There are a few things you should be aware of before traveling to Texas during the 2023 hunting season. The most recent hunting season dates have been made public by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Here are a few things to be aware of as you get ready for the hunting season.
When does hunting season begin?
Hunting licenses must be checked annually in Texas. However, thanks to modern technologies like GPS-enabled locators and deer tracking programs, the number of hunters who check their tags has reduced. Thanks to this “reduced check” option, backcountry hunters who don’t utilize GPS locators can now travel out and hunt for a whole season without getting tagged.
The 2023–2024 hunting seasons in Texas were intended to be as simple as we could make them. If you’re interested in knowing the seasons, the laws and bag limits, the license requirements, and where to find valuable links? You’ll find the material in this guide to be interesting.
Below we have provided the hunting season dates for 2023-2024 in Texas.
| Season | Start Date | End Date |
| Alligator – 2nd Season | Apr 1, 2023 | Jun 1, 2023 |
| Alligator – 1st Season | Sep 10, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 |
| Bobcat | Jan 1, 2023 | Dec 31, 2023 |
| Coyote | Jan 1, 2023 | Dec 31, 2023 |
| Deer – Late Season Whitetail North North Zone. | Jan 2, 2023 | Jan 15, 2023 |
| Deer – Whitetail Late Youth Statewide. | Jan 2, 2023 | Jan 15, 2023 |
| Deer – Whitetail Muzzleloader Only Statewide. | Jan 2, 2023 | Jan 15, 2023 |
| Deer – Late Season Whitetail South South Zone. | Jan 16, 2023 | Jan 29, 2023 |
| Deer – Late Season Whitetail North North Zone. | Jan 2, 2023 | Jan 15, 2023 |
| Deer – Whitetail Late Youth Statewide. | Jan 2, 2023 | Jan 15, 2023 |
| Deer – Whitetail Muzzleloader Only Statewide. | Jan 2, 2023 | Jan 15, 2023 |
| Deer – Late Season Whitetail South South Zone. | Jan 16, 2023 | Jan 29, 2023 |
| Goose – East Conservation Order East Zone. | Jan 30, 2023 | Mar 12, 2023 |
| Goose – West Conservation Order West Zone. | Feb 6, 2023 | Mar 12, 2023 |
| Hog Open all year. | Jan 1, 2023 | Dec 31, 2023 |
| Rabbits and Hares Open all year | Jan 1, 2023 | Dec 31, 2023 |
| Turkey – Spring Youth South 1 Rio Grande Turkey. South Zone. | Mar 11, 2023 | Mar 12, 2023 |
| Turkey – Spring South Zone Rio Grande Turkey. South Zone. | Mar 18, 2023 | Apr 30, 2023 |
| Turkey – Spring Youth North 1 Rio Grande Turkey. North Zone. | Mar 25, 2023 | Mar 26, 2023 |
| Turkey – Spring North Zone Rio Grande Turkey. North Zone. | Apr 1, 2023 | May 14, 2023 |
| Turkey – Spring Select Counties Bag limit 1 Rio Grande Turkey. Check regulations for select counties. | Apr 1, 2023 | Apr 30, 2023 |
| Turkey – Eastern Turkey Eastern Wild Turkey. East Texas. | Apr 22, 2023 | May 14, 2023 |
| Turkey – Spring Youth South 2 Rio Grande Turkey. South Zone. | May 6, 2023 | May 7, 2023 |
| Turkey – Spring Youth North 2 Rio Grande Turkey. North Zone. | May 20, 2023 | May 21, 2023 |
| Turkey – Fall Archery Only Rio Grande Turkey. Statewide. | Sep 30, 2023 | Nov 3, 2023 |
| Turkey – Fall Youth Only North 1 Rio Grande Turkey. Statewide. | Oct 28, 2023 | Oct 29, 2023 |
| Turkey – Fall Youth Only South 1 Rio Grande Turkey. South Zone. | Oct 28, 2023 | Oct 29, 2023 |
| Turkey – Fall North Zone Rio Grande Turkey. North Zone. | Nov 4, 2023 | Jan 7, 2024 |
| Turkey – Fall Select Counties Rio Grande Turkey. Brooks, Kenedy, Kleberg & Willacy counties. | Nov 4, 2023 | Feb 25, 2024 |
| Turkey – Fall South Zone Rio Grande Turkey. South Zone. | Nov 4, 2023 | Jan 21, 2024 |
| Turkey – Fall Youth Only North 2 Rio Grande Turkey. Statewide. | Jan 8, 2024 | Jan 21, 2024 |
| Turkey – Fall Youth Only South 2 Rio Grande Turkey. North Zone. | Jan 22, 2024 | Feb 4, 2024 |
| Chachalaca | Oct 28, 2023 | Feb 25, 2024 |
| Woodcock | Dec 18, 2023 | Jan 31, 2024 |
Texas hunting season in 2023
In Texas, there are more than 1 million acres of wildlife land, including TPWD-owned land, land leased from other state and government agencies, land held by forest products firms, and acreage that is supported by individual landowners. On approximately one million acres, the Annual Public Hunting Permit allows year-round hunting for white-tailed deer, wild hogs, doves, quail, turkey, birds, rabbit, fox, and more.
