Texas Deer News  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 ... Behaviour and Cause-Specific Mortality of Mule Deer Fawns [PDF] CA Taylor, 2013 ... Predation was the major source of neonate mortality accounting for 86.8% of deaths. Black bear were the source of highest predation on fawns (57.5%, n=19) and total mortality (49.9%), verifying our hypothesis. Coyotes (Canis latrans) were the second highest source of predation (36.3%, n=12) and total mortality (31.6%). The mean eight month survival estimate was 24.4%. These survival estimates were slightly higher than those from a previous investigation in the same area (Bender 2006)... Hudson Oaks deer overpopulation issues growing August 27, 2013 Texas, Weatherford Democrat ... Mayor Pat Deen said the problem is growing, based on the increase in the number of vehicle-deer accidents and the number of feeders he sees around town.,, If the problem continues to get worse, a city-wide letter is scheduled to be sent to residents asking for voluntary stoppage of deer feeding in the city... Leander, Hunters to use bows, arrows to thin out deer in Leander August 27, 2013 ... some neighbor's don't think their plan is safe. The property owners' association in High Gabriel Estates put in a feeder to attract the deer, and next month hunters will be there too, armed with bows and arrows. Open land, nature, and wildlife are a few of the reasons many choose to call Leander home... but some neighbor's don't think their plan is safe. The property owners' association in High Gabriel Estates put in a feeder to attract the deer, and next month ...KVUE New rule just in time for deer bow hunting season, dog tracking August 26, 2013 Texas, KETK ... What was once illegal in 12 East Texas counties has been lifted. This season you will be able to use your dog to trail a deer once it's been shot.... "There are still 10 counties in east texas where it's still illegal to trail wounded deer," ... Texas Deer Association Smashes Record for Nation’s Largest Deer Event August 26, 2013 AmmoLand.com ... The Texas Deer Association reports its 15th Annual TDA Convention & Fundraiser ... hosted nearly 2,000 attendees ... the TDA Select Sale alone grossed $2.61 million, making it the largest single sale event in the history of the deer industry in North America... Horse cloning experts now cloning deer August 20, 2013 Texas, Connectamarillo.com Rancher Jason Abraham and Veterinarian Gregg Veneklasen have just cloned two white tail does. The deer are from a line proven to produce large bucks … They’ve also birthed a muledeer doe from a white tail doe ... Austin Council bucks deer feeding ordinance August 20, 2013 Texas, Austin Herald The Austin City Council voted 4-2 during its Monday work session to drop a potential ordinance banning deer feeding ... “How in the world do you enforce the ordinance?” ... several residents spoke against a deer feeding ordinance Monday night, including a couple who live on a 10-acre plot of land in southwest Austin who have fed deer living near Turtle Creek for the past 25 years... Errors noted in Texas Outdoor Annual Hunting & Fishing Regulations Booklet August 15, 2013 Texas, San Angelo Standard Times ... the most glaring miscue that should provide hunters with a chuckle indicates a mule deer season and a pheasant season for Cass County in Northeast Texas. Neither game species have been documented in the wild there, much less in huntable numbers... Texas Deer Association Welcomes Texas AG Greg Abbott to Annual Convention August 12, 2013 Ammoland ... The convention will be held on August 15, 2013, through August 17, 2013, at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas. Abbott is scheduled to address the attendees on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 17th, at 10:30 a.m... The annual TDA Convention & Fundraiser is the state’s biggest deer industry event of the year, attracting thousands of deer enthusiasts from across the country. Law sparks a sea change for dog runners August 11, 2013 Texas, Houston Chronicle ... For generations, running deer with dogs had been a primary method of hunting deer... in the early 1980s when a Parks and Wildlife study indicated deer herds on East Texas tracts not hunted with dogs were healthier than on those where dogs were run...Next week, the TPW Commission will consider and almost certainly approve a proposal to drop the tracking dog prohibition in another 12 East Texas counties, allowing hunters there the opportunity to use the amazingly effective