Texas Deer Season

[murph62]

Anyone else think our Deer season needs to start about 2 weeks later and run 2 weeks later? Just seems our seasons are running longer.
You can kill a buck until Jan 15th in Oklahoma. Just seems like we don’t get the good late season hunts like we used too.����

[Javelin]

you can kill a buck till the end of February in texas But to answer your question no I feel our seasons are fine as they are. I dont really see what acorns have to do with deer season to be honest.

[glen]

Nope. By January every buck is broken up in most of the state. Maybe hunt the acorns like a lot of folks do. There are always preferred trees for the deer that the acorns are better to their liking. Back it up and some counties won’t even get to hunt in the rut

[trophy8]

MLD here. I’ll see em in late January

[Quackerbox]

The only reason Id like it so I wasnt sweating for 2 or 3 weeks.

Concur on acorns. Hunt those instead of guarding a feeder

[murph62]

Originally Posted by trophy8

MLD here. I’ll see em in late January

Lucky!!👍

[murph62]

Originally Posted by Javelin

you can kill a buck till the end of February in texas But to answer your question no I feel our seasons are fine as they are. I dont really see what acorns have to do with deer season to be honest.

We are not mld. It’s tough on my place it’s solid oak trees. Makes it pretty tough when you just bowhunt.

[PoppinPiggies]

I'd rather they push back duck season a couple weeks over deer. I like early season hunting for bucks because they seem more patternable still being in bachelor groups and hitting feeders. I might be sweating or having trouble getting them out in daylight but an early cool front can be money!

[PoppinPiggies]

Then again I also don't have to worry about acorns, we just got mesquites and a few hackberry's for the most part

[SmTx]

I'd rather they tack the dove split onto dove season and let us dove hunt during warm weather. The split is nice but during primo deer time.

[Landrover]

interesting discussion

[Big pig]

Nope. Shorter buck season on non MLD. Hunt does in late season if you want
Let the lucky buck survivors recover.
And remove the stupid spike tag from the license.

[murph62]

Originally Posted by Big pig

Nope. Shorter buck season on non MLD. Hunt does in late season if you want
Let the lucky buck survivors recover.
And remove the stupid spike tag from the license.

Good point! Especially on the spike extended season! I just miss those good late season cold hunts!

[Heartland Hunter]

I wish our rifle/ buck season was not as long as it is personally. I think the quality of bucks would really increase and Texas would starting seeing bigger older bucks.

[murph62]

Originally Posted by PoppinPiggies

I'd rather they push back duck season a couple weeks over deer. I like early season hunting for bucks because they seem more patternable still being in bachelor groups and hitting feeders. I might be sweating or having trouble getting them out in daylight but an early cool front can be money!

Your right! Maybe just let us hunt bucks thru mid January. I miss the good late season cold hunts.

[Daddy D]

Originally Posted by Heartland Hunter

I wish our rifle/ buck season was not as long as it is personally. I think the quality of bucks would really increase and Texas would starting seeing bigger older bucks.

I agree. Our season needs to be a little shorter to help some of these bucks reach maturity. In Oklahoma, gun season doesn't start till November 15. I think that would be a good idea for Texas too.

[tward1604]

Originally Posted by murph62

Anyone else think our Deer season needs to start about 2 weeks later and run 2 weeks later? Just seems our seasons are running longer.
You can kill a buck until Jan 15th in Oklahoma. Just seems like we don’t get the good late season hunts like we used too.����

I'd rather my area (Brazoria County) push forward in to September for two weeks so that I could have half a chance to hunt the rut.

As far as the rest of the state at the places I sometimes get to hunt no I think it is fine.

Hell in Nebraska their season is over but it starts in September and only have I think two weeks for rifle season. Comparing other states to ours for seasons isn't really apples to apples.

[Chance Love]

Originally Posted by murph62

Anyone else think our Deer season needs to start about 2 weeks later and run 2 weeks later? Just seems our seasons are running longer.
You can kill a buck until Jan 15th in Oklahoma. Just seems like we don’t get the good late season hunts like we used too.����

Push it back...nope. But I do wish it would start at least two weeks sooner, if not a month sooner.

