Nature

Texas Deer Season Starts With a Bang: Experts Predict a Good Season

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Deer season officially began last weekend and, despite the humid and warm conditions, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department predicted that hunters would still turn out in droves. Hunting prospects are expected to be good across the state, regardless of the weather, according to wildlife biologists with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).

The general deer hunting season began on Saturday, November 4 and runs through January 7, 2018, in North Texas; January 21, 2018, in South Texas. A late youth-only season is also slated for January 8-21, 2018. For additional late season deer hunting opportunities and county specific regulations, consult the 2017-18 Outdoor Annual of hunting and fishing regulations.

Experts Predict a Good Hunting Season

deer season

Photo: Flickr/Savannah River Site

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, white-tailed deer in Texas have fared well in recent years with a stable population of about 4.3 million, according to Alan Cain, TPWD whitetail deer program leader. “The vast majority of the state had good habitat conditions going into last winter and early spring, which helped bucks recover from the rigors of the rut, and gave them a good foundation to start the antler growth cycle this year,” he said.

However, unlike the previous two years, where widespread consistent rain and good habitat conditions persisted through the summer for much the state, 2017 saw dry weather patterns take hold in May and continue into late August. These drier conditions late in the season will likely have some impact on final stages of antler development, body weights, and possibly fawn production, Cain explained. But, hunters should still expect a good hunting season.

New Regulations for the 2017-18 Season

hunter

Photo: Flickr/PJ Nelson

Hunters are reminded of new regulations for the 2017-18 season, including the establishment of chronic wasting disease (CWD) management zones. Hunters who harvest mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, red deer, or other CWD susceptible species within the Trans-Pecos, Panhandle, and South-Central Texas CWD Containment and Surveillance Zones are required to bring their animals to a TPWD check station within 48 hours of harvest. TPWD also urges voluntary sampling of hunter-harvested deer outside of these zones.

Be Alert for Chronic Wasting Disease

deer

Photo: Flickr/Teddy Fotiou

Hunters should also be aware of rules banning the importation of certain deer, elk, and other CWD susceptible species carcass parts from states where the disease has been detected, as well as the movement of the same carcass parts from CWD zones. The rules are part of the state’s comprehensive CWD management plan to determine the prevalence and geographic extent of the disease and to contain the disease to the areas where it is known to exist. More information about CWD Management and Regulations for Hunters is available on Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s website.