tracking dogs to locate deer that otherwise would have been lost and wasted... Big buck believed poached at Sea Center Texas August 8, 2013 Texas, Lone Star Outdoor News ... Sea Center Texas in Lake Jackson ... Big Boi disappeared over the weekend, and a large pool of blood in the parking lot, along with drag marks and a bloody crossbow bolt, led staff and investigators to believe Big Boi had been poached sometime Friday night... If anyone has any information on Big Boi, please call the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Department, Brazoria County game wardens or Operation Game Thief... Ben Carter to be keynote speaker at TDA Convention July 31, 2013 Texas, Lone Star Outdoor News ... The upcoming Texas Deer Association Convention and Fundraiser ... Ben Carter, executive director of the Dallas Safari Club, as its keynote speaker during the upcoming TDA Convention and Fundraiser. The annual convention will be held on August 15 through August 17 at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio. Carter will speak on Saturday night, Aug. 17... Albino whitetail buck amazes July 27, 2013 Texas, The Port Arthur News ... a year-old albino buck named “Rusty” that is working on an impressive non-typical set of antlers ... in Orangefield ... On rare occasion, an albino whitetail will make it to adulthood in the wild ... A high possibility for many “ghost deer” sightings in Texas is the fallow deer. Fallows come in spotted, chocolate and white varieties and there are tens of thousands of them out there ... Public input sought on proposal to allow use of dogs to trail wounded deer July 25, 2013 Texas, .Longview News-Journal · ... Hunters could use dogs to trail a wounded deer in 12 counties in East Texas, a practice that has been prohibited in this area of the state since 1990 ... If you are not able to make one of the public hearings don’t sweat it. Go online and make your feelings known at tpwd.state.tx.us... Reminder - 2nd Annual Brown County Mule Deer Foundation Banquet Set for August 3 July 23, 2013 Texas, Brownwood News ... The Brown County chapter of the Mule Deer Foundation will hold their 2nd annual fund raising banquet August 3, 2013 at the Grand Starz Hall on Belle Plain ... Tickets for the banquet are available at KOXE, Weakley-Watson sporting goods, Sportsman Center, and Wendlee Broadcasting or call Russ at 325-642-1644... Deer captured downtown July 23, 2013 Texas, LubbockOnline.com ... Already in bad shape, the 150-pound, 1-year-old mule deer — which are common in the area — became entangled in a fence, sustained a shot from a tranquilzer dart, was captured and, eventually, euthanized ... Hunting hopefuls apply by the thousands, but some TPWD permits can be hard to come by July 21, 2013 Texas, Dallas Morning News ... Last year, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department processed more than 47,000 applications for 5,400 hunting permits on lands controlled by the state agency. Applications have increased by more than 11,000 in the last 10 years... Deer hunting hopefuls pay a $3 to $10 application fee. Those who are drawn pay a permit fee ranging from $80 to $130, depending on the length of the hunt... Trailing deer with dogs could be returning to East Texas July 19, 2013 Texas, KETK ... Texas Parks and Wildlife officials are discussing allowing dogs for trailing deer, this means once a deer is shot and runs off, this dog is used to track him down and find the body... Deer Moments — Golden Moments in God's Time July 19, 2013 Texas, Longview News-Journal (blog) ...Growing up a city girl, seeing deer anywhere, but especially within a mile or two of my house, is always a serendipitous experience for me. They seem to possess a kind of magic, like fairies or gnomes... In the deer moments, all of heaven and nature sings — even in an East Texas July... Hidden secrets "abound" at local ranch refuge July 19, 2013 Texas, Jack County Herald ... beautiful place to picnic and stroll. The deer feeder in the ravine allows observance of the 64 animals at any given time snacking at leisure. The RV ranch is a well-kept secret, situated in Jack County, off U.S. Highway 281, north of Jacksboro and about 65 miles northwest of Fort Worth... The 95 acres is home to many safari species, including 15 mountain sheep and goats, four African Oryx, six Black Buck antelope, and nine Sika deer, pronounced "shika" which is a Japanese word for deer. ... Wildlife rescuers overwhelmed in Montgomery County July 16, 2013 Texas, KHOU ... The problem