Category: Deer Hunting

A Successful Deer Hunt Starts Early

Summer is just around the corner and that means I have but one thing on my mind… deer hunting. There are a number of things to do to prepare for the coming deer season and I want to avoid having to do them during the summer and early fall. The heat is killer down here in Texas during the summer — and during the dog days of summer it’s much more enjoyable to be to sitting in the shade, drinking a cold one (or two).

I could wait until the early fall, but that be too late in my opinion. I see no point in spooking up the deer using the property with last minute changes to my hunting areas. No, I’m going to be proactive and try to get some of these things done right now, while spring is still holding on by a toe nail. There are 4 things on my pre-season deer hunting agenda that will hopefully increased my deer hunting success this season.

The thing about hunting deer a specific property over time is that vegetation and deer movements will change over time. Often, a change in vegetation actually causes deer deer travel patterns to shift. No doubt that other factors can contribute, as well. I’m going to address some of those things now. The four things I hope to do this week, that ideally lead to a successful hunt or two this fall, include:

• Evaluating deer stand placement
• Preparing my shooting lanes
• Installing a new mineral station
• Preparing for pre-season camera surveys

Deer Stand Placement

Habitat work on this property last year included the removal of some thick brush in some select areas. While hunting this past season I noticed that deer now move through the property differently. Now the goal is to setup a new stand and move an existing one so that I can close the distance on the new deer travel corridors. Several stands means I will have good, safe options next hunting season regardless of wind direction.

In addition to keeping wind direction in mind, I like to also setup “morning” and “evening” stands. My stand placement almost always includes a travel corridor or pinch-point, but I also prefer that the stand be situated so that I am not looking into but rather away from the sun. This helps me see deer better, keeps me cooler during the early season and means not having to fight the sun.

Shooting Lane Prep

What’s a good deer stand without a place to get off a shot? An unproductive place to hunt. Once stands are situated I want to rough-cut some shooting lanes so that most of the work is done before summer sets in. When developing shooting lanes try to think about how the deer will travel through the area and the predominate wind direction so that you have an idea on how deer will approach the “death zone.”

The growing season does in include the summer months so shooting lanes will have to be re-visited and trimmed up just prior to hunting season, but this work should be minimal if the bulk of the work is done now.

Minerals for Deer

Another item on my punch list is to set up a new mineral station in the central part of my hunting property. The jury is still out on whether or not minerals actually increase the antler size of bucks on a property, but we do know that 1) deer love mineral sites and 2) it ain’t gonna hurt to put some minerals on the ground. This is especially true in high rainfall areas where the soil is leached or in sandy areas where mineral availability may be low.

Bucks will visit mineral sites but so will does. With the fawning season now upon us,  lactating does will definitely make use of supplemental mineral sources. Besides, I think mineral sites help keep deer moving through and hanging out on my hunting property, and that’s where I want them.

Prepare for Camera Surveys

Hunters with experience using game cameras know that good deer photos from motion-activated cameras do not just happen. Much like a deer hunting stand, a good camera site takes some scouting to find and usually at least some minor preparation. Once found, I like to aim game cameras looking down trails and facing north, away from the sun, if possible. My goal over the next week or so is to ID several good setups and get them prepped so that cameras can be deployed in late July for deer surveys and general scouting.

At least 2-3 cameras should be setup on just about any size property. More is always better, up to a point. I’ve been able to hunt small acreage successfully, as well as large acreage, but have noticed over the years that a short difference between camera sites makes a big difference in the animals that you catch on camera. Often times, another camera setup just 100 yards away will photograph different deer. I have found that a particular buck may show up at more than one camera site but will no doubt show preference for one area over another. This is an edge I will use to push the odds in my favor as deer hunting season rolls around.

Don’t Bring CWD to LA

Louisiana wildlife officials recently slammed the door on hunters bringing back deer carcasses from other states. The move is in response to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) since the deer disease has been found in the free-ranging white-tailed deer herds in neighboring Arkansas and Texas. For decades now, numerous Louisiana hunters have made the annual pilgrimage west each fall, but getting deer from Texas and elsewhere back to LA has just gotten more difficult.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced late last month that the cervid-carcass import ban approved last year goes into effect. That means hunters who travel out of state to target white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose, caribou, fallow deer, axis deer, sika deer, red deer and reindeer may not bring many parts of those animals back into the state of Louisiana, which to-date has remained free of CWD.

