Hunters Can Expect Banner Year for Deer

Cracks of rifle shots at dawn heralded the opening of deer season in Fayette County Saturday morning, Nov. 6. The general season ends Jan. 2.

Wildlife biologist Laura Sherrod of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said hunters in Fayette County should see many high quality deer this season.

“I think all that rain we had in the summer rally helped,” she said. “I’ve already scored some really nice deer. I also saw more fawns in my spotlight surveys than I’ve ever seen since getting here in 2014. There are lots of deer out there and some good ones.”

Local butcher Paddy Magliolo of Willie Joe’s Processing in High Hill packs and processes many of the deer harvested in Fayette County every year. He expects a busy season.

“I’m sure there’ll be a pile of deer when I show up to work on Monday,” he said.

Magliolo said a big acorn crop this year may work against hunters who depend on deer feeders early in the season.

“I think it’s going to be a good year, but this first beginning part might be a little tough,” Magliolo said. “Deer won’t be coming to the feeders right off the bat because they’re so many acorns out there.”

Still, Sherrod said the numbers she has counted during surveys should put plenty of venison on the table this winter. The bag limit in Fayette County remains at two bucks, but only one may have an inside spread of 13 inches or greater. The other may be a spike, defined as a deer with at least one unbranched antler. A hunter may also take one buck with an inside spread of 13 inches or greater in a different county with antler restrictions.

Fayette County hunters will once again get the opportunity to hunt doe (technically antlerless deer) during a special antlerless season around Thanksgiving. The special season runs four days from Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25, until Sunday, Nov. 28. Hunters may harvest up to two antlerless deer during those days. Antlerless deer may also be taken during the archery, muzzleloader and youth-only seasons. Dates and regulations for those seasons are available at https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual.

Texas Parks and Wildlife requires hunters who harvest antlerless deer during any of those special seasons to report their harvests through the MyHunt app at www.tpwd.texas.gov/myhunt.

Sherrod conducts nighttime spotlight surveys throughout the year. The surveys involve driving down county roads, shining spotlights and counting all the deer she sees. Sherrod said she even came across a small herd of six axis deer on one of her surveys.

“This is the first year I’ve seen axis deer in my spotlight surveys,” she said. “It seems those numbers may be increasing on the free range. It’s the first time I’ve seen them, but I’ve heard from landowners that they have seen them, too.”

Axis deer, known as Chital in their native range of India and Sri Lanka, were introduced to South Texas and the Hill Country starting in the 1930s. These spotted deer are mostly found in the Edwards Plateau region today.

Several sources state that axis deer have been confirmed in 92 counties in Central and South Texas. Now, with Sherrod’s sightings, they can add Fayette County to that list.