It looks like deer hunters will be getting more doe days in Texas. This is good news for hunters looking to put meat in the freezer. It’s also good news for properties where white-tailed deer numbers have been on the rise. These added “doe days” are intended to increase antlerless deer harvest in parts of the state where once-conservative regulations were needed to allow the expansion of deer.
Doe Days Added to Post Oak & Blackland Prairies
White-tailed deer hunters in 41 Texas counties in the Post Oak Savannah and Blackland Prairies ecoregions will see expanded opportunities to take antlerless deer during the 2019-20 season, following changes adopted recently by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.
The decision to liberalize the harvest of antlerless deer comes after several years of whitetail population growth within these regions, combined with a relatively conservative doe harvest. Wildlife biologists with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) recommended the expanded opportunity to reduce the deer herd impacts to the habitat, help balance buck-doe sex ratios, and relieve buck harvest pressure.
Doe Days Add Days, Not to Bag Limit
In 21 counties in south central Texas, hunters will be able to harvest antlerless deer from Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28, through Sunday, Dec. 1. The counties include: Austin, Bastrop, Caldwell, Colorado, Dewitt, Fayette, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Karnes, Lavaca, Lee, Waller, Washington, and Wilson. In addition to these counties, Goliad, Jackson, Victoria, and Wharton counties north of U.S. Highway 59 and Comal, Hays, and Travis east of IH-35.
The bag limit on antlerless deer in these counties is two, and hunters are reminded that all doe harvests during archery, muzzleloader, youth-only seasons, and the four doe days are required to be reported within 24 hours through the TPWD website or the My Hunt Harvest mobile app. The four doe days are not for properties enrolled in the Managed Lands Deer Permit (MLDP) program.
Expansion of Doe Days Continues
TPWD is also expanding doe days in 20 other counties from four to 16 days beginning with the start of the general deer hunting season on November 2. An steady increase in whitetail numbers in these areas shows that additional deer harvest is warranted. But don’t wait to use a tag, the doe days are front-loaded at the beginning of the general season.
The counties with the expanded,16 doe days include: Bell (east of IH 35), Burleson, Delta, Ellis, Falls, Fannin, Franklin, Freestone, Hopkins, Hunt, Kaufman, Limestone, Milam, Navarro, Rains, Smith, Titus, Van Zandt, Williamson (east of IH 35), and Wood.
Hunters can now add big-bore pneumatic (air) guns to the list of legal means and methods for deer hunting in Texas. Over the past few years, states across the US, including Texas, have been expanding the options available to hunters (think crossbows and suppressors). This expansion is the result of innovative, improved technology that is able to demonstrate success in the field.
Without a doubt, any regulation that changes takes someone lobbying for things to be different. I’m all for change so long as those changes are positive and big-bore, pre-charged air rifles look to be highly effective on deer and other big game species.
Air Gun Regulations in Texas
Beginning this fall, hunters in Texas will be able to use air guns and arrow guns that meet criteria established under new rules adopted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. The regulations create a new category of legal means for hunting deer and other wildlife in Texas defined as pre-charged pneumatic devices.
Unlike pellet guns and traditional air rifles that can be charged manually or with an attached CO2 cartridge, pre-charged pneumatic air guns and arrow guns are those weapons for which an unignited compressed gas propellant is supplied or introduced from a detached source.
Air Gun Requirements for Hunting in Texas
The TPW Commission decision follows months of scrutiny to avoid creating undue risks of wounding of wildlife from pneumatic weaponry. These devices must meet minimum standards of ballistic efficacy.
Minimum ballistic specifications of pre-charged pneumatics approved by the Commission for hunting alligators, big game and turkeys are: .30 caliber bullets weighing at least 150 grains powered by an unignited compressed gas propellant charge capable of attaining a muzzle velocity of at least 800 feet per second (fps) OR any bullet weight and muzzle velocity combination that produces at least 215 foot pounds of energy.