Louisiana’s Cervid Import Regulation

Source: The regulation reads in part: No person shall import, transport or possess any cervid carcass or part of a cervid carcass originating outside of Louisiana, except: for meat that is cut and wrapped; meat that has been boned out; quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached, antlers, clean skull plates with antlers, cleaned skulls without tissue attached, capes, tanned hides, finished taxidermy mounts and cleaned cervid teeth. Any and all bones shall be disposed of in a manner where its final destination is at an approved landfill or equivalent. Said rule shall be effective March 1, 2017.

The ban defines a cervid as animals of the family Cervidae, including but not limited to white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose, caribou, fallow deer, axis deer, sika deer, red deer and reindeer.

This ban is strictly for the purpose of reducing the likelihood that CWD will enter Louisiana through carcass importation. Approved parts and meat from other states must contain a possession tag with the hunter’s name, out-of-state license number (if required), address, species, date and location (county and state) of harvest. Each state has different possession requirements for game once processed.

Goal of Carcass Ban

The new regulation is deigned to maintain the “Sportman’s Paradise” that Louisiana offers by reducing the likelihood of CWD moving into the state. For those that have been under a rock for the past 10 years, CWD is a neurodegenerative disease that is 100-percent fatal to cervids that contract it.

The long-term impacts of CWD on deer herds is unknown, although Colorado, the state where CWD was first discovered (1967), appears to have decreased cervid populations. Whether these declines are strictly CWD-related, however, is unknown. Over the short-run, CWD does appear to change the demographics of the local deer herds where the disease is found, resulting in a younger average age because deer do not live as long.

Managing CWD Positive Deer Herds

CWD poses a risk to deer and deer hunting simply because it introduces another variable in the deer management/harvest equation. It’s still basically an unknown, a factor that will have some amount of impact on an annual basis once it works its way into a localized herd. After that, it begins to spread because there is no way to get rid of it.

A carcass ban on harvested cervids appears to be an effective way to stop the fast-tracking of CWD to new, uninfected areas. Of course, CWD will continue to spread naturally throughout North America. Carcass bans make it tough on hunters when it comes to transporting harvested deer home, but we also understand that it is helping to protect the natural resources that we enjoy. I hope that CWD is something that I never have to factor in to the deer management equation, but I suspect it’s just a matter of time.

Record Buck Shot in TN

It appears that a 47 point white-tailed buck shot in Sumner County, Tennessee, will be a new world record. The hunter, Stephen Tucker, harvested the antler-rich buck back in November 2016, but had to wait out the mandatory 60 day drying out period required by the Boone and Crockett Club before it could be officially measured.

The potential record-breaking skull cap and antlers of the buck, which are estimated to be worth as much as $100,000, were kept in a rather safe place until they could be scored — in the vault of a local bank. Better safe than sorry, right?

Hunting a World Record

After monitoring the buck for months with game cameras, Tucker, 27, shot the nontypical buck with a muzzleloader in Sumner County, Tennessee. But it was not a one-and-done hunt, not by any stretch. Tucker bumped into the buck the very first day of the season, November 5, but his muzzleloader would not fire. Now, that sounds like my kind of luck.

Later that same day, the hunter crossed paths with the tremendous deer again, but could not seal the deal because the buck was too far out. Persistence and patience eventually payed off though. On November 9, 2016, four days after initially crossing paths with the deer, a somewhat frustrated Tucker once again found himself with an opportunity to tag the 47 point buck.

This time, the buck stood a mere 40 yards away. Tucker calmed himself, squeezed the trigger and wrote the final chapter of a very special buck’s life.

Record Whitetail

Now, just over 60 days later, the 47 point once-in-a-lifetime buck officially scored a whopping 312 3/8 inches, as measured by a 4-member panel from Boone and Crockett. Scoring the buck was a marathon in itself. It took the panel over 4 hours to finish the job!

