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2026-27 Outdoor Annual

Rail and Gallinule Hunting in Texas

Rails, gallinules and moorhens have two statewide segments: Sept. 19 to 27, 2026, the same days as September teal, and Nov. 7, 2026 to Jan. 6, 2027. From the zone calendar to drawn hunts, the rail and gallinule rules for 2026-27 in one place.

Rail and gallinule calendarBag rulesLand
Sep 19Earliest opener
Feb 21Last day
254Open in
53Mapped areas

Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain)

A falconry-only segment follows Feb. 1 to 21, 2027 with three birds a day. The bag is tiered by bird: king and clapper rails 15, sora and Virginia rails 25, moorhens and purple gallinules 15. 53 public areas in our list name other migratory birds, the TPWD group that takes in rails.

LandPublic rail and gallinule areas53 areas with rails and gallinulesDrawDrawn rail and gallinule hunts0 categories

Rail and Gallinule in brief

  • Sept. 19-27 and Nov. 7, 2026 – Jan. 6, 2027.

Rail and Gallinule season dates, 2026-27

Rail hunters get 3 season rows in 2026-27; day counts include the opening and closing dates.

ZoneSegmentOpensClosesDaysNow
StatewideRegular SeasonSep 19, 2026Sep 27, 20269
StatewideRegular SeasonNov 7, 2026Jan 6, 202761
StatewideFalconryFeb 1, 2027Feb 21, 202721

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

Rail and Gallinule limits in Texas

The figures below are the 2026-27 rail and gallinule limits as TPWD prints them.

15King and clapper a day
25Sora and Virginia a day
15Gallinules a day
3Falconry a day

TPWD limit: king and clapper rails

TPWD

15/day, 45 possession (aggregate).

Sora and Virginia rails limit

TPWD

25/day, 75 possession (aggregate).

Bag for gallinules and moorhens

TPWD

15/day, 45 possession (aggregate).

ZoneLimitRule
StatewideDaily Bag Limit15 King and Clapper Rails in the aggregate
StatewideDaily Bag Limit3 in the aggregate
StatewidePossession Limit3x the daily bag

Rail and Gallinule zone map, county by county

Counties open to rails and gallinules: 254. Each county in the rail and gallinule lists links to its own guide.

ZoneWholePart
Statewide2540
Statewide county list (254)

Rail and Gallinule licenses, hours and methods

Rules for rails and gallinules from TPWD, with prices as listed on October 11, 2026.

License list

What rail hunters buy before the first hunt, at TPWD prices.

$25Resident license
$7Migratory endorsement
FreeHIP certification
$48Nonresident 5-day
$7Youth license
$48APH permit

Daily hours

Rail hunters start a half hour before sunrise and must stop at sunset, the migratory bird rule.

Blaze orange

Rail hunters are exempt from hunter orange on TPWD public hunting lands, and it is only recommended on private land.

Course requirement

Hunter education ($15 in person) applies to rail hunters born Sept. 2, 1971 or later; veterans, active duty and peace officers are exempt.

Rails and HIP

Rail hunters need HIP certification and the Migratory Game Bird Endorsement even though no duck stamp is required.

Rail guns

Shotguns of 10 gauge or smaller plugged to three shells are legal for rails; rifles are not.

Rails in transit

Keep one fully feathered wing or the head on each dressed rail or gallinule until home.

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

Rail and Gallinule public hunting areas by region

Rails and gallinules appear on the game list of 53 public tracts; 24 of them also run drawn or E-Postcard hunts (orange pins).

Pineywoods (18)

Alabama Creek WMA (14,561 ac) · Alazan Bayou WMA – Blount Tract (2,255 ac) · Alazan Bayou WMA – Old River Tract (485 ac) · Angelina National Forest (153,179 ac) · Angelina-Neches/Dam B WMA (12,636 ac) · Bannister WMA (25,695 ac) · Big Lake Bottom WMA (4,253 ac) · Caddo Lake WMA (8,124 ac) · Davy Crockett National Forest (161,100 ac) · Gus Engeling WMA (11,095 ac) · Lake Striker Public Hunting Lands (1,476 ac) · Moore Plantation WMA (26,772 ac) · North Toledo Bend WMA (3,650 ac) · Old Sabine Bottom WMA (5,727 ac) · Sabine National Forest (160,656 ac) · Sabine River Authority Unit 630 (7,484 ac) · White Oak Creek WMA (25,777 ac) · Wright Patman Lake (54,358 ac)

Dallas/Ft. Worth (12)

