Buck Manager | Buck Manager

Texas Deer Hunting Forecast

White-tailed deer hunting is already underway for Texas bowhunters and those ranches participating in the Managed Lands Deer Permit (MLDP) Program, but the General Season–we call it gun season–is just around the corner for the rest of Texas’ hunters. This is when the majority of deer hunters head to the field to make memories and bag and tag their personal trophies. And for those gun hunters, November 3 can not get here fast enough. But the good news for those with sharp knives, empty coolers and elevated heart rates is that opening day is just over two weeks away and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) says things are looking good for both deer and deer hunters.

Source: “The white-tailed deer herd in Texas is doing well and stable. Despite one of the worst droughts on record last year, the deer population came through with minimal population impacts. Most areas experienced low fawn survival last year, as to be expected, but we had very few reports of any significant adult mortality related to the drought. Continue reading “Texas Deer Hunting Forecast”

Scoring Bucks on the Hoof

Many whitetail hunters are interested in scoring bucks on the hoof. Without a doubt, one of the most common questions I hear as hunting season approaches is, “What will this buck score?” I think it’s just a sign of the times. People want to measure everything now days. And most hunters are people; people interested in managing and hunter better bucks.

From a deer hunting standpoint, the score of a buck’s antlers is not the most important thing. However, it is one of many good ways to track the progress of a deer management program. Estimating the gross score of a buck’s antlers without the deer in hand can be accomplished in one of two ways, either using game camera photos or actually looking at the live deer in the field.

Most prefer to look at game camera photos because it offers a hunter all the time in the world to look a buck from many different angles. A hunter can check out the left side, the right side, the front view, basically everything you’d need to make a good guesstimate of the deer’s gross Boone and Crockett score.

Estimate Buck Score

A buck’s antler score is made up of quite a few measurements. Every set of antlers will have at least 11 measurements that relate to the beams of the deer. These include 8 beam circumference (mass) measurements, 2 beam length measurements and another measurement between the main beams (greatest inside spread). The remainder of a buck’s antler score is simply the length of each of his antler points.

More points and longer point lengths equates to a higher total score. An 8 point buck with very heavy antlers and long points can score the same or more as a 12 point buck with thin antlers and short points. And in my opinion, although there are many factors involved, the tine lengths of buck are usually the most important factor when it comes to racking up really large scores.

But what is the best way to score a buck from a photo or in the field? Fortunately, as explained above, antler score can be grouped into a handful of measurements: mass, beams, spread and point length.

Quick Scoring of Deer in the Field

Like most things, getting good at scoring deer takes experience, practice, and more experience. For me, the best way to relate antler score to what was observed was for me to see the deer, either from a photo or in the field, and then be able to physically measure the antlers in my hands.

After repeating this a few times, I was able to calibrate my mind, so to speak, and put the image that I was seeing into inches. It was then that I could see a 4 inch base (H1), a 5 1/2 inch brow tine (G1) and a 10 inch G2 on a live deer.

This happened because there was a relationship between past observations that I had seen and the physical measurements that I had made. Those proportions could then be applied and adjusted to fit other bucks in the future.

Estimating Buck Antler Score Takes Practice

It will not happen overnight. Even with some experience and a lot of practice it takes time to get proficient at scoring bucks on the hoof. The best tip I can give to help score deer is to combine the 8 mass measurements, 2 beam measurements and inside spread measurement into a single number I refer to as the “base score.”

To estimate the base score for bucks found in your area, simply use the base score for bucks that you have previously harvested. For example, mature bucks (5 1/2+ years old) on a property I used to hunt typically had mass measurements that totaled about 30 inches, main beams that were about 20 inches (remember there are two beams), and an inside spread around 17 inches.

To estimate the gross Boone and Crockett score of a mature whitetail buck on that ranch from a photo or in the field all I had to do was start with 87 inches and perform some mental math to add up the length of each of the antler points. This would allow me or any other hunter the place to score a mature buck in the field in well under a minute.

