Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reports white-tailed deer hunters in 41 counties in the Blackland Prairies and Post Oak Savannah ecoregions will have expanded opportunities to take antlerless deer during the 2019-20 season. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission approved the changes in late March.
According to TPWD, the decision to liberalize harvest restrictions on antlerless deer comes after several years of whitetail population growth within these ecoregions, combined with a relatively conservative doe harvest. TPWD wildlife biologists recommended the expanded opportunity to reduce the deer herd impacts to the habitat, help balance buck-to-doe sex ratios, and relieve buck harvest pressure.
In 21 counties in South Central Texas, hunters may harvest antlerless deer from Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28, through Sunday, Dec. 1. Counties include: Austin, Bastrop, Caldwell, Colorado, Dewitt, Fayette, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Karnes, Lavaca, Lee, Waller, Washington, and Wilson.
In addition to these counties, Goliad, Jackson, Victoria, and Wharton counties north of U.S. Highway 59 and Comal, Hays, and Travis east of IH-35. The bag limit on antlerless deer in these counties is two, and all doe harvests during archery, muzzleloader, youth-only seasons, and the 4-day doe season must be reported within 24 hours through the TPWD website or the My Hunt Harvest mobile app. The four doe days are not for properties enrolled in the Managed Lands Deer Permit (MLDP) program.
TPWD is also expanding doe days in 20 other counties from four to 16 days beginning with the start of the general hunting season on Nov. 2. Those counties include: Bell (east of IH-35), Burleson, Delta, Ellis, Falls, Fannin, Franklin, Freestone, Hopkins, Hunt, Kaufman, Limestone, Milam, Navarro, Rains, Smith, Titus, Van Zandt, Williamson (east of IH-35), and Wood.
See the original post here https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20190402a
Photo provided by: Bryan Tucker Photography
