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Panola County, Texas: hunting seasons and public land

Panola County has 1 public hunting area on TPWD's Annual Public Hunting Permit (Sabine River Authority Public Hunting Land, 7,462 acres in the county). White-tailed deer general season in Panola 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: 4 deer, no more than 2 bucks, and no more than 2 antlerless, 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.

Map of Panola County, Texas: public hunting land including Sabine River Authority Public Hunting Land, other public hunting areas and dove leases nearby, highways and towns including Carthage, Gary City and Beckville

Public hunting area in Panola CountyOther public hunting land and dove leasesCounty lineLake or riverHighway

Panola County at a glance
County seatCarthage
WMAs and public hunting areasSabine River Authority Public Hunting Land
Dove and small game leasesNone
White-tailed deer zoneNorth Zone
Deer general seasonNov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 3, 2027
Deer bag limit4 deer, no more than 2 bucks, and no more than 2 antlerless, all seasons combined.
Antler restrictionsYes
Dove zoneCentral Zone

Where can you hunt public land in Panola County?

Panola County holds 1 place on TPWD's Annual Public Hunting Permit. Acres are the part inside the county, measured from TPWD's boundaries:

AreaAcres in the countyLegal game listed (TPWD)
Sabine River Authority Public Hunting Land7,462White-tailed Deer, Feral Hog and Exotic Mammals, Waterfowl, Woodcock, Rail, and Gallinule and Snipe

Public land: TPWD Public Hunt Locator map and TPWD 2026-27 Map Booklet; acres measured by FilledTag.

What is Panola County like for a hunter?

Panola County covers 811 square miles of land and 10 of water, 1.4% of it in the public hunting areas above. Its towns include Carthage, Gary City and Beckville. Highways: US 59 (53 miles in the county), US 79 (46 miles in the county), TX 149 (21 miles in the county), TX 315 (17 miles in the county) and TX 43 (5 miles in the county). Water: Lake Murvaul, Dixie Lake and Sabine River.

TPWD white-tailed deer management units: 15 (73% of the county) and 17 (27% of the county). Neighboring counties: Harrison, Rusk and Shelby.

Public hunting closest to Panola County

Other areas on the Annual Public Hunting Permit, by straight-line distance from the middle of Panola County to the middle of each area:

AreaCountyMiles
North Toledo Bend WMAShelby28
Caddo Lake National Wildlife RefugeHarrison35
Caddo Lake WMAMarion and Harrison40
Lake Striker Public Hunting LandCherokee and Rusk42
Alazan Bayou WMANacogdoches55
Bannister WMASan Augustine57

Deer on Panola 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:

AreaDeer in the booklet
Sabine River Authority Public Hunting LandWhite-tailed Deer: Bag limit - 2 buck and 2 antlerless (all seasons combined). Legal buck must have at least one unbranched antler or an inside spread of at least 13 inches. Archery Only Season: As established for Panola County (either sex). General Season: As established for Panola County (buck only). Muzzleloader Season: As established for Panola County (either sex, buck must have at least one unbranched antler).

Land, water, towns and highways: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 and Gazetteer. Deer units: TPWD.

When are the big game seasons in Panola County?

TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual for Panola County puts the county in the white-tailed deer North Zone. The seasons and limits it lists:

SpeciesSeason or limitDates or limit
White-tailed deerBag Limit4 deer, no more than 2 bucks, and no more than 2 antlerless, all seasons combined.
White-tailed deerArchery OnlyOct. 3 - Nov. 6, 2026
White-tailed deerGeneral SeasonNov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 3, 2027
White-tailed deerAntlerless DeerNov. 7-29, antlerless deer by hunting license tag.
White-tailed deerEarly Youth-Only SeasonOct. 30 - Nov. 1, 2026
White-tailed deerLate Youth-Only SeasonJan. 4 - 17, 2027
White-tailed deerMuzzleloaderJan. 4 - 17, 2027
JavelinaNo open season

When are dove, duck and goose seasons in Panola County?

SpeciesZoneRegular season
DoveCentral ZoneSept. 1 - Oct. 25, 2026 and Dec. 11, 2026 - Jan. 14, 2027
DuckNorth ZoneNov. 14 - 29, 2026 and Dec. 5, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027
GooseEastern ZoneDark Geese: Nov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027; Light Geese: Nov. 7, 2026 - Feb. 19, 2027

Source: TPWD Outdoor Annual, Panola 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 Panola 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 Panola County. The bag limit is 4 deer, no more than 2 bucks, and no more than 2 antlerless, all seasons combined.

Is there public hunting land in Panola County?

Yes. Sabine River Authority Public Hunting Land (7,462 acres in the county) is on TPWD's maps. Together that is about 7,462 acres.

Does Panola County have antler restrictions?

Yes, by TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual: in Panola County a legal white-tailed buck needs an unbranched antler or a 13-inch inside spread.

What is the county seat of Panola County?

Carthage, by TPWD's county page.

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Where these numbers come from

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Texas public hunting Sabine River Authority Public Hunting Land