“I have truly been blessed and I am very thankful,” Tucker said after learning the rack’s score. “I have had a lot of phones calls and questions and have tried to be patient waiting through the process. I am very appreciative to my family, friends, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, especially Captain Dale Grandstaff, who has led me through the process. I believe he has been as excited about it as I have.”

Something Special in Sumner County

The 47 point Tennessee bruiser will receive its official certification/coronation as the new world record white-tailed buck at the Boone and Crockett awards banquet in 2019. At that time, it will be measured yet again by two scorers. The current non-typical net world record of 307 5/8 was killed in 2003 by Tony Lovstuen in Albia, Iowa. It appears Tucker’s 312 3/8 will hold up.

The great thing about Tucker’s 47 point buck from a scoring perspective, in addition to the high total number of points, is that the buck looks to be a very symmetrical mainframe 10 point buck. A set of antlers with very symmetrical matched (mainframe) points will have few deductions, which is the difference between the gross and net scores, in both typical and non-typical antlers.

Obviously, the buck is also a new record for the state of Tennessee. The previous record for the state netted 244 3/8 inches. The buck shot by Tucker has completely obliterated that record, tacking on almost another 70 inches! The prior state record, shot in 2000, was also killed in Sumner County. Must be some good eats and genetics up that way. Wonder if I can find a good place to hunt ’round there?

Hunting Cold Weather Deer

Cold weather and deer hunting do not always go hand-in-hand at southern latitudes. It’s taken for granted “up north,” but Texas’ Fall temperatures rarely stay in the 30’s, if they get there at all. Let’s face it, sitting around a campfire is not quite as enjoyable when you’re sweating.

The regular (General Season) has ended for white-tailed deer in Texas, but many counties have a Late Season and ranches involved in the MLDP program still have the better parts of 2 months left to hunt. The Late Youth Season and South Texas are still going strong until mid-January, too. It’s always good practice to harvest deer early in the season, if possible, because this leaves important food sources out on the landscape for the remainder of the herd trying to get through the winter, which has really just started.

Low temperatures benefit deer hunters in a number of ways, especially at lower latitudes, such as Texas. Whitetail, and some of those that hunt them, are real comfortable when the mercury drops. The deer, like us, are just not used to it. That said, it’s a good time to be out there. Below are 5 cold weather deer hunting tips to help you fill your freezer.

1. Cold is gold for deer hunting
2. Cold weather makes deer hungry
3. Focus on foods for hunting success
4. Go prepared for a cold weather sit
5. Hunt corridors to your advantage

These tips come from my experience hunting whitetail during cold weather events. In Texas, this means using strong cold fronts to anticipate an increase in deer movement. The ideas offered in this article are designed to help you elevate your hunting game when the mercury drops on the thermometer. Learn how white-tailed deer behave during extreme cold weather and use it to your advantage.

Cold is Gold

It takes a lot of energy to keep a deer humming along at really cold temperatures, at say, anything below 30 degrees F. Other than the peak of the breeding season, the rut, nothing is better at getting bucks and does up on their feet — because they have to eat!

Many of the whitetail subspecies found at lower latitudes are not built for cold weather. In fact, they have smaller skeletal frames and in areas where they are overabundant, they are even smaller. They are not built for really cold weather, or at least sustained cold weather. As a result, low temperatures get them up and keep them there throughout the day. Time for you to get out.

Hunt Accessible Foods

A strong cold front has just rolled in. Temperatures are slated to be in the low 20’s for the next few mornings and with mid-day highs in the 30’s. With cold, winter weather hitting hard (hey, at least for the area) deer will need energy. And energy comes from food.

So what are deer looking to eat? When it’s cold whitetail will eat just about anything that is easy to access, but they are really seeking carbohydrates for fuel their inner fire and warm them up. Carbs are easy to digest and they result in immediate energy. Hunt food sources that may not have been used heavily during the early season, but are still available. Yes, this includes fall plots planted for deer as well as spin-feeders. The cold temps should finally push them to eat the corn piling up under your feeder.

Another plus side hunting during the late season is that post-rut bucks have returned to a solid feeding pattern. The rut can knock as much as 25 percent of the body weight off a buck, and cold weather does not help, so they will be up and feeding. This will not help those deer hunting where late season regulations limit them to antlerless deer and spikes, but can pay off big for youth hunters, those hunting the South Texas General Season, and hunters on MLDP properties.

