Hunting Outlook
Experts weigh in on upcoming outdoors' season forecast
By MATT WILLIAMS Outdoors Writer

Outdoors photo/Matt Williams WILDLIFE EXPERTS say banner habitat conditions should mean plenty of big bucks in the field this year, but dense screening cover could make it tough for hunters to spot them.

The summer of 2007 was anything but normal. From a weather standpoint, it was downright weird.

Record amounts of rainfall fell on many parts of the state during a time period that is typically recognized for clear skies and blazing heat. Consequently, some regions that had been under the grasp of a multi-year drought saw the blanket lifted as Mother Nature opened the water faucet and let 'er rip... and rip.... and rip.

Many areas that were dry and crunchy a year ago are now lush and green. Others may still be water logged.

At any rate, wildlife habitat and the critters that live out there are going into the fall hunting seasons in excellent shape. Here is what wildlife experts across the state had to say about the banner habitat conditions and what it will mean for Texas hunters this fall:

Gary Calkins District 6 Leader Jasper, Tx.

Outdoors photo/Matt Williams CORN FEEDING stations may not be that attractive to deer until natural food supplies begin to wane.

409-384-6894

1.) The big topic on the minds of many hunters this year is rain. We are coming off an exceptionally wet summer in Texas, and that should translate to excellent habitat for the critters. What type of impact do you think all the water will have on DEER and DUCK and QUAIL hunting conditions in your area this year?

Calkins: "Lots of rain is better than none, but comes with its own challenges. With lots of rain, there is lots of forage, but it can loose nutrition content because it grows so fast and has so much moisture. However, there is no shortage of food out there this year, so the critters should be doing well. This should be a good year for deer all the way around, from antler development to body condition to reproduction.

"We definitely have the habitat conditions for waterfowl, the only question is if the flyway will bring them here or not. Quail? We are hearing reports of a few more quail than in several years, but overall the quail hunting in the Pineywoods is tough. We just don't have many bird due to habitat alterations."

Outdoors photo/Matt Williams WHITETAILS PROBABLY won't have to look very far to find something to eat this fall, as natural forage is expected to be available in abundance.

2.) How about the deer quality. What type of body condition and antler quality are you expecting to see in deer harvested in your area this year?

Calkins: "I think we are looking at a good year from both aspects. We are on the balance due to the nutritional question listed above, but I don't think the rains have pushed us over the edge. There is so much food out there that deer should fare better than they have in several years. Body conditions should be outstanding and I think antler development will be above average by age class."

3.) What about fawn survival and recruitment. Do you anticipate that fawn survival will be up or down in your area this year? How about turkey and quail reproduction?

Calkins: "All indications are that fawn recruitment will be above average this year. Does should have plenty of milk due to their body condition, so there should be good survival.

"Turkey reproduction should be good, however, if poults got too wet coming off the nest, we could loose some. Again, there are plenty of groceries out there.

Quail may be a little more susceptible to too much rain than turkeys, but overall I think things are looking good for the few coveys we have."

4.) How do you think the habitat conditions in your area will impact deer, turkey and quail hunting success in 2007-08?

Calkins: "I don't think there is any question there is going to be an impact. We haven't seen a year with so much rain in a while. Hunters are going to have to contend with all sorts of challenges - figuring out the way the critters are using the woods, access from the standpoint of trying to get through vegetation, and road condition access issues. All of that added up is going to make hunting this year an altogether different ball game.

5.) If you were planning an opening day deer hunting trip on unmanaged property in your area, but weren't going to have time to do much scouting ahead of time, what would you look for in a potentially good hunting area and why?

Calkins: "That's a tough question. The old standby answers don't fit because of the amount of rain. I think the best option this year will be to look for travel routes or scrapes/rubs and set up in relation to those places. Rain quantity can have different affects on acorn production, so targeting those areas probably won't be a safe bet. Food plots and corn feeders are not going to have the draw they would in other years. If the rain continues, standing water could begin to have an impact on travel routes. In that situation is might be a good idea to concentrate on places where vegetation and standing water are funneling deer through a specific area.

6. Thousands of deer are killed in Texas each year while dining at corn feeders and food plots. Do you expect the lush habitat conditions will cause deer not to utilize supplemental feed/bait as much this year?

Calkins: "No doubt about it. The deer are going to have plenty of natural forage available, so there will be no draw for them to come to food plots or feeders - especially after hunting pressure starts."

7. Several counties in East and Central Texas are governed by antler restrictions these days. Some counties have been under the restriction for several years, but others are relatively new to the 13-inch minimum. How did the antler restriction impact the buck harvest in counties in your area last year? How do you anticipate the antler restriction will impact the what hunters see in the woods this season?