Bardwell Lake (2,528 ac) · Bois d'Arc Lake Public Hunting Lands (5,305 ac) · Caddo National Grassland (17,727 ac) · Caddo National Grasslands WMA (16,140 ac) · Caddo National Grasslands WMA – Bois d'Arc Unit (13,360 ac) · Caddo National Grasslands WMA – Ladonia Unit · Cooper WMA (14,480 ac) · Lavon Lake (6,500 ac) · Lewisville Lake (9,138 ac) · Pat Mayse WMA (8,925 ac) · Ray Roberts Public Hunting Lands (41,303 ac) · Tawakoni WMA (2,335 ac)

Houston/Beaumont (12)

J.D. Murphree WMA – Big Hill Unit (9,861 ac) · J.D. Murphree WMA – Salt Bayou Unit (15,397 ac) · Justin Hurst WMA · Lower Neches WMA (7,998 ac) · Lower Neches WMA – Nelda Stark Unit (868 ac) · Lower Neches WMA – Old River Unit (4,386 ac) · Mad Island WMA (7,714 ac) · Sam Houston National Forest (163,037 ac) · Sam Houston National Forest WMA (161,508 ac) · Sea Rim State Park (300 ac) · South China Road (1,036 ac) · Tony Houseman/Blue Elbow Swamp WMA

Austin/Waco (6)

Belton Lake (2,692 ac) · Granger Public Hunting Lands (10,888 ac) · Luminant Texas Public Hunting Unit (1,071 ac) · Richland Creek WMA · Richland Creek WMA – Carl Frentress Unit (5,628 ac) · Stillhouse Hollow Lake (4,451 ac)

San Antonio/Corpus Christi (5)

Guadalupe Delta WMA · Guadalupe Delta WMA – Guadalupe River Unit (1,138 ac) · Guadalupe Delta WMA – Hynes Bay Unit (1,008 ac) · Guadalupe Delta WMA – Mission Lake Unit (4,448 ac) · James E. Daughtrey WMA

Adult rail hunters need the $48 Annual Public Hunting permit on TPWD public hunting lands; youth under 17 hunt free with a permitted adult. 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.

Drawn hunts and rails and gallinules

Neither the public hunt drawing nor Big Time Texas Hunts lists rails and gallinules this year.

Check each E-Postcard hunt’s species list for rails and gallinules; the catalog does not say.

Rail and Gallinule country: what goes in the truck

Items matched to the species listed for this place.

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

Duck decoys

Mixed puddle duck spreads for marsh and stock tanks.

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Chest waders

Breathable or neoprene, depending on the zone and month.

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Duck call

Single reed for mallards and mottled ducks.

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Layout blind

Low profile cover in open fields and flats.

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Compare before you buyGear guide

Seasons that overlap rails and gallinules

Migratory birdsTealSep 19 to Sep 27 · 156 areasMigratory birdsSnipeNov 7 to Feb 21 · 53 areasMigratory birdsDuckOct 17 to Feb 21 · 156 areasOther gameAlligatorSep 10 to Jun 30 · 7 areas

Asked about rails and gallinules

How many sora can I take?

25 sora and Virginia rails a day in the aggregate, 75 in possession.

Is there a September rail season?

Yes, Sept. 19 to 27, 2026, statewide.

Which counties are open for rails and gallinules?

Rails and gallinules are open in 254 counties.

What are the 2026-27 dates for rails and gallinules?

For rails and gallinules: Statewide regular season Sep 19 to Sep 27, 2026; Statewide regular season Nov 7, 2026 to Jan 6, 2027.

What does it cost to hunt rails and gallinules in Texas?

Buy, as applies to rails and gallinules: Resident license ($25); Migratory endorsement ($7); HIP certification (Free); Nonresident 5-day ($48).

Is there public land for rails and gallinules in Texas?

Sam Houston National Forest, Sam Houston National Forest WMA and Davy Crockett National Forest lead a list of 53 areas for rails and gallinules. Bring the $48 APH permit for rails and gallinules on TPWD tracts.

How late can I shoot rails and gallinules?

Rail hunters start a half hour before sunrise and must stop at sunset, the migratory bird rule.

Must I wear hunter orange for rails and gallinules on public land?

Rail hunters are exempt from hunter orange on TPWD public hunting lands, and it is only recommended on private land.

Heading out after rails and gallinules

Dates and limits here match the 2026-27 Outdoor Annual as of October 11, 2026; county pages and area rules can add to them, so read both before a rail and gallinule hunt.

Species guideStatewide seasonsMap of tractsRail and gallinule source page

Other photos on this page: ejmc (CC BY 2.0); Dana Beveridge (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); ShenandoahNPS (Public domain); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain); U.S. Geological Survey (CC0).