Quality over quantity for deer hunters
Program chief says outstanding bucks indicated in the Texas herd reports this season
We’re on the cusp of another Texas deer season and word on the street is it should be a good one. The general season in 252 counties gets underway at 30 minutes before sunrise Saturday, but plenty of Texans have been dreaming whitetail for months now.
Alan Cain, who heads up the white-tailed deer program for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, says Texas deer hunters should see plenty of deer and some outstanding bucks in the field this fall. Cain is based in Pleasanton, roughly 40 miles south of San Antonio in Atascosa County. He relies on intel from wildlife biologists and other field staff to help monitor whitetail herds from one region to the next.
It’s a complex job. Texas is a huge state and has more deer than any other, roughly about 5.5 million animals. That’s around five times the number of other leading states like Mississippi, Missouri and Alabama.
Deer hunting represents a huge cash cow for Texas. Studies have shown that deer hunting generates $1.2 billion in revenue for the state’s economy each year.
Cain recently released his 2020-21 whitetail forecast. Though it may not turn out to be the best season record, the biologist isn’t anticipating any complaints for lack of quality.
Cain said much of the state saw timely spring and early summer rains that spurred the growth of nutrition-rich forbs and an explosion of new growth on shrubs. The succulent goodies bode well for antler growth on bucks while providing does with critical nutrition for nursing fawns through the summer.
He adds that habitat and range conditions deteriorated somewhat in late summer and early fall, but the deer still look to be in
good shape with the general season just around the corner.
An outlook by region:
Edwards Plateau
The Edwards Plateau population is down somewhat due to a 2019 anthrax outbreak that caused localized mortality estimated as high 90 percent on some ranches, Cain said. The losses may been a silver lining in many respects.
“Such losses provided long-term benefits by reducing deer densities and bringing them in line with natural carrying capacity of the native rangeland,” Cain said. “This population reduction should result in healthier deer and hopefully more nutrition to help bucks maximize antler production.”
Hunters can expect to see a cohort of bucks in the 4½- to 7½ -year- old age classes this year as a result of strong fawn production in prior years. Cain said the odds will be particularly good on Deer Management Unit 4 between Del Rio and Junction and Deer Management Unit 7 between Hondo to Del Rio and north of US Highway 90.
South Texas
South Texas’ deer herd of about 438,000 animals is stable, Cain said, but could increase slightly thanks to a bumper fawn crop this season. Hunters should expect to see a good number of 5½-year- old bucks as a result of a bumper fawn crop in 2015, but fewer bucks 6½ or older. Antler quality is expected to be average or above. Hunter success last year was 77 percent.
Post Oak
Age/antler surveys indicate that 68 percent of the region’s 2019 harvest was represented by bucks 3½ years old or older. Hunters should expect the trend to continue in 2020.
Cain expects there will be an uptick of 1½- to 3½year- old bucks this year, but fewer in the 4½ to 5½ age classes because of poor fawn production in 2016 and 2017.
Antler quality is expected to be good for the 2020 season. Hunter success last year was around 63 percent.
Pineywoods
The region’s deer population is currently estimated at around 286,000, but the number could jump with plenty of fawns on the ground and good habitat conditions.
Cain said hunters should see good numbers of 2½-, 3½- and 7½-year-old bucks and he expects some outstanding deer to be tagged. Harvest trends indicate about 53 percent of the 47,500 bucks shot in the Pineywoods last season were 3½ years or older, a byproduct of the antler restriction regulation. Hunter success in 2019 was estimated at 56 percent.
Cross Timbers
The North Texas region supports the state’s second highest whitetail population with awell-distributed age structure among bucks, thanks to consistently good fawn crops over the last eight years.
Cain said 2020 is expected to be average or better as a result of great range conditions, especially in the eastern portion of the region. Hunters may notice a few additional bucks in the 7½- to 8½-year- old classes resulting from exceptional fawn recruitment in 2012 and 2013.
Harvest trends for 2019 indicate that 70 percent of the buck harvest was represented by bucks 3½ years old or older. Hunter success for 2019 was estimated at 60 percent.
Rolling Plains
The eastern and western Rolling Plains maintain lower deer populations compared to the rest of the state. Though population trends are stable, Cain said things could change in the western plains due to persistent dry conditions that may have hurt fawn production this year.
Cain said the number of bucks in the 4½-, 5½- and 7½-year- old classes will be higher relative to other age groups. He expects harvest trends of older age class bucks to continue in 2020 due to the region’s larger property sizes, relatively light hunting pressure and widespread interest in deer management among property managers.
Hunter success in 2019 in the eastern plains was 74 percent; 69 percent in the western plains.