Texas Hunting Regulations

You must stay up-to-date on the current Texas rules and regulations. Most of the hunting regulations are published annually in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) publication Outdoor Annual: Hunting and Fishing Regulations.

• Get a new issue each year to stay up-to-date on the current regulations such as game and non-game animals, hunting seasons, legal hunting methods, required licenses and permits, and bag limits.
• Check the county listing section to make sure you know any additional regulations in the county where you will be hunting. As listed in Outdoor Annual, certain counties have restrictions on taking bucks with an inside antler spread of 13 inches or greater.

To determine if a buck has an inside spread measurement of at least 13 inches:

• Watch until a buck’s ears are in the alert position.
• Look at the distance from ear-tip to ear-tip. In the alert position, this distance is approximately 13 inches across and may be used to judge the inside spread.