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Whitetail Deer Mad Stones & Deer Pearls

What are Deer Mad Stones?

A mad stone, also known as s bezoar stone, are naturally occurring masses that form in the stomachs of certain animals, particularly ruminants, such as white-tailed deer and goats. The are often called a deer pearl when found in deer. Referred to as deer mad stones, these “gems” are formed from the accumulation of indigestible materials, such as hair, fibers, and plant matter, which gather and compact over time in the stomach.

In white-tailed deer and other deer species, these mad stones are referred to as deer pearls since they are formed similarly to oyster-formed pearls. However, the presence of these stones is not universal among all members of a particular species. It’s not accurate to say that every whitetail has deer pearls or deer mad stones. The formation of these stones is influenced by various factors, including the deer’s diet, health, and other physiological factors.

A mad stone removed from a ruminant animal, possibly a deer.

Hunter Finds Deer Pearl in Buck

“This is what biologists refer to as a mad stone or deer pearl. They grow to baseball-sized proportions and are formed when calcium clings to a foreign object (like hair) in the deer’s stomach. The process is similar to how an oyster creates a pearl. And if you cut one open, you’ll find growth rings like that of a tree.

A deer mad stone.

It was once believed that mad stones had healing properties, and that those from albino deer were extra powerful. Some textbooks from the 1800s say these formations could cure rabies, snakebites, and more.

A smooth deer pearl from a buck's stomach.

A common treatment was to soak the stone in milk and apply it directly to the wound. When it was done absorbing the poison from your body, it was placed back into the milk to recharge.

The buck harvested by this hunter had a deer pearl. — Dalton Ellens (@salty_daltyyyy) harvested this dandy of a whitetail buck in South Dakota during the 2023 season.

Mad stones are rare, but it’s said they’re more common in the East where soil is calcium-rich. So next time you kill a hoofed animal, do some rockhounding by exploring its stomach. You might just find a pearl.”

Deer Pearls are a Rare Find

The Power of Deer Mad Stones

A mad stone or bezoar stone is a substance that was traditionally believed to have medicinal properties, particularly in folk medicine. It was thought to have the ability to neutralize or absorb poisons. The name “mad stone” comes from its historical use as a supposed remedy for rabies or “mad dog” bites.

The mad stone is typically derived from the stomach of a ruminant, such as a goat, whitetail, or other deer species. The belief was that these stones could absorb toxins and poisons when applied to a wound. In the case of rabies, it was thought that using a mad stone on the bite wound could prevent the onset of symptoms.

It’s important to note that the efficacy of mad stones in treating rabies or other poisonings has never been scientifically proven. With the advancement of modern medicine and the development of vaccines, the use of mad stones has largely fallen out of favor, and medical professionals strongly recommend seeking conventional medical treatment, such as rabies vaccination, in the case of potential exposure to rabies.

Deer Surveys Using Drones

Considering Deer Surveys Using Drones?

Estimating the number of white-tailed deer using an area is a key part of deer management. After all, it’s important to know what’s out there before the trigger pulling starts. Conducting deer surveys using drones has gained interest in recent years as another way to estimate whitetail populations. However, can drone deer surveys provide useful information?

Managers often use one or more survey methods to estimate their deer herd annually. The survey methods traditionally use are not perfect. Over the years, research has found standard survey methods are far from infallible. More recently, many started using camera surveys for deer. However, there’s always another (and possibly) a better way. In the last few years, interest in conducting deer surveys using drones is trending up.

The article below discusses using drones to survey deer and was part of a recent ENEWS blast from Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute:

Can We Count Deer Using Drones?

by Aaron Foley, Jesse Exum, and Randy DeYoung

“White-tailed deer are often managed for recreational harvest. Deer managers need a way to estimate the number of deer to track population size relative to management goals. Methods for counting deer include spotlight, helicopter, and trail camera surveys. All are useful, but each method has its own strengths and weaknesses. Recently, unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, have become widely available. As the capabilities of drones continue to grow, so does the interest in use of drones for wildlife surveys.

To evaluate a new survey method, one needs to understand what percent of the population is counted, how much counts vary in repeated surveys, and how the counts compare with other survey methods. Jesse Exum took on the challenge of developing drone survey methods and evaluating their effectiveness as part of her graduate research at CKWRI. Jesse flew repeated drone surveys for deer on two South Texas properties (250 acres and 1,000 acres).