For furbearers, pre-charged pneumatics must be at least .30 caliber. For squirrels, chachalaca, quail and pheasant an air rifle does not need to be a pre-charged pneumatic, but it must be able to propel a minimum .177 caliber projectile at least 600 fps.
In addition to minimum standards for pre-charged pneumatic devices, the Commission adopted provisions that hunter education certification requirements be met in order to hunt any wildlife resource.
Pneumatic Guns for Hunting
At least 10 other states permit the use of pneumatic devices for hunting big game, and all but three states allow their use for hunting certain other wildlife species. Their use in Texas previously was limited to hunting anything other than game animals (except squirrels), game birds, alligators, and furbearers.
The new rules will take effect Sept. 29, 2018. Additional information on the use of air guns and arrow guns is available online. Update: Read the new Texas regulations on these guns at the end of this article.
Air Gun History: A Tell of Technology
Source: “Technology seldom sits still for long. While air guns have been around for hundreds of years, they have been relegated for the past several decades as paper-punchers and quiet pest eliminators. But when we look back in history, this was not always the case. Every book of American History detailed (or should detail) the Louis and Clark Expedition.
As they were traveling through parts unknown with limited resources, they had to be smart about a method of safely fending off attacks and harvesting game for food. Muzzleloading rifles and muskets of the time were slow and cumbersome to load. Slow, but effective, these black powder rifles and muskets need to keep the powder dry in order to function.
The expedition called for a considerable amount of boat travel so they opted to include an air rifle that was made in Italy. The .46 caliber Girandoni air rifle accompanied Louis and Clark on their journey to explore the Louisiana Purchase. Not only was this heavy hitting PCP capable of launching a 210 grain projectile with considerable force, it was also a repeater.
But using a high pressure air rifle does come with some downsides. They tend to be more complex than firearm counterparts and require some physical effort to charge the air reservoir with the high pressure needed to launch a projectile with the force needed to humanely dispatch larger game. Thus, the concept for big bore air guns was put on the back burner.
Technology has recently caught up with the concept. Air gun manufacturers have started making air guns that are bigger than the popular .177 and .22 calibers that have been available for decades. The first forays into big bore air rifles were nothing more than pellet rifles with larger barrels. These air rifles generated much more power than their spring powered counterparts, but the muzzle energy was still not in the large game territory.
Each successive year led to the envelope being pushed father in terms of muzzle energy. The bores grew in diameter. Projectiles grew in mass. And velocities began to climb. This meant that a shooter using air as a propellant was able to launch a heavy (by air rifle standards) projectile with enough muzzle energy to dispatch large game species in a humane way.
Not to mention that charging the air tanks of these big bore rifles became cheaper with portable high-pressure electric pumps. Technology caught up with the concept.”
Air Guns for Deer Hunting
There are a couple of aspects of big-bore air rifles that will make them attractive to deer hunters. The novelty of hunting deer with an air gun is enough to get many hunters interested in slinging it across their shoulder and heading into the field, but another factor that makes me want to take a closer look is the reduced sound/noise level that these guns emit.
Very rarely will I shoot a rifle without ear/hearing protection anymore. It only happens out of perceived necessity when in the field shooting deer or hogs. Even then, there is usually more than enough time to ensure that my hearing protection is on prior to squeezing the trigger.
Time catches up with all of us though. Once we notice our hearing tapering off, it’s time to wise up and be more cognizant about how we approach some of our activities. In my research on big-bore, pre-charged air rifles, it appears a number of them are fairly quiet.
Many shoot the large bullets used for deer hunting at subsonic velocities, so much quieter than a standard deer hunting rifle. This is attractive to me, but so is a suppressor. Both situations, however, limit maximum range to about 100 yards.
Each hunter considering a big-bore air gun will have to evaluate its utility for their hunting situation. Reduced sound and recoil are going to be quite attractive to many. Reduced range is going to be be a non-starter with other hunters, but not out of the question for those deer hunting in areas with limited visibility. It’s going to be interesting to see if air guns catch on. Would you hunt deer with one?
