Texas Deer News  Texas Deer Association Gears Up for State’s Largest Deer Event July 24, 2014 Ammo Land ... The TDA announces its 16th Annual TDA Convention & Fundraiser will be held on August 7, 2014, through August 9, 2014, at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas... ... deer can indirectly benefit hardwoods by reducing competition with palatable forbs (ch. 3). In general, these results show that fire suppression in central Texas oak-dominated woodlands is causing a shift not to more mesic-adapted species, as observed in the eastern US, but to J. ashei, which is at least as xeric-adapted as oak, a process I termed 'juniperization'. 3rd Annual Brown County Mule Deer Foundation Banquet Set for August 2 July 9, 2014 Texas, Brownwood News ... The Mule Deer Foundation, Brown County Texas Chapter, invites the public to attend their annual fundraising banquet on Saturday, August 2nd at the Grand Starz Hall, located at 2323 Belle Plain in Brownwood... What's the Oldest Deer on Record? July 9, 2014 Texas, QDMA.com ... The oldest captive deer record we found was from Joe Hamilton, QDMA’s founder. Joe recounted a captive doe in Texas on the Kerr Wildlife Management Area that was 23 to 24 years old. Amazingly, she had a fawn at that extended age... Watch Out for More Deer Roaming the Streets July 3, 2014 Texas, Everything Lubbock ... “We've been in a drought for over four years and wildlife has been coming into town for food and water,” Barnes said. “Plus Lubbock is expanding and taking over their habitat.” ... For Texas, being green is easy on wildlife June 25, 2014 Chron ... After a decade that, with the exception of a couple of brief respites, saw the state's landscape and its wildlife struggle under severe and even record-breaking drought and heat, this spring and early summer have seen conditions that bode well ... crucial nutrition for deer during the pivotal spring months when quality and quantity of forage is crucial in determining if pregnant does will deliver healthy fawns and bucks get the minerals and nutrients that play important roles in antler development... Whitetail Deer Texas Deer Association June 19, 2014 AmmoLand.com ... “The Texas Tech research facility is working to combat EHD and other fatal diseases that claim the lives of thousands of deer in Texas and across the country every year, and the Texas Deer Association is proud to support this research,” ... Invasion of the Axis Deer June 18, 2014 Texas, Texasbowhunter.com ... Originally from southern India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, the axis deer was introduced to Texas in 1932, ideally as a game animal... They were restricted to farms and controlled hunting sites ... as often happens with animals in captivity, many axis deer eventually escaped to run wild around Texas. While the vast majority of axis deer remain in captivity, over 6,000 of them now roam freely ... The other deer season is open, Axis Deer June 16, 2014 Texas, North Texas e-News ... whitetail deer season is not open but axis deer are plentiful in much of Texas and summer is prime time to hunt them. The Hill Country and southwest Texas has a large number of free ranging Axis and, because of stocking on low fence ranches across the state, there are pockets of free ranging axis in areas outside the Hill Country. Axis deer are very popular game animals for high fence hunting ranches across the state... TPWD Public Hunt Drawing System going paperless June 11, 2014 Texas, Lone Star Outdoor News ... the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s popular Public Hunt Drawing System will be online-only... Non-refundable application fees for drawn Special Permit hunts range between $3-10 for each adult applicant 17 years of age or older. Selected adult hunters pay an additional permit fee of $80 for regular hunts and $130 for extended hunts... Despite some predictions, deer season should be good June 8, 2014 Texas, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal ... it appears that 2014 will be similar to the last three years ... related to the drier conditions Texas continues to experience ... South Texas, the Hill Country, Panhandle and the western region of the state were not so lucky in the annual rainfall lottery. As a result, forbs which are preferred by deer and are important from a deer forage and nutrition aspect were in limited supply ... Alan Cain, white-tailed deer program leader ... Illegal deer, not disease, pose greatest threat in Texas hunting May 11, 2014 Texas, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal ... The only cases of chronic wasting disease in Texas were discovered in hunter-harvested mule deer in 2012 in far West Texas near the New Mexico border... The real threat remains the unscrupulous individual attempting to make big bucks by illegally smuggling deer ...Chronic wasting disease originally was discovered in captive Colorado animals 35 years ago... Owner of Sandia Deer Breeding Facility Bonded Out of Jail May 8, 2014 Texas, KIII TV3 ... Fred Rich, the man arrested Wednesday for allowing someone to enter a deer breeding facility and kill a 22-point buck while it was still inside a pen ... could face up to six months in jail... About 200 Deer Confiscated from Exotic Wildlife Ranch, Euthanized May 8, 2014 Texas, KiiiTV.com ... About 200 whitetail deer were confiscated and euthanized... a deer breeding facility, and it has not met state requirements... Game Wardens Investigate