Whitetail Deer

WHITETAILS

 Unless you started reading this forecast in the middle, you have heard as much as you will ever care to about “drought,” “no forb production,” “no fawning or nesting cover,” “no rainfall since September,” “below-average antlers” and so on.  It’s a grim forecast if you look just at range and habitat conditions. But there’s more to a deer season forecast than the habitat and game conditions.

Biologists refer to antler development as a three-legged stool: one leg is genetics, one is nutrition and one is age.  Genetics is beyond the scope of this forecast, and probably the hardest to delineate across a landscape, anyway.  Nutrition gets more ink from year to year because changes in rainfall are so visible, as they certainly are this year. It’s a given; wildlife is stressed.

But often overlooked by the nearsighted is the age factor — the third leg of the stool.  With quail, everyone looks to the current year’s hatch to determine hunting prospects.  Not so with deer.  A whitetail’s body is considered mature at 4½ years, although antlers grow until about age 7½.  Conditions at birth also factor in.  David Veale points out that the 2007 South Texas fawn crop was an excellent one, and got off to a healthy start in life.  Out of a large class, more will survive.  Those that did are 4½ this year.  Look back at last season, too.  Because of excellent range conditions, deer didn’t have to move around to find food, and the harvest was lower than usual.  More carryover.  Terry Turney compiled the Hill Country reports and quotes Derrick Wolter saying, “A lot of deer did not get shot, and there should be some nice, older bucks in the mix.”

In the Trans-Pecos, Jason Wagner speaks of hunters reporting seeing many 4½- to 5½-year-old bucks last season.  Mike Miller reports for North Texas and quotes James Edwards as saying of last season:  “Fewer young bucks are being reported in the harvest.  Landowners have seen better quality deer over the entire area.”  Management is helping.  David Sierra reports that in the post oak region of East Texas, antler restrictions are bringing more older bucks into the harvest.  The younger bucks that were allowed to walk last year are a year older now.

There can be no disputing that body conditions and antlers will be below average this year, as Charlie Newberry in Henrietta and Ralph Suarez in Ballinger and practically every wildlife biologist contributing to this report mention.  It’s statewide.  Current range conditions, though, when coupled with low harvests of a large age class, indicate that there could be a lot of bucks in the 4½-year age class and older out there looking for food this season.  And where will they look?  Oh, to own a feed store!

As the state struggles with the worst one-year drought in its history, entire ecosystems, from the smallest insects to the largest predators, are struggling for survival. The foundations of their habitats – rivers, springs, creeks, streams and lakes – have turned into dry sand, wet mud, trickling springs or, in the best case, large puddles.

“It has a compound effect on a multitude of species and organisms and habitat types because of the way that it’s chained and linked together,” said Jeff Bonner, a wildlife biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Since January, Texas has only gotten about 6 inches of rain, compared to a norm of about 13 inches, making it the most severe one-year drought on record. Last week, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center said the La Nina weather pattern blamed for the lack of rain might be back soon, and if that happens, the dry spell would almost certainly extend into 2012.

The extreme dry conditions, which have extended into parts of the Plains including Oklahoma and Kansas, have been made worse by week after week of triple-digit temperatures that have caused reservoirs to evaporate, crops to wither and animals and fish to die.

Already, some rivers and lakes are at lows not seen since the 1950s – the decade when Texas suffered its worst drought in recorded history. And in some cases, bodies of water are at their lowest points ever, said Joseph Capesius, chief of the Austin field unit for the U.S. Geological Survey.

Of the state’s 3,700 streams, 15 major rivers and more than 200 reservoirs at least seven reservoirs are effectively empty and more than half of the streams and rivers are at below normal flow rates.

The drought will most immediately cause fish to die and such kills have already happened in parts of the state, including not far from the Canadian River, a normally flowing river in the Panhandle that in some places is barely a puddle fed by a drought-taxed spring. In West Texas, O.C. Fisher Lake has been so depleted that fish have died from a lack of oxygen and bacteria has turned the remaining water red.

Without water, animals struggle with thirst. Few plants grow.