The base score could be adjusted rapidly and on-the-fly, allowing one to deduct a few inches for a deer with thinner-than-average mass (base score 85) or add several inches (base score 90) for a wider-than-normal buck. Measure or estimate the base score for middle-aged and mature bucks in your area and that will give you a great starting point for scoring deer this hunting season.

Buck Score + Aging Deer of the Hoof

Scoring bucks on the hoof and in the field is important, but not nearly as important as aging deer on the hoof. For hunters and landowners that want to improve the quality of the white-tailed deer found and harvested on their property it’s important to let bucks reach their full genetic potential.

Bucks can not do that if they get shot at 3 1/2 years of age, even if they do have 130 inches of antler. That said, each property has it’s own challenges when it comes to deer management and buck age structure. A “shooter buck” on one property may be a 6 1/2 year old but a 4 1/2 year old deer on another. There are a number of factors that contribute to an individual property’s deer management program.

The scores of the bucks taken from a property in a given year can be a good physical indicator of herd health, but so can body weights. If the goal is to produce mature bucks for harvest—a great goal in itself—then correctly aging deer in the field will be much more important than a buck’s antler score, but hopefully the tips provided here will help you do so.

Deer Hunting Season Shaping Up Well

The upcoming white-tailed deer hunting season is looking good for Texas hunters. Despite the horrendous drought of 2011, habitat conditions quickly rebounded last fall after some much-needed rain. It was not nearly enough, but it helped big time. In addition, acorn crops ranged from decent to good in many areas across the state, which was pretty amazing. This was good for deer populations because it gave them abundant food sources when they needed it most, right before winter. Not only did the buffet of natural foods allow deer to recover physically, but the mild winter meant whitetail did not have to move around in search of food, which is typically when deer make themselves available for harvest.

As a result, many hunters did not see nearly the number of deer that they thought they would. The corn under the feeders did not get immediately inundated by hungry deer. Now this was not the case everywhere. Some areas did not fair so well with regards to fall precipitation. Some areas lack oak trees, acorns and the fat-rich calories they pack for winter whitetail. But much of Texas’ whitetail population pulled through well and entered the year is good shape. Did some deer die off last year? Yes, of course, but then again some always do. Continue reading “Deer Hunting Season Shaping Up Well”

Whitetail Deer Water Requirements

Whitetail Water Needs

How much water do white-tailed deer drink? How much do they need on a daily basis? The high temperatures experienced during the “dog days” of summer are brutal. We have to drink more water. Also, it makes hunters ponder white-tailed deer water requirements. Can deer find enough water on your property to survive? It’s a simple question, but an important one to consider when it comes to deer management and future deer hunting on a property.

Water requirements generally vary with available food sources, climactic conditions and a whitetail’s physiological state. For example, deer that are lactating or growing need more water than deer that are not.

Deer Water Requirements for Better Deer Management

Whitetail are not picky when it comes to water sources. They will readily use troughs, ponds, creeks, rivers springs, dew, snow and even mud puddles. In fact, secluded depressions that hold water for any period of time will be used heavily by deer. These tucked-away surface sites allow does with fawns and weary bucks to go about their business in seclusion. This may decrease their chances of being detected by predators and hunters.

Next time you stumble across one of these mud holes pay attention. Take a look at the number of deer tracks around them. Deer have no problem using water from where they can get it. And they can get it in many ways.

Daily Deer Water Requirements

White-tailed deer require water but can go for relatively long periods of time without it. Deer use water daily. They can ingest it directly or they can extract it from their diet if succulent plants are available to them. In areas where water-rich foods are lacking, the rule of thumb is that at least one source of permanent water per square mile is needed. This will ensure use of the available area, assuming the area is deer habitat.

The home range of a whitetail deer generally ranges from 400 to 800 acres. So, it’s a good idea to have at least one water source per square mile. This offers at least one watering site and will meet deer water requirements for the animals living in the area. Lack of free water on dry ridges may deter deer from using these areas.

