Mule Deer Hunting | Texas Hunting Times: Texas Hunting News

CWD Testing of Mule Deer in Texas

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is reminding mule deer hunters and landowners in the Trans-Pecos portion of West Texas about new procedures developed as part of TPWD Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) response plan. The plan includes mandatory check stations for harvested deer and elk taken inside the CWD Containment Zone (map), which covers portions of Culberson, Hudspeth and El Paso counties. Hunters lucky enough to harvest a deer in the CWD zone need to make sure that they get their animal tested.

Source: The CWD response plan is being implemented after tissue samples from two mule deer in far West Texas this past summer tested positive for CWD. These are the first cases of CWD detected in Texas deer, whitetail or mule deer.

Hunters taking mule deer inside the Containment Zone during the general season, Nov. 23 – Dec. 9, are required to submit their harvest (unfrozen head) for CWD sampling at mandatory check stations within 24 hours of harvest.

“We recommend hunters in the Containment Zone and High Risk Zone quarter deer in the field and leave all but the quarters, backstraps and head at the site of harvest if it is not possible to bury the inedible carcass parts at least 6 feet deep on the ranch or take them to a landfill,” said Shawn Gray, Mule Deer Program Leader for TPWD.

Mandatory check stations will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 23 – Dec. 10. Stations will be located in Cornudas at May’s Café (on US 62-180) and in Van Horn at Van Horn Convention Center (1801 West Broadway).

Hunters that harvest deer in the Containment Zone outside the general season under the authority of Managed Lands Deer Permits (MLDP) will need to call TPWD at (512) 221-8491 the day the deer is harvested to make arrangements to have the deer sampled for CWD.

In addition to protocols within the Containment Zone, TPWD has created a High Risk Zone for voluntary CWD sampling during the hunting season. Biologists have been collecting voluntary mule deer harvest data in the region since 1980 and this year CWD sampling will be offered in addition to age and weight measurements. Here is a list of voluntary mule deer check stations in West Texas.

CWD Check Stations in West Texas

The deer hunting season has been underway for bowhunters and things kick off tomorrow for gun hunters. Hunters have been busy, chomping at the bit to get out there are hunt, but mule deer hunters taking an animal inside the West Texas Containment Zone during the mule deer general season, November 23 through December 9, are required to submit their harvest (unfrozen head) for CWD sampling at mandatory CWD check stations within 24 hours of harvest.

“We recommend hunters in the Containment Zone and High Risk Zone quarter deer in the field and leave all but the quarters, backstraps and head at the site of harvest if it is not possible to bury the inedible carcass parts at least 6 feet deep on the ranch or take them to a landfill,” said Shawn Gray, mule deer program leader for TPWD.

Hunters that harvest deer in the Containment Zone during the archery-only season or outside the general season under the authority of MLDP (Managed Lands Deer Permits) will need to call TPWD at (512) 221-8491 the day the deer is harvested to make arrangements to have the deer sampled for CWD.

Voluntary check stations will be set up at the following locations during the first three weekends of the general season, Saturday through Monday (Nov. 24–26, Dec. 1–3 and Dec. 8–10), from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Monday:

Midland at Naturally Fresh (Deer Processor) (1501 Elwyn)
Bakersfield at Chevron Station (south of I10; Exit 294)
Sanderson at Slim’s Auto Repair (823 West Oak; Intersection of US 90 and 285)
Alpine at Hip-O Taxidermy (east side of town on US 90, across from Dairy Queen)

TPWD stated, “All deer brought to the check stations this season will be aged as part of our CWD surveillance,” said Gray. “We also intend to collect other biological information such as antler measurements and field dressed weights as time allows.” Sounds like a good opportunity for hunters to get some information about their kill as well as keep up with CWD in West Texas.