Without plants, there are fewer insects. No insects result in low seed production. The animals that rely on seeds and plants for nutrition – from birds to deer and antelope – have low reproduction. Predators that rely on those animals as a food source remain hungry as well, and they reproduce less.

“So there’s a domino effect that goes out in however many more branches than you can actually ever keep count of,” Bonner said.

The long-term impact from the drought will cross state lines and country borders because Texas is so large and its ecosystems diverse.

For example, birds that migrate south in the winter will find little food and water this year in Texas so they will have to fly even farther south and expend more energy. As a result, they could reproduce less. Some of those birds, such as the colorful painted bunting, often fly to Central America for part of the year where there has been a lot of rain and more insects than usual. But because of the drought in Texas and the Plains, there may not be enough birds to consume the insects, Bonner said.

“Now, what happens?” Bonner said. “Continentally speaking, this big of an area not getting enough water can impact places far and wide.”

The impact on species also could last for years after the drought officially ends. For example, quail normally nest in grass grown a year earlier, but because of the drought, there has been almost no grass growth this year. That means many quail won’t be able to nest next year and the impact of the drought on the birds won’t be seen until 2012, Bonner said.

With deer, the true impact may not be revealed for six years when the low reproduction rates caused by the drought will leave an age gap between older bucks and younger deer.

Prairie chickens will also reproduce less due to the drought – something that could spell more trouble for the species. In the past decade, the chickens’ numbers have dropped so significantly that the federal government may place them on an endangered species list, a move that would make it illegal to hunt and force conservation of prairie chicken habitats.

John Baccus, a wildlife biologist at Texas State University in San Marcos, said he is most immediately concerned with bats and song birds, both of which rely on insects for food. Baccus believes that some females will not have any offspring this year due to a poor diet. Whatever babies are born will likely have a low survival rate because they are entering a world with a scarce food supply.

Already, Baccus said, he has noticed white-tailed deer looking skinnier than usual, their ribs jutting out. As a result, the mothers are producing less milk and the newest crop of fawns will be weaned at sub-par weight.

“It’s an ecosystem-wide problem,” Baccus said.

Location of the deer and not the ownership of the animals, however, generates the revenue. In Texas, all indigenous wild animals, such as white-tailed deer, belong to the state. As such, the state regulates the taking of game through hunting laws.

Although the state regulates when, how, and the number of deer that may be taken, the state cannot authorize trespassing on privately owned land. Independent permission from the landowners must be secured. Granting the right to enter and hunt generates the income.

Historically, permission to hunt was granted for the asking. Recently, however, Texas landowners began exacting a price for this privilege in the form of an agreement commonly referred to as a hunting lease. Depending upon the size of the lease tract, the abundance of game and the amenities available to the hunter, prices may range from a few dollars per day to thousands of dollars per season. The lease may last a few hours, a few days, several weeks, the duration of the hunting season, or throughout the year.

The so-called Texas hunting lease is not, in fact, a lease but rather a license. Technically, a lease is a contract that conveys exclusive possession or control of land to another for a specified period. A license, on the other hand, grants permission to do something that otherwise would not be allowed or would be illegal. Because the typical Texas hunting lease does not grant the hunter exclusive possession or control of the land, it is better characterized as a license. However, in this publication, the common term lease is used.

The hunting lease takes numerous forms. It may be granted orally on the payment of a specified amount of money. Or, it may be given by way of an elaborate written document covering all aspects of the hunt, including how the landowner’s property may be used.

Whether the lease is oral or written, the landowner and hunter should concur on key issues before consenting to the agreement. By doing so, each party knows what to expect and thereby avoids possible misunderstandings. The terms of the agreement may affect the lease price.

How to acquire a Texas hunting lease:

Step 1:  Gather your hunting party together and determine the group’s goals and desires.  A few things to consider…

What type of game is desired?

What quality of game is desired?

Is quality more important than quantity, or visa versa?

Are there any bow hunters in your group?

How much are you willing to pay?

Do you need shelter, or will you be bringing an RV?

