Last week I had an interesting conversation about white-tailed deer with Kendall and Comal County’s wildlife biologist Rufus Stephens. He told me that biologists and landowners all over central Texas are seeing big antlers and many fawns. The wet, wet, wet spring and summer have produced a large and healthy deer population in our area.

Big antlers tell us that this summer the deer have been eating better than usual. Those extraordinary summer rains produced extraordinary amounts of nutritious forbs and forage, so the deer avoided the usual “summer famine” of hot, dry years.

Many fawns mean that even the very young does were healthy enough this year to carry their young to term. With plenty of food, healthy does gave birth to many more twins (and even some triplets) in this unusual season.

Today, as the primary predator on white-tailed deer, we humans have a responsibility to maintain their numbers at a level that the environment can sustain. In fact, Rufus explains that, this year, it is most important to harvest does!

If you are a land manager with an interest in producing big bucks, remember that removing the overabundance of does this year will mean more food next summer for the bucks. More food produces bigger racks.

Our wildlife biologist advises Texas Hill Country landowners, “This year, it is especially important to meet your recommended doe harvest goals.” Today, our area has about one deer per five acres and a sustainable density is more like one deer to 25 acres. 

That means, for the deer to be healthy next year, we need a major population reduction.

Our wildlife biologist advises Texas Hill Country hunters to fill all five tags with does. If you must take a rack, make it one buck and four does. Put lots of “heart-healthy” venison in your freezer this year. Don’t quit hunting until you have done your duty and harvested four does.

Our wildlife biologist also has advice for non-hunters. He says, “You can help too. Deer conservation means maintaining the deer population at a level that the habitat can support. If you have no interest in hunting or even if you hate the thought of killing a deer you too can be of service to deer conservation. Make a donation to “Hunters for the Hungry.”

“Hunters for the Hungry” is a statewide wild-game donation program that provides a healthy source of protein to Texans, who need assistance obtaining well-balanced, nutritious meals. To donate or for more information, go to the “Hunters for the Hungry” Web site www.tacaa.org/HFTHhome.htm or call (800) 992-9767, ext. 506.

For a donation of $30 or more, the group will send you two “Hunters for the Hungry” iron-on patches, a khaki baseball cap with its logo or a 5-inch red flashlight with batteries.