Category: Whitetail

Today more and more hunters are harvesting deer with a variety of new objectives which include: improving herd health through population control, as an ecosystem function, improving habitat condition, providing their family with a healthy and sustainable food source, and even donating the meat to feed the hungry. This could be the beginning of a new chapter in the history of hunting in Texas… the rise of the Conservation Hunter.

Hunting has progressed through a number of chapters over the years. When settlers first arrived in Texas, hunting was the primary means to provide food for their families. This subsistence hunting continued into the mid to late 1800’s when a new, much more exploitive form of hunting arose. This was the age of market hunting, where the seemingly endless supply of wildlife resources could be harvested in massive quantities to meet the growing demand in eastern markets. An example of this was seen between 1844 and 1853 when there were 75,000 deer hides shipped from a single trading post near Waco back to the east to be used for fine leather products.

This age of exploiting natural resources led to dramatic reductions in all kinds of wildlife species which resulted in Texas’ first game laws being passed in 1861, and the hiring of the first game warden in 1909. Market hunting declined as wildlife resources declined and additional game laws were enacted and enforced. By this time, wildlife populations, including white-tailed deer, had decreased to historically low levels.

The next chapter that emerged in hunting was sport hunting. To re-build deer populations, does were protected and harvest was centered on bucks, particularly bucks with large antlers or trophies. Trophy hunting grew along with deer populations during the last half of the 20th century to the point where the primary goal of most deer hunters was to harvest a trophy. Deer populations reached historically high levels.

While trophy hunting still dominates in Texas, there seems to be a movement toward the use of hunting as a tool to improve ecosystem health and function and as a sustainable food source. This is ushering in a new chapter to Texas deer hunting that I refer to as “Conservation Hunting”. With deer populations at such high levels, these hunters play an important role in managing deer numbers.

Conservation hunting can take many forms and it is not simply about managing deer numbers. For example, these hunters may be interested in a sustainable food source for their family similar to the subsistence hunting of earlier settlers. With growing concerns over antibiotics and hormones in commercially raised meat, lean venison from free-ranging deer that are feeding on native food sources is viewed as a healthier alternative. This is part of the “local food movement” that is sweeping the nation and focuses on locally produced food. Conservation hunters are typically focused on improvement of habitat, ecosystem function, and deer herd health.

This is accomplished by intense population control which often targets the reduction of does. This usually requires a considerable harvest that can produce more venison than a single hunter can use in a year. When this occurs, conservation hunters help out their local communities by donating the excess meat to those that are in need. This is usually accomplished through organizations like Hunters for the Hungry, local food banks, or churches that can distribute the donation.

Through proper harvest, the deer populations are balanced with the habitat which reduces pressure on native plant communities resulting in better habitat quality and therefore ecosystem function. Better habitat also results in healthier deer which means higher weights, healthier fawns, and better antler quality. These conservation hunters can be an asset to landowners who are interested in increasing the quality of the habitat and the quality of the deer. Upon closer examination, you may find that some of your lease hunters or family members count themselves in the ranks of this new type of hunter… the Conservation Hunter.

This article was authored by Rufus Stephens, a District Leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stationed in Kerrville, Texas. The article was originally published in “The Cedar Post,” Volume 4, Issue 2: December 2014.

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Central Texas is typically a standout when it comes to white-tailed deer hunting. No other part of the state boasts the numbers found there, where there are often more deer than there should be based on the habitat. But just because there are deer doe not mean tagging one is a sure thing. “I was at a landowner’s last week and he had corn piling up under feeders. The corn was actually growing under the feeders. I told him it was time to turn them off,” said Kevin Schwausch, TPWD technical guidance biologist in Burnet.

“We know the deer are there. About a month ago we had three inches of rain and the forbs came up. Between the forbs and the acorns, corn is just not very appealing.” With tough deer hunting conditions across the region, that tips the odds in favor of the deer. Schwausch predicts the harvest will also be down in the Hill Country, but that is based more on hunter habits than deer visibility. As far as deer movement, he expects it to start increasing as the acorns disappear. “It has been slow because of acorns, but the acorns have been slowing down the last two or three weeks. The ones that are still falling are hollow,” Schwausch noted.

