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TPWD Dallas/Ft. Worth region

Pat Mayse WMA hunting

Permits, 2026-27 zone dates for whitetails, feral hogs, turkey and doves, deer limits and a map, built from TPWD and agency records.

Species and dates Permits needed Map and towns

8,925Acres

LamarMain county

10Game listed

705Unit

Photo: Jeff Pang (CC BY 2.0)

Getting to know Pat Mayse WMA

Pat Mayse WMA is a wildlife management area run by TPWD in Lamar County, listed by TPWD. Its 8,925 acres rank 19th of 36 wildlife management areas with a published acreage. Look northwest of Paris (the closest town we cover), about 12 miles out.

8,925Acres on record

LamarCounty

Dallas/Ft. WorthTPWD area

WMAListing type

705Unit no.

PMDrawn code

10Game types

GameSeason windows10 game groups listed AccessWhat to carryQuoted from the source

Walk-in hunting here runs on the APH permit. APH holders can also enter E-Postcard drawings for certain hunts. TPWD also lists youth-only hunts here. 2 special-permit categories come through the TPWD drawing.

WMA page 8,925 acres; APH GIS layer 9,005 deed acres.

Managing agency page

From the source record and 7 linked sources, retrieved 2026-10-11; page checked October 11, 2026.

Zone calendar for Pat Mayse WMA species

This area lists whitetails, feral hogs, turkey, doves, ducks and geese, quail, squirrels, rabbits, predators and snipe, woodcock and rails; the zone that holds Lamar County sets each date.

North Zonewhite-tailed deer zone

Springturkey zone

North Zonedove zone

StatewideSeptember teal zone

North Zoneducks zone

Eastern Zonegeese zone

Species	Season	TPWD zone	From	To	Daily bag
White-tailed deer	Archery Only	North Zone	Oct 3, 2026	Nov 6, 2026	4 deer
White-tailed deer	Youth-Only	North Zone	Oct 30, 2026	Nov 1, 2026	4 deer
White-tailed deer	General Season	North Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Jan 3, 2027	4 deer
White-tailed deer	Muzzleloader	North Zone	Jan 4, 2027	Jan 17, 2027	4 deer
White-tailed deer	Youth-Only	North Zone	Jan 4, 2027	Jan 17, 2027	4 deer
Turkey	Spring season	East Zone (North of Highway 82)	Apr 22, 2027	May 14, 2027	1 gobbler
Dove	Regular Season	North Zone	Sep 1, 2026	Nov 8, 2026	15 a day
Dove	Regular Season	North Zone	Dec 18, 2026	Jan 7, 2027	15 a day
Dove	Falconry	North Zone	Nov 13, 2026	Nov 29, 2026	3 a day
September teal	September teal	Statewide	Sep 19, 2026	Sep 27, 2026	6 a day
Ducks	Youth-Only	North Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Nov 8, 2026	6 a day
Ducks	Veterans and military	North Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Nov 8, 2026	6 a day
Ducks	Regular Season	North Zone	Nov 14, 2026	Nov 29, 2026	6 a day
Ducks	Regular Season	North Zone	Dec 5, 2026	Jan 31, 2027	6 a day
Ducks	Dusky Duck	North Zone	Nov 19, 2026	Nov 29, 2026	6 a day
Ducks	Dusky Duck	North Zone	Dec 5, 2026	Jan 31, 2027	6 a day
Ducks	Falconry	North Zone	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
Quail	Regular Season	Statewide	Nov 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	15 a day
Squirrel	General Season	East Texas	Oct 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	10 a day or none
Squirrel	General Season	East Texas	May 1, 2027	May 31, 2027	10 a day or none
Squirrel	Youth-Only	East Texas	Sep 25, 2026	Sep 27, 2026	10 a day or none
Woodcock	Regular Season	Statewide	Dec 18, 2026	Jan 31, 2027	3 a day
Woodcock	Falconry	Statewide	Feb 1, 2027	Feb 21, 2027	—
Snipe	Regular Season	Statewide	Nov 7, 2026	Feb 21, 2027	8 a day
Rails and gallinules	Regular Season	Statewide	Sep 19, 2026	Sep 27, 2026	15 a day
Rails and gallinules	Regular Season	Statewide	Nov 7, 2026	Jan 6, 2027	15 a day
Rails and gallinules	Falconry	Statewide	Feb 1, 2027	Feb 21, 2027	—
Feral hogs	Area rules	—	—	—	—
Rabbits and hares	Area rules	—	—	—	—
Predators and furbearers	Area rules	—	—	—	—

