Story from TPWD
Deer hunting kicks off with archery season on Oct. 1 across most of the state. With drought affecting most of the state over the summer, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologists foresee a moderate season for hunters this fall.
“Overall, 2022 year is expected to be good in terms of harvest numbers and opportunities,” said Alan Cain, White-Tailed Deer Program Leader for TPWD.
Cain noted that while harvest numbers may look good, drought impacts on deer habitats mean hunters should generally expect average to below average antler quality and body weight this fall.
Additionally, hunters may see fewer deer at feeders when archery season opens, as recent rains have improved habitat conditions, providing an abundance of native forage that means deer won’t have to travel far to find something to browse. Archery hunters may need to alter their hunting strategies to find harvest success, Cain said.
Drought conditions
Temperatures in the early summer months frequently soared above 100 degrees across most of the state, and lack of significant rainfall limited the spring production of important food sources like forbs (weeds) and woody shrubs for deer.
“Woody plants are critical in times like these because these deep-rooted plants are often the only abundant supply of green groceries for deer, but even these browse plants are showing some signs of stress,” said Cain. “Mesquites appear to be on track to produce an abundance of beans this year and were critical sources of natural forage for deer in late summer in the central, south and western portions of the state.”
Wildfires have plagued large areas of the state as well, causing significant habitat loss and damage, but Cain said nature finds a way to rejuvenate the landscape.
“Where fires have occurred, there’s been new grass and weed growth providing some much-needed nutrition and cover for deer,” Cain said. “Although habitat conditions have improved immensely with recent rains, the timing was a bit late to have any meaningful influence on antler quality. ”
While the archery-only season kicks off Oct. 1, the general season opens more than a month later, on Nov. 5. The general season runs through Jan. 1, 2023 in the North Zone and Jan. 15, 2023 in the South Zone. A special youth-only gun deer season is set in both zones for Oct. 29-30 and Jan. 2-15, 2023. For additional late season deer hunting opportunities, county specific regulations and information on how to property tag and report a harvest, consult the 2022-23 Outdoor Annual.
