Javelina Hunting in Texas, 2026-27 Seasons and Limits

Northern zone javelina run Oct 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027, while the Southern zone stays open the whole license year, Sep 1, 2026 to Aug 31, 2027. The remaining 155 counties have no javelina season at all. One hunter may take two javelina per license year and hold no more than two.

MapJavelina land map19 areas with javelina PermitsJavelina in the drawing2 categories

TPWD quick facts on javelina

Open in 99 counties.
Northern Oct. 1, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027; Southern Sept. 1, 2026 – Aug. 31, 2027.
2 per license year.

When javelina are in season

Each of the 2 lines below is a javelina segment for one zone, with its length in days.

Area	Season	First day	Last day	Days	Today
Northern	Regular Season	Oct 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	151
Southern	Regular Season	Sep 1, 2026	Aug 31, 2027	365

Dates from the TPWD Outdoor Annual 2026-27 (species page), checked October 11, 2026.

Bag rules for javelina

Javelina limits come from the TPWD species page and the season notes for each zone.

2Javelina per license year

2Javelina in possession

49Northern zone counties

50Southern zone counties

Bag for javelina

TPWD

2 per license year; possession 2.

Area	Type	Limit
Northern	Bag Limit	2 per license year
Northern	Possession Limit	2
Southern	Bag Limit	2 per license year
Southern	Possession Limit	2

County lists for javelina

Pick a javelina zone below to see its counties; where a highway splits a county, the side it covers is noted.

Area	Entire counties	Partial
No Open Season	155	0
Northern	49	0
Southern	50	0

Show the 155 No Open Season counties

Show the 49 Northern counties

List Southern (50)

Where javelina are open, county by county

16 of the 99 javelina counties hold a public area that lists javelina; the deer column is the county whitetail bag for hunters combining trips.

