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Sandhill Crane Hunting in Texas

Sandhill crane hunting is open in 191 counties across three zones; Zone A is the largest with 103 counties, whole or in part. Season rows, limits, zones and mapped public land for sandhill cranes.

Sandhill cranes by zoneLimitsPublic ground
Oct 31Starts
Jan 31Closes
191Counties in season
34Public ground

Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie (CC BY 2.0)

Zone A opens Oct. 31, Zone B Nov. 27 and Zone C Dec. 12; Zones A and B close Jan. 31, 2027 and Zone C Jan. 17. Zone C has a closed area, and Aransas County sits entirely inside it with no legal crane hunting. Every crane hunter needs a free Federal Sandhill Crane Permit in addition to HIP and the migratory endorsement.

MapWhere crane hunters go34 areas with sandhill cranesDrawnSandhill Crane permits by draw0 categories

The TPWD sandhill crane summary

  • Federal Sandhill Crane Permit (free) required.
  • Zone A opens Oct. 31, 2026; B Nov. 27; C Dec. 12.

2026-27 sandhill crane dates

The sandhill crane calendar below lists 3 rows, one per zone and segment, falconry and youth days included where TPWD sets them.

AreaSegmentOpeningClosingDaysNow
Zone ARegular SeasonOct 31, 2026Jan 31, 202793
Zone BRegular SeasonNov 27, 2026Jan 31, 202766
Zone CRegular SeasonDec 12, 2026Jan 17, 202737

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

How many sandhill cranes you may keep

Limits for sandhill cranes, in TPWD’s own words and as quick numbers.

3Cranes a day, Zones A and B
9Possession, A and B
2Cranes a day, Zone C
6Possession, Zone C

Limit, sandhill crane

TPWD

Zones A and B: 3/day, 9 possession. Zone C: 2/day, 6 possession.

AreaKindRule
Zone ADaily Bag Limit3
Zone APossession Limit9
Zone BDaily Bag Limit3
Zone BPossession Limit9
Zone CDaily Bag Limit2
Zone CPossession Limit6

Which counties fall in each sandhill crane zone

TPWD assigns each county, or part of one, to a sandhill crane zone. 191 Counties have at least one sandhill crane segment.

ListCountiesSplit counties
Zone A8716
No Open Season01
Zone B3825
Zone C3416
Zone A: 103 counties
No Open Season: 1 counties
  • Aransas CountyLocated entirely within Zone C closed area. No legal sandhill crane hunting.
63 counties in Zone B
Zone C: 50 counties

Rules that apply to sandhill cranes

These cards cover the paperwork and the methods that apply to sandhill cranes.

What to buy

Licenses, endorsements and permits that apply to sandhill cranes.

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

Shooting time

Crane hunters get the morning half hour but quit at sunset.

Hunter orange

Crane hunters need no blaze orange, though TPWD recommends it on private land.

Hunter education rule

Anyone after sandhill cranes with a birth date of Sept. 2, 1971 or later must pass hunter education or, at 17 and up, buy the one-time $10 deferral and hunt accompanied.

Whooping cranes

Endangered; do not confuse with sandhill cranes. Also protected: swans, white ibis, great blue heron, wood stork, white pelican, great egret.

Crane permit

TPWD issues the free Federal Sandhill Crane Hunting Permit online or at Law Enforcement offices.

Cranes and bait

Cranes, like waterfowl, may not be hunted over manipulated crops.

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

Public tracts with sandhill cranes

34 public areas list sandhill cranes, led by 29 APH Leased Units; the Panhandle region has the most sandhill crane areas, 30.

Panhandle (30)

Betty (326 ac) · Bindweed (640 ac) · Bluestem (80 ac) · Brillhart (322 ac) · Circle Tree (381 ac) · Correll (384 ac) · De Campo (626 ac) · Della Plains (160 ac) · FM 759 HQ (325 ac) · Francis-Dunlap (160 ac) · Goat Barn (321 ac) · La Lanza (640 ac) · La Playa (1,280 ac) · Margolies (160 ac) · Margoso (1,568 ac) · Miller Farm (320 ac) · Morris (1,280 ac) · Noble Playa (308 ac) · Pat's Place (350 ac) · Playa Lakes WMA – Dimmitt Unit (422 ac) · Playa Lakes WMA – Taylor Lakes Unit · Porter (965 ac) · Rio Farms (2,552 ac) · Slover (320 ac) · South Place (640 ac) · Stovall (630 ac) · Temprano (640 ac) · Texas Roberts (1,625 ac) · Vara (200 ac) · West of Town (481 ac)

Houston/Beaumont (2)

Justin Hurst WMA · Mad Island WMA (7,714 ac)

San Antonio/Corpus Christi (1)

James E. Daughtrey WMA

Trans-Pecos (1)

Red Bluff Reservoir

Adult crane hunters on TPWD lands carry the $48 APH permit; federal refuges and forests set their own sandhill crane rules. 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.

Drawings that include sandhill cranes

TPWD’s 2026-27 drawing catalog has no category for sandhill cranes.

Some E-Postcard hunts cover waterfowl, but whether sandhill cranes count is not stated.

Outfitting a hunt in Sandhill Crane country

Four items picked for the game hunted here, each with a live search.

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Goose decoys

Full bodies or silhouettes for field hunts.

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Layout blind

Field cover for Panhandle and coastal prairie geese.

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Goose call

Short reed calls for specklebellies and Canadas.

Shop on Amazon

Heavy shot shells

Nontoxic shot is required for all waterfowl.

Shop on Amazon

Compare modelsGear for every hunt

Related to sandhill cranes

Migratory birdsGooseSep 12 to Feb 19 · 156 areasMigratory birdsDuckOct 17 to Feb 21 · 156 areasUpland birdsPheasantDec 5 to Jan 3 · 30 areasMigratory birdsDoveSep 1 to Jan 21 · 179 areas

Sandhill Crane: what hunters ask

Do I need a special permit for sandhill cranes?

Yes, the free Federal Sandhill Crane Hunting Permit, issued by TPWD.

Can I hunt cranes in Aransas County?

No. Aransas County lies entirely within the Zone C closed area.

How do I tell a whooping crane from a sandhill?

TPWD warns hunters not to confuse the two; whooping cranes are endangered. Identify the bird before shooting.

How many Texas counties have sandhill crane seasons?

191 counties; the zone lists above link each one.

What orange rules apply to sandhill cranes?

Crane hunters need no blaze orange, though TPWD recommends it on private land.

Is there a limit on sandhill cranes?

Zones A and B: 3/day, 9 possession. Zone C: 2/day, 6 possession.

When is sandhill crane season in Texas for 2026-27?

Sandhill cranes run Zone A regular season Oct 31, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027; Zone B regular season Nov 27, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027; Zone C regular season Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 17, 2027.

Which public areas list sandhill cranes?

Start with Mad Island WMA, Rio Farms and Texas Roberts, the biggest of 34 areas that list sandhill cranes. TPWD ground needs the $48 APH permit for adult crane hunters.

Which endorsements cover sandhill cranes?

The sandhill crane list: Resident license ($25); Migratory endorsement ($7); HIP certification (Free); Crane permit (Free); Nonresident 5-day ($48).

What are legal shooting hours for sandhill cranes?

Crane hunters get the morning half hour but quit at sunset.

Sandhill Crane checklist

For sandhill cranes on public ground, the area’s own map booklet or drawn hunt rules apply on top of these.

Other gameSeason datesLand mapRead the sandhill crane page

Other photos on this page: gurdonark (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); Frank.Vassen (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (CC BY 2.0); Corey Leopold (CC BY 2.0).