“We were real dry the first two-thirds of the summer and range conditions were tough,” said TPWD biologist Danny Swepston of Amarillo. However, during the late summer the region received enough rain to change things. Going into the hunting season last fall, range conditions were excellent. Body weights on harvested animals were good; antler development, which TPWD predicted would likely suffer because of the drought, was great.

Patrick Rainey of Salt Fork Hunting in Collingsworth County -- (866) 442-4451 -- said that despite dire predictions, the Panhandle produced some good bucks last year.

“There were a lot of really solid bucks with big body weights taken last year,” he said. “People just don’t realize the quality of deer in the Panhandle. There aren’t as many deer, but in some ways the average deer rivals what hunters take down in South Texas.”

According to Swepston, a lot of the Panhandle’s success in deer production is owing to the region’s bounty of food available for deer. “There’s plenty for them to eat out there,” he said. “We have lots of winter wheat. I would encourage folks to take does, especially on the eastern side of the region where we’re seeing higher densities of deer.”

The eastern side of the region is indeed seeing increasing deer numbers, yet still has relatively little hunting pressure.

Hunting pressure is much stronger south of the Panhandle, where the northern fringe of the Hill Country meets the Rolling Plains. That area suffered relatively low deer harvest last year, but like in the Pineywoods saw a comeback late in the season. That probably had a lot to do with hunters relying solely on corn feeders to draw deer early in the season. Hunters should focus their efforts on crops like winter wheat and oats, which are more reliable than corn in this relatively overlooked area of the state.

PROSPECTS FOR 2007-08
So how are things shaping up for the forthcoming season? In reality, it’s still probably a bit too early to tell, but on an initial assessment, we could consider that the situation is shaping up well.

As you can discern from this story, things aren’t always what they seem. Timely rains change everything, and Texas wildlife and the habitat it depends on can bounce back quickly. Rain falling onto Texas’ mineral-rich soils can turn an area that’s practically a moonscape to a lush green in just a few days.

One thing that will be interesting to see is how low fawn recruitment in certain areas of the state, like the Hill Country and South Texas, will affect hunting this season. A lack of fawns seen at feeders last season will lead to a lack of 1 1/2-year-old bucks and does this year.

Actually, it might be time for hunters to reevaluate the whole feeder-hunting thing, as feral hogs over much of the state are keeping deer away from feeders on far too many leases. But that’s another story.

Texas hunters are pretty spoiled in terms of deer (and hog) numbers. We have the largest herd in the country, and we’ll see more deer during even a poor season than hunters in some states will over several seasons.

As for an official prediction, here it is: Expect the unexpected.

Find more about Texas fishing and hunting at: TexasSportsmanMag.com