the fl ush of green weeds weren’t available to provide the nutritional boost bucks needed to get a jump start on antler growth and overall antler quality. Despite the early dry conditions, hunters pursuing
whitetails in the western half of the state should expect an average year with antler quality, which is still good for most hunters. Those landowners managing for quality native
habitat and maybe supplementing with protein will be buffered against some of the impacts from the dry conditions of early spring. These folks had the forethought to keep deer densities low to insure ad- equate forage was available for deer during the stress periods that could have persisted late into the spring because of the lack of precipitation. On these prop- erties I would expect to see some exceptional bucks harvested this upcoming season, but they won’t be behind every bush.
Regional deer population estimates Although Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
(TPWD) wildlife biologists started to conduct deer sur- veys in August, and will continue this month, a look back at the 2013 population may indicate what 2014
could bring regarding the number of deer on the range. Statewide population estimates for 2013 were 3.8
million white-tailed deer. Those statistics work out to about 39 deer per 1,000 acres on average. Hunters should keep in mind that density estimates
vary dramatically depending on the region of the state your favorite hunting spot is in and, probably more importantly, the quality and quantity of native habitat that is available to attract and hold white-tailed deer. The Hill Country supports the highest deer popula-
tion in the state with an estimated 2.1 million deer or an estimated deer density of 113 deer per 1,000 acres. The Post Oak Savannah and Cross Timbers regions
support about 400,000 deer in each region, or 35 and 37 deer per 1,000 acres respectively. South Texas has a much lower estimated deer popu-
lation at around 230,000. East Texas deer population estimates for 2013 were
about 240,000, or 18 deer per 1,000 acres. On the western edge of the white-tailed deer range
in the southern High Plains, deer populations are much lower with estimates of about 11,000 deer. The Trans Pecos region has a smaller white-tailed deer population compared to the rest of the state, esti-
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September 2014 The Cattleman 65
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