UPDATE 8/29/18: Air Guns, Arrow Guns Regulations
TPWD Means and Methods Definitions:
Arrow gun: a device that fires an arrow or bolt solely by the use of unignited compressed gas as the propellant.
Air gun: a device that fires a bullet solely by the use of unignited compressed gas as the propellant.
Pre-charged pneumatic: an air gun or arrow gun for which the propellant is supplied or introduced by means of a source that is physically separate from the air gun or arrow gun.
Alligator, game animals, furbearers, squirrels, and non-migratory game birds (except Eastern Turkey) may be hunted with air guns and arrow guns provided:
Alligators, big horn sheep, javelina, mule deer, white-tailed deer, and turkey may be taken only with pre-charged pneumatic arrow guns, or air guns that fire a projectile of at least 30 caliber in diameter and at least 150 grains in weight with a minimum muzzle velocity of 800 feet per second or any combination of bullet weight and muzzle velocity that produces muzzle energy of at least 215 foot pounds of energy.
Squirrels, pheasant, quail, and chachalaca may be hunted with air guns that fire a projectile of at least .177 caliber (4.5mm) in diameter producing a muzzle velocity of at least 600 feet per second.
Arrows or bolts used with an arrow gun must conform to the same standards for projectiles for archery.
Arrow guns may not be used to hunt deer or turkey during archery season.
The opening of Texas’ General Deer Hunting Season starts this weekend across the state for white-tailed deer. Despite unseasonably warm temperatures in the forecast for much of Texas, a balmy start for this weekend’s Texas deer season opener likely will not deter hunters from participating in this time-honored tradition.
It’s been a good year for whitetail and their habitat, and deer hunting prospects are expected to follow suit across the state, according to wildlife biologists with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
Opening Day of Deer Hunting: HOT
Generally speaking, white-tailed deer in Texas have fared well in recent years with a stable population of about 4.3 million, according to Alan Cain, TPWD whitetail deer program leader. “The vast majority of the state had a good habitat conditions going into last winter and early spring, which helped bucks recover from the rigors of the rut, and gave them a good foundation to start the antler growth cycle this year,” he said.
Food availability is critical when it comes to fawn production in does and antler growth in bucks. Last year was great on both counts and this year started off on the right note. In fact, hunters have a good shot at some good bucks this season as a result of carryover from a couple years of good fall habitat, which made deer hunting tough and lowered annual harvest.
The general deer hunting season opens Saturday, and runs through Jan. 7, 2018 in North Texas; Jan. 21, 2018 in South Texas. A late youth-only season is also slated for Jan. 8-21, 2018. For additional late season deer hunting opportunities and county specific regulations, consult the 2017-18 Outdoor Annual of hunting and fishing regulations.
When in Rains, It Pours
For two years prior, the opening day of deer season across Texas, for the most part, has been quite wet. It looks like 2017 is going to be a little drier and the warmer temperatures will probably limit overall deer movement, at least initially. But the best time to tag a buck is still early in the season.
However, unlike the previous two years where widespread consistent rain and good habitat conditions persisted through the summer for much the state, 2017 saw dry weather patterns take hold in May and continue into late August. These drier conditions late in the season will likely have some impact on final stages of antler development, body weights, and possibly fawn production, Cain explained, but hunters should still expect a good hunting season.
“Dry conditions were not uniform across the state and spotty rains from May through July left patches of green across the landscape in the western two-thirds of the state,” said Cain. “Landowners and hunters with properties lucky enough to receive some of early summer rains and that have remained green may expect better than average deer quality this fall.”
New for This Hunting Season
Like every year, there are new deer hunting regulations being rolled out around various portions of the state. It’s always a good idea to sneak a peak at TPWD’s Outdoor Annual before heading out into the field.
