Public Hunt LandFINDER

Texas guide · last checked Sep 26, 2026

Texas Annual Public Hunting Permit (APH), 2026–27

Texas Parks and Wildlife’s walk-in permit for its public hunting lands: what it costs and covers and how to find areas, summarized from TPWD’s own page. Includes Texas deer season dates and the public land in our directory.

Last checked Sep 26, 2026 against TPWD’s Annual Public Hunting Permit / Walk-in Hunts page (TPWD labels it “information valid September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027”). Prices and rules can change. Confirm with TPWD before you buy or hunt.

The APH permit at a glance (per TPWD)

Price$48 Annual Public Hunting (APH) Permit. TPWD also sells a $12 Limited Public Use (LPU) Permit, which gives access for other recreation but not hunting.
License neededYou must hold or buy a season Texas hunting license (plus any required stamp endorsements) to buy and use the APH Permit.
ValidTPWD’s page covers September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027.
LandTPWD says “over a million acres” and “more than 180 hunting areas,” including wildlife management areas, state parks and about 120 dove and small game areas leased from private landowners.
GameTPWD lists white-tailed deer, feral hogs, dove, quail, turkey, waterfowl, rabbit, squirrel and more. What you can hunt differs by area.
YouthPer TPWD, youth under 17 may access these areas free with a permitted adult. TPWD also lists Youth Only and Youth/Adult hunts.
Where to buyTPWD law enforcement offices (including Austin headquarters), license retailers, the license sales line 1-800-TX-LIC-4U, or online.
MapsTPWD offers an Area/Legal Game Search, an interactive public hunting map, and 2026–27 map data (KMZ and GPX). TPWD says this is the last season the printed Map Booklet will be printed.

Other TPWD public hunt options

  • Drawn hunts through TPWD’s Public Hunt Drawing System. For E-Postcard hunts, TPWD says adults must buy an APH Permit before applying.
  • Regular (daily) permit hunts for some small game and migratory bird hunts: TPWD lists a $20 fee, waived for youth under 17 and APH Permit holders.
  • Mentored hunting workshops on select state parks and WMAs, for first-time hunters.

TPWD: Public Hunting in Texas · TPWD: APH Permit / Walk-in Hunts

Questions? Ask TPWD

TPWD’s public hunting program lists (512) 389-4505 (Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.) and [email protected]. Each area’s own rules, dates and check-in requirements are in TPWD’s area listings and map booklet.

Texas white-tailed deer dates, 2026–27 (TPWD)

SeasonWhereDates
Archery252 of 254 countiesOct. 3 – Nov. 6, 2026
Youth-only (early)—Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 2026
GeneralNorth ZoneNov. 7, 2026 – Jan. 3, 2027
GeneralSouth ZoneNov. 7, 2026 – Jan. 17, 2027

County seasons and bag limits vary, and APH areas can have their own dates. All Texas deer season dates, including late seasons and mule deer →

Texas public land in our directory

Our directory lists 113 named public land units in Texas (about 2.7M ac, from USGS PAD-US 4.1): 50 state wildlife & game areas, 15 forests & grasslands, 17 wildlife refuges & WPAs, 1 BLM units, 26 lake & reservoir project lands, 2 state trust / land board tracts, 2 other public land units. PAD-US shows who manages the land. It doesn’t cover hunting rules. Before you go, check the area’s own rules with the managing agency. WMAs, refuges and forests often have special dates, permits or closed zones.

State wildlife areas & game lands in Texas

All 50 →

National & state forests and grasslands in Texas

All 15 →

National wildlife refuges & WPAs in Texas

All 17 →

BLM land in Texas

Counties with the most listed public land

Browse all 113 public land areas in Texas

Metro shortlists

Our Texas list comes from USGS PAD-US and includes federal land (national forests, grasslands, refuges, Corps of Engineers lakes) as well as state land. Not every area listed here is part of TPWD’s APH program, and some APH areas are leased private land that PAD-US doesn’t include. Use TPWD’s Area/Legal Game Search to see which areas the APH Permit covers.

Not legal advice and not an official source. This independent site is not affiliated with any government agency. Season dates are copied from the agency pages linked above as of the “last checked” date and may have changed since. The agency’s current regulations are what count. Full disclaimer.