AUSTIN – Expectations are high for the archery hunting season opening day thanks to recent rain events, mild temperatures and reported deer movement throughout the state. The archery-only season opens on Oct. 3 and runs through Nov. 6.
AUSTIN – Well distributed and timely precipitation across much of Texas in the spring, along with positive long-term growth among the state’s white-tailed deer population, has set the stage for a favorable 2020-21 hunting season. Spring rains allowed many regions of the state, including South Texas, Edwards Plateau and areas west to recover from last year’s very dry fall and winter, leading to an abundance of quality forbs and shrubs, both of which are critical for deer nutrition. These conditions have lent to a good start to antler growth and positive outlook for fawn recruitment numbers.
AUSTIN — Hunting regulations for the 2020-2021 season were approved by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission at its public meeting held online May 21. Hunters will see some hunting regulation changes this fall, including the implementation of automated processing of pronghorn and antlerless mule deer applications and permits, a decrease in the daily bag limit for scaup and a decrease in the daily bag limit for light goose during regular season.
May 11, 2020 (AUSTIN) — Amid ongoing public health concerns, the May meeting of the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) Commission scheduled for May 20-21 will be streamed virtually on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s website. Planned agenda items remain unaltered and public comment will still be accepted until May 20.
The latest numbers on Chronic Wasting Disease testing in Texas give some hope that efforts to contain the disease are working, according to state wildlife experts. The CWD testing year that ended in February produced just shy of 13,000 CWD samples statewide by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with the help of participating landowners and hunters. This number includes all samples collected in Texas CWD Zones and far exceeds the target of 7,039 samples.
AUSTIN – Amid growing public health concerns, the March meeting of the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) Commission previously scheduled for March 25-26 has been cancelled. All agenda items have been postponed until the May meeting.
AUSTIN – Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been discovered in a 5 ½-year-old white-tailed deer in a Kimble County deer breeding facility, marking the first positive detection of the disease in the county.
AUSTIN – Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in a free-ranging, 5 ½ year-old white-tailed doe between Del Rio and Amistad Reservoir, making it the first confirmed case of the disease in Val Verde County.
AUSTIN – Deer hunters hoping for a change in the weather may be in luck for opening weekend of general deer season as weather forecasters predict cooler temperatures across the state. With an estimated 5.3 million deer in the statewide white-tailed deer population, Texas hunters heading to the field this fall are sure to fill their freezers with this season’s bounty.
AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reminds hunters throughout the state to properly dispose of carcasses from harvested deer to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases in deer. This is particularly important for those taken inside the Trans-Pecos, South Central and Panhandle Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Containment and Surveillance Zones.