Texas Hunting Times

Improve Deer Habitat – Improve Deer Hunting

Most landowners want to improve deer habitat and improve deer hunting. However, a major challenge for many landowners in the Texas Hill Country is the proper management of white-tailed deer populations. Proper management includes the challenges of harvesting enough does to have the desired impact on the population density and the habitat in addition to allowing bucks to mature enough to be of good quality. Landowners, or their hunters, will often say, “If I don’t shoot the first decent buck I see, that buck will just jump across the fence and my neighbor will shoot him” – even though it may be a young buck far from his prime. Good deer management means abandoning that philosophy.

So where can one start? Reducing deer numbers to appropriate levels will improve overall health of the animals and improve the quality of the habitat for deer and other wildlife. This population management is a big part of deer habitat management. In addition, a balanced harvest of bucks and does can also improve the sex ratio as well as the age structure of bucks, resulting in better quality mature bucks.

Another major challenge for some landowners is getting the benefit of livestock grazing without owning the animals. Cattle can be both bad… and good! You’ve no doubt heard this before, “I just don’t want to mess with livestock anymore.” While periods of rest can be very beneficial to habitat, the long-term removal of grazing from the land can be detrimental in some cases. Periodic cattle grazing can maintain and improve native grass stands and at the same time can increase forbs (wildflowers) that are part of any healthy Hill Country property.

Each of these land management challenges impact the habitat and deer herds found in an area. They can be addressed by actively managing the plants and animals found on your property. You can also get assistance from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) or join a local Wildlife Management Association in your area. Wildlife co-ops have been formed around the state by groups of landowners interested in properly managing wildlife populations and habitats.

Many WMAs were formed around the goal of improving the quality of white-tailed deer. Landowners in these WMAs know that their neighbor shares the same goals and objectives for the deer population and that together they can have the desired impacts on the population and habitat. Even if you don’t hunt you can work with your neighbors to have the proper number of deer harvested in your area so you have healthier deer and healthier habitat for all wildlife.

Landowners can also work with their neighbors who have livestock and allow their land to be grazed. This way the landowner without the livestock gets the benefit of grazing without the day to day work of owning the animals. The key to using livestock as a tool in land management is periodic rest. Even landowners with small acreage can benefit from working with their neighbors. The landowner just needs to think of their property as a pasture that the livestock are rotated through for a short period of grazing.

Deer management is about manipulating the plants as wells as the animals found on your property. If you are serious about doing something for deer or any of the wildlife found on your property, I’d recommend contacting a wildlife professional to get you started in the right direction.

Whether you want to improve the quality of the deer and other wildlife on your property, or use livestock as a tool for habitat improvements, it may be as simple as looking across the fence for a partner in good land stewardship. TPWD has county biologists that can meet with you free of charge, already paid for by your hunting license purchase. They can give your some ideas to improve deer hunting on your property. Additionally, you may be able to get valuable information from a WMA in your area. Build it and they will come!

Deer Hunting on Arkansas Public Hunting Lands

Question: “I’m an archery hunter from Utah interested in deer hunting in Arkansas. I’ve hunted mule deer but love chasing elk, now I am looking to get into whitetail deer hunting. My wife is also just getting into the sport. She’s small and can’t pull a whole lot of bow. I was thinking a whitetail hunt might be the thing for her too. I’ve heard Arkansas has lots of whitetail. We are both college students and don’t have a ton of money to pay for a private hunt. We are going to start saving up for travel and permits for next season. We are just interested in a fun deer hunt, not after huge trophy bucks.

Does anyone have any suggestions being that I have never been to Arkansas? How can I plan a good fun deer hunting trip in Arkansas? What do I need? Also, is there any kind of private land hunting that would not cost me as much as the car I drive? Even cull or “management bucks” would work. Any help is greatly appreciated. I work summers here for the forest service and would be thankful for and Arkansas deer hunting ideas.”

Deer Hunting in Arkansas - Arkansas Publc Hunting Lands

Response: Deer hunting in Arkansas is very doable. Arkansas has a lot of public land to hunt. Here is some good news for you – none of the wildlife management areas (WMAs) in my area require a hunting permit. We have Mount Magazine WMA, Petit Jean WMA, and Muddy Creek WMA. This probably will provide you and your wife with all the public land you could ever want to hunt. Bow hunting season opens in mid-September of each year.

A five day deer hunting license will include whitetail, bear and small game. Turkey hunting will be closed due to lower numbers in recent years. Arkansas public lands hold good deer numbers and even a few nice bucks. As with deer hunting elsewhere, food sources will be key during late September and early October. My recommendation for stand locations would be to find white oak acorns on a north facing ridge. Find deer sign and hunt it hard.

