Texas Hunting Times

Big Spike Buck Could be New Record

Most hunters do not get excited about seeing a spike buck deer hunting, but there are spikes — and then there are SPIKES. Texas hunter Wes Wyrick recently harvested a spike of epic proportions which could go down in the record books as the biggest whitetail spike yet. Wyrick has a hunting lease in Val Verde County where he maintains game cameras to monitor deer in the area. The big spike deer definitely stood out, but it took some time for the hunter to get him in his sights.

LSO News: The antlers, each approximately 24 inches long, curve gracefully above the deer’s head to form a towering, smooth semicircle. If the length and symmetry weren’t impressive enough, Wyrick estimated the deer to be about 8-1/2-years old. All of this adds up to an once-in-a-lifetime kill.

“I knew I would never see another deer like that,” Wyrick said of the first time he saw the buck’s image captured on a game camera. “I was like, ‘Holy crap, I need to shoot that deer.’”

Wyrick has “been hunting since he could walk” and, when he isn’t hunting recreationally with buddy Cody Garrett and loyal dog, Newt, he is either studying wildlife at Texas A&M University-Kingsville or working as a gunner for Southwest Texas Helicopters shooting pigs. Needless to say, Wyrick knows a good deer when he sees one.

The hunter said there was no ground shrinkage on this big spike-antlered buck. The buck’s antlers total 48 2/8 inches in length, enough to put Wyrick in the lead for “Longest Spike” in three different deer contest. Looks like everything is really bigger in Texas, including spike bucks.

Culling Bucks for Herd Improvement: The Ability to Age Deer is Key

I believe there will always be controversy around the culling of white-tailed bucks. It’s one of those topics that never seems to be put to rest. I do feel like the term “cull buck” is way over used, often by hunters as a way to justify the death of the buck they just harvested. The number one problem for most hunters who want to employ culling practices to create a high-quality deer hunting property lies not only in having the opportunity to see and shoot the right bucks, but possessing the ability to precisely identify the age of the deer standing in front of them.

There is a substantial difference between a yearling buck with 8 antler points and a 4 1/2 year old buck with 8 antler points. Sure, most hunters can identify as yearling (1 1/2 year old) buck because they look like does with little antlers. Although these bucks can have from 2 to 10 points, it’s still an easy game to because their bodies are so small compared to older bucks. But after that buck tacks on another year or two in age, then the ability to age that deer on the hoof becomes a lot more complicated.

For example, go ahead and jump on any hunting forum and check out the photo section. There are, without a doubt, game camera photos featuring bucks. The person posting each of the photos will probably be requesting estimates with regards to the buck’s age and score. The most common guess will be 3 1/2 years of age, regardless of whether it’s actually at 2 1/2 year old or a 5 1/2 year old buck. But to be fair, there are a lot of photos of 3 1/2 year old bucks floating around, which is probably representative of the deer herd that hunters are hunting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx5vu7FcMmM

Speaking of game cameras, they are a great tool that should be used to help us age deer in the field. For culling to be effective, it also boils down to correctly aging the bucks that we come into contact on our hunting properties. If we do not have the ability to age bucks before pulling the trigger, then the error will be culling deer simply based on antler size. The fact of the matter is that the culling of whitetail bucks should based on both age and antler size, says Dr. Charles DeYoung, a research biologist with the Caesar Kleberg Research Center in Kingsville, Texas.

“It’s fairly easy to tell if a buck is a yearling, but once they get up in the 2- to 3-year-old range, it gets more difficult to accurately estimate their age,” DeYoung says. “I can think of several bucks I estimated to be 2 or 3 only to find out they were 6 when I examined their teeth.” That’s why it’s virtually impossible to judge a deer’s age or potential simply by examining antler points, shape or mass and then deciding if it’s a cull buck. It takes being familiar with deer body characteristics, which varies by area, but even that still leaves you making an educated guess.

For the average hunter that does not deal with white-tailed deer day-in and day-out the best thing we can do is harvest the bucks that we consider shooters and let the others walk. This will vary by area and by hunter. A shooter buck to one hunter may not be a shooter to another hunter. Try to harvest the ones that meet your personal criteria and leave the bucks that do not. Besides, there’s no guarantee that a “cull buck” that appears inferior because of uneven or unusual antlers will remain that way. They might, but the average hunter really has no way of knowing if a deformed antler is the result of poor genetics or just an untimely accident. Of course, if it’s observed in subsequent hunting seasons then it can make the decision quite easy.

Commercial Deer Breeding and Hunting Operations Under Fire

It’s increased exponentially is recent years and has turned increasingly negative attention towards white-tailed deer hunting: Captive deer breeding. Pen-raised deer have fueled a segment of the hunting industry that many have tried to ignore, yet others see the breeding and hunting of captive deer as a necessity. Opponents say hunting preserves violate the fair chase concept. But what’s fair? That’s always a gray area, in any discussion.

