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Helicopter Deer Surveys and Whitetail Deer Management

White-tailed deer hunting has become a big deal in recent decades. And not just to hunters, but to those that grow and produce quality deer. This increased interested in whitetail and hunting really brought shape to the concept of whitetail deer management. When you get down to it, much of wildlife management is a numbers game. A manager needs to know how many deer are on the property in order to know how many deer should be harvested. This is where deer surveys come into play. The following article discusses helicopter deer surveys and how they can be used for deer management and hunting:

“A survey of deer and other game by helicopter has been a common tool of wildlife managers since the 1970s. Over the years, the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute has done considerable research on helicopter surveys. This piece summarizes some of the major findings and the implications for managers. Emphasis is given to south Texas conditions but the information should be useful anywhere helicopter deer surveys are feasible.

The most important finding is that helicopter surveys result in a significant undercount of the deer present on a property. The original research showed that an average of approximately 34 percent of deer are counted. This research was done in 3-seat helicopters, but 4-seaters like the Robinson 44 are commonly used for game surveys today. Because the backseat observers in 4-seaters see some deer that the front seat observers miss, some think the average accuracy is considerably higher. Limited research on 4-seaters shows some improvement in accuracy, maybe averaging 40 percent of deer counted.

As important as accuracy is the variability from count-to-count in game surveys by helicopter. This is an issue that is unseen by most managers because most fly only a single survey per year or season. One year, five helicopter deer surveys were flown on a 5,000 acre portion of the Faith Ranch in one fall season, all between November 4-12. The counts were 159, 79, 116, 85 and 133. This data alone shows that the survey can vary considerably depending on what day you fly, even though there has been no change in the deer population.

Research has also taught us a lot about other deer population statistics commonly collected on game surveys by helicopter. Sex ratios are unbiased, meaning that there is no tendency to count more does or more bucks versus the other sex. However, sex ratios can be variable from flight to flight. Fawns tend to be undercounted even more that adult deer, perhaps as much as 30 percent. Thus, if a particular flight results in 40 percent of adults seen, perhaps only 28 percent of fawns will be counted. Commonly, managers and biologists classify bucks into categories like small, medium, and mature. These categories may vary from flight to flight but bucks are encountered at random. Some believe that mature bucks are less likely to be counted versus younger bucks. Research has shown this is not true.

A common issue that arises is whether to survey by helicopter in the fall or winter, or both. Commonly (but not always) more deer are observed in the winter when visibility is greater because of leaf fall from the brush. The weather may be cooler making deer more likely to flush from the helicopter and be counted. Winter helicopter deer surveys may average as many as 67% of deer counted. However, count variability is still likely and fawns can be harder to classify. Also, a few bucks may drop antlers right after deer hunting season, as early as January in some years. My personal preference is for a single fall flight and no winter count.

So, with the deer missed from a helicopter, and the variability from flight-to-flight, how should a manager use survey information? First, a harvest rate should not be calculated off a single survey. If the goal is to harvest 10 percent of the number counted, this would result in 16 deer if the survey was on November 4 or 8 deer if it was done on November 5, a 100% difference! If you must calculate a percentage of the survey, I prefer averaging the three most recent surveys to smooth some of the variability.

However, it is much better to use the helicopter deer survey as trend data through time and use some other benchmark for harvest. For example, some managers will not harvest more than one trophy buck per 1,000 acres. Such benchmarks can be set for the individual property and adjusted depending on the helicopter survey data trend through time.

Helicopter surveys are a powerful and useful tool in whitetail deer management. However, their strong and weak points should be recognized and the data used properly in wildlife management. Helicopter surveys also provide a manager with other important information. For example, tallies of quail coveys flushed are a good index to quail populations. In drought years, few or no coveys may be flushed, whereas wet years result in many coveys encountered. The most important value of helicopter surveys may be intangibles. That is, the flights give managers a quick overall impression of the condition of the habitat, game populations, and other factors affecting wildlife management.”

