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East Texas Duck Season Opens Nov. 14

Texas Parks and Wildlife outlines the 2026-27 East Texas waterfowl season, with state biologists forecasting lower overall duck counts.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Hunting

Wide photograph of a flooded cypress slough at dawn, with wooden decoys floating on still water and mist rising over the marsh.
Texas Parks and Wildlife says the East Texas waterfowl season opens Nov. 14, with a youth and military weekend Nov. 7-8 and biologists forecasting lower duck counts. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you plan to hunt ducks during the 2026-27 East Texas season?

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department outlined the 2026-27 East Texas waterfowl season, with a youth, veteran, and active-duty military weekend on Nov. 7-8 and regular duck season opening Nov. 14. State biologists predict lower overall bird counts across the flyway this season.

Why it matters

Multi-year drought in northern breeding grounds has contributed to declining prairie-nesting duck populations, shaping the outlook for hunters statewide. Early-season success in East Texas will hinge on late-autumn rainfall to flood habitat.

The North Zone regular duck season runs in two splits, Nov. 14-29 and Dec. 5 through Jan. 31, 2027, with light and dark goose season opening Nov. 7. The extraction does not quantify the projected decline in bird counts.

The players

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

The state agency that manages hunting seasons, wildlife populations, and public hunting lands across Texas.

The details

Late-autumn rainfall is required to flood mudflats, timber sloughs, and river bottoms, making seed beds accessible to migrating dabblers. Improved moisture in breeding regions earlier this summer produced strong juvenile duck production, and low summer reservoir levels exposed East Texas shorelines that promoted dense moist-soil vegetation.

Timeline

  1. Nov. 7-8: Youth, veteran, and active-duty military waterfowl weekend; light and dark goose season opens Nov. 7.

  2. Nov. 14: Regular duck season opens in the North Zone.

  3. Nov. 14-29: First regular duck season split.

  4. Dec. 5, 2026 through Jan. 31, 2027: Second regular duck season split.

Seasonal Patterns

The projected lower bird counts follow a multi-year decline in prairie-nesting duck populations tied to extended drought on northern breeding grounds. Strong juvenile production this summer partially offsets that trend for the upcoming East Texas season.

Hunters in East Texas should plan around the Nov. 7-8 youth and military weekend and the Nov. 14 opening, with two regular duck splits to schedule around. Early-season success will depend on whether late-autumn rain floods local habitat, so scouting water conditions before heading out is practical.

The takeaway

Hunters planning East Texas duck trips should track local rainfall and water levels, since flooded mudflats and river bottoms determine early-season hunting success. Scouting conditions in the days before opening day can shape where to set up.

What happens next

Youth, veteran, and active-duty military waterfowl weekend runs Nov. 7-8, 2026, with regular duck season opening Nov. 14, 2026.

Further reading

For more on seasons and wildlife management, explore Hunting coverage across the state.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Quitman agrees for county to collect its property taxes - Wood County Monitor.

Live Poll

Do you plan to hunt ducks during the 2026-27 East Texas season?