Drawn hunts are possible for exceptional local wildlife and exotic species in TPWD-managed areas and expressly leased private property. For inexperienced hunters, TPWD and affiliated organizations provide regular (Daily) Permit Hunts for small game and animals as well as controlled hunting clinics. They consist of special hunt package draws, E-Postcard selection hunts, and supervised, drawn hunts for adult and youth shooters.
Hunting Rules in Texas
- It is forbidden to chase animals and non-migratory game birds from a motor vehicle, powerboat, yacht, or from any other moving object inside the boundaries of private land or onto private water.
- It is legal to use calling devices, recordings, and electronically augmented noises when hunting game animals and game birds. However, other than during the Light Goose Conservation Order season, it is not permitted to use electronic sounds to follow migratory game birds.
- While baits may be used to stalk both game animals and game birds, live decoys cannot be employed to chase migratory game birds.
- Alligators, game animals, furbearers, rodents, and non-migratory game birds (with the exception of the eastern turkey) may all be taken out with air rifles and arrow weapons.
- Transferring legally acquired wildlife or marine resources requires a Wildlife Resource Document (WRD), which must be attached throughout the whole transfer process.
- Game animals and non-migratory game birds may be pursued with any legal handgun, with the exception of rimfire ammunition, fully automatic firearms, and muzzleloader deer seasons, which are restricted to muzzleloading firearms exclusively.
- It’s against the law to use dogs to catch wild birds.
- It is illegal to stalk deer remotely, use nets, or use dogs to chase deer beyond a property border or on a public road.
- Hunting is prohibited in several public and private locations, such as parks and wildlife refuges.
- When utilizing projectiles for hunting, there are certain regulations that must be adhered to, such as the requirement to use broadhead hunting tips and the prohibition on incendiary, doped, or poisoned rounds.
- Call (512) 389-4481 for more on falconry licenses and laws.
- Guns are often prohibited from being owned by criminals who have been convicted of a crime, with the exception of antique or novelty firearms created before 1899 or duplicates of such firearms that do not employ rimfire or centerfire ammo.
- It is illegal to keep a deer or pronghorn that has had its reproductive glands removed unless it has been at least quartered and transported to the intended place. The heads of buck deer with antlers attached, antlerless deer, pronghorn, and buck deer with horns removed are acceptable forms of sex proof, as are a finished Managed Lands Deer Program (MLDP) Tag, Antlerless Deer Permit (Mule), CWD Check Station Notification, or TPWD Drawn Capture Permitted Deer Badge. Buck deer tags, other appropriate tags, or permits must be attached to buck deer.
- Before removing the evidence of sex from deer or pronghorn, a Category 1 business handler must enter the body into the cold storage diary and note the county and property of capture.
- Pheasant ownership is prohibited in the absence of proof of sex. Until it arrives at its destination and is processed, the pheasant or turkey must travel with the proof of sex.
- In some parts of Texas, white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose, and red deer can all get the fatal Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). The government has designated CWD Zones to track down and eradicate this disease.