Deer Breeding Facility in Jim Wells County, Seize Animals May 6, 2014 Texas, Kiii3 News ... the 2600 acre ranch has over 40 different types of exotic animals and wildlife that are used for hunting purposes... Investigators say the facility has not met their requirements and for that reason have decided not to renew their permit, essentially shutting down the deer breeding portion of the ranch... Dying deer population leads to residents feeding the starving animals April 30, 2014 Texas, KENS 5 ... Folks in the Kentwood Manor say the situation is awful, as deer are starving and dying in yards... Many have large tumors and are grossly malnourished, their ribs bulge from their bodies... Some residents have put out troughs filled with corn trying to help [feeding corn can be harmful] ... Port Mansfield, Poachers Strike TX Town Where Deer Roam Free April 29, 2014 Texas, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth ... The tiny fishing village of Port Mansfield is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a bow-and-arrow toting deer poacher... Port Mansfield, Officials keep an eye out for deer poachers April 27, 2014 Texas, Valley morning Star ... Poachers have killed a large buck and wounded at least three deer in recent months in this tiny fishing village where residents’ feeding of the animals has made them easy targets ... “He knew his name,” Lavelle said. “I would call him a half-mile away and he would come running to me.” ... Fake buck nets real citation April 26, 2014 Texas, Your Houston News ... game wardens ... using a decoy deer to deter night hunting, when a small car passed their location a couple of times ... Once the suspects located the “deer” with their headlights, the passenger fired a small caliber rifle at the decoy... Port Mansfield, Deer Are Disappearing from a Texas Town April 25, 2014 Texas, wideopenspaces.com ... semi-tame deer in the area, could even be hand fed. Christmas would allow Norman to scratch his ears on occasion, and could be seen chasing does in his front yard. That was until last week, when Christmas was found shot dead in a nearby field... “This year we have had several deer disappear,” ... Several citizens in the area have pledged reward money ...I think it’s up around $3,500 dollars ... Mule Deer Foundation builds guzzler in Big Bend region April 25, 2014 Texas, Lone Star Outdoor News ... Volunteers from the Mule Deer Foundation, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Sul Ross University, the Texas Bighorn Society and the Dallas Safari Club worked together to build a 4,600-gallon wildlife water guzzler in the Big Bend region of Texas in March... Role of Thermal Environment in Habitat Selection by Male White-Tailed Deer during Summer in Texas, USA DW Wiemers, TE Fulbright, DB Wester, JA Ortega-S… - Wildlife Biology, 2014 ... Male white-tailed deer selected areas with taller vegetation in morning and midday activity periods but selected shorter vegetation during evening and nighttime. Forage quality was important in habitat selection in all activity periods. Male white-tailed deer did not select areas with greater concealment cover during any activity period... Low rainfall could hurt deer, turkey populations April 10, 2014 Texas, San Angelo Standard-Times ... Simons says that doe were bred up well in the early spring but it’s critical for survival of fawns that there is ample forage and weeds when they hit the ground in early June... hopeful that West Texas sees some rainfall over the next 30 days... Rainfall in South Texas has been better ... Interest in deer hunting could grow April 4, 2014 Texas, My Plainview ... first mule deer season in modern times this fall... “We have no idea on the exact number of mule deer in these areas,” TPWD’s Gray says, “but we believe the mule deer populations are healthy and can support a buck-only season. We know from research and experience that a limited buck-only season will have no negative impact on mule deer population growth.” ... No new positives found in TransPecos CWD study April 3, 2014 Texas, BigBendNow.com ... To date, 617 deer and elk have been tested through the CWD check stations and strategic sampling that occurred during the summer of 2012 ... CWD is a member of the group of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Other diseases in this group include scrapie in sheep, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease) in cattle... No new Chronic Wasting Disease positives found in Trans-Pecos region March 31, 2014 Texas, Lone Star Outdoor News ... Nearly 300 tissue samples were collected from hunter harvested deer and elk from the Trans Pecos ecoregion during the 2013-14 season to test for Chronic Wasting Disease ... CWD has been detected in 9 of 49 deer sampled in the Hueco Mountains... Expanded mule deer, extended squirrel hunting seasons approved March 28, 2014 Texas, Your Houston News ... An archery-only open season and 16-day general season for mule deer in Knox County, and a nine-day general season for mule deer in Castro, Hale and Lubbock counties will be in effect for the 2014-15 hunting seasons. The mule deer season had previously been closed in these counties.... Deer study workshop set for April 10-11 in Columbus March 19, 2014 Texas, AgriLife Today ... The Texas Deer Study Group will hold a two-day workshop to examine deer populations in the Post Oak Savannah and Gulf Coast Prairies on April 10-11 at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 