Taylor County, Texas: hunting seasons and public land
Taylor County has 1 public hunting area on TPWD's Annual Public Hunting Permit (Abilene State Park, 1,827 acres in the county). White-tailed deer general season in Taylor 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 2 bucks, 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 Taylor CountyOther public hunting land and dove leasesCounty lineLake or riverHighway
| County seat | Abilene |
|---|---|
| WMAs and public hunting areas | Abilene State Park |
| 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 2 bucks, all seasons combined. |
| Antler restrictions | No |
| Dove zone | North Zone |
Where can you hunt public land in Taylor County?
Taylor 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Abilene State Park | 1,827 | Waterfowl and Squirrel |
Public land: TPWD Public Hunt Locator map and TPWD 2026-27 Map Booklet; acres measured by FilledTag.
What is Taylor County like for a hunter?
Taylor County covers 916 square miles of land, 0.3% of it in the public hunting areas above. Its towns include Abilene, Tye, Merkel, Buffalo Gap, Tuscola and Lawn. Highways: US 84 (89 miles in the county), I-20 (65 miles in the county), US 83 (59 miles in the county), US 277 (49 miles in the county) and US 80 (9 miles in the county). Water: Lake Abilene, Kirby Lake and Lytle Lake.
TPWD white-tailed deer management units: 29 South (84% of the county), 29 North (11% of the county) and 27 (5% of the county). Neighboring counties: Callahan, Coleman, Fisher, Jones, Nolan and Runnels.
Public hunting closest to Taylor County
Other areas on the Annual Public Hunting Permit, by straight-line distance from the middle of Taylor County to the middle of each area:
| Area | County | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Colorado City State Park | Mitchell | 61 |
| San Angelo State Park | Tom Green | 67 |
| Muse WMA | Brown | 67 |
| Twin Buttes Public Hunting Land | Tom Green | 78 |
| Roger R. Fawcett WMA | Palo Pinto | 96 |
| Mason Mountain WMA | Mason | 108 |
Deer on Taylor 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 |
|---|---|
| Abilene State Park | 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 Taylor County?
TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual for Taylor 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 2 bucks, 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 |
| Javelina | Regular Season | Oct. 1, 2026 - Feb. 28, 2027 |
| Javelina | Bag Limit | 2 per license year. |
When are dove, duck and goose seasons in Taylor County?
| Species | Zone | Regular season |
|---|---|---|
| Goose | Western Zone | Dark Geese: Nov. 7, 2026 - Feb. 7, 2027; Light Geese: Nov. 7, 2026 - Feb. 7, 2027 |
Source: TPWD Outdoor Annual, Taylor 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 Taylor 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 Taylor County. The bag limit is 5 deer, no more than 2 bucks, all seasons combined.
Is there public hunting land in Taylor County?
Yes. Abilene State Park (1,827 acres in the county) is on TPWD's maps. Together that is about 1,827 acres.
Does Taylor County have antler restrictions?
TPWD's 2026-27 Outdoor Annual does not list antler restrictions for white-tailed deer in Taylor County.
What is the county seat of Taylor County?
Abilene, 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.