Top 3 Places To Duck Hunt In Texas

Everyone knows that Texas is home to diverse terrain that brings in an incredible assortment of waterfowl. With so many different birds flying into such a varied landscape, the hunting opportunities are endless. To help you pick where you want to plan your next hunting trip here are the top 5 places to hunt waterfowl in Texas.

Everyone knows that Texas is home to diverse terrain that brings in an incredible assortment of waterfowl. With so many different birds flying into such a varied landscape, the hunting opportunities are endless. To help you pick where you want to plan your next hunting trip here are the top 3 places to hunt waterfowl in Texas.

Duck Hunting In Texas

How people hunt ducks can vary greatly across the state but the same basic rules apply. For a hunter to legally hunt ducks in Texas, they must buy a license if they are 16 or older. Additionally, hunters must purchase a Migratory Bird Endorsement and Federal Duck Stamp. With those few things out of the way here is what you need to know about Texas duck season.

North Texas for Wood ducks and Mallard

Wood ducks are gorgeous birds with iridescent green on their head and a dappled breast. These vibrant birds glide elegantly through the air and land on streams, lakes, and ponds in North Texas. Much of this area is also where you’ll find the most popular duck in the country, the mallard. If you love these iconic waterfowl species, the Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area, northwest of Palestine, consists of thousands of acres of wetlands and bottomland forests. North Texas has an abundance of thick and rich habitat that these birds call home.

Texas Coast for Redheads

Rock port has the largest population of redhead ducks that measures up somewhere in the hundreds of thousands. The coast also offers warmer temperatures than the rest of the state which helps make an incredible hunt even more enjoyable. Redhead ducks pour into the Texas coast from late December to late January. This area hold the largest population of wintering redhead ducks and is more than 600,000 birds in total. The density of redheads here makes the flocks of ducks like a clouds coming in. When a flock of redheads turns to come in and land, it’s truly a sight to behold. These ducks typically spilt time between both freshwater and saltwater bodies of water but makes finding them much easier.

South Texas For Teal

South Texas is a magical place for huge whitetail bucks but its also the bottom of the central flyway. Blue wing and green wing teal are abundant here but as you get further south, the cinnamon teal migration curls over Texas. This give you a shot at all three species of these quick and tiny ducks. Blue-winged teal love are most abundant around the rice farms near Houston, while cinnamon teal can be found in the southwestern part of the state. These speed of these birds provides a wing shooting challenge for even experienced waterfowlers and has earned them the nickname “rice rockets.” If you’re prefer to hunt early and avoid the cold, the early teal season kicks off in September. Teal zip back across the state starting in January but more hunters are seeing teal hang around for more and more of the winter.