Calhoun County, Texas: hunting seasons and public land
Calhoun County has 2 public hunting areas on TPWD's Annual Public Hunting Permit (Matagorda Island WMA, 45,334 acres in the county and Guadalupe Delta WMA, 4,444 acres in the county), plus Powderhorn WMA and Welder Flats WMA, WMAs without walk-in hunting on that permit. White-tailed deer general season in Calhoun County runs Nov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 17, 2027, after archery only Oct. 3 - Nov. 6, 2026, by TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual. Bag limit: 5 deer, no more than 3 bucks.
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 Calhoun CountyOther public hunting land and dove leasesCounty lineLake or riverHighway
| County seat | Port Lavaca |
|---|---|
| WMAs and public hunting areas | Guadalupe Delta WMA, Matagorda Island WMA, Powderhorn WMA, Welder Flats WMA |
| Dove and small game leases | None |
| White-tailed deer zone | South Zone |
| Deer general season | Nov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 17, 2027 |
| Deer bag limit | 5 deer, no more than 3 bucks. |
| Antler restrictions | No |
| Dove zone | South Zone |
Where can you hunt public land in Calhoun County?
Calhoun County holds 4 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Matagorda Island WMA | 45,334 | Upland Unit and Bayside Marsh Unit |
| Powderhorn WMA | 15,060 | Not open to walk-in hunting on the APH permit |
| Guadalupe Delta WMA | 4,444 | Waterfowl, Dove, Geese, Coots, Snipe, Rail, and Gallinule, Dove, Rails, Gallinule, and Snipe and Feral Hog |
| Welder Flats WMA | 1,381 | Not open to walk-in hunting on the APH permit |
Public land: TPWD Public Hunt Locator map and TPWD 2026-27 Map Booklet; acres measured by FilledTag.
What is Calhoun County like for a hunter?
Calhoun County covers 507 square miles of land and 526 of water, 7.5% of it in the public hunting areas above. Its towns include Port Lavaca, Point Comfort and Seadrift. Highways: TX 185 (39 miles in the county), TX 35 (36 miles in the county), TX 238 (18 miles in the county), US 87 (16 miles in the county) and TX 316 (10 miles in the county). Water: Big Brundrett Lake, Alligator Slide Lake, Guadalupe River, South Guadalupe River and North Guadalupe River.
TPWD white-tailed deer management units: 09 (63% of the county) and 10 (25% of the county). Neighboring counties: Aransas, Jackson, Matagorda, Refugio and Victoria.
Public hunting closest to Calhoun County
Other areas on the Annual Public Hunting Permit, by straight-line distance from the middle of Calhoun County to the middle of each area:
| Area | County | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| Mad Island WMA | Matagorda | 39 |
| Nannie M. Stringfellow WMA | Brazoria | 72 |
| Justin Hurst WMA | Brazoria | 80 |
| James E. Daughtrey WMA | McMullen and Live Oak | 107 |
| Somerville Public Hunting Land and Lake Somerville Trailway | Lee and Burleson | 131 |
| Sam Houston National Forest WMA | San Jacinto and Walker | 160 |
Deer on Calhoun 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 |
|---|---|
| Guadalupe Delta WMA | No deer season for walk-in hunters in TPWD's booklet |
| Matagorda Island 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 Calhoun County?
TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual for Calhoun County puts the county in the white-tailed deer South Zone. The seasons and limits it lists:
| Species | Season or limit | Dates or limit |
|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Bag Limit | 5 deer, no more than 3 bucks. |
| White-tailed deer | Archery Only | Oct. 3 - Nov. 6, 2026 |
| White-tailed deer | General Season | Nov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 17, 2027 |
| White-tailed deer | Early Youth-Only Season | Oct. 30 - Nov. 1, 2026 |
| White-tailed deer | Special Late | Jan. 18 - 31, 2027 |
| Javelina | Regular Season | Oct. 1, 2026 - Feb. 28, 2027 |
| Javelina | Bag Limit | 2 per license year. |
When are dove, duck and goose seasons in Calhoun County?
| Species | Zone | Regular season |
|---|---|---|
| Dove | South Zone | Sept. 1 - Oct. 25, 2026 and Dec. 18, 2026 - Jan. 21, 2027 |
| Duck | South Zone | Nov. 7 - 29, 2026 and Dec. 12, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027 |
| Goose | Eastern Zone | Dark Geese: Nov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027; Light Geese: Nov. 7, 2026 - Feb. 19, 2027 |
Source: TPWD Outdoor Annual, Calhoun 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 Calhoun 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. 17, 2027 in Calhoun County. The bag limit is 5 deer, no more than 3 bucks.
Is there public hunting land in Calhoun County?
Yes. Matagorda Island WMA (45,334 acres in the county), Powderhorn WMA (15,060 acres in the county), Guadalupe Delta WMA (4,444 acres in the county) and Welder Flats WMA (1,381 acres in the county) are on TPWD's maps. Together that is about 66,219 acres.
Does Calhoun County have antler restrictions?
TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual does not list antler restrictions for white-tailed deer in Calhoun County.
What is the county seat of Calhoun County?
Port Lavaca, by TPWD's county page.
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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.
Texas public hunting Guadalupe Delta WMA Matagorda Island WMA Powderhorn WMA Welder Flats WMA