3845 Interstate 10 West in Columbus.... Rapid EHDV Detection in Deer Now Possible Thanks To New Test From Austin-based Bioo Scientific March 11, 2014 Texas, Bio News Texas ... , Bioo has announced that is it set to begin offering a new set of ELISA tests for the detection of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (EHDV), an orbivirus that infects most wild and domestic ruminants. The new test will be aimed at testing white-tailed deer in North America, as EHDV is endemic in North America among the white-tailed deer population... Hudson Oaks, Masters of their doe-main: Hudson Oaks council outlaws feeding deer March 10, 2014 Texas, KHOU ... The city hasn't issued any tickets yet... But residents say deer are doing more damage now than before, because they're not getting fed. "Now they eat my plants because they're not feeding them,” ... Texas Parks and Wildlife puts down local deer March 5, 2014 The Navasota Examiner ... they euthanized about 25 of his captive deer ... TPW Public Information Officer Steve Lightfoot said the deer had to be put down because they were not properly tagged ... test results from Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in College Station came back clean ... When you kill about 25 deer to determine that they’re healthy, that shows no respect for life,” Pepper said... Deer study group to meet February 26, 2014 Texas, Wilson County News ... The Texas Deer Study Group will convene Thursday and Friday, April 10-11, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Columbus. This year’s event will focus on “Great Expectations: Optimizing Deer Management in the Post Oak Savanna and Gulf-Coast Prairies.” ... Mule deer ... TPWD's proposed regulation changes February 23, 2014 Texas, LubbockOnline.com ... The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is proposing expansion of mule deer hunting in several counties ... implement a nine-day general season for mule deer in Castro, Hale, Lubbock, and Lynn counties, where the season is currently closed ... Clarify rules regarding utilization of antlerless mule deer permits ... Comments may be submitted through the department’s website and at upcoming public meetings scheduled around the state... New evidence emerges in Newcastle deer killings February 21, 2014 Texas, Graham Leader ... Texas Game Warden ...confident that they have found the man responsible for several domestic deer slaughters ... The investigation began after Newcastle resident Jack Cavanaugh found one of his pet deer shot to death with arrows from a crossbow... Texas candidate sees roadkill as food, not waste February 21, 2014 Texas, Ct Post ... a call by Tink Nathan to allow motorists to collect and consume roadkill. ... each dead deer could yield about 80 pounds of usable meat ... 1,450 deer were removed from state highways in Kerr County alone in 2006.... Trends affect hunting participation February 10, 2014 Texas, Standard-Times ... State hunting license sales have remained constant during the past three years, about a million sold each year. However, that's not keeping pace with Texas population growth ... "The universe of deer hunters is on a spiral downward ..."I've spoken with outfitters and seen other analyses that support my theory that fewer young adults are electing to join the field of deer hunters." ... Texas Deer Association Sets Record at First 2014 Sale February 7, 2014 Texas, AmmoLand.com ... generated nearly $1.25 million ... Founded in 1999, the TDA is the only non-profit organization solely committed to improving the quality of whitetail and mule deer herds through better habitat practices, modern harvest strategies and use of managed deer to enhance the herds... Riverhill, Objections to Proposed Deer Cull February, 2014 Texas, Kerrville Dailry Times ... The purpose of this letter is to urge the Riverhill Homeowner’s Association to remove the trap that is set up in Riverhill to trap and slaughter deer and exotic wildlife that lives in the Riverhill subdivision... Our family has to pass the awful “box” trap several times a day... (Karen Broussard Guerriero, Kerrville) ... several mistakes were made at the last homeowners’ association meeting: To my knowledge there was no vote taken as to whether the deer should be removed. People were left with the impression that the deer would be relocated not killed. The problem is that many of us who live in the area have affection for these deer. (Judith K. Johnson, Kerrville) Austin, Questions surround $2.5 million dollar fence in Austin February 1, 2014 Texas, KENS 5 ... a deer fence surrounding the Balcones Canyonland Preserve. The City of Austin has been working on putting up the fence surrounding more than 30,000 acres for 10 years... “The deer and the coyotes are here. You just have to learn to live with them... An economic impact analysis of South Texas Landowner Hunting Operation Expenses [link will download a large PDF file] Erika P. Dodd 2013 JFWM published online January 30, 2013 ... Hunting is an important source of economic activity for rural South Texas... Total expenditures for the region were an estimated $114.4 million. Landowners who responded to our survey (n = 200) generated an estimated $166.1 million in economic output. With a direct impact of $108.9 million, the total value added to the South Texas economy was an estimated $75.7 million, which supported 1,635 jobs... Deer slaughter at Newcastle mayor's residence raises questions January 