CWD Containment Zone Map – West Texas

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has developed a CWD Containment Zone Map for West Texas in an effort to better track and Chronic Wasting Diease (CWD) in the Trans-Pecos. TPWD is asking mule deer hunters and landowners in far West Texas to familiarize themselves with new protocols developed as part of the TPWD CWD response plan. The plan includes mandatory CWD check stations for harvested mule deer taken inside the CWD Containment Zone, which covers portions of Hudspeth and El Paso counties.

The response plan is being implemented after tissue samples from two mule deer in far West Texas this past summer tested positive for CWD. Though these are the first cases of CWD detected in Texas deer, deer had tested positive in recent years across the border in New Mexico. Now, it’s official that CWD has been found in Texas and TPWD is looking to monitor the reach of the disease.

CWD workshops will be held in conjunction with upcoming TPWD public hearings to inform landowners, hunters, and outfitters about CWD, care of meat, appropriate management actions, and check station requirements. TPWD will present proposed amendments to deer movement rules, answer questions and take public comment during the public hearing segment of the meetings.

CWD meetings are set for October 2 in Fort Stockton at the Pecos County Civic Center, Octber 3 in Alpine at the Alpine Independent School District Auditorium, and Octber 4 in Van Horn at the Van Horn Convention Center. All workshops will start at 6 p.m. and the public hearing will begin at 7:30 p.m.

More on CWD in Deer

CWD is a member of the group of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Other diseases in this group include scrapie in sheep, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease) in cattle, and Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. CWD among cervids is a progressive, fatal disease that commonly results in altered behavior as a result of microscopic changes made to the brain of affected animals.

An animal may carry the disease for years without outward indication, but in the latter stages, signs may include listlessness, lowering of the head, weight loss, repetitive walking in set patterns, and a lack of responsiveness. CWD is not known to affect humans.

There is no vaccine or cure for CWD, but steps have been taken to minimize the risk of the disease spreading from beyond the area where it currently exists. For example, within the CWD Containment Zone, human-induced movements of wild or captive deer, elk, or other susceptible species will be restricted and mandatory hunter check stations will be established. CWD tests can only be performed on dead deer.

New Deer Movement-Transport Rules in Texas – TTT

The movement of white-tailed deer and into and around the state of Texas has been on the radar of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) for some time. The deadly deer disease referred to as chronic wasting disease (CWD) is known to wreak havoc on deer populations where it is found. Now that CWD was recently detected in Texas’ resident mule deer herd out west the next step may be to change the deer transport rules within the state. CWD poses a serious threat to deer populations and deer hunting within the state. Just ask any state that has had CWD.

TPWD: “State wildlife officials say more deliberation is needed before new rules are adopted governing Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s regulatory response to the detection of CWD in Texas. Consideration of proposed rules restricting deer movement in the CWD affected area of far West Texas will be delayed until the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission’s November meeting.

“Because this is a very dynamic process involving a complex disease, our approach to proposed rules regarding unnatural deer movement is one of caution,” said Mitch Lockwood, TPWD big game program director. “The consensus among our CWD task force is that additional measures need consideration beyond what we originally proposed.”

Proposed rules being considered would limit permitted deer movement into or from areas in which CWD has been discovered as well as areas for which there is a moderate to high probability that the disease exists undetected.

In addition to permitted movement restrictions, officials will be collecting samples from hunter harvested mule deer for CWD testing. All mule deer harvested in the CWD Containment Zone of El Paso, Hudspeth, and Culberson counties during the upcoming mule deer season, Nov. 23-Dec. 9 will be inspected by officials at mandatory hunter check stations and tested for CWD. Mandatory check stations will be set up at the Van Horn Convention Center and at Mae’s Café in Cornudas.

Also, hunters in the surrounding High Risk Zone are encouraged to submit their harvested deer for CWD testing at voluntary mule deer check stations in Bakersfield, Midland, Alpine and Sanderson, scheduled to be open during all three weekends of the general mule deer season.

TPWD plans to post all test results on the agency’s website as soon as results are received from Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. Additional information, including maps of the Containment and High Risk Zones, check station locations and other details will be made available on the TPWD website prior to the mule deer hunting season.”

