In Texas, white-tailed deer hunting regulations are set by county. In addition, some counties have antler restriction regulations on bucks. An important part of this regulation is the 13-inch rule related to buck harvest. So, can you shoot more than one 13 inch buck in Texas? A legal buck must be at least 13 inches wide between the main beams.
Texas antler restriction regulations aim to improve the quality and age structure of white-tailed deer populations. These rules are enforced in certain counties and focus on the size and characteristics of a legal buck.
Definition of a Legal Buck
In counties with antler restrictions, a buck is considered legal if it meets one of the following criteria:
At least one unbranched antler (a spike or a buck with one antler that does not fork), or
Promote healthier deer populations and improve hunting quality.
More Than One 13 Inch Buck is Legal
In Texas, the rules about how many 13-inch wide (or larger) bucks you can harvest depend on the county and its specific regulations. There are 254 counties in Texas. Know in which county you are hunting, and know the deer hunting regulations for the county.
Here’s a general breakdown on buck antler restrictions in Texas:
Antler Restrictions: Many Texas counties have antler restrictions to promote better buck age structures. In these counties, a legal buck is defined as:
Having at least one unbranched antler, or
Having an inside spread of 13 inches or greater.
Bag Limits:
Some counties have a one-buck limit, meaning you can only shoot one buck in total during the season (13-inch spread or otherwise).
Other counties allow two bucks, but typically only one of them can have an inside spread of 13 inches or greater.
Special Seasons or Tags:
If you hunt in multiple counties, you are limited by the statewide bag limit of five deer, but no more than three bucks statewide.
Supplemental or Managed Lands Deer Permits (MLDPs) issued to landowners might allow additional harvests.
To ensure you’re within the law, check the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) specific county regulations in the current Outdoor Annual Hunting Guide. You can shoot more than one 13 inch buck in Texas, but just make sure you don’t shoot a second 13-inch-plus buck in a county with antler restriction regulations!
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was found in Texas in 2012 and has been spreading within the state since that time. CWD is a neurological disease in deer, elk, moose and other members of the deer family, known as “cervids.” The disease was first recognized in 1967 in captive mule deer in Colorado, and has since been documented in captive and free-ranging deer in 21 states and two Canadian Provinces.
This disease presents numerous challenges for state wildlife agencies across North America. Of concern is the potential for decline within deer, elk, or other susceptible cervid populations. In addition, CWD could have indirect impacts on hunting, hunter participation, and economic benefits derived from big game hunting. In Texas, hunting is a $2.2 billon economic engine, supporting many rural towns across the state. CWD is a threat to landowners, hunters, and wildlife conservation.
Because eradication is thought to be impossible once CWD becomes established in a population, it is imperative that a sound CWD management program is established to reduce the severity of implications resulting from the disease. Of course, disease prevention is the best approach to protect cervid populations and prevent social and economic repercussions.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) have developed a cooperative CWD management plan to guide both agencies in addressing risks, developing management strategies, and protecting big game resources from Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in captive or free-ranging cervid populations.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) discovered Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Limestone County. A white-tailed deer within a breeding facility tested positive for CWD. The is marks the first positive detection of CWD in Limestone County. With deer season just around the corner, will this affect hunters?
The deer was found as part of a required CWD surveillance program. Samples from four deer were detected with CWD prions by the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in College Station on September 5. The National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa confirmed CWD in two of these samples on Sept. 13. In addition, the lab should complete testing of the other two samples soon.
Animal health and wildlife officials have taken action to secure the deer breeding facility. State officials must now identify and notify other breeding facilities that received deer or shipped deer to this facility in the last five years. CWD seems to be on the move, as earlier this month CWD was found in Gillespie County. The recent news makes you wonder where CWD will be found in Texas next?
Looking at CWD in Limestone County
“TPWD and TAHC are taking this situation very seriously,” said John Silovsky, Wildlife Division Director for TPWD. “Fortunately, these positive cases were detected early, and we have a good sample distribution across the facility. At this time, CWD appears to be contained to one pen within the facility.
