6
Daily duck limit
8
Daily goose limit
6
Teal limit (early)
$19.00
Waterfowl license (res.)
Season Information
Season DatesNorth Zone: Oct 26–Jan 26; South Zone: Oct 26–Nov 3 and Nov 29–Jan 26; High Plains Mallard Zone: Oct 12–Jan 26
FlywayCentral Flyway
Zone InformationTexas has three duck zones: North Zone (Panhandle through north-central TX), South Zone (east Texas through coast and south), and High Plains Mallard Zone (Panhandle playa lakes). The Gulf Coast has special redhead regulations. Rice prairie in the coastal bend and the Panhandle playas are the primary zones.
Species NotesDucks: 6/day; mallard 5 (no more than 2 hens); pintail 2; canvasback 2; redhead 3 (Gulf Coast area); scaup 2; mottled duck 2; wood duck 3. Geese: Canada 8/day; white-fronted (specklebelly) 10/day; snow/blue/Ross's 20/day.
License & Permit Requirements
State Hunting License
✅ Required
Federal Duck Stamp
✅ Required
HIP Registration
✅ Required
HIP Registration Info
HIP registration is required annually for all waterfowl hunters at no cost. Register online at tpwd.texas.gov or at any license vendor. Your HIP number must be recorded on your hunting license or carried as separate documentation in the field.
How to Get Licensed for Waterfowl Hunting
1
Purchase a Texas hunting license ($25.00 resident) from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
2
Complete HIP Registration (free) — available when purchasing your hunting license or through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website.
3
Purchase the Federal Duck Stamp ($25) — required for all waterfowl hunters age 16+. Available at USPS offices or online.
Additional Notes: Texas is one of the most important wintering grounds for waterfowl in North America, with the Gulf Coast rice prairies, Panhandle playa lakes, and the Laguna Madre estuary providing winter habitat for millions of ducks and geese. The specklebelly (white-fronted) goose hunting in the upper Gulf Coast rice country is legendary and draws hunters from across the continent. The Panhandle playa lake district is the most important wintering area for mallards in the Central Flyway. Redhead duck populations winter in extraordinary numbers in the Laguna Madre — the most important wintering area for redhead on the continent — though hunting closures protect key areas.
Buy TX License — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department