Dress for Cold Weather

The deer are cold so that means you too will be cold. One of the more important tips offered here is to make sure that you dress for success! And by that, I plenty of layers on both top and bottom. We are not in November anymore. Camo shorts, t-shirts and sneakers are not going to cut it in 20 degrees and 20 mile per hour winds that can be found in January. Those were the go-to attire when you were sweating it out in your box blind, but not now.

Get out your flannel, insulated overalls and sock hat. The critical areas to keep warm while cold weather deer hunting are your head, hands and feet. Develop a layered plan that will work whether sitting in a stand or covering ground. You will want to dress heavy for sitting, but be able to shed layers as you heat up. You also want to prepare for a full day of hunting because in cold weather deer will move all day long.

Hunt Corridors

Since deer are forced to move and feed when it’s cold out, then particular attention should be paid to hunt areas where they travel. Locate travel corridors in the area that are between bedding areas and food sources, get downwind and wait. This is when being dressed appropriately comes into play.

The probability that you will see deer using those travelways has just increased markedly since winter has finally rolled around. Those travel corridors, once well-vegetated, are now reduced to sparse grass and leafless trees and vines. Greater corridor visibility and hungry, roaming deer have tipped the odds in your favor. If you have any cold weather deer hunting tips please leave them in comments section and help a fellow brother or sister out. We’ll all appreciate it. Stay safe and good luck!

Buck Harvest and ARs

Question: “I deer hunt in Texas in areas that have antler restriction regulations on whitetail bucks. Am I allowed to take more than one 13 inch or larger (spread) buck in Texas?”

Response: The short answer to your question is, YES. A hunter can shoot more than one whitetail buck with an inside spread greater than 13 inches in Texas. However, there are some stipulations that hunters need to adhere to in order to remain legal. The remainder of this article discusses the details of the antler restrictions and deer hunting regulations in Texas.

Texas Deer Hunting License

A Texas deer hunting license comes with 5 white-tailed deer tags, 3 of which can be used for bucks or does, and the remaining 2 tags are for antlerless deer only. As a result, it’s important to pay attention to which tag a hunter uses when tagging a deer.

A hunter has the option of using all 5 whitetail tags on antlerless deer or harvesting some combination of 5 deer with no more than 3 of them being bucks with a standard deer hunting license. Straight forward.

Texas Antler Restrictions

At the time of writing, there are 112 counties in Texas that have antler restrictions in place that regulate whitetail buck harvest. There are only 2 types of legal bucks in these counties, (1) bucks that have an inside spread between the main beams of 13 inches or greater, and (2) bucks with at least 1 unbranched antler, so most likely spikes or 3 point bucks.

In these counties, the bag limit is 2 (legal) bucks, but no more than 1 may have an inside spread between the main beams of 13 inches or greater. A hunter does have an option to shoot 2 unbranched antlered bucks in these counties, as well. Probably more than many of you needed to know?

Deer Hunting Regulations

The hunter’s question above asks generally about buck harvest in Texas, but I suspect he is specifically asking about buck harvest in within additional antler restriction counties. Fortunately, deer hunting regulations in Texas are established based on county bag limits.

These county-based regs works to the benefit of a hunter that may hunt white-tailed deer in several counties within the state. A hunter can shoot up to 5 whitetail in any number of counties as long as he or she does not exceed the bag limit for any one county.

Basically, a hunter can shoot up to 3 bucks with an inside spread between the main beams of greater than 13 inches in 3 different antler restriction counties within the same hunting season. The fact that this option exists is why there is a harvest log on the back of a deer hunting license in Texas.

The log allows a hunter to record up to 3 harvested bucks and denote whether the deer were taken in antler restriction counties or not, as well as if the bucks were greater than 13 inches. The white-tailed deer log found on the back of a hunting license is also used by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) game wardens for compliance with county bag limits for white-tailed deer.

Note: If you shoot even a single deer in Texas you DO want to complete the harvest log. If you get checked by a game warden, even while out fishing later in the year and you have deer tags missing, they will refer to that log on the back. If it’s not completed, then you will more than likely receive a citation for the lack of compliance.