Prospects for young and adult deer hunters, both locally and across the rest of Texas, are going to be better than some people may have thought. A droughty summer and fall had game biologists and hunters worried about wildlife production, the physical condition of game animals and antler growth - but TPWD game counts and observations, along with some help from late rains, have caused some guarded optimism concerning hunting prospects. This may be one of those years when you want to harvest 'cull' animals or your annual sausage supply early because of poor range conditions. We have a good supply of both deer and turkeys, but when the first frosts hit this area the wild game's forage supply will drop rapidly and you can expect wildlife to suffer from diminishing food sources. It will be both humane and wise to harvest early and leave more food for animals and other wildlife that must survive the winter.
Game wardens have all the fun.
Two thoughts come to mind concerning the Knox County arrests. The are some extremely greedy hunters in this world - and there sure must have been a lot of doves in Knox County. Dumont helps get improved fishing reports Area fisherfolk owe local TPWD fisheries biologist Spencer Dumont, and the TPWD folks in Austin, a vote of thanks. Lest you forget, there was a long period of time when only a couple of regional lakes appeared in the fishing report, but because you complained and Spencer worked on