Cottle County, Texas: hunting seasons and public land
Cottle County has 1 public hunting area on TPWD's Annual Public Hunting Permit (Matador WMA, 28,299 acres in the county). White-tailed deer general season in Cottle 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 1 buck, all seasons combined.
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 Cottle CountyOther public hunting land and dove leasesCounty lineLake or riverHighway
| County seat | Paducah |
|---|---|
| WMAs and public hunting areas | Matador 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 1 buck, all seasons combined. |
| Antler restrictions | No |
| Dove zone | North Zone |
Where can you hunt public land in Cottle County?
Cottle County holds 1 place 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Matador WMA | 28,299 | Dove, Quail, Duck, Feral Hogs and Coyotes and Rabbits & Hares |
Public land: TPWD Public Hunt Locator map and TPWD 2026-27 Map Booklet; acres measured by FilledTag.
What is Cottle County like for a hunter?
Cottle County covers 901 square miles of land, 4.9% of it in the public hunting areas above. Its towns include Paducah. Highways: US 62 (35 miles in the county), US 83 (34 miles in the county) and US 70 (29 miles in the county).
TPWD white-tailed deer management unit: 30 (100% of the county). Neighboring counties: Childress, Dickens, Foard, Hall, Hardeman, King and Motley.
Public hunting closest to Cottle County
Other areas on the Annual Public Hunting Permit, by straight-line distance from the middle of Cottle County to the middle of each area:
| Area | County | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| Teacup Mountain WMA | Foard and Hardeman | 27 |
| Playa Lakes WMA Taylor Lakes Unit | Donley | 64 |
| Lake Colorado City State Park | Mitchell | 126 |
| Gene Howe WMA | Hemphill and Lipscomb | 127 |
| Abilene State Park | Taylor | 129 |
| Hagerman NWR Nocona Unit | Montague | 141 |
Deer on Cottle 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 |
|---|---|
| Matador 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 Cottle County?
TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual for Cottle 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 1 buck, 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 |
| Mule deer | Archery Only | Oct. 3 - Nov. 20, 2026 |
| Mule deer | Bag Limit | 1 buck all seasons combined. |
| Mule deer | General Season | Nov. 21 - Dec. 6, 2026 |
| Javelina | No open season |
When are dove, duck and goose seasons in Cottle County?
| Species | Zone | Regular season |
|---|---|---|
| Dove | North Zone | Sept. 1 - Nov. 8, 2026 and Dec. 18, 2026 - Jan. 7, 2027 |
| Duck | High Plains Mallard Management Unit | Oct. 24 - 25, 2026 and Oct. 30, 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, Cottle 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 Cottle 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 Cottle County. The bag limit is 5 deer, no more than 1 buck, all seasons combined.
Is there public hunting land in Cottle County?
Yes. Matador WMA (28,299 acres in the county) is on TPWD's maps. Together that is about 28,299 acres.
Does Cottle County have antler restrictions?
TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual does not list antler restrictions for white-tailed deer in Cottle County.
What is the county seat of Cottle County?
Paducah, 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.