Refugio County, Texas: hunting seasons and public land
Refugio County has 1 public hunting area on TPWD's Annual Public Hunting Permit (Guadalupe Delta WMA, 2,144 acres in the county). White-tailed deer general season in Refugio 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 Refugio CountyOther public hunting land and dove leasesCounty lineLake or riverHighway
| County seat | Refugio |
|---|---|
| WMAs and public hunting areas | Guadalupe Delta 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 Refugio County?
Refugio 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Guadalupe Delta WMA | 2,144 | Waterfowl, Dove, Geese, Coots, Snipe, Rail, and Gallinule, Dove, Rails, Gallinule, and Snipe and Feral Hog |
Public land: TPWD Public Hunt Locator map and TPWD 2026-27 Map Booklet; acres measured by FilledTag.
What is Refugio County like for a hunter?
Refugio County covers 770 square miles of land and 48 of water, 0.4% of it in the public hunting areas above. Its towns include Refugio, Bayside, Woodsboro and Austwell. Highways: US 77 (73 miles in the county), TX 239 (25 miles in the county), TX 35 (14 miles in the county), US 183 (9 miles in the county) and TX 202 (7 miles in the county). Water: Mission Lake, McGuill Lake, Guadalupe River and South Guadalupe River.
TPWD white-tailed deer management units: 09 (80% of the county) and 10 (20% of the county). Neighboring counties: Aransas, Bee, Calhoun, Goliad, San Patricio and Victoria.
Public hunting closest to Refugio County
Other areas on the Annual Public Hunting Permit, by straight-line distance from the middle of Refugio County to the middle of each area:
| Area | County | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| Matagorda Island WMA | Calhoun | 31 |
| Mad Island WMA | Matagorda | 71 |
| James E. Daughtrey WMA | McMullen and Live Oak | 74 |
| Nannie M. Stringfellow WMA | Brazoria | 104 |
| Justin Hurst WMA | Brazoria | 113 |
| Chaparral WMA | Dimmit and La Salle | 138 |
Deer on Refugio 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 |
Land, water, towns and highways: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 and Gazetteer. Deer units: TPWD.
When are the big game seasons in Refugio County?
TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual for Refugio 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 Refugio 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, Refugio 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 Refugio 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 Refugio County. The bag limit is 5 deer, no more than 3 bucks.
Is there public hunting land in Refugio County?
Yes. Guadalupe Delta WMA (2,144 acres in the county) is on TPWD's maps. Together that is about 2,144 acres.
Does Refugio County have antler restrictions?
TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual does not list antler restrictions for white-tailed deer in Refugio County.
What is the county seat of Refugio County?
Refugio, 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.