Tony Houseman WMA: public hunting, 2026-27 seasons and access
Tony Houseman WMA is 4,328 acres of public hunting land in Orange County, Texas, TPWD unit #712. 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 feral hogs and exotic mammals among the legal game, along with waterfowl, woodcock, rail and gallinule, snipe and dove.
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 | #712 |
|---|---|
| Size | 4,328 acres (TPWD booklet); 4,328 acres mapped |
| County | Orange County |
| Permit | Annual Public Hunting Permit ($48), eOSR registration each day |
| Legal game listed | Feral Hogs and Exotic Mammals, Waterfowl, Woodcock, Rail and Gallinule, Snipe, Dove, Squirrel, Furbearers and Predators and Rabbits & Hares |
| Deer | No deer season for walk-in hunters in the booklet |
| White-tailed deer unit | TPWD unit 13 |
| Towns | Orange (next to it), Pinehurst (2 mi) and West Orange (3 mi) |
| Highways | US 90, I-10, TX 87 and TX 358 (1.2 mi) |
What can you hunt on Tony Houseman WMA in 2026-27?
TPWD's 2026-27 booklet lists 10 legal game entries for Tony Houseman WMA, none of them deer. Every line below is TPWD's own wording.
| Species or season | What TPWD's 2026-27 booklet says |
|---|---|
| Feral Hogs and Exotic Mammals | (no bag limit) No closed season. Only legal firearms (except shotguns with buckshot), air guns, arrow guns, archery equipment, and crossbows may be used. No baiting allowed. |
| Waterfowl | Shooting hours end at noon. Hunting is allowed each day of the Early Teal Season and on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of the North Zone Duck, Falconry, and Eastern Zone Goose seasons |
| Woodcock, Rail and Gallinule | Each day of the regular Statewide and Falconry seasons for these species. |
| Snipe | Each day of Statewide Season. |
| Dove | Each day of Central Zone Dove and Falconry Season. |
| Squirrel | Each day of East Texas Squirrel Season. |
| Furbearers and Predators | (Limit 1 per day) No closed season. Concurrent shooting hours for feral hog. |
Also listed as legal game, with no dates of their own: Rabbits & Hares, Crayfish and Fishing.
Youth and special seasons
- Youth/Adult Squirrel: Sept. 25-27.
- Youth and Veteran/Active-Duty Military Only Waterfowl: Shooting hours end at noon. See TPWD Outdoor Annual for Special Season information and regulations.
What are the rules on Tony Houseman WMA?
- Permit and registration: OSR Required Each Day. Bank anglers must possess a valid APH or LPU Permit.
- Means restriction: Except when using a rifle, air gun, muzzleloader or shotgun with slugs, only non-toxic shot may be possessed on the WMA.
- Special regulations: No hunting is allowed in that portion of the Unit which is within the city limits of Orange. Bank anglers must possess a valid APH or LPU Permit. No trapping except for crayfish. No unattended fishing lines or crayfish traps allowed. No commercial fishing allowed. Access to the lower portion is by boat only. For more information, contact the wildlife office (936/553-7641).
Source: TPWD 2026-27 Map Booklet for Public Hunting Lands, unit #712 (PDF).
Which parts of Tony Houseman WMA are closed or limited?
TPWD's map of Tony Houseman 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 Tony Houseman WMA |
|---|---|---|
| No hunting zones | 899 | 20.8% |
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 Tony Houseman WMA?
Tony Houseman WMA lies in Orange County. Nearest towns: Orange (next to it), Pinehurst (2 miles), West Orange (3 miles) and Bridge City (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 90 (it crosses or touches the area), I-10 (it crosses or touches the area), TX 87 (it crosses or touches the area), TX 358 (1.2 miles) and TX 73 (4.6 miles). Rivers nearby: Sabine River and Brenam Bayou.
TPWD's map points for Tony Houseman WMA: 1 info station.
TPWD's page says: Open year round. Area office: (936) 553-7641, 8096 FM 2782, Nacogdoches, TX 75964.
From TPWD's Tony Houseman/Blue Elbow Swamp WMA page.
Which deer management unit is Tony Houseman WMA in?
Tony Houseman WMA lies in TPWD white-tailed deer management unit 13. 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 Tony Houseman WMA?
The closest other places on the Annual Public Hunting Permit with a page of their own, measured edge to edge:
| Area | County | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Neches WMA | Orange | 7.8 mi |
| J.D. Murphree WMA | Jefferson | 23.6 mi |
| Sea Rim State Park | Jefferson | 32 mi |
| Angelina-Neches/Dam B WMA | Jasper and Tyler | 54.3 mi |
TPWD also leases 3 dove and small game areas within 40 miles, the nearest Bordages Road (1,272 acres, 22 mi), Latta Road (1,641 acres, 24 mi) and South China Road (1,036 acres, 37 mi). All of them are on the Texas dove leases page.
Questions hunters ask
Do you need a permit to hunt Tony Houseman 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: OSR Required Each Day. Bank anglers must possess a valid APH or LPU Permit.
Can you hunt deer on Tony Houseman WMA?
Not on the Annual Public Hunting Permit: TPWD's 2026-27 booklet lists no deer season here.
Can you camp on Tony Houseman WMA?
TPWD's 2026-27 booklet prints no camping rules for Tony Houseman WMA. Ask the area office before planning to stay overnight.
Where is Tony Houseman WMA?
Tony Houseman WMA is in Orange County. The nearest towns: Orange (next to it), Pinehurst (2 miles) and West Orange (3 miles). Highways nearby: US 90, I-10 and TX 87.
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 #712.
- 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 Orange County Lower Neches WMA J.D. Murphree WMA Sea Rim State Park