Drought affects deer, turkey populations

By Sam Waller

Hunting seasons for white-tailed deer and Rio Grande turkey open Saturday, Nov. 5 and run through Jan. 1.

Game Warden Jacob Mort said the outlook for both seasons is down from a year ago.

One change in hunting regulations is the availability of a digital license that can be kept on smart phones.

“Hunters will have the option for a tag like always before and they’ll need to have that in their possession,” Mort said. “If not, they can select an electronic or digital copy only when they buy their license, and they’ll have their licenses on their phones.”

The main difference, Mort said, comes in how kills are reported.

“Once they kill, hunters will have to go online at My Texas Hunt Harvest,” he said. “There’s a special app, and hunters will have to fill out an electronic form. It gives them a unique confirmation number, which they can write on a piece of paper and attach to the deer.”

The app can be downloaded from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website.

Deer Outlook

Mort said the deer population is down in Shackelford County as drought conditions continue to affect the population.

“The dry summer really hurt us,” he said. “The fawn crop was not good.”

Mort said he wasn’t expecting a notably poor season, just less than in recent years.

“We’re in the state of Texas, so we have plenty of deer,” he said. “But compared to past years, the numbers are down, and the quality of deer is down.”

TPWD biologists are calling for a moderate season statewide.

The bag limit for deer is five, no more than three of which can be bucks.

Turkey Outlook

Mort said numbers are also down for turkey this fall.

“Turkey are kind of hit and miss on where they are in the county,” he said. “Typical turkeys run in the creeks and there’s some around there.”

The statewide forecast is for an average season.

Turkey hunters are required to have an Upland Game Bird Endorsement in addition to a Texas hunting license.

License Required

Hunting licenses are $25 for Texas residents with the endorsement costing an additional $7.

A combination license, which permits hunting and fishing anywhere in the state, can be purchased for $68. The cost includes all endorsements needed for  archery, migratory game bird, upland game bird, reptile and amphibian, and federal duck stamp.

Endorsements are not required for any hunter under 17 years of age.