Treat the table as the widest window allowed. The area itself may close earlier, limit days of the week or hunt only by drawing.

Texas sets no season for hogs, exotics, rabbits or predators on private property. Public ground sets its own limits, so the table says area rules.

Zone dates and bags from the TPWD Outdoor Annual 2026-27 (Outdoor Annual) for Lamar County; area game list from the area record. Checked October 11, 2026.

Buck and doe limits for Pat Mayse WMA

Whitetail rules here start from the Lamar County line in the Outdoor Annual.

County deer listing

Official listing

4Whitetails

2Buck limit

2Doe cap

A 13 inch inside spread or one unbranched antler is the test for a legal buck in this county. Doe days Nov. 7-29, on the license tags.

Deer seasons in the county

Season	From	To	Area
Archery Only	Oct 3, 2026	Nov 6, 2026	Countywide
Youth-Only	Oct 30, 2026	Nov 1, 2026	Countywide
General Season	Nov 7, 2026	Jan 3, 2027	Countywide
Muzzleloader	Jan 4, 2027	Jan 17, 2027	Countywide
Youth-Only	Jan 4, 2027	Jan 17, 2027	Countywide

Post Oak SavannahHabitat region

907 sq miArea

ParisSeat of county

51,249Residents

18Deer mgmt unit

1Public ground

What to carry at Pat Mayse WMA: permits and orange

Each card below quotes a TPWD or agency rule with its source.

Public hunting permit

TPWD source

$48Permit price

173Item code

$12LPU permit

Buy a season hunting license first; the APH permit rides on it and covers adults 17 and older. 180+ areas and over 1 million acres come with it. Youth under 17 hunt free with a permitted adult 18 or older.

Hunts by drawing

Public hunt drawing

$3To apply

$80Standard permit

$1304-5 day permit

Category	Closes
E-Postcard Turkey	Nov 1, 2026
Gun Deer – Either Sex	Sep 15, 2026

Each category has its own deadline. Apply online; drawings run the business day after.

License checklist

TPWD license page

$25Resident

$315Out of state

$7Hunters under 17

$7Migratory

$25+Federal stamp

$7Upland

A Texas hunting license comes first ($25 resident, $315 nonresident general). Add the migratory bird endorsement plus free HIP certification, the duck stamp for waterfowl, ages 16 and up and the upland game bird endorsement. The hunter education rule starts with birth dates of September 2, 1971.

Orange requirement

TPWD

400 sq inTotal orange

144 sq inPer side

Must be orangeHeadgear

Wear daylight fluorescent orange in daylight hours while firearm hunting is permitted. Exemptions: turkey, migratory birds, alligators, and anyone in a vehicle, camp, parking lot, boat launch or check station.

Rules on drawn hunts

Source

Statewide means apply unless a hunt says otherwise. Vehicles are not hunting platforms, buckshot needs specific approval, and deer go to the check station.

Map of Pat Mayse WMA and nearby public ground

Neighbors inside 60 miles: 8. Orange is Pat Mayse WMA.

Base towns with guides: Paris southeast, 12 miles; Cooper south, 30 miles; Bonham southwest, 34 miles.

WMA unitDrawn

Caddo National Grasslands WMA, Bois d'Arc Unit (17 miles west)

Fannin County, 17 miles away (west). 13,360 ac.