If the latter, do you need water and electricity?

Step 2:  Decide on the duration of the Lease Term.

Is a season lease acceptable, or does your group want year-round (annual) access?  If you lease a property for the deer season, you may not be allowed to participate in hunts for Spring turkey, dove in September, etc…  An annual lease generally provides access to hunt all game throughout the year.

Step 3:  Decide on a general location. 

Even though your hunting party resides in Dallas, and you would like to keep the drive as short as possible, you won’t find many good hunting leases in Dallas County.  Be realistic.  Research.  Purchase a hunting magazine specific to Texas and read what’s being said about the different regions.  Call the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in Austin, or call me at DeerTexas.com.  I am always glad to help you.

Step 4:  Gather your hunting party’s money together.

It does not do any good to search for a hunting lease if everyone in your hunting party is not prepared to pay when a suitable lease is found.  Do not proceed until all money has been gathered, or at least promised.  Be prepared to pay immediately once a good lease is found.  If you hesitate, you may lose the opportunity.

Step 5:  Search for a lease.

There are several ways to do this.  Word of mouth is still a great method.  However, when you are lacking good personal referrals, you may use more common methods such as scouring the classified ads in the major newspapers, calling the Chamber of Commerce in the county you are seeking a lease in, etc…  Better yet, you may use an online hunting lease service such as DeerTexas.com. 

DeerTexas.com was created several years ago because of the dead-end leads I often found in the newspapers and Chamber of Commerce listings, and the frustration that went along with it.  DeerTexas.com provides all its members an equal opportunity to find a good lease in a very user-friendly format.

Step 6:  Set-up an appointment to see the property in person.

Regardless of the method you use to find a lease, set an appointment to look at the property in person.  Make the appointment at your earliest convenience, and try to get everyone in your party to visit at the same time.

Step 7:  Scout.

There is no substitute for thorough scouting.  Actual game sightings are always good, but tracks, droppings, rubs, scrapes, rooting areas and roosting areas are all good keys.  Try to arrange your scouting trip to coincide with game movements, early and late.

Step 8:  Talk with the landowner.

If you have done your scouting and you like the property, now is the time to talk with the landowner.  Before you enter an agreement, find out what the rules are.

1)      What game is allowed?

2)      What sex (of game) is allowed?

3)      What weapons are allowed?

4)      Can you bring guests?

5)      Can you bring children or grandchildren?

6)      Are ATV’s allowed, and if so, where?

7)      What is the lease price and payment schedule?

8)      If electricity and water are available, is there an extra charge for it?

9)      Whose responsibility is it to maintain roads, senderos, wells, etc…

10)   Are food plots allowed?

11)   Are there any stipulations to the placement and location of blinds and feeders?

12)   Why did the previous hunters leave?

13)   Can you contact them?

Step 9:  Enter an agreement.

If everything you have learned about the prospective property is good to this point, it is time to enter an agreement with the landowner.  Some landowners will provide the hunters with a written contract complete with all the rules and expectations.  In that case, it is up to the hunter to READ the contract and discuss any objections with the landowner.  Sometimes contracts are negotiable.  Sometimes they are not.  If you, or any hunters in your party, come across something that needs further clarification or revision, talk with the landowner about it.  Often times the landowner is willing to bend a little.  If not, it is better to know up front rather than down the road.

You may draw up a contract yourself and then present it to the landowner.  However, understand that many Texas landowners still believe that a handshake and a word is as good as any written contract.  Simply do what you feel is right in this regard.

Step 10:  Enjoy your new hunting lease.

Good hunting!

The first requirement, naturally, is a good population of game animals, whether they are big game such as deer or elk, upland game birds, waterfowl or a combination. Creating, maintaining or improving habitat for the selected game species can entail extra labor and expense, and managing land for wildlife along with cattle can involve some tradeoffs. Allowing brushy habitat to grow, for example, might reduce grazing areas, forage production and carrying capacity for cattle. Large populations of deer or elk compete with cattle for forage, and happily eat winter supplies of hay. Income from the hunting enterprise needs to account for these costs.

