Deer season closes with strong year
The 2025-2026 general deer season officially closed Sunday, January 4, and local game warden Jake Mort says Shackelford County hunters wrapped up an above-average year in both numbers and quality.
“Across the board, I think it was an above-average season,” Mort said. “The quality of whitetails that were taken across the county were up. Not like we saw three or four years ago, but still much better than average.”
While drought conditions were a concern entering the fall, timely summer rains helped offset those worries. Mort said natural forage made a noticeable difference in herd health.
“Nothing will replace what Mother Nature is going to provide you,” he said. “We had a very timely summer with vegetation, and I think that contributed to the success we had as far as growth and health across the board.”
That improvement was reflected in fewer calls about sick or stressed deer.
“I did not get nearly as many calls as what I usually do about deer that look sick or something’s wrong with them,” Mort said. “I think our herd is exceptional right now.”
Warm weather kept bucks moving at night
One challenge hunters faced was the extended stretch of warm weather, which kept many mature bucks nocturnal longer than usual.
“I thought the majority of the mature bucks stayed nocturnal a lot longer than what they usually would,” Mort said. “The mild winter we’ve had played a role. It wasn’t until we got a little cold snap that some guys finally killed the deer they’d been chasing.”
Increase in violations tied
to out-of-state workers
Poaching was not widespread in the traditional sense, but Mort said he did see an uptick in violations, particularly from non-residents unfamiliar with Texas hunting laws.
“The biggest uptick I’ve seen is from the traffic coming in with the data centers, both down around Hamby and up in Haskell,” Mort said. “I’m seeing an increase in out-of-state people not knowing the laws, whether it’s shooting from the road or cutting the heads off deer.”
He added that many of these cases are being investigated and that Haskell County has experienced even more issues related to illegal activity.
Looking ahead to
2026-27 season
Mort believes the best may still be ahead for Shackelford County.
“I expect next season to be even better,” he said. “The summer rain is better for the fawns that hit the ground. When those deer start becoming mature in a few years, I think you’re going to see another really good stretch of antler growth. We’re riding the high right now.”
Shackelford County leads the state in
low-fence bucks
The county’s reputation for producing big deer continues to grow, particularly in low-fence hunting.
“It’s not even questionable that Shackelford County is number one in the entire state when it comes to low-fence whitetails,” Mort said. “Land prices are skyrocketing, and I’m getting nonstop calls from people wanting to lease. Everybody wants to be here because of what’s happened the last four or five years.”
Mort also praised the increasing cooperation among neighboring landowners on smaller tracts, saying it is helping elevate deer management across the county.
The 2025-2026 general season ran from November 1 through January 4.
