hunting strategies Archives - TheRanch at Camp Ka Hui Ana

Thinking Through the Extended Antlerless and Spike Hunting Season

Chase Nunez MS PhD — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 18:56:53 +0000

If you’ve spent any time hunting in Texas, you’ve probably noticed the extended white-tailed deer doe (antlerless) and spike hunting season in many counties. In fact, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) offers this extended season in 132 of the state’s 254 counties. But why?

Some hunters believe it’s all about herd management, while others think it’s TPWD’s way of thinning out an overabundant deer population. And, of course, plenty of folks just see it as a great way to put more venison in the freezer. The truth? It’s a mix of all those things. At its core, TPWD’s job is to manage wildlife for conservation and sustainable use³—meaning the extended antlerless and spike season is designed to keep deer populations healthy while giving hunters more opportunity to do what they love.

Why The Extended Season?

The main reason for extending the season on does and spike bucks is simple: population control. But here’s the thing—more deer doesn’t necessarily mean a healthier herd. Every piece of land has a limit on how many deer it can support, a concept known as carrying capacity. When too many deer compete for limited food, water, and cover, bad things start happening—disease spreads, malnutrition kicks in, and overall herd quality declines¹, ².

This is a major issue in certain parts of Texas, especially the Hill Country, where deer numbers can skyrocket beyond what the land can handle¹. TPWD relies heavily on hunters to keep populations in check, and extending the season helps increase the number of deer taken, especially the ones that need to be harvested most.

Why Focus on Does and Spikes?

You might be wondering—why target does and spike bucks specifically?

For does, it’s all about maintaining a balanced sex ratio and controlling population growth. Back in the day, shooting does was practically unheard of because more does meant more fawns and faster herd growth. But now that deer numbers have rebounded, proper herd management means making sure there aren’t too many does compared to bucks. A good ratio is somewhere around 1 buck per 1.5 to 2.5 does. Too many does lead to rapid population expansion, which, again, can overwhelm the land’s resources.

As for spikes, that’s a whole debate in itself (check out my article Spikes: To Cull or Not to Cull? from October 2024). But the general idea is that many spikes are genetically inferior compared to branched-antlered bucks of the same age. By focusing harvests on these deer, hunters can help improve overall herd quality over time.

Why Some Counties Don’t Have an Extended Season

You’ll notice that some counties don’t get this extended opportunity—typically the ones where antlerless harvest is already pretty restricted (think archery-only or limited muzzleloader seasons). That’s because those areas don’t have the same overpopulation issues, so TPWD doesn’t need to encourage additional doe harvests⁴.

Does Timing Matter?

There’s an interesting argument that allowing doe harvests later in the season has an added management benefit. By letting deer stay on the landscape through the early part of winter, there’s more competition for food, and does are already putting energy into reproduction before being harvested. This could lead to a slight reduction in overall fawn production. However, the bigger impact comes from simply removing breeding-age females from the population—it’s a numbers game more than anything.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, the extended antlerless and spike season is a win-win. It helps TPWD manage deer populations effectively while giving Texas hunters more time in the field. Whether you see it as a way to improve herd quality, keep numbers in check, or just fill your freezer, the extended season plays a key role in keeping Texas deer hunting strong for generations to come.

So, next time you’re out there with your rifle or bow, know that you’re not just hunting—you’re helping manage one of the state’s most prized resources. Happy hunting, and good luck this season!

Bibliography

DeMarias, S., & Zaiglin, B. (1998). The Effect of Doe Harvest on White-tailed Deer Populations. Wildlife Management Handbook, pp. 25–27.
Côté, S. D., Rooney, T. P., Tremblay, J. P., Dussault, C., & Waller, D. M. (2004). Ecological Impacts of Deer Overabundance. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 35, 113–147.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. (2006). Mission & Philosophy. https://tpwd.texas.gov/about/mission-philosophy. Accessed January 16, 2025.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. (2024). Seasons by County. https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/hunting/seasons/county-listing/. Accessed January 16, 2025.