is the real world is encroaching on the natural world, resulting in an influx of mammals, birds and especially deer hit by cars. "We usually have a report there’s a fawn by the dead mother trying to nurse," said Winkelmann. "And we get that call, and it’s very hard to say no." ... Who Owns the Deer in Texas? July 16, 2013 Frontburner ... Right now, every deer in the state belongs to the state–to the people, as a natural resource. Which means that if the TPW ... thinks ... a deer on your property may have a disease (or that they were imported from a different state, or illegally trapped), officers can kill several dozen animals ... King Ranch loses battle to move deer fence July 15, 2013 Texas, The Eagle ... Last year, apparently to avoid having prized whitetail bucks from being bagged by hunters on adjacent properties, operators of the 825,000-acre ranch decided to replace several miles of the fence with a much taller one. And when a new survey indicated the existing fence line was as much as 40 feet south of the true boundary line, the ranch took corrective action... The heat is on for wildlife in need of summer rainfall July 10, 2013 Texas, Houston Chronicle ... The link between ground cover and fawn survival is starkly illustrated by TPWD fawn crop data from 2011 and 2012. In the record-setting drought of 2011, fawn survival was estimated at 29 percent statewide. In the "wet" summer of 2012, fawn survival jumped to 47 percent. Fawn survival this year could be "about normal" if favorable habitat conditions hold through the rest of summer ... Fight Over the The Future of Texas' Deer July 10, 2013 Texas, Dallas Observer ... For hours they worked the herd back and forth this way across the paddock, picking them off one by one. Most went down with a single, well-placed shot. Some took several bullets, gut shot and staggering... Deer breeders across Texas — representing an estimated billion-dollar industry — reacted with horror to the extermination of the Anderton herd. They called it a stunning display of brutality by one of the state's most powerful law enforcement agencies... Concerns over Chronic Wasting Disease in cervids prompts rule change July 8, 2013 Texas, Southwest Farm Press Since Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was first discovered in mule deer in the Hueco Mountains of Texas in 2012 ... owners are required to apply an official identification device to the animals being moved, and to complete and submit a CWD Susceptible Species Movement Record. They must also provide a current estimated inventory of the herd of origin... New TAHC movement requirements for species susceptible to Chronic Wasting Disease July 4, 2013 Texas, North Texas e-News ... The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) has new intrastate movement requirements in place for elk, red deer, Sika deer, moose and their hybrids, all of which are considered susceptible to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)... For a copy of the CWD Susceptible Species Movement Record (TAHC Form 13-05) and the CWD Susceptible Species Inventory Record (TAHC Form 13-06), visit http://www.tahc.texas.gov/animal_health/cwd/cwd.html. Austin, Bambi and his mom get to live! June 28, 2013 Texas, Austinist ... the City Council approved Thursday changes to the city's current deer overpopulation policy ... The Northwest Austin Civic Association and Deer Austin, who "joined together to oppose any and all deer harvesting and trap-and-kill procedures in our neighborhood and city," ... Texas Game Populations Thriving June 22, 2013 The Port Arthur News ... The 2011 estimated harvest was 574,808 white-tailed deer; 309,207 being bucks and 265,601 antlerless deer. You can compare those statistics to the 2010 season, one of Texas better seasons, when total deer harvest was estimated at 647,975 deer; ... ... the 11-year average for annual total harvest is 574,423 deer and the lowest estimated harvest occurring during the 2007-08 was an estimated 512,852 deer... Louisiana man guilty of negligent transportation of wildlife in East Texas June 17, 2013 Texas, Liberty Vindicator ... Sipes possessed and transported 14 illegally imported live whitetail deer valued at over $350.00 each.... faces up to one year in federal prison... Texas Deer Population in 2012 June 16, 2013 Texas, Lubbock Online ... Alan Cain, TPWD’s white-tailed deer program leader, said the 2012 estimate for the Texas whitetail herd was 3.69 million animals. For the last eight years, he said, statewide fawn