Published: October 12, 2009 08:57 am      

Southeast Texas counties hit with new deer rules

As fall approaches in Southeast Texas, many sportsmen’s thoughts focus on the coming deer season.

In several counties. there is a significant change in the hunting regulations this year, most notably what has become known as the “antler restriction rule.”

New East Texas counties under the antler restriction rule this fall include: Angelina, Chambers, Hardin, Harris, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler and Walker.

Although this regulation has been implemented in an increasing number of Texas counties for almost a decade, there is typically some initial confusion and concern in counties when it is introduced.

Technically, the regulation is fairly straightforward; a legal buck is defined as one with at least one unbranched antler (a spike buck) or one with an inside antler spread of at least 13 inches, regardless of total number of points.

In counties with a two-buck season bag limit, which includes most east Texas counties, only one deer of the county bag limit may be a non-spike buck.

Two spike bucks may be legally taken. Pretty simple. Most of the questions I get are not related to the definition, but to the rationale for this change.

One concern is that Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is mandating harvest management for “big bucks” by the general hunting public.

The purpose of this regulation is to improve the age structure of the male component of the deer population, which in turn improves the biological function of the overall population.

Historically, deer taken in Texas are mainly males, and moderate to heavy hunting pressure has resulted in buck populations heavily skewed toward younger deer.

In the Pineywoods and Post Oak Savanna ecological regions of eastern Texas, this has resulted in a deer harvest in which about 70 percent of bucks annually taken by hunters are less than 3 years old.

The result is populations wherein the buck component is comprised of mainly young age class animals — only about 10 percent are physically mature deer of 5 years or older. So why does this matter, if younger bucks can breed and maintain the population anyway?

Although both male and female whitetails can breed as early as their second year, there are strong social and biological implications for their population when the age structure is unbalanced, more so for the buck component.

Such an imbalance results in extended breeding and fawning seasons, which leads to reduced fawn production and survival.

In a population of normal age structure, breeding is accomplished primarily by older, dominant bucks in a well-defined social hierarchy. The setting of the 13-inch spread is a result of many years of data collection which has determined that most bucks in their fourth year and older will carry a rack with at least a 13-inch spread.

Therefore, this physical attribute serves as a surrogate for determination of age on the hoof. Conveniently for hunters, 13 inches also corresponds to the distance between a deer’s ears in a normal, alert position.

There are also concerns that this regulation will reduce hunters’ opportunity to legally take a buck. Typically, the harvest of fork-antlered bucks is somewhat reduced during the first year or two under this regulation while the younger age classes mature.

In these counties we have seen improved age structure in as little as two years after which the harvest level increases, and is comprised of a larger proportion of mature animals which are desired by hunters.

The opportunity to take spike bucks is not reduced by this regulation. In the southern Pineywoods, this strategy will protect about 73 percent of third year bucks, allowing them to mature and improve population demographics.

This regulation has been highly requested and supported by sportsman throughout TPWD’s annual regulatory process.

It is only one aspect of whitetail population management in Texas which must be adaptable to respond to increased human population growth, declining acreage of wildlife habitat, and increasing hunting pressure in order to maintain the biological integrity our wildlife while providing quality opportunities for sportsmen.



Dan Jones is a wildlife biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He can be reached at (936) 294-4937.