2026-27 Outdoor Annual
Texas Game Species
24 species and groups with a Texas season or regulated take in 2026-27, each with its own page of dates, limits, zones, rules and public land.
Photo: James St. John (CC BY 2.0)
Pick a species
Tiles are grouped the way TPWD sorts game: big game animals, upland game birds, migratory game birds, small game and the species with no closed season on private land.
Big game (5)
Upland birds (4)
Migratory birds (8)
Small game (2)
Other game (1)
Year-round (4)
Texas bag limits, 2026-27
Each limit is quoted from the TPWD species page. White-tailed deer bags are set county by county, so the deer page and the county pages carry the local figure.
| Species | TPWD bag and possession limit |
|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | County-set; statewide annual max 5 deer, no more than 3 bucks (not applicable on MLDP properties). County bags range 3-5. |
| Mule Deer | 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. |
| Pronghorn | 1, by permit only (permits issued to landowners/agents). |
| Desert Bighorn Sheep | Permit only. |
| Javelina | 2 per license year; possession 2. |
| Wild Turkey | 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. |
| Squirrel | East Texas counties 10/day, possession 20; youth-only season 10; year-round counties no bag limit. |
| Quail | 15/day, possession 45 (bobwhite, scaled, Gambel's). Mearns' quail no open season. |
| Pheasant | 3 cocks/day, possession 9 cocks. |
| Chachalaca | 5/day, possession 15. |
| Dove | 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. |
| Teal | 6/day in aggregate (blue-winged, green-winged, cinnamon); possession 3x daily. |
| Duck | 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. |
| Goose | 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. |
| Sandhill Crane | Zones A and B: 3/day, 9 possession. Zone C: 2/day, 6 possession. |
| Rail and Gallinule | 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). |
| Woodcock | 3/day, 9 possession. |
| Snipe | 8/day, 24 possession. |
| Alligator | Core counties: 1 per unused CITES tag in possession. Non-core: 1 per person per license year. |
| Rabbit and Hare | No closed season, bag or possession limit on private property. |
| Feral Hog | No state season, bag or possession limit on private property. |
| Furbearer | No bag or possession limit (recreational Sept 1-Aug 31). |
| Coyote and Bobcat | No closed season, bag or possession limit on private property. |
| Exotic Game | No state season, bag or possession limit on private property. |
Limits from the TPWD Outdoor Annual 2026-27 species pages, checked October 11, 2026.
Closed and protected species
Know these before pulling the trigger; most carry state or federal penalties.
Lesser prairie-chickens are upland game birds by definition, but TPWD lists no season for them in 2026-27, so there is no page for them here.
| Species | Status |
|---|---|
| Black bear | State-threatened; protected and cannot be hunted or killed. Report sightings at (512) 389-4505. |
| Threatened and endangered species | Unlawful to hunt threatened or endangered nongame species. |
| Indigenous birds (raptors, songbirds) | Protected by state and federal law; may not be killed, taken from nest, possessed, or feathers sold, except listed unprotected birds. |
| Bats | May not be hunted, killed, possessed, bought or sold, except removal from occupied buildings. |
| Whooping crane | Endangered; do not confuse with sandhill cranes. Also protected: swans, white ibis, great blue heron, wood stork, white pelican, great egret. |
| Band-tailed pigeon, Inca dove, common ground dove | Protected; do not hunt. |
| Mearns' (Montezuma) quail | No open season. |
| Lesser prairie-chicken | No open season listed in the 2026-27 Outdoor Annual. |
| Unbearded turkey hens | Harvest prohibited (new for 2026-27). Hunting roosting turkeys prohibited. |
| Turkey in Matagorda and Wharton counties | Closed to wild turkey hunting starting 2026-27. |
| Diamondback terrapin | Possession prohibited at any time. |
| Desert bighorn sheep | Permit only; ram skulls obtained after Sept. 1, 2003 must be plugged by TPWD or proven taken outside Texas. |
| Captive mountain lions and dangerous wild animals | No canned hunts of captive mountain lions or dangerous wild animals (lion, tiger, bear, wolf, etc.). |
| Wildlife sanctuaries, state and national parks, refuges | No hunting except scheduled hunts or under special policies. |
From the TPWD nongame, migratory bird and species pages (definitions), checked October 11, 2026.
Texas game species questions
How many game species can be hunted in Texas?
This guide has 24 pages covering every species or group with a 2026-27 season or regulated take, from white-tailed deer to snipe, plus the year-round nongame, exotic and feral hog rules.
Is lesser prairie-chicken season open in Texas?
No. No open season listed in the 2026-27 Outdoor Annual.
Which species need the Upland Game Bird Endorsement?
Required for turkey, pheasant, quail, chachalaca. Not valid for turkey with the Non-resident 5-Day license. It costs $7.
Which species need the Migratory Game Bird Endorsement?
Every migratory game bird: doves, teal, ducks, geese, sandhill cranes, rails and gallinules, woodcock and snipe. HIP certification is also required, and waterfowl hunters 16 and older need a Federal Duck Stamp.
Can black bears be hunted in Texas?
State-threatened; protected and cannot be hunted or killed. Report sightings at (512) 389-4505.
Which species have no closed season?
On private property: feral hogs, exotics, rabbits and hares, coyotes, bobcats and other nongame. Furbearers are open year-round for recreational take.
Which species are permit only?
Pronghorn and desert bighorn sheep. Pronghorn permits go to landowners in 41 counties; bighorn permits go to landowners and through Big Time Texas Hunts and public hunts.
Where do these rules come from?
The TPWD Outdoor Annual 2026-27, the TPWD public hunt drawing pages and the TPWD harvest surveys, checked October 11, 2026.
Keep planning
Every species page links back to the TPWD source. County pages add the local deer bag and zone lines.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); USFWS Mountain Prairie (CC BY 2.0); Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative (CC BY 2.0); Buck Valley Ranch (CC BY 2.0); tequilamike (CC BY 2.0); fishhawk (CC BY 2.0); ilouque (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (CC BY 2.0); Charles & Clint (CC BY-SA 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); Yellowstone National Park (Public domain); Serge Melki (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Headquarters (CC BY 2.0); ShenandoahNPS (Public domain); Frank.Vassen (CC BY 2.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); mbarrison (CC BY-SA 2.0); gailhampshire (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0); Juliana Chong (CC BY 2.0); gurdonark (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0).