County	Zone	TPWD region	Ecoregion	Public areas	Deer bag
Andrews	Northern	Central Texas	High Plains	0	3 deer
Aransas	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	Gulf Prairies and Marshes	0	5 deer
Archer	Northern	Panhandle	Rolling Plains	0	5 deer
Atascosa	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer
Bandera	Southern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Baylor	Northern	Panhandle	Rolling Plains	0	5 deer
Bee	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer
Bexar	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	Edwards Plateau	1	5 deer
Blanco	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Borden	Northern	Panhandle	Rolling Plains	0	5 deer
Brewster	Southern	Trans-Pecos	Trans Pecos	3	4 deer
Brooks	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer
Caldwell	Northern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	Post Oak Savannah	0	4 deer
Calhoun	Northern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	Gulf Prairies and Marshes	0	5 deer
Cameron	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	3	5 deer
Coke	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Comal	Northern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	Edwards Plateau	0	4 deer
Concho	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Crane	Northern	Central Texas	Trans Pecos	0	3 deer
Crockett	Southern	Trans-Pecos	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Culberson	Southern	Trans-Pecos	Trans Pecos	1	4 deer
Dawson	Northern	Central Texas	High Plains	0	3 deer
DeWitt	Northern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	4 deer
Dimmit	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	1	5 deer
Duval	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer
Ector	Northern	Central Texas	High Plains	0	3 deer
Edwards	Southern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
El Paso	Southern	Trans-Pecos	Trans Pecos	0	Closed
Foard	Northern	Panhandle	Rolling Plains	0	5 deer
Frio	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer
Gaines	Northern	Panhandle	High Plains	0	3 deer
Gillespie	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Glasscock	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Goliad	Northern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	4 deer
Gonzales	Northern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	Post Oak Savannah	0	4 deer
Guadalupe	Northern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	Post Oak Savannah	0	4 deer
Hardeman	Northern	Panhandle	Rolling Plains	0	5 deer
Hays	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	4 deer
Hidalgo	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	1	5 deer
Howard	Northern	Central Texas	Rolling Plains	0	5 deer
Hudspeth	Southern	Trans-Pecos	Trans Pecos	1	Closed
Irion	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Jeff Davis	Southern	Trans-Pecos	Trans Pecos	1	4 deer
Jim Hogg	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer
Jim Wells	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer
Karnes	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	4 deer
Kendall	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Kenedy	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer
Kerr	Southern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Kimble	Southern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Kinney	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer
Kleberg	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer
Knox	Northern	Panhandle	Rolling Plains	0	5 deer
La Salle	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	1	5 deer
Live Oak	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	2	5 deer
Llano	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Loving	Northern	Trans-Pecos	Trans Pecos	0	3 deer
Martin	Northern	Central Texas	High Plains	0	3 deer
Mason	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Maverick	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer
McCulloch	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
McMullen	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	1	5 deer
Medina	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	1	5 deer
Menard	Southern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Midland	Northern	Central Texas	High Plains	0	3 deer
Mitchell	Northern	Central Texas	Rolling Plains	0	5 deer
Nolan	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Nueces	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer
Pecos	Southern	Trans-Pecos	Trans Pecos	0	5 deer
Presidio	Southern	Trans-Pecos	Trans Pecos	1	4 deer
Reagan	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Real	Southern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Reeves	Southern	Trans-Pecos	Trans Pecos	0	4 deer
Refugio	Northern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	Gulf Prairies and Marshes	0	5 deer
Runnels	Northern	Central Texas	Rolling Plains	0	5 deer
San Patricio	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer
San Saba	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Schleicher	Southern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Scurry	Northern	Central Texas	Rolling Plains	0	5 deer
Starr	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	1	5 deer
Sterling	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Sutton	Southern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Taylor	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Terrell	Southern	Trans-Pecos	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Terry	Northern	Panhandle	High Plains	0	3 deer
Tom Green	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	2	5 deer
Upton	Northern	Central Texas	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Uvalde	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer
Val Verde	Southern	Trans-Pecos	Edwards Plateau	0	5 deer
Victoria	Northern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	Gulf Prairies and Marshes	0	4 deer
Ward	Northern	Trans-Pecos	Trans Pecos	0	3 deer
Webb	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer
Wichita	Northern	Panhandle	Rolling Plains	0	5 deer
Wilbarger	Northern	Panhandle	Rolling Plains	0	5 deer
Willacy	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	1	5 deer
Wilson	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	4 deer
Winkler	Northern	Trans-Pecos	Trans Pecos	0	3 deer
Zapata	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer
Zavala	Southern	San Antonio/Corpus Christi	South Texas Plains	0	5 deer

Legal requirements for javelina

License items, hours, orange and the means and methods TPWD names for javelina.

Paperwork

License costs that apply to javelina in 2026-27.

$25Resident license

$48Nonresident 5-day

$7Youth license

$48APH permit

Shooting hours

Shooting hours for javelina run sunrise minus 30 minutes to sunset plus 30.

Orange rule

Public land javelina hunters need the full orange set, 400 square inches with headwear; private land javelina hunters do not.

Hunter ed rule

For javelina, TPWD requires hunter education of everyone born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, nonresidents included.

Nonresident javelina hunters

The $48 Non-resident Special 5-Day Small Game/Exotic license covers javelina for five straight days.

Javelina parts

Hair, hide, bones and skull of a javelina may be sold under the wildlife parts rule.

Javelina records

The Texas Big Game Awards minimum for a scored javelina is 13 4/16 statewide.

Calls and bait for javelina

Electronic calls are legal for game animals including javelina, and baiting game animals is legal on private land.

Scoring and awards

2025-26 TBGA rules

Javelina are eligible for the Texas Big Game Awards; a certified scorer measures the animal and the entry goes to the Texas Wildlife Association by March 1.

13 4/16Statewide

From the TPWD Outdoor Annual general regulations, license and species pages (endorsements, hunting regulations), checked October 11, 2026. All Texas hunting laws · License guide.

Mapped public areas for javelina

The map shows 19 areas that name javelina, grouped below by TPWD region, the largest of them Black Gap WMA at 103,000 acres.

