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Hunting & Recreation | Wildlife Management | Land Use

Texas Hunting Seasons & Regulations Guide | 2025-2026

Complete guide to Texas hunting seasons, regulations, and licensing for whitetail deer, exotics, turkey, hogs, and more. Essential for ranch and recreational property owners.

Your Quick Reference for Hunting on Texas Ranch & Recreational Land

For hunters, landowners, and buyers looking at ranch or recreational property in Texas, understanding the state’s hunting seasons and regulations is key. Texas has some of the best hunting in the country—whitetail deer, exotics, turkey, hogs, migratory birds and more—but each species has its own rules, county by county and season by season.

This guide is an easy-to-navigate overview of Texas hunting seasons, regulations, licensing requirements and landowner considerations. For complete and up-to-date information always refer to official TPWD links.

Why Texas Hunting Seasons Matter for Landowners & Buyers

Whether you’re looking at a ranch for sale, preparing your own property for hunting season or wanting to maximize the recreational value of Texas land, the hunting calendar matters.

Benefits include:

  • Better land management & wildlife improvement strategies
  • Plan feeder setups, blind placements and habitat improvements
  • Wildlife exemption potential
  • Optimize land value for recreation, legacy or resale
  • Compliance with state law

Texas Land Brokerage works with buyers who want ranch land for hunting, investment or long-term legacy property ownership and understanding the hunting landscape is often a big part of the decision-making process.

Quick Access to TPWD Official Resources

For real-time updates (highly recommended) use these direct links:

Major Game Species in Texas

Texas is the only state where you can hunt year-round on many private properties—one of the reasons hunting land in Texas is so popular.

Whitetail Deer

Texas’ most popular game species.

  • Season varies by county, zone and method (archery, general, muzzleloader)
  • Some counties have antler restrictions

Exotic Species (Axis, Blackbuck, Aoudad, Fallow, etc.)

Texas has the most flexibility here:

  • No closed season on private land
  • No bag limits in most cases
  • Popular on Hill Country ranches

Wild Turkey

  • Spring and fall seasons vary by county
  • Rio Grande turkey populations are strong across the Hill Country and West Texas

Feral Hogs

  • Hunt year-round
  • No license required on private land
  • Common on Texas ranch properties

Dove & Migratory Birds

  • Season dates are zone and federal dependent

Predators & Varmints

  • Coyotes and other species can be hunted year-round on private land

Texas Hunting License Requirements (Quick Facts)

Most hunters need a standard Texas hunting license.

Requirements:

  • Texas license required for most species
  • Endorsements required for some game
  • Hunter Education Course required for anyone born after Sept. 2, 1971

County By County Rules: What Landowners Need to Know

County regulations affect:

  • Antler restrictions
  • Doe days
  • Legal weapon types
  • Bag limits

This is why buying a ranch in one county may have different hunting opportunities than another—a big consideration when choosing the right property.

Benefits of Owning Hunting Land in Texas

Owning recreational or hunting acreage in Texas offers advantages public hunting can’t:

  • Hunt anytime during legal seasons—your land, your schedule
  • Wildlife improvement & habitat management
  • Multiple game species on one property
  • Agricultural or wildlife tax exemptions
  • Long-term land value appreciation
  • Family recreation, legacy and generational enjoyment

These are also why many buyers choose ranches in Edwards, Sutton, Real, or Val Verde Counties — areas with high wildlife populations and flexible land use.

Pre-Hunt Checklist for Landowners

Before anyone hunts on your land, review these:

  • County regulations
  • Property boundaries & signage
  • Blinds and feeders
  • Guest permission rules
  • Hunters have proper licenses

Looking to Buy Hunting Land in Texas?

Texas Land Brokerage offers ranches, recreational land, and hunting properties with:

  • Owner financing (5% down, no credit check, up to 30 years)
  • Wildlife-rich areas
  • Good investment and appreciation
  • Remote tracts and turnkey ranch headquarters

Whether you want:

  • A legacy ranch
  • A weekend hunting retreat
  • A long-term investment
  • A raw land tract to improve
  • A turnkey ranch with cabins and utilities

TXLB can match you to the right region, acreage, wildlife, and budget.

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