Texas Duck Season

Texas duck season

Latest dates for the Texas Duck Season 2016-2017

 

SpeciesSeason DatesBag Limits (Daily)Possession Limits
DucksNorth Zone
Nov 7 to 29
Dec 12 to Jan 31

South Zone
Oct 31 to Nov 29
Dec 12 to Jan 24

High Plains Mallard Management Unit
Oct 31 to Nov 1
Nov 6 to Jan 31
6 in aggregate
with no more than:
5 mallards (only 2 hens)
3 wood ducks
3 scaup
2 redheads
2 pintail
2 canvasback
1 "dusky" duck
"dusky" ducks season closes after first 5 days of the season.
3 times daily bag limit
DoveNorth Zone
Sept 1 to Oct 25
Dec 18 to Jan 1

Central Zone
Sept 1 to Oct 25
Dec 18 to Jan 1

South Zone
Sept 18 to Oct 21
Dec 18 to Jan 22

Special White-winged Dove Area
Sept 18 to Oct 21
Dec 18 to Jan 18
15 white-winged, mourning & white-tipped doves aggregate
Max 2 white-tipped
3 times daily bag limit
WoodcockDec 18 to Jan 3133 times daily bag limit
TealSept 12 to 2763 times daily bag limit
Rails

Gallinules

Moorhens
Sept 12 to 27
Oct 31 to Dec 23
15 King & Clapper Rails aggregate

25 Sora & Virginia Rails aggregate
3 times daily bag limit
Common SnipeOct 31 to Feb 1483 times daily bag limit
Sandhill CranesZone A
Oct 31 to Jan 31

Zone B
Nov 20 to Jan 31

Zone C
Dec 19 to Jan 24
Zone A&B: 3
Zone C: 2
3 times daily bag limit
GeeseEarly Canada Geese Season
East Zone
Sept 12 to 27 Sept

Light and Dark Geese
West Zone
Oct 31 to Jan 31
East Zone
Nov 7 to Jan 31

Light Geese
West Zone
Feb 1 to Mar 20
East Zone
Feb 1 to Mar 20
West Zone
5 Dark Geese (Max 2 white-fronted)
20 Light Geese

East Zone
5 Dark Geese (Max 2 white-fronted)
20 Light Geese
Dark Geese:
3 times the daily bag limit

Light Geese:
No possession limit

Duck Hunting Season Zone Map

duck hunting season texas

Dove Hunting Season Zone Map

duck season in texas

Cranes Hunting Season Zone Map

Texas duck season

Geese Hunting Season Zone Map

texas duck hunting season

If you are planning on participating in the duck hunting season Texas, there are a few very important things that you have to keep in mind in order for your endeavor to be successful. Texas is one of the most popular locations for duck hunting since the place offers a variety of lakes, streams, and other waterways where ducks tend to reside during the Texas duck season. This is why you will have little to no trouble at all finding ducks to hut, regardless of the fact whether you are going there just for the Texas duck season or you plan on moving to live there.

First of all, before you proceed with your participation in the duck season in Texas, you have to be aware of all the requirements that you have to be able to meet in order to legally hunt ducks. All of the migratory game bird hunters are required to have a valid hunting license. All of the non-residents of the state that are aged under 17 are designated as residents and as such are able to hunt using a resident license. Hunters which are aged 17 or above are required to have a driver’s license or personal identification certificate while hunting. Non-residents are also required to have similar documents that have been issued by the agency in the state that they reside in and is authorized to issue driver’s licenses or personal identification certificates.

Hunters who are aged 17 or above are required to have either an Annual Public Hunting Permit or a Daily Hunting Permit in order to be able to legally hunt during the duck season in Texas. Youth who are aged below 17 are able to hunt on federal lands free of charge. In addition to this, people who are aged 17 or older are required to possess a migratory game bird stamp endorsement receipt that allows them to hunt migratory birds. Federal law also requires hunters aged 16 or older to have a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, which is most commonly referred to as a Duck Stamp and is available at most post offices and TPWD offices.

After you have managed to fulfil all of these requirements you will be able to legally participate in the Texas duck season. Now we will take a look at some tips that might be of help to you during the hunt itself. First of all, remember that there are actually two different ways of hunting ducks – by water or by land. If you are hunting by land then you will need to find a way to make the ducks get out of the water and up in the air so that you could shoot them. This type of duck hunting requires more range and you will need a gun that is able to fire at longer distances.

If you are planning on hunting this way then you should find out where are the ducks residing and where do they feed. Once you have acquired this information, simply stay on the path that they will be taking when they are going to feed or while they are coming back.

If you plan to hunt by water then you should look for a boat that is camouflaged so that you could blend with the surroundings. This way you will be able to get closer to the ducks without them spotting you. Additionally, if you find a good marshland which has some tall reeds you will be able to hide your boat there and easily approach the ducks. The most important thing of all is that you find a way to avoid the ducks seeing you.

Another great tip for duck hunting season Texas is to wear clothing that is camouflaged and make sure that the ducks can’t smell you. Try hunting upwind of the ducks so that your smell is not carried to them. You should also make sure that you are wearing warm clothes because you might have to spend many hours just sitting on the boat and it can sometimes get cold. Make sure that the clothes are waterproof as well. There is nothing worse than sitting in the cold with wet clothes.

One last tip for Texas duck hunting season is to look for a folding hunting knife that you could bring along with you. They are quite effective when it comes to skinning the duck and it would get the meat off pretty easy. Make sure that you meet all Texas duck season requirements and that you follow these tips so that you have a successful trip.

 

For more detailed info check out the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website.

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