One of the first insights was that drone surveys were much better when done with a thermal video camera, which detects animals by the difference between their body heat and the surrounding vegetation. The regular video camera did a poor job of detecting deer in part because deer did not react to the drone. During helicopter surveys, most deer run away and it is easier to see a moving animal than a stationary one.

The next step was to determine what percent of deer present were counted during a drone survey. Wildlife surveys rarely count 100% of animals; deer may be obscured by brush. If we know the percent counted and why some deer are not counted, we can use statistical methods to adjust the count to obtain a more accurate estimate of population size. We found that drone surveys counted 56-64% of deer on both properties. We observed more deer closer to the drone flight path and fewer farther away. This tells us that deer visibility becomes obscured by vegetation farther from the flight line. Fortunately, there are statistical methods to account for the missed deer due to this visibility bias.

The next steps were to generate population estimates after accounting for visibility, then determine consistency in repeated counts on the same site. Repeated population estimates ranged from 2.7–4.0 acres/deer on the 250-acre property and 7.4–10.9 acres/deer on the 1,000-acre property. Additionally, our consistent drone-based population estimates suggest one can get a reliable count from a single survey.

The last step was to determine how the drone estimates compared with other survey methods. On the 1,000-acre property, the helicopter, baited trail camera, and drone surveys all resulted in similar population estimates (8.2–8.9 acres/deer). On the 250-acre property, spotlight counts (4.3 acres/deer) and drone surveys (2.7–4.0 acres/deer) were comparable. The finding that drone counts were similar to other survey methods indicates that drones are a good alternative survey method for deer.

Overall, we found that drones are a promising new tool to the deer manager’s toolbox. However, additional work is needed to address some of the weaknesses of the drone surveys. We cannot easily tell whether a deer is a buck, doe, or fawn on the thermal footage; it can also be difficult to separate deer and some species of exotics.

We also need to understand how visibility changes in different habitat types. Both properties we surveyed were mainly brush; thus, additional investigation is needed for areas that contain grassland or trees. We are already working on several of these issues in follow-up studies and will continue to provide updates.”

Verdict: Deer Surveys Using Drones

Drone surveys conducted by researchers at CKWRI estimated deer populations similar to other survey methods. This means drones provide information that is as good as other deer survey techniques on these study sites. So the deer management toolbox now contains drones. That’s a good thing. It’s always good to have options since not every tool works for every job. Different ways to estimate deer populations exist for a reason.

Do drones make since in every situation? Obviously, no. Deer surveys using drones in South Texas make since. Most of the woody cover consist of relatively short brush. Because of this, mangers commonly conduct aerial surveys for deer using helicopters in the region. The use of drones is another option for managers in South Texas, areas with similar woody plant structure, and properties lacking dense canopy cover. The best deer survey method for a property is one that provides good, reliable data.

Best Trees to Plant for Deer in Texas

Planting Trees for Deer

White-tailed deer are selective browsers. This means deer mostly eat the leaves, twigs, seeds, and fruit of preferred trees, shrubs, and vines. Hunters can use this information to identify trees to plant for deer and other wildlife. Increasing the plants that deer eat has many benefits. Planting preferred trees can enhance deer nutrition, improve deer habitat and increase use of a property by whitetail.

The practice is generally a long term commitment, but planting trees for deer can literally create food overnight (much more on that later). In fact, many trees can begin producing fruit or mast just a few years after planting. They can continue to do so for decades, producing tons of both food and deer. After some research and hands-on experience, we’ve found 10 native trees that we believe are the best trees to plant for deer in Texas.

Trees to Plant for Deer

Deer choose plants based on palatability, seasonal availability, and general abundance. Timely precipitation plays a large role in the availability of annual plants. Periods of low rainfall result in a lack of short-lived plants. Long-lived plants are more dependable. A diverse plant community means more food for whitetail to choose from and often better nutrition.

Trees produce foods in several ways; stems, leaves and mast. This includes hard mast such as nuts and soft mast such as fruits and berries. When deer browse, they select the most tender growth first. Usually, this is the twig tips and new leaves. Trees and other woody plants generally provide a stable food source from year to year.