Water Distribution for Deer

Many factors affecting how much water a whitetail deer drinks each day. These factors also impact seasonal consumption. It’s difficult to say that “Rancho Perfecto” needs exactly 5 ponds or exactly 6 troughs scattered across it. However, I recommend developing watering sites no less than one mile apart. Doing this means no deer is ever more than a half mile from water at any time. This also falls in line with the “at least one water source per square mile” philosophy mentioned earlier. It ensures the whitetail deer in your area have access to surface water even if they do not necessarily need it.

Meeting Deer Water Requirements

Deer use water in several forms. In addition to the liquid found on the earth’s surface, whitetail deer can use preformed water and metabolic water. Preformed water is the stuff that is found in the foods that they eat. Metabolic water is produced internally as a result of hydrogen oxidation during an animal’s metabolic processes. Much of the water that whitetail deer need can be found in the food that they eat. Most of these foods are between 50 and 90 percent water. No need to go hunting for water when high quality, natural food sources are abundant. In essence, deer only drink water to supplement the water they extract from their diet.

One study in the Southeastern U.S. suggested that whitetail do not require surface water on a daily basis because of high rainfall, humidity, and the availability of succulent plants. Researchers said this applied for at least most of the year. Additionally, the study mentioned that surface water may be important during the summer when rainfall is scarce. This is also when the water requirements of lactating does are high.

Improve Available Deer Habitat - Water Required for Deer Use

A white-tailed deer needs about 1 1/2 quarts of water for every 100 pounds of body weight per day during the winter. This requirement doubles for deer during the summer. When temperatures rise, deer need about 3 quarts for every 100 pounds of body weight. How many deer are in your area? How much do the deer using your property weigh?

The volume of water is even greater for does that are supporting fawns or deer found in more arid regions, such as West or South Texas. Again, this does not mean that a deer will necessarily drink this amount of water, but that they will supplement the preformed and metabolic water taken from their diet with surface water.

Water is Life

It’s thought that during times of drought or pregnancy that surface water is a definite necessity. It’s believed that whitetail actually ingest between 2-3 times as much water as food. Is this the case always? Don’t know. There can be other factors that increase water intake, too. The supplemental feeding of deer with protein pellets is also believed to elevate whitetail deer water requirements.

Deer that do not have access to adequate amounts of water will not forage. This would put a damper on any deer management efforts in a hurry. In addition, this would hurt the deer hunting, or lack thereof, on a property as well. Deer that do not eat will not maintain good body condition, raise fawns, grow large antlers, or live.

As mentioned, habitat conditions do come into play. Moisture-rich plants can provide much of the water that deer may need. However, this is not the case in areas experiencing drought conditions or for whitetail deer living in semi-desert conditions. Although surface water is not as important to whitetails as food or habitat with suitable cover, a lack of available water can prevent animals from using an area in drier climates.

Got Water?

Whitetail are like all living things in that they require water in order to survive. Deer water requirements will vary based on whether they are growing body mass or simply in maintenance mode. The amount required daily varies seasonally. Deer require much more water during the summer. This is especially true for does which need more liquid for milk production.

Tale a closer look at your property if you even think water may be a limiting factor. The deer and other wildlife found in the area will appreciate it. The installation of additional tanks or water troughs will more than likely help your population management efforts. This potentially leads to improved deer hunting in the area. A study that took place in Texas reported that watering sites are frequently the centers of whitetail home ranges. Makes sense.

CWD Found in Texas Deer

It seemed like just a matter of time before Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was found in Texas, but today it was verified: Texas deer have the highly contagious deer disease, or at least a couple of deer did. Samples from two mule deer recently taken in far West Texas have been confirmed positive for CWD.

These are the first cases of CWD detected in any deer species found in Texas. Wildlife officials believe the event is currently isolated in a remote part of the state near the New Mexico border. The idea is to now limit transmission of the disease within the state, insulating deer populations, deer hunting and the deer breeding industry across the rest of Texas.