Calkins: "We are still working on the harvest estimates from the statewide Big Game Harvest Survey to break out the numbers from the individual counties in the regulation. However, from a numbers standpoint, the harvest in the Pineywoods showed little impact last year. We definitely protected a lot of the younger deer and moved the pressure onto the older age classes, which was the goal. There were older deer taken last year. That resulted in more quality deer in the harvest."

8.) Judging from feedback you have received in your area, how do hunters feel about the antler restriction. Do they like it or dislike it?

Calkins: "Most of our feedback was very positive. There were some folks that were frustrated - no reason to deny it. However, the majority of the folks we had contact with said it went well. They indicated that they are still supportive of the regulation."

9. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the upcoming deer season? Explain.

Calkins: "I would give it an 8 or 9. This season has the potential of being one of the best we have seen in a while. Hunters who are willing to work at it a bit and be patient with pulling the trigger are the ones who will benefit. The makings are there for good body condition and antler development. With the good fawn crop expected, hunters should not pass up opportunities to harvest does."

10.) What was the total deer harvest in your region last season (bucks and does individually)? How did last year's harvest compare to previous seasons? If the harvest dropped or increased, why do think this occurred?

Calkins: "Our statewide hunter harvest survey showed a buck harvest of 28,699 bucks and 21,261 antlerless deer harvested in the Pineywoods last year. Both of those numbers are up from the past several years. There are probably a lot of factors involved. Habitat recovery and access issues in the southern Pineywoods due to Hurricane Rita definitely had an impact. The implementation of the antler restrictions in the northern Pineywoods also played a role. The antler restrictions came with an increase in the buck bag limit and also made some folks consider harvesting a doe instead of a smaller buck."

David Forrester District 7 Leader La Grange, Tx.

979-790-0306

1.) The big topic on the minds of many hunters this year is rain. We are coming off an exceptionally wet summer in Texas, and that should translate to excellent habitat for the critters. What type of impact do you think all the water will have on DEER and DUCK and QUAIL hunting conditions in your area this year?

Forrester: "Hunting conditions should be fabulous statewide. It is a very rare day that the whole state of Texas is in excellent shape regarding range conditions."

2.) How about the deer quality. What type of body condition and antler quality are you expecting to see in deer harvested in your area this year?

Forrester: "Deer should be in great shape. Food has been in abundant supply throughout the fawning season and summer. Prospects are excellent for a bumper acorn crop."

3.) What about fawn survival and recruitment. Do you anticipate that fawn survival will be up or down in your area this year? How about turkey and quail reproduction?

Forrester: "Again, due to the excellent range conditions, fawn survival and recruitment should be way above average. This bodes well for future when these "babies" enter the 3 1/2-year old age class.

4.) How do you think the habitat conditions on your area will impact deer, turkey and quail hunting success in 2007-08?

Forrester: "Deer hunting success may be down this year due to the incredible amount of quality native or natural food sources. The acorn crop is positioned to be one of the best ever. Winter forbes and browse should be in abundant supply. Deer won't need to go to feeders, so may be harder to see.

5.) On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the upcoming deer season? Explain.

Forrester: "I'd give it a 6. Lush habitat conditions will make deer harder to attract to feeders, thus harder to see. The deer will be out there, just harder to encounter.

David Sierra District 5 Leader Tyler, Tx.

(903) 566-1626

1.) The big topic on the minds of many hunters this year is rain. We are coming off an exceptionally wet summer in Texas, and that should translate to excellent habitat for the critters. What type of impact do you think all the water will have on DEER and DUCK and QUAIL hunting conditions in your area this year?

Sierra: "The amount of rain may make waterfowl hunting more difficult than last year. With so much water available, waterfowl will not be as concentrated and will be spread over a larger area. Plus they will be able to get back into areas with more cover to feed and rest, which will make shooting conditions more difficult.

"Deer hunting may be more difficult this year also. Vegetation will be lush and thick, providing more cover making deer harder to spot. The increased amount of forage and mast will allow deer to move less and bed down early."

2.) How about the deer quality. What type of body condition and antler quality are you expecting to see in deer harvested in your area this year?

Sierra: "Deer should not have experienced the usual environmental stresses this year, because of the mild winter, excellent spring and cooler summer. This should allow them to put on more body fat and use the extra nutrition to express their full genetic potential."

3.) What about fawn survival and recruitment. Do you anticipate that fawn survival will be up or down in your area this year? How about turkey and quail reproduction?

