Deer

Texas is the most diverse ecological area you can find with rolling grasslands, arid deserts, coastal marshes and dense forests among noteworthy features found inside its borders. Perhaps it's fitting the men and women who don Texas Parks and Wildlife's blue badge also exhibit a wealth of notable characteristics. For...

“Want to see pictures of my deer?” That phrase invariably invokes a variety of responses from the average hunter, but for me it always sends icy chills up my spine. I’ve seen hundreds, more likely thousands, of photos snapped from a range of devices provided by readers, friends and others in...

Chronic wasting disease has become a hot-button issue in the Texas white-tailed deer-hunting landscape, and the most recent positive test from a captive deer shot on a release site is only going to heat up the debate. The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and Texas Animal Health Commission are said to...

Texas’ Wildlife Management Areas are as distinct and varied as the different regions of the state where they are located. This network of public land is managed by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, which uses the hundreds of thousands of combined acres for a number of purposes. Mostly, the...

Christmas in Texas is a time for family and for the outdoors. Sometimes the latter is the best excuse to get away from the former. However, the most fruitful of days involve both, bringing together those whom you most emulate and the joy of a shared pursuit that’s as much an...

For Stratford and Gruver, it’s pheasants. Around Kerrville and Llano, white-tailed deer. And down in Rockport, redfish and waterfowl. The economic impact that wildlife has on the state of Texas is massive and far-reaching, and the most recent survey from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows just how much critters mean...

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...

I was the same age as the youngster when I first heard the chilling tale. In fact, I was in the same area of Brown County, hunting the same game bird that nearly cut his life short in the time it takes for a covey to get out of sight. One...

The dusty breeze tickled the tops of spindly mesquites and thick bunch grass as I descended the steps of the tower stand. At the bottom, the icy chill of the late November morning hit me square in the face as binoculars were raised for what seemed like the 100th time. The massive nontypical buck was laying down. Better yet, he was facing away. Best of all, he...

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is looking into proposed changes to the state’s hunter education certification program that would “streamline” the process for those who take the course. While that may seem like a good idea to anyone who has yet to complete a course, or for wildlife officials...