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Migratory birds in Texas

Woodcock Hunting in Texas

Woodcock season is statewide from Dec. 18, 2026 to Jan. 31, 2027. 2026-27 woodcock dates, bag, zones, rules and public tracts.

When woodcock openBag limitsPublic land
Dec 18Opens
Feb 21Final day
254Counties open
53Public units

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

A falconry woodcock segment follows Feb. 1 to 21, 2027. The woodcock bag is three a day and nine in possession. 53 public areas in our list name other migratory birds, the group that covers woodcock.

MapWoodcock land map53 areas with woodcockPermitsWoodcock in the drawing0 categories

TPWD quick facts on woodcock

  • Dec. 18, 2026 – Jan. 31, 2027; 3/day.

When woodcock are in season

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

AreaSeasonFirst dayLast dayDaysToday
StatewideRegular SeasonDec 18, 2026Jan 31, 202745
StatewideFalconryFeb 1, 2027Feb 21, 202721

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

Bag rules for woodcock

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

3Woodcock a day
9Woodcock in possession
45Season length, days
254Counties open

Bag for woodcock

TPWD

3/day, 9 possession.

AreaTypeLimit
StatewideDaily Bag Limit3
StatewidePossession Limit3x the daily bag

County lists for woodcock

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

AreaEntire countiesPartial
Statewide2540
List Statewide (254)

Legal requirements for woodcock

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

Paperwork

License costs that apply to woodcock in 2026-27.

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

Shooting hours

Legal light for woodcock runs from 30 minutes before sunrise to official sunset, with no evening half hour.

Orange rule

Hunter orange is not required for woodcock, on public or private ground.

Hunter ed rule

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

Woodcock dogs

Dogs are legal for woodcock and other game birds.

Woodcock and HIP

Woodcock are migratory, so HIP certification and the $7 migratory endorsement apply.

Woodcock on public land

On TPWD public hunting lands woodcock hunters are exempt from hunter orange, as are all migratory bird hunters.

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 woodcock

The map shows 53 areas that name woodcock, grouped below by TPWD region, the largest of them Sam Houston National Forest at 163,037 acres.

Pineywoods (18)

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

Dallas/Ft. Worth (12)

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

Houston/Beaumont (12)

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

Austin/Waco (6)

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

San Antonio/Corpus Christi (5)

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

TPWD lands require the $48 APH permit of woodcock 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.

Woodcock in the TPWD drawing

There is no drawn category for woodcock in the 2026-27 catalog.

Whether woodcock are legal on the waterfowl E-Postcard hunts is not in the catalog.

Shopping list for Woodcock country

Click any item for current listings and prices.

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Dove decoys

Clip-on decoys on a fence or dead tree draw birds in.

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Shell bag

Dove shoots burn through boxes of shells.

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Dove stool with storage

A bucket seat for long waits at a stock tank or field edge.

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Shooting glasses

Eye protection for a crowded dove field.

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Compare hunting gearHunting gear guide

Other game to pair with woodcock

Migratory birdsSnipeNov 7 to Feb 21 · 53 areasSmall gameSquirrelSep 1 to Aug 31 · 87 areasUpland birdsQuailNov 1 to Feb 28 · 61 areasMigratory birdsDuckOct 17 to Feb 21 · 156 areas

Woodcock questions and answers

When does woodcock season open in Texas?

Dec. 18, 2026, statewide, closing Jan. 31, 2027.

Is there falconry for woodcock?

Yes, Feb. 1 to 21, 2027, three a day.

Do woodcock hunters need anything beyond a hunting license?

TPWD lists for woodcock: Resident license ($25); Migratory endorsement ($7); HIP certification (Free); Nonresident 5-day ($48).

How many woodcock may I keep?

3/day, 9 possession.

When can woodcock hunters start shooting?

Legal light for woodcock runs from 30 minutes before sunrise to official sunset, with no evening half hour.

Where do woodcock hunters hunt without a lease?

53 tracts, among them Sam Houston National Forest, Sam Houston National Forest WMA and Davy Crockett National Forest. The APH permit for adult woodcock hunters is $48.

Are woodcock open in every county?

TPWD county pages show woodcock in 254 counties.

Do woodcock fall under the orange rule?

Hunter orange is not required for woodcock, on public or private ground.

Woodcock: final checks

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

More speciesHunting seasonsPublic mapTPWD woodcock page

Other photos on this page: gurdonark (CC BY 2.0); USFWSmidwest (Public domain); USFWS Mountain Prairie (CC BY 2.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); Matt Tillett (CC BY 2.0); born1945 (CC BY 2.0).