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Found in West Texas Deer

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the deer version of Mad Cow Disease and it’s been lurking just across the Texas border in the state of New Mexico. Wildlife officials assumed it was just a matter of time before it stepped over into Texas, but no one wanted to imagine what impact it may have on deer hunting or the deer breeding industry. Unfortunately, the wait is over — CWD is in Texas. Two West Texas mule deer tested positive for CWD, the very first such cases to have been documented in Texas.

The discovery of CWD, a fatal illness that destroys a deer’s brain, this week has created a greater sense of urgency to impose stricter statewide regulations that will lessen the chances of the deer disease spreading elsewhere in the state.

The deer that tested positive for CWD were from the Hueco Mountains in El Paso, Texas, and Hudspeth counties. These areas now look to be restricted to “containment” and “high-risk” zones covering West Texas under proposed deer transport regulations.

Despite the positive tests, one Texas official said that the two instances of Chronic Wasting Disease among the 31 tested deer should not create cause for concern, this despite the fact that scientific reports cite CWD as comparable to Mad Cow Disease for cows and Cruetzfeldt-Jakob Disease for humans. “This is definitely not a crisis,” Clayton Wolf, wildlife division director for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, told the media.

With its two positive tests, Texas became the 19th state to document positive tests for the disease. Texas has tested more than 33,000 total deer in the last decade, none of which had tested positive for the deer disease until now. The exact effect that the findings could have on the annual $1.5 billion brought in by the state by recreational deer hunting in Texas as well as the additional $650 million annually from the captive-deer industry remains unclear. One thing is for sure though, CWD now calls Texas home.

Mule Deer in West Texas

Most of the deer hunting in Texas is focused on white-tail deer, but there is also a lot of mule deer hunting takes place in West Texas. The Trans-Pecos and the High Plans both offer solid opportunities for hunters to bag some really nice animals. But don’t get mule deer and whitetail deer confused. They are totally different animals, from the habitat that they used to the foods that they eat. Mule deer were taken from a completely different mold.

Desert mule deer have very different diet requirements. They are definitely deer, but their nutritional need is different than whitetail, which prefer habitats that provide much more cover. Mule deer have adapted to the desert and their food habits have evolved around it. Their are able to use low quality foods and also have the ability to recombine amino acids to create the protein they need. This allows them to make more with less.

Mule deer typically shed and start their antler growth about a month later than South Texas whitetail. Mule deer live in a hot, dry and tough area, so the number of mule deer is much lower than typical whitetail densities. The low density of the deer helps them though, because this desert habitat can provide them with enough food, even during tough times. The plants that live in the tough country of the Texas Trans-Pecos do so for a reason—they can make it there. Though these plants provide mule deer with an abundance of grub in times of rains, they tend to do okay when it is dry too. Mule deer can make it, but rain puts gravy on the bread.

Mule deer have adapted to the arid West Texas climate, but the quality of deer hunting is impacted by rainfall. This is because body condition and antler growth are closely tied to precipitation. Good rainfall makes for a lot of food, both forbs and browse. Plants wait on the rainy season and then put their new growth, which mule deer take advantage of. In drier times, however, the plants go dormant and deer eat more browse. Forbs will grow anytime it rains out there.

For the most part, the majority of the forbs found in the Trans-Pecos portion of West Texas will be warm season plants. There is not much cool season out there, so not many cool season plants except for irrigated winter food plots (if you are lucky enough to have them). When it rains things grow, and it does not take a mule deer very long to pack the weight back on if surrounded by a bounty of food. Over the mule deer’s range, winter months are the toughest because many areas will grow very little native forbs even if it does rain.

Mule deer will eat live plants as well as dead. In a good rainfall year, plants will produce more than mule deer can eat before they turn brown because of decreasing rainfall and increasing temperatures. When green forbs and some browse plants die, then these plants fill a role very similar to hay for livestock—mule deer can use this dead material as a large portion of their diet. In addition, mulies can compliment this forage with the surviving, deeper rooted forbs and browse.