Established trees often produce large mast and fruit crops annually. The best trees to plant for deer are hardy, provide an abundance of leaves and/or large mast or fruit crops, and can serve as cover. The top 10 trees for deer in Texas includes:

Sugar Hackberry
Cedar Elm
Mulberry
Common Persimmon
Hercules’ Club
Rough-Leaf Dogwood
Mexican Plum
Texas Sophora
Post Oak
Live Oak

Why These Trees are Best

1. Sugar Hackberry – This tree grows across the eastern two thirds of Texas. It’s the only hackberry that occurs in all 10 ecoregions of the state. It grows on almost any type of soil as long as it has fair drainage. Hackberry is frequently found in mixed to pure stands in abandoned fields where it is a colonizer. It is a tough fast-growing, drought tolerant and an important food source for birds. Hackberry is a great deer tree, providing preferred browse for deer. They eat the berries, too.

2. Cedar Elm – This is the most widespread native elm in Texas. It grows in all areas of the eastern half of the state, except extreme southeast Texas. It is a tough, adaptable tree with excellent drought tolerance. Cedar elm handles heavy, poorly drained clay soils and soils that are moderately compacted. Cedar elm provides preferred browse for deer.

3. Mulberry – There are actually two species recommended here, Red and Texas mulberry. Red mulberry grows in moist, well-drained soils in the eastern two thirds of the state. It is less drought-resistant than Texas mulberry. Texas mulberry grows along creeks, canyons and thin well-drained, limestone soils in the western two thirds of the state. The fruits are relished by deer and other wildlife. Mulberry provides preferred browse for deer.

4. Common Persimmon – This is one of the best trees to plant for deer in the eastern half of Texas. It is native to east and east-central Texas but is adaptable to many soil types. Persimmon can form colonies via suckers. Persimmon leaves provide low quality deer browse, but deer and other wildlife relish the fruits of this tree.

5. Hercules’ Club – This is a small tree found in east and central Texas, from the Red River down to the Rio Grande. It’s a great tree to plant for deer and other wildlife. The leaves provide good browse for deer. Hercules’ club also provides an excellent source of seeds and fruit for dove, quail and other wildlife.

6. Rough-Leaf Dogwood – This is a small tree or clumping shrub that grows in the eastern half of state, except for South Texas. This adaptable tree does well on dry to moist soils that range from sandy to clay, acidic to alkaline. Dogwood is commonly found as a shorter understory tree, but can handle partial sun. It prolifically spreads from suckers and its leaves provide preferred browse for deer. The tree’s flowers and fruit benefits pollinators and birds.

7. Mexican Plum – This small, drought-tolerant tree grows in full sun or as an understory tree in the eastern half of the state. It prefers rich soils of river bottoms, open woods, and well-drained prairies, too. The leaves provide preferred browse for deer, and its small plums (about 1-inch in diameter) are readily consumed by wildlife. Mexican plum is also widely used for grafting, so you can turn it into another fruit tree, if desired.

8. Texas Sophora – This small tree is also known as Eve’s Necklace. This tree naturally occurs on limestone soils in the center of the state from north central Texas through the Edwards Plateau. Texas sophora can grow in full sun or as an understory tree. This small tree provides highly preferred browse for deer.

9. Post Oak – This medium-large tree occurs in all areas of Texas except the High Plains and Trans-Pecos. Post oak trees grows in poor soils such as dry, gravelly, sandy soils and rocky ridges. The leaves provide good browse for deer. The acorns of this white oak species provide high quality mast for deer of any tree Texas.

10. Live Oak – If you own land in Texas, you need at least one live oak tree on it. This medium to large tree is pH adaptable, tolerant of drought, and does well on poor soils. Live oak is one of the overall best trees to plant for deer. The leaves provide good browse and cover for deer since the tree remains evergreen into the following growing season. So, smaller trees provide screening cover for deer during the winter, when other trees are without leaves. Furthermore, established live oaks provide bountiful mast crops in the form of acorns during most years. Live oak delivers the tree trifecta; good browse, mast and screening cover for deer.

Picking Trees to Plant for Deer on Your Land

Identifying the best tree to plant for deer on your land depends entirely on your objectives. The trees highlighted in this article provide valuable 1) browse, 2) mast/fruit and 3) habitat for white-tailed deer. Table 1 shows the relative value we assigned to these really good deer trees (when compared only to each other). Choose trees for planting that meet the needs of the deer found on your land.

