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes
General Season	All Other Counties	Sep 1, 2026	Aug 31, 2027
Youth-Only	East Texas	Sep 25, 2026	Sep 27, 2026
General Season	East Texas	Oct 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027
General Season	East Texas	May 1, 2027	May 31, 2027

Bag: East Texas counties 10/day, possession 20; youth-only season 10; year-round counties no bag limit.

Zones: East Texas: 51 whole counties; All Other Counties: 203 whole counties.

Squirrel guide · TPWD species page

Dove

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes
Regular Season	Central Zone	Sep 1, 2026	Oct 25, 2026
Regular Season	North Zone	Sep 1, 2026	Nov 8, 2026
Regular Season	South Zone	Sep 1, 2026	Oct 25, 2026
Falconry	Central Zone	Nov 13, 2026	Nov 29, 2026
Falconry	North Zone	Nov 13, 2026	Nov 29, 2026
Falconry	South Zone	Nov 13, 2026	Nov 29, 2026
Regular Season	Central Zone	Dec 11, 2026	Jan 14, 2027
Regular Season	North Zone	Dec 18, 2026	Jan 7, 2027
Regular Season	South Zone	Dec 18, 2026	Jan 21, 2027

Bag: 15/day white-winged, mourning and white-tipped in aggregate, no more than 2 white-tipped; possession 3x daily. Falconry 3/day. Eurasian collared-dove and rock pigeon no limit.

Zones: Central Zone: 96 whole counties, 42 split; North Zone: 78 whole counties, 27 split; South Zone: 39 whole counties, 15 split.

Also needed: Migratory Game Bird Endorsement & HIP Certification Required.

Dove guide · TPWD species page

September teal

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes	Today
September teal	Statewide	Sep 19, 2026	Sep 27, 2026

Bag: 6/day in aggregate (blue-winged, green-winged, cinnamon); possession 3x daily.

Zones: Statewide: 254 whole counties.

Also needed: Migratory Game Bird Endorsement, HIP Certification & Federal Duck Stamp Required.

September teal guide · TPWD species page

Ducks

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes
Veterans and active duty	High Plains Mallard Mgmt Unit	Oct 17, 2026	Oct 18, 2026
Youth-Only	High Plains Mallard Mgmt Unit	Oct 17, 2026	Oct 18, 2026
Regular Season	High Plains Mallard Mgmt Unit	Oct 24, 2026	Oct 25, 2026
Regular Season	High Plains Mallard Mgmt Unit	Oct 30, 2026	Jan 31, 2027
Dusky Duck	High Plains Mallard Mgmt Unit	Oct 31, 2026	Jan 31, 2027
Veterans and active duty	South Zone	Oct 31, 2026	Nov 1, 2026
Youth-Only	South Zone	Oct 31, 2026	Nov 1, 2026
Regular Season	South Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Nov 29, 2026
Veterans and active duty	North Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Nov 8, 2026
Youth-Only	North Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Nov 8, 2026
Dusky Duck	South Zone	Nov 12, 2026	Nov 29, 2026
Regular Season	North Zone	Nov 14, 2026	Nov 29, 2026
Dusky Duck	North Zone	Nov 19, 2026	Nov 29, 2026
Dusky Duck	North Zone	Dec 5, 2026	Jan 31, 2027
Regular Season	North Zone	Dec 5, 2026	Jan 31, 2027
Dusky Duck	South Zone	Dec 12, 2026	Jan 31, 2027
Regular Season	South Zone	Dec 12, 2026	Jan 31, 2027
Falconry	North Zone	Feb 1, 2027	Feb 21, 2027
Falconry	South Zone	Feb 1, 2027	Feb 21, 2027

Bag: Ducks: 6/day in aggregate incl. mergansers; no more than 5 mallards (2 hens), 3 wood ducks, 3 pintail, 2 redheads, 2 canvasback, 1 scaup, 1 dusky duck (closed first 5 days in each zone); possession 3x daily. Falconry 3/day, 9 possession. Coot: 15/day; possession 3x daily.

Zones: North Zone: 113 whole counties, 23 split; High Plains Mallard Management Unit: 83 whole counties, 9 split; South Zone: 40 whole counties, 14 split.

Also needed: Migratory Game Bird Endorsement, HIP Certification & Federal Duck Stamp Required.

Ducks guide · TPWD species page

Geese

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes
Early Canada geese	Eastern Zone	Sep 12, 2026	Sep 27, 2026
Dark Geese	Eastern Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Jan 31, 2027
Dark Geese	Western Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Feb 7, 2027
Light Geese	Eastern Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Feb 19, 2027
Light Geese	Western Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Feb 7, 2027

Bag: Geese, Western Zone: 5 dark geese and 5 light geese/day; possession 3x daily. Geese, Eastern Zone: 5 Early Canada geese; 5 dark geese (no more than 2 white-fronted); 5 light geese/day; possession 3x daily.

Zones: Eastern Zone: 108 whole counties, 14 split; Western Zone: 135 whole counties, 14 split.

Also needed: Migratory Game Bird Endorsement, HIP Certification & Federal Duck Stamp Required.