This article is written by Charlie DeYoung and was reprinted courtesy of Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute. Visit the CKWRI Deer Research Program web site for more information. Charlie DeYoung is a research scientist and professor emeritus at Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute and was instrumental in establishing the Institute. His interest include habitat and white-tailed deer management.

Big Time Texas Hunts 2011 Winners

Most Texas hunters are familiar with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) Big Time Texas Hunts. These annual draw hunts offer average hunters the chance to embark on some truly amazing hunt packages, especially the Texas Grand Slam, which allows the winner to hunt for whitetail deer, mule deer, pronghorn and Bighorn Sheep. It would be an awesome feeling to win a package like that! Well, the Big Time Texas Hunts winners for this year have just been announced by TPWD:

“When an unknown number shows up on the caller ID, Weatherford Downtown Cafe owner Britton Schweitzer just lets it go to voicemail. “It’s usually people trying to sell me stuff, not TPWD calling because I won an amazing hunt,” Schweitzer said. Schweitzer and 13 other lucky sportsmen are clearing their calendars for some of the best hunting packages in the Lone Star State won through Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Big Time Texas Hunts program.

The program’s raffle offers hunting packages ranging from a guided white-tailed deer hunting experience in the South Texas brush country to the Grand Slam package which treats one Texan and a non-hunting friend to food, lodging, taxidermy and a personal guide service for four separate hunts for desert bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, pronghorn and desert mule deer. Schweitzer won the Grand Slam.

“When I get my license online I throw $100 toward the different hunts but never expect to win,” Schweitzer said. “I am an avid fisherman and hunter and I see it as basically donating $100 every year to public lands,” he said.

The small town cafe owner said he usually donates to local causes and was flabbergasted to have won the program’s Grand Slam hunt. He said he moved to Weatherford a few years ago with his wife to raise a family. He hopes to bring her along on his sheep, pronghorn and deer hunts. “I think it’s an awesome opportunity and I am excited I got picked,” he said. “I never win anything and it was a pretty big shocker.”

Big Time Texas Hunts are offered through an annual raffle. This season saw 62,610 entries generating almost $600,000. Ticket sales support wildlife research, habitat management and public hunting in the state of Texas. Ticket purchasers must be at least 17. For more information on this hunting program, visit TPWD’s web site.

The winners have been picked, but interested hunters should keep an eye out for these hunts next. Special whitetail hunts, duck hunting and alligator hunting are all for the taking. The chances are not that great that you will win, but if you do it ends up being a very, very inexpensive hunt; $10. And if you don’t, the money goes to a great cause. Following are the winners of this year’s Big Time Texas Hunts:

Grand Slam — Michael Schweitzer, Weatherford

Premium Buck Hunt — Joseph Yuras, Garden Ridge

Exotic Safari — Jimmy Webb, Tyler and Martha Vogelsang, Hearne

Whitetail Bonanza — Tommy Dulin, Colorado City; Ivan Berry, Pasadena; Francis Sharp, Pasadena; Michael Broderick, Conroe; Joe Mills, Gonzales; Ramona Bourgeois, Concord, CA; Humbert Trevino, Laredo; Randall Coombs, Spearman

Waterfowl Adventure — Alexander Hamilton, San Antonio

Alligator Hunt — Darren Lasorte, Fairfax, VA

Duck Hunting Report from the Texas Coast

The Texas Duck Hunting Season is underway and the opening weekend was hot, hot, hot! Duck hunters enjoyed excellent shoots opening weekend with limits being the norm, not the exception. Many hunting guides and hunters reported good numbers of birds all along the middle and upper Texas Coast. The coastal prairies of Garwood, Wharton, Eagle Lake, Hungerford, East Bernard, El Campo and Collegeport saw flight after flight of green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, wigeons, gadwalls and pintails.

