By: Rob Grainger, Broker Associate, Featured in the Q3 Republic Report
Here we are, ladies and gentlemen. Hunting seasons across the great State of Texas are well underway. Sportsmen across the various regions have already taken to the field to pursue dove, teal, pronghorn and whitetails along with the exotics and nongame species that live within our borders. Although the number one species we Texans enjoy is the white-tailed deer, we are blessed with ample opportunities to hunt a wide array of large game animals both native and exotic, as well as great upland and migratory birds. While writing this article, I reflected on the meaning of the game we have in the state and what they provide for us. They have consumed both my personal and professional career, which has bled over into my children’s upbringing in hopes that they will share their passion with their own friends and future families. Hunting and outdoor recreation has been the cornerstone of my family for generations and I can’t express enough the positive impact that it has had on my life. I became laser-focused at a very young age, building a career in wildlife biology, ranch management and ranch brokerage. All this began with my father introducing me to the outdoors the right way at the right time; very early. I hope you enjoy this brief synopsis of where we stand and what this season could look like for you.
2023 has marked another odd year for rainfall, temperatures and weather patterns which directly influence the animals across our varied landscapes. I’m further realizing that there may be no patterns at all and that we will have some variation of 4 seasons here in Texas at some point. Beginning in January, we received tremendous rainfall across the state and most of us were blessed with a gorgeous spring combined with mild temperatures and lush pastures. That persisted through early June at which time the valve was shut off and the mercury blew the top out of the thermometer. I can speak for us South Texans that we recorded one of the highest number of days over 100 degrees from June 1st through October 1st that I can remember. With no rainfall in that time, besides one tropical storm in September, it was a dust bowl down here with a lot of stress on the whitetails and quail. Fortunately, we are in a wetter period and the state is greening back up. I just want the temps to fall off so we’re not in a deer blind wearing shorts in November!
White-tailed Deer: With the above-mentioned weather patterns, what we are experiencing this year is both good and bad for our whitetail herds and hunters. The winter and spring rainfall provided wonderful fawning cover for the does and ample forage for those mothers during their gestation and lactation periods. We are seeing some great fawn crops in most areas of the state. I have seen some instances where does lost fawns in more extreme stress periods this summer but overall the numbers are very strong in most areas. Unfortunately, if you were in an area that saw the rain quit and the temps get very high, you are probably seeing the same thing that I am. Antler growth is slightly down on average on ranches that I monitor or consult for. With that said, you will have the outliers that made antler jumps and I hope that is the case for everyone reading this today. I typically use these years to manage our age classes and focus more on management deer and less on trophies. I personally do not like to harvest trophies on “down years” so we can see what they do with better antler growing conditions. The reward can be great if the rainfall continues into next summer. That does not mean you need to do the same, but it is something to consider if you manage intensely. Do what makes sense to you and enjoy the hunt regardless of what the buck’s headgear looks like.
Dove: Dove season is the perfect time to get outside with friends and family to kick off the season. I haven’t looked but I would assume the bacon, jalapeno and cream cheese sales were elevated last month with all of the dove poppers wrapped after Labor Day. With the great nesting conditions that the spring provided by cooler than normal temps, ample rainfall and growing seasons for our farmers, Texas is in the middle of one of the best dove seasons that I have ever seen. The production was wonderful which is why you have likely noticed so many younger birds filling your bird bags and dove stools. It appears to be a boom year across the state with reports of wonderful flights. I personally have not had a bad hunt yet and have hit some areas that are not traditionally lights out. The first season is about to wind down but if dove is what drives you, there is hope. The winter season that we have coming up is when we get a new batch of migratory dove from up north and cooler temps to enjoy. It’s personally my favorite time to dove hunt and let the dogs work. I also love a good dove gumbo over wild rice in the colder months.
Quail: We are gearing up for our statewide quail season this coming weekend. Although most traditional hunters bring out the pointers after Christmas when the grass browns out and cures, a lot of folks will hit the fields this weekend and enjoy gentleman bob or the hard-to-flush blue quail. Fortunately after last season, we have turned a leaf and should have a good season ahead of us. I would not consider it a boom or bust year with varied population increases and decreases across the state. Quail nesting productivity is so rainfall-dependent that gauging the populations across the state in one lump is impossible and frankly unfair to do. Fortunately, most of the areas we monitor had strong rainfall in late winter and throughout the spring so birds were able to nest early and often and had the insects to support the chicks when they hatched. I was very concerned for the new birds with the heat and lack of rainfall this summer but after flying our annual surveys on various ranches, I would say that I am happy with the population after what was a dismal season in 2022. My crew will be out in November graining roads and using the labs to flush and pick up wild birds before we drop the pointers in six weeks or so. One final note on the South Texas birds is that we are witnessing a late hatch now due to a September tropical event that dumped rainfall anywhere from 1” to 6” giving the opportunity for those last pairs to make a clutch. Be careful on the early season coveys that you flush to make sure that they are big enough to harvest as you will likely see some small juveniles in the month of November and early December.
Mule Deer: Unfortunately, I do not manage or get to spend a lot of time out west in our mule deer country so I had to rely on those experts in our arid western counties. I’m hearing that the early rains did a great deal of good for the fawning but unfortunately, the monsoon season did not produce much precipitation. As you can expect, on properties where supplemental feeding does not occur, antler quality is slightly down. Overall populations are doing well and more and more properties are focusing efforts on the mule deer with higher numbers of ranches enrolling in the state’s mule deer MLD program. If you are a landowner out west with a population of muleys I would encourage you to get enrolled so that you can get your numbers in check earlier in the year and have fun during the rut chasing a trophy deer.
Waterfowl: With the exception of gadwall, teal species and redheads, the duck numbers are down quite a bit this year based on the annual survey done on nest sites up north. Overall, the duck population is down 7% from last year and down 9% from the long term average. The past few years Texans and other southern states have witnessed fewer bird counts for a number of reasons but a large indicator is the number of projects creating new habitats for birds north of the Red River. This does not mean people don’t get out and shoot a limit, but we certainly don’t see the birds that we used to. A lot of birds are stopping up north on the habitat created and crops left standing where they once were not. For the duck hunters across the state, it will be very competitive going forward to hold good duck water at the right times and provide a reason for them to stop in and stay with us through the winter. Warmer fall seasons hold ducks and geese up north longer so pray for some big fronts to give us the push that we need for the birds to show up.
In conclusion, 2023 will have its ups and downs depending on what you like to pursue as an outdoorsman. We are blessed to live in a state that has a wonderful diversity of game species to manage and utilize across a tremendous variety of landscapes. No matter what you plan to hunt this year, don’t do it alone. Focus on your family and friends. Give others the opportunity to experience something as primal and engrained in our heritage as hunting truly is. Be passionate about conservation and ethics so that the future of hunting in Texas can be sustained. I hope that everyone reading this has an incredible 2023/2024 hunting season. Fill your freezers with wild game and your mind with memories that you will not soon forget. Be safe!