[Muddy Bud]

Originally Posted by glen

Nope. By January every buck is broken up in most of the state. Maybe hunt the acorns like a lot of folks do. There are always preferred trees for the deer that the acorns are better to their liking. Back it up and some counties won’t even get to hunt in the rut

I agree.

[jshouse]

yes. i would gladly give up october to be able to hunt january.

[lovemylegacy]

I would like to see the state of Texas go straight archery season. 4 day gun season Thanksgiving weekend, start the bow season in Sept, end it in late Jan….yeah. Oh, and lets end this, cant kill a doe after Thanksgiving garbage. Take the spike tag off and replace it with a doe tag.

[Anvilheadtexas]

There is no ONE correct answer for the many different areas of Texas. Each area should be managed separately. In regards to deep east Tx where I own land and hunt… season is too long and too liberal. Gotta lay off does.

[Texas452]

Originally Posted by Anvilheadtexas

There is no ONE correct answer for the many different areas of Texas. Each area should be managed separately. In regards to deep east Tx where I own land and hunt… season is too long and too liberal. Gotta lay off does.

I agree.
It seems my population is going down, with all the coyotes now along with doe shooting, we just don’t have a fawn crop.

[Hayek'sPupil]

Originally Posted by Anvilheadtexas

There is no ONE correct answer for the many different areas of Texas. Each area should be managed separately. In regards to deep east Tx where I own land and hunt… season is too long and too liberal. Gotta lay off does.

Agree with this, but it may just be too exhaustive or expensive to set seasons on a regional or county basis given the states limitations so they approach it with a more or less "one size fits all" kind of strategy. The MLD programs are great IMO because individual ranchers can determine their management needs.

[Anvilheadtexas]

Originally Posted by Texas452

I agree.
It seems my population is going down, with all the coyotes now along with doe shooting, we just don’t have a fawn crop.

No one wants to admit it, everyone just wants to shrug their shoulders and point to the acorn crop, or the moon or the mild temps. Sure, these things do matter in Deep East Tx, but the greater issue in some areas of Deep East Tx is a very liberal open season on does that has gone on now for 15 years. It’s catching up to us. Fewer deer means fewer sightings and in years like this where acorns are abundant, guys are going to struggle to see deer… and many guys have struggled this year.

[flywise]

I just wish it was mandatory that every man who wanted to deer hunt had guaranteed 7 day slot where his work or wife could not interfere with his hunt.
I have a lease and deer stand in the back yard and still only hunted 1 full day

[Anvilheadtexas]

Originally Posted by Hayek'sPupil

Agree with this, but it may just be too exhaustive or expensive to set seasons on a regional or county basis given the states limitations so they approach it with a more or less "one size fits all" kind of strategy. The MLD programs are great IMO because individual ranchers can determine their management needs.

Yup no doubt. Maybe we should expect more from tp&whitetail? I wasn’t thinking this was a real solution, I just wanted to say that there are many many different rights and wrongs on the subject depending on what part of this huge state that you hunt in.

[Snowflake Killa]

We're mld but we cut it off mid January enough is enough. Then it's crappie time

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[DUKFVR]

Originally Posted by Javelin

you can kill a buck till the end of February in texas But to answer your question no I feel our seasons are fine as they are. I dont really see what acorns have to do with deer season to be honest.

This or according to some landowners way too long!!

[Texas452]

Originally Posted by Anvilheadtexas

No one wants to admit it, everyone just wants to shrug their shoulders and point to the acorn crop, or the moon or the mild temps. Sure, these things do matter in Deep East Tx, but the greater issue in some areas of Deep East Tx is a very liberal open season on does that has gone on now for 15 years. It’s catching up to us. Fewer deer means fewer sightings and in years like this where acorns are abundant, guys are going to struggle to see deer… and many guys have struggled this year.

Plus, my ranch has a lot of browse, it can handle a good population of deer.
We feed year round also.

