TPWD And Migratory Game Bird Seasons

TPWD Finalizes 2019-20 Migratory Game Bird Seasons

AUSTIN – Texas wingshooters can begin marking their calendars for the 2019-20 hunting seasons, with minimal changes over last year’s schedule.

The only change from last year to upcoming migratory game bird seasons adopted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will be a reduction in the pintail bag limit to just one per day.

Following is the season calendar and framework for 2019-20:

Dove
North Zone: Sept. 1 to Nov. 12 and Dec. 20 to Jan. 5
Central Zone: Sept. 1 to Nov. 3 and Dec. 20 to Jan. 14

Special White-winged Dove Days (entire South Zone): Sept. 1, 2, 7, 8.
South Zone: Sept. 14 to Nov. 3 and Dec. 20 to Jan. 23

The daily bag limit for doves statewide is 15 and the possession limit 45.

During the first two weekends in the Special White-winged Dove Days, hunting is allowed only from noon to sunset, and the daily bag limit is 15 birds, to include not more than two mourning doves and two white-tipped doves. During the general season in the exclusive area, the aggregate bag limit is 15 with no more than two white-tipped doves.

Ducks/Geese

Early Seasons

Statewide Teal — Sept. 14 to 29 with a daily bag limit of six teal

East Zone Canada Goose Only – Sept. 14 to 29 with a daily bag limit of five Canada geese

Regular Duck

High Plains Mallard Management Unit: Oct. 26 – 27 and Nov. 1 to Jan. 26

North Zone: Nov. 9 to Dec. 1 and Dec. 7 to Jan. 26

South Zone: Nov. 2 to Dec. 1 and Dec. 14 to Jan. 26

Bag Limit: 6/day in the aggregate to include no more than 5 mallards, of which only 2 may be hens, 3 wood ducks, 3 scaup, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 1 pintail, 1 “dusky duck” (mottled, black or Mexican-like) may only be taken after the first 5 days of the season in the respective zones. Mergansers: 5/day with no more than 2 hooded mergansers. Coots: 15/day. The possession limit is three times the daily bag limit for all migratory game birds except snow geese which have no possession limit.

Regular Goose

East Zone: Nov. 2 to Jan. 26; conservation order Jan. 27 to March 15

Bag Limit after the Early Canada Goose: 5 dark geese, to include no more than 2 white-fronted geese, 20 light geese (no possession limit on light geese).

West Zone: Nov. 2 to Feb. 2; conservation order Feb. 3 to March 15

Bag Limit: 5 dark geese, to include no more than 2 white-fronted geese, 20 light geese (no possession limit on light geese).

Sandhill Crane

Zone A: Oct. 26 to Jan. 26. Bag Limit: 3, possession limit 9

Zone B: Nov. 22 to Jan. 26. Bag Limit: 3, possession limit 9

Zone C: Dec. 14 to Jan. 19. Bag Limit: 2, possession limit 6

Snipe

Oct. 26 to Feb. 9. Bag Limit: 8, possession limit of 24

Woodcock

Dec. 18 to Jan. 31. Bag Limit: 3, possession limit 9

Falconry

Statewide Dove: Nov. 16 to Dec. 2

Statewide Rails, Gallinules, and Woodcock: Jan. 27 to Feb. 9

Ducks North and South Zone: Jan. 27 to Feb. 9

4200 Smith School Road Austin, Texas 78744 tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia

TPWD receives funds from the USFWS. TPWD prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, and gender, under state and federal law. To request an accommodation or obtain information in an alternative format, please contact TPWD on a Text Telephone (TDD) at (512) 389-8915 or by Relay Texas at 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2989. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, please contact TPWD or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041.