• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

To Honor and Protect the Ranching Way of Life

  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Why Join
    • Leadership
    • Staff
    • TSCRA Partners
    • FAQs
    • Newsroom
    • Sponsorships
    • Employment
  • What We Do
    • Theft and Law
    • Issues and Policy
    • Education
    • Young Cattle Raisers
    • The Cattleman Magazine
    • Disaster Relief Fund
    • Cattle Raisers Insurance
    • Cattle Raisers Trading Co
    • Students and Youth
  • Events
    • Cattle Raisers Convention
    • Summer Meeting
    • Policy Conference
    • Ranch Gatherings
    • Ranching 101
  • Join
  • Member Center
  • TSCRA Store
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Post-hunting season management can help deer herds

Dr. Billy Higginbotham, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist, Overton, places a new memory card in a digital trail camera used to monitor deer populations. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Adam Russell.

Source: AgriLife Today
The end of deer season marks the beginning of winter management for landowners who monitor deer populations and want to maximize their potential, says Dr. Billy Higginbotham, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist, Overton. The general Texas deer season closes Jan. 1 for hunters in the north zone, but there is still much to do in terms of managing deer herds throughout winter.
“January thru mid-March typically brings the hardest winter weather and ramps up the nutritional needs for white-tailed deer, Higginbotham said. “Native food supplies like acorns and forbs become scarce, and deer can experience nutritional stress during this time period.”
Bucks are still trying to recover from the rut. Fawns need access to good food sources to gain weight and survive and does bred in the fall will have increased nutritional needs as well. Higginbotham said landowners with deer feeders on their properties should keep them running to provide supplemental feeding after deer season closes up to April 1 or until  deer use stops.
“Corn is a good supplemental energy source for the deer leading up to spring green-up,” he said. “Despite a heavy acorn crop, those food sources will eventually be gone and the availability of supplemental feed can help.”
Higginbotham said landowners can also improve fall food plots by giving them a boost of nitrogen.
Small grain food plots, such as rye, wheat and oats, planted earlier in the fall may begin to show yellowing in late December and January. If so, top dress plots with 200 pounds of 34-0-0 nitrogen/phosphorous/potassium fertilizer or equivalent per acre to boost production.
“Deer will continue to use these plots until spring greenup,” he said.
Excluder pens should be built around feeders or food plots if wild pigs are also on the property to prevent access to supplemental feed, Higginbotham said. Wild pigs reduce the available supplements for deer and their presence can cause deer to alter their behavior because they try to avoid wild pigs. Supplemental feed also improves the nutritional plane for wild pigs and increases sow breeding condition, which could mean more piglets and better survivability.
Higginbotham said landowners should consider conducting post-season deer census sometime in January, but certainly before antlers are shed.
“Typically in East Texas you want to census deer populations by mid-February,” he said. “You may not be able to differentiate does from bucks that have shed their antlers beyond that point.”

Use the same census method employed prior to the season opener including spotlights or remote-sensing cameras to count deer numbers.
“There have been some outstanding bucks harvested this season in East Texas, but relatively mild weather conditions and an abundant acorn crop in many areas of the state likely limited deer movement, especially outside of the rut,” he said.
The end of deer season also provides opportunities for landowners to address wild pigs, Higginbotham said.
“As native food supplies like acorns continue to dwindle, wild pigs will become more vulnerable to baiting and therefore easier to pattern for trapping and strategic shooting operations,” he said.

Written by:
kristin
Published on:
January 5, 2017

Categories: General, Wildlife

Recent Posts

2023 Youth Photo Contest and Graduate Research Poster Showcase winners

March 29, 2023

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association held a Youth Photo Contest and Graduate Research …

Continue Reading about 2023 Youth Photo Contest and Graduate Research Poster Showcase winners

TSCRA Talk Episode 38: A chat with beef advocate of the year – Tucker Brown RAB

March 29, 2023

Tucker Brown, NCBA 2022 Beef Advocate of the Year, joins TSCRA Talk host, Kristen Brown, to share …

Continue Reading about TSCRA Talk Episode 38: A chat with beef advocate of the year – Tucker Brown RAB

Cow-calf Corner: Factors affecting calf prices in 2021-2022 from Superior Livestock Auction data

March 29, 2023

Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University State Extension Beef Nutrition Specialist There are some …

Continue Reading about Cow-calf Corner: Factors affecting calf prices in 2021-2022 from Superior Livestock Auction data

Footer

Who We Are

Why Join
Leadership
Staff
TSCRA Partners
FAQs
Newsroom
Sponsorships
Employment

What We Do

Theft and Law
Issues and Policy
Education
Young Cattle Raisers
The Cattleman Magazine
Cattle Raisers Insurance
Cattle Raisers Trading Co.
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

Information

Cattle Raisers Blog
News Releases
Bereavements
Events
Media Kit
Tip Hotline
Get Involved
Links

Membership

Membership Center
Membership Center Instructions
Join
Renew
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

PO BOX 101988
FORT WORTH, TX 76185

1-800-242-7820

© 2023 Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association; All Rights Reserved.

COPYRIGHT | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS OF USE