25, 2014 United Kingdom, Graham Leader ... crossbow slaughter of a domestic deer in Newcastle. The deer was a pet of Newcastle resident Jack Cavanaugh ... leading the investigation is Texas Parks and Wildlife officer ... Kerrville, Other options to trapping, killing deer January 22, 2014 Texas, Kerrville Daily Times ...Kerrville has been my home since 1961. We’ve always had an abundance of deer in the Hill Country and that has always been part of the enchantment of this area. However, it has been said that due to too few natural predators, the herds have over populated. To address this problem, the State of Texas Parks and Wildlife issues permits to trap and kill or relocate deer in certain areas, as was the case in my neighborhood... Texas Deer Association Gears Up for First Auction Event of 2014 January 15, 2014 AmmoLand.com ... the Texas Deer Association is proud to kick off its 2014 series of auction events, starting with the Superior Genetics Deer Auction, held at Pedrotti’s North Wind Ranch in Helotes, Texas, on Jan. 31, 2014 and Feb. 1, 2014 ... will highlight some of the state’s best whitetail and mule deer ... Residents adjust to large deer population January 12, 2014 Texas, KDHNews.com ... in areas such as Salado and Morgan’s Point Resort ... Each community seems to be divided into two camps: those who love seeing and feeding the deer and those who consider them a beautiful nuisance.. Currently no ordinance exists that prohibits feeding deer ... 2013 Firearms Deer Season Totals January 10, 2014 Texas, Wayne County Journal Banner ... , the total deer harvest for the 2013 firearms deer season statewide was 157,259. The statewide harvest was down 47,395 deer from the 2012 firearms season. ... Man arrested for shooting decoy deer January 9, 2014 Texas, Your Houston News ... Two Henderson County game wardens and two Cherokee County game wardens were patrolling for night hunters because calls were received from landowners about road and night hunting on a farm-to-market road in their area. Willie, the decoy deer, was put into action and the wardens barely had time to set up the decoy before the first shots rang out... Texas Tech announces grant to Deer Breeder's Corp January 9, 2014 Texas, Lone Star Outdoor News ... Currently, deer breeders have no antibiotics or other pharmaceuticals labeled for use in these animals, and so they use medicines developed for cattle and other animals. We hope to find healthy solutions for the deer industry.” ... president of Deer Breeders Corp., said that deer breeding is an $8 billion industry in the United States... Deer Movement Slow in Cold Regions, but South Texas is Hopping January 8, 2014 Texas, Field and Stream ... In South Texas, Temple Ranch manager Robert Sanders says, “Second rut really kicking in down here. Bucks going crazy again.... Nature Report: New Year's Buck January 6, 2014 Texas, ValleyCentral.com ... He has some 10 countable points with impressive mass on his main beams, and he is a fine brush country buck with a lot of character in his rack. ... Youth-only hunting season begins January 6-19, and 16 year olds or younger can hunt white-tailed deer in all Texas counties... Dustin Dockery, Texas State Game Warden says ... “It creates future hunters for down the road,” ... Options in deer feeding December 30, 2013 Texas, Killeen Daily Herald (blog) ... While corn remains the most popular whitetail deer feed, protein-supplemented pellets and soybeans are also popularly used with various feeding systems. The planting of a strategically-placed food plot (usually .5-3 acres in size) is also a popular means of feeding and nourishing a deer population. Small grains, such as oats, wheat and rye grass are most commonly used ... West Texas meeting targets deer concerns, bovine tuberculosis December 16, 2013 Texas, southwestfarmpress.com ... State officials have organized the meeting in an effort to encourage input on an expanded TB surveillance program that requires hunters to submit tissue samples of harvested cervid in parts of El Paso and Hudspeth counties during the season. The TB surveillance program is being conducted in association with an active Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) tissue collection program already in progress... Bovine TB monitoring effort expanded to include mule deer and elk December 13, 2013 Texas, North Texas e-News ... The expanded TB surveillance is in response to a bill passed during the 83rd Legislative Session charging the TAHC with conducting a study regarding the current risk level for TB in parts of El Paso and Hudspeth counties. As part of the study, susceptible animals in these counties will be tested for TB. Testing will include cattle, goats, sheep, swine, exotic hoof-stock, captive deer and free ranging deer... Texas Deer Association Applauds New Texas Farm Bureau Position December 13, 2013 OutdoorHub ... the decision by the Texas Farm Bureau to remove spring release-only language from its Texas Farm Bureau Policy Book... The current 10-Day statute in Texas has guided release dates for whitetail deer since 1933 ... Nature Report: Battling Bucks December 11, 2013 Texas, KGBT-TV ... During the whitetail deer-breeding season or rut in South Texas in late December and early January, bucks will sometimes fight to the death for does and dominance. These two older deer are also testing out their antler [see video below] ... Texas deer hunting outlook brings lofty expectations during the rut