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Full Rut Flehmen Response: What It Is and What It Means

Chase Nunez MS PhD — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 20:41:21 +0000

Introduction to the Flehmen Response Across Wildlife Species

Have you ever seen a white-tailed deer buck chasing a doe, or a bull elk pushing around his harem of cows, or a bighorn ram sniff the urine of a ewe? You’ll often see them stop and make a similar face across species and then get a sudden burst of energy with a focusing interest in the females. This wide-eyed smiling appearance erupts when the male’s upper lip curls up as he inhales through his mouth. This is the Flehmen response, sometimes called the Flehmen posture. But what exactly is it and what does it mean?

What is the Flehmen Response and How Does it Work?

Asking the question– “What is the Flehmen response?”– is basically asking– “What is the rut?”– because they are so intertwined. The Flehmen response is a physiological process by which an animal smells pheromones and hormones, causing the animal’s upper lip to curl up while orally inhaling to funnel air filled with pheromones and hormones to the vomeronasal organ, otherwise known as the Jacobson organ. The Jacobson organ is a sensory organ located in the roof of the mouth near the throat. Both male and females can exhibit Flehmen behavior but it is much more common among males, especially among hooved species. When a female is hot (in estrus), she releases hormones and pheromones that indicate she is ready for breeding from her genetalia, feces, urine, and other excretory pathways. These pheromones and hormones are interpreted by the male’s Jacobson organ, which then triggers the males libido (male sexual reproductive drive). The burst of energy that follows the Flehmen response is the physical manifestation of the sex drive and causes the male to seek out the female with the lone goal of reproducing offspring. This is the rut.

The Significance of the Flehmen Response for Wildlife Managers

But what does the Flehmen response mean to me as a wildlife manager or hunter? From the aspect of a wildlife manager, the Flehmen response indicates which animals in the population are actively involved in sexual competition and reproduction. It can also indicate when a subadult animal in the population is becoming sexually mature; if the urine of a young female induces a Flehmen response in a sexually mature male she may be coming into her first estrus and likewise, if a young male begins to posture the Flehmen response then he is probably entering sexually maturity.

How Hunters Can Use the Flehmen Response to Their Advantage

But how does this impact a hunter? For a hunter, the major implication of a target game animal that is showing the Flehmen response is altering the strategy of how to hunt that animal. If a hunter sees an animal in the Flehmen posture, it means that male animal is interested in one thing– reproducing offspring with whichever fine-smelling specimen caused the Flehmen response. It further means that hunting strategies which rely on feeding patterns or over bait/water will be less effective because the nutritional needs fall by the wayside of the rutting male. It also means that the normal movement patterns will go out the window and the new patterns of that male will mimic, at least for a short period, the newfound female friend.

Adjusting Hunting Strategies During the Rut

Although these factors can limit the avenues to a successful hunt, they also specify which tools and strategies will aid in success. White-tailed deer bucks will typically accompany a hot doe for about three days. This allows for multiple breeding attempts, increasing the likelihood of conception and allowing the buck to defend the doe from sexual competitors. During this time, the bucks will hang tight with the doe (following her patterns), are more likely to respond aggressively to calling and decoys, and are much less observant of surroundings. Basically, when their nose and mind are buried in the genitals of the female they’re with, it makes them easier to spot-and-stalk hunt or tempt with sexual competition.

Conclusion: The Flehmen Response and Hunting Success

Understanding the Flehmen response is an essential tool for wildlife managers and hunters alike. Whether identifying reproductive activity in the herd or adjusting hunting strategies during the rut, recognizing this behavior can make all the difference in both conservation and hunting success.

Bibliography:

Hart BL. Flehmen behavior and vomeronasal organ function. 1983. Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 3:87–103.
Gentry Jr. GT. 2019. White-tailed deer reproduction: How fawns are made. LSU Ag Center. Read More (Accessed September 8, 2024).

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Wild Turkeys in South Texas

Chase Nunez MS PhD — Sat, 30 Nov 2024 00:44:16 +0000

Introduction to Fall and Winter Turkey Hunting

When folks think of hunting wild turkeys, they frequently think of chasing thundering gobblers around in the wildflowers and green grass of spring. Some hunters don’t even know that Texas allows fall/winter turkey hunting in most counties. This may be because fall/winter turkey hunting season often gets overshadowed and forgotten because of the coinciding white-tailed deer hunting season.

But cold season turkey hunting is a unique opportunity that deserves more than neglect. Heck, one of the main course dishes at the first Thanksgiving Dinner, that has remained through time as a symbol of the holiday, was wild turkey harvested in November.

