San Jacinto County, Texas: hunting seasons and public land
San Jacinto County has 1 public hunting area on TPWD's Annual Public Hunting Permit (Sam Houston National Forest WMA, 60,969 acres in the county). White-tailed deer general season in San Jacinto 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.
Public hunting area in San Jacinto CountyOther public hunting land and dove leasesCounty lineLake or riverHighway
| County seat | Coldspring |
|---|---|
| WMAs and public hunting areas | Sam Houston National Forest 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 | 4 deer, no more than 2 bucks, and no more than 2 antlerless, all seasons combined. |
| Antler restrictions | Yes |
| Dove zone | Central Zone |
Where can you hunt public land in San Jacinto County?
San Jacinto 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston National Forest WMA | 60,969 | White-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 San Jacinto County like for a hunter?
San Jacinto County covers 569 square miles of land and 59 of water, 15.2% of it in the public hunting areas above. Its towns include Shepherd, Point Blank and Coldspring. Highways: US 59 (29 miles in the county), TX 150 (27 miles in the county), TX 156 (15 miles in the county) and US 190 (13 miles in the county). Water: Smith Break, Woodlands Golf Course Lake and Mussel Shoals.
TPWD white-tailed deer management units: 14 (89% of the county) and 13 (11% of the county). Neighboring counties: Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, Trinity and Walker.
Public hunting closest to San Jacinto County
Other areas on the Annual Public Hunting Permit, by straight-line distance from the middle of San Jacinto County to the middle of each area:
| Area | County | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| Huntsville State Park | Walker | 21 |
| Alabama Creek WMA | Trinity | 42 |
| Angelina-Neches/Dam B WMA | Jasper and Tyler | 61 |
| Alazan Bayou WMA | Nacogdoches | 65 |
| Bannister WMA | San Augustine | 76 |
| Big Lake Bottom WMA | Anderson | 84 |
Deer on San Jacinto 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 |
|---|---|
| Sam Houston National Forest WMA | White-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. Limit 1 buck with an inside spread of at least 13 inches. Archery Only Season: Oct. 3- Nov. 6 (either sex). No USFS Antlerless Deer Permit required. General Season: Nov. 7-Jan. 3 (buck only unless in possession of a USFS Antlerless Deer Permit obtained from the USFS. See USFS Additional Restriction section for more information on antlerless deer permits). Muzzleloader: Jan. 4-17 (either sex, buck must have at least one unbranched antler). No USFS Antlerless Deer Permit required. |
Land, water, towns and highways: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 and Gazetteer. Deer units: TPWD.
When are the big game seasons in San Jacinto County?
TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual for San Jacinto 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 | 4 deer, no more than 2 bucks, and no more than 2 antlerless, 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 | Antlerless Deer | Nov. 7-29, antlerless deer by hunting license tag; no antlerless harvest on National Forest Service property. |
| 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 | Muzzleloader | Jan. 4 - 17, 2027 |
| Javelina | No open season |
When are dove, duck and goose seasons in San Jacinto 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 | Eastern Zone | Dark Geese: Nov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027; Light Geese: Nov. 7, 2026 - Feb. 19, 2027 |
Source: TPWD Outdoor Annual, San Jacinto 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 San Jacinto 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 San Jacinto 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 San Jacinto County?
Yes. Sam Houston National Forest WMA (60,969 acres in the county) is on TPWD's maps. Together that is about 60,969 acres.
Does San Jacinto County have antler restrictions?
Yes, by TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual: in San Jacinto County a legal white-tailed buck needs an unbranched antler or a 13-inch inside spread.
What is the county seat of San Jacinto County?
Coldspring, 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.