With the fall season here and temperatures dropping in Texas, it can only mean white-tailed deer season is around the corner.
The season officially begins on Saturday, Nov. 5 for much of Texas. The season runs through January.
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With dry weather still persisting throughout much of the state, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department expects hunters to see deer consistently frequenting feeders during the start of the season.
The season should be different from the last two years after the 2021 freeze and the heavy amounts of rain that followed.
“A number of hunters and landowners report seeing lots of deer, especially younger deer,” said TPWD white-tailed deer program leader Alan Cain in a statement. “Part of that is a result of good fawn crops the last couple of years so there’s more bucks in those younger age classes relative to bucks in that four- to six-year-old range. As we move into November and closer to the rut, those older bucks should increase movement activities in search of does, hopefully presenting an opportunity for a lucky hunter.”
Cain said harvest has been light to this point, but is something that is not unusual considering the warm weather in October.
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“Overall antler quality is down a bit,” Cain said. “But there’s still some great bucks being harvested during archery and managed lands deer program season.”
Where are white-tailed deer found in Texas?
White-tailed deer can be found throughout Texas. In fact, all but two of the state’s 254 counties have traces of white-tailed deer. Any ranch or open ranch in South Texas is a good place to hunt for white-tailed deer.
What are the best spots to hunt in the Coastal Bend?
The South Texas Plains are known for mature bucks and above average antler quality relative to many other areas of the state. Since 2021, the TPWD said hunter success was estimated to be 79 percent with an estimated harvest of 7.9 deer per 1,000 acres. Hunters might see a repeat of that this year.
Also, it’s important to remember public ranches are not common in South Texas so unless you own a ranch or know someone who does, hunting could be a challenge for first-time hunters since the majority of Texas land is privately owned.
South Zone bag limit
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife website, the South Zone bag limit for Coastal Bend counties require a five deer limit with no more than three bucks.
If Managed Lands Deer Program buck tags have been issued for a property, all bucks must be tagged with a MLDP tag. The landowner or designated agent are responsible for providing MLDP tags to the hunters on MLDP properties. All hunters using MLDP tags are required to possess a resident or non-resident general hunting license.
Remember the rules (Coastal Bend areas)
It is unlawful to possess, shoot or hunt with a firearm or any archery equipment on all land and water in the Aransas River and Poesta Creek in Bee County, public water in the state-owned riverbeds of La Salle and McMullen counties and on all land and public water in the state-owned riverbeds of the Nueces, Frio and Atascosa rivers in Live Oak County.
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The only exception is for waterfowl hunting on any reservoir (existing or to be constructed) owned, operated, or maintained by a government entity.
Another rule to remember is to never discharge a firearm or shoot an arrow in or on the bed or bank of a navigable stream in Dimmit, Edwards, Frio, Hall, Kenedy, Llano, Maverick, Real, Uvalde, or Zavala counties.
This law does not apply to people fishing by means of archery equipment or shotguns loaded with shot, including a buckshot. A shotgun slug is prohibited.
Dates to remember
White-tailed deer season begins Nov. 5 and ends Jan. 1 in the North Zone and Jan. 15 in the South Zone. A special youth-only gun deer season is set in both zones for Oct. 29-30 and Jan. 2-15 in 2023.
Archery (South Zone): Oct. 1-Nov. 4
Muzzleloader (South Zone): Jan. 2-15.
Source: https://t-tees.com
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