New This Year for Hunting

Effective September 1, 2025

Expanded Digital License Options

Starting this season, hunters have new options for digital licenses. For the first time, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) offers fully digital license options for all recreational hunting, fishing and combo license and tag types.

Choosing between paper and digital licenses.

Learn about digital licenses and tagging.

Changes for Non-Resident Hunters

Legislation passed this spring simplified license options for non-resident hunters from five license options to two.

Non-resident hunters hoping to harvest any legal bird or game animal, including alligator, wild turkey, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mule deer and white-tailed deer, will need to purchase a Non-resident General Hunting license.

Non-resident hunters who plan on targeting exotic animals, small game birds (except wild turkey), non-game animals, fur-bearing animals, squirrel and javelina for five or less days will need to purchase a Non-resident Special 5-Day Small Game/Exotic Hunting license.

Regulation Changes

  • For wild turkeys in Hill County, IH35E now serves as the zone boundary line.
  • Lubbock County is now open to wild turkey hunting with North Zone regulations.
  • Increase in daily bag limit for northern pintails in all duck zones.

Season Date Changes

Mule Deer

Archery Only Season:

  • Panhandle: Sept. 27 – Nov. 21
  • Trans-Pecos: Sept. 27 – Nov. 27
  • Brewster, Pecos and Terrell counties: Sept. 27 – Nov. 27

General Season:

  • Panhandle: Nov. 22 – Dec. 7
  • Tran-Pecos: Nov. 28 – Dec. 14
  • Brewster, Pecos and Terrell Counties: Nov. 28 – Dec. 14

Quail

New statewide dates: Nov. 1, 2025 – Feb. 28, 2026.

Teal

  • Days reduced from previous year
  • Statewide: Sept. 20 – 28

Outdoor Annual Advertisers