- Hunters must take their animals to a TPWD checkpoint within 48 hours of harvesting mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, mule deer, or any foreign CWD-susceptible species inside the CWD Zones in order to remove any part of an animal from a CWD Zone.
- The correct disposal of body parts is necessary to reduce contamination and the spread of CWD. Hunters are encouraged to leave any inedible parts of their kills where they were made, toss them im the trash, or bury them at least six feet underground in any CWD Zone.
- Food cannot be placed in areas where hunters try to take down migratory game birds, according to federal law.
- It is up to the hunters to decide if a site has been lured.
- Over expanding fields, artificially planted flora, and conventional soil protection methods, hunting of migratory game birds is authorized.
- When following migratory game birds, some guns, traps, and signals are forbidden.
- All caught migratory game birds must be tagged before they reach the possessor’s residence.
- There are restrictions on the arrival of migratory game birds from Mexico or Canada.
- Waterfowl shooters using public waterways should contact their local TPWD Law Enforcement office for information on rules or license requirements.
Texas Seasons, Licenses, & Maps for Hunting
Texas has a short and expensive hunting season in addition to a confusing licensing system that makes hunting without a license very difficult. For non-resident hunters, the high cost and scarcity of Texas hunting licenses at U.S. borders is a problem.
During the season, hunters can utilize the “Hunting Maps” on Google Maps provided by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Sportsmen may find out more about prominent game species in Texas using this website, as well as ideal shooting locations nearby.
Additionally, it will promote more wildlife-themed print, online, and video advertisements, which will improve shooters’ knowledge of where to find animals. Game Charts will be accessible in North Texas, Central Texas, and South Texas before the end of the year.
The TPWD provides opportunities to register for supervised, drawn hunts through the Public Hunt Drawing System as well as guided hunting workshops to introduce new hunters to the sport.
Where are the public hunting areas in Texas?
- San Angelo: Whitetail Deer.
Tom Green County, Texas, has its county seat at San Angelo. The city and its surrounding region have a combined size of 59 square miles, are 1,844 feet above sea level, and are situated in the Concho Valley.
San Angelo’s weather has both hot and cold Texas hunting seasons. May through September is the hot season, with typical July temperatures reaching up to 95 °F. Between November and February, when it is colder, average January temperatures drop to 36 °F.
The primary big game species in the San Angelo area is the whitetail deer.
- Menard: Deer, Hog, Turkey, and More.
Texas’s Menard County is situated on the Edwards Plateau. The county’s highest point, which has a total size of 902 square miles and an elevation of 2,432 feet, is located there.
Only 26 inches of rain and 1 inch of snowfall annually in the county, respectively, compared to 36 inches and 28 inches, respectively, across the US. In July, it may be as hot as 93 °F, while in January, it can get as cold as 31 °F.
Huntable game animals in Menard County include deer, hogs, and turkeys.
- Coleman: Dove, Quail, Deer, and More.
Another county in the state of Texas is Coleman. It has a total size of 1,281 square miles, and the height at its highest point is 1,702 feet. Robert M. Coleman, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and participant in the Battle of San Jacinto, is the name of the county.
In Coleman County, the summers are hot and muggy while the winters are brisk, short, and frigid. Rarely do temperatures dip below 23 °F or rise over 103 °F; instead, they typically range from 35 °F to 97 °F.
Whitetail deer, hogs, and other large game are common in Coleman, but you may also locate lesser species like dove, quail, ducks, and spring turkeys.
- Lubbock: Goose, Crane, Deer, Hog, and More.
Northwestern Texas’s Estacado area contains the city of Lubbock. The city, which is located at an elevation of around 3,200 feet, is ecologically a part of the southern end of the High Plains subregion.
The surroundings of the city and the city itself enjoy a cool semi-arid climate. Every year, the region gets about 18 inches of rain and 7 inches of snow.
- Ingram: Deer, Sheep, Antelope, and A Whole Lot More.
Ingram is a city in Kerr County, Texas. The city is located at an altitude of around 1,700 feet, nestled inside the Texas Hill Country area.
Ingram receives only 1 inch of snow each year and roughly 31 inches of rain. The warmest days, with highs of 92 °F, occur in July, while the coldest months, with lows of 33 °F, occur in January.
