Lavaca County sits in two TPWD hunting zones

TPWD's 2026-2027 Outdoor Annual runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027. In Lavaca County, white-tailed deer follows the North Zone while dove follows the South Zone. A county name alone therefore does not answer the season question; the species and date matter too.

For that rule year, deer general season runs November 7 through January 3. The county bag limit is four deer, with no more than two bucks or two antlerless deer. Antlerless deer taken during archery, youth, muzzleloader, or November 14-29 must be reported to TPWD within 24 hours.

The paperwork also changes by species. Dove hunters need HIP certification and a migratory-game-bird endorsement. Waterfowl adds a federal duck stamp. Turkey and quail use the upland-game-bird endorsement. A property enrolled in the Managed Lands Deer Program follows its issued tags and program dates.

Before leaving, open the Lavaca County page for the species and day you plan to hunt. Then match the license, endorsements, tags, land permission, and reporting step to that hunt. The county page is the local index; it does not replace the rest of the license and property rules.