The javelina areas compared

Tract	Kind	Counties	Acres	Draw	Also listed
Black Gap WMA	WMA	Brewster	103,000	Drawn	mule deer, white-tailed deer, dove, waterfowl, quail, rabbit, predators/furbearers
Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge	National Wildlife Refuge	–	101,700	Drawn	white-tailed deer, feral hog, exotics, turkey, dove
Elephant Mountain WMA	WMA	Brewster	23,147	Drawn	mule deer, white-tailed deer, feral hog, elk, dove, quail, rabbit, predators/furbearers
Chaparral WMA	WMA	Dimmit and La Salle	15,200	Drawn	white-tailed deer, feral hog, dove, quail, rabbit, predators/furbearers
Twin Buttes Public Hunting Lands	Public Hunting Land	Tom Green	12,858	–	white-tailed deer, feral hog, exotics, turkey, dove, waterfowl, quail, squirrel, rabbit, predators/furbearers, trapping
Sierra Diablo WMA	WMA	Culberson and Hudspeth	11,624	Drawn	mule deer, elk, predators/furbearers
Las Palomas WMA – Longoria Unit	WMA Unit	Cameron	374	Drawn	dove, quail, chachalaca, rabbit
San Angelo State Park	State Park	Tom Green	–	Drawn	white-tailed deer, feral hog, exotics, turkey, dove, waterfowl, quail, squirrel, rabbit
Choke Canyon State Park – North Shore Unit	State Park	Live Oak	–	Drawn	white-tailed deer, feral hog
Government Canyon State Natural Area	State Natural Area	Bexar and Medina	–	Drawn	white-tailed deer, feral hog, exotics
James E. Daughtrey WMA	WMA	Live Oak and McMullen	–	Drawn	white-tailed deer, feral hog, turkey, dove, waterfowl, sandhill crane, quail, rabbit, predators/furbearers, other migratory birds
Las Palomas WMA	WMA	Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy	–	Drawn	white-tailed deer, exotics, dove, quail, chachalaca, rabbit
Las Palomas WMA – Arroyo Colorado Unit	WMA Unit	Cameron	–	Drawn	white-tailed deer, exotics, dove, quail, rabbit
Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR – East Lake	NWR Unit	–	–	Drawn	white-tailed deer, feral hog, exotics, turkey
Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR – Schaleben	NWR Unit	–	–	Drawn	white-tailed deer, feral hog, exotics
Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR – Teniente	NWR Unit	–	–	Drawn	white-tailed deer, feral hog, exotics
Amistad National Recreation Area	National Recreation Area	–	–	–	white-tailed deer, turkey, rabbit, exotics, feral hog, dove, quail, waterfowl
Big Bend Ranch State Park	State Park	Presidio and Brewster	–	Drawn	mule deer, feral hog, quail
Davis Mountains State Park	State Park	Jeff Davis	–	Drawn	feral hog, exotics

TPWD lands require the $48 APH permit of javelina hunters 17 and up, bought with a season hunting license. How the APH permit works.

TPWD APH data, WMA and drawn hunt lists and federal land managers, 2026-27, checked October 11, 2026. Species lists are what each manager names; area rules still apply.

Public draw hunts that include javelina

For javelina, the drawing has 2 matching categories and Big Time Texas Hunts adds 1.

Drawing	Category	Due
Special Permit	Javelina	Aug 15, 2026
Youth Only	Javelina	Sep 15, 2026

Big Time Texas Hunts

Big Time draws with javelina: Lone Star Javelina Hunt (new).

Drawn javelina hunt fees: $3 to apply, $80 or $130 if selected, nothing for hunters under 17. Big Time Texas Hunts entries for javelina cost $9 online and close Oct. 15, 2026.

TPWD Public Hunt Drawing catalog, fees and deadlines (drawing) and Big Time Texas Hunts (BTTH), checked October 11, 2026. Texas drawn hunts.

Javelina harvest, past and present

TPWD puts the 2025-26 javelina harvest at 25,777, taken by 30,398 hunters. The South Texas Plains accounted for 26,974 javelina in 2017-18, the largest ecoregion total.

25,777Javelina taken, 2025-26

30,398Javelina hunters

244,679Hunter days

55.79%Success rate

TPWD has not posted the seasons from 2018-19 to 2024-25 publicly, so the javelina chart skips from 2017-18 to 2025-26.

