Texas Hunting Times

Deer Hunting: Whitetail Movement in the Fall

With archery season in full-swing and the general white-tailed deer season just around the corner, it is definitely time to think about deer movements and patterns. Understanding where deer are found and how they move is key to getting your whitetail buck this season. Taking advantage of deer movement patterns will increase your odds of seeing a shooting more mature bucks. Most deer hunters know that deer move early in the morning and late in the evening, but they don’t stop there.

During early archery season, white-tailed deer will usually move just before dark. At this time of the year, bucks may still be hanging out in bachelor groups, however, bucks will usually start making scrape lines. Bucks can be patterned on these scrape lines, but the problem with hunting these scrapes is that the bucks are visiting them after dark. In short, hunting scrapes in the early season is not the best way to bag a buck.

As the deer hunting season ages and the air temperature cools off, whitetail will begin to increase their movement. In fact, it is at this time that hunters will typically start seeing more movement in the afternoons. With this in mind, this is the period of time to start hunting scrapes. This is because most of the bucks in an area will begin actively checking scrapes found in their “community.”

White-tailed deer movement, especially bucks, will drastically increase in November due to the onset of the breeding season. As the rut approaches, bucks will start making mental errors as the physical desire to find “hot” does takes priority to remaining invisible. It is at this time when a deer hunter has the greatest opportunity to capitalize on their mistakes.

Hunting the rut is not a new idea, but some hunters take the wrong approach by sitting over feeders. This can work, but a better option is to cover more country. I usually like to hunt in areas where I can see a lot of real estate. Giant food plots will work too. This increases my chances of seeing bucks passing through looking for or chasing does. The rut is the best times to bag a whitetail buck.

As the deer hunting season begins drawing to an end and food becomes scarce, deer movement patterns become very predictable. This is because food sources become limited and deer must go to where the food is available. Set up on these places. Deer will be moving very early, very late and during the middle of the day. Food plots and harvested crop fields are great areas to hunt during this time of year.

In closing, understanding whitetail movement patterns on a property will help any hunter bag a buck year-in and year-out. Every buck is different, buck every buck is the same. Once you learn when and where to be, you will see and harvest more deer year after year. But remember, weather and habitat conditions can drastically impact deer movement and behavior. Good habitat and food availability means less deer movement, whereas poor habitat conditions and hungry deer means more deer movement, more deer sightings. Good luck!

Best Hunting Times for Whitetail Deer

When it comes to deer hunting, there is never a bad time to be outdoors and in the woods. Being an avid deer hunter, I always get asked two questions by other hunters: “What the best deer hunting times?,” and “How often do you deer hunt all day long?” Although I thoroughly enjoy deer hunting, I have to admit that I do not typically hunt throughout the day, at least for the most part. However, on occasion I have toughed it out with great results.

In general, I think the best time to be out deer hunting is in the morning even though I’ve had good success in the evenings as well. In fact, I’ve had better success in the evenings lately, having harvested 3 of my last 4 bucks during the last hour of daylight. But this is a matter of opinion. Both are great deer hunting times because deer are crepuscular, meaning they move mostly during the early morning and late evening. Continue reading Best Hunting Times for Whitetail Deer

New Devils River State Park?

Stop the press! Just when it looked like Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) was going to increase the amount of public land in Texas the train has come to a halt on the new Devils River State Park. It is being reported that top TPWD officials have ordered the state agency staff to continue exploring options to acquire land for a new state park or natural area on the Devils River while strengthening a commitment to protect the river’s sensitive resources.

This move will now stops a final, but gives the agency more time to explore alternatives in response to recent stakeholder input. TPWD Commission Chairman Peter Holt, said:

“We took this off the November 4 agenda because we’ve received great feedback from a lot of people around the state who felt the process may be moving too quickly. Also, several people have brought to us some very interesting alternatives. We want the staff to go forward and figure out how to make this work. We understand the concerns of landowners, hunters, paddling trail enthusiast and conservationists and want to make sure we take all that into consideration.

