Deer hunting in Dawson County has specific buck rules you must know

Dawson County is on TPWD's 2025-2026 county table, with Lamesa as the county seat. Deer rules split by species. For white-tailed deer, Dawson is in the North Zone. The county bag limit is 3 deer. That means no more than 1 buck and no more than 2 antlerless deer across all seasons.

Mule deer have a tighter rule. Dawson uses the Panhandle antler rule. A legal mule-deer buck needs an outside spread of 20 inches or more. A spike is not legal unless that outside spread reaches 20 inches. The mule-deer limit is 1 buck for all seasons.

Dawson's local calendar also covers dove, quail, javelina, wild turkey, waterfowl, and sandhill crane. A Texas hunting license is required to take animals, birds, frogs, or turtles in the state, with narrow exceptions. Check the Outdoor Annual for the season you plan to hunt.