Also, hunting regulations vary considerably from one state to the next in terms of length of seasons, bag limits and permitting requirements for hunters. These differences can influence the value of hunting leases and the types of private-land hunting enterprises that would appeal to hunters in that state.

Success of any business enterprise, including fee hunting, depends on business planning, marketing, accounting and legal considerations, and ranchers considering adding a hunting enterprise can benefit from education and expert advice. A good place to start could be at Texas A&M’s  King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management. KRIRM is offering a symposium this fall, October 27 and 28, titled “Practical Management of Hunting Enterprises on Working Ranches.” The symposium will cover business and wildlife management and feature speakers from ranches around the country sharing their experiences. For more information, visit the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management Web site, or call 361-593-5401.  For further questions, contact scott@deertexas.com or call 254-666-9239.

At-home gunsmith projects are great. Working on your own gun creates a deeper familiarity and connection with your firearm.  But if you make a mistake, the task can easily turn from a quick fix to an expensive project.

Ask any professional gunsmith, and he or she will tell you countless stories of customers sheepishly walking in with a disassembled gun-in-a-bag. These do-it-yourself projects gone bad end up costing a pretty penny. Most gunsmiths charge around $50 per hour for bench time. Lost springs or pins can be well over $5 a piece. And when the parts are all mixed together, it can end up taking a couple hours for a gunsmith to figure out what springs belong where, resulting in a higher bill.

We all make mistakes. But some mishaps are easy to avoid. Here’s how to get to know your gun better while also avoiding lots of embarrassment and a brown bag of gun parts:

Read the Manual
Do your homework. Start by reading your gun’s owner’s manual. If you don’t have one for the gun, many manufacturers have owner’s manuals available for free on their website.

There are also many great reference manuals available to aid in the disassembly and assembly process. For example, Brownell’s Gunsmith Kinks books are a collection of hints from professional gunsmiths and hobbyists alike. Gun Digest’s Step-by-Step books are top notch and the NRA offers several informative books such as “The NRA Gunsmithing Guides.”  Nearly every make and model of firearm can be found in these books.  Some are easier to read and understand than others, but many have pictures to help get the job done right, including hints and tips for difficult steps.

Stick to Simple Assignments
Don’t jump into a big project first. Start with a simple job, like fixing minor surface rust on a blued finish. This little task can make a huge difference in a gun’s appearance and function, and rust can often be cleaned up using steel wool and a healthy dose of gun oil, followed by a bit of cold bluing.

Other projects—like refreshing the paint on your sight, mounting a scope or a detailed gun cleaning—are great do-it-yourself projects. Instructions for detailed gun cleaning, including the disassembly of the component systems of your firearm, are often listed in your owner’s manual or reference books. Once you are familiar with this type of work, ease yourself into more complex tasks.

Get Some White Space
A clean work space is important when you are dealing with the small parts of a gun. Having to locate a small spring or pin in a dark, cluttered work space can be a real pain. So, the first think you have to do is clean and brighten your work bench by painting it white, laying down a clean painter’s drop clothe or taping down some white poster board. Also, only keep the tools and parts that you need for the immediate job in the area, and put everything else aside. You can use double-sided tape to secure small screws, pins and other parts to your workspace so they don’t disappear, and a rotating reading light puts light where it’s needed.

Be Overly Organized
Since, a missing part almost always means a trip to a professional gunsmith, you can never have enough containers to keep your parts from being lost. When disassembling, use one of those clear tackle boxes for parts.  By having a compartmentalized box, you can put your parts away in the order they came out, saving you the headaches of figuring out which part belongs where.  If you get stuck along the way, you can easily re-trace your steps.

When dealing with captive springs, you can also work inside a two gallon Ziploc bag—this way, if you lose control of a spring, it stays inside the bag, instead flying across the room.

Use True Tools and Tackle
You’ve heard it a hundred times—and now, you’ll hear it again: Having the right tool is essential.  Using the wrong size screwdriver can very easily damage screws and the finish on your gun if you slip. You should also have a couple of brass punches for visible areas, and a good hardened-steel punch set for really tight-fitting pins.