The best bow hunting time for deer in my opinion would be the week prior to our ML season open, which is mid-October. Deer movement, and especially buck movement, during this time of the season will be high. Rattling for whitetail bucks will work too, but you will need patience. Some of the areas will also have feral hogs, just make sure to shoot them all if you can.

Arkansas really is a friendly place to out of state bow hunters. If you plan on deer hunting in Arkansas on public land make sure you go to the state web site and look around. Hunters can find the harvest numbers for the different WMAs under the deer hunting section. Good luck to you and your wife.

Trapping Axis Deer in Texas: Who’s Right?

There is no doubt that Texans like their deer. Not only do people like seeing and feeding deer, but they like deer hunting as well. Of course, these “people” are not all the same, not everyone is a hunter. But it’s deer trapping, not hunting, that is now a hot topic. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department regulates the trapping of game species such as white-tailed deer, but not the trapping of axis deer and other exotic wildlife. And some Ruby Ranch residents, a subdivision east of Buda, Texas, do not like the trapping of these non-natives either.

As it turns out, some Ruby Ranch residents are legally trapping exotic deer including the spiral-horned blackbuck antelope and axis and fallow deer that roam the neighborhood and are either moving the animals or selling deer to Texas ranchers. That has other animal-loving residents are demanding that the Ruby Ranch Homeowners Association change its covenants to forbid the trapping of axis deer and other exotic ungulates.

“The deer enhance the value of our properties,” resident Chris Scallon said of his rural neighborhood. “And the way some people are trapping deer is inhumane. We know of one resident who is luring the deer into a fenced enclosure in his backyard, and then he loads them into a horse trailer, where they can hurt themselves in transport.”

Texas law does not protect non-native species like blackbuck antelope as it does native white-tailed deer, said Clayton Wolf, a spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “It’s allowed to trap, transport and sell them,” Wolf said. However, he added that cities, towns and homeowners associations must apply for permits to get rid of whitetail deer.

In Ruby Ranch, the story of the exotic deer and their fate centers on the Ruby Ranch Homeowners Association and its position not to govern the trapping, some residents say.

“The homeowners association has sat on this deer trapping issue for too long,” said Sonny Hollub, who started HOG (Homeowners Oversight Group), a group of more than 40 homeowners who are fed up with the homeowners association not doing anything about the trapping of exotics. Homeowners association board President Kevin Rodriguez acknowledges that some residents have trapped deer for several years but said there has never been a consensus for new regulations or to stop the practice.

“In our annual meetings, we get 100 residents who attend, and they’ve been split 50-50 on the issue. Our position has been that we’re not sure what people want,” Rodriguez said.

Tuesday night, the homeowners association and its attorney met with residents to explain that the association can’t change the covenants. Instead, it’s up to the concerned residents to get at least 75 percent of the 300 homeowners to agree to new language in the covenants to bar the practice.

“Our hands are tied,” Rodriguez said. “There are no state or local regulations to stop this. Homeowners are asking us to stop the trapping and hunting of these animals, and we can’t. And there are no restrictive covenants that say you can’t trap or hunt the deer found in the subdivision.”

“If they get 75 percent of the homeowners to agree, then that’s it. It becomes official,” Rodriguez said. The residents may ban the trapping of axis deer, fallow deer and blackbuck antelope, but are they sure it’s a good idea? These animals are not native to Texas, and other subdivisions around the state are already facing issues with native white-tailed deer overpopulation. What if these non-natives become an even bigger issue? What do you think should happen?

Prairie Chicken Hunting in Texas – Survey Data Says No

At one time prairie chicken hunting was all the range in the Texas Panhandle, but the Lesser prairie chicken population has declined dramatically over the past 50 years. Prairie chickens numbers are low, but how low is what biologist hope to find. This spring, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will collaborate with state fish and wildlife agencies from New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado, West Ecosystems, Inc., and Texas Tech University to conduct a large-scale aerial survey for lesser prairie-chicken booming grounds across the High Plains region in all five states.

Information from these prairie chicken surveys will be used by TPWD and the other state agencies to help conserve the bird and it’s habitat in partnership with landowners and private industries, including oil and gas, wind energy, and electric utilities.

“These surveys represent a unique effort by state fish and wildlife agencies across the region to work together to monitor bird population trends over time and to effectively manage for this species,” said Lubbock-based TPWD wildlife diversity biologist Sean Kyle. “This information, combined with other ongoing conservation efforts, could help avoid the need to list the lesser prairie-chicken as federally endangered in the Texas Panhandle or elsewhere. The prairie chicken surveys will provide more data to inform the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision about whether to list the species.”

