Texas

Check out the latest info for Texas. Image by Dennis Donohue

Season Dates (2024):

The Texas archery season is Sept. 28 to Nov. 1. The General season opens Nov. 2, and runs to Jan. 5 in the North Zone and Jan. 19 in the South Zone. There are also special youth days and a late muzzleloader season, Jan. 6-19. Check the TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE to confirm.

The Grade: A

Each season, more deer are taken in Texas than in any other state, partly because of its size but also because of the abundance of animals, outstanding habitat, and strong hunting culture. Although 93% of Texas is privately owned, there are still some outstanding — and overlooked — public hunting opportunities. Texas has 895 total entries into the Boone and Crockett record books, and should be a top destination for anyone looking to book an outfitted whitetail hunt.

Antler Nation Knowledge:

South Texas and the Western Rolling Plains are especially known for producing quality bucks. In this region, there are plenty of 5-½-plus-year-old bucks that score well into the 130s and 140s, but the occasional Booners live there. Hunters looking for a true trophy might consider Brooks, Dimmit, Duval, Jim Hogg, Frio, Kenedy, Kleberg, La Salle, Maverick, McMullen, Refugio, Uvalde, Webb, and Zavala counties. These lead the way in top-end deer.

If quantity is the goal, focus on the Texas Hill Country. According to TPWD officials, about 2.37 million deer inhabit that area — the highest deer density in the state. In fact, Llano and Mason counties boast deer densities exceeding 290 deer per 1,000 acres. Grayson, Irion, McCulloch, Shackelford, Sutton, and Tom Green counties are great big-buck locations to try, too.