WMADrawn

Caddo National Grasslands WMA (17 miles west)

Fannin County, 17 miles away (west). 16,140 ac.

National grassland

Caddo National Grassland (19 miles west)

Fannin County, 19 miles away (west). 17,727 ac.

APH lease

Crossroads Farm (26 miles southwest)

Fannin County, 26 miles away (southwest). 130 ac.

Public hunting land

Bois d'Arc Lake Public Hunting Lands (27 miles southwest)

Fannin County, 27 miles away (southwest). 5,305 ac.

APH lease

Rattan Community (27 miles south)

Delta County, 27 miles away (south). 1,753 ac.

APH lease

Weets Farm North (28 miles south)

Delta County, 28 miles away (south). 415 ac.

APH lease

FM 1530 (29 miles south)

Delta County, 29 miles away (south). 103 ac.

GuideAll of Lamar CountyDeer bag and zones MapThe full mapPins for every area

Points from TPWD GIS, agency pages and public geocodes as noted in each record. Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.

Every 2026-27 season that covers Lamar County

TPWD draws a separate zone map for deer, turkey, dove, ducks, geese, cranes and javelina. These rows are the ones that land on Lamar County.

Game	Season	Zone	Opens	Closes
White-tailed deer	Archery Only	North Zone	Oct 3, 2026	Nov 6, 2026
White-tailed deer	Youth-Only	North Zone	Oct 30, 2026	Nov 1, 2026
White-tailed deer	General Season	North Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Jan 3, 2027
White-tailed deer	Muzzleloader	North Zone	Jan 4, 2027	Jan 17, 2027
White-tailed deer	Youth-Only	North Zone	Jan 4, 2027	Jan 17, 2027
Turkey	Spring season	East Zone (North of Highway 82)	Apr 22, 2027	May 14, 2027
Squirrel	General Season	East Texas	Oct 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027
Squirrel	General Season	East Texas	May 1, 2027	May 31, 2027
Squirrel	Youth-Only	East Texas	Sep 25, 2026	Sep 27, 2026
Quail	Regular Season	Statewide	Nov 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027
Dove	Regular Season	North Zone	Sep 1, 2026	Nov 8, 2026
Dove	Regular Season	North Zone	Dec 18, 2026	Jan 7, 2027
Dove	Falconry	North Zone	Nov 13, 2026	Nov 29, 2026
September teal	September teal	Statewide	Sep 19, 2026	Sep 27, 2026
Ducks	Youth-Only	North Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Nov 8, 2026
Ducks	Veterans and military	North Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Nov 8, 2026
Ducks	Regular Season	North Zone	Nov 14, 2026	Nov 29, 2026
Ducks	Regular Season	North Zone	Dec 5, 2026	Jan 31, 2027
Ducks	Dusky Duck	North Zone	Nov 19, 2026	Nov 29, 2026
Ducks	Dusky Duck	North Zone	Dec 5, 2026	Jan 31, 2027
Ducks	Falconry	North Zone	Feb 1, 2027	Feb 21, 2027
Geese	Early Canada geese	Eastern Zone	Sep 12, 2026	Sep 27, 2026
Geese	Dark Geese	Eastern Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Jan 31, 2027
Geese	Light Geese	Eastern Zone	Nov 7, 2026	Feb 19, 2027
Alligator	General Season	Non-core	Apr 1, 2027	Jun 30, 2027
Woodcock	Regular Season	Statewide	Dec 18, 2026	Jan 31, 2027
Woodcock	Falconry	Statewide	Feb 1, 2027	Feb 21, 2027
Snipe	Regular Season	Statewide	Nov 7, 2026	Feb 21, 2027
Rails and gallinules	Regular Season	Statewide	Sep 19, 2026	Sep 27, 2026
Rails and gallinules	Regular Season	Statewide	Nov 7, 2026	Jan 6, 2027
Rails and gallinules	Falconry	Statewide	Feb 1, 2027	Feb 21, 2027

From the TPWD Outdoor Annual 2026-27 county and species pages, checked October 11, 2026.