Surveys will begin about March 24 and will continue through mid-May, with biologists hunting for chickens from the sky. Agency staff from the five states have randomly selected about 200 eighty-five square-mile blocks located in and around the estimated range of the species. These blocks cover an area ranging from the southern plains of the Texas Panhandle and southeast New Mexico up to northern Kansas and Colorado.

Surveys will be flown at 35-40 mph about 80 feet above ground. Pilots will fly two to sixteen north-south oriented transects across selected blocks. Towns, feedlots, and houses will be avoided. Pilots involved have extensive experience conducting aerial surveys for deer and other wildlife as well as gathering livestock with helicopters. They will make special effort to avoid hazing pronghorn, mule deer, whitetail and livestock on pastures as well.

Prairie chicken numbers may have declined markedly from decades ago, but hopefully the survey data can be used to identify where the birds remain. Habitat loss is cited as the number one reason chickens have declined. The same can be said of bobwhite quail in many parts of Texas. Will prairie chicken hunting ever occur again? Only time will tell.

Antler Hunting: Shed Hunting Tips for Deer Hunters

The clocks in my house were just updated to “spring forward” so that means it is just about antler hunting time, when we head to the woods in search of shed antlers. The majority of whitetail bucks in Texas still have their horns, but many will be losing them over the next month. Some bucks will shed their antlers early right after deer hunting season, some late, but most lose them at or about the same time. With antlers getting ready to hit the ground, there is no better time to talk about shed hunting tips.

We officially found our first pair of shed antlers today, after the much needed rainfall ceased. The rain received over the past month has kept the deer habitat in great shape, but it’s going to make finding antlers much more difficult since the herbaceous plants are going to be growing quickly. The deer antlers we found this morning were laying side by side, just a few yards from one of our deer protein feeders.

The funny thing was that the sheds were not on Friday around lunch because we drove right past the same feeder that day. The whitetail buck must have just dropped them, and he is among the early group around here, with most still holding on to their headgear. The antlers were from a nice 8 point buck that I recognized as a deer I had aged at two years old this past hunting season. We are hoping this buck can put on a couple of more points this summer.

Although shed hunting is still too early for the most part, it’s always good to get geared up for a little looking. Bucks loosing their antlers now will be either run down from the whitetail rut or injured. We’ve seen really old bucks as well as some very young bucks shed earlier than March 1 in the past in Central and South Texas, but typically in low numbers. When I was younger I would wear my legs out looking for sheds too early in the year.

After many years and many seasons, I have learned to wait until mid to late March to start, with my initial effort depending on the rainfall and habitat conditions. Low rainfall years will have bucks dropping antlers earlier than normal, whereas good habitat will allow bucks to hold onto them longer. This past hunting season saw habitat conditions that were very good for whitetail deer, so waiting is definitely the way to go this year.

And that’s the real shed hunting tip that I was wanting to share with hunters today. Pay attention to the deer habitat found on your property. Not only will it be a good indicator of deer numbers in many cases, but it can also shed light on potential antler growth, as well as the timing of antler shedding. Deer hunting is about more than just shooting deer. Antler hunting is something we enjoy during the off (hunting) season, although whitetail never have any time off. Good luck out there looking for horns!

Deer Hunting in Motley County, Hall County

Question: “My hunting group has the opportunity to get on a deer hunting property that is located in both Motley and Hall County. We have been through the area, but are not familiar with the whitetail or mule deer numbers in the Motley County area. Can you tell me how this part of Texas is for deer hunting, both whitetail and mulies? We know the lease has both whitetail and mule deer, but what is the ratio? More whitetail or mule deer? Thanks for all help.”

Response: My college roommate was from that area. He live and hunted near Hall County growing up. He was located southwest of Estelline and north of Turkey. In that area, he said the deer hunting improved immensely during his youth, with very good numbers of mule deer on their ranch, although not so many whitetail deer. It is difficult to get good numbers of both of these animals in one area since they prefer different habitat types. Continue reading Deer Hunting in Motley County, Hall County

Deer Hunting in Kent County, Texas

Question: “My brother and I have been deer hunting for about 15 years, but have never been on a deer lease. We hunted my uncles 120 acres, but since he recently passed away, we are going to have to explore other opportunities. I’m going to go look at a lease in Kent County in a week or so. Do you know of anyone that has been deer hunting in Kent County in recent years or do any of you have any experience with the area? Interested primarily in whitetail.”

