Are you ready? General season for deer opens 11/3, and the forecast is good. Our white-tailed deer population exceeds 4.5 million, making it the largest in the country. We recommend you use your doe tags in highly-populated areas, like the Hill Country, home to more than 2.5 million deer.

Refer to the Outdoor Annual for deer hunting regulations including statewide bag limits and special antler restrictions. 

If you need an affordable place to hunt, purchase an Annual Public Hunting Permit for $48. It will give you access to over 1 million acres of public hunting land across the state. 

Every year hunters spend billions of dollars on deer hunting, much of it in small towns. Witness the impact it has in our new video, Goldthwaite Goldrush.

The quail forecast is not as bright as the past few years because an early drought took its toll on nesting activity. We received rainfall later, but range conditions were still not optimal. Recent rains may improve nesting in some areas. See how quail populations are doing in your favorite location with our new, interactive regional forecast map.

You can hunt bobwhite, Gambel's and scaled quail. The bag limit is 15 per day, for all 3 species combined. Total possession limit is 45 birds. You'll need an Upland Game Bird endorsement to hunt quail, along with a hunting license. 

We have been working for many years to restore bobwhites. The population of scaled quail has also been in decline. A new research project aims to study scaled quail and develop land management practices that should boost their numbers. 

To help keep public hunting lands safe, anyone who uses them in daylight during any gun hunting season is required to wear blaze orange (hunter orange). 

This rule applies to all hunters and non-hunters, with some exceptions. Bow hunters, be aware that gun hunts might overlap archery-only hunts on public lands, so do your research before you head out.

Your blaze orange attire must include headgear and cover your chest and back. Blaze pink is NOT permitted in place of blaze orange. Even if you're hunting on private land, play it safe and wear your blaze orange gear. If you hunt with a dog, get it some blaze orange, too. 

Correct use of blaze orange is one of many skills taught in Hunter Education. All hunters born after Sept. 1, 1971 must complete the Hunter Ed course. If you misplace your certification, print a copy at no cost. Then keep that proof in your pocket while hunting.