- Quanah: Deer, Turkey, Quail, and Hog.
Hardeman County, Texas, has its county seat at the city of Quanah. It is only 3.48 square miles in size and is located at a height of around 1,500 feet.
In contrast to its partly overcast, windy, dry, and chilly winters, Quanah experiences usually bright, hot, and humid summers. Rarely do temperatures dip below 20 °F or rise over 105 °F; instead, they typically range from 31 °F to 98 °F.
- Eldorado: Deer, Elk, and Much More.
The county seat of Schleicher County, Texas, is the city of Eldorado. The city has a total size of 1.4 square miles and is 2,400 feet above sea level.
Eldorado receives about 1 inch of snow each year and roughly 24 inches of rain. In July, it may be as hot as 93 °F, while in January, it can get as cold as 30 °F.
- Brady: Whitetail, Blackbuck Antelope, Oryx, & Much More.
Brady is a city in McCulloch County close to Texas’s geographic center. At a height of around 1,600 feet, this small yet self-sufficient settlement is located at the very edge of the Texas Hill Country.
Summers are hot and muggy, and winters are pleasant to chilly. It may be as hot as 94 °F in July and as cold as 32 °F in January.
- Austin: Deer, Hogs, Turkey, and More.
The state of Texas is headquartered in the city of Austin. It is located where the Texas Hill Country and the Blackland plains are divided by the Colorado River and the Balcones Escarpment.
The city experiences long, hot summers and brief, mild winters due to its humid subtropical climate. Rarely do temperatures dip below 30 °F or rise over 102 °F; instead, they typically range from 43 °F to 97 °F.
- Mountain Home: Deer, Hogs, Aoudad, & Much More.
One of my favorite Texas hunting spots is Mountain Home, an unincorporated area in Kerr County. Mountain Home, which is situated in the Texas Hill Country, is 1,900 feet above sea level.
Only 29 inches of rainfall at Mountain Home each year. In July, it may be as hot as 91 °F, while in January, it can get as cold as 32 °F.
Mountain Home is an ideal environment for whitetail deer, pigs, and turkeys due to its location on the Edwards Plateau.
What guns and equipment can I use during hunting season?
Firearms
Game animals and non-migratory game birds may be hunted with any legal firearm, except:
- Hunting for pronghorn, desert bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, or mule deer is NOT permitted using rimfire ammunition (of any caliber).
- 100% automatic weapons
- During the Eastern Turkey Season in the spring, only shotguns are permitted.
- For the purpose of shooting game animals or game birds, there are no limitations on the number of shells or cartridges that a lawful weapon may contain in its magazine.
- Only muzzleloading firearms—as opposed to breech-loading firearms—may be used during muzzleloader deer seasons. A muzzleloading firearm is one that can only be loaded with a projectile or bullet through the muzzle. A cap and ball weapon that uses a cylinder to load the ball and powder is not a muzzleloader.
- Any wildlife resource may be taken with suppressors (sometimes known as “silencers”), but all applicable federal, state, and municipal regulations still apply.
Air Guns and Arrow Guns
The following conditions must be met in order to use air guns and arrow guns to hunt alligators, game animals, furbearers, squirrels, and non-migratory game birds (excluding eastern Turkey):
- Only pre-charged pneumatic arrow guns or pre-charged pneumatic air guns may be used to kill alligators, bighorn sheep, javelina, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, and turkey (excluding eastern turkey).
- Pre-charged pneumatic air guns must fire a projectile with a minimum muzzle velocity of 800 feet per second and a minimum weight of 150 grains, or any combination of bullet weight and muzzle velocity that generates a minimum muzzle energy of 215-foot pounds.
- You can use air rifles to hunt squirrels, pheasants, quail, and chachalacas as long as the projectiles have a minimum diameter .177 caliber (4.5 mm) and a muzzle velocity of at least 600 feet per second.
- The same regulations that apply to projectiles for archery must also apply to arrows or bolts fired from an arrow cannon.
- Deer and wild turkey hunting with arrow guns is prohibited during the archery season.