December 9, 2013 texanoutdoors.com ... The breeding season is at or near its peak in the most frequented whitetail hot spots in the Hill Country and Central Texas, while less-pressured areas such as the Rolling Plains just now are experiencing the high point of the rut... a three-year statewide Texas Parks and Wildlife Department study... In the Rolling Plains, most does were bred from Oct. 8 to Dec. 30, and study areas showed a peak date of Dec. 3 in northern stretches of the region and a peak of Nov. 20 in the south... Good Land Management Results in a Fine Muley Buck December 4, 2013 Texas, Field and Stream (blog) ... Under the Texas Managed Lands Deer Program, landowners who perform extra habitat improvements, conduct annual surveys, keep records, and manage land are rewarded with an extended hunting season beyond the state's regular dates... Plenty of deer season still remains December 3, 2013 Texas, Your Houston News ... The reports are especially good for the East Texas white-tails with some nice racks and as was predicted a few years ago by the TPWD the size of the deer in general is getting larger... Man charged for transporting illegal Missouri deer to Sanderson December 3, 2013 Texas, San Angelo Standard Times ... sentenced to pay more than $14,000 ... Sipes had an ownership interest in a high-fence ranch in Sanderson, Texas... transported and possessed 14 live, illegally imported whitetail ... Game warden lives by the law of the wild December 2, 2013 Texas, Beaumont Enterprise Texas game warden Mike Boone ... in Hardin County ... Deer are plentiful. Drought in recent years has not harmed the deer population. In fact, last year's massive acorn crop (possibly triggered by the drought or other adverse conditions) had the deer fat and sassy - and, unfortunately for hunters, not too interested in their deer corn... Lady hunters continue racking up East Texas whopper bucks December 1, 2013 Lufkin Daily News ... We’re just now reaching the midway point of the 2013-14 deer season, and already many experts are calling it the best ever for quality bucks in eastern Texas... Some say it has everything to do with the 13 inch antler restriction put in place several years ago to protect young bucks from harvest long enough to reach maturity. Others believe the banner year is tied to good carryover spurred by bumper acorn crops and tough hunting conditions the last couple of years... Mule Deer Hunters Reminded of CWD Testing Requirements November 14, 2013 Texas, Alvin Sun Advertiser ... hunters taking mule deer inside the Containment Zone during the 2013 general mule deer hunting season ... are required to submit their harvest (unfrozen head) for CWD sampling ... CWD was detected in tissue samples from two mule deer in far West Texas during the summer of 2012 ... Hunting and fishing in Texas, then and now November 13, 2013 Texas, San Angelo Standard Times ... By the mid-1950’s the screw worms were mostly eradicated thanks to a program of releasing sterile male flies over Texas ... areas where white-tailed deer had never been seem suddenly became overrun with the popular game animal ... Deer don't disappoint after hunters' early optimism November 13, 2013 Texas, Houston Chronicle ... Statewide, whitetails appear to have had a good year after enduring a brutal, record-setting drought in 2011 that scorched the landscape and saw body condition and fawn production evaporate and a 2012 that was only marginally better... improved range conditions in much of the state ... White-tailed deer enjoying healthy Highland Lakes habitat November 12, 2013 Texas, The River Cities Sunday Tribune ... After several years of dry conditions and a drought that left deer struggling to find enough food in preparation for winter, this year’s deer looked stronger and healthier. It’s something hunters reported across the Highland Lakes... One of the biggest benefits of wet weather for deer is a good acorn crop... On the hunt for urban and suburban whitetails November 11, 2013 Texas, Austin Daily Herald ... This encroachment on the habitat of the whitetail has meant that more and more whitetails are entering into the towns and cities... I am not advocating hunting in a city or in your neighbor’s backyard. If the deer are located in these areas chances are they will move out of the urban areas for breeding purposes or to make a feeding circuit... Big Time Texas Hunts winners announced November 10, 2013 North Texas e-News ... hunters bought 71,658 Big Time Texas Hunt entries during this year’s sales period through the Oct. 15 deadline. This generated $676,504 in gross revenue to support wildlife research, habitat management and public hunting.... Study notes that deer mating season mostly sticking to schedule November 9, 2013 Texas, Dallas Morning News ... the rut occurs at virtually the same time every year in specific deer herds, though the peak rut varies throughout the state. Factors like hot weather, moon phases and the physical condition of the deer had no influence on when does were bred.... A doe comes into estrus and is attractive to bucks for about five days. She may only be willing to breed during a 24-hour window in that five-day period... Outlook favorable for deer season November 7, 2013 Texas, Bandera County Courier ...Dry conditions in 2011 resulted in a significant decline in fawn production, down to 29 percent for the statewide estimate, a 24 percent departure from the long term average. Fawn crops bounced back in 2012 at 47 percent and Cain anticipates survey results will show a higher fawn crop this year. In fact, Cain is hearing reports from landowners as well as TPWD biologists of fawn production in the 60 to 80 percent range in the Hill Country and similar reports of good fawn production in other areas of the state... Reports of Chasing in North Texas November 4, 2013 Field and Stream (blog) ... Most hunters report limited deer sightings on opening weekend of gun season ... Several reports ... of mature bucks chasing does ... 