[Greenheadless]

I wish it opened a month sooner, not later. Ie, open Sept. 1.

We have a small rut session mid late Sept. and full blown one in middle Oct.

By mid Feb, most, if not all out bucks have dropped their horns.

I guess it all depends on where in the state you are where your preference is.

[jshouse]

i would really like to see them switch "muzzleloader season" to "primitive weapons" season and include archery.

and add it to the end of the archery only counties

[Leemo]

No
My liver needs a rest by the time season is over

[jt400]

Rifle season yes. archery no. That 1st 2 weeks is the best in my opinion.

[Mayhem]

I had rather trans pecos mule deer season be moved a couple weeks later.


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[cehorn]

I would settle for the same deer season across the state which means north of 90 gets the same season as south of 90. I know I have argued with others on here about it and TPWD had it on the table but caved to the quail hunters. I still feel the same way even though I don't hunt on the border of 2 less weeks any more. It always seemed stupid to me that somebody on the other side of the road could hunt for 2 more weeks because...they were on the other side of the road....

[hogslayer78]

Originally Posted by lovemylegacy

I would like to see the state of Texas go straight archery season. 4 day gun season Thanksgiving weekend, start the bow season in Sept, end it in late Jan….yeah. Oh, and lets end this, cant kill a doe after Thanksgiving garbage. Take the spike tag off and replace it with a doe tag.

Our doe killing stops the weekend before Thanksgiving.

[bowhunterhelm]

Mid September to Mid January should be good. Get it done.

[DedDuk]

Nah, In our area, bucks are dropping horns towards the end of December, beginning of January.

[kyle1974]

It would be cool if the “special youth season”. Wasn’t exactly at the same time as “anyone can kill anything they want season” in southern zone.

BUT, it’s Texas parks wildlife and since they’re the laziest government agency in existence, we will have to settle for a documented special season that’s really not special at all.

But thanks guys for letting us shoot spikes and does for two more weeks.

[Passthrough]

I just wish the NTX guys could hunt the first 2 weeks of January…like the STX guys get!

[James]

If you can’t kill a buck in 3 months, he deserves to get a year older, and year bigger IMO. We have one of the longest seasons out there, lots of states only use a Rifle for a week or two.

[Pineywoodkiller]

I wish the rifle season was cut short or pushed back a couple weeks and allow bow hunting during muzzle loader season. Either way. Shave off time with a boom stick and gain time with a bow


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[walker1983]

I am more for a statewide rule that you cant shoot a buck until he's 4yo!

[dbpredator]

I just wish you could kill does in late season

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[HeyMikey]

Originally Posted by walker1983

I am more for a statewide rule that you cant shoot a buck until he's 4yo!

There's nothing stopping from using that rule on the property you hunt, if you are in control of it.
Just don't expect your wishes to be universally accepted by your neighbors, or anyone else, for that matter

[rolylane6]

Originally Posted by dbpredator

I just wish you could kill does in late season

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So no one can shoot a deer if they don't have 4 yrs of photo evidence to prove age? Because there is no other guaranteed way to prove age. Anything else would leave it open to opinion.

Edit: somehow I quoted the wrong person
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[rut-ro]

Originally Posted by Daddy D

I agree. Our season needs to be a little shorter to help some of these bucks reach maturity. In Oklahoma, gun season doesn't start till November 15. I think that would be a good idea for Texas too.

Look at the states where rifle season does not exist or only a week. They put up some great deer every year. With that said the Deer population in Texas is probably ore dense than those places and natural forage would deplete. Texas probably take close to a million deer a year.

[muzzlebrake]

Is there even a closed season in East Texas?

[Quackerbox]

Originally Posted by Pineywoodkiller

I wish the rifle season was cut short or pushed back a couple weeks and allow bow hunting during muzzle loader season. Either way. Shave off time with a boom stick and gain time with a bow


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Heck ya

Originally Posted by walker1983

I am more for a statewide rule that you cant shoot a buck until he's 4yo!

Folks have enough issues figuring scores and width.