Stellar deer season expected this fall

Austin—Drought-quenching spring rains and productive habitats have led biologists to predict another year of plentiful opportunities for hunters to fill their bellies and freezers.

As hunters dust off their firearms and plan trips to their favorite hunting spots, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) asks hunters to be aware of new statewide carcass disposal regulations and to help biologists monitor for the presence of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) by having their harvest tested for free at a TPWD check station or by a local biologist.

"The expectation of another bountiful year of hunting opportunities is great news for the nearly one million white-tailed deer hunters gearing up to enter the field next month," Blaise Korzekwa, TPWD White-tailed Deer program leader, said. "The excitement of a new season brings the opportunity for hunters to also get involved in helping secure the health of Texas' native deer herd. As hunters, we have a responsibility to care for our state's natural resources and pass our strong hunting traditions to future generations."

The general deer season will kick off Nov. 2 and run through Jan. 5 in the North zone and Jan. 19 in the South zone, giving folks plenty of chances to go from field to table with their harvest.

New white-tailed deer hunting regulations for this season include the expansion of doe days to a 23-day season for those 43 counties in the Post Oak Savannah and Pineywoods ecoregions that previously had a 16-day doe season. This extension of doe days now encompasses Thanksgiving weekend, which is a time when many hunters spend the weekend hunting. The early youth-only season will now include Friday for those hunters 16 years of age or younger at the date of license purchase.

Similar to last year's hunting season, TPWD biologists expect deer hunters throughout most of the state to have ample opportunities to fill their freezers. Much of the state received drought-quenching rain in the spring, which allowed for excellent habitat growth during the initial part of the growing season. Spring forb (weeds and flowering plants) production, which is a critical component of a deer's diet coming out of winter, was abundant and offered essential nutrients to growing bucks, nursing does and newborn fawns. 

The improved habitat conditions earlier this year helped keep fawns healthy enough to survive their first few months (also known as fawn recruitment). Although this spring provided lush vegetation, with current drought conditions impacting most of the state, hunters should have plenty of opportunities to encounter deer as they search for native and supplemental food sources.

The few areas of the state that missed the spring rainfall should expect average antler quality.

"Texas has one of the top deer herds in the nation, so be sure to pull the bow or rifle out and spend time hunting this season," Korzekwa said. "Whether you're looking to fill the freezer with venison or harvest the trophy of a lifetime, it will be time well spent."

Hunters taking advantage of Texas Public Hunting Lands must have an Annual Public Hunting Permit. It's also important for public land hunters to consult the Public Hunting Lands Map Booklet to review regulations that may apply to specific areas. The My Texas Hunt Harvest app can be used to complete on-site registration electronically at a public hunting area.

The Edwards Plateau, widely known as the Hill Country, has the highest deer population in the state, estimated at 1.5 million. Hunters looking for opportunities to see lots of deer this fall should put this area on their priority list.

The combined impact of severe drought and an already high deer population in this ecoregion over recent years has reduced the population by about 25 percent. Yet, it still maintains the highest deer density in the state.

The area around Llano and Mason counties has the highest deer density in the region, with an estimated 413,000 deer in this area alone. Doe harvest is especially important in this area to relieve browsing pressure on habitats by lowering deer densities and balancing an appropriate doe-to-buck ratio.

Hunters should expect an increase in the number of bucks in the three-and-a-half to five-and-a-half-year-old age classes due to improved fawn recruitment in 2019–2021.

Below-average fawn crops in 2017 and 2018 have kept the number of mature bucks lower than desired. However, there should still be a solid population of five-and-a-half-year-old deer, providing ample opportunities to harvest a mature buck.

Hunters looking for older-class bucks should focus on the southern part of this region in the area between Hondo and Del Rio and north of Highway 90. The three-year average indicates that 64.6 percent of the bucks harvested are four-and-a-half years old or older.

Despite the current drought conditions, the Edwards Plateau is a great deer hunting region, especially for hunters looking for a quantity of animals. It consistently produces one of the highest hunter-success rates in the state.

Hunters should continue to practice quality deer management and allow bucks to reach at least four-and-a-half years old, especially with the lower number of young bucks on the horizon. Data from the 2023 buck harvest shows that 51 percent of harvested bucks were three-and-a-half years or older, with 24 percent reaching four-and-a-half years or older – a positive outcome of antler restriction regulation and hunters' growing awareness of the antler potential in older bucks.

Landowners and hunters play a critical role in managing CWD and reducing its impact by harvesting deer to manage populations, properly disposing of inedible carcass parts, reporting sick deer, and supporting testing efforts.

"The data collected from hunter harvested samples is essential to helping us track CWD across the state," Ryan Schoeneberg, big game program specialist, said. "This helps us know where CWD is and isn't found. Both are useful in helping us understand how to better manage this insidious disease."

More information about zone boundaries and requirements, carcass disposal regulations, and check station dates and hours of operations can be found on TPWD's CWD webpage.

SOURCE Texas Parks and Wildlife Department