Non-typical Stuff | Deer Hunting & Management

Patience Pays Off for Coleman County Hunter

When it comes to free-range, open country white-tailed deer hunting, that’s exactly what it is, “deer hunting.” If hunting were a sure thing we’d call it “deer shooting.” In addition to hunting for a deer to harvest, weather and equipment can also impact a hunter’s success on any given day. This was more than true for one Coleman County (Texas) hunter.

Last year, after finding a hunting lease bordered by the beautiful Colorado River, Jon passed on many young bucks, but managed to harvest a cull spike buck and a couple of does to maintain the buck to doe ratio and secure table fare. But this was year two.

It had been a great spring and summer in Coleman County. The lease, like the rest of the area, received ample rain and put deer body conditions and antler quality in great shape. However, after opening weekend Jon returned home without “horns.” Sure, he’d seen some young bucks, but nothing he wanted to prescribe a lead pill.

He couldn’t get back to the lease the second weekend of Texas’ General Season to deer hunt, but the third weekend would prove to be the charm… but it still wasn’t easy. Saturday morning, Jon spotted a spike at 100-yards and, after some contemplation, decided to go ahead and take the genetically inferior 1 1/2-year old buck. He settled in for the shot, but the bullet didn’t connect with its target.

Jon’s confidence was blown, he had missed a textbook, 100-yard shot. He wasn’t sure what the problem was, but he had a hunch it could have been a number of things. Had he pulled the trigger or did he squeeze it? Did he hit a limb or did something else obstruct the bullet’s path? Was the scope off? Did the deer move?

After a process of elimination, Jon suspected the scope must have been comprimised. At 4:30 that afternoon, Jon spotted two raccoons he ranged at a healthy 138-yards away. Here he had the option to implement a little varmint control and see if his gun was “on.” Jon deliberatly placed the crosshairs on the furry omnivore and let some hot lead fly. The bullet just sailed over the back of the ‘coon, so he dialed the scope down about and inch and a half and felt confident in the decision.

Afterwords, Jon settled in for the evening hunt. Not much was happening, but then he detected a hint of movement through the scattered mesquite brush. In his own words, Jon makes his account of the event:

It was a quick shot, he came out of no where. I picked up my binoculars and only saw he was outside the ears, picked up the rifle and made the shot all in about 5 or 6 seconds before he disappeared into the brush. I didn’t have time to range him or anything, another 2 seconds and he would have been gone. I didn’t know if I hit him or not because he disappeared as I made the shot and worked the bolt.

Jon was not sure the bullet flew true, although he felt confident that he had done his part. But was the deer down? Not being sure, he decided to wait a few minutes before making the 250-yard plus trek over to the area where he last saw the buck. However, within 5 minutes of squeezing off on the long-range buck, a spike buck walked into view and Jon knew he had a second buck tag to fill. He put the crosshairs on the kill zone and dropped the spike like a sack of rocks.

Jon jumped from his position and approached the spike. After tagging him, he ran down the field to find that his “long-range buck” had fallen in a low spot just out of view of where he had shot him. He placed his buck tag on the bruiser with the satisfaction of a well-placed shot on a nice 7-point buck with over an 18″ outside spread. In a matter of a few minutes, Jon had filled both of his buck tags on two Coleman County bucks!

Texas Deer Hunting Report – Opening Weekend

The general season for white-tailed deer hunting opened across most of Texas in the north and central zones this past weekend, sending tens of thousands of hunters to the field in what has become an annual rite of fall stretching back many generations. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department field biologists reported a lot of hunter and staff activity across the state, although much of the data and numbers won’t be available until later in the week.

For example, a biologist in central Texas stated:

“After five years of working that locker, I can say that overall it was about an average weekend. There was warm weather, and a lot of folks saying they weren’t seeing deer – it was too hot. There’s still just tons of acorns on the ground, keeping many deer under cover since they don’t need to come out to other food sources, so I’m surprised it went as well as it did with the warm weather. Deer were in good shape physically; we saw some nice bucks. We were working in some antler-restriction counties, and we were hoping to see some older deer, and we did. Most people seemed to be pleased with the restrictions, some saying they’re seeing bucks on their property for the first time ever.”

Biologists in East Texas counties stated that, overall, it was fairly slow. Opening weekend turned out hot, deer activity was down, and harvest was maybe a little below average in the southern end of the Post Oak Savannah. Now, antler quality was maybe a tad above average. Harvest was still dominated by younger animals, mostly yearlings and two-year-olds. But antler quality of those classes, as well as the few older bucks that came in, seemed to be pretty good, probably a result of all that good summer rain.”

