Home › Forums › Campfire Forum › How’s the outlook for deer in your area?
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Not only is the Central Texas deer herd suffering through the worst drought in over fifty years, I was out and about the property this morning and things really do look bleak for them, food wise. Yesterday, when I made a trip into town, I stopped at many of the oak trees growing along the roadside; no acorns there either.
The best mast-producing vegetation on the property is the Escarpment Live Oak and the Honey Mesquite. Both are fairly numerous but there are virtually no acorns on the oaks and no beans on the mesquite. About the only natural food available is the abundant, but nutritionally poor, Red and Ashe Junipers, the berries of which deer will eat, as well browsing the twigs, when times are tough.
When I moved in, a little over 2 months ago, most of the deer looked like they were approaching death’s door. I’ve been keeping a water trough out for the deer, along with a #2 washtub of water for the new fawns (which are not numerous this year, no doubt from the stress conditions). I’m also hand scattering a mixture of corn and protein pellets (6 parts corn to 1 part protein pellets) over several acres daily. Considering the area I’m scattering over it’s amazing that virtually every single kernel of corn and every single protein pellet is gone every morning. The entire area is starting to look like a stock yard, track wise, but the deer are looking a bit healthier.
I’ll be thinning the population a bit this winter, but it won’t really be hunting; more of a cull to make the numbers a bit more manageable. I sure hope this drought breaks sometime in the near future. I all too well remember the drought in the 1950’s, when deer died by the thousands and finding deer too weak to get up from the ground was all too common. It’s something I don’t want to witness again, even if it meant massive culling to reduce deer numbers.
Were it not for the fact that so many of the big ranches in the part of Texas do supplemental feeding of the deer, and keep water points filled year round, I think most of the deer in this area would already be history. For once I’m glad so many of the ranches do ‘bait’ for deer!
That’s the current deer situation in my part of the Texas Hill Country. How’s the outlook for deer in your area?
Ed
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Several years back we were fairly overrun with whitetails. It made hunting a pretty sure thing and folks got used to it. The downside was that there were lots of road kills and lots of overgrazing in the forest. That can lead to a lot of problems,depending on who you talk to, such as diminishing wildflowers, fewer small game, and trouble for ground nesting bird. The PA Game Commission began issuing LOTS of antlerless permits and upped the point restriction on bucks from 3 inches minimum for spike to three points on one side for most of the state and four points on one side for some wildlife management units, mostly in western PA.
At the processing stations you were initially seeing deer stacked like cord wood. After a couple years for that you only heard that all the deer were shot off and there was no reason to go into the woods any more. I was a happy participant, filling the freezer with three deer a year easily. It got pretty lean for a while, and the guy who organized the culling pretty much got ran out of the state. He was the same guy that nurtured the PA bear program into a success story.
Last year I saw more deer than I had for a few years. The acorn crop was back after taking five years off. Last year I saw the largest buck I ever saw in the woods. Now, I’m no trophy hunter, so that might not be say much, but it was a big deer with a nice rack. Two weeks ago I saw one even larger and have been seeing other deer quite regularly in the woods and long the roads.
I didn’t take a deer last year, but that wasn’t the deer’s fault. Mr. Newby goes hunting. I’m really looking forward to October. Good luck to all of you and thank you for helping me along! -
DWC —
I killed my first wt Buck with a bow in PA [Carlisle]. I havn’t hunted there in a long time but always interested in what goes on.
Yes, His Name is Gary Alt [ very innovative blk bear researcher ]Who took on the “Deer/ Habitat problem in PA”
Read about it in “Deer Wars” etc quite the Donneybrook. Did the Management Plan work in your estimation, or not?Long term Drought in AZ / NM so herds have been down for some time,finally getting some late summer monsoon rains. This should help out for this yr anyway. The Coues always seem to manage better than the Mule deer.
Scout -
Hi Scout,
Good to hear from you. I do think it’s working. The forest is looking healthier, the deer herd is looking better now and we’re all seeing larger bucks, to boot. Nobody is guaranteed a deer as it was several years ago. I understand the frustration of guys and girls who might have very limited time to hunt. I think it needed to be done. I wish they would have given Alt a chance. The guy had to wear a kevlar vest on speaking engagements for crying out loud. He’s probably the best scientist the game commission ever had, although I met some guys on a bear rehab release last summer and they were top notch. I’m all for it. thanks, d -
I’m here in Copperas Cove Texas, It’s been hot and dry much too long! I don’t remember any previous year that can match this years heat-drought! I don’t see mesquite beans, acorns, wild pears and the pecan trees look dried-up too. I’m really wondering what the animals (not just deer) are eating and drinking? They some times hop my fence and drink from the pool and eat from my “watered pear trees”. Thank God I don’t have to live like they do. I’m thinking that we are going to have to import camels for our future hunting and wildlife experiences.:(
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DWC –
I am glad it worked out well. I always thought Alt’s argument made sense. Habitat is a lot of it {IMHO} and he said the range as it stood, at the time couldnt carry the load. Good Luck on your hunt this year.