Animal health and wildlife officials will continue to investigate to determine the extent of the disease within the facility and mitigate risks to Texas’ CWD susceptible species. Quick detection of CWD in Limestone County can help mitigate the disease’s spread.”
CWD Zone in Limestone County
TPWD officials are developing surveillance zone boundaries that may include portions of Limestone, Hill, Freestone and Navarro counties. CWD zones are an effective strategy for managing and containing the disease. Hunters in surveillance and containment zones must take harvested CWD susceptible species to a check station or otherwise meet submission requirements.
TPWD will provide additional information to landowners and hunters within the surveillance zone regarding CWD sampling locations. Furthermore, TPWD will provide options to have white-tailed deer or other CWD susceptible species tested. There is no cost to the hunter for this testing. A public meeting will be held concerning CWD in Limestone County prior to implementation to provide the details of the zones and CWD management.
“Surveillance is an essential part of managing CWD,” said Dr. Andy Schwartz, TAHC Executive Director and State Veterinarian. “While the disease’s incubation period poses challenges, quick detection can help mitigate the disease’s spread and protect cervid populations in Texas.”
Testing Required with CWD in Limestone County
Testing for CWD allows wildlife biologists and animal health officials to get a clearer picture of the prevalence and distribution of the CWD disease across Texas. Additionally, proactive monitoring improves the state’s response time to a CWD detection and can greatly reduce the risk of the disease spreading further to neighboring captive and free-ranging populations.
TPWD and TAHC encourage hunters outside of established surveillance and containment zones to voluntarily submit their harvest for testing at a check station, for free, before heading home from the field. A map of TPWD check stations can be found on the TPWD website. CWD testing required for exotic deer in Texas according to TAHC, regardless of location.
CWD in Texas and Beyond
First recognized in 1967 in captive mule deer in Colorado, CWD has since been documented in captive and/or free-ranging deer in 30 states and three Canadian provinces. To date, 392 captive or free-ranging cervids — including white-tailed deer, mule deer, red deer and elk — in 16 Texas counties have tested positive for CWD.
CWD is a fatal neurological disease found in certain cervids, including deer, elk, moose and other members of the deer family. The disease is highly transmissible and can remain infectious on the landscape for several years. If left unmanaged, CWD can have long-term impacts on the native deer herd and local economies.
Clinical signs may include progressive weight loss, stumbling or tremors with a lack of coordination, excessive thirst, salivation or urination, loss of appetite, teeth grinding, abnormal head posture and/or drooping ears. These signs may not become evident until long after animals have become infected. Therefore, testing remains the best available tool for detecting CWD at an early stage and containing it with appropriate management strategies.
To date, there is no evidence that CWD poses a risk to humans or non-cervids. However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend not to consume meat from infected animals. However, because there is CWD in Limestone County deer, local hunters need to be aware of testing requirements.
State officials have discovered CWD in Gillespie County. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been discovered in a deer breeding within the county. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) are collaboratively working to determine the source and extent of the first positive detection of the disease in this county.
CWD is a prion disease that affects deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer and moose. CWD has been found in some areas of Texas and it continues to increase. It may take over a year before an infected deer develops symptoms, which can include drastic weight loss (wasting), stumbling, listlessness and other neurologic symptoms. CWD can affect deer of all ages and some infected animals may die without ever developing the disease. CWD is fatal to animals and there are no treatments or vaccines.
Deer Positive for CWD in Gillespie County
After the mortality of a white-tailed deer on the premises was identified, tissue samples from the one-year-old buck were submitted by the deer breeding facility as part of a required CWD surveillance program. The samples were tested at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) in College Station on August 17 and indicated the presence of CWD. The National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa confirmed CWD in those tissue samples onAugust 30.
Immediate action has been taken to secure all deer located at the facility and plans to conduct additional CWD investigations are underway. Additionally, other breeding facilities that received deer or shipped deer to this facility, during the last five years, have been identified and placed under movement restrictions.