Although warm weather may have challenged Texas deer hunters on opening weekend, good habitat conditions and generally strong deer populations statewide mean that cooler weather coming this week could mean good hunting ahead this fall. Get out there!

Ted Nugent on Deer Behavior

Ted Nugent, rock star and avid bow hunter, was being interviewed by a French journalist and animal rights activist. The discussion came around to deer hunting. The journalist asked Ted, “What do you think is the last thought in the head of a deer before you shoot him? Is it, “Are you my friend?” or is it “Are you the one who killed my brother?” Uncle Ted then replied:

“Deer aren’t capable of that kind of thinking. All they care about is, ‘What am I going to eat next, who am I going to screw next, and can I run fast enough to get away. They are very much like the French.”

The interview ended at that point.

Hill Country Region of Texas Leads Deer Harvest Numbers

Hunters is Lampasas County and the Hill Country ecological region should have an excellent opportunity to bag a trophy buck this season, as range conditions are excellent throughout the area. “The rainfall has ben outstanding and couldn’t have come at a better time for antler production and fawn survival,” said Mike Krueger, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Edwards Plateau district leader and former technical guidance biologist in Lampasas.

“Last year was the first year in which antler restrictions were in force in Lampasas County, and it looks like they met the intended purpose as many better-quality young deer moved up another age class,” Krueger said.

Derrick Wolter, TPWD Wildlife Biologist for Lampasas, Bell, and Coryell counties, agreed that the 2007-08 hunting season should be a very good one. “In our recent spotlight deer surveys, we noted an increase in fawn numbers and an increase in deer numbers,” he said. “Due to the antler restrictions and adequate forage available, hunter should see older bucks with larger antlers this season.”

The Hill Country region contains several counties in Central Texas that range from Coryell on the northeast, south to Comal, and then west to Crockett and Val Verde County. Lampasas County is included in the region. For many years, the Hill Country has shown the highest deer harvest numbers in Texas.

During the 2006-07 hunting season, TPWD estimates that 172,184 hunters harvested 185,920 deer in the Hill Country. Of these, 97,608 were bucks; does numbered about 88,320. Hunters success was 76 percent.

The region with the second highest harvest was the South Texas Plains with 77,784 deer taken.

Regions with the lowest white-tailed deer harvest were the High Plains (612 deer) and the Trans-Pecos (1,575), however these two regions have a good population of desert mule deer.

Reprinted from the Lampasas Dispatch Record Hunter’s Edition 2007

Outlook for Texas’ Deer Season

Last year’s Texas deer hunting season was consiedered textbook by state wildlife biologists. However, this season hunters may have to throw out the book. Indicators leading into the November 3 season opener point to potentially great hunting across much of the state, according to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department biologist.

“Generally speaking, it’s a banner year for (fawn) production,” said Mitch Lockwood, TPWD Deer Program leader. “As far as quality of the animals, the deer we are seeing are in pretty good condition, and I expect antler quality and body weights to be above average. Not only do we expect this year’s crop to be better, but there are more mature bucks out there simply because harvest was down in 2006.”

Whitetails have responded well from last year’s extended dry spell, thanks to an unseasonably wet spring and summer and the deer have taken advantage of resurgent plant growth, Lockwood said.

That bodes well for the deer, but could pose a challenge for hunters hoping to find success from a blind over supplemental feed. Biologist point to 2004, when timely spring rains created ideal range conditions, healthy deer and high expectations from hunters. Due to the abundance of vegetation available to deer during that year, hunters observed fewer animals during the season and overall harvest numbers were down.

When conditions became relatively dry in 2005, deer harvest jumped considerably and, in particular, more mature bucks were killed that season. “That’s what makes this year tough to predict,” Lockwood said. “There will be more deer on the ground this fall, but hunting could be tough early in the season.”

Because some parts of the state are drying up as rainfall slacked off in September and October, deer movements and hunting conditions could change. “Deer were seeing so much good native groceries all year, corn was something new to them,” the TPWD program leader said.

“In the Edwards Plateau, we’re loaded with acorns. Once those food sources run out, deer should hit the feeders.”

With the expected high percentage of recruitment into the deer population this year, it’s important for landowners to actively manage whitetail numbers. “It’s important for hunters to use those antlerless tags this season and get excess animals off the range before winter sets in to ensure there’s enough food to go around,” said Lockwood.