DOC -GT-
I know [hunt] three ranches in Texas — one in the Hill Country supplement feeds/water and it will be OK. Another in the Davis Mtns is terribly dry, wells are working though. Oddly enuff the Mesquite there is loaded with beans [ which is allowing all critters to hold]! but the oaks are having a real bad time.Not as many Mule Deer around as in the past. Although the Javelina are doing OK — Tough lil peccerhogs!
The third one on the Dry Devil River, is holding – barely.
Scout. -
Due to a heavy winter (over 200% of normal snow) that carried well into spring, a lot of animals seem to have been born late in my area. I’ve been seeing lots of very young deer, antelope, grouse, etc – far too young for this late in the summer. I’m hoping fall will be fairly mild or I think that yearling mortality is going to be pretty high this year.
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Piedmont North Carolina seems to have plenty of deer this year despite somewhat of a drought condition. Meaning we are getting occasional rains but not enough to positively effect the water tables but enough to keep crops and vegetation from dying. Last month I saw a bachelor group of bucks in a harvested wheat field. Two of them were quite decent. Of course there are plenty of does and this years fawn drop appears good. Around the house I’ve only seen a couple of small bucks and a button head and the usual ravel of does.
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Sorry to hear of problems in other areas. Here in MT, our freakish weather will impact the hunting season, but not because of game losses. The habitat is in great shape, I’m seeing lots of twin fawns, and there are deer everywhere despite a moderately severe winter. But floods of the century knocked out lots of backcountry roads and bridges this spring, and it’s going to be hard to get to some of the areas I hunt. Don
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I won’t know until I go up and scout timberline, tomorrow or the next day. I won’t likely even know then, since they’ll be bedded. Big muley bucks are always there this time of year. We rarely see big bucks way down here in the lowlands (8000 to 9500′ where I usually hunt elk) until early rut, which is late Oct. earliest. Not as many does around as usual, likely because we have a couple of lions hanging about the deer go elsewhere. In 30 years here I’ve not once found a lion-killed deer here. Did once find a lion-killed 6×6 bull elk, but that was over in the Lizard Head Wilderness.
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Dave–Are your lions vegetarian? You do live close to California 🙂 Ours definitely eat meat. I find lion kills all the time, and I don’t begrudge them their dinners. Don
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How’s the deer outlook in my area? Depends on whether I get to shoot one or not! 😆 Sorry couldn’t resist! 😀
Actually, despite a very brutal winter with snow storms every week from Christmas to end of February. The deer managed very well. If they were in bad shape coming out of the post Rut then the Coyotes got them, plain and simple. However, last year we had Acorns EVERYWHERE… which made hunting tough. The plus side is, not only did the healthy deer make it through winter… it has been more common to see Does with three fawns this year. Instead of one or two.
New York had been very liberal with deer management (“Doe”) permits in the past, and too many hunters eager to shoot as many deer as possible, we have had several back to back bad winters and our Conservation Department has cut back on “Doe” permits in order to allow the populations to come back up a bit or stabilize.
I am not noticing the abundant mast crop this year, but I believe the deer will be easier to pattern as a result. That and the past winter survival rate should indicate a hopeful season ahead.
Good (& SAFE) Hunting Everyone!
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Hi all,
Deer outlook is kinda tough to pin down in a lot of places. As for my NY life, #s never been high where I’m at (Adirondacks). That being said though, I’ve seen ton of deer (more than average) this year, including A LOT of fawns. Huge berry crop this year. We have definite issues w predation. Lots of coyotes and bears
awa fair # of bobcats.
NJ another story. Alays see ton of deer. Lot of animals, w good to excellent habitat. Problem is overun in a lot of areas. If you hunt all legal weapons/seasons (bow/mz/crossbow and shotgun) you literally could shoot 2
or more deer per day (varies by
zone and season) from Sept 10 up
until mid FEBRUARY (again depending
on zone etc). Truly an AMAZING
outlook and wonderful place for my
12 year old son to “cut his archery teeth” so to speak. He and his brother have taken a number of deer over a few Texas trips awa a bunch of critters in Africa but THIS year is the beginning of their archery lives and they very pumped. Good w rifles and shotguns. I’ve had my big guy shooting for two years now to be sure he’s ready. And he sure is!
Get out there gang, whether u see 1 or 100 deer. It’s all good!
