Your hunting season home base

Hunting near Waxahachie this season? Whether you have a dove lease south of town, a deer blind in the next county, or a plan to try the public land at Bardwell Lake, this guide covers the 2026-27 dates, the rules, and every store, range, and processor you'll need.

We host a tiny home just outside Waxahachie with room for trucks, trailers, and dogs, so we've also covered early breakfast, where to stay, and a full opening weekend.

Hunting in Ellis County

Ellis County is Blackland Prairie farm and ranch country: row crops, hay meadows, stock tanks, and wooded creek bottoms between Dallas and Corsicana. Almost all of it is private, so hunting here means a lease, a paid day hunt, an invitation, or the Corps land around Bardwell Lake.

If you searched for dove hunting near Dallas, hunting lodging in Ellis County, or a place to stay near Bardwell Lake for duck season, this is the place to start. Dove is the big draw: Texas Parks and Wildlife says 2026 is the third straight year of record or near-record rainfall, which has been good for the birds.

Ellis County hunting season dates, 2026-27

Dove season near Waxahachie

Ellis County is in the Central Zone, so the second split opens a week earlier than the North Zone's. Watch which zone your lease is in if it's up near Dallas.

• Split one: September 1 to October 25, 2026.
• Split two: December 11, 2026 to January 14, 2027.
• Daily bag: 15 birds, no more than 2 white-tipped doves.
• You need: a hunting license, the $7 Migratory Game Bird Endorsement, and free HIP certification at purchase.
• New for 2026: all three zones open September 1, and the South Zone's special white-winged dove days are gone.

Most dove hunting around Waxahachie is on private fields. Confirm the field address and gate code the night before; county roads look alike at 5:30 a.m., and cell service fades in the river bottoms.

Deer season

• Archery only: October 3 to November 6, 2026.
• Youth only: October 30 to November 1, 2026, and January 4 to 17, 2027.
• General season (North Zone): November 7, 2026 to January 3, 2027.
• Bag limit: set by county; statewide, no hunter can take more than 5 white-tailed deer, no more than 3 of them bucks.

Leases in Ellis County tend to be small. Know your boundaries and where the neighbors' houses and livestock are before first light.

Ducks and geese

Ellis County is in the North duck zone (the South Zone starts below US 90 and I-10). Ducks run November 14 to 29, then December 5, 2026 to January 31, 2027; dark geese run November 7, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Waterfowl hunters 16 and older need the federal duck stamp, plus the state migratory endorsement and HIP, and non-toxic shot.

Stock tanks and the creek arms of Bardwell Lake are the local waterfowl water. Our lakes guide has every Bardwell ramp and fee.

Feral hogs and small game

• Hogs: no closed season and no bag or possession limit. No license needed on private land if you're the landowner or have the landowner's permission; a license is required on public land. Hunter education still applies.
• Squirrel and rabbit: squirrel is open year-round in this part of Texas. Rabbits are a common add-on to a dove hunt, and legal game at Bardwell.

Legal shooting hours and sunrise

Dove and waterfowl hunting starts a half hour before sunrise. Deer hunting runs from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset. Dove ends at sunset. Here's roughly what that looks like at the tiny home:

Our own calculation for the property's location. Use your app or TPWD's tables on the day.

Public hunting at Bardwell Lake

From the Corps' Fort Worth District hunting guide (check the current edition before you go):

• Legal game: dove, squirrel, rabbit, waterfowl, snipe, rails, and feral hogs. Deer and turkey aren't on Bardwell's list.
• Weapons: archery (crossbows included), and shotguns with non-toxic shot #2 or smaller. No rifles, handguns, or muzzleloaders, and no #1, B, BB, BBB, or buckshot.
• Hogs: only north of State Highway 34, by archery or shotgun with slugs.
• Distance rules: no hunting or shooting within 600 feet of homes, developed parks, roads, fishing piers, or farm and ranch yards.
• Blinds: label each with your name, address, phone, and the date, and remove it at the end of every hunting day.
• Hunter orange: 400 square inches required on Corps land, except for migratory bird hunters.
• Carry: your hunting license, driver's license, and hunter education card.

From the tiny home, take Texas 34 southeast toward Ennis; the lake office and High View Park are just past the Highway 34 bridge, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Open Bardwell Lake in Google Maps.

The Fort Worth District has about 148,000 acres of Corps land and water open to hunting across its lakes. Texas Parks and Wildlife's public dove and small game areas require the $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit.

Texas hunting licenses and prices

• Nonresidents coming just for dove: the $48 five-day special plus the $7 migratory endorsement is the cheap route. It doesn't cover deer or turkey.
• Hunter education: required if you were born on or after September 2, 1971, including out-of-state hunters. Carry proof.
• Where to buy: online or by phone from TPWD (a small transaction fee applies), or in person at Academy.

Ranges and sighting in

Gun shops near Waxahachie

Gear, feed, and ice

Processing and taxidermy

Processors fill up fast on opening weekends, so call ahead and ask about drop-off hours and turnaround.

Bringing a hunting dog

• Dogs are welcome with prior approval and our pet fee. See our pet policy.
• Heat is the real danger on early dove hunts. September mornings can still hit the 90s by 10 a.m. Bring more water than you think.
• 24-hour emergency vet: Veterinary Emergency Hospital of Midlothian, about 25 minutes. Our pet guide has the local vets.
• Watch for: fire ants in dove fields, snakes along tank dams, and grass burrs in late fall.
• Supplies: Tractor Supply and Atwoods carry dog food; Tractor Supply has a $9.99 dog wash.

Early breakfast and dinner after the hunt

Places marked Family pick are our own go-tos.

Details checked October 2026. Hours change, so call ahead. More in our where to eat guide.

Hunting weekend plans

Plan A: dove weekend

Plan B: duck weekend at Bardwell

Where to stay for hunting season near Waxahachie

Looking for hunting lodging near Bardwell Lake or a place to stay with room for a dog trailer? Here's how our tiny home compares with the usual options:

House rules for hunters

• Up to 7 overnight, all registered on the booking.
• Trucks and trailers: send us the length and width; we'll measure the space. Vehicles can stay on site while you hunt.
• Firearms: tell us when you book and we'll go over storage before you arrive.
• No hunting or shooting on our property or the farmland around it. Please ask before cleaning any game here.

What to bring

• License, endorsements, and hunter education proof, on your phone or in your wallet.
• Hunter orange for Corps land.
• Non-toxic shot for waterfowl and anything at Bardwell.
• A big cooler and ice for birds or quarters.
• Water for you and the dog, especially in September.
• Snake boots for tank dams and creek bottoms.
• A headlamp for 5 a.m. setups.

Mistakes to avoid

• Using North Zone dove dates. Waxahachie is in the Central Zone.
• Forgetting HIP and the migratory endorsement. The license alone isn't enough for dove or ducks.
• Bringing a rifle to Bardwell. It's shotgun and archery only.
• Hunting Bardwell outside the marked areas or within 600 feet of roads and parks.
• Leaving a blind up overnight on Corps land.
• Skipping the county page. Antlerless and antler rules vary by county.
• Waiting to call a processor. Opening weekends book up.

How far is everything from the tiny home?

Estimated drive times without traffic, October 2026. Gravel county roads to a lease add more.

Questions we get