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 early 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 in the special 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 canvasback, 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. Possession limit is 3 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