Sierra: "Fawn survival should be much better than average this year. The range conditions have been excellent this year for fawn production. The lush vegetation provided good fawning cover. It should provide the does with the nutrition to be able to produce fawns consistently with many sets of twins, and the ability to produce sufficient amounts of milk to keep them healthy.

4.) How do you think the habitat conditions on your area will impact deer, turkey and quail hunting success in 2007-08?

Sierra: "Deer hunting success may fall a bit in the upcoming season. Deer will just not have to move much to forage this year, making them harder to find. Turkey may not be affected that much since it is a spring season."

5.) On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the upcoming deer season? Explain.

Sierra: "I would rate the season as an eight. The deer will be in great condition, but harder to locate."

Mike Krueger

District 4 Leader- Kerrville, Tx. 830-896-2500

1.) The big topic on the minds of many hunters this year is rain. We are coming off an exceptionally wet summer in Texas, and that should translate to excellent habitat for the critters. What type of impact do you think all the water will have on DEER and DUCK and QUAIL hunting conditions in your area this year?

Krueger: "Deer - In a "normal" year the quantity and quality of herbaceous plants (forbs and grasses) have both become low by early-mid July in the Edwards Plateau and deer diets typically are composed almost entirely of woody browse during the late summer and early fall.

"If it doesn't rain enough in a poor acorn year, deer have to rely heavily on the leaves of live oak, which are relatively low in nutrition, to make it through the winter. This year, due to the good moisture, the quantity of herbaceous plants has remained high all summer. Forbs are arguably more nutritious and more palatable to deer than is browse, so it can be speculated that deer have been able to receive a consistently high and stable level of nutrition throughout the spring and summer.

Quail - "I speculate that this year's abundant rainfall may be a mixed blessing for quail. Nesting and security cover and food production (seeds and insects) are undoubtedly much better this year than they have been in recent past years. However, this year's excessive herbaceous plant growth may in fact be a hindrance to quail mobility, especially to young quail."

Ducks - "All of the stock tanks and lakes in the Edwards Plateau are full to capacity, so those ducks that choose to spend some time in the Plateau during the winter will have no shortage of places to stop."

2.) How about the deer quality. What type of body condition and antler quality are you expecting to see in deer harvested in your area this year?

Krueger: "I expect that both the body condition and antler quality of deer should be above average this year.

3.) What about fawn survival and recruitment. Do you anticipate that fawn survival will be up or down in your area this year? How about turkey and quail reproduction?

Krueger: "Fawn survival and recruitment is expected to be better than in the past few years. The increased nutrition available to adult does this year should translate to healthier fawns. Plus, the affects of predators should have been lower due the very good fawn security cover provided by the abundant herbaceous vegetation."

Turkey - "Rio Grande turkey production should have been good this year, due to the abundance of good nesting cover and the expected increased production of insects and other food sources.

An unknown is the effect of the prolonged periods of rainfall and the atypically cooler temperatures on egg viability and on the health and welfare of young poults. "

Quail - "Quail production in the Edwards Plateau potentially could have been negatively impacted by this year's abundant rainfall."

4.) How do you think the habitat conditions on your area will impact deer, turkey and quail hunting success in 2007-08? (If applicable, please answer in individual segments).

Krueger: "Deer hunters should be pleased with the quality of the deer they harvest this year, but hunter success/ hunter satisfaction may be reduced. In regards to turkey and quail, I would speculate that hunting success may be no better than "average" this year."

5.) If you were planning an opening day deer hunting trip on unmanaged property in your area but weren't going to have time to do much scouting ahead of time, what would you look for in a potentially good hunting area and why?

Krueger: "Deer food sources will likely be abundant and widely dispersed opening day. Therefore, deer will be dispersed, will not have to actively search for food and will not be attracted to baits."

6. Thousands of deer are killed in Texas each year while dining at corn feeders and food plots. Do you expect the lush habitat habitat conditions will cause the deer to steer clear of the supplemental feed/bait this year?

Krueger: "Yes. Due to the expected abundance of both woody and herbaceous plants and the expected good acorn production, deer will not be attracted to baits/supplemental foods this year as they would be in a year with poorer habitat conditions."

7. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the upcoming deer season?

Krueger: "I'd say 6 1/2. Antler and body quality should be high. However, success may be less than satisfactory for many hunters due to the abundant food supplies. This will discourage deer from visiting the feeders that so many of today's hunters rely on as almost a necessity to successfully harvest deer.

Quail?

"I'd give it a three. The Edwards Plateau is not typically considered a quailhunting destination. I would not expect 2006-07 to be any different.