Looking Forward to the Texas Hunt
Hunters everywhere are rubbing their hands together with excitement when it comes to the dove hunting season; but it is the hunters in Texas who are even more excited, considering the already ‘good’ white-winged dove populations have shown an increase in numbers over last year.
Labor Day is when it all began, and the extremely high number of doves for 2013, according to experts, have experienced no downfall whatsoever. The 2014-2015 dove hunting season shows an estimated 26.55 million birds, which is a 5% increase over 2013 and nearly 8% above the long-term numbers averaged over the past decade. More than 90 percent of all mourning doves occupy rural habitats, and it seems that the dove hunting season will be one to enjoy.
But dove hunting is not the only thing to be excited about in the Lone Star State. Deer hunting in Texas will be at an all-time high, as well. In fact, there are those who state that this could actually be ‘the season to remember’, considering the excellent range conditions throughout the state that have set the stage for big things to come.
On October 2nd, 2014, the bowhunter looking for that deer will be more than a bit excited. The healthy, well-tended ranches and land are filled with the prey hunters are looking for. And when the general gun season opens on November 6th, hunters will see for themselves what the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists have already been stating: great habitats in Texas have produced healthy wildlife populations for 2014.
The estimates of high fawn production in most areas of Texas have shown that the desired 100% fawn survival rate I spossible, when it comes to intensive management and hardworking landowners. Land stewards managing ranches are lucky to have had improved rainfall rates throughout the state, which has supplied quality native food crops along with supplemental nutrition, which gives the hunter a good-looking Thanksgiving. Everything from acorn crops to the healthy vegetation across many parts of Texas has increased the potential for the whitetail deer herd.
But the one tip that should definitely be heard by Texas hunters is to take full advantage of any opportunity to get new hunters into the field to experience the great outdoors and carry on our hunting heritage.