Expanded whitetail season, mule deer antler restrictions among possible changes
By Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News
North Zone deer hunters may get two more weeks added to the general season.
Texas has been divided into two zones for deer hunting, and, since 2001, the opening date has been the first Saturday in November. In the North Zone, the closing date has been the first Sunday in January, while the South Zone remained open until the third Sunday.
At the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting, held Jan. 25, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department proposed a uniform statewide season “to simply regulation while allowing time in the norther two-thirds of the state to conduct additional beneficial harvest.”
TPWD officials asserted the change to season length would not result in negative population impacts.
Officials said most deer hunters were in favor of the proposed change.
Quail hunters, though, may be impacted. Many quail leases begin when the general season for white-tailed deer ends, and an extension could shorten the time quail hunters may hunt.
“I anticipate we’ll get some feedback on that,” said TPWD Quail Program Leader Robert Perez. “That may be an issue for some folks.”
Mule deer antler restrictions proposed
Counties in the southeastern Panhandle have problems with their mule deer herd, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department believes antler restrictions may be required to bring the herd back to health.
The change was among several proposals at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting in January.
“The mule deer herd in the area is in rough shape,” said Shawn Gray, TPWD’s mule deer program director.
Grays said the area has only a few bucks older than 3 years and a skewed doe-to-buck ratio of about 6 to 1.
In this area, the bag limit for buck deer is one. Department data indicate an undesirably excessive harvest of bucks.
TPWD proposed antler restrictions for Briscoe, Childress, Cottle, Floyd, Hall and Motley counties, beginning in 2018. The legal mule deer buck would need to have an outside spread of 20 inches or more.
“The average distance between the tips of a mule deer’s ears is 21 inches,” Gray said.
Since too many younger bucks have been harvested, the change arguably would help boost deer maturity and increase the overall age class of bucks.
The proposed antler-restriction rule would not apply on properties enrolled in the Managed Lands Deer Program.
TPWD also proposed opening a 9-day general mule deer season in Lynn County (no archery season).
Most of Lynn County consists of large-scale farming and grazing operations, but the department’s survey data indicate mule deer populations sufficient to sustain hunting pressure in areas where suitable mule deer habitat exists.
Air guns and air bows for big game
TPWD proposed the legalization of air guns and air bows for taking alligators, big game and nonmigratory birds.
In response to a petition for rulemaking and field demonstrations, the department determined that air guns of .30 caliber or larger and air bows are capable of reliably killing alligators, big game species (deer, pronghorn, desert bighorn sheep, javelina), and turkey and therefore should be lawful means of take for those species.
Both the air rifles and air bows would have to be powered by an external charge source. The air bows would not be legal for use during archery-only seasons.
Eastern turkey to close in two counties
Eastern turkey season would close in San Augustine and Upshur counties under the current proposals.
Additionally, the eastern turkey season would be shortened by seven days while maintaining the current May 14 closing date. The proposed amendment is based on department harvest and population data and is intended to protect hens from accidental or illegal harvest during incubation and to provide additional time for mating success.
Possession limit changes
The proposed amendments expand the possession limit of squirrel, pheasant and chachalaca to three times the daily bag limit.
Public comment
The proposed changes will be opened for public comment. The Commission is expected to decide on the proposals at its March 22 meeting. Changes approved would take effect Sept. 1.
2 comments
Why don’t you open a mule deer doe season in the SE panhandle ? Here in Childress county they are outnumbering the bucks enormously.
Mike, you might want to make this suggestion to Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. Thanks for reading Lone Star Outdoor News.
Comments are closed.