“Response staff are diligently working to conduct epidemiological investigations, but the nature of the disease makes definitive findings difficult to determine,” said Dr. Andy Schwartz, TAHC State Veterinarian. “The incubation period of CWD can span years creating disease detection and management challenges.”
More CWD in Gillespie County?
Animal health and wildlife officials will investigate todetermine the extent of the disease within the facility and mitigate risks to Texas’ CWD susceptible species. Quick detection of CWD can help mitigate the disease’s spread.
“The discovery of CWD in Gillespie County at this breeding facility is an unfortunate situation that TPWD and TAHC take very seriously,” said John Silovsky, Wildlife Division Director for TPWD. “Both agencies will respond appropriately to this matter to protect the state’s susceptible species from further disease exposure.”
A CWD fact sheet is available from the Texas Animal Health Commission.
More on CWD
First recognized in 1967 in captive mule deer in Colorado, CWD has since been documented in captive and/or free-ranging deer in 30 states and three Canadian provinces. To date, 376 captive or free-ranging cervids — including white-tailed deer, mule deer, red deer and elk — in 15 Texas counties have tested positive for CWD. For more information on previous detections visit the CWD page on the TPWD website. The discovery of CWD in Gillespie County makes it the most recent county added to the list.
Testing for CWD allows wildlife biologists and animal health officials to get a clearer picture of the prevalence and distribution of the disease across Texas. Proactive monitoring improves the state’s response time to a CWD detection and can greatly reduce the risk of the disease further spreading to neighboring captive and free-ranging populations. With each discovery of a new CWD positive area in the state, CWD zones are established as a strategy to manage and contain the disease. TPWD officials will be working towards delineating and establishing a new zone in Gillespie County to be implemented later this fall.
There is no doubt that Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) threatens deer hunting in Texas. The best way to avoid the impacts of the disease is to avoid spreading CWD from one place to another. In Texas, much of the white-tailed deer population is currently insulated from CWD, but we all have to do our part to keep it that way.
“Because many hunters process their own deer, they are key players in preventing environmental contamination or minimizing the spread of diseases such as CWD,” said Alan Cain, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) White-tailed Deer Program Leader. “One possible way that disease can spread is by the transportation and improper disposal of infected carcass parts.”
Transfer of CWD
Many deer species can become infected with CWD if they come into contact with other infected deer or an environment contaminated with CWD prions. While CWD prions are found ubiquitously throughout the body of an infected deer, they are known to accumulate in the brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, and lymph nodes. As such, it makes sense not to move these parts around and throw them in your back yard or the back 40.
This is a good idea for all deer hunters but is especially important and mandatory for hunters with CWD Containment and Surveillance Zones in Texas. Texas currently has three zones: Trans-Pecos, South Central and Panhandle CWD Containment and Surveillance Zones.
Hunters cannot take whole deer carcasses, or carcass parts that contain brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, or lymph nodes, out of the CWD zones or from another state or country known to have CWD.
Stop CWD: Stop Carcass Movement
“We recommend hunters in the CWD Containment and Surveillance Zones quarter deer in the field and leave all inedible parts at the site of harvest, or preferably dispose of in a landfill, or bury at site of harvest if possible,” Cain said. “Proper carcass disposal is good practice anywhere in the state, but especially critical in CWD zones.”
Cain also noted that hunters wishing to take an intact skinned or unskinned deer head to a taxidermist outside a CWD zone or from another CWD positive state or country may do so, but must obtain the Deer Head Waiver at any TPWD CWD check station or at the TPWD CWD website. The waiver should be completed and kept with the hunter or with the deer head until it reaches the taxidermist.
6 Tips for Proper Carcass Disposal
Avoid cutting through bones, spine, or brain when processing deer carcasses.
Place carcass parts in trash bags and properly dispose of them through a trash service or landfill.