On the other hand, we represent a state with about 24 million people. The Devils River Ranch is a real opportunity to add something to our park system that is second to none in terms of wildness, but at the same time would allow more people to experience this phenomenal area in appropriate ways.”

Carter Smith, executive director of TPWD, said this regarding the new Devils River State Park, “We will continue considering the entire range of options for conservation and recreation on the river, working with all stakeholders, with a goal to bring back to the commission a suite of alternatives to achieve both the conservation and recreational access elements of our mission.”

Annual Public Hunting (APH) Permit – Texas

The Annual Public Hunting (APH) Permit can be purchased from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and provides the opportunity to participate in a variety of inexpensive, public hunting activities for a variety of game species. The hunting permit cost $48. The APH allows hunters to access wildlife management areas (WMA) and state-leased hunting lands for hunting, fishing, nature watching, camping, and other outdoor activities.

The Texas Public Hunting Program includes approximately 1,000,000 acres located throughout the state of Texas. Each year, usually during early August, the APH map booklet for the next year comes out. The map booklet contains all the information of property owned by TPWD as well as acreage leased by the department from other state and federal agencies, timber companies, and other cooperating private landowners.

Annual Public Hunting Permit

Through the APH permit, Texas public hunting land provides access for white-tailed deer hunting, hog hunting, duck hunting. In addition, the public dove hunting areas and other small game leases are included in the map booklet each year. Hunting lands can be accessed by two types of annual permits, but only the APH allows hunting. If you want to scout these public hunting lands, a Limited Public Use (LPU) Permit can be also be purchased which allows permit holders to fish, camp, hike, or partake in other recreational uses.

The Annual Public Hunting Permit is a good value for the money, but permit holders must realize that other public hunters will be using these same areas on the same days at the same times. Many of the WMAs provide excellent duck hunting along the coast. Solid dove hunting prospects exist on WMAs and the private lands leased through the program as well. There is also a large amount of land for white-tailed deer and hog hunting, but permit holders must be willing to travel. For the money, the APH permit provides good access to Texas’ public hunting lands.

Hunter Bags BIG First Whitetail Buck!

Deer hunting is something gets in your soul. And not only that, deer hunting is contagious. Sometimes it’s just as much fun to hear about a successful hunt as it is to bag one yourself. Ask any deer hunter about some of their best hunts and you will get an ear full, but especially if you ask them about the very first buck that they ever shot.

The big buck above was shot in Texas and it was this hunter’s very first whitetail buck. All I can say is, way to go!

“What a first buck! She’s ruined now! This big buck has 14-points and sports a 23-inch inside spread, scoring a total of 175 Boone and Crockett points. I told her that one was gonna be hard to top but now she wants to kill everything and is ready to go deer hunting again! It was an awesome experience getting to sit in the stand and share the experience with her.”

“Before the questions start, yes this whitetail buck was killed on a high fence property, but I could care less! The deer age came in at 8 1/2 years old. The property was high fenced a little over 6 years ago, which leads me to believe that this buck is a native Hunt County deer. Of course, he got some age on him and was beefed up a little on protein!”

Texas Panhandle Duck-Goose Hunting Report

The Texas Panhandle is always a hot spot for a number of hunters that chase winged-fowl in this unique part of the state. And as of today, the 2010 season is shaping up to be a good one. The Panhandle has good numbers of playa lakes brimming with water thanks to good rainfall earlier in the year.

The Texas coast, on the other hand, has adequate water but is drying up and starting to fade. Guides along the coast are reporting that pintail, shoveler, teal, gadwall, wigeon and redhead are showing up down there along the prairies. More specklebellies and ducks should show up with the front that blew through last night.