Deer hunters are reminded of new regulations for Texas’ 2017-18 season, including the establishment of chronic wasting disease (CWD) management zones. Hunters who harvest mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, red deer, or other CWD susceptible species within the Trans-Pecos, Panhandle, and South-Central Texas CWD Containment and Surveillance Zones are required to bring their animals to a TPWD check station within 48 hours of harvest. TPWD also urges voluntary sampling of hunter harvested deer outside of these zones.
It’s mid-summer, hot as hell and all I can think about is doing some pre-season deer scouting to get ready for hunting season. As the mercury climbs into triple digits I can’t help but think about the cooler weather the latter-half of the year provides, but it’s the deer hunting that the fall and winter offers that really gets me fired up!
We still have months until the first deer hunting season opens so that makes now the perfect time for pre-season deer scouting. After all, at this point in the year there should be a fair amount of antler growth up top on bucks. It’s just a matter of time before growth stops, velvet falls off and then we really get to see what we have a chance of seeing during deer season.
We’ve had a good amount of rainfall throughout the spring and early summer this year in the area I hunt, so I’m expecting great things. It’s time to confirm my suspicions.
Pre-Season Deer
White-tailed deer change physically throughout the year. This is especially true with bucks. Much of this change results because of extreme physical exertion (and associated weight loss) during the rut in the fall, but the big driver in bucks over the course of a year really boils down to testosterone levels. After the rut, bucks go into recovery mode and try to pack that weight back on.
During the spring and summer bucks are not muscled-up like they are just before and during the breeding season. A lot of bucks have the body confirmation of a doe right now, with long, rather thin necks. This will change shortly as the days become shorter, testosterone levels go up and bucks get jacked.
I really enjoy watching the rapid transformation of whitetail bucks as they transform their bodies into their “fighting weight.” It’s like someone hits a switch; the velvet starts coming off and their front-end and neck start bulking up big time. That’s when you know it’s going to be on.
Scouting with Cameras
The go-to scouting method is a game camera — or better yet — as many game cameras as you can get your hands on. As you know, there are a variety of cameras on the market. Most are relatively easy to use but still provide a variety of options for capturing photos of the deer on your property.
I actually use several different brands and camera models. Most of the cameras I use are either Cuddeback and Bushnell. Go with the one or ones that you are comfortable with financially and technically. I say this because some cameras are definitely easier to use, yet even those cameras that are more difficult to setup will still work great in the field. That is, of course, if you have them set right.
Plain and simple, the best time to inventory whitetail bucks is during the summer months. It is during this time of year that bucks of similar ages will be running together in bachelor groups. Get a bachelor group of older bucks on camera and you may see a handful of shooters in relatively short order.
During the pre-season bucks will be in a predictable routine. Most of their time is spent feeding and trying to avoid the heat. The majority of buck movement will start near sunset and run into the night followed by another period of activity that occurs near daybreak and ends by mid-morning, before it gets hot.
Scouting for Hunting Season
Make no mistake, scouting is hunting. The best way to bag a nice buck this deer season is to start hunting now. Let the other guys wait until the last minute to get their hunt in order; the pre-season is a superior time to identify where you do and do not want to focus your time come deer season.
The whitetail bucks that you capture on camera during the summer will still be around come hunting season. They do travel further, expanding their range during the rut, but those bucks do not leave for good. They continue to use their core area before, during and following the rut, because it’s the area where they live. They know this area best.
Pattern them during the pre-season and then tag them during the hunting season.
How to Scout During the Pre-Season
Whitetail bucks are fairly predictable during the summer. They do not move around much. They stay with close proximity to readily-available food sources and water and more or less take it easy; since they are friendly with one another at this time of the year. As we know, things change.
They key to pre-season scouting is keeping a digital-eye on feeding and travel areas. This is where those motion-activated cameras work their magic remotely. Once you identify primary food sources, determine where to place a camera or cameras to monitor the site. No definable food source? Not a problem.
