Whitetail Deer Hunting In Texas

Texas has long been known as the one U.S. state with the most whitetail deer. The whitetail population is estimated to be 5.3 million strong, and deer can be found in 252 of the 254 counties in Texas. By contrast, the number of mule deer varies between 150,000 (during dry years) and 250,000 (during wet years). Altogether, hunting deer in Texas is popular and there are many opportunities for hunters statewide.

Texas is the second-largest state by both area and people. It is second only to Alaska by area and measures 268,597 square miles (roughly 7% of the total land size of the U.S.), and it is second only to California in terms of population with more than 30 million residents. Texas is also 95.8% private land, with the largest single landowner holding 940,000 acres.

When hunting in Texas getting access to private land or finding suitable public lands to hunt are among the top things to consider. 

Every year, over one million hunting licenses are sold in Texas, making it first in the nation for the number of paid licenses. Hunting licenses go on sale every August 15 and are good from the date of purchase to August 31 of the following year. A hunting license is required of any person (resident or non-resident), of any age, to hunt any animal, bird, frog, or turtle in Texas except for coyotes (with certain stipulations), feral hogs on private property with landowner authorization, furbearers if the hunter possesses a commercial trapper’s license, or depredating fur-bearing animals if that animal is causing depredation (but no portion of the animal can be kept). 

It is important to note that every hunter in Texas (including out-of-state hunters) born on or after September 2, 1971, must successfully complete the hunter education course. Those who were born on or after this date and are over 17 years of age may choose to purchase a “Hunter Education Deferral,” but that person must also hunt “accompanied,” which means hunting with a person who is at least 17, who is licensed to hunt in Texas, who has passed hunter education or is exempt (born before September 2, 1971), and be within normal voice control. 

Whitetail deer are the most prevalent and commonly hunted wild game in Texas. Over the last three seasons, an average of about 787,000 whitetails have been harvested each year. For the 2023-24 season, Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPWD) estimates that over 852,000 whitetails were taken. 

If you’re looking for a memorable deer hunt, a Texas hunting ranch might get you what you’re after. With many, many hunting ranches to choose from, most are set up where a hunter pays to pursue a specific deer on a specific day or series of days. Booking a ranch will often feature full-service amenities including a place to stay, dining, access to hundreds or thousands of acres, a guide, processing, and maybe even a spa. 

Most Texas hunting ranches specialize in more than one type of game animal. If there’s a particular area of the state you know you want to hunt or a certain type of deer, it won’t be hard to search online to find multiple lodges. Remember, whitetail and mule deer hunting must be done in-season, but hunting exotic deer can take place year-round.

As one of Texas's premier whitetail ranches, we take pride in two things, the experience we provide you and the conservation of our animals on the ranch. While on our property, be prepared to experience Texas's true beauty. Our clients not only take down trophy whitetails, but they become a part of the Dos Hermanos family.

We separate ourselves from other ranches by focusing on quality over quantity. For each and everyone of you that steps onto our property, you will be taken care of and shown what a true Texas Ranch is the Dos Hermanos way!