“Did the animal have a fair chance to escape?” asks Keith Balfourd of the Boone and Crocket Club, a conservation group founded by Theodore Roosevelt. “They’re not hunts, they’re shoots,” he says, “and the club denounces that activity.” Critics of captive deer hunting operations think it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. Proponents cite managed herds with optimal nutrition, not to mention genetics. It’s a discussion that pits hunters against hunters.

Source: Breeders sell the deer they raise to owners of private hunting preserves, where bucks and does are kept confined to fenced-in areas for high-paying customers to hunt. A prize buck can fetch $100,000 for breeders.

“It was a small cottage industry to begin with, but in the past 10 to 20 years, more and more folks have gotten into it,” Mark Smith, a wildlife biologist at Auburn University, said.

Landowners across the country have long allowed hunters to shoot deer on their property, but recently breeders and farmers have built high fences to trap deer in smaller areas for hunters who are willing to pay a high price to get access to those smaller areas. While some animal rights activitsts oppose this practice on ethical grounds, wildlife managers criticize the role these preserves play in spreading chronic wasting disease among the nation’s wild deer population, and they would like to see tighter regulations.

Deer farmers and preserve managers argue that their operations provide a boon to rural economies that are strapped for ways to make a living. Ohio, for instance, is home to between 500 and 550 facilities that breed deer or host private hunts, Erica Hawkins of the Ohio Department of Agriculture said. A typical deer farm in Ohio yields $71,391 in annual revenue, according to a 2010 report prepared for a coalition of deer farmers in Ohio. Each farm is a slice of a $59.2 million statewide industry that generates 1,254 jobs. A 2007 study estimated that the industry generated $103 million a year in Pennsylvania and $652 million in Texas — the only two states with a larger industry than Ohio.

“We feel we are approaching a $1 billion industry,” says Chase Clark, president of the Texas Deer Association and a deer farmer himself.

Turkey Hunting Could Change in East Texas

It looks like the spring hunting season for eastern turkeys is a changing. Well, not so much changing as in going away, at least in some cases. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is considering closing spring eastern turkey hunting in 11 East Texas counties, restructure the season in two other counties and extend the youth-only fall turkey season. The recommendations are among a brief slate of proposed turkey hunting regulation changes for 2015.

If adopted, hunting season for eastern turkey would be closed in 11 counties (Angelina, Brazoria, Camp, Fort Bend, Franklin, Harrison, Hopkins, Morris, Titus, Trinity, and Wood) and on National Forest lands in Jasper County. While closed, TPWD wildlife biologists will evaluate the prospects for future eastern turkey restoration compatibility and restocking efforts. The agency’s goal is to reopen hunting should the eastern turkey populations in the affected counties become capable of sustaining harvest.

TPWD is also proposing to restructure the existing spring turkey hunting season in Wharton and Matagorda counties. The proposal would continue to allow for a 30-day spring only, one gobbler season and eliminate mandatory harvest reporting. In an effort to expand hunting opportunity for youth and reduce regulatory complexity, the department is proposing to expand by 14 days the late youth-only season in counties having an open Rio Grande fall turkey season, to run concurrent with the late youth-only season for white-tailed deer.

Comments on the proposed rules may be submitted by phone or e-mail to Robert Macdonald (512) 389-4775; e-mail: robert.macdonald@tpwd.texas.gov, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744. Comments may also be submitted through the department’s web site and at the following public meetings. Comments may also be submitted through the department’s Internet web site www.tpwd.texas.gov in February once the proposals have been published in the Texas Register and at the following public meetings.

Public hearings are scheduled for Tuesday, March 3 at 7 p.m. in Zapata at the Zapata County Technical and Advance Education Center, Room 128, 605 N. US Hwy 83, and in Lufkin at the Angelina County Courthouse, 159th District Courtroom, 215 E. Lufkin Avenue. A live online public hearing via webinar will also be held at noon on Friday, March 6. Details and instructions for participation in the online public hearing webinar will be made available on the TPWD website.

Deer Management Program Offered at Kerr WMA

White-tailed deer hunting in Texas is quite popular, but do you know about managing deer populations on your property and how hunting regulations are determined at the county and state level? An upcoming workshop by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will be hosted at the Kerr Wildlife Management Area. The workshop aims to help hunters learn more about managing deer in Texas.

The program will be offered March 21-22, 2015. Here are the program specifics; White-tailed Deer: Interaction between genetics and habitat, the role of genetics and nutrition, age structures, carrying capacity and how these issues are translated into harvest regulations, Kerr Wildlife Management Area. Kerrville, Texas. Persons interested in attending the whitetail management workshop should contact Brock Minton at 361-825-3249 for more information.

Improve Deer Hunting - Improve Deer Habitat - Deer Management in Texas

More on the Kerr Wildlife Management Area

The Kerr Wildlife Management Area is owned and operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. This area was selected as a land base for the Edwards Plateau ecological area to develop and manage wildlife habitats and populations of indigenous wildlife species, provide a site where research of wildlife populations and habitat can be conducted under controlled conditions, and to provide public hunting and appreciative use of wildlife in a manner compatible with the resource.