But back to the Panhandle. Word on the street is that the Panhandle is loading up with teal, pintail, gadwall and, of course, wigeon. The High Plains Mallard Management Unit duck hunting season is open on October 23 through 24 and again on October 29 through January 23, 2011. The North and South duck hunting zones open October 30. Stay tuned for more goose and duck hunting reports as the season begins.

Devils River State Park – Public Hunting Land

As an agency that deals with outdoor recreation, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is always keeping a lookout for land acquisitions. These land acquisitions typically result in state natural areas, state parks, and wildlife management areas. More state-owned land bodes for Texas hunting, particularly public hunting prospects. However, this deal is not totally additive because it involves a land swap.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission on November 4 will consider a proposal to acquire a 17,638-acre property for a new state park on the Devils River in Val Verde County. TPWD leaders will hold public meetings about the proposal on October 20th in Del Rio and on October 26th in San Antonio.

The proposal would result in the exchange of the existing Devils River State Natural Area as partial payment for a privately owned ranch downriver, which would become a new state park. The ranch has significantly more river frontage and better public access as well as outstanding natural and cultural features. Outdoor activities the property could provide would be paddling, camping, hiking, and hunting. Carter Smith, TPWD executive director, said:

“By repositioning our existing assets along the Devils River, we can increase public access to and awareness of this spectacular river, as well as expand protection of this region’s uniquely important natural and cultural resources. A permanent conservation easement on the existing state natural area property will prevent unsuitable development and ensure continued protection there. The new property, which is also protected by a conservation easement, will become a premiere park to boost the regional economy and provide enhanced recreation options to Texans for decades to come.”

The Val Verde County ranch has 10 miles of frontage on the Devils River and Amistad Reservoir with spectacular views from mesas and canyons, and a variety of wildlife habitats. It sounds like a great deal for the State of Texas as well as those that enjoy the outdoors, so hunters should keep there fingers crossed that this property provides some much-needed, additional public hunting.

Texas Quail Hunting: Hunting Season Looks Average

The cooler weather is signaling that fall is upon us, so that means that it is time to talk Texas quail hunting. Like past years, quail hunting prospects for this year’s quail season are as scattered as a busted covey. Less-than-ideal range conditions have hampered production for the second straight year. Bobwhite quail hunting can be hit or miss in Texas considering these birds exist here on the very western edge of their distribution in the U.S.

Though we hear and read a lot about lost quail habitat, there are still vast expanses of suitable bobwhite habitat in the rangelands of South Texas and in the Rolling Plains. And the hunters know it. In some years, more than a hundred thousand hunters flock to these bobwhite haunts to pursue these wary game birds. Quail are limited in these regions by rainfall, more specifically the lack thereof.

This past winter was the second dry winter in a row. Dry conditions limit the availability of late winter and early spring greens, an important part of the quail diet. Of course some areas of Texas fared better than others and proper range and habitat management is also a part of the equation. Field reports indicate good carryover in parts of the Rolling Plains and to a lesser degree in northern South Texas.

The statewide quail season runs October 31 through February 28. The daily quail bag limit is 15 birds, with up to 45 in possession. Legal shooting hours for all non-migratory game birds are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. The bag limit is the maximum number that may be killed during the legal shooting hours in one day.

Statewide quail surveys were initiated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in 1978 to monitor quail populations. This index uses randomly selected, 20-mile roadside survey lines to determine annual quail population trends by ecological region. This trend information helps determine relative quail populations among the regions of Texas. Comparisons can be made between the mean (average) number of quail observed per route this year and the long term mean (LTM) for quail seen within an ecological region. The quail survey was not designed to predict relative abundance for any area smaller than the ecological region.

According to TPWD wildlife biologists, the Rolling Plains region was not as dry this past winter as other areas of the state and scattered mid to late summer rains resulted in substantial production in some areas. Thick vegetation and late broods have likely resulted in an underestimate by TPWD roadside counts. Field reports are across the board this year, indicating localized effects of timely rainfall. Survey results and field staff observations predict a fair to average year. Due to the variation in weather conditions across this region it’s a good idea to scout ahead to be sure hunting areas are holding birds.

