Tex. Parks and Wildlife Code § 62.0065
This is the official text of Tex. Parks and Wildlife Code § 62.0065, part of Texas’s Parks and Wildlife Code — governs state parks, hunting, and fishing.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§ 62.0065. HUNTING DEER WITH DOGS.
Official statutory text
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (d), a person may not recklessly use a dog to hunt or pursue a deer in this state.
(b) Subject to Subsection (a), the commission by rule may prescribe the type of firearm that may be possessed during an open deer season by a person who is in actual or constructive possession of a dog while in the field on another person's land or property in Angelina, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Panola, Polk, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, or Walker County.
(c) It is not a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a) or to prosecution for violation of a rule adopted under Subsection (b) that the defendant was not the owner or in immediate possession of the dog or that the offense or violation was committed without the effective consent of the dog's owner.
(d) The commission by rule may authorize the use of dogs to trail wounded deer.
(b) Subject to Subsection (a), the commission by rule may prescribe the type of firearm that may be possessed during an open deer season by a person who is in actual or constructive possession of a dog while in the field on another person's land or property in Angelina, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Panola, Polk, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, or Walker County.
(c) It is not a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a) or to prosecution for violation of a rule adopted under Subsection (b) that the defendant was not the owner or in immediate possession of the dog or that the offense or violation was committed without the effective consent of the dog's owner.
(d) The commission by rule may authorize the use of dogs to trail wounded deer.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Texas?
Find a Texas lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.