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Deer
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White-tailed Deer – Statewide Bag Limits |
Bag limits are established by county. No person may exceed the annual bag limit of five white-tailed deer, no more than three of which may be bucks. The annual bag limit does not apply on MLDP properties. |
| Mule Deer – Statewide Bag Limits |
Bag limits are established by county. No person may exceed the annual bag limit of two mule deer, no more than one of which may be a buck. The annual bag limit does not apply on MLDP properties. |
| Alligator |
Bag Limit |
The bag limit in non-core counties is one alligator per person per license year. In core counties you must posses a CITES tag in order to hunt Alligator. |
| Javelina |
Bag Limits |
Two per license year. |
| Big Game |
Shooting Hours |
Thirty minutes before sunrise to thirty minutes after sunset. |
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Furbearers
|
Commercial Harvest |
Nutria: September 1 – August 31
Beaver: October 1 – May 31
All other furbearers: November 1 – March 31
No bag or possession limit |
| Fur-bearing Animal Means & Methods |
Fur-bearing animals may be legally taken with:
Firearms, foothold, body grip, live or box traps, dogs, snares, lawful archery equipment, electronic or hand-held calls, artificial light, falconry, air guns with a minimum size of .30 caliber, and arrow guns (some prohibitions on airguns apply) |
| Recreational Harvest |
September 1- August 31
Fur-bearing animals taken as a result of recreational harvest may not be sold
No bag or possession limit |
| Fur-bearing Animals Include |
Badger, Beaver, Fox, Mink, Muskrat, Nutria, Opossum, Raccoon, Otter, Skunk, and Ring-tailed cat |
| Antelope |
Pronghorn – Permit Only |
The harvest of pronghorn is by permit only. The permit must be completely filled out and attached to the pronghorn immediately following harvest. Permits are issued to landowners or their agents in areas where there are huntable populations (Trans-Pecos, Permian Basin and Panhandle). See more information about pronghorn permits. |
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Migratory Birds
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Dove – North Zone Bag Limit |
North Zone Daily Bag Limit: 15 birds (No more than 2 white-tipped)
Possession Limit: 3 times daily bag |
| Rails, Gallinules and Moorhens – Bag Limits |
King & Clapper Rails: Daily limit: 15 birds in the Aggregate
Possession Limit: 45 Birds in the aggregate.
Sora & Virgina Rails: Daily Limit: 25 Birds in the aggregate
Possession Limit: 75 Birds in the aggregate.
Moorhens (Common Gallinules) & Purple Gallinules: Daily limit: 15 birds in the Aggregate
Possession Limit: 45 Birds in the aggregate. |
| Woodcock – Bag Limit |
Daily limit: 3 Birds
Possession limit: 9 Birds. |
| Legal Shooting Hours |
From one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
During the Special White-winged Dove Days: noon to sunset. |
| Wilson’s Snipe (Common snipe or Jacksnipe) – Bag Limit |
Daily Bag Limit: 8 birds
Possession Limit: 24 birds |
| Dove – Central Zone Bag Limit |
Central Zone Daily Bag Limit: 15 birds (No more than 2 white-tipped)
Possession Limit: 3 times daily bag |
| Dove – South Zone Bag Limit |
South Zone Daily Bag Limit: 15 birds (No more than 2 white-tipped)
Possession Limit: 3 times daily bag |
| Dove – South Zone Special White-winged Dove Days |
Special White-winged Dove Days Daily Bag Limit:15 birds (No more than 2 mourning doves and 2 white-tipped doves)
Possession Limit: 3 times daily bag |
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Sandhill Crane
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Zone C Bag Limit |
Daily Bag Limit: 2 birds
Possession Limit: 6 birds |
| Zone B Bag Limit |
Daily Bag Limit: 3 birds
Possession Limit: 9 birds |
| Zone A Bag Limit |
Daily Bag Limit: 3 birds
Possession Limit: 9 birds |
| Nontoxic Ammunition Requirement |
Sandhill Cranes MAY be taken with lead shot. However, Wildlife Management Areas and Federal Wildlife Refuges have special regulations requiring nontoxic shot for ALL game bird hunting, including Sandhill Cranes. |
| Shooting Hours |
One-half hour before sunrise to sunset. |
| Sheep |
Desert Bighorn Sheep – Permit Only |
The harvest of desert bighorn sheep (DBS) is by permit only. Permits are issued to landowners or their agents. A limited number of permits are also available through “Big Time Texas Hunts”, and other public hunting opportunities.
No person may possess a DBS ram skull obtained after Sept. 1, 2003, unless the skull has been plugged by TPWD or the individual has proof that the skull was legally obtained outside of Texas. Skulls found in the wild may be possessed, provided the individual did not cause or participate in the death of the ram, and TPWD is notified within 48 hours of the skull/horns being found. Individual horns and hornless skulls may be possessed without identification or documentation. |
| Turkey |
Bag Limits |
Turkey bag limits are determined by county. Please reference county regulations to determine bag limit for where you are hunting. |
|
Small Game
|
Rabbits & Hares |
There are no closed seasons, bag limits or possession limits; and, rabbits and hares may be hunted at any time by any lawful means or methods on private property. |
| Squirrel – Bag Limits |
General season counties (East Texas): 10
Youth-only season: 10
Counties with year-round season: No bag limit |
| Shooting Hours |
Thirty minutes before sunrise to thirty minutes after sunset. |
|
Upland Bird
|
Shooting Hours |
Thirty minutes before sunrise to thirty minutes after sunset. |
| Quail – Bag Limit |
Bobwhite quail, Scaled quail (blue quail) and Gambel’s quail. No open season for Mearn’s (Montezuma) quail.
Daily Bag Limit: 15 birds
Possession Limit: 45 birds
Upland Game Bird Endorsement is required to hunt quail. |
| Chachalaca – Bag Limit |
Daily Bag Limit: 5 birds
Possession Limit: 15 birds
Upland Game Bird Endorsement is required to hunt chachalaca. |
| Pheasant – Bag Limit |
Daily Bag Limit: 3 cocks
Possession Limit: 9 cocks |
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Waterfowl
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Geese – Eastern Zone Bag Limits |
Early Canada Geese Limits: 5 birds in the aggregate. Possession limit is 15.
Dark Geese Limits: 5 birds (No more than 2 white-fronted geese). Possession limit is 15.
Light Geese Limits: 10 birds In the aggregate. No possession limit.
Conservation Order Light Geese Limits: No bag or possession limit. |
| Nontoxic Ammunition Requirement |
Nontoxic ammunition is required for hunting waterfowl. |
| Early Teal – Bag Limit |
6 in the aggregate |
| Merganser Limit |
Daily Bag Limit: 5 birds May include no more than 2 hooded mergansers
Possession Limit: Three times daily bag limit |
| Duck Limit |
6 (includes mergansers)
Includes no more than:
5 mallards (only two of which may be hens)
3 wood ducks
2 redheads
2 canvasback
1 scaup
1 pintail
1 “dusky” duck (mottled duck, Mexican-like duck, black duck and their hybrids are closed the first five days of the season in each zone)
All other species not listed: 6 |
| Geese – Western Zone Bag Limits |
Dark Geese – Daily Bag Limit: 5 birds (No more than 2 white-fronted geese) Possession limit is 15.
Light Geese – Daily Bag Limit:10 birds. Possession Limit: None
Conservation Order Light Geese – Daily Bag Limit: None. Possession Limit: None |
| Coot Limit |
Daily Bag Limit: 15 birds
Possession Limit: Three times daily bag limit |
| Legal Shooting Hours |
From one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. |