The marsh east of Houston enjoyed what many outfitters described as the best duck season opener in years. Some hunting reports as many as nine different species in the bag, including greenwings, bluewings, scaup, gadwalls, wigeons, pintails, mallards, redheads, ringed-necks, wood ducks and even a flight of surf scoters. The drought has caused many birds that usually hang-up in other parts of the state to keep heading south, down to the coast.

Limits of divers were taken in Port O’Connor and Rockport. Hunters reported more gadwalls, pintails and wigeons in the back lakes with swelling tides. Snow geese continue to build along the coast, but few hunters are setting white spreads. Specklebelly numbers are solid, with estimations at 30 to 40 percent juvenile birds in the flock.

Good duck hunting action is all about location and having birds. The duck hunting reports indicate that the birds are definitely here, so the rest is up to the hunters. Prospects for South Zone duck hunters looks good going into mid-November. Remember, look to set up on points and always leave a “hole” in the center of your decoys for birds to land. Best of luck!

Texas Duck Hunting Reports – Early November

Hunting in all Texas Duck Hunting Zones kicks off later in the week and it’s time for hunters to get in the know. Preliminary duck hunting reports have reiterated that water is a must! The High Plains Mallard Management Unit opens again on November 4, but opening weekend in the Panhandle saw lackluster results due to an absence of water. Very few playas, if any, are wet, so duck habitat is stressed. Most ducks were taken over feed lot ponds. Again, duck season re-opens and runs November 4-January 29, 2012.

The season in the North Duck Hunting Zone Duck opens November 5 and the best waterfowling prospects have been found on lakes and reservoirs still holding water. The lack of ponds and bottomland duck habitats have ducks concentrated on big waters. However, public access to these large water bodies is limited, as many boat ramps are inoperable due to extreme low water conditions. Hunters with shallow-running flatbottoms able to traverse muddy timber should see some birds and have good shoots.

The cold front that blew through the last week in October brought new birds to the area and deposited wigeon, gadwall and green-winged teal on lakes and reservoirs. Another cold front this week should encourage more ducks to move to Texas, though most coastal prairie ponds holding water are already covered with ducks. Prospects are fair to good for duck hunting in the South Zone.

The South Duck Hunting Zone opens on November 5 as well and prospects look excellent for hunters that have access to water. The Texas coast continues to suffer from the drought. Many hunters, however, have the ability to pump water from wells. Coastal prairie ponds are black with ducks and specklebellies where there is water, and a few snow geese showed with last week’s front. Concentrations of dark geese on the ground indicate a good hatch of young whitef-fronts, which should encourage steady decoying action.

The front forecasted for this week should shove more light geese to the coast. Reports along the bay flats indicate good numbers of pintail, wigeon, gadwall and redhead. More diving ducks are showing up daily with new fronts. Bay hunters should enjoy more steady duck hunting this year with the lack of water on the coastal prairies. Prospects are good if you can find suitable duck habitat to set out some decoys.

CWD in Texas: Learn from Missouri’s Deer Disease Issue

White-tailed deer populations can be impacted by a variety of deer diseases, most of which affect localized populations. Chronic wasting disease (CWD), however, has implications that can be more widespread. CWD is a fatal disease of North American elk and deer, including both white-tailed deer and mule deer. The recent discovery of CWD in breeder deer in Missouri reiterates the need for continuance in monitoring whitetails and taking action when questionable deer are discovered in Texas captive deer breeding pens.

The whitetail deer that tested positive for CWD was a captive white-tailed deer inspected as part of Missouri’s CWD disease surveillance and testing program. Preliminary CWD tests were conducted by the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, and a “tested positive” result was disclosed last week. That one positive test meant Missouri had to add its name to the long list of CWD-positive states. Will it happen to Texas too?

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has investigated several deer smuggling cases involving whitetails brought into Texas from several states where CWD has been confirmed through testing, including Missouri. “This is why we banned importation of deer from out of state and why we continue to monitor for illegal activity,” said Carter Smith, Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

In February 2010 a case of CWD was confirmed in Linn County, Missouri, on a captive hunting preserve operated by the same entity, Heartland Wildlife Ranches, LLC. The Linn County facility was depopulated and no further CWD infection was identified at that facility. The current case was identified through increased surveillance required by the deer disease management plan implemented from the previous CWD incident.