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Around our cabin in NW New Mexico the deer seem to have survived the droght in good shape albeit a little thin. I’ve seen more mature four points than in recent years and fawns are common. Our trailcam shot video of a doe with triplets a couple of weeks ago – first time I’ve seen that. Sad news is I didn’t draw a deer tag.
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Fortunate to live in the “hay days” of Indiana hunting……….WE GOT DEER!!
12 tags in this county (total, 9 can be archery) and 8 more in counties around us.
Rarely do I drive the 9 miles home from work that I dont have to ease up on the gas seeing how many deer are following the one that just ran accross the road.
but….
If I dont kill much this year, I lied and we dont have ANY! 😆
God Bless
Steve Sr. -
My wife and I bought some property in Wisconsin this year, and while the deer sign on our place looks great, I have no way of knowing if the herd is up or down from recent years. Talking to other landowners in the area has yielded mixed opinions. Some of them think we’re overrun with deer; others say the herd is light. I suppose some properties are better than others. We have a lot of mature oaks, a spring-fed creek, and a good percentage of thick bedding cover. Other properties in the area are nothing more than open prairie and plantation pines.
Either way, I’m really enjoying putting the pieces together on a new proerty this year. It’s been too long since I’ve had to figure out a tract of hunting land from scratch, and I’m sure any tags I fill this season will feel all that much more rewarding.
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Wishing you and yours great luck with that, Sir.
One thing I didnt do when I could was pick up land so I could always hunt unharrassed.
Hindsight (and too many divorces)
Happy to see you capitalizing on such. Wisconsin is a good state that has had issues with the herd but even if in a down cycle the little varmints bounce back quick.
I’ve grouse hunted and fished areas of WI and it is indeed a great looking state for the most part.
Sounds like a dream project to me.
God Bless
Steve Sr. -
Winter was tough and the Wolves numerous, but we had to many Deer to begin with.
That being said Northern Alberta is looking pretty good this year. Grandad sees up to 20 Whitetails at a time in his fields feeding on timothy, and the in-laws have seen some high Muley numbers on their lands. -
Ed, In Bastrop yesterday so I know what ya’ll have.
Here in East Texas it is about as dry.
Sam Rayburn and T-Bend are both 8-10 feet low.
Lake Houston is so low they are draining Lake Conroe to bring up Lake Houston, as it is Houston’s drinking water source.
No water coming down the Trinity so the saltwater barrier is closed to prevent saltwater “going up river and contaminating city drinking water”. Quote marks are because don’t know any cities here around Houston taking water to process for drinking. Of course industry pulls water out for cooling, etc but the gov’t said the barrier is for drinking water and it is hard to believe they would lie!:roll:
Haven’t check acorns but pecans dropping off the trees are black and rotten.
Don’t look good for this season or next. Fawns won’t survive the winter w/o a decent fall fattening up. -
Here in central Michigan the out look is the best we have seen in years even with our liberal doe tags. The corn and apple crops are healthy as can be. We have apple trees that have not had apples for years, but this year they are all over. Then the white oaks in our area are dropping acorns like rain. We have seen numerous bucks in our front field and one buck was over 20 inches. Unlike our economy in this state the harvest forecast looks grrreat!
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anointedarcher —
It sounds like you are ” In Like Flynn ” habitat wise. Here in the SW that much chow would have all the critters dispersed { and tougher to find } –haha. However I imagine Michigan has a lot of WTs,and therefore a very promising outlook for the season.
Best of Luck —
Scout -
Here in west Michigan I’d say pretty good. We’ve had no issues with drought, the crops, wild or not, seem to have done well, so there’s plenty of food out there. Acorns don’t look anywhere near as heavy as last year, but that’s normal. Overall, I’d say looks about the same as recent years. I usually don’t have much problem at least seeing deer, and I’m stuck on State Land here around home. Heading to the U.P. in late October too, so the best time of the year is here!
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Lots of deer here with a limit of 10 and even though is has been a little warm for my tastes there are two already in the freezer. Season in my county will last until Jan 31st so there is plenty of hunting yet to do.
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Right around my place, I’m seeing a few here and there. I got some new property to hunt this year and saw about 15 in the four hours I was in the stand. A close encounter, but no shot. Busted.
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Generally speaking in the Southwestern part of the province, numbers have been dropping for this year and last. The exception would be urban deer that are considered a nuisance. the community where I live, has a special January liscense because of this problem. The liscense is free for residents and is muzzle or shotgun.
Bruce -
I have a modest ranchito in Hallettville down in the Coastal Plains. Very dry, very few fawns. The land is hurting, although the deer are faring quite well. Thankfully, the recent showers we have received appear to be paying dividends. pray for a wet spring!
Good luck to all.
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