There are many good, affordable gunsmith screwdriver kits available on the market. Wheeler and Brownell’s tool sets are what the pros use, and they are a wise investment for the long run.  Many companies like Gunslick Pro and Weaver offer advanced gun-cleaning kits and maintenance stations with gun vices. Plus, they offer specialized kits like Weaver’s comprehensive Scope Mounting Kit to ensure you always have the right tools on hand for specific jobs.

Employ Perfect Parts
If you are replacing parts, always compare your new parts to what came out of the gun. Subtle changes in the manufacturing process can mean minor part variances. Check any springs or parts you replace to ensure they are similar in length and diameter.

Remember that if a new part does not fit properly, you should just reinstall the original.  A poorly fitted or wrong part can make your gun malfunction, which can also make it dangerous.  Most aftermarket parts come with directions, but if you get stuck, call the manufacturer and ask its Technical Service Department how to proceed.

Don’t Use Too Much Muscle
When working on your gun, don’t force it when taking something apart or putting it together.  Take your time and make sure your parts are lined up properly.  If you are frustrated, take a break. Many times, parts will easily come apart or fit back together when you are rested and relaxed.

For some complicated assemblies, you may need to use a “slave pin.”  Slave pins are special, cut-to-fit pins that allow you to assemble parts groups outside of the gun, then you insert the assembly and allow the original pins to drive the slave pins out of the gun.  And, if you are going to be doing quite a bit of work, consider buying an inexpensive Arbor Press for pushing in/out pins and other parts.

Often overlooked, a gunsmith’s torque driver is a valuable addition to your workbench.  With scopes running into the thousands of dollars, no one can afford to kink or dent an expensive scope.  Hitting your inch-pounds specifications is critical to properly mounting a scope.  A torque driver will also prevent you from stripping your mounting screws, which would need to be drilled out and replaced if damaged.

Pay a Pro—It’s OK
Know your limitations. Thorough cleaning, fixing loose parts, replacement of worn pins and mounting scopes are all fine do-it-yourself firearm projects, but some things are best left to the professionals—especially working with triggers or safeties, and hot-salt bluing. If you are interested in doing more advanced work, be sure to buy some advanced books or take a class. The NRA offers several classes with some of the best gunsmithing schools in the country.

Do-it-yourself gunsmithing projects are fun and can save you money. But if you are lost, confused or stuck, swallow your pride and bag it up. Sometimes having to get the job done right by a professional is completely unavoidable. Just laugh it off and let them do their job—that’s what they’re there for!

High winds fanned the flames of most wildfires making it difficult for firefighters.  Most deer and other large game can outflank wildfires on large properties, but many of those behind high fences on smaller parcels have been doomed as wildfires consumed the smaller enclosures. 

The fires come at a crucial time for turkeys.  Turkeys can avoid the fires pretty easily, but their nests and eggs will be fried.  There will be fewer young birds this season.  Scorched rangeland leaves little forage for deer at a time when the mothers need nourishment for fawns dropped in June.  Bucks also need the extra nutrition in late spring for strong antler development.  The prospects for trophy bucks will therefore be slim in many areas of the state.  There have also been reports of pronghorn being killed by the fires in the west Texas areas around Alpine and Marfa.

Prescribed burns and small accidental fires produce beneficial results to plants by removing weeds, providing sunlight-dependent vegetation with more sun and removing parasites, such as ticks, fleas and flies. Large wildfires, like the one that continues in Palo Pinto County, can have long-lasting negative impacts.  The wildfires around Possum Kingdom Lake reportedly have burned more than 150,000 acres and remain uncontained. Livestock as well as wildlife have been killed or displaced.

The loss of shelter to wildlife by a wildfire also is critical. Shelter not only provides places for animals to avoid predators but also helps conserve energy. When supplies are low, animals spend more time searching for food and water to maintain their body conditions. Thus, wildfires put animals in great stress.

Wildlife experts say it may take months or a few years for many burned-out areas to recover adequately to support wildlife. Plants and animals will recover, but there is little that can be done to speed the recovery.