2013 Deer Season Expected to Fair Better Than 2012 November 4, 2013 Texas, bigcountryhomepage.com ... Widespread rainfall across much of the state helped to bring relief to troubling drought conditions in most areas of the state, especially in the east and southeast regions of Texas, along the coast into south Texas and into the Texas Hill Country... Last year Texas hunters achieved a deer-per-hunter ratio of 0.91 deer per hunter ... Mild summer good for deer, great for hunters November 3, 2013 Texas, Waco Tribune-Herald ... thanks to a rainier than normal summer and fall, deer have plenty on which to feed ... Hunting land is increasingly hard to come by and costly ... Mountain lion sightings have increased over the past 10 years in the Waco area — with most occurring in the northern parts of the area — at the Lake Waco dam, along Steinbeck Bend Road, and in China Spring... 2013-14 Texas deer season could be very memorable November 1, 2013 Sherman Denison Herald Democrat ... in 2011 — when drought conditions were horrendous — deer hunting still generated about $1.25 billion in retail sales across Texas according to published reports in the Dallas Morning News... State biologists predict that some 3.6 million whitetails will be roaming the state ... That figure is pretty close to average... This year’s precipitation — including very heavy rainfall in some parts of the state over the last couple of days — has also helped set the table for future deer seasons... State officials advise against spotlighting, urge cautious hunting as deer season ends October 28, 2013 Texas, LubbockOnline.com ... Spotlighting — hunting with artificial light used to intentionally capture the animal’s attention — is among the most serious hunting violations authorities will investigate this deer season... Test deer harvests to prevent spread of CWD disease October 27, 2013 Texas, LubbockOnline.com ... mandatory check stations for mule deer killed inside a containment zone in far West Texas that includes portions of Hudspeth, Culberson and El Paso counties. The plan was implemented after the disease was detected in tissue samples from two mule deer in far West Texas in 2012 ... TPWD had received test results indicating no disease detection for roughly 30,000 samples collected from wild deer around the state since the 2002-03 hunting season ... Entreprenuers clone animals: Local rancher, veternarian supplement deer herd October 25, 2013 Texas, Amarillo.com ... he and his partner have cloned 168 horses and nearly 20 deer. At Abraham’s sprawling 26,000-acre ranch near Canadian, his focus this time of year is cloning whitetail and mule deer... unfertilized eggs, or oocytes, are removed from wild does harvested throughout the Texas ... Then DNA from a donor doe or buck is reinjected ... Defenders Investigation: All about the bucks October 25, 2013 Texas, KHOU ... Greg Williford, an investigator for Texas Parks and Wildlife... says violations often include operating without permits. Some cases also include smuggling in deer from out of state that the state says puts Texas' deer in danger... Some of the states, where some of the deer came from, had chronic wasting disease in the past... Ranchers or other breeders can spend thousands of dollars to buy a buck with a large rack... Stars aligning for a stellar deer season October 23, 2013 Texas, Houston Chronicle ... memories of the poor 2011 season ... hunters took 546,000 whitetails, the lowest tally since the 2007 season and third-lowest harvest since 2000 ... Much of that reduced harvest was blamed on the effects of a 2012 mast crop Calkins termed "phenomenal." ... With so much of this high-fat natural forage available, deer didn't have to move far to fill their bellies. That significantly reduced their visits to food plots and corn-spewing feeders, which a majority of Texas deer hunters employ to attract deer... Annual whitetail season could benefit rural Texas October 23, 2013 Texas, Southwest Farm Press ... just over 3.6 million deer in Texas ... two-year drought ... [Last season] Around 309,000 bucks and nearly 266,000 does were taken by an estimated 636,000 hunters; the number of hunters was down slightly ... Last year Texas hunters achieved a deer-per-hunter ratio of 0.91 deer per hunter ... Outlook favorable for Texas Deer season October 23, 2013, Texas, The Madisonville Meteor ... “Statewide population trends remain stable ...” says Alan Cain, TPWD whitetail deer program leader. “I would predict the statewide deer population to be close to or slightly above the long-term average and hover around that 3.6 million deer mark for 2013.” Some managers provide supplemental feed to buffer against nutritional impact resulting from drought. However, research in South Texas has shown that native habitat is crucial to deer nutrition even when supplemental feed is provided... Mule deer hunters should bring bucks to check stations October 23, 2013 