The Hill Country has produced some good bucks this hunting season, but Schwausch cites the drought years from 2009 to 2011 and notes that overall deer numbers are limited because of low fawn crops. “We are starting to see a lot of bucks in some places, but they are young bucks. Hopefully hunters can lay off those deer for a year or two,” Schwausch said.

He said the overall impact of the drought on buck numbers varies greatly from high fence to low fence properties, and from highly managed low fence ranches to those not managed. Schwausch added that by letting younger bucks walk another year or two, hunters could be looking at improved years of deer hunting down the road.

The biologist said there is typically a late-season push in the Hill Country because of the Christmas holidays and hunters finishing up their Manage Lands Deer permit quotas. With the slow start, there could be even more hunters looking to take a deer as Texas’ General Season comes to and end.

Deer hunting in East Texas can be a tough proposition. And not because there aren’t any deer there, but because you can’t see them — all of those trees get in the way! But at least deer readily respond to bait, right? Wrong, especially this year. It’s been a tough season for whitetail hunters in the eastern part of the state. There were some bucks bagged during the rut, but for the remainder sitting in blinds overlooking feeders, it has been so quiet even feral hog sightings are down.

“I would say that is fairly accurate,” said Sean Willis, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Wildlife biologist from Lufkin, when asked if there has been a slow start to the season in East Texas. “Everyone I am talking to said nothing is eating corn because the acorn crop is so heavy.” And if their not hungry, then they are probably not moving towards a corn feeder or food plot. Baits commonly used to attract deer can not hold a candle to native forbs and acorns.

And in the Pineywoods of Texas, a heavy acorn crop can create big problems for hunters on club leases anchored to one or two stand locations. There deer, however, get along just fine with an abundance of food. So what’s a hunter to do when the deer won’t come to you? “What I recommend is guys get away from corn feeders and go into the bottoms where the acorns are,” said Willis, who added he is still hearing acorns fall at his home.

The biologist said some East Texans, who did move or were lucky enough to have a rutting buck run by, have seen and taken some really good bucks earlier in the hunting season. “In some of these counties there are some new county records. There is a lot of quality. There are a lot of good deer, but not as many as last year. Last year for the Pineywoods, we had the most deer entered in the Big Games Awards since 2001-2002,” Willis said.

Overall, Willis added, the entire deer harvest appears to be down, and that it will be difficult to catch up before the end of the general deer hunting season. “The bulk of the harvest is before Thanksgiving. If you don’t get a buck before Thanksgiving, the odds go way down. That’s because after the rut deer movement slows. Combine that with all the hunter activity on the ground, and it’s tough. Deer aren’t dumb, they hear the four-wheelers buzzing around, the campfire talk. “Whitetail deer get nocturnal,” Willis said.

To most, white-tailed deer are fairly unassuming animals, but when they can cause serious problems in suburban areas when in overabundance. As urban sprawl continues to increase throughout the United States so does human-wildlife conflicts. At the end of the 20th century, 75 percent of homes were in metropolitan areas and almost half of the United States population lived in suburban communities. Texas is no exception.

Between the 2010 and 2013 census the overall Texas population jumped 1.3 million and was reported to have 8 of the 15 fasted growing cities in 2012. White-tailed deer are one the most widespread and abundant species of large mammals in North America and due to continued urban development they have become a wildlife management problem in many places throughout the United States, including Texas.

Deer populations are estimated to be around 30 million in North America and around 3.3 million in Texas alone. Deer have quickly adapted to urban environments and have become accustomed to human activity due to abundant food, absence of predators, and lack of urban hunting pressure, leading to conflicts with residents and populations judged as overabundant. Many urban and suburban communities need ways to manage overabundant deer populations and it is often asked how many deer should an area have?

The number of deer appropriate for an area depends on the tolerance level of residents. People of the state own the deer and therefore it is up to cities to determine specific management goals of how many deer should be within the community. Some urban communities have started to develop deer management programs to combat overabundant populations. Working with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), cities work with urban wildlife biologist to develop a management plan.

Currently some cities have decided to develop trap, transport, and process (TTP) programs. This strategy is when deer are trapped within a city, transported to a processing facility where the meat is donated to shelters. It does cost municipalities and home owner associations (HOAs) money to hire permitted trappers, so each area must examine the costs and benefits.