The average number of bobwhites observed per route was 6.6 compared to 18.7 last year. This is well below the LTM of 21.9. Despite low counts, enough young birds and coveys have been anecdotally reported that we suspect there will be good bobwhite hunter opportunity, especially in areas under good range management. Public hunting opportunities can be found at the Matador and the Gene Howe Wildlife Management Areas.

Unfortunately winter, spring and summer rains were lacking over most of South Texas, which likely increased over-winter mortality resulting in less carryover and also delayed nesting attempts by those birds that survived the winter. There has been scattered rainfall mid to late summer but not enough to trigger widespread nesting. September rains may spur some pairing and subsequent very late nesting. So there may be less than half grown birds at the beginning of the season. Overall, TPWD surveys predict a poor to fair season for South Texas. There will be fair to good opportunities on well managed sites that were proactive in grazing management decisions during this drought year.

The average number of bobwhites observed per route was 5.2 compared to 6.6 last year. This is well below the LTM of 18.9 and is predictive of a below average quail hunting season. The Chaparral and the Daughtrey Wildlife Management Areas provide public quail hunting opportunities.

The Trans-Pecos ecological region of Texas received great weather conditions midsummer that spurred scale quail reproduction. Greatly improved numbers have been confirmed by field reports and are reflected in TPWD’s survey results. Reports from the western edge of the Edwards Plateau (the Stockton Plateau) indicate poorer production than the rest of the region. We expect an average to good scaled quail season out west.

The average number of scaled quail observed per route was 16.9 compared to 6.7 last year. This is very close to the LTM of 17.8. Public hunter opportunities can be found at Elephant Mountain and Black Gap Wildlife Management Areas.

TPWD surveys indicate that bobwhite numbers in Gulf Prairies are down considerably from last year. Hunters should focus on the central and lower coast in native prairie habitats. The Cross Timbers and Edwards Plateau are well below their respective LTM’s. Although there are certainly areas within each region where some quail hunting opportunity remains, this survey is not designed to detect changes in localized populations, especially in fragmented landscapes. Quail hunting is always hit or miss, so practice before you go out to make the most of your time in the field.

Biggest Mistake Bowhunters Make

When archery season opens for white-tailed deer many bowhunters take to the woods in search of their trophy. At this point in the game most bowhunters understand that scent control is very important, so most hunters properly address—at least as much as they can—this issue. However, there is another common bowhunting mistake that many archers commit when deer hunting and it actually happens when taking a shot at a whitetail.

Most bowhunters know that a deer will drop as it hears a hunter shoot an arrow. Deer do this is because deer do not recognize the string noise as natural, and because their first instinct is to run. As they prepare to run, whitetail deer drop several inches as they prepare to launch their body forward and run away from the noise. You can avoid this mistake very easily next time you are out deer hunting with a bow. Continue reading Biggest Mistake Bowhunters Make

Deer Hunting with a Deer Decoy

Each deer hunting season, hunters become frustrated when they hunt trip after trip and fail to see bucks. Sometimes it may be because the area that is being hunted has few deer, other times it may be because the deer are just plain smart. This is when many savvy hunters either try rattling or using deer decoys to become proactive deer hunters.

Many deer hunters love rattling in bucks, and it is exciting as all get out when it works. However, rattling usually is deemed not effective unless it is done at the right time, otherwise bucks will be non-responsive, right? Not always. Buck are territorial and quite nosy.

Rattling can become much more effective when used in combination with a deer decoy. This is because often times a buck will sneak into a rattling set looking to see another buck. When they don’t see anything, they get the hell outta dodge! Setting a decoy in the area gives the buck a visual cue that everything is okay because he sees what he expected to see… another buck. Continue reading Deer Hunting with a Deer Decoy