Opening Week in Llano Comes With a Request From TPWD: Take Does
November 5, 2026
November 5, 2026
In 2023, after the 2022 drought, the Edwards Plateau held an estimated 1.514 million white-tailed deer. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists now put the region at about 1.973 million. In its October 1, 2026 season forecast, TPWD also says that the area around Llano and Mason counties, Deer Management Unit 6, has the highest deer density in the Hill Country.
"Doe harvest is especially important in this area to relieve pressure on food resources."
General season opens this Saturday, November 7. The week leading up to it in Llano includes an expo with game wardens and biologists, two meat markets on West Young Street, and two Hunter's Balls on Saturday night. In a year when the state biologist's message is to take does, the expo, the processing counter and the freezer all matter as much as the trophy wall.
According to TPWD, the state's white-tailed deer population has risen to an estimated 5.64 million after three years of above-average fawn survival. Most of Texas started spring 2026 in some form of drought, then got late-spring and early-summer rain that "drastically improved habitat conditions." The agency puts the Edwards Plateau among the regions that fared better than most, so it should see a slightly above-average season.
Antlers follow April-to-June rainfall, and TPWD expects slightly above-average antler quality across most of the state this year. The same release names the South Texas brush country and the Western Rolling Plains as the regions that usually produce more large-antlered bucks. It calls the Edwards Plateau a region "especially for hunters looking for quantity of animals" that "consistently produces one of the highest hunter success rates in the state."
For a landowner along the Llano River, all of this points the same way. A herd that grew this quickly after a drought leaves more mouths on the same browse. TPWD's request for doe harvest in DMU 6 is about keeping that range in shape for the next dry spring.
Llano County is in the North Zone. Here is what the TPWD Llano County regulations page lists for 2026–27:
Five deer with at most two bucks means three or more of a full limit are does. That bag limit lines up with the regional biologists' request.
Friday is the day to get ready, and two events land on it.
The Llano Outdoor Sports Expo runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, November 6, at the Llano Visitor Center, 100 Train Station Drive. Visit Llano County's event page lists game wardens, biologists and local wildlife experts on hand, along with educational programming, food and beverages, and free goodie bags. The expo is the easiest place this week to ask a wildlife professional how doe harvest applies to a specific property.
The expo also runs a raffle with a 2026 Kawasaki Mule Pro FXT 1000 as the grand prize. Tickets are $25 each or five for $100, sold through the Llano Chamber of Commerce, at Lowe's Market in Llano, and at the Visitor Center.
Miiller's Meat Market & Smokehouse holds Hello Hunters the same day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 705 West Young Street. Miiller's lists regular hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday.
Farther down the same street, B&B Processing at 906 W. Young St. describes processing game in-house and hand-cutting deer, with steaks, ground meat, smoked sausage and jerky on its list. In a season built around does, the processor's order sheet ends up deciding what a hunt is worth. Does make up most of a five-deer limit, and they come home as sausage and jerky.
For anyone who manages the land between hunts, Llano Feed & Supply at 203 E. Tarrant carries sack, bulk and liquid feeds and bulk fertilizer, offers delivery, and gives agricultural advice. Its phone number is (325) 247-4126.
Opening day ends in two different corners of the county.
| Event | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Hunters Ball at Castell General Store | 5 to 7 p.m. | 19522 West Ranch Road 152, Castell |
| Pardners 40th Annual Hunter's Ball | Starting at 6 p.m. | Pardners Night Club, 15615 Texas 29, Buchanan Dam |
Castell sits on the western ranch side of the county along RR 152, and its early-evening slot works for anyone coming straight in from a stand. Pardners is near the lakes on Texas 29. This is the club's fortieth annual Hunter's Ball, billed as the kickoff to hunting season. The Chamber listing promises drink specials, dancing and two special giveaways, and the event is 21 and up with valid ID.
A bigger harvest also means more carcasses moving off properties. TPWD's statewide carcass-disposal rules apply whenever a deer or its parts are taken away from the property where it was harvested. Unused parts go to commercial trash, go back to the harvest property, or get buried at least three feet deep and covered with at least three feet of earth. The October forecast notes that hunters who follow these rules may debone carcasses.
Hunters harvesting inside a designated mandatory chronic wasting disease testing zone must bring an intact, unfrozen head to a TPWD check station within 48 hours. TPWD says zones can be added, so the live map is the place to check. Next door in Gillespie County, the Doss station is listed for voluntary testing, with a 24-hour drop box open October 3, 2026 through January 31, 2027, or sampling by appointment.
There is a newer item on this year's list. New World screwworm was confirmed in Texas earlier in 2026. TPWD is asking hunters to keep an eye on wildlife with trail cameras and in the field, and to report any signs of infestation to the local TPWD biologist. The agency's screwworm page has details.
These are the agency's rules as published. This post is general information and not legal advice, so confirm what applies to your property and your harvest with TPWD or your local game warden.
General season runs into January, and Llano's holiday events begin while it is still underway:
The general season closes January 3, 2027, a month after Dickens.
Owning hunting land in DMU 6 means managing land in the Hill Country's highest-density deer unit, and that affects how a property should be run and valued. If you're weighing a Llano County ranch or thinking about selling one, TXR Texas Real Estate can walk the land with you and talk through what its herd, its browse and its access mean for its next owner. Work With Us.
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