Mule deer are tough and much different from whitetail. Mule deer hunting in West Texas is affected by precipitation in the region, but mule deer are quite drought tolerant. Dry winters are the norm in far West Texas and mule deer have adapted to it. The deer management practices on individual properties will also have impacts on local deer populations. Mature deer require less forage than younger, growing deer. Maintaining good age structure in both the buck and doe segments of the population will ensure healthy animals and mule deer hunting into the future.

TPWD Mule Deer Check Stations Announced

With the mule deer hunting season just around the corner, biologists with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are asking deer hunters and landowners to bring their harvested mule deer to one of the six voluntary mule deer check stations in the Trans-Pecos region on December 3-4 and December 10-11. The voluntary mule deer check stations will be set up during the two weekends in Culberson, Midland, Pecos, Terrell and Brewster counties.

Mule deer harvest data collected at these check stations is used to monitor harvest intensity, herd condition and age structure and to develop revisions in deer hunting regulations. TPWD biologists annually collect mule deer harvest data by management compartment, which include age by tooth wear and replacement, antler measurements and field-dressed body weights.

“In an effort to improve deer data, increase our knowledge of mule deer harvest intensity on a broader scale, and enhance efficiency, we will be operating voluntary mule deer check stations for the 2011 hunting season in five counties,” said Shawn Gray, TPWD mule deer program coordinator. “These check stations will be located in areas where hunters can conveniently get their harvested mule deer aged, weighed, and measured [for bucks].”

In the Trans-Pecos, more than 14,000 harvested mule deer bucks have been checked since 1980, averaging more than 500 deer each season. In addition, data is also collected from a limited number of harvested does. Successful Texas mule deer hunters can do their part by participating and allowing TPWD staff to collect valuable information.

“This information is essential in monitoring mule deer populations in Texas and making future hunting regulation decisions,” Gray explained. “The success of the check stations will be in large part because of the cooperation of hunters and landowners. TPWD encourages all hunters and landowners hunting these dates to bring their harvested mule deer by a check station this hunting season.”

All voluntary check stations will be open from 9am – 5pm on December 3-4 and December 10-11. Voluntary mule deer check stations will be located at these locations:

Van Horn, Culberson County, Van Horn Convention Center – 1801 West Broadway

Midland, Midland County, Naturally Fresh (Deer Processor) – 1501 Elwyn, Midland, TX 79701

Bakersfield, Pecos County, Chevron Station – south of I-10 (Exit 294)

Sanderson, Terrell County, Slim’s Auto Repair – intersection of HWY 90 and 285

Alpine, Brewster County, Hip-O Taxidermy – east side of town on HWY 90, across from Dairy Queen Restaurant

Mule deer numbers in Texas have been going up with increased mule deer population management. In addition, some counties have seen the addition of mule deer hunting seasons in recent years. This year has been dry, but hunters focusing on water and food sources should have good luck. Hope to see all you successful hunters bring your deer by one of the six TPWD mule deer check stations this years. It’s almost here!

Mule Deer Hunting in Texas

Every year thousands of hunters look to go mule deer hunting in Texas. And yes, Texas does have some really nice mule deer. Just check out the photos below from Gaines County! But do not confuse whitetail deer with mule deer. Mule deer differ from white-tailed deer in many ways, including their general behavior, food habits, population dynamics and habitat preferences. Properties that hold quality mule deer bucks must implement management practices specific to mule and, of course, regulate mule deer harvest.

Mule deer are one of the most valued game animals in the Trans-Pecos and Panhandle regions of Texas. Whether because of their limited distribution, relatively low numbers, or their unique appearance and behavior, most Texas landowners view mule deer as a very valuable resource. With that said, many hunters also value mule deer, especially Texas mule deer. Although many hunters head to Colorado or Wyoming mule deer hunting each, there is just something special about a home-grown mulie buck. Continue reading Mule Deer Hunting in Texas