Other alternative methods some communities are looking into are surgical sterilization or immunocontraception. Both of these methods are non-lethal and prevent females from reproducing, however they are very costly and do not seem to work effectively in open populations. Some communities find these strategies appealing because they are non-lethal unlike TTP or sharpshooting. However, TPWD would need to issue a permit for these types of management strategies, which to date has not occurred in Texas.

There is not one simple plan that will work for every urban community when it comes to deer management. Therefore each community must determine their objectives and develop a management plan that will best reach their goals.

When a Texas hunter successfully harvests a deer, one of the first dilemmas he/she faces is how to properly tag the deer. Depending on the circumstances, every deer harvested must be tagged with either a license tag, OR appropriate permit (LAMPS, MLDP, USFS antlerless permit, etc), but never both. If the deer is harvested under the authority of a permit, no license tag is required. However, all other deer must be tagged with the appropriate tag from your Texas hunting license. These two scenarios will be described in greater detail below.

1). A hunter kills a deer in which no permit is applicable. This deer (buck or antlerless) must be tagged with the appropriate (white-tailed deer) tag from the hunter’s license. Hunters should read the tag descriptions carefully as some of the tags can legally be used on a buck or antlerless deer. However, using one of these tags on an antlerless deer potentially limits the number of bucks a hunter could harvest. In order to be properly tagged, the month and day must be CUT OUT, and the property name and county must be written, in ink, on the back of the tag. In addition, the hunter must properly complete the log on the back of the hunting license. Every time a deer tag is used, the license log must also be completed. Failure to complete all of these steps results in a deer that is not properly tagged/logged.

2). A hunter kills a deer under the authority of a permit. The appropriate permit (buck or antlerless) must be placed on the deer, but no license tag is required. In this case, the hunter is not required to complete the license log on the back of the hunting license. The month and day must be CUT OUT and all other information on the permit must be completed. Failure to complete all of these steps results in a deer that is not properly tagged (permitted).

Other important points to remember:

• A “buck deer” is a deer with a hardened antler protruding through the skin. All other deer are considered antlerless deer.
• The tag/permit should remain attached to the deer until the deer reaches its final destination and is quartered
• If the head is removed from the carcass, then the appropriate tag or permit must remain attached to the carcass
• It is unlawful to possess a deer with proof of sex removed unless the deer is at a final destination and has been quartered
• Proof of sex is: the head of a buck deer with antlers attached, the head of an antlerless deer, or a completed Man-aged Lands Deer Permit, Landowner Assisted Management Permit, TPWD Drawn Hunt Legal Deer Tag, or Antlerless and Spike-buck Control Permit
• A deer can only be tagged with a tag from the hunter’s license who killed the deer
• A deer tag can only be used once

It is important to remember to place the tag on the deer immediately upon kill and to complete the harvest log. Failure to complete the harvest log is one of the most frequent violations that law enforcement officers encounter in Texas. Without a complete harvest log, there is no way to verify that the statewide and/or county bag limits are being adhered to.

Although the tagging/permitting process may seem confusing, if the hunter reviews and understands the requirements prior to hunting and harvesting a deer, many of the common mistakes can be avoided. For additional information please refer to the current Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual that is available anywhere hunting licenses are sold or online. Tablet or Smart Phone users can also download the Outdoor Annual for free using the new Texas Parks and Wildlife Department app.

Archery season for white-tailed deer is already under way and the rifle season is just around the corner. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is reminding hunters to be careful in handling the game they harvest. It is not common, but some diseases can spread from wildlife to humans. One such disease is anthrax, which is caused by naturally occurring bacteria found in soil. Animals can come down with the disease by swallowing anthrax spores while grazing. Humans, in turn, can contract the disease through touching infected animals, either alive or dead, or consuming their meat. Other conditions, including tularemia, brucellosis and rabies also can be transmitted to people through direct contact with live animals or while field dressing harvested game. In addition, insects and ticks can transmit West Nile virus, Lyme disease, plague and other diseases such as EHD and bluetongue.

