TSCRA_1-3Page-revised.ill.pdf
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7/11/13 2:48 PM
RANCHING Wildlife
ing why there appears to be a gap in older age class buck, go back and look at previous years’ fawn crops for your area and see if that helps sheds some light on the subject.
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So what might the 2013 season hold? For starters, hunters can expect
to see a good number of 1½-year-old bucks as a result of above-average fawn crops in 2012. In addition, I expect to see a good number of 3½-, 6½-, and 8½-year-old bucks compared to other age classes as a result of good fawn production in 2005, 2007 and 2010. Regardless of specifi c age class
there should be plenty of bucks available for harvest with a hefty statewide deer population at 3.6 mil- lion. As far as antler quality goes, rainfall plays a key role by infl uenc- ing the native habitat and forage, ultimately affecting the quality of nutrition a buck receives to grow antlers. In dry years we typically see a decline in overall antler qual- ity and increases in wet years much related to nutrition. Some managers provide supplemental feed to buffer against nutritional impact resulting from drought. However, research in South Texas has shown that native habitat is crucial to deer nutrition even when supplemental feed is provided. So maintaining quality native habitat on your property is important. With that said, I’m expecting
antler quality to be about average in 2013. We had some rains across the state this spring, but many areas remained dry so forage production has not been as productive as it could be. The good news is that drought
or no drought, Texas still produces some whopper bucks each year. Ac- cording to an article published by
56 The Cattleman September 2013
Boone and Crockett several years back, Texas ranks fi fth all-time for entries into Boone and Crockett re- cord books. Based on 40-plus years of age and antler data collected by TPWD biologists each season, the average B&C score for a 5½-year- old buck is 124, with 9.1 points and a 15.8-inch inside spread. Even the younger bucks at 3½ years of age average a 13.5-inch inside spread and 8 points. While areas like South Texas are
known for producing exceptional bucks, most anywhere in the state is capable of producing good bucks every year. In fact in 2012, 2 archery hunters were lucky enough to con- nect on a couple of large non-typical bucks scoring about 250 Boone and Crockett. Both bucks were wild, free-ranging deer taken on low- fenced properties, one in North Texas and the other in Southeast Texas. Hopefully, that trend will continue in 2013. Another positive trend we have
seen in the last 10 years or so is that the proportion of young bucks in the harvest is declining across the state, while bucks 3½ years old or older are increasing. In 2012, 3½-year-old and older deer comprised 65 per- cent of deer checked during TPWD age- and antler-surveys, which are a refl ection of the deer harvested each season. I expect the trend to continue in 2013. Overall, I expect the 2013 season
to be a good one with good oppor- tunities to harvest a deer. Hunters or landowners with questions about specifi c deer management practices for a property may contact their lo- cal TPWD wildlife biologist for tech- nical assistance. Find your TPWD biologist at
tpwd.state.tx.us. Click on “Wildlife” in the navigation bar and scroll down to “Find a Biolo- gist” in the drop down menu.
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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