South Texas Whitetail Hunting

Whitetail deer make good hunting.

South Texas is a land of scrubby brush and wide open spaces. Huge ranches once took up nearly all the land, and they still take up a lot. The area is known as great deer hunting territory, as much for the size of the deer as for the number of deer. There are many outfitters ready to take you hunting, or there are leases available, as well as large areas of public land for hunting.

Golden Triangle

One of the most famous areas for hunting is called the Golden Triangle. This area includes Dimmit, LaSalle, Maverick, Zavala and Webb Counties in a triangle type area. Webb and Dimmit counties rank one and two nationally in the number of Boone and Crockett Class trophy bucks harvested. Boone and Crockett class refers to bucks with very large racks based on a scale that considers rack size and height of the deer. Most of the area in the Golden Triangle is on private land, but there are many guides and outfitters set up to take people hunting, and there are many leases available.

History

When white settlers came to Texas there was a lot of wildlife, but by the late 1800s, there was a shortage because of over-hunting. In the early 1900s the story is told of men who would go hunting several days to harvest just one deer. Conservation efforts began in the 1920s and have continued since that time. Caesar Kleberg is credited with pushing for, and getting laws passed, to protect wildlife and to establish rules for hunting. Today there are well over 1 million deer in Texas, and at times there are even too many of the animals in some places.

King Ranch

Texas is also known for huge ranches, and one of the largest is the King Ranch, between Corpus Christi and Laredo in south Texas. The ranch has 825,000 acres, and a lot of that has been set aside for wildlife. The King Ranch leases some of its land for private hunting, and people there hunt on their own. It also offers guided hunts to the general public for white tail deer, mule deer and other wildlife as part of the overall wildlife management program. The ranch offers one- to three-day hunts, and has open range hunting, meaning there are no fences. There are separate categories for trophy bucks and management bucks, or those that would not be in the trophy class. Hunts include meals and lodging. There are also many tours available at the ranch. There are many more ranches in south Texas that offer similar setups.

Public Land

The National Forest Service operates four wildlife management areas in South Texas: Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, Angelina and Sabine national forests. Hunting is allowed in the national forests with some limitations.There are areas that are used by the public for other things, and hunting is restricted in those areas. Motorized vehicles are also limited in some areas. Officials note that hunting areas are very remote and medical assistance may not be available. Cell phones also may not work. The state seasons and rules apply. There is a special antlerless deer hunt in the winter which is done by random draw.

Seasons

Texas deer hunting season is in the fall and early winter. In South Texas the regular gun season is Nov. 5 through Jan. 16. It is not quite that long in the north part of the state. Some counties have antler restrictions on size. There is a late season for non-antler deer, which is Jan. 17-30 for modern guns. The season for muzzle loader weapons is Jan. 3-16. Archery season is Oct. 2 through Nov. 5. Special youth hunts are set for Oct. 30-31 and Jan. 3-16. The number of deer that may be taken vary by county and type of deer.

References

• Texas Hunt and Fish: Golden Triangle
• King Ranch: Hunting History
• National Forest Service: Hunting in Texas
• Texas Parks and Wildlife: Deer Hunting

Resources

• Texas Outfitters: Deer Hunting