Response: I deer hunted north of the town of Jayton for three years about 12 years ago. I know there are some big ranches in Kent County, as well as some small ones. The quality of deer hunting will depend on which part of the county the lease you are looking at is located. Some of the ranches in the area have some really good bucks, and some just average. Of course, the deer management philosophy of the folks that own or hunt the land dictates a lot of that. Continue reading Deer Hunting in Kent County, Texas

Deer Hunting Lease in Cass County, Texas

Question: “I’ve been deer hunting since I could walk and have been looking to get on a deer lease for some time now. My buddies and I have found a property in Cass County. The lease is near the town of Linden. We’ve done our research and found that hunting land in the Cass County area is going for $6 to $10 per acre. This property offers year-round access, and the owner says it’s good feral hog hunting and has a good number of whitetail deer. Does this sound about right to you?

This area is a bit different than where I am used to hunting. We’ve hunted Llano County and San Saba County for deer for years, but my buddies are located closer to Cass County. I am curious to find out if you know of anyone that has hunted the area and how it worked out? I can only assume that Cass County will not have as many deer, but just want to make sure there is some deer hunting to be had on this lease.” Continue reading Deer Hunting Lease in Cass County, Texas

East Texas Turkey Hunting: Season Closed?

It’s the beginning of March and that means the spring turkey hunting season is just about here. Time to dust off the turkey calls, locate that decoy and find those #5 turkey loads before the end of the month gets here. Temperatures are already fairly warm, so we suspect there will be a lot of breeding activity before the season even starts. Just make sure you know when turkey season starts, and ends.

Hunters are reminded several regulation changes take effect for the 2012 season. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) closed spring turkey hunting in the following 15 East Texas counties in response to low populations and harvest numbers: Cherokee, Delta, Gregg, Hardin, Houston, Hunt, Liberty, Montgomery, Rains, Rusk, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Tyler and Walker.

Closing spring turkey seasons in these counties will enable biologists to reassess Eastern turkey restoration efforts in areas having suitable habitat, restock sites and provide brood stock protection. The agency’s goal is to reopen hunting once the Eastern turkey populations in the affected counties are capable of sustaining harvest.

Also effective for the 2012 season, TPWD is delaying spring Eastern turkey hunting in the remaining 28 counties having an open season by two weeks, to run from April 15-May 14. Biologists say the delay gives hens time to begin nesting prior to the season opening.

“Time will tell how dramatic of an impact the regulations will have on Eastern turkey populations, but we will almost guarantee that the majority of hens will be bred prior to the opening of the season, which should help to boost the population” said Hardin. “Harvest is not as critical the latter part of the season, and hens should be on the nest by the time the season starts.”

Also new this turkey hunting season, hunters in East Texas may harvest gobblers and bearded hens during the spring season in counties having a bag limit of four turkeys. Hunting is for gobblers only during the spring season in all other counties.

All harvested Eastern turkeys must be taken to a check station within 24 hours. To find the check station nearest you, contact a TPWD field office or call (800) 792-1112. Turkey hunting is always fun, but the spring turkey season is as good as it gets. Hope you run into some long beards!

Texas Pronghorn Hunting Depends on Antelope Restoration?

Pronghorn antelope have always been a part of the Texas landscape, but what’s the future of this speed goat? Will pronghorn hunting in Texas continue or will the population decline witnessed over the past few years lead to the end of an already limited supply of pronghorn permits? Biologists are trying to answer these questions as we speak, as well as determine if additional stockings may be necessary and warranted. The Borderlands Research Institute (BRI) of Sul Ross State University and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will host a March 6 seminar to discuss current findings of the Pronghorn Restoration and Research Project.

Pronghorn are one of the most amazing ungulates found in North American. This big game animal, with their distinct brown and white coloration accented by black cheek patches and glossy black horns, had become a fixture of the Trans-Pecos and the Texas Panhandle. The pronghorn is unique to the world and North America and is the only big game species that sheds it’s out horn sheath each fall.

The pronghorn is not in fact an antelope, but rather a member of the goat family. It’s lack of dew claws on the front feet give it this distinction. A pronghorn can attain speeds of 70 mph and cruise at 30 miles per hour for long distances. Their eyesight is phenomenal and compares to a human using 8X magnification binoculars. Living in open, windy, semi-arid country, pronghorns depend mainly on their acute eyesight to warn them of danger, but recent research has found that parasites may be their biggest problem.

The schedule pronghorn seminar will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 6 in the Espino Conference Center, Morgan University Center. Refreshments will be served and the public is invited. The purpose of the project is to identify causative factors associated with declining antelope herds and to restore pronghorn to their historic habitats in the Trans-Pecos. The pronghorn restoration seminar will provide an overview of the ongoing restoration efforts and an update of the research findings.

The Pronghorn Restoration and Research Project is a collaborative effort by the BRI, TPWD, Trans-Pecos Pronghorn Working Group, Texas landowners, and concerned citizens. For more information about the restoration project, call (432) 837-8488 or (432) 837-2051.