Big Thicket National Preserve Hunting Permit Registration Opens September 1, 2026

Contact: Megan Urban, 409-554-9016

KOUNTZE, Texas - Beginning Tuesday, September 1, Big Thicket National Preserve will begin issuing 2026-2027 hunting permits, which will be available on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the hunting season. This expanded access to hunting opportunities reflects President Donald J. Trump's commitment to increasing outdoor recreation and strengthening the economic vitality of rural communities.

Permits are issued at the visitor center, open 9 am - 5 pm daily, at 6102 FM 420 in Kountze. Hunters must have a valid Texas hunting license and driver's license or state-issued ID. Hunters need to apply for permits in person. Parents or guardians may pick up permits for their children under age 16.

Big Thicket hunting permits allow hunters to take white-tailed deer, squirrel, rabbit, feral hog, and waterfowl, except permits for the Lake Bayou Hunting Area, which allows waterfowl only. The preserve observes the State of Texas hunting seasons that occur between October 1, 2026, and February 28, 2027.

Hunters who returned their harvest report late (after April 1) must wait until September 30 to get a permit. Hunters who did not return a harvest report will not be eligible to hunt in Big Thicket this season. Hunters must return harvest reports before April 1 to avoid a penalty in 2027.

Big Thicket National Preserve offers 14 hunting areas; the number of permits available for each is listed below. Areas marked with an asterisk (*) are new or updated hunting areas in 2026.

• Beaumont - 200
• Beech Creek - 150
• Big Sandy Creek - 400
• Big Sandy Creek Corridor* - 25
• Canyonlands-Upper Neches River Corridor* - 25
• Hickory Creek Savannah* - 4
• Jack Gore Baygall - 400
• Lake Bayou - 50
• Lance Rosier - 700
• Little Pine Island-Pine Island Bayou Corridor* - 25
• Loblolly* - 10
• Menard Creek Corridor* - 25
• Neches Bottom-Lower Neches River Corridor* - 150
• Village Creek Corridor* - 25

Hunters should review the Big Thicket hunting page for updated maps, regulations, seasons and other important information.

-NPS-

Big Thicket National Preserve is in Southeast Texas, near the city of Beaumont, 75 miles northeast of Houston. The preserve consists of nine land units and six water corridors encompassing more than 113,000 acres. The Big Thicket, often referred to as a "biological crossroads," is a transition zone between four distinct vegetation types - the moist eastern hardwood forest, the southwestern desert, the southeastern swamp, and the central prairies. Species from all these different vegetation types come together in the thicket, exhibiting a variety of vegetation and wildlife that has received global interest.