Javelina by ecoregion, 2017-18

Ecoregion	Hunters	Harvest	Success
South Texas Plains	33,310	26,974	64.20%
Edwards Plateau	10,281	6,185	48.00%
Trans-Pecos	4,729	2,234	30.43%
Rolling Plains	1,234	1,546	66.67%
Post Oak Savannah	1,028	515	40.00%
Gulf Prairies	617	172	33.33%

TPWD harvest surveys (2025-26, 2005-06 to 2017-18 report). Survey estimates, not check-station counts.

Shopping list for Javelina country

Click any item for current listings and prices.

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

Predator call

Distress calls bring javelina in close.

See Amazon prices

Bow quiver

Archery is a common way to hunt javelina.

See Amazon prices

Binoculars

Glass brush flats for a herd.

See Amazon prices

Snake boots

South Texas brush holds rattlesnakes.

See Amazon prices

Compare hunting gear Hunting gear guide

Other game to pair with javelina

Year-roundFeral HogYear-round · 180 areas Big gameWhite-tailed DeerOct 3 to Feb 28 · 168 areas Upland birdsQuailNov 1 to Feb 28 · 61 areas Big gameMule DeerOct 3 to Jan 31 · 14 areas

Javelina questions and answers

Is javelina season open all year in South Texas?

In the Southern zone, yes: Sep 1, 2026 to Aug 31, 2027. The Northern zone closes Feb 28, 2027.

Can a nonresident hunt javelina on a short license?

Yes. The Non-resident Special 5-Day Small Game/Exotic Hunting License ($48) is valid for javelina.

What score makes a javelina for the Big Game Awards?

13 4/16 statewide under the 2025-26 Texas Big Game Awards rules.

When can javelina hunters start shooting?

Shooting hours for javelina run sunrise minus 30 minutes to sunset plus 30.

Where do javelina hunters hunt without a lease?

19 tracts, among them Black Gap WMA, Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge and Elephant Mountain WMA. The APH permit for adult javelina hunters is $48.

Can I apply for a public javelina hunt?

TPWD drawing categories for javelina: Javelina. Big Time Texas Hunts offers Lone Star Javelina Hunt (new).

Do javelina fall under the orange rule?

Public land javelina hunters need the full orange set, 400 square inches with headwear; private land javelina hunters do not.

How many javelina may I keep?

2 per license year; possession 2.

Are javelina open in every county?

TPWD county pages show javelina in 99 counties.

Do javelina hunters need anything beyond a hunting license?

TPWD lists for javelina: Resident license ($25); Nonresident 5-day ($48).

Javelina: final checks

TPWD can amend javelina rules during the license year, so check the javelina page linked below before heading out.

More species Hunting seasons Public map TPWD javelina page

Javelina Hunting in Texas

TPWD quick facts on javelina

When javelina are in season

Bag rules for javelina

Bag for javelina

County lists for javelina

Where javelina are open, county by county

Legal requirements for javelina

Paperwork

Shooting hours

Orange rule

Hunter ed rule

Nonresident javelina hunters

Javelina parts

Javelina records

Calls and bait for javelina

Scoring and awards

Mapped public areas for javelina

San Antonio/Corpus Christi (11)

Trans-Pecos (6)

Central Texas (2)

The javelina areas compared

Public draw hunts that include javelina

Big Time Texas Hunts

Javelina harvest, past and present

Javelina by ecoregion, 2017-18

Shopping list for Javelina country

Predator call

Bow quiver

Binoculars

Snake boots

Other game to pair with javelina

Javelina questions and answers

Is javelina season open all year in South Texas?

Can a nonresident hunt javelina on a short license?

What score makes a javelina for the Big Game Awards?

When can javelina hunters start shooting?

Where do javelina hunters hunt without a lease?

Can I apply for a public javelina hunt?

Do javelina fall under the orange rule?

How many javelina may I keep?

Are javelina open in every county?

Do javelina hunters need anything beyond a hunting license?

Javelina: final checks