Since TPWD implemented a CWD surveillance initiative 10 years ago, more than 35,000 whitetail deer have been tested in Texas. But to date, all CWD test in Texas have come back “not detected.” Whitetail deer important both socially and economically to the people of Texas. Just because CWD has yet to be found does not mean it’s time to quit monitoring.

“The absence of any disease findings is by no means a reason to stop CWD testing whitetail deer in Texas,” Smith said. “The best measures we can take are proactive ones, and our goal is to keep CWD out of the state at all costs.”

There is no indication that CWD in deer can lead to disease in native livestock or people. Wildlife officials regard prevention as the primary and most effective tool to combat CWD. Once established in a wild whitetail population, deer diseases are extremely difficult, and sometimes impossible, to eradicate. Many believe it’s only a matter of time before CWD makes its way into Texas, one way or another. The state will begin CWD testing of elk in Texas starting on January 1, 2012.

Game Camera Placement, Feeder Size for Deer Hunting

Question: “I’ve got a deer feeder with a fence around it set up for deer hunting on my lease. It’s got about a 20 foot diameter and the whitetail deer are just demolishing the corn. However, I have no clue where to set up my game camera. The camera does have a flash so I do not want spook the deer, especially any bucks using the feeder, but I still want to get some photos of a big buck that I believe is using the area. I’ve seen him several times in the area. Any game camera placement tips would be appreciated. What should I do?”

Response: When it comes to using motion detection cameras for deer hunting, game cameras should face either North or South, although facing to the North is best. This is important or otherwise you will get photos of the rising or setting sun, when most deer will be at your feeder, and you will not be able to see much. Trust me, you do not want any part of the sun screwing up your game camera photos. Continue reading Game Camera Placement, Feeder Size for Deer Hunting

Elk Hunting, Herds in Texas Subject to CWD Testing

Though there are some free ranging elk in Texas, thousands more are maintained behind high fences by breeders and private land owners. These captive herds are either purely recreational or part of a commercial deer and elk hunting operation. Elk had been treated as livestock, but new disease testing requirements are about to take effect. Elk producers wishing to sell or move elk must enroll in the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) herd monitoring program or have elk tested.

After January 1, 2012, however, elk will only be allowed to move after all CWD surveillance requirements have been met. Surveillance requirements can be met by enrolling in the CWD status program, testing all mortalities and achieving “status,” OR by having a valid “not detected” CWD test on file prior to movement. The number of valid CWD tests required are based on the number of elk being moved and whether they are captive or free ranging.

The TAHC implemented new elk herd requirements on January 1, 2010, to ensure a stronger surveillance system for CWD in elk, which also can affect white-tailed deer. “The program is intended to help protect the exotic and native wildlife and the cervid industry of Texas from the possible introduction of CWD, by developing an effective surveillance system”, Dr. Dee Ellis, TAHC State Veterinarian, said.” “Enrollment and ultimately achieving status will allow producers to move elk without requiring additional mortality testing,” Dr. Ellis added. “I strongly encourage all elk producers to sign up today.”

CWD is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy known to affect elk, moose, white-tailed deer, black-tailed deer and mule deer. It is a fatal, degenerative brain wasting deer disease. The typical clinical signs of CWD are emaciation, behavioral changes and excessive salivation. CWD is not known to affect people, and has not been detected in Texas to date. Since it was first detected in Colorado in 1967 however, it has subsequently been diagnosed in 17 other states and continues to threaten the cervid industry in other parts of the US.

The TAHC enforces interstate movement requirements for elk and other cervids entering Texas. Out of state animals must originate from a herd which has participated for at least five years in a state-approved CWD herd certification program, and with no clinical signs of CWD in the herd. In today’s environment, the mobility and transportation of agricultural animals throughout the state and country has greatly increased the potential exposure to diseases.

