Brown County, Texas: hunting seasons and public land
Brown County has 1 public hunting area on TPWD's Annual Public Hunting Permit (Muse WMA, 1,956 acres in the county), plus Paul and Toni Fox Burns WMA, a WMA without walk-in hunting on that permit. White-tailed deer general season in Brown County runs Nov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 3, 2027, after archery only Oct. 3 - Nov. 6, 2026, by TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual. Bag limit: 5 deer, no more than 2 bucks, all seasons combined. The county has TPWD's antler restrictions.
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual. Public land: TPWD's Public Hunt Locator map and 2026-27 booklet.
Public hunting area in Brown CountyOther public hunting land and dove leasesCounty lineLake or riverHighway
| County seat | Brownwood |
|---|---|
| WMAs and public hunting areas | Muse WMA, Paul and Toni Fox Burns WMA |
| Dove and small game leases | None |
| White-tailed deer zone | North Zone |
| Deer general season | Nov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 3, 2027 |
| Deer bag limit | 5 deer, no more than 2 bucks, all seasons combined. |
| Antler restrictions | Yes |
| Dove zone | Central Zone |
Where can you hunt public land in Brown County?
Brown County holds 2 places on TPWD's Annual Public Hunting Permit. Acres are the part inside the county, measured from TPWD's boundaries:
| Area | Acres in the county | Legal game listed (TPWD) |
|---|---|---|
| Paul and Toni Fox Burns WMA | 2,149 | Not open to walk-in hunting on the APH permit |
| Muse WMA | 1,956 | Dove |
Public land: TPWD Public Hunt Locator map and TPWD 2026-27 Map Booklet; acres measured by FilledTag.
What is Brown County like for a hunter?
Brown County covers 944 square miles of land and 13 of water, 0.3% of it in the public hunting areas above. Its towns include Brownwood, Early, Bangs and Blanket. Highways: US 377 (59 miles in the county), US 67 (46 miles in the county), US 183 (38 miles in the county), TX 279 (30 miles in the county) and US 84 (22 miles in the county). Water: Brownwood Lake and Colorado River.
TPWD white-tailed deer management units: 25 South (73% of the county), 23 (20% of the county) and 24 (7% of the county). Neighboring counties: Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, McCulloch, Mills and San Saba.
Public hunting closest to Brown County
Other areas on the Annual Public Hunting Permit, by straight-line distance from the middle of Brown County to the middle of each area:
| Area | County | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| Abilene State Park | Taylor | 64 |
| Mason Mountain WMA | Mason | 64 |
| Roger R. Fawcett WMA | Palo Pinto | 68 |
| San Angelo State Park | Tom Green | 95 |
| Twin Buttes Public Hunting Land | Tom Green | 99 |
| Granger Public Hunting Land | Williamson | 121 |
Deer on Brown County's public hunting areas
Each area sets its own deer season, often shorter than the county's. TPWD's 2026-27 booklet, area by area:
| Area | Deer in the booklet |
|---|---|
| Muse WMA | No deer season for walk-in hunters in TPWD's booklet |
Land, water, towns and highways: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 and Gazetteer. Deer units: TPWD.
When are the big game seasons in Brown County?
TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual for Brown County puts the county in the white-tailed deer North Zone. The seasons and limits it lists:
| Species | Season or limit | Dates or limit |
|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Bag Limit | 5 deer, no more than 2 bucks, all seasons combined. |
| White-tailed deer | Archery Only | Oct. 3 - Nov. 6, 2026 |
| White-tailed deer | General Season | Nov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 3, 2027 |
| White-tailed deer | Early Youth-Only Season | Oct. 30 - Nov. 1, 2026 |
| White-tailed deer | Late Youth-Only Season | Jan. 4 - 17, 2027 |
| White-tailed deer | Special Late | Jan. 4 - 17, 2027 |
| Javelina | No open season |
When are dove, duck and goose seasons in Brown County?
| Species | Zone | Regular season |
|---|---|---|
| Dove | Central Zone | Sept. 1 - Oct. 25, 2026 and Dec. 11, 2026 - Jan. 14, 2027 |
| Duck | North Zone | Nov. 14 - 29, 2026 and Dec. 5, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027 |
| Goose | Western Zone | Dark Geese: Nov. 7, 2026 - Feb. 7, 2027; Light Geese: Nov. 7, 2026 - Feb. 7, 2027 |
Source: TPWD Outdoor Annual, Brown County, 2026-27. Public hunting areas can set shorter seasons; each area's page has its own dates.
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season in Brown County in 2026-27?
By TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual, white-tailed deer archery only runs Oct. 3 - Nov. 6, 2026 and the general season Nov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 3, 2027 in Brown County. The bag limit is 5 deer, no more than 2 bucks, all seasons combined.
Is there public hunting land in Brown County?
Yes. Paul and Toni Fox Burns WMA (2,149 acres in the county) and Muse WMA (1,956 acres in the county) are on TPWD's maps. Together that is about 4,105 acres.
Does Brown County have antler restrictions?
Yes, by TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual: in Brown County a legal white-tailed buck needs an unbranched antler or a 13-inch inside spread.
What is the county seat of Brown County?
Brownwood, by TPWD's county page.
Get a Texas hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Texas are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Texas included.
Where these numbers come from
- Seasons and bag limits: TPWD Outdoor Annual 2026-27, seasons by county.
- Public hunting land and leases: TPWD Public Hunt Locator map; TPWD 2026-27 Map Booklet.
- County boundary: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024.
FilledTag is not part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.