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Houston/Beaumont region
McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge hunting
Public hunting on McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge (67,473 acres): ducks and geese, with zone dates, permits, the county deer rules and the nearest towns.
Photo: sonnia hill (CC BY 2.0)
The basics of McFaddin NWR
Type of ground: national wildlife refuge with a hunt program. Manager: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 67,473 acre figure places it 5th among 16 national wildlife refuges with known acreage. From Winnie, the nearest town we cover, the area sits around 19 miles to the southeast. Without a listed county we fall back to Jefferson County, the nearest county center to the mapped point.
Access is set by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; see the permit section for the exact wording.
The hunting page calls it a 55,000-acre refuge; the Texas Point about page says 58,861 acres; acreage shown is the USFWS lands report total.
From the source record and 3 linked sources, retrieved 2026-10-11; page checked October 11, 2026.
What you can hunt at McFaddin NWR, and when
Ducks and geese are on the area list, and the season dates below are the Jefferson County zone dates.
| Game | Season | Zone | Opens | Closes | Bag | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September teal | September teal | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Youth-Only | North Zone (Northeast of IH 10) | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Veterans and military | North Zone (Northeast of IH 10) | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Regular Season | North Zone (Northeast of IH 10) | Nov 14, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Regular Season | North Zone (Northeast of IH 10) | Dec 5, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Dusky Duck | North Zone (Northeast of IH 10) | Nov 19, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Dusky Duck | North Zone (Northeast of IH 10) | Dec 5, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Falconry | North Zone (Northeast of IH 10) | Feb 1, 2027 | Feb 21, 2027 | 3 a day | |
| Ducks | Youth-Only | South Zone (Southeast of IH 10) | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Veterans and military | South Zone (Southeast of IH 10) | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Regular Season | South Zone (Southeast of IH 10) | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Regular Season | South Zone (Southeast of IH 10) | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Dusky Duck | South Zone (Southeast of IH 10) | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Dusky Duck | South Zone (Southeast of IH 10) | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Falconry | South Zone (Southeast of IH 10) | Feb 1, 2027 | Feb 21, 2027 | 3 a day | |
| Geese | Early Canada geese | Eastern Zone | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | 5 Canada a day | |
| Geese | Dark Geese | Eastern Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 5 dark a day | |
| Geese | Light Geese | Eastern Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Feb 19, 2027 | 5 light a day |
Read the area rules too; managers of McFaddin NWR can trim these seasons or limit them to drawn permits.
County chosen by distance (Jefferson); zones can change at county lines.
Zone dates and bags from the TPWD Outdoor Annual 2026-27 (Outdoor Annual) for Jefferson County; area game list from the area record. Checked October 11, 2026.
Whitetail limits that apply near McFaddin NWR
Deer limits for Jefferson County, the county this page uses for McFaddin NWR.
Jefferson County buck and doe rules
TPWD restricts bucks in this county to spikes and other unbranched bucks or a 13 inch inside spread, one wide branched buck at most. Nov. 7-29: antlerless with a tag from the hunting license.
2026-27 deer dates, Jefferson County
| Season | Open | Close | Part of county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery Only | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 6, 2026 | All areas |
| Youth-Only | Oct 30, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | All areas |
| General Season | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | All areas |
| Muzzleloader | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | All areas |
| Youth-Only | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | All areas |
Around McFaddin NWR: towns and public areas
The map shows McFaddin NWR in orange with 8 public neighbors inside 60 miles.
Town guides close by: Winnie (19 miles northwest); Port Arthur (20 miles northeast, pop. 55,799); Bolivar Peninsula (31 miles southwest).
J.D. Murphree WMA, Salt Bayou Unit (8 miles northeast)
Jefferson County; 8 miles northeast. 15,397 ac.
J.D. Murphree WMA, Big Hill Unit (11 miles northeast)
Jefferson County; 11 miles northeast. 9,861 ac.
Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge (13 miles east)
The Houston/Beaumont region; 13 miles east. 8,963 ac.
Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge (formerly Anahuac NWR) (19 miles west)
The Houston/Beaumont region; 19 miles west. 39,411 ac.
Points from TPWD GIS, agency pages and public geocodes as noted in each record. Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Licenses and permits that cover McFaddin NWR
Permit facts are from TPWD and the managing agency.
What the agency requires
Much of the refuge open to free public waterfowl hunting, some areas with a fee (cash or check); 2026-2027 refuge hunting permit brochure; an area reserved for hunters with disabilities.
License and endorsements
License first: $25 for a resident, $7 for youth. For the game listed here, add free HIP plus the migratory bird endorsement and a federal duck stamp for waterfowl hunters 16 and older. Born September 2, 1971 or later? Hunter education is required.
Orange on public land
This is the TPWD public hunting land standard; confirm what the federal manager requires.
Sunrise, sunset and shooting time for McFaddin NWR
Morning legal light comes 30 minutes before sunrise for every game species. In the evening, migratory birds stop at sunset and everything else 30 minutes later.
Times worked out for McFaddin NWR in Central time. Rule from the TPWD Outdoor Annual (shooting hours). Nongame, exotics and feral hogs on private land may be hunted at any hour. Shooting hours for every county.
Outfitting a hunt in McFaddin NWR
Items matched to the species listed for this place.
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Who handles game killed at McFaddin NWR
Sorted by county, nearest first.
Nearest TPWD law enforcement office: TPWD Law Enforcement Office (Beaumont) in Beaumont, about 31 miles away.
Store locators (Academy, Bass Pro, Cabela’s), the TPWD law enforcement office list, Hunters for the Hungry and business listings, checked October 11, 2026. Call ahead.
Quick answers on McFaddin NWR
Do I need hunter orange at McFaddin NWR?
The public land rule is 400 sq in, 144 on both chest and back, orange on the head, whenever guns are in season. It does not apply to turkey, migratory bird or alligator hunting. Check federal rules too.
What is the deer bag near McFaddin NWR?
4 deer, 2 bucks max, 2 antlerless max in Jefferson County. Antler restrictions are in force. The area can set a lower limit.
If McFaddin NWR is crowded, where else can I go?
Closest on the TPWD and federal lists: Sea Rim State Park (5 miles), J.D. Murphree WMA, Salt Bayou Unit (8 miles) and J.D. Murphree WMA (9 miles).
Which town makes a base for McFaddin NWR?
Winnie sits 19 miles away (the area is southeast of it). Port Arthur is next at 20 miles.
Can I put off hunter education?
Hunters 17 and older can buy a one-time $10 deferral, good to the end of the license year, and hunt accompanied.
What time does legal light start at McFaddin NWR?
From 30 minutes before sunrise. Game animals and upland birds run to 30 minutes after sunset; migratory birds stop at sunset. Daily times are in the table above.
Are there youth-only waterfowl days?
Youth waterfowl: HPMMU Oct. 17-18; South Oct. 31 – Nov. 1; North Nov. 7-8, 2026.
What license do I need for McFaddin NWR?
A Texas hunting license: $25 for residents, $315 for the nonresident general license, $7 for hunters under 17.
Is McFaddin NWR a large area?
Roughly 67,473 acres.
Which agency runs McFaddin NWR?
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service runs it as a national wildlife refuge with a hunt program. Program: National Wildlife Refuge hunt program.
McFaddin NWR trip checklist
Seasons, permits and boundaries at McFaddin NWR can change during the license year. Open the official page before you load the truck.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); Dave Williss (CC BY 2.0); Maciej Kraus (CC BY 2.0); Adrian Delgado2012 (CC BY 2.0).