Source: “The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) implemented regionally-focused deer sample collection efforts after the disease was detected in the Hueco Mountains of New Mexico during the 2011-12 deer hunting season. With the assistance of cooperating landowners, TPWD, TAHC, and USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services biologists and veterinarians collected samples from 31 mule deer as part of a strategic CWD surveillance plan designed to determine the geographic extent of New Mexico’s findings. Both infected deer were taken from the Hueco Mountains of northern El Paso and Hudspeth counties.

CWD is a member of the group of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Other diseases in this group include scrapie in sheep, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease) in cattle, and Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. CWD among cervids is a progressive, fatal disease that commonly results in altered behavior as a result of microscopic changes made to the brain of affected animals. An animal may carry the disease for years without outward indication, but in the latter stages, signs may include listlessness, lowering of the head, weight loss, repetitive walking in set patterns, and a lack of responsiveness. CWD is not known to affect humans.

Tissue samples were initially tested by the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in College Station, with confirmation by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.

“Now that we have detected CWD in Texas, our primary objective is to contain this disease,” said Carter Smith, TPWD Executive Director. “Working collaboratively with experts in the field we have developed protocols to address CWD and implementation is already under way.”

There is no vaccine or cure for CWD, but steps have been taken to minimize the risk of the disease spreading from beyond the area where it currently exists. For example, human-induced movements of wild or captive deer, elk, or other susceptible species will be restricted and mandatory hunter check stations will be established.

“This is obviously an unfortunate and rather significant development,” said TPW Commission Chairman, T. Dan Friedkin. “We take the presence of CWD very seriously and have a plan of action to deal with it. The Department will do whatever is prudent and reasonable to protect the state’s deer resources and our deer hunting heritage.”

Although wildlife officials cannot say how long the disease has been present in Texas or if it occurs in other areas of the state, they have had an active CWD surveillance program for more than a decade.

“We have tested more than 26,500 wild deer in Texas since 2002, and the deer breeding industry has submitted more than 7,400 CWD test results as well,” said Mitch Lockwood, Big Game Program Director with TPWD. “But that part of West Texas is the toughest place to conduct an adequate CWD surveillance program because so few deer are harvested out there each deer hunting season. Thanks to the cooperation and active participation of several landowners, we were able to begin getting an idea of the prevalence and geographic distribution of the disease without needing to remove many deer.”

The TAHC regulates cervid species not indigenous to Texas such as elk, red deer, and sika deer. TAHC oversees a voluntary CWD herd monitoring status program with the intent to facilitate trade and marketability for interested cervid producers in Texas. Cervid herds under either TPWD or TAHC authority may participate in the commission’s monitored CWD program. The basis of the program is that enrolled cervid producers must provide an annual herd inventory, and ensure that all mortalities during the previous year were tested for CWD and the disease was not detected.

Wildlife biologists, hunters, and landowners would certainly have preferred for Texas mule deer populations to have not been dealt this challenge, but TPWD and TAHC have developed a CWD Management Plan that includes management practices intended to contain the disease. The management plan includes input from the CWD Task Force, which is comprised of deer and elk producers, wildlife biologists, veterinarians and other animal-health experts from TPWD, Texas Animal Health Commission, Department of State Health Services, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, and USDA.”

The deer disease was first recognized in 1967 in captive mule deer in Colorado. While mule deer populations in that state declined, but the economic impact on elk and deer hunting activities has never been quantified. CWD has been documented in captive and/or free-ranging deer species in 19 states and 2 Canadian provinces. Dr. Dee Ellis, State Veterinarian and TAHC Executive Director, also had this to say about Texas’ situation, “We know that elk in southern New Mexico are also infected with CWD. It will take a cooperative effort between hunters, the cervid industry, and state/federal animal health and wildlife agencies to ensure we keep this disease confined to southern New Mexico and far West Texas. I am confident however that will be able to do that, and thus protect the rest of the Texas cervid industry.”