With a variety of large and small game seasons coming up around the state, reports from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service indicate a favorable hunting season for Central Texas sportsmen.
John Tomecek, Ph. D., a wildlife specialist, said despite a dry summer with record high temperatures that drained moisture from a lot of soil gained from a spring that produced 26.87 inches of rainfall from April through June, that most species still had an adequate amount of cover, food and water to support growth.
DEER
Due to these spring showers and good winter conditions, deer were showing good body conditions throughout the breeding season.
“I’ve not seen many reports of sickly animals or poor antler production,” Tomecek said on the Agri-Life website. “Trophy bucks should’ve been in excellent condition going into this dry stretch.”
Antler production is essential to a deer’s well-being since they help fight off predators and attract mates.
Season: North Zone: Nov. 2, 2019 - Jan. 5, 2020; South Zone: Nov. 2, 2019 - Jan. 19, 2020.
Special Late Season: North Zone: Jan. 6 - 19, 2020; South Zone: Jan. 20 - Feb. 2, 2020.
Youth-Only Seasons: Early Season: Oct. 26 - 27, 2019; Late Season: Jan. 6 - 19, 2020.
Muzzleloader-Only Season: Jan. 6 - 19, 2020.
QUAIL
As of press time, an accurate report on quail populations is months away but like the deer, all of the spring precipitation was likely beneficial to the area species.
However, since quail prefer to walk more than fly and hardly travel far from the nest, individual landowners are the most critical components when it comes to ensuring healthy quail populations. Landowners are recommended to grow native plants such as yaupon, big bluestem and Indian grass that provide cover for the birds.
Season: Statewide: Oct. 26, 2019 - Feb. 23, 2020
TURKEY
For turkeys, it’s been reported many of the Central Texas birds being younger than typically are by this time of the year, meaning that all of the rainfall made the breeding season occur later.
Fortunately, that weather means excellent nesting conditions and that it was perfect time for turkey to transition from being nurtured leaving the nest to find bugs to eat, which are much easier to locate during very dry seasons.
Tomecek said the upcoming fall and winter conditions will be vital to their development.
Fall Season: North Zone: Nov. 2, 2019 - Jan. 5, 2020; South Zone: Nov. 2, 2019 - Jan. 19, 2020.
Brooks, Kenedy, Kleberg and Willacy counties: Nov. 2, 2019 - Feb. 23, 2020.
Archery-Only: Sep. 28 - Nov. 1, 2019.
Fall Youth-Only: North Zone: Oct. 26 - 27, 2019 and Jan. 6 - 19, 2020; South Zone: Oct. 26 - 27, 2019 and Jan. 20 - Feb. 2, 2020.
Spring Season: North Zone: Apr. 4 - May 17, 2020; South Zone: Mar. 21 - May 3, 2020.
One-turkey counties: April 1 - April 30, 2020.
Spring Youth-Only: North Zone: Mar. 28 - 29, 2020 and May 23 - 24, 2020; South Zone: Mar. 14 - 15, 2020 and May 9 - 10, 2020.
WILD PIGS
In regards to wild hogs, the AgriLife website recommended that hunters and landowners should harvest as many wild pigs as possible. They’ve been known to cause damage to farmland and property all over Milam County but they also attract predators such as coyotes.
It is recommended to corral wild pigs with traps that enclose many of them at once since they can be violent.
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