Texas, lsonews.com ... in far West Texas ... The plan includes mandatory check stations for harvested mule deer taken inside the CWD Containment Zone, which covers portions of Hudspeth, Culberson, and El Paso counties. The management plan was implemented after CWD was detected in tissue samples from two mule deer in far West Texas during the summer of 2012 ... “CWD has not been detected anywhere outside of the Hueco Mountains,” said Mitch Lockwood, Big Game Program director with TPWD... Trouble occurs when deer lose wariness October 19, 2013 Texas, Houston Chronicle ... The whitetailed deer "rut" - also known as breeding season - kicks off across much of Texas this month, triggering increased movement of deer as bucks pursue does, often with a reckless single-mindedness that short-circuits the animal's natural wariness. This is good news for the state's 600,000 or so deer hunters ... The three months - October, November and December - during which almost all deer breeding activity occurs see the highest number of deer-motor vehicle accidents ... Traditional firearms deer season on horizon; Experts expect average yield October 12, 2013 Texas, Dallas Morning News ... Variables include livestock grazing, deer management plans and supplemental feeding, or lack thereof. “Rain in a bag”, as some wildlife managers call supplemental feed, negates the impact of drought. Cain said the average estimated Texas whitetail population has been 3.46 million animals each year for the eight years preceding 2013. Last year’s estimate was 3.69 million, up 2.8 percent from the 2011 drought year ... G&F Forecast: Best Places for Texas Deer Hunting in 2013 October, 2013 ... the largest whitetail population in the country ... “I think it’s been a decent spring... Our message to folks was get out and start reducing the population because of the drought... We are trying to harvest enough antlerless deer to pull our sex ratios closer than they have historically been and harvest older age-class bucks,” in the Panhandle ... we basically had no whitetail fawn production in 2011 and 2012 and are missing two age-classes of deer... Animal rehab way of life for San Antonio volunteer October 9, 2013 Texas, The Eagle ... As a volunteer rehabilitator for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Garza helps debilitated deer, snakes, turtles and just about any other creature cross back into the wild... Garza and his younger twin sisters Amanda and Danielle grew up with so many deer and other wildlife around the house ,,, One year the Garzas had 14 deer in the backyard... "The people who do rehab are really stewards," said Alan Teague, game warden major with Texas Parks & Wildlife in San Antonio... Mule Deer Foundation Concerned for Hunters & Habitat Due to Government Shutdown October 8, 2013 Texas, AmmoLand.com ... Moretti ... said, “Some projects are time sensitive. They need to be done in the fall. They may not occur this year, or they may have to be postponed... Get involved at www.muledeer.org ... The Mule Deer Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 charitable non-profit organization, is one of the key conservation groups in North America working to restore, improve and protect mule deer, black-tailed deer and their habitat... Herd Status, Deer forecast looks promising throughout state October 7, 2013 Texas, VictoriaAdvocate.com · ... According to TPWD, recent laws restricting harvest of bucks fewer than 13 inches wide is working. Cain said 59 percent of bucks checked during TPWD surveys were 3 or older, a dramatic improvement in age structure when those older age class bucks represented only 30-35 percent of the harvest before antler restrictions were implemented... Deer Demographics October 3, 2013 Texas, Field and Stream ... According to the Quality Deer Management Association, 33 percent of bucks killed in 2011 were 31⁄2 years old or older, up from 19 percent in 1999. In the best states, the percentage of mature bucks in the harvest has reached eye-popping levels: over 60 in Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, and 70 percent in Mississippi... An Economic Impact Analysis of South Texas Landowner Hunting Operation Expenses EL Dodd, FC Bryant, LA Brennan, C Gilliland Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, 2013 ... Hunting is an important source of economic activity for rural South Texas. However, little is known about the economic impacts associated with landowner expenses. Questionnaires were mailed to landowners across the South Texas region to collect expense data related to managing hunting operations...The software IMPLAN was used to calculate the economic impact data. With a mean expense per hectare of $168.75, total expenditures for the region were an estimated $114.4 million. Landowners who responded to our survey (n = 200) generated an estimated $166.1 million in economic Output. With a direct impact of $108.9 million, the Total Value Added to the South Texas economy was an estimated $75.7 million, which supported 1,635 jobs. Outlook Favorable for Texas Deer Season September 26, 2013 Big Country Homepage ... “I would predict the statewide deer population to be close to or slightly above the long-term average and hover around that 3.6 million deer mark for 2013.... the 2012 season harvest was down resulting from heavy acorn and mast crops in several regions of the state,” ... Alan Cain, TPWD whitetail deer program leader... Dry conditions in 2011 resulted in a