survival has averaged just 44 percent annually. That’s nearly 800,000 animals. During the catastrophic drought of 2011, statewide fawn survival was 29 percent, but only 5 percent of the fawns survived in the Western Rolling Plains Region... Goats Are a Potential Reservoir for the Herpesvirus (MCFV-WTD), Causing Malignant Catarrhal Fever in Deer H Li, CW Cunha, B Abbitt, TW deMaar, SD Lenz… - Journal of Zoo and Wildlife …, 2013 In the recent investigation of malignant catarrhal fever in a red brocket deer (Mazama americana) from a Texas zoo, the viral DNA from the herpesvirus termed MCFV-WTD, which causes disease in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), was detected. The epidemiology information revealed that the red brocket deer had been associated with a herd of pygmy goats (Capra hircus) at the zoo. MCFV-WTD DNA was also detected in one of these 12 goats that were malignant catarrhal fever viral antibody positive. ...The study shows that MCFV-WTD is capable of causing malignant catarrhal fever in other species of deer besides white-tailed deer and suggests that goats are a potential reservoir for the virus. Injured fawn gets second chance with donated surgery May 30, 2013 Terxas, KHOU ... Someone found Thumper in Wise County, limping badly. After being cared for by two veterinarians and a Texas game warden, he wound up with Pinkson at Furry Friendzy Animal Rescue and Wildlife Rehabilitation in Kaufman. Pinkston then brought the fawn to Rockwall County Veterinary Clinic. ... A team of veterinarians, including Dr. Albers, will perform surgery on Thumper's leg Friday. ... Best Captions From the Deer-Crazy Contest May 29, 2013 Texas, San Antonio Express ... Last month, I asked you to finish the sentence: “You may be deer crazy if…,” ... you first saw a Drone in the news and thought 'Mobile Trail Cam.'" —FofvV Elkins Lake man helps lost fawn finds its mother May 29, 2013 Texas, Huntsville Item ... The two discovered a trail that led to the deer’s hiding place and said they stuck around long enough to watch the baby deer reunite with its mother. “It was perfect. I’ve been doing this for 30 years and have only seen this three times,” Heyde said.... State mulls new dog rules for trailing wounded deer May 25, 2013 Texas, Austin American-Statesman ... In the late-1980s, the state banned the use of dogs to chase deer in 35 East Texas counties... Today it seems illegal dog hunting to chase and move deer around the big woods in East Texas has virtually disappeared to the point that department biologists and wardens have suggested to parks and wildlife commissioners that hunters be allowed to use trained trailing dogs under owner control to help track wounded deer in some of those counties... 10 years ago today, Texas scientists cloned the first deer May 23, 2013 Houston Chronicle (blog) ... A Texas A & M professor says the deer is a grandpa now and living a life of luxury... First clone of his kind turns 10 at A&M May 23, 2013 Texas, Houston Chronicle ... Keith Randall, the assistant news director for Texas A&M says that Dewey is looked after by Alice-Blue McClendon, a veternary professor at the school. He is "spoiled rotten" according to Randall, and loves to be petted and fed, weighing all of 175 pounds. "He lives a life of luxury, he's a grandfather, and he grows huge antlers every year," says McClendon ... Texas Deer Association Welcomes Passage of 'Due Process' Bill May 15, 2013 AmmoLand.com (press release) ... Under the Due Process Bill provisions, any deer breeder charged with a violation is afforded a thorough and fair review by a district judge. The bill also requires Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) to provide written notice in the event the department seeks to depopulate some or all of a breeder’s deer herd ... Texas Deer Legislation Lacks Scientific Merit May 14, 2013 AmmoLand Shooting Sports News ... HB 2433 and SB 1412 ... the bills would change the long-standing ‘10-Day Rule’ regulation for releasing breeder deer to an extended 60-day period... These experts explain the release dates proposed in the bills mean moving deer in the hottest month of the year which would result in the needless death ... Deer aren't mean, they're just curious May 12, 2013 Texas, Herald Zeitung ... deer are inclined to pull up anything new that is planted. They are curious animals. They also seem to especially like plants directly from the nursery. These plants have been well watered and are growing rapidly so are full of moisture ... State