Fortunately for hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts, safety methods are easy. Using insect repellent and wearing long sleeves and long pants is the simple way to prevent illnesses that can be passed to humans by mosquitos and ticks. Health professionals also advise wearing gloves while cleaning game or when cutting and packaging meat. And be sure to wash your hands when you are finished. The Texas Department of State Health Services recommends the following precautions:

• Do not harvest animals that appear ill or are acting abnormally.
• Wear latex-type gloves when dressing game.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling game. If soap is not available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer is a good alternative.
• Consider eye protection when dressing game to prevent contact between fluids or tissues and eyes. Shooting glasses provide an adequate level of protection in most cases.
• Avoid eating, drinking, using tobacco, or rubbing eyes while dressing game.
• Do not touch non-hunter-killed dead animals or their remains, including antlers, bones and hides.
• Use an approved insect repellent and follow the instructions on the label. EPA-approved repellents include those containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and oil of lemon eucalyptus/p-Menthane-3,8-diol.
• Stay on trails and avoid areas of overgrown brush and tall grasses.
• Wear protective clothing such as a hat, long-sleeved shirt and long pants tucked into boots or socks, and check frequently for ticks.

Additional disease information for deer hunters and other outdoors enthusiasts is available on this web site

Each year, Texas hunters harvest several hundred thousand white-tailed deer, andmany of those animals end up being donated to help those in need of food. The hunting season is a great time to remove surplus deer from the landscape and help provide less fortunate families with lean protein. More venison could be donated, but many hunters feel a little funny about paying for the processing of a donated deer that they already harvested, quartered and delivered to the processor.

If you hunt in or around Brownwood, then The Deer Project will take your venison cost-free to the hunter. An annual raffle prior to the deer hunting season is helping an organization feed the hungry. Good Samaritan Ministries is a Brownwood volunteer agency that provides meals for hungry children through food donations.

One of their programs, The Deer Project, uses donated deer meat to assemble their meals. “If you don’t need the meat you can still hunt and donate it, and know it’s going to a great cause,” Misty Bowers, Good Samaritan employee, said. Hunters who want to donate can have their meat processed for free through a company that works in conjunction with Good Samaritan.

Although the service requires no additional costs for hunters to participate, maintaining the initiative puts demand on Good Samaritan to find funding. One of the ways they do so is through annual raffles.

Participants in this year’s raffle have a chance at winning a Yamaha Grizzy 4-Wheeler.More information can be found on their web site.

Another cost-free, deer meat donation program includes Hunters for Good. Hunters can also donate harvested venison and pay for processing at Hunters for the Hungry. As expected, the program that works best for you will depend upon location and participating processors.

There may be less than 3 months until white-tailed deer hunting season opens in Texas, but a lot can happen in 3 months, especially when talking about a disease such as anthrax. The first Anthrax case in Texas for 2014 has been confirmed in a goat in Kinney County. Of course, anthrax is nothing new to the area. The county has seen anthrax outbreaks before, and the impact tends to be localized.

The property where antrhax was detected is located four miles north of Bracketville. The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) has quarantined the premises. TAHC rules require proper disposal of affected carcasses and vaccination of other cattle on the premise prior to release of the quarantine.

More on Anthrax Disease

Anthrax is a bacterial disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, whichis a naturally occurring organism with worldwide distribution, including certain parts of Texas. It is not uncommon for anthrax to be diagnosed in livestock or wildlife in the southwestern part of the state. A vaccine is available for use in susceptible livestock in high risk areas.

Acute fever followed by rapid death with bleeding from body openings are common signs of anthrax in livestock and deer. Carcasses may also appear bloated and appear to decompose quickly. Livestock or animals displaying symptoms consistent with anthrax should be reported to a private veterinary practitioner or a TAHC official. If affected livestock or carcasses must be handled, producers are encouraged to follow basic sanitation precautions such as wearing protective gloves, long sleeve shirts and washing thoroughly afterward to prevent accidental spread of the bacteria to people.

State of Texas Take on Anthrax

The TAHC will continue to closely monitor the situation for possible new cases across the state, both in domestic animals and native wildlife such as white-tailed deer. Producers are encouraged to consult their veterinary practitioner or local TAHC office if they suspect their animals are affected with anthrax, or if they have questions about the disease or the vaccination of their livestock,” said Dr. T.R. Lansford, TAHC Assistant Executive Director for Animal Health Programs.

Question: “We have a ranch in Mason County, Texas, and are interested in using the Trap, Transport and Transplant (TTT) Permit offered by TPWD to move some deer to our place from Burnet County, which is currently in the MLDP program. This is primarily for genetic improvement since we are shooting extra deer off of our ranch to make room for the transplants. Like our area, the trap site should have breeding from early November through early December, with the rut taking place earlier during that period. Is it better to transport these deer, especially does, early in their pregnancy or later or is there even a difference? We think earlier is better but would appreciate any advice.”