Another advantage to the tower hunting blind, like the one pictured and that can be built with the EZ Deer Blind Kit found on this website, is the fact that it gets the hunter’s scent above the animal making him less detectable to his prey.  With 8’ treated 4”x4” posts for legs, the windows of the blind are at approximately 12’ high.  This helps blow the hunter’s scent over the heads of most game animals.

The advantages of a homemade box blind are many.  It’s cheaper than a prefabricated blind you buy already assembled.  You can easily customize it with shelves, carpet, etc…  You can choose the paint color scheme to camouflage it into its surroundings.  You can stay warm and hunt even on the coldest days by cranking up a small portable propane heater.  This allows you to hunt longer and the longer you’re there, the greater the chance of an encounter with game.

Other than those already mentioned, there are many other benefits to using one of our EZ Deer Blind Kits.  The cost of the completed blind is unbeatable when comparing other tower blinds of similar quality.  The powder-coated steel brackets have sleeves that allow you to easily slide lumber in.  Angled 4”x4” sleeves for the legs take all the guesswork out of how to attach your box blind to a tower.  Holes are pre-drilled for lag screws which makes for easy assembly.  The plans that come with the kit are easy to follow and no special tools are required.  Modifying the 4’x6’ plans to build a 4’x4’ or 4’x8’ is easy.  Click here to see examples of what other hunters have done with our kit. 

Probably one of the best and most unique features of this blind is that it is completely portable.  Build the box in your garage or driveway, paint it and let it dry, then disassemble it with just a few screws.  You’ll end up with a floor panel, a roof panel and 4 wall panels in addition to your 4 legs and ladder.  You can then stack all sections and parts into a regular short bed pickup, use ratchet straps to secure the load, then deliver right to your hunting site.  Reassembly onsite is a simple matter and you didn’t have to bounce your complete tower blind across the pasture on a flatbed trailer loosening everything up.  Be sure to anchor your blind securely to the ground.  Excessive wind will blow over an unsecured blind and your beautiful new blind will be destroyed.  You may purchase your anchor kit here.  Now, rather than a shaky, noisy blind that rattles every time you shift your weight, you’ve got a rock solid blind to hunt from.

 Please let us know if you have any questions, and good hunting!

Scott Thrash

Texas is a unique state in that 98% of the huntable land is privately owned.  If you hunt in Texas, you typically lease trespass rights from a private landowner since free public hunting land is scarce and often overcrowded with poor hunting available.  That’s what makes DeerTexas.com successful.

Since going live with DeerTexas.com in 1998, there have been several copycat websites spring up.  I’ve had to do everything from settle out of court with some of the business owners, to shutting websites down completely for blatant copyright infringement.  Despite these facts, I vow to continue to protect the integrity of every aspect of DeerTexas.com.

I’ve learned a few things about Texas hunting leases, hunters and landowners since 1998.  One thing is that hunters often begin looking for their new leases right after deer season ends.  Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of new leases available at this time of year because hunters haven’t told the landowners they’re currently leasing from that they intend to move.  Although there are new lease ads that become available year-round, it seems that more are available after Spring Turkey season and the numbers continue to grow through October and on into November.  Some landowners don’t advertise until just before deer season.  Inevitably, some are more willing to negotiate price at this time as well.  Further, there is less competition for the leases that do come available later in the year as most hunters have settled on something.  Contrary to popular belief, May – October provides hunters with the best opportunities of the year for finding a new lease.

 Here are some tips for finding a good Texas hunting lease:

• Anytime you need a lease is the best time to be looking.  You never know when your lease is going to become available.
• Make sure everyone in your hunting party agrees on what is required.  It doesn’t do anyone any good to look at a lease that is void of wild turkeys if there is a dedicated turkey hunter in your group.
• Gather at least 50% of the total lease price from all hunters in your party so that when a good lease is found, you have a substantial down payment to offer the landowner.
• Be realistic in your expectations and discuss it with the members of your group.  Your search for a trophy lease in the Brush Country of South Texas is sabotaged if one of your hunters is only willing to pay $800/gun.
• Login to DeerTexas.com daily and search the ads in the “Last 30 Days” section to see the most recent ads.  When you find one you’re interested in, call the landowner rather than emailing.  A phone call is quicker.
• Finally, appoint a decision maker.  This is a member of your hunting party whose time is flexible enough to go scout a property on a moment’s notice.  There are many hunters looking for leases and a finite number of leases are available.  The early bird often gets the worm.