Remove all muscle and brain tissue from antlers attached to skull plates
Remove all excess tissue from hides or capes
Quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spine or head attached
Ideally, keep the carcass within the CWD zone for processing and taxidermy
Hunters in CWD Zones
Hunters who harvest deer and other CWD-susceptible species in the South Central zone during archery season beginning Sept. 28 are required to bring their animals to a TPWD check station within 48 hours of harvest in order to have tissue samples removed for CWD testing. Hunters will receive a proof-of-sex document at the check station, allowing them to lawfully dispose of the head as recommended.
Those hunting in the Trans-Pecos zone during archery season should call (512) 221-8491 and those hunting in the Panhandle zone during archery season should call (806) 420-0439, as check stations in these areas do not open until November.
“Texas Game Wardens will be doing compliance checks to make sure hunters are meeting the requirements in the CWD restricted zones and when bringing big game from CWD positive states, which includes Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming,” said Region I Texas Game Warden Major Jason Huebner.
Proper deer carcass disposal is important for hunters within CWD zones to avoid the fines associated with state regulations to reduce the spread of CWD, but all hunters should be concerned with not fast-tracking the disease somewhere else in Texas.
By Colleen Schreiber, Livestock Weekly, A – Drones are growing in popularity. While many use these unmanned aerial vehicles for recreation, the growth is really in commercial applications. So how about drones for deer surveys?
All sorts of entrepreneurs are finding innovative ways to use drones to improve efficiency and accuracy for everyday applications. Already, drones are being tested, and in some cases used, for package delivery, even delivery of food. The military has been using drones for many years, and the agriculture industry is making greater use of them as well, everything from use in precision ag for crops to monitoring of water supplies, fencing, and livestock.
They’re also being tested as a means to gather and move livestock, more specifically serving as a spotter of sorts for those on the ground.
Researchers Eye Drones for Deer Surveys
Now the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is investigating the possible use of drones to conduct annual deer surveys for monitoring populations and proposing harvest recommendations. The initial research work is being done by scientists at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute. Some of their initial findings were presented by Dr. Randy DeYoung at the recent Deer Associates annual gathering here.
DeYoung started with a discussion on some generalities. First he outlined some reasons for investigating the use of drones for wildlife surveys, noting in particular that there are some “real serious limitations” with the current survey methodologies, be it with helicopter, fixed wing aircraft, spotlight counts, or game camera surveys.
“We’re not seeing all the deer, for example,” said DeYoung. “Consequently, if we survey the same pasture two or three times, we’re going to get very different counts, sometimes a 50 to 100 percent difference. That’s primarily because we’re relying on animals to move, and at some times of the day and/or on different days, they just don’t move.”
He offered some plausible reasons for investigating the use of drones for wildlife aerial surveys. Perhaps at the top of that list is safety. “Aircraft is probably one of the most significant causes of death of biologists,” said DeYoung.
Another benefit of drones over current methods is that the industrial grade drones offer thermal or infrared technology, which means surveys could be done at night, when deer are typically more active.
Conducting Deer Surveys Using Drones
While drone technology has come a long way in a relatively short period of time, there are still some limitations. With respect to the possibility of using them for wildlife censusing, DeYoung acknowledged that flying time, for example, could be a limitation. Some of the smaller, less-expensive drones may only allow for 10 to 20 minutes of flying, he said, though technology is improving, and flight durations are better for the more expensive types.
The Federal Aviation Administration has also implemented regulations on drones, and those regulations are likely to increase. Weather may also be an issue for the small drones, as they can easily be blown around in windy conditions. Visibility may be an issue as well, DeYoung said.
“Can we use these in the South Texas brush? Also, we may be able to count the animals, but can we tell sex and age or can we even tell fawns from adults? Those are real important things from a management perspective,” he pointed out.
The goal of this initial research, he said, was first to investigate the feasibility of drones for wildlife surveys and then, depending on that outcome, develop some protocols for surveying populations using drones. On the latter, such issues as procedures for how the drones are flown, reviewing the footage — what’s a deer and what’s not. In other words, the counting with drones will not be done in real time, and therefore the images may not be all that clear as to whether a “blob” seen on the infrared footage is a deer or a coyote, for example. Also, observers may see something on the tape differently each time it’s viewed.