The Area’s primary mission is to function as a wildlife management, research, and demonstration site for trained personnel to conduct wildlife related studies and provide resultant information to resource managers, landowners, and other interested groups or individuals to acquaint them with proven practices in wildlife habitat management.

Principal wildlife species found on the Kerr Wildlife Area include white-tailed deer, bobwhite quail, javelina, wild turkey, mourning dove, fox squirrel, bobcat, raccoon, skunk, armadillo, ringtail “cat”, rabbit, gray fox, and many species of reptiles and migratory birds.

The Kerr Wildlife Management Area is located at the headwaters of the North Fork of the Guadalupe River. The Area contains 6,493 acres, representative of the Edwards Plateau habitat type of Texas.The Area was purchased in fee title by the State of Texas (Game, Fish and Oyster Commission) in 1950 from the Presbyterian MO Ranch Assembly under the Pittman-Robertson Act using Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program funds.

Conservation Hunting: A New Era for Whitetail-Deer Hunting?

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.

Deer Hunting Slow, Food Abundant in Central Texas

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.

Mills County Deer Hunting: Big Buck on the Ground!

Central Texas is not known as a big buck mecca in the world of white-tailed deer hunting, but the area produces good bucks every season. Within Central Texas, the southern end of the Cross Timbers area has a leg-up when it comes to growing big bucks. Soils are obviously a huge factor when it comes to plant growth, and subsequent body and antler growth, but it also takes a little management or some good ole fashioned luck. The former can help hunters produce good deer year after year. The latter… well, it never hurts to be lucky, especially when it comes to deer hunting!

Mills County Monster Buck

Check out this beast of a Mills County buck! David Podany, Sr.k harvested this free-ranging white-tailed deer while deer hunting in Mills County. The buck sports antlers that scored 179 1/8 gross and 173 7/8 net Boone and Crockett. The lucky hunter was deer hunting on a low-fenced property on November 21, 2014, when the big buck stepped out within range.

Mills County Deer Hunting Looks Good

Looking for a Lease

There are several ways to located hunting land. Word of mouth is still a great method, but it’s definitely not the only way. If you live in Houston, Dallas or East Texas, for that matter, good quality hunting leases may be some distance from your home. Check out classified ads in the major newspapers, calling the Chamber of Commerce in the counties where you are interested in obtaining a lease, and check out hunting forums and online lease finders.

Steel Shot for Dove Hunting in Texas

We all know that lead shot is a bad deal for waterfowl when it’s left on the landscape, so what about for doves? Findings released by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) suggests that there is no difference in effectiveness between lead and steel shot when used for dove hunting. It’s been decades since steel shot was banned for ducks and geese, so I’m more than a little surprised that it’s taken this long to look at upland game birds.

Based on a recent news release, TPWD is not currently suggesting any regulation change with regards to a steel shot only dove hunting season. However, I’d be all for a regulation change that did just that. Let’s face it, lead is a bad deal for just about every living thing. And we all know there is a lot of spent lead shot lying around the properties that we hunt. More than we’d like to admit. More missed shots than we’d like to remember.

Shot pellets are about the same size as the hard-coated seeds that doves and quail typically eat. The term “feed them lead” takes on a whole new meaning, but now it’s not nearly as exciting as shouted while hunting doves on a warm Texas afternoon. Instead the birds merely get sick and die a miserable death—and this happens year-round. That means less doves come breeding and hunting season. The mourning dove population has not been thriving. There are definitely fewer quail.

“Our findings address the efficiency of lead and non-toxic shot on mourning dove,” said Corey Mason, a TPWD wildlife biologist and one of the authors of the report. “There continues to be a spirited national discussion on the use of lead and other types of shot and these results help inform one aspect of the conversation.”

I’d rather have more birds available to shoot at during the dove hunting season. And maybe even some quail, too. Obviously, switching to steel shot for all bird hunting is not a cure-all for anything habitat related, but it sure won’t hurt the birds that are out there.

Source: “We absolutely believe in hunter choice and we also want hunters to be as informed as possible on matters affecting their outdoor pursuits,” said Carter Smith, TPWD Executive Director. “Dove are a shared international resource, and the question about whether or not lead shot should be banned for dove hunting is not something Texas is prepared to make independent of other jurisdictions and based solely on the findings of this study. This research offers an important data point in the larger discussion, but there are many other factors to consider.”

An internationally recognized shotgun ballistics expert, who has authored more than a dozen similar studies involving waterfowl and upland game birds, designed the study. The study examined three, 12-gauge, 2 ¾-inch loads designed and manufactured to mirror loads that are used most often by dove hunters. The different load types included: 1 ⅛ ounce of No. 7 ½ lead shot, 1 ounce of No. 6 steel shot, and 1 ounce of No. 7 steel shot.

East Texas Deer Hunting: Where are the Whitetail?

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.