Best Hunting Times in Texas

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Hunting is a popular activity in Texas. Texans love wild game and the state is big enough and the terrain is varied enough that we have a lot of different types of wild game to choose from, and basically every month of the year is a month specified for hunting at least one type of game.

We even have specialty seasons that generally last for one or two days where we allow our youth hunters to have an opportunity to hunt without the more experienced hunters competing against them. In Texas we like to start our young’uns hunting early.

Best Hunting Seasons in Texas

The following dates are the average starting dates for the species seasons but you should always check with the county and the Texas Parks and Wildlife to certify the appropriate hunting schedules.

texas hunting season

Alligator Hunting Season

Generally speaking you can hunt alligators in Texas between September 10th and September 30th. Now the specific dates vary a little from county to county but when you apply for your alligator license you will receive exact dates for the county you will be hunting in. 

Deer Hunting Season

Deer hunting season dates will vary from one zone to the next zone so you must verify your hunting dates through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Administration. The following dates list the very earliest dates each type of hunting can be done on and the very latest dates that each type of hunting can be done on.

  • Deer hunting in Texas is divided into different times such as:
  • Archery season runs from September 29th until November 2nd
  • Muzzleloader season starts on January 7th and ends on January 20th
  • Youth Only Hunting starts on October 27th and ends on October 28th, but there is another youth only hunting season that runs from January 7th until January 20th.
  • General hunting season starts on November 3rd and ends on January 20th
  • There is a special late season that begins on January 7th and ends on February 3rd.

Duck Hunting Season

  • Youth only duck hunting season in the high plains management unit occurs from October 20th through October 21st
  • Youth only duck hunting season in the north zone of Texas occurs between November 3 and November 4th
  • Youth only duck hunting season in the south zone of Texas occurs between October 27th and October 28th

Dusky Duck Seasons

  • North Zone season is November 15th through the 25th and again on Dec 1st through January 27th
  • South zone season is November 8 through the 25th and again on Dec 8th through January 27th

Regular Duck Season

  • North Zone season runs from November 10th through November 25th and again from December 1st through January 27th
  • South Zone season runs from November 3rd through November 25th and again December 8th through January 27th

Dove Seasons

  • North Zone season is September 1st through November 4th and again starting December 21 through January 14th
  • Central Zone season runs from September 1st through November 4th and again starting December 21st through January 14th
  • South zone season starts September 14th through October 30th and again December 14th through January 21

Turkey Seasons

Turkey season comes in the fall and again in the spring in the Rio Grand Valley but Eastern turkey season only occurs in the spring.

  • Fall season
  • North Zone starts November 3rd and ends January 6th
  • South zone starts November 3rd and ends January 20th
  • Brooks county, Kenedy county, Kleberg county and Willacy county have seasons that start November 3rd and end January 20th
  • Archery only season begins September 29th and ends November 2nd
  • Fall youth season
  • North Zone October 27th through the 28th and again January 7th through January 20th
  • South Zone October 27th and 28th and again January 21st through February 3rd
  • Spring Season Rio Grande
  • North Zone starts March 30th and ends May 12th
  • South Zone starts March 16th and ends April 28th
  • Spring Youth Season
  • North Zone starts March 23rd and ends the 24th and then starts again May 18th and ends May 19th
  • South zone season starts March 9 and ends March 10th and then starts again May 4th and ends May 5th
  • Eastern Turkey Spring Season for East Texas starts April 22nd and ends May 14th for all hunters

Hog Hunting Season

Javelina Hogs do have a specified hunting season. The season dates vary according to whether you are hunting in North Texas or South Texas.

  • Javelina Season in North Texas occurs on October 1st and ends on February 24th.
  • Javelina Season in South Texas starts on September 1st and ends August 31st.

Ordinary feral hogs are not native to Texas and there is no hunting season for this species. There are places where you can schedule hunts like at different ranches and game hunt establishments throughout Texas. Some hunting clubs in Texas counties where wild hogs have become problematic will pay you to come and take hogs off of their land during certain parts of the year.

William Richmond
William Richmond
A Born Texan! Who loves to write about Texas. By profession, he is the owner of a big ranch having 4 children and a gorgeous wife.

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