“We will need to find out if the results are repeatable,” DeYoung pointed out. “Can different people look at the footage and come up with something very similar?”
Investigating Drones for Deer Surveys
Turning to the actual study, he said stage one simply focused on learning about the capabilities of the various drone technology by doing some actual test flights. Stage two focused more on actual evaluations. Researchers were able to take advantage of the long-term research ongoing on the Comanche and Faith ranches in southwest Texas. Because each of the ranches already had 200-acre enclosures with known deer densities, researchers recognized they could compare their drone surveys with a relatively known population of wild deer.
As for the types of drones tested, one was a small recreational-type drone easily purchased online. With this model they did some daytime flights where they tested different altitude capabilities and camera angles.
“At this point we really weren’t trying to do counts,” DeYoung commented. “We were basically just testing how far the drone could fly and what we could really see from the air.”
One fact was obvious, DeYoung said. They did not see many deer unless the deer were running, and the deer only seemed to react to the drone when it got down to the 50 to 60-foot level. “In quite a few cases, that proved to be a bit hazardous,” DeYoung said. “There were some pretty tall mesquite trees that we had to dodge.”
Drone Survey Methods
Researchers also worked with a commercial partner in this initial phase to do some test flights at night using infrared technology. First, DeYoung acknowledged that this commercial drone was considerably more expensive. The platform was not that different, but the camera and sensor, he said, are in the $20,000 to $30,000 range.
In the initial flight, the operator attempted 100 percent coverage of the 200-acre enclosure. Consequently, DeYoung estimated transacts overlapped by about 10 percent. He attributed this to the fact that their commercial applicator’s primary business is mapping, where they are stitching together a bunch of views into one map.
“It was really difficult on the observer watching the footage, because sometimes it was hard to know if you’d already counted those deer that were right on the edge,” he explained. “We did notice that as the drone was turning right at the boundary of the enclosures that sometimes it spooked the deer, and so those deer could have run over into the next transect.”
Also, the same observer watched the taped footage several different times to see how consistent the counts were. DeYoung pointed out that all of the javelinas and pigs were removed from the enclosures, though occasionally a coyote or a bobcat comes through. The point being that even though the deer were the only large animals in the enclosures, when viewing the footage, there were instances when it could not be definitively determined that what was seen was indeed a deer.
Though there were some variations between views of the same footage, in general the drone sightings pretty well tracked the trends of relative known deer density in the enclosure. “We learned some things with this initial valuation, DeYoung told listeners, “but it looks pretty promising.”
More Drone Surveys for Deer
Another set of surveys were done with a different corporate partner and a slightly different setup. This particular drone incorporated thermal technology, thus the surveys could be done during the day and at night. Researchers were also interested in doing another video camera valuation — an optical count — as well.
“This type of sensor and camera would require pretty deep pockets,” DeYoung admitted. This time, they flew multiple flights on two of the enclosures on each of the ranches.
“We wanted to see again how variable the counts were from flight to flight,” DeYoung said. “We also wanted to see if reducing the overlap would help the observers in their counts.”
Strip width was about 100 yards, flown at about 130 feet above the ground. With this approach, researchers estimated that they covered about 63 percent of the 20-acre enclosures. What they found was that again, with the optical count, if the deer were not moving out in the open, it was difficult to see them.
“Our early assessment is that the smaller drone with simple video capabilities will have limited use for our purposes,” DeYoung said. The drone equipped with the thermal sensor again looked “pretty good” for both daytime and nighttime surveys.
“We still had some variation among drone surveys and then views, either different people or the same person viewing the same survey over and over,” he said. “Again, it was the ‘blob or deer’ thing; sometimes it was just difficult to tell if it was a deer.”
Nonetheless, in phase two with the other commercial partner, the drones again tracked relative density quite well, though there was some undercounting. “We will have to come up with an objective protocol for when we call it a deer or not a deer or uncertain,” said DeYoung.
