Need advice on changing my lease to MLDP

[AntlerCollector]

I have a lease that I'm considering applying to make it part of the Managed Lands Deer Program. A quick look on the website shows two options.

1. Harvest Option (HO)
The Harvest Option is an automated, 'do-it-yourself' option for MLDP participation that provides landowners with a deer harvest recommendation, tag issuance, and general guidance about wildlife and wildlife habitat management. Participation in the Harvest Option does not require habitat management practices, deer population data, or the participant to receive technical assistance from a TPWD wildlife biologist.

2. Conservation Option (CO)
The Conservation Option offers program participants the opportunity to work with a TPWD biologist to receive customized, ranch-specific habitat and deer harvest recommendations and MLDP tag issuance for white-tailed deer and/or mule deer. This option does require the reporting of certain types of deer data as well as completion of specific habitat management practices each year in order to participate and remain in the program.

Can anyone who is enrolled in these programs, or knows about them, please educate me to the pros and cons of doing this?

[AntlerCollector]

My lease is 4,000 acres in the Piney Woods of Hardin and Polk Counties.

[hogslayer78]

I used to do lamps for the doe tags and we would get 8 doe tags for 563 acres. When they did away with lamps last year I tried for the harvest option and they were going to only issue 3 doe tags and 1 buck for 563 acres. That wasn't going to work for me so we didn't do it. I liked the lamps because we have alot of doe's and it allowed us to shoot them the whole general season. This is in San Augustine county.

[Mike Murphey]

Fyi. The landowner applies for the permit

[hogslayer78]

Fyi. The landowner applies for the permit

If he is the leaseholder and pays the paper company he can apply. I lease from campbell myself and have done it.

[AntlerCollector]

If he is the leaseholder and pays the paper company he can apply. I lease from campbell myself and have done it.

I am the lease holder of the property

[Wits_End]

1. There is a doe and a buck option in the harvest management selection. You get tags depending on the size of your property If you choose doe only, you only get MLD doe tags and you will use your standard license buck tags. The doe only option allows you to shoot does anytime, any method, Oct-Feb. Therefore you buck will abide all normal county rules. If you choose buck option you get MLD buck tags and same rules as doe tags above, longer season, more methods to hunt. Get online, use their online draw tool, it estimates the tags you will get does and bucks. Some may think they should get more buck tags and will simply use standard license tags for bucks and only do the MLD harvest option for doe.

2. Conservation, you have to have a few game management practices and submit those to TPWD, such as: hog harvests, food plots, land clearing, etc, only certain things are approved. You also have to do several deer counts via spotlight or the trail camera method. The tag allowance is determined by your biologist, which relies heavily on deer/acre and buck/doe numbers. You have to be in somewhat agreement with the biologist.

If you prefer to manage the herd yourself, such as overall deer quantity and buck/doe ratio on your place, stick with standard license or harvest option. If you want more help, go with 2. If you feel your place holds way more deer than surrounding areas, you may not be happy with option 1. Depending on the deer quantities in your area you may be better off just sticking with normal license tags with limitation of methods and dates per general county regs.

Standard buck/doe ratio goal is 1:1. Deer/acre is really dependent on average around your area.

From my experience, this is not legal advice, be sure to read all rules.

[txwhitetail]

Typically lease holders are disappointed because they don’t get enough tags for number of hunters on the property.


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[famousunknown]

When we were on LAMPS we would have 14 to 15 tags each year, about 1 per 100 acres. We then opted for the Harvest Option for does only and get 10 tags. Still better for our group due to the extended doe season. So far it has worked out well.

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[Smart]

With the State Fair coming to the thriving metropolis of Votaw, Texas every year, it's gonna be hard to manage that place with the bright lights of the big ferris wheel and the Zipper twinkling every night....

[Snowflake Killa]

Lol

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[AntlerCollector]

With the State Fair coming to the thriving metropolis of Votaw, Texas every year, it's gonna be hard to manage that place with the bright lights of the big ferris wheel and the Zipper twinkling every night....

You hush

[AntlerCollector]

Great info Wits_End. Thanks.

Famousunknown, how many acres where you hunting when you received the 10 doe tags?

I didn't realize you have to pick either Buck or Doe on the harvest option.

[jaspermac]

If he is the leaseholder and pays the paper company he can apply. I lease from campbell myself and have done it.

Why would he be paying the paper mill? Just curious

[AntlerCollector]

Why would he be paying the paper mill? Just curious

I think he meant I pay the paper company for the lease rights to hunt the land.