Serious question

[tipps]

East Texas - kill when you have an opportunity.
Other locations in the state, it may be wise to wait for something decent.

I like to kill everything so it's nice when bonuses such as pigs come out.

[Mike Murphey]

Sorry but the state biologist are far from making any recommendations on the numbers of deer that needs to be harvested...if they did then central Texas would have the highest number of tags available since that is the area with the largest amount of deer per acre not South Texas....You can say what you want but money is the motivator with TPW....

[GR5]

Screw worms took out the deer, not hunters. Although when the deer started coming back my family and surrounding neighbors did as good as the worms. I can remember as a young boy driving the many miles of dirt roads with my dad or neighbors just looking for a deer track. When one was found the hounds were brought in and that deer was usually killed. There were pens full of walkers, red bones, and blue ticks. A deer didn't survive long. Auto shotgun with plug out and #1 buck. The most fun I've ever had in my life.

[jmm83164]

Thanks for all the input

I guess things really are differant in Texas. When I started hunting in Maryland as a small boy you bought your deer stamp on Labor day or you didnt one because if you didnt you might not get a deer tag .You got one for gun and one for bow. You applied for a doe stamp the first year I remember only 600 were issued state wide.This was in the early 70s. By the mid 80s there were huge herds of deer and its not uncommon to see herds of 50 or more traveling together.Its my understanding that its now that way in much of the east.
On my uncles 500 acre farm last year my family harvested 62 deer and still they as common as sparrows.On my 84 acre lease that I share with 10 other hunters I have seen a herd of about 30 does and its considered poor hunting.
A 200lb buck is about as good as it gets here in eastern Virginia.
I see TC picks of deer you guys call culls and laugh at Ive never seen a deer that good and Ive been hunting for 35 years
Thanks
Mike

[P.J.]

I see TC picks of deer you guys call culls and laugh at Ive never seen a deer that good and Ive been hunting for 35 years

Me either & I have lived & hunted in Texas my entire life.
Location, location , location (it's a big state)

[nsbowhunter]

I lived and hunted in Maryland but on my lease you could kill a good deer , even great but antler restrictions where in place and enforced.

[cosmiccowboy]

Here's a "born and raised" South Texas perspective from an old fart. Back in the 60's and even into the early 70's a 160/170 buck would make the FRONT PAGE of the sports section of the San Antonio Express News.

There is no question that herd management philosophies low fence and high fence have made a huge difference in overall herd quality. There is no question that screw worm eradication made a huge difference too.

There actually WAS a time in Texas history that deer were virtually eradicated from their natural range in many parts of Texas. That was during the depression in the thirties when they were hunted for meat year round. The King Ranch was instrumental in working with TPWL in providing deer to restock the depleted areas and to this day is the only company or institution in Texas that can trap/sell wild deer (which was the quid quo pro for furnishing the seed stock for restocking) without a permit. As far as I know they don't do it today but they have a legal right to do it.

[tarjake]

Well put !!!

i agree

[Beerdonga]

no ranch in texas including the king ranch can trap\sell deer without a permit

[Death from Above]

I hunt because God made me a hunter. Nothing to do with herd management or starving. I enjoy hunting.

[Nova]

The state issues tags with an idea about how many will actually be filled based on past years experiences. Another words they issue to many tags and know that not all of them will be filled.