Also, it was pretty clear that identifying age and sex would be difficult, thus making it impossible to determine a fawn crop, for example. Finally, range and duration of the drone is likely to be a limitation for large ranches.
“Maybe we can develop a protocol for larger survey areas using different percent coverage, things like that,” DeYoung told listeners. “All that to say there’s more work to do.”
TPWD on Using Drones for Deer
Mitch Lockwood, TPWD’s big game program director, closed out the discussion with a few comments. He acknowledged that the department continues to field calls from landowners and from their own biologists about the feasibility of drones for technical guidance purposes and for use in their Managed Lands Deer program.
“Everyone recognizes the potential,” Lockwood said, “but there are some obvious limitations.” He also noted that a drone is considered an aircraft, so federal law requires an air and wildlife management permit for wildlife surveys or other wildlife management uses.
“Also, there are major limitations to using drones for deer surveys at night. We need to look deeper into that,” he concluded.
Anthrax is a fatal disease that impacts both wildlife and domestic animals. Anthrax usually shows up in the heat of summer following above average spring rainfall. It is highly contagious and impacts white-tailed deer populations negatively in the areas where the disease is present.
Anthrax in Ozona?
Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) officials confirmed anthrax in 5 cattle on a Crockett County premises. This is the first anthrax case in Texas for 2017. Wildlife species have not been documented at this time.
The property where anthrax has been confirmed is located approximately 13 miles east of Ozona and has been quarantined. TAHC rules require proper disposal of affected carcasses and vaccination of other cattle on the premise prior to release of the quarantine.
Monitoring Anthrax in Crockett Co.
“The TAHC will continue to closely monitor the situation,” said Dr. Susan Rollo, TAHC State Epidemiologist. “Producers are encouraged to remain vigilant and consult with their local veterinary practitioner if they suspect their animals are affected with anthrax or are interested in vaccinating their livestock.”
What is Anthrax?
Anthrax is a bacterial disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, which is a naturally occurring organism with worldwide distribution, including certain parts of Texas. Anthrax cases in Texas are historically found in the triangular area bound by the towns of Uvalde, Ozona and Eagle Pass. This area includes portions of Crockett, Val Verde, Sutton, Edwards, Kinney and Maverick counties. 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. 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 Anthrax is Suspected
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.
If anthrax is suspected on your Crockett County property or elsewhere contact the TAHC.
The Managed Lands Deer Permit (MDP) Program offered by TPWD has been around almost two decades and has experienced some changes this year. Land owners that have participated in the past as well as those interested in enrolling for the 2017-18 deer hunting season must register online before the deadline.
The MLDP program offers two different options starting this year, the Conservation Option (CO) and the Harvest Option (HO). Both offer landowners/hunters the ability to receive deer tags for the property that they own or hunt. The program is intended to help with deer management and/or hunting, but the two options are different in terms of how can help.
Conservation Option Vs. Harvest Option
After reading guidelines for the voluntary program, it appears that the Conservation Option offers the most opportunity for a property owner to effectively manage the deer found on a property. However, it does require that the landowner perform 3 “department-approved habitat management practices each year.”
It also requires that properties participating in CO perform deer surveys each year. For those interested in managing the deer found on their property this seems like stuff you will already be doing. The deadline for signup in August 1.
The HO is different. It does not require any management practices on the participating property and it does not required that annual deer surveys be performed. Deer permits are issued using some formula based on the property. TPWD has developed a HO Tag Estimator that determines how many tags a particular property will get. Here is a good article discussing how to use the MLDP tag estimator for the upcoming deer season. The deadline for HO signup is also August 1.
When a person goes to register a property for MLDP enrollment in either option the system asks for a map of the property. This same map is (presumably) used to determine deer harvest recommendations under the HO but deer survey data is used to make harvest recommendations under the CO (since it’s required for the option).
MLDP Enrollment
Per TPWD, “The MLDP program is intended to foster and support sound management and stewardship of native wildlife and wildlife habitats on private lands in Texas. Deer harvest is an important aspect of habitat management and conservation. Landowners enrolled in either the MLDP Harvest Option or Conservation Option are able to take advantage of extended season lengths and liberalized harvest opportunities.”
