Deer rifles for the Texas Hill Country and South Texas brush

The country within two hours of San Antonio holds two very different deer hunts. North and west of the city the Edwards Plateau runs cedar brakes, live oak mottes and limestone draws, where deer are numerous, small-bodied and usually shot inside 200 yards. South of U.S. Highway 90 the brush country opens into mesquite, blackbrush and senderos, where the deer are heavier, the shots can stretch, and the season runs two weeks longer. Your rifle choice follows that split.

The 2026-27 dates

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department publishes one archery season for the whole state and two general seasons.

• Archery only: October 3 to November 6, 2026.
• General season, North Zone: November 7, 2026 to January 3, 2027. Bexar, Comal, Kendall, Kerr, Gillespie, Bandera, Hays, Llano, Burnet, Kimble, Caldwell and Guadalupe counties sit here.
• General season, South Zone: November 7, 2026 to January 17, 2027. Atascosa, Wilson, Frio, La Salle, Webb, Maverick and Uvalde counties sit here, along with the part of Medina County below U.S. 90.
• Youth only, early: October 30 to November 1, 2026 in both zones.
• Muzzleloader and North Zone special late: January 4 to 17, 2027.
• South Zone special late: January 18 to 31, 2027.

During either special late season the harvest is limited to antlerless deer and unbranched-antlered bucks, meaning a buck with no more than one point on an antler. Val Verde and Medina counties straddle the zone line, so a lease near Comstock or Hondo can fall under either calendar depending on which side of the highway it sits.

Bag limits and antler rules

Bexar, Kerr, Gillespie, Kimble, Llano and Burnet counties run five deer with no more than two bucks, all seasons combined. South Zone counties such as Webb and Uvalde allow five deer with no more than three bucks. Comal County is split by Interstate 35: west of the highway it is five deer and two bucks, east of it four deer with a 13-inch inside-spread restriction. Atascosa County carries the same 13-inch rule, where only one of your two bucks may have an inside spread of 13 inches or greater and the other must carry at least one unbranched antler. Because these details change at the county line, read the county page in the Outdoor Annual for the specific lease before you hunt.

Legal firearms

Any legal firearm may be used on deer during the general season with one clear exception: rimfire ammunition of any caliber is barred for white-tailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn and desert bighorn. That rules out .22 LR, .22 WMR and .17 HMR. A hunting licence is required, and hunter education applies by birth date. Managed Lands Deer Program ranches issue their own tags and extend the dates, so ask your lease manager which programme the property runs.

What to carry in the Hill Country

Stands here look over senderos, feeders and food plots cut into cedar. Shots are short and deliberate. A light bolt rifle with a 20 to 22 inch barrel and a 3-9x or 2-7x scope is all anyone needs.

• .243 Winchester is the classic Hill Country round: mild, accurate, plenty for a 100-pound plateau buck and the first rifle most Texas kids shoot.
• 7mm-08 and .260 Remington add bullet weight without recoil and shoot flat enough for the longest lanes on the Divide.
• .270 Winchester and .30-06 remain the all-round choices if the same rifle goes to West Texas for mule deer or aoudad.
• .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor are the easiest to feed, with match and hunting loads on every shelf.

Ruger American, Savage Axis and 110, Tikka T3x, Browning X-Bolt, Remington 700 and Mossberg Patriot all cover this work. Do not overscope: a 3-9x40 or 2.5-10x42 beats a big target scope in low light at 80 yards.

What to carry in the brush

South of U.S. 90 the shots lengthen along cleared senderos and the deer are heavier. Step up to .270, .308, .30-06, 6.5 PRC or 7mm Remington Magnum with a 140 to 180 grain bonded or controlled-expansion bullet. A 3-15x or 4-16x scope with a repeatable turret earns its place when a 300-yard sendero shot is the norm rather than the exception. Cotulla, Encinal and Laredo leases favour a rifle you can hold steady from a tripod on a high rack.

Youth and first rifles

The early youth-only weekend of October 30 to November 1, 2026 is the same in both zones and is the best introduction this region offers, because the weather is still mild and the deer have not been pressured. A youth rifle in .243 or 7mm-08 with a short stock and a 3-9x scope fits an eleven-year-old and still kills a mature buck at 150 yards, which means it does not need replacing in two seasons. Several makers sell compact models with spacers so the stock grows with the shooter. Hunter education certification is required by birth date, and the course can be completed online with a field day.

Ammunition and sighting in

Buy a case of the load you intend to hunt with, not two boxes. Sight in two inches high at 100 yards for a standard cartridge and confirm at 200 before the opener. Since there is no public range near San Antonio run by the state, plan to shoot on the lease or at a club, and do it in early October rather than the week before the season.

Browse rifles in the catalog, read the hog and exotic guide for the year-round hunt on the same ranches, and check the Kerrville and Cotulla city pages for local zone notes. Purchase rules are in the Texas gun laws guide.

General information, not legal advice. Current as of September 2026. Laws change; check the official source before you act.