First and last legal light at Pat Mayse WMA

Whitetails, turkeys and quail can be taken from a half hour before sunup until a half hour after sundown. Migratory birds close at sundown.

Times worked out for Pat Mayse WMA 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.

Stocking up for Pat Mayse WMA

Each button runs a live Amazon search, so prices are current.

Amazon links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you.

Box blind

Most Texas deer are hunted from elevated box blinds over senderos and feeders.

Search on Amazon

Deer feeder

Texas allows feeders on private land, but not for turkey in the East Zone or for migratory birds.

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Rangefinder

Checks the distance down a sendero before the shot.

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Field dressing kit

Gloves, blades and a saw in one kit.

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Compare models Gear for every hunt

Local help for Pat Mayse WMA hunters

In-county first, then the next ring out.

Terry's Processing & Slaughter House game processing

Sumner, Lamar County · about 5 mi away

(903) 785-7012 Map Site

Randall's Wildlife Creations taxidermy

Paris, Lamar County

(903) 784-1754 Map Site

Shoot Em Up Archery sporting goods

Paris, Lamar County · about 12 mi away

(903) 737-8595 Map Site

Red Leg Outfitters guide service

Paris, Lamar County · about 13 mi away

(903) 517-5889 Map Site

Wildcat Creek Ranch guide service

Detroit, Red River County · about 28 mi away

(903) 674-2000 Map Site

Hog Wild Game Processing game processing

Bonham, Fannin County · about 31 mi away

(903) 640-0268 Map Site

For a game warden, try TPWD Law Enforcement Office (Mount Pleasant) in Mount Pleasant, 61 miles from the area.

Search processing Taxidermy search

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.

Pat Mayse WMA questions, answered

Is there an antler restriction at Pat Mayse WMA?

Per the Lamar County page, 4 deer, 2 bucks max, 2 antlerless max. It is an antler restriction county. Permits may set their own bag.

What is the hunter orange rule for Pat Mayse WMA?

On TPWD public hunting lands, 400 square inches of daylight orange (144 on chest and back) plus an orange hat when firearm hunting is allowed. Not needed for turkey, migratory birds or alligator.

How do I find Pat Mayse WMA on a Texas road map?

Paris is closest, roughly 12 miles away; the area lies northwest of town. Second closest: Cooper, 30 miles.

Is there more public ground close to Pat Mayse WMA?

Try Caddo National Grasslands WMA, Bois d'Arc Unit (17 miles), Caddo National Grasslands WMA (17 miles) and Caddo National Grassland (19 miles).

What is the drawn hunt code for Pat Mayse WMA?

Categories include E-Postcard Turkey and Gun Deer – Either Sex. Use code PM. Deadlines: Sep 15, 2026 through Nov 1, 2026.

Where is the map for Pat Mayse WMA?

It is unit 705. Its TPWD map is linked above. 2026-27 is the last year of the printed booklet.

How early can I shoot at Pat Mayse WMA?

See the seven-day table above. Migratory birds quit at sunset, everything else 30 minutes later.

Can a hunter without hunter education go to Pat Mayse WMA?

Only with the one-time $10 deferral (17 and older) and an accompanying qualified hunter; the rule covers birth dates from September 2, 1971.

Is there a cheaper license for seniors?

Texas residents 65 and older pay $7 for the senior resident hunting license.

When can young hunters shoot ducks before the regular season?

HPMMU Oct. 17-18; South Oct. 31 – Nov. 1; North Nov. 7-8, 2026, by zone.

Pat Mayse WMA: ready to go

Rules on public ground change more often than county rules. Recheck Pat Mayse WMA on the agency page before you go.

Public tract map Every area APH explained Hunting Lamar County Area page

Other photos on this page: Buck Valley Ranch (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (CC BY 2.0); TexasExplorer98 (CC BY 2.0); US Forest Service – Southern Region (Public domain).