Sunrise and sunset by county
Texas Legal Shooting Hours
Pick any of the 254 counties for a week of legal hunting light, then check the rule for the game you are after. Big game and upland birds get 30 minutes past sunset; migratory birds stop at sunset.
Photo: Charles & Clint (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Legal light for your county
The table updates when the county changes. Bookmark the page; the dates roll forward each day.
Pick a county to see seven days of sunrise, sunset and the legal window, worked out in your browser for the center of that county.
Times are computed for each county’s center point. El Paso and Hudspeth use Mountain time; every other county uses Central. Sources: TPWD definitions, read October 11, 2026.
Shooting hours by type of game
Official sunrise and sunset are the reference points. No artificial light may be used to hunt game animals or game birds.
| Game | Legal hours |
|---|---|
| Game animals and upland game birds (deer, javelina, turkey, quail, pheasant) | One-half hour before official sunrise to one-half hour after official sunset. |
| Migratory game birds (dove, ducks, geese, cranes, rails, snipe, woodcock) | One-half hour before official sunrise to official sunset (Special White-winged Dove Days, noon to sunset, eliminated for 2026-27). |
| Alligator | One-half hour before sunrise to sunset; no baited lines set or alligators removed from lines between sunset and one-half hour before sunrise. |
| Nongame, exotics and feral hogs on private property | No closed season or hunting hours on private property. |
The migratory bird definition still mentions the noon-to-sunset Special White-winged Dove Days, but those days were eliminated for 2026-27.
Sources: definitions; alligator; nongame and other species, read October 11, 2026.
Where the hours bite
Lights after dark
Not legal: Any artificial light that illuminates a game animal or bird.
Night hunting
Game animals: one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset; no artificial light on game. Nongame and exotics on private property have no closed season or hours; TPWD asks night hunters to contact the local game warden as a courtesy.
Dove fields
Doves are migratory birds, so the day ends at sunset. Seasons open in all three dove zones on Sep 1, 2026.
Alligator lines
Baited lines may not be set, and alligators may not be removed from lines, between sunset and a half hour before sunrise.
Shooting hour questions
When does legal shooting time start in Texas?
One-half hour before official sunrise, for every game species.
When must deer hunters stop?
One-half hour after official sunset. The same window applies to javelina, turkey, quail and other upland birds.
Do dove hunters get the half hour after sunset?
No. Migratory game birds, including doves, ducks, geese and cranes, close at official sunset.
Are there shooting hours for feral hogs?
Not on private property. Feral hogs, exotics and nongame have no closed season or hunting hours there.
Which Texas counties are on Mountain time?
The widget uses Mountain time for El Paso and Hudspeth counties and Central time everywhere else.
Is there still a noon start for white-winged doves?
No. Special White-winged Dove Days, which ran noon to sunset, were eliminated for 2026-27.
Can I use a light to find deer at night?
No artificial light may illuminate a game animal or bird. Scope reticles that light only inside the scope are allowed.
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.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Mountain Prairie (CC BY 2.0); Peter Sheik (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0); Jim, the Photographer (CC BY 2.0).