Archery and Crossbows
- For the purpose of hunting game animals or game birds, only the lawful archery equipment listed in this section may be used.
- Compound bows, crossbows, longbows, and recurved bows are all acceptable forms of archery equipment.
- During the Muzzleloader-Only Deer Season, legal archery equipment may not be utilized to hunt deer.
- The use of lawful archery equipment on non-protected non-game animals is legal.
Longbows, Compound Bows, Recurved Bows
- No minimum draw amount is necessary.
- In any season where legal archery equipment may be used, lit pins, sight magnification, overdraw rests, and devices that allow a bow to be locked at a full or half draw are legal.
Crossbow
- The Archery-Only Open Season in Collin, Dallas, Grayson, and Rockwall counties prohibits the use of crossbows for deer hunting unless the hunter has an upper-limb impairment and is in immediate possession of a doctor’s note attesting to the severity of the condition. an instant possession of a doctor’s declaration attesting to the severity of an upper-limb impairment. A person with an upper-limb impairment is unable to use a longbow, compound bow, or recurved bow due to a permanent loss of use of their fingers, hand, or arm.
- During the Archery-Only Open Season, an Archery Endorsement is necessary in order to hunt deer. To shoot deer, turkey, or javelina at any time, even during the general open season, in Collin, Dallas, Grayson, or Rockwall counties, you must have an archery endorsement.
- During a general open season or the Eastern spring turkey season, anybody, regardless of physical capability, may use a crossbow to hunt game animals or game birds in any county, including Collin, Dallas, Grayson, and Rockwall counties.
Projectiles (Arrows and Crossbow Bolts)
- An explosive, narcotic, or poisonous substance may not be used in a projectile while hunting game animals or game birds.
- A projectile must have a broadhead hunting point when it is used to hunt a turkey or any other game animal besides squirrels. In addition to broadhead hunting points, an archer may also carry arrows or bolts with field, target, or judo points.
- In terms of arrow or bolt lengths, arrow material, arrow weight, lit nocks, broadhead lengths or diameters, number of cutting edges, broadhead material, or mechanical broadheads, there are no limitations or minimal specifications.
FAQs
1. When does the 2023-2024 hunting season start and end in Texas?
The start and end periods for the 2023–2024 season vary depending on the kind of wildlife being hunted and the area in which it is being done. For instance, the general season for game animals in East Texas is from October 1, 2023, to February 25, 2024, and from May 1–31, 2024, whereas it is from September 1, 2023, to August 31, 2024, for other open counties.
2. What can be hunted throughout the year in Texas?
180 state-designated public hunting locations are accessible with an Annual Public Hunting Permit. Squirrels, rabbits, javelina, alligators, and migratory birds can all be legally captured in Texas with the proper documentation and guidelines. Seasons for hunting white-tailed deer and bighorn sheep are also set. Check the local and species-specific rules before pursuing any mammals in Texas.
3. Can you buy a hunting license in Texas without a driver’s license?
Yes, it is possible to obtain a hunting license in Texas without a driver’s license. To obtain a license, you must have a photo and a state-issued ID proving your age is above 16. If you are 16 years of age or older and are not a convicted criminal, you can purchase a license from a game warden or wildlife agency.
4. What animals can be hunted in Texas during the 2023-2024 hunting season?
The animals that may be shot in Texas during the shooting season of 2023–2024 are determined by the kinds and locations of the wildlife being hunted. Unlike a game like deer, turkey, and pronghorn, which may be chased all year round, upland game birds like dove, quail, and pheasant have separate seasons. The whole list of animals and the relevant seasons are available on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.
5. What is the annual bag limit for deer hunting in Texas during the 2023-2024 season?
For white-tailed deer during the regular season, most counties have a five-deer maximum bag limit, with a maximum of three bucks permitted.
6. Do I need a hunting license in Texas during the 2023-2024 hunting season?
A hunter must have a valid hunting registration in order to shoot in Texas during the season of 2023–2024. You can purchase a license in person, over the phone, online, or through both at a Texas Parks and Wildlife facility or from an authorized licensed dealer. The specific authorization required depends on a number of factors, including age, citizenship, and the type of wildlife being sought.