Geese guide · TPWD species page

Sandhill crane

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes
Regular Season	Zone A	Oct 31, 2026	Jan 31, 2027
Regular Season	Zone B	Nov 27, 2026	Jan 31, 2027
Regular Season	Zone C	Dec 12, 2026	Jan 17, 2027

Bag: Zones A and B: 3/day, 9 possession. Zone C: 2/day, 6 possession.

Zones: Zone A: 87 whole counties, 16 split; a closed area in part of 1 county; Zone B: 38 whole counties, 25 split; Zone C: 34 whole counties, 16 split.

Also needed: Migratory Game Bird Endorsement, Federal Sandhill Crane Permit & HIP Certification Required.

Sandhill crane guide · TPWD species page

Rails and gallinules

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes
Regular Season	Statewide	Sep 19, 2026	Sep 27, 2026
Regular Season	Statewide	Nov 7, 2026	Jan 6, 2027
Falconry	Statewide	Feb 1, 2027	Feb 21, 2027

Bag: King and clapper rails: 15/day, 45 possession (aggregate). Sora and Virginia rails: 25/day, 75 possession (aggregate). Gallinules and moorhens: 15/day, 45 possession (aggregate).

Zones: Statewide: 254 whole counties.

Also needed: Migratory Game Bird Endorsement & HIP Certification Required.

Rails and gallinules guide · TPWD species page

Snipe

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes	Today
Regular Season	Statewide	Nov 7, 2026	Feb 21, 2027

Bag: 8/day, 24 possession.

Zones: Statewide: 254 whole counties.

Also needed: Migratory Game Bird Endorsement & HIP Certification Required.

Snipe guide · TPWD species page

Woodcock

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes	Today
Regular Season	Statewide	Dec 18, 2026	Jan 31, 2027
Falconry	Statewide	Feb 1, 2027	Feb 21, 2027

Bag: 3/day, 9 possession.

Zones: Statewide: 254 whole counties.

Also needed: Migratory Game Bird Endorsement & HIP Certification Required.

Woodcock guide · TPWD species page

Alligator

Season	Zone	Opens	Closes	Today
General Season	Core	Sep 10, 2026	Sep 30, 2026
General Season	Non-core	Apr 1, 2027	Jun 30, 2027

Bag: Core counties: 1 per unused CITES tag in possession. Non-core: 1 per person per license year.

Zones: Non-core: 232 whole counties; Core: 22 whole counties.

Alligator guide · TPWD species page

Sources: ducks; dove; geese, read October 11, 2026.

What changed for 2026-27

TPWD flagged 6 season changes in the New This Year notes.

Doe days expanded from 4 to 16 in 21 counties.
South Zone dove opens Sept. 1.
Special White-winged Dove Days eliminated.
Matagorda and Wharton closed to turkey.
Unbearded turkey hens prohibited.
Muzzleloader definition modified.

Sources: TPWD New This Year, read October 11, 2026.

Elsewhere in the Texas guide

Deer by countyCounty bag table Shooting hoursSun times by county Licenses and feesEvery fee listed Youth huntingYouth seasons, programs

Season questions, answered from the Outdoor Annual

When does bow season for deer open in Texas?

Archery-only deer season runs Oct 3 to Nov 6, 2026 in both zones. An Archery Endorsement is required to hunt it.

How long does general deer season last in each zone?

North Zone: Nov 7, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027. South Zone: Nov 7, 2026 to Jan 17, 2027. Both open on a Saturday; the South Zone closes 14 days later.

Do all three dove zones open on the same day?

Yes. North, Central and South zones all open Sep 1, 2026. The South Zone moved to a Sept. 1 opener this year.

When does duck season open?

High Plains Mallard Management Unit: Oct 24, 2026; South Zone: Nov 7, 2026; North Zone: Nov 14, 2026. Every zone closes Jan 31, 2027.

What are the spring turkey dates?

South Zone: Mar 20 to May 2, 2027; One-Turkey Counties: Apr 1 to Apr 30, 2027; North Zone: Apr 3 to May 16, 2027; East Zone: Apr 22 to May 14, 2027.

Are there dates for the Light Goose Conservation Order?

Not yet. The 2027 conservation order dates were not in the 2026-27 goose page or county pages when this was checked.

Is there still a Special White-winged Dove Days season?

No. TPWD eliminated the Special White-winged Dove Days for 2026-27.

Can feral hogs and exotics be hunted all year?

On private property, yes: feral hogs, exotics, rabbits and nongame such as coyotes have no closed season. Exotics still need a hunting license and landowner permission.

Why does my county show different deer dates?

Muzzleloader, special late and doe-day periods apply only in listed counties. The deer by county table lists all 261 county rows.

Before you load the truck

This page summarizes the 2026-27 Outdoor Annual. Carry the official wording in the Texas Hunt & Fish app as well.

Deer by county Public land Read the Outdoor Annual

Other photos on this page: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); Shiva Shenoy (CC BY 2.0); Flappy Pigeon (CC BY-SA 4.0); grendelkhan (CC BY-SA 2.0).