Deer

Hunter education courses in Texas don’t just save lives. They help improve them, too. Passing on the safe pursuit of shooting sports and hunting to a new generation has never been more important, and thanks to thousands of volunteers across the state, it has become easier than ever. The courses, taught by...

It’s hard to get biologists and land managers to utter words such as “extraordinary,” “outstanding” or “spectacular” when discussing the Texas deer outlook. However, those terms certainly are applicable this fall and winter, and in the minds of some deer experts, the forecast has never been better. Here’s what you...

In less than a week, the Texas white-tailed deer season will be upon us. Archery hunters and those armed with Managed Lands Deer Permits have been able to hunt all month, but for hundreds of thousands of folks from the top of Texas to the bottom, the first Saturday sunrise...

There's no doubt there always will be rotten apples out there, but for the most part, the more than 1 million people who buy hunting licenses in Texas each year are law-abiding citizens. They’re people who go out of their way to be polite, courteous and open should they be...

If you’ve read my work in this space for any length of time, you know quite well that I’m a champion for Texas hunting and fishing pursuits, the conservation of said outdoor opportunities and, most importantly, the focus of passing those traditions on to youths. Simply put, the fate of...

The Texas deer hunting forecast is always exceptional, even in years such as this when dry, hot conditions take over in the late spring and through the summer, leading to concerns about how the season will shape up as range conditions seemingly deteriorate by the day, if not the...

Few things in this world compare with a great hunting lease, but nothing compares with the sucker punch that comes with losing one, especially when you least expect it. Let’s face it – the going rate for prime hunting real estate in Texas is just that –  with prices continuing...

Fall is finally here, bringing with it the anticipation of partaking in outdoor opportunities this month and into a new year, and things are looking up after recent rains in much of the state. Archery deer season began last weekend, with numerous hunters already tagging the biggest buck they’ll see...

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission approved an experimental pronghorn buck season in some areas of the Panhandle, which would allow landowners to control the harvest of buck pronghorn antelope. In addition, an extension to the existing mule deer managed lands deer permits season will be part of changes to...

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is taking public comment on reauthorizing the practice of using tracking dogs to trail wounded deer, which has been prohibited in a dozen eastern counties for more than 20 years. A series of public meetings is slated to provide details of the proposal and...