Park wildlife should be viewed but not touched, estimating deer population May 7, 2013 Texas, Lone Star Outdoor News ... Texas Parks and Wildlife conducts surveys in state parks to get an idea of how many deer live in the area. By documenting how much first-choice and second-choice plants are eaten in a certain time frame, TPWD gets an idea of how many deer live in the area... After Texas Parks & Wildlife's Slaughter of a Hunt County Deer Herd, Questions of Wildlife Ownership Abound May 2, 2013, Texas, Dallas Observer ... Texas Parks and Wildlife said that the Andertons couldn't provide evidence of the state of origin for every animal, and so they all had to be wiped out to prevent the Texas incursion of a highly transmissible, neurodegenerative killer of deer known as chronic wasting disease... James and Jimmie are suing TPWD in federal court, claiming the agency violated their constitutional rights by depriving them of property -- $700,000 of it, they claim -- without due process... Exotic Wildlife Association Opposes 'Anti-Deer' Bills in Texas April 16, 2013 Texas, Ammoland.com ... The two bills — HB 2433 and SB 1412 — were introduced into the Texas 83rd Legislative Session by the Texas Wildlife Association and would change the so-called ‘10-Day Rule’ on releasing breeder deer to a 60-day period. According to many wildlife biologists, moving the state’s release dates to the hottest month of the year would result in the needless death of thousands of deer and fewer hunting opportunities ... Dr. James Kroll Denounces Texas Deer Bill April 8, 2013 AmmoLand.com (press release) ... Kroll ...criticized House Bill 2433 and Senate Bill 1412 ... “If some organizations are so concerned about 10-Day releases, they need to step up and fund scientifically valid research. Until then, I do not think it prudent to change long-standing regulations based on anecdotal or unscientific concerns. I think this legislation is a philosophical agenda hidden behind questionable science... there is a deep philosophical divide among wildlife people on how wildlife should be managed.. " Deer Breeding Industry Looks to Lawmakers to Relax Rules April 4, 2013 Texas, New York Times ... In the early 1980s, when the deer breeding industry was in its infancy in Texas, Robert Williams bought his first deer, Old Bambi, for $250... as the Texas Deer Association — a lobbying group for deer breeders — pushes for measures to ease some regulations. The group says current oversight is constraining the industry, but environmental groups say the industry has overstepped its bounds by shifting its strategy away from conservation and toward support for the commercial hunting industry... Bill breeds dissension among deer fans April 4, 2013 Texas, Corpus Christi Caller Times ... The Texas Wildlife Association, through House Bill 2433 and Senate Bill 1412, has proposed a 60-day release rule for hunting pen-raised deer. The association’s leadership said this is about health and safety as well as preserving the state’s hunting heritage... Currently Texas is one of three states to require a 10-day waiting period between the time a buck with full antlers is released from its pen or holding pasture and when it’s available to be shot by a hunter... Ted Nugent adds 'fever' to Texas deer hunting debate, fair chase April 4, 2013 Detroit Free Press ... Established nearly a century ago as a conservation measure, deer breeding has become a $650 million business in the state, according to researchers at Texas A&M University ... Under current state law, breeders must release white-tailed deer into the wild at least 10 days before hunting season... the rules surrounding deer bred in captivity have become central to the contentious concept known as "fair chase." ... Changes to mule deer, pronghorn seasons April 2, 2013 Texas, Lone Star Outdoor News ... A new pilot program will allow some landowners to determine their harvest quota for pronghorn in some regions... an extension to the existing mule deer managed lands deer permits (MLDP) season will be part of changes ... | Search for news and information by keyword above or find links to state news stories organized by topic.
Texas Data: An estimated 3.7 million white-tail deer in 2012. The population trended upward from 2004 to 2010.wiith the high population estimate of 3.8 million, the 2011 drought resulted in low fawn recruitment. About 3.1 million whitetails in 2013, down from about 3.3 million in 2011. 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 |
Texas |