No Lease? A $48 Permit Opens Over a Million Acres of Texas Public Hunting Land
The Annual Public Hunting Permit covers more than 180 areas for deer, hogs, dove, quail, waterfowl and more. Kids under 17 get in free with a permitted adult.
Hunters without a lease or a landowner friend still have a way into the field. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Annual Public Hunting Permit costs $48 and opens more than a million acres of public hunting land across the state.
What the permit covers
According to TPWD, the permit gives access to more than 180 hunting areas, including wildlife management areas, state parks and about 120 dove and small game areas leased from private landowners. Permit holders can hunt white-tailed deer, feral hogs, dove, quail, turkey, waterfowl, rabbit, squirrel and more. Fishing, camping, hiking, nature watching, photography and horseback riding are allowed on certain areas.
Youth under 17 may use the areas free with a permitted adult, and there are youth-only and youth-adult hunts for deer, waterfowl, dove, rabbit, squirrel and feral hogs.
What you need
The permit is valid Sept. 1, 2026, through Aug. 31, 2027. You must hold or buy a season hunting license, along with any required stamps, to buy it. Permits are sold at TPWD offices, license retailers, by phone at 1-800-TX-LIC-4U and online.
For non-hunters, a $12 Limited Public Use Permit covers the same areas for fishing, hiking, camping, bird watching, picnicking, wildlife viewing and horseback riding where allowed.
Some hunts take more steps. E-Postcard hunts are drawn online, and adults must buy the annual permit before applying. Some small game and migratory bird hunts use a $20 daily permit, which is waived for youth and annual permit holders. TPWD says this season is the last one with a printed map booklet, and it posts schedule changes on its website.
Good timing
Quail season opens Nov. 1, and TPWD's roadside surveys point to good numbers. The department named Chaparral and James E. Daughtrey WMAs for South Texas bobwhites and Black Gap and Elephant Mountain WMAs for scaled quail. Read our quail outlook, our waterfowl outlook and our guide to the youth-only deer season.
Public land is a gift held in common. Take a child, follow the rules, and leave each area better than you found it.
