The opening day of the general (i.e gun) deer hunting season happens only once a year, and this year that’s Saturday, November 1. White-tailed deer are the number one big game animal in Texas, so you can rest assured that Texans get excited about heading out to the field. For hundreds of thousands of hunters, this year Halloween night will be almost like Christmas Eve on their hunting leases and lands across the state.
The season for whitetail deer and turkey begins at 30 minutes before sunrise Saturday in both the North and South zones. It continues through January 4, 2015 in the 209 counties in the North Zone and until January 18 in the 30-county South Zone. A late antlerless and spike season will run from January 5-18 in the North Zone and January 19-February 1 in the South Zone. There is also another youth only season from January 5-18 in all Texas counties where white-tailed deer hunting is legal. If you have a child or know one, bring them out there and show them what hunting is all about.
Bag limits and legal antler spread on bucks varies by county, so it’s best to consult a copy of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 2014-2015 Outdoor Annual or the new Outdoor Annual app for smartphones before heading to the field.
One requirement that does not vary from year to year is that all deer and turkey taken must be tagged. And to do that, you must have a valid Texas hunting license. When hunting, you must also have a valid driver license or state-issued identification card in your possession.
Legal hunting times for each day of the season ends 30 minutes after sunset. Since sunrise and sunset times vary by geographic area, be sure and check what those times will be where you’ll be hunting.
Texas game wardens will be out in force this weekend to make sure that those who head to the field hoping to harvest some fresh meat and maybe a good set of antlers not only obey all applicable laws but also get home safely. Whether you plan to head out deer hunting this weekend or later in the season, have as much as you legally can and be as safe as possible.