MLDP participation is completely voluntary, but better deer herd management and longer deer hunting seasons are very compelling, especially with regard to the Conservation Option. I can envision situations where the Harvest Option may be a good idea for certain properties as well.
The MLDP enrollment deadlines for each option are rapidly approaching, August 1, so whether you have participated in the past or are consider register for the upcoming hunting season, act fast. Just remember that once enrolled, program participants must meet MLDP requirements for the full year of enrollment. The specific information on each option can be found here.
The white-tailed deer hunting season is upon us and Virginia deer hunters need to be aware of regulations before heading into the field. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) is requesting that hunters pay particular attention to regulations related to Chronic Wasting Disease.
State officials are asking hunters to become familiar with regulations before transporting deer after a progressive neurological disease was found in 12 deer harvested in Frederick County and one deer killed on the road in Shenandoah County.
CWD Rules, Carcass Import Regs
The VDGIF stated that because of CWD, whitetail hunters must follow carcass importation regulations in other states when they transport a deer carcass out of Virginia, and must follow state importation regulations when transporting cervid carcasses into Virginia.
The VDGIF is has implemented deer management strategies within the CWD containment area of Frederick, Clarke, Warren, and Shenandoah counties. All cervids killed in those areas on November 19 and 26, 2016 must be brought to a designated CWD sampling station for mandatory testing.
Virginia whitetail hunters can still check their harvested deer via telephone or internet but must bring the deer to a designated CWD sampling station on the dates above for testing. No over-the-phone or web-based testing for the disease exists, yet.
CWD in Cervids
CWD impacts all cervids, including elk, deer and a number of other native and exotic species. CWD has been detected in 24 states and two Canadian provinces. The disease is a slow, progressive neurological disease found in North America and two other countries around the world. The disease results in death of the animal, although it make take years for the infected animal to show symptoms or die.
Symptoms exhibited by CWD-infected deer include drooling, abnormal posture, lowered head, confusion, staggering and dramatic weight loss. There is no evidence that CWD can be transmitted to humans, pets or even livestock. Hunters that encounter a deer that displays any of the described symptoms should contact a VDGIF representative as soon as possible.
CWD threatens white-tailed deer and deer hunting in Virginia and across the country. Whether hunting in state or out, understand the CWD carcass import regulations and check station requirements before harvesting a deer and bringing it home. It could cost more than just a ticket.
It looks like the price of deer hunting in Colorado is on the rise. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW)officials are looking for additional revenue streams amid budget cuts and millions of dollars worth of deferred maintenance stacking up at its facilities just as hunters prepare to head to the field for the start of rifle season for big game.
Colorado:Hunting for Dollars
Times are tough for everyone, which includes agencies funded by the public. During a series of 18 “Funding the Future” meetings across the state this summer, wildlife managers explained the dire situation of a Colorado Wildlife budget that’s been slashed by $40 million since 2009 and yet still faces a budget shortfall of $15 million to $20 million by 2023.
It seems we are all having to do more with less, but it seems Colorado deer hunting will cost more. It’s not the only one though.
Deer Hunting Costs Going Up?
State officials say that without a fee increase for in-state hunting and fishing licenses, CPW would lose access to thousands of acres it leases for hunting and fishing and wildlife management efforts would be compromised. The million dollar questions is how much of a fee increase Colorado hunters and anglers see? That will be left up to lawmakers next year.
But like the mountains, rate hikes on deer and other hunting licenses are a slippery slope. Many sportsmen have been supportive of an increase in license costs, but they are also concerned that a steep hike could price out some hunters and turn off an already tuned-out younger generation that’s not interested in hunting.
Most understand the budgetary needs of the wildlife department, but hunter recruitment and retention should be an extremely high priority for state officials. The fact of the matter is that the human population continues to grow, which puts more pressure on state agencies by both hunters and non-hunters alike.
