Duck Hunting Season on the Red River: A 2026-2027 Guide

There are few sounds that settle into a Northeast Texas morning quite like wings cutting water in the dark. As the weather turns and the trees along the Red River start to color, waterfowl season becomes the talk of every feed store and coffee shop in Lamar County. Here is the 2026-2027 duck and goose season guide we share with buyers who dream of hunting minutes from their own front porch.

Mark the North Zone Dates

Lamar County sits in the Texas Parks and Wildlife North Zone for ducks, so Arthur City hunters follow that calendar. Youth weekend runs November 7-8, then the regular season opens in two splits: November 14-29 and December 5 through January 31, 2027. A morning in the river bottoms, a mid-morning cup of coffee by the fireplace, that is the rhythm of fall on acreage out here.

"Hunting season is when the Red River country shows off: dawn over the bottoms, decoys on glassy water, and the long walk home through the frost."

Early Goose Season Is Open Right Now

As of this writing, early Canada goose season is already open in the Eastern Zone through September 27, with a five-bird daily bag. Dark geese, which include Canada and white-fronted, return November 7 through January 31, and light geese run November 7 through February 19. For ducks, the daily bag is six in the aggregate, with species limits like five mallards (no more than two hens), three wood ducks, three pintails, two redheads, and two canvasbacks. Dusky ducks are closed the first five days of the season in each zone. The full species list and all the fine print live in the TPWD Outdoor Annual, which every serious hunter should check before heading out.

Where to Hunt Near Arthur City

The closest public waterfowl ground is the Pat Mayse Wildlife Management Area, about 8,925 acres along the western edge of Pat Mayse Lake, roughly 11 miles northwest of Paris off FM 1499. Hunters 17 and older need a valid Texas hunting license plus the Annual Public Hunting Permit, and the area follows the statewide North Zone seasons. The WMA office can be reached at (903) 905-2207. Around the lake itself, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lands are open to public hunting away from developed areas and the dam. Private bottomland along the Red River holds plenty of birds for those with permission or their own acres.

Coming Home to the Cabin

From a cabin at 6260 Farm Road 197, you are minutes from the river and a short drive from the lake. Load the truck in the dark, work your birds, and be home before the sun clears the treeline. The wood-burning fireplace and wrap-around porch make the after-hunt coffee taste better, and with a two-car garage and 4.5 acres, there is honest room for trucks, decoys, and a dog that has earned his sunset nap.

That is country living in Lamar County: wide skies, cold mornings, quiet evenings, and some of the best waterfowl hunting in Texas right in your backyard. If you have been thinking about what that life could look like, come see the property for yourself this season.

Interested in a property like this? Contact the Shannon Miles Group at (903) 785-2005 or visit shannonmiles.com