Seasonal Changes in Turkey Behavior

Furthermore, although spring is the more popular turkey hunting season, the number of turkeys harvested in the spring is similar to that harvest in the fall.1 This may be due to the seasonal changes to wild turkey patterns and behaviors and the resulting likelihood of success.

Wild turkey behavior (communication, movement, flock size and demographics, roost location, etc.) can differ pretty dramatically between the fall and spring hunting seasons. Wild turkey roost concentrations in Texas seem greatest between January and March; turkeys begin to disperse leading up to the spring months.^2,3,4 The turkeys tend to congregate more and move less in the winter months, creating flocks that may include more than 200 birds at a single roost.⁴

Hunting Strategies for Fall and Winter

The demographic of these turkey roosts also differs seasonally. Although wild turkeys are breeding in the fall and winter months, they are less aggressive breeders, congregating more with turkeys of both sexes and focusing more on feeding throughout the day than reproduction.

Less aggressive breeding activity means less frequent or aggressive gobbling. That’s not to say wild turkeys don’t gobble in the winter, because they do occasionally gobble (some more than others) and certainly communicate all months of the year. The vocalizations are, however, much more subtle in the cooler months.

The infrequency of gobbling (or response to calls), increased focus and dependency on food, smaller winter home-ranges, and larger groups of birds all call for slightly different hunting strategies for success. Fall and winter turkey hunting involves more ambush hunting tactics and reliance on knowledge of the winter diet and feeding patterns of your local wild turkeys. The use of decoys and calls may be effective but opportunistic hunting over food and water sources or along major travel corridors may prove more fruitful.

Know the Rules: Regulations and Ethics

If one is to hunt wild turkeys in the fall/winter hunting season, the hunter should always be aware of, and familiar with, Texas state hunting rules and regulations for where and what they are hunting. There are some regulatory differences for turkey hunting in the spring season versus the fall/winter season, depending on the county and subspecies of wild turkey.

The subspecies of wild turkey that is most prevalent in Texas is the Rio Grande wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia), with some 500,000+ statewide.²There are also Eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) in the Piney-woods ecoregion of eastern Texas and Merriam’s wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo merriami) found in small pockets around the northern Trans-Pecos ecoregion of western Texas.

The wild turkey bag limits in various counties around Texas may vary by season (spring versus fall/winter), sex, and/or subspecies. Merriam’s wild turkeys are managed similarly to Rio Grande wild turkeys— the county rules and regulations for hunting Rio Grande wild turkeys also apply to Merriam’s wild turkeys.

This include rules on when hen’s may be harvested (often only in the fall/winter season), what the bag limit is, and requires that harvested wild turkeys, Merriam’s or Rio Grande, be tagged with a “Rio Grande wild turkey” carcass tag from a state issued hunting license if harvested. Eastern wild turkeys are only allowed to be hunted in the spring months (April 22, 2025 – May 14, 2025).⁵

Conclusion: Ethical and Legal Hunting

The legal means of hunting may also vary by season. For example, some counties allow rifles for fall/winter wild turkey hunting but only allow shotguns or archery equipment for the spring season. This is also the case with baiting– some counties do no allow legal baiting of wild turkeys with feed in the spring, while it may in fact be legal in other counties. No matter the situation though, the hunter should know the rules and regulations associated with the game and location they are hunting. Because although cold season wild turkey hunting can be lucrative and interesting, it should always be done legally and ethically.

Bibliography:

Buckley BR, Hardin JB, Chamberlain MJ, Collier BA. 2022. Survival, harvest, and population size of Rio Grande wild turkeys in Texas. Journal of Wildlife Management 86(8):e22312.
Dickson JG. 2005. Wild Turkeys. The Texas Breeding Bird Atlas- Texas A&M AgriLife Research. Accessed September 1, 2024.
Gross JT, Little AR, Collier BA, Chamberlain MJ. 2015. Space use, daily movements, and roosting behaviors of male wild turkeys during spring in Louisiana and Texas. Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 2:229–234.
Swearingin RM. 2007. Winter roosting ecology of Rio Grande wild turkeys in the rolling plains of Texas. Masters Thesis- Texas Tech University.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. 2024. Wild Turkey 2024-2025 Seasons and Regulations. Accessed September 1, 2024.

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