Once you’ve secured your new lease, make sure everyone follows all the rules including the Texas game laws.  There’s no quicker way to get booted off a lease than to break the landowner’s rules or the law.  Be sure to ask the landowner what his rules are before you lease the place.  There’s no sense in getting on a lease that the landowner doesn’t allow ATV’s if using one is important to you.  If you must go off road, always drive the edges of the pasture rather than through the middle of it, and leave all gates just as you found them.

If you’re reasonable in your expectations and follow this simple advice, I’m confident you’ll find a hunting lease by using DeerTexas.com.  I can’t promise you’ll find a lease by using our service because I can’t control your actions, but I’m so confident that you’ll be satisfied with the service offered that I offer a 100% money-back guarantee.

 I wish you the best this season and always and… good hunting to you!

Scott Thrash
DeerTexas.com, Inc.

Javelina travel in small herds or “family groups” and seem to have a somewhat limited home range. In the winter, they are generally active in the early morning and late afternoon. Javelina are largely nocturnal during the hotter times of the year. They feed primarily on cacti (particularly prickly pear), mesquite beans, mast, fruits, and insects.  They also love deer corn and can be found around deer feeders all over South Texas.

Javelina have long held an undeserved reputation for ferocity. With their poor eyesight, they will often remain around humans longer than other wildlife when startled.  When cornered, they can defend themselves very effectively with sharp canine teeth or “tusks”. Many dogs have been crippled or killed when trying to attack javelina, yet aggressive encounters with humans are rare.  Charging javelina are often mistaken as attacks when in fact, the nearsighted animals are merely trying to escape.  When it’s in the direction of
a hunter, rumors of attacks aren’t uncommon as the javelina pops his jaw loudly and ferociously in an attempt to warn away potential predators.  They often sleep in caves, and cave like areas throughout the daytime.

In Texas, the javelina is classified as a game animal and may be legally harvested with a hunting license, during hunting season, in counties which have a season. The typical bag limit is two animals per year.

Feral hogs often share the same habitat as the javelina, so it’s not unusual to find a combination hunt for both.  Join DeerTexas.com to find Texas hunting leases for javelina.  We have deer leases available with javelina included and special day and package hunts for them as well.  Also, watch our group hunts on the forum for exciting opportunities at javelina and various other game and fowl.

1)      they are the second most plentiful big game animal in Texas

2)      they have a year-round open season

3)      they’re good eating

Spring is a great time to hunt these invaders when vegetation is more sparse. Landowners also appreciate successful hunts before these prolific animals produce their large spring litters. Texas is home to half the feral hogs in the United States … good news for hunters, bad news for everyone else.

Bowhunters should take a special look at the opportunity offered by Texas’ four-legged tough-hided targets. Although they have a keen sense of hearing and smell, the bowhunter can often stalk a single pig from downwind and get a shot.  Unfortunately for the stalking bowhunter, feral hogs are often found in groups called “sounders” making stalking a difficult proposition.  With so many eyes, ears and noses making it tough for a stalk, hogs are often hunted near deer feeders at existing deer stand locations.  Also, since hogs are primarily nocturnal, lights are often used to aid the hunter in hunting them at night.  

Hog hunting is a valuable contribution to conservation. These destructive foragers ruin agricultural lands and native habitat and degrade riparian areas (the interface between land and a river or stream) far faster than nature and dedicated land owners can restore them.

Check DeerTexas.com for various hunting leases in Texas teaming with feral hogs.  With proper handling, they serve a very useful purpose filling a plate.  Look here for a great recipe.