You can create attractive feed sites by introducing supplements. The easiest way to go about doing this is by using some type of deer block. Blocks tend to be quite aromatic so they will attract deer from a distance and they can last quite a while. In addition, they are high in protein and typically taste good to deer, so bucks will return again and again so that you can follow their progress. Other options are hand-thrown baits of your liking or a mineral site.
Deer Season: Time for Tagging
After having identified the bucks on your hunting property the next step is to figure out how to kill him. Most properties have at least somewhat-definable travel corridors that deer use to go from place to place. Many properties have clearly-defined corridors and pinch-points where bucks can be intercepted early in the season.
Pre-season scouting photos will tell you the quantity and quality of bucks using the area, but they will also help pattern an individual buck’s movements. When hunting season is a few weeks out, setup cameras on travel ways leading to and from food sources. A day or two before season, sneak in and collect your photo data. After reviewing the photos leading up to season, you will have identified the best time and place to tag the buck you’re after.
I have used this method for pre-season deer scouting and have found it very useful (successful) on new properties. The technique of identifying and patterning bucks using cameras is deadly when done properly. Remember to stay low-impact when you go in and out to check cameras. If you have a whitetail buck patterned then your best chance of success is the first time you hunt him.
The Texas public draw hunts for the 2017-18 hunting seasons have been posted. Hunters can browse the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) offerings and apply online for all TPWD draw hunts for the 2017-18 hunting until midnight the day of the deadline, which varies by hunt category. The first hunt category deadline is less than a month away, so chop-chop.
This year about 9,500 permits in 50 hunt categories are up for grabs for drawn hunts on private and public lands, up more than 500 over last year. Among the other offerings available through the online system are hunts for white-tailed and mule deer, pronghorn, exotic gemsbok and scimitar-horned oryx, turkey and alligator.
Other Draw Hunts Administered by TPWD
In addition to drawn hunts managed by TPWD, the system includes applications for hunts administered by other entities, including almost 2,200 deer hunt positions on four U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuges in Texas and 2,500 antlerless deer permits for U.S. Forest Service properties in East Texas.
TPWD Draw Dove Hunts
The program’s highly-popular private lands dove hunt permit category will feature 140 hunt slots in prime locations around Uvalde, south of San Antonio near Pleasanton, north of Dallas/Ft. Worth in Young County and newly acquired opportunities in Wharton near Houston. These permits are for dedicated hunt positions with quality dove hunting outfitters. Application fee is $10 with no additional hunt permit fees.
Applying for Draw Hunts
Drawn hunt opportunities can be viewed online by category or by area via an interactive map and all applications, fee payments and permit issuance is handled electronically. To participate, applicants will need internet access, an email address and a credit or debit card. The Customer ID number from the applicant’s hunting or fishing license is one of the easy ways to access the system.
Last year, the department received 139,398 applications for drawn hunts.
TPWD Draw Hunt Deadlines
The first application deadlines are in August. August 1 is the deadline for the alligator hunt categories and the new private lands dove hunts, and August 15 is the deadline for archery deer, exotic, and javelina. Application deadlines are on the 1st and 15th of each month. A full list of category deadlines can be found online. Hunters can apply up to 11:59 p.m. Central Time on the application deadline, and after the application is submitted, they can check their drawing status online at any time.
Public Draw Hunts: Hunting on the Cheap
The TPWD draw hunts program offers affordable hunting experiences throughout the state, including several Youth-Only hunt categories. The application fees are $3 or $10 depending on the hunt category. These hunts are economical and from my experience they offer a very good hunting experience. My family and I been participating in these hunts for over two decades and we always enjoy the challenge of hunting, seeing new ground.
If drawn for a TPWD hunt, adult hunters will have to pay a Special Permit fee of $80 for regular hunts and $130 for extended hunts. Some categories, such as the Youth-Only hunts, require no application fees or permit fees. Permits are open to Texas residents and non-resident hunters alike.
This is the fourth year that the TPWD draw hunts have been offered online.
