Some Common Sense Deer Management

Managing the number of deer in Texas is no joking matter. Too many deer causes the deer population to suffer from a shortage of food and water, can expedite animal diseases, can cause damage to agricultural operations and can create pressure on other types of native wildlife. Too few deer can cut sharply into a $1.5 billion Texas deer hunting industry, cause revenue losses to thousands of property owners statewide, and could wreak havoc on a support industry that depends on deer hunting season to survive and prosper. For most of our central Texas area we have too many deer. In most instances landowners/hunters probably need to take more doe this year to try to bring the buck-to-doe ratio closer into balance.

About 650,000 hunters will head to thousands of deer leases or to their own rural property this year to harvest well over a half-million deer, an annual ritual that many laud while others criticize for various reasons on both sides of the issue. Like it or not, deer hunting in Texas is big business, and more importantly, wildlife management specialists say hunting is absolutely necessary to ensure the number of deer in the state remain steady, manageable and in good health. Managing deer, however, is a science that requires more than a casual understanding.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department deer specialists say the most significant management problem facing deer herds in Texas is severe competition for available forage by white-tailed deer, exotic wildlife species, and livestock such as cattle, sheep, and goats. They say excessive numbers of any of these animals will have detrimental effects upon the others. The importance of maintaining deer at carrying capacity (a population level that prevents damage to the habitat) by removing surplus deer cannot be overstated.

According to a recent study conducted by the biologists, understanding food habits, livestock competition, stocking rates, browse lines, rotational grazing, brush control and carrying capacity is the first step in good food management practices. The diversity of vegetation on an area is the key to meeting cover and food requirements. Basic cover needs include low-growing vegetation for adequate hiding cover to protect fawns from predators in their first days, and mid-level vegetation or escape cover to provide protection from predators. Also of critical importance is over story vegetation (trees and/or tall shrubs) to protect deer from weather extremes, the study concludes.

Based on observation and reports from landowners and Texas Parks and Wildlife representatives most of the deer in our area are in good shape. The 2012 deer season should be a fruitful one and quite a bit of hunters success is expected.