“Adequate and timely surveillance CWD testing is critical to detect a newly introduced or emerging disease as quickly as possible, so that it can be eliminated before potential spread to other animals”, explained Dr. Terry Hensley, Assistant State Veterinarian.

CWD has not been detected in captive or free-ranging deer or elk in Texas, but elk producers must continue to be mindful of the disease, and take necessary precautions to ensure the safety of exotic livestock. “Maintaining surveillance for CWD in elk in Texas is critical for effective animal disease response,” Dr. Hensley added.

By keeping appropriate records and sufficient sampling of animals as required by the program, a herd can achieve a recognized “herd status” for CWD. Under the TAHC’s elk enrollment program, elk would be test- eligible at 16 months of age or older, and tests conducted in a herd would be valid for one year.

In order to be eligible for moving elk, participation in the program is mandatory. The movement of elk around the state could impact non-complying breeders as well and elk hunting operations that depend on bringing animals in from time to time. Elk owners can enroll their herds in the CWD monitoring program today by contacting their local TAHC regional office.

Texas Sandhill Crane Hunting Season 2011-12

It’s about that time of the year when Sandhill Cranes start making their way towards Texas. Some will hang-up in the Texas Panhandle while others will head straight for the coastal prairies located just off the Gulf of Mexico. And much of the state does have a Sandhill Crane Hunting Season. In fact, there have been three hunting zones in Texas for as long as I can remember, and here are the season dates for the 2011-12 hunting season:

Sandhill Crane Hunting Zone A: Nov. 5, 2011 — Feb. 5, 2012, daily bag limit is three and possession limit is six birds.

Sandhill Crane Hunting Zone B: Nov. 25, 2011 — Feb. 5, 2012, daily bag limit is three and possession limit is six cranes.

Sandhill Crane Hunting Zone C: Dec. 24, 2011 — Jan. 29, 2012, daily bag limit is two and possession limit is four sandhill cranes.

Sandhill Crane Hunting Zone C Closed Area Description: Everything to the Gulf of Mexico from a line beginning at the Kleberg-Nueces county line and the Gulf of Mexico, west along the county line to Park Road 22, to State Hwy. 358, to State Hwy. 286, north to IH 37, east to U.S. Hwy. 181, north and west to U.S. Hwy. 77 at Sinton, north and east along U.S. Hwy. 77 to U.S. Hwy. 87 at Victoria, east and south along U.S. Hwy. 87 to State Hwy. 35, north and east along State Hwy. 35 to the south end of Lavaca Bay Causeway, south and east along the shore of Lavaca Bay to the Port Lavaca Ship Channel, south and east along the Ship Channel to the Gulf of Mexico.

Sandhill Cranes are actually a challenging bird to hunt. In fact, most hunters think of them as big, slow birds, which can cause some shooting problems in the field. John Sheckly, Sandhill Crane hunting guide said, “Because of the bird’s body length and huge wingspan many hunters think the cranes are flying closer and slower than they actually are. As a result, many will shoot behind the sandhills or way too early. There is definitely a learning curve for first-time Sandhill Crane hunters.”

Duck Hunting at J.D. Murphree WMA

It’s been dry this year and it’s probably not going to get any better any time soon. But bring on the rain dances if you’d like. With the Texas duck hunting season just around the corner, any rainfall prior to the November 5 waterfowl season opener would be a welcome sight for both the hunters and the birds. After all, wildlife officials are anticipating a banner migration of ducks even though at this point they feel it’s too late to repair the damage this year from the drought.

Texas goose and duck hunters will have better luck bringing in birds with just water. Put the duck call away for this hunting season, unless your hunting tidal waters such as those found at the J.D. Murphee Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Wetland habitat conditions throughout waterfowl wintering grounds in Texas have suffered greatly under the drought, and what precious little groceries that remain aren’t expected to hold birds for long.

