Gus Engeling WMA: public hunting, 2026-27 seasons and access
Gus Engeling WMA is 9,957 acres of public hunting land in Anderson County, Texas, TPWD unit #754. Adults hunt it on the $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit and register on site each day, in the Texas Hunt & Fish app (eOSR). TPWD's 2026-27 map booklet lists dove and squirrel, rabbits & hares as legal game here. The entire area is closed Oct. 1- Mar. 14.
Data updated October 2026. Seasons and rules: TPWD's 2026-27 Map Booklet for Public Hunting Lands. Boundaries: TPWD's Public Hunt Locator map.
This areaOther public hunting landNo hunting zoneCounty lineLake or riverHighway
| TPWD unit | #754 |
|---|---|
| Size | 9,957 acres (TPWD booklet); 11,092 acres mapped |
| County | Anderson County |
| Permit | Annual Public Hunting Permit ($48), eOSR registration each day |
| Legal game listed | Dove and Squirrel, Rabbits & Hares |
| Deer | No deer season for walk-in hunters in the booklet |
| Closed | Oct. 1- Mar. 14. |
| White-tailed deer unit | TPWD unit 19 North |
| Towns | Athens (15 mi), Malakoff (15 mi) and Palestine (16 mi) |
| Highways | US 287 |
What can you hunt on Gus Engeling WMA in 2026-27?
TPWD's 2026-27 booklet lists 3 legal game entries for Gus Engeling WMA, none of them deer. Every line below is TPWD's own wording.
| Species or season | What TPWD's 2026-27 booklet says |
|---|---|
| Dove | Sept. 1-30 (Mourning, White-winged, and Eurasian Collared). |
| Squirrel, Rabbits & Hares | May 1-31. Rimfire, air guns and shotgun only. |
| Fishing | Open year round during daylight hours only; except dates entire area closed. |
Youth and special seasons
- Youth only Squirrel: Sept. 26-27 (rimfire, air guns, or shotgun).
Drawn hunts
E-Postcard selection hunts: Predators/Furbearers, Waterfowl, and Squirrel. See front section of booklet for "E-Postcard Selection Hunt" information. Apply through TPWD's Public Hunt Drawing System.
What are the rules on Gus Engeling WMA?
- Permit and registration: On-site registration is required; Daily On-site registration is required of all public users. General public access to the area is during daylight hours through designated legal entry points only and by APH or LPU Permits.
- General use: Each day except on dates when entire area closed. Daily On-site registration is required of all public users. General public access to the area is during daylight hours through designated legal entry points only and by APH or LPU Permits. All roads subject to closure. Users must access 287 campground through main WMA entrance.
- Closed: Entire area closed: Oct. 1- Mar. 14.
- Special regulations: Entry through designated Entry/Exit locations ONLY. See Prohibited Acts for further restrictions.
Source: TPWD 2026-27 Map Booklet for Public Hunting Lands, unit #754 (PDF).
Which parts of Gus Engeling WMA are closed or limited?
TPWD's map of Gus Engeling WMA marks no hunting zones. No hunting zones are closed to all hunting. Measured inside the boundary from TPWD's own polygons:
| Zone | Acres | Share of Gus Engeling WMA |
|---|---|---|
| No hunting zones | 987 | 8.9% |
Measured by FilledTag from TPWD's Public Hunt Locator map. Posted signs and the booklet's map are the final word on the ground.
How do you get to Gus Engeling WMA?
Gus Engeling WMA lies in Anderson County. Nearest towns: Athens (15 miles), Malakoff (15 miles), Palestine (16 miles) and Trinidad (17 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 287 (it crosses or touches the area).
TPWD's map points for Gus Engeling WMA: 1 headquarters, 4 info station/designated entrance, 3 camp sites and 4 parking areas.
TPWD's page says: Open except for drawn hunts in Fall and Winter. Please call ahead when planning to visit during hunting season. TPWD's page gives the area as 11,095 acres. Area office: (903) 928-2251, 16149 North US Hwy 287, Tennessee Colony, TX 75861.
From TPWD's Gus Engeling WMA page.
Which deer management unit is Gus Engeling WMA in?
Gus Engeling WMA lies in TPWD white-tailed deer management unit 19 North. TPWD publishes its harvest survey statewide; across Texas in 2025-26 it estimates 714,424 white-tailed deer hunters took 782,405 deer. The page on Texas public hunting has the statewide table.
Units: TPWD white-tailed deer management units. Harvest: TPWD Big Game Harvest Survey, 2025-26.
What other public hunting is near Gus Engeling WMA?
The closest other places on the Annual Public Hunting Permit with a page of their own, measured edge to edge:
| Area | County | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Richland Creek WMA | Freestone and Navarro | 4.8 mi |
| Big Lake Bottom WMA | Anderson | 12.3 mi |
| Lake Striker Public Hunting Land | Cherokee and Rusk | 49.2 mi |
| Old Sabine Bottom WMA | Smith | 49.6 mi |
| Luminant Texas Public Hunting Land | Robertson | 49.6 mi |
| Tawakoni WMA | Hunt and Van Zandt | 58.8 mi |
TPWD also leases 2 dove and small game areas within 40 miles, the nearest Ivy (465 acres, 22.8 mi) and Mount Moriah (550 acres, 39.9 mi). All of them are on the Texas dove leases page.
Questions hunters ask
Do you need a permit to hunt Gus Engeling WMA?
Yes. Hunters 17 and older need the $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit along with a Texas hunting license; hunters under 17 may hunt free with a permitted adult. TPWD's booklet adds: On-site registration is required; Daily On-site registration is required of all public users. General public access to the area is during daylight hours through designated legal entry points only and by APH or LPU Permits.
Can you hunt deer on Gus Engeling WMA?
Not on the Annual Public Hunting Permit: TPWD's 2026-27 booklet lists no deer season here. Some places offer drawn hunts; see the drawn hunts section above.
Can you camp on Gus Engeling WMA?
TPWD's booklet: Users must access 287 campground through main WMA entrance.
Where is Gus Engeling WMA?
Gus Engeling WMA is in Anderson County. The nearest towns: Athens (15 miles), Malakoff (15 miles) and Palestine (16 miles). Highways nearby: US 287.
When is Gus Engeling WMA closed?
TPWD's 2026-27 booklet: the entire area is closed Oct. 1- Mar. 14.
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 facts come from
- Legal game, dates, rules, permits and closures: TPWD 2026-27 Map Booklet for Public Hunting Lands, unit #754.
- Boundaries, zones and map points: TPWD Public Hunt Locator map. Acres and distances measured by FilledTag.
- Counties, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 and Gazetteer. Lakes and rivers: USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
FilledTag is not part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. TPWD's booklet and posted signs are the final word on every rule; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Texas public hunting Anderson County Richland Creek WMA Big Lake Bottom WMA Lake Striker Public Hunting Land