Each tree listed in this table is valuable to deer. However, which aspect is most important to you and the deer that use your land? We assigned a total value for each tree, but the real value is based on the ability of a tree to provide food, cover, or both. Food can be delivered by browse alone, or by a tree that provides browse and mast/fruit together.

The cover value is not important if you have plenty of deer screening cover. The mast/fruit value is probably most important for those managing lands currently high in good browse and cover. In this situation, planting trees with seasonal fruits provides additional nutrition for deer and serves as an attractant.

Best Time to Plant Trees

Before planting anything, including trees, make sure the species will grow in your region. Then, ensure that it will grow in the soils found on your land. Choosing the right tree from the start will save you time, money and heartache. This article lists the best trees to plant for deer in Texas, but not all trees are adapted to every region of the state. Choose only trees that will meet the needs of deer in your area and grow in the soils found on your land.

The best time to plant trees in Texas is mid-October through mid-March. Most prefer the late-fall or early-winter, when the many trees are dormant. Planting at this time gives young trees maximum time for root development prior to the growing season. Temperatures are often cool to cold and moisture requirements by trees are low during this period. In short, planting trees late in the year is the very best time. It gives them maximum time to put down roots in advance of Texas’ long, hot summers.

Additionally, do not be tempted to plant the largest tree you can find for the lowest price. From my experience, planting smaller trees (less than 2 feet. tall) is easier and more successful. It’s also less expensive, especially if you grow your own trees from seed. Only plant larger trees if you have the time and ability to “baby” them. Planting small trees is the best way to have a lot of large trees. Regardless of the size tree you plant, it will take more than just digging a hole in the ground.

Protecting Trees from Deer

Most of the trees recommended in this article provide quality browse for deer. That means the leaves are very palatable to deer. Whitetail want to eat them. All of them. Unfortunately, you can not just plant some of the best trees for deer in Texas and walk away. Deer will eat them, break them and quite possibly kill them.

Hackberry and cedar elm are among the toughest trees around. However, protection is necessary for them to establish. If you weren’t a tree hugger before, you will be after planting a tree in deer habitat! Protect young trees from deer and other wildlife, competition with other plants, and dehydration. In nature, the struggle is real.

Deer will go for your trees, but other wildlife will as well. Rodents like to chew and they have to eat, too. Rabbits are tough on very small trees. In addition, feral hogs tend to investigate freshly dug soil. Use tree tubes or welded wire to prevent rabbits from biting through the stem of young trees. For hogs, use cattle panels or net-wire fencing and t-post.

This may seem like a lot, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Besides, this level of protection is likely necessary to keep the deer off your establishing trees. Recall that whitetail bucks love to “fight” with flimsy, small-diameter trees during the fall.

Finally, protect planted trees from dehydration. Prevent competition from grasses and weeds by placing a couple inches of mulch at least 2-feet around young trees annually. This ensures trees have adequate water during periods of low rainfall and heat, such as during the summer. Additionally, you may need to spray a broad-spectrum herbicide (glyphosate) on encroaching and/or competing plants in late-spring, annually.

Best Trees to Plant for Deer

Trees are a big part of white-tailed deer habitat. Deer need trees for the food and cover they provide. In fact, the leaves, twigs, and mast of woody plants make up about 50 percent of a whitetail’s diet each year. Deer pick among the plants available to them based on palatability. As it turns out, deer will eat low quality foods when high quality foods are not available on the landscape. Deer show preference for certain plants because they provide better nutrition.

In short, diverse plant communities provide better deer nutrition. Planting trees can increase browse and mast for deer. Good nutrition equates to healthy deer and that results in larger-bodied deer, bigger antlers and increased fawn survival. Our list of the best trees to plant for deer in Texas is for those wanting to enhance deer habitat o their land. Again, not all of these trees will work on every property. The best trees to plant on your property will be the ones that work in your region and meet the needs of the deer using your land.

CWD Found in Kimble County, Texas

CWD in Kimble County

The spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) across Texas continues. Unfortunately, the latest instance is CWD in Kimble County. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is reporting that CWD has been discovered in a 5 ½-year-old white-tailed deer in a Kimble County deer breeding facility, marking the first positive detection of the disease in the county.