“It will be a very interesting year to say the least as we have a large number of waterfowl headed our way but very little habitat on the landscape to support them,” said Matt Nelson, Central Coast Wetlands Ecosystem Project Leader with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “Guadalupe Delta WMA looks the best habitat-wise, especially the tidal marsh. I suspect the bays will see more activity this season than in years past but with little food production I don’t think we will hold many birds for any length of time. We simply don’t have the habitat or food on the Justin Hurst WMA. “

Duck hunting in areas fortunate enough to have retained water and preserved habitat should be excellent during the early part of the season, but may not be sustainable through the winter. The upper coast is fairing a little better, but not much, said Jim Sutherlin, TPWD Upper Coast Wetlands Ecosystem Project Leader.

“We are 23 inches behind our annual rainfall after ending last year around 13 inches behind,” said Sutherlin. “Our soil moisture levels are very low, but we are growing green grass this fall instead of watching grass turn brown as we did in the hot summer. Coastal marsh habitat conditions are dismal for duck hunting. Either we have dry marshes, or marshes with very high salinity waters which produce little wildlife benefit, kill plants and deteriorate organic wetland soils.”

The brightest spot on the J.D. Murphree WMA is likely Wetland Compartment 5 where Ducks Unlimited installed a new pump this past summer using a North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grant, which gives the WMA the ability to pump water from Big Hill Bayou into this management compartment. Water levels and habitat should be good in this compartment throughout the season.

“We have very few submerged aquatic plants, but we do have some impressive stands of millet in a few sites,” Sutherlin added. “The rice agriculture and coastal prairie range around us is very dry. We likely will have an abundance of ducks for short periods of time during the hunting season due to the overall duck numbers in this fall migration. I do not expect the birds to stay on the J.D. Murphree WMA for very long due to low waterfowl food availability and marginal seasonal habitat conditions along the Western Gulf Coast, but the duck hunting will be great while it last.”

Duck Hunting at Justin Hurst WMA, Guadalupe Delta WMA

This duck hunting season is shaping up to be a dry one, but the crazy thing is that there are tons of ducks! Hunting in areas fortunate enough to have retained water and preserved habitat should provide excellent duck hunting during the early part of the duck season, but may not be sustainable through the winter. Two great public hunting areas are the Justin Hurst Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and the Guadalupe Delta WMA. But will they produce this year?

Texas provides a winter home to 90 percent of the Central Flyway’s ducks, roughly 10 million birds in an average year. Unfortunately, this year is an exception as extremely wet conditions in the prairie pothole waterfowl breeding grounds in Canada and the Dakotas bolstered production and near record fall flights are headed this way. The bulk of incoming ducks winter along the Texas coast and rely on a number of wildlife areas, and a lot of duck hunters do, as well.

Matt Nelson, Central Coast Wetlands Ecosystem Project Leader with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, stressed the mid coast Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) have very little freshwater available and all wetland impoundments and fresh water ponds are dry. Currently the only water on the Justin Hurst WMA and Mad Island WMA are tidal water. The inland, freshwater ponds have no water and currently do not serve as duck habitat.

The Justin Hurst WMA has historically provided good duck hunting for folks in the Houston area, but it looks to be slim pickings this year. “It’s very salty at the moment and these tidal marshes are pretty much void of any submergent vegetation too, which our migrating friends are dependent upon,” Nelson said.

Guadalupe Delta WMA is in better shape as its marshes have maintained a decent amount of fresh/brackish water throughout the summer and has produced a fair amount of groceries for the ducks. “Unfortunately it’s the only area along the mid-coast at the moment with decent habitat and considering the high number of migrating birds headed our way I predict what submergent vegetation is remaining will be consumed quickly,” Nelson predicted. “I don’t know where the birds will go but I feel that they won’t be in very good shape when we send them back up north.” The duck hunting will should be hot for the opener, but let’s hope the habitat improves.