Response: With regards to the TTT permit, the white-tailed deer trapping and moving season in Texas is from September 1 through March 31 every year. The permit allows the movement of wild white-tailed deer in state. It is designed to provide you with the an additional tool to enhance the white-tailed deer population on your property.

You are correct in that the primary rut is early November in that part of Texas, the trap site. From my experience, late-January through February is the preferred time to transport whitetail. There are several reasons why I believe this window is better than earlier or later.

IMPORTANT TTT PERMIT INFO PER TPWD: Conditions for Permit Issuance – All proposed release sites must have a current Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Wildlife Management Plan approved by a TPWD Wildlife Biologist. Applications will be denied if the proposed activities may detrimentally affect the population status on adjacent properties, if the proposed activities may detrimentally affect the resource, or if the proposed release site is outside of the suitable range of white-tailed deer.

All proposed relocation operations must comply with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission’s Stocking Policy, which stipulates that prospective release sites shall have suitable natural habitat capable of sustaining the animals stocked. In addition, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance is required of all prospective trap sites. CWD test results must be received by TPWD prior to permit issuance. DO NOT FREEZE SPECIMENS.

First, the weather in late-January and February is cold. This not only helps with the ability to capture deer, but also with handling, with regards to both personnel and the animals. Plus, it also allows deer to remain cool while be transported to the release site/ranch. Extreme stress causes heat build up in animals, humans included, and whitetail are no different, so it’s best to have nice cold temperatures on trap and transport day.

With regards to timing, moving deer is better from late-January through mid-February in Texas because temperatures are cooler and earlier is better with regards to pregnant does. The general rule of thumb is earlier is better with regards to fawn survival, but it’s also important to understand that if temperatures are not favorable then fawns will not survive if the doe do not survive the trip.

The TTT permit allows program can be an effective way to improve the gene pool of a whitetail herd on a property for the purpose of deer management. However, careful consideration must weigh the variety of factors concerning the release site as well as the herd from which the animals are trapped. It may not help if a handful of deer are released onto a very large property. The TTT permit works most effectively when the number of deer released comprises a significant portion (>50%) of the release site’s population.

Those of us that hunt white-tailed deer in Texas are lucky. We live in a great state that offers a lot of quality places to hunt. Granted most of it is privately owned, but Texas takes care of it’s landowners and our whitetail. But to be a deer, well, that is a different story indeed. It’s been a particularly tough run for all wildlife the past few years because habitat conditions have been fair to poor, with most towards the latter.

A lack of rain wreaks havoc when it comes to deer foods, especially forb production. Generally speaking, forb availability and quality is high during spring and early summer and declines as summer carries on. This year, many areas saw very little forb production during the spring, though there were some parts of Texas that got some much needed rain recently.

It’s mid-May ans that means fawns. They are already “dropping” in some areas. The fawning period is a critical time does producing and raising fawns, when protein requirements are relatively high. Lack of suitable-quality forage probably will not have a large impact on adult survival, but if does do not have adequate forage, fawn survival and recruitment will be negatively impacted.

To make matters worse, dry weather means a reduction in herbaceous growth that results in reduced fawning cover, which equates to decreased fawn survival because of increased predation. It’s tough to be a white-tailed deer, young or old.

For properties that conduct annual surveys to estimate deer numbers, drought means fewer tick marks on the datasheet and lower deer populations. Yes, a lack of fawn survival and recruitment can have significant management implications on properties. This makes harvest recommendations all the more important. Harvest too many and the population may be shot into a “hole.” Shoot too few and the tough conditions will be exacerbated.

Ranch owners and managers must seriously consider deer numbers at all times, but especially when it’s dry; especially when it’s year after year of dry. Although deer hunting regulations change slowly in Texas, deer harvest is something that varies from year to year on managed ranches. A drought year may mean less harvest overall even though poor range conditions actually make achieving harvest quotas easier (since deer readily respond to bait).

There is no doubt that dry weather and poor habitat conditions impact deer populations, but the impact it may have varies from area to area. If you’re interested in improving the deer found on your property or lease then get more involved with management, start counting deer annually, estimate fawn production and herd size and use the hunting season for both fun and to help the herd as well as the habitat.