The tissue samples submitted by the breeding facility as part of routine deer mortality surveillance revealed the presence of CWD during testing at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) in College Station Feb. 6. The National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, confirmed the findings on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

Response in Kimble County

Officials have taken immediate action to secure all cervids at the Kimble County deer breeding facility with plans to conduct additional investigation for CWD. In addition, those breeding facilities that have received deer from the Kimble County facility or shipped deer to that facility during the last five years are under movement restrictions and cannot move or release cervids at this time, or they have completed the necessary testing to ensure that CWD was not transferred to their facility.

“The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is working in coordination with the Texas Animal Health Commission and other agencies to launch an epidemiological investigation to determine the extent of the disease, assess risks to Texas’ free ranging deer and protect the captive deer breeding industry,” said Dr. Bob Dittmar, TPWD wildlife veterinarian. “We want to thank landowners and the Texas hunting community for its strong support of our detection, sampling and herd management efforts – we cannot combat the spread of CWD without it.”

Although animal health and wildlife officials cannot say how long or to what extent the disease has been present in the Kimble County deer breeding facility, the breeder has had an active CWD surveillance program since 2011 with no positives detected until now.

“TAHC is working with TPWD to quickly assess and determine the extent of diseases prevalence in the herd and mitigate the spread of CWD,” said Dr. Susan Rollo, TAHC State Epidemiologist.

CWD in Kimble County, Texas

The disease was first recognized in 1967 in captive mule deer in Colorado. CWD has also been documented in captive and/or free-ranging deer in 26 states and 3 Canadian provinces.

In Texas, the disease was first discovered in 2012 in free-ranging mule deer along a remote area of the Hueco Mountains near the Texas-New Mexico border, and has since been detected in 169 white-tailed deer, red deer and mule deer in Dallam, El Paso, Hartley, Hudspeth, Kimble, Lavaca, Medina, Uvalde and Val Verde counties, 129 of which are connected to deer breeding facilities and release sites.

What is CWD?

CWD among cervids is a progressive, fatal neurological disease that commonly results in altered behavior as a result of microscopic changes made to the brain of affected animals. An animal may carry the disease for years without outward indication, but in the latter stages, signs may include listlessness, lowering of the head, weight loss, repetitive walking in set patterns, and a lack of responsiveness.

To date there is no evidence that CWD poses a risk to humans or non-cervids. However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend not to consume meat from infected animals.

MLDP Costs: New Fees for Deer Management Program

MLDP Fees Passed

The proposed fees for the Managed Lands Deer Program (MLDP) are now a reality. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission has approved changes to the MLD Program. The program provides Texas landowners with additional flexibility to manage mule deer and white-tailed deer populations. With the changes, MLDP fees will now be charged to participants each year.

MLDP is intended to provide greater deer hunting opportunities and improve native wildlife habitats on Texas private lands. TPWD biologists provide guidance to landowners enrolled in the program. The approved program changes include clarifying existing provisions and establishing MLDP fees for participation in the ever-growing deer management program.

Costs of MLD Program Success

“In the last 20 years the MLDP has grown from 800 tracts of land on 3 million acres to more than 12,000 tracts of land on 28 million acres, but in that time we have not had a source of funding to hire any new staff to help address the challenges we face with that growth,” said Alan Cain, TPWD white-tailed deer program leader.

“The revenue generated by the new MLDP fees will be used to hire new field biologists to meaningfully engage with program participants, meet technical guidance requests, and administer the MLD Program.”

MLDP Fees for Participants

The fee amendment establishes a $30 fee for each management unit within a property that is enrolled in the Harvest Option (HO), provided the property is not part of an aggregate acreage enrolled in the MLDP; a $30 fee for each aggregate acreage enrolled in the HO; a $300 fee for the first management unit of each property enrolled in the Conservation Option (CO) plus a $30 fee for each additional management unit of a property enrolled in the CO; a $300 fee for each aggregate acreage enrolled in the CO; and a $30 fee for each management unit of a wildlife management association or cooperative enrolled in the CO.

Cost of Fees Determined?

The MLDP fees amounts were selected by TPWD after soliciting and receiving input from department staff, stakeholder groups, including current program participants, and advisory committees.

Considerations for fee amounts included what would be a reasonable fee for participation in the MLDP considering the benefits received, the demands on department staff in administering the various options available to landowners under the MLDP, and which would not result in significant attrition from the MLDP by landowners.

TPWD will begin collecting MLDP participation fees in the spring of 2021 in preparation for the 2021-22 hunting season.