significant decline in fawn production, down to 29 percent ... Fawn crops bounced back in 2012 at 47 percent ... Texas Herd Status, Area archery enthusiasts nocked, ready for deer season Friday September 25, 2013 Texas, Pleasanton Express ... “We have had below to average rainfall this year,” Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wildlife biologist for Atascosa County Matt Reidy said. “The timing of the rainfall has been very good. We received rain in April, May, June and July, ... I think fawn crops will be good to excellent,”... Atascosa County is under the antler restriction program ... Hunters have a reason for optimism September 22, 2013 Texas, Houston Chronicle This past year, an estimated 636,000 Texas deer hunters took about 546,000 whitetails, with both numbers the lowest since the 2007 deer season... Deer in most of the state will head into the season in good or at least decent body condition ... rains also helped fawn production and survival; early estimates are that fawn production was good this year, boding well for coming seasons... Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game warden field notes, pet deer September 20, 2013 Your Houston News ... the deer were being kept. Hidden behind a trailer park on several acres of high fence with a mixture of fallow and axis deer ... . He claimed the oldest animal jumped in his pen and never left and the other two were brought to him to be cared for after they were found abandoned. A citation was issued for possession of white tailed deer without permits and the deer were relocated... Gregg County game warden urges motorists to be wary of deer on roads September 17, 2013 Texas, Longview News-Journal ... While many deer are killed when struck by vehicles traveling at high speeds, Long said those that can be saved are taken to area rehabilitation facilities run by volunteers. Dawn Fairchild and her husband, Ross, run an animal rehabilitation clinic in New Summerfield, where they have taken in several whitetail fawns that have been found injured or alone in Northeast Texas... Man charged for transporting illegal deer to Sanderson September 16, 2013 Texas, San Angelo Standard Times ... Sipes transported and possessed 14 live, illegally imported whitetail deer valued at over $350 each from Carthage, Missouri to the ranch in Sanderson, which is prohibited by Texas law ... must pay $14,016.49 in restitution ... Taking Antlerless Deer Has Become More Common With Texas Hunters September 14, 2013 Tyler Morning Telegraph ... It wasn’t that many years ago that deer hunting meant killing a buck... Ranchers were managing deer like they did their cattle ... Then the gospel of deer management was spread to the masses, and hunters began to shoot does... Through the years hunters and most landowners have learned that an antlerless deer harvest is an important component to deer management. Herd and buck quality are both impacted positively if hunters take does in an effort to manage deer numbers ... The Dangers of Deer Cloning September 9, 2013 Texas, Outdoor Life Magazine (blog) A pair of Texans recently announced that they had successfully cloned a whitetail deer ... It’s no secret that some antler-crazed wannabe hunters (shooters) will pay almost anything to hang a huge set of antlers on their wall. And the deer breeding community is all about giving them what they want ... Now, that 500-inch Franken-buck can be cloned and his Franken-genes spread throughout the deer farming community... Nature Report: Valley Wildlife September 9, 2013 Texas, Valleycentral.com ... If it's whitetail deer you want to see, then Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife refuge east of Rio Hondo is the place to go. The approximately 40,000 acres of habitat along the coast is already hosting early arriving teal and other shorebirds ... | Search for news and information by keyword above or find links to state news stories organized by topic.
Texas Data: An estimated 3.8 million white-tail deer in 2013 before deer hunting seasons, 39 deer per 1,000 acres on average, about the same at 3.7 million in 2012. The population trended upward from 2004 to 2010.with the high population estimate of 3.8 million, the 2011 drought resulted in low fawn recruitment. Improved weather in 2014 will improve fawn survival and deer health. A few hundred thousand mule deer, population generally on the decline. About 6,000 Axis deer in the wild who have escaped from hunting ranches. Introduced in 1932 from southern India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The Hill Country has the highest deer population, an estimated 2.1 million deer, or 113 deer per 1,000 acres. The Post Oak Savannah and Cross Timbers regions each have about 400,000, or 35 and 37 deer per 1,000 acres. South Texas has a much lower estimated deer population, about 230,000 deer. An estimated $1.5 billion annually related to Texas deer hunts, $2.2 billion including deer breeding and tourism according to a Texas A&M study. Other useful links: - Texas Hunting Regulations - Texas Commission on Environmental Quality - Texas Deer Cams - American Deer & Wildlife Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to the growth of the deer and wildlife industry, and to help educate the public and youth on conservation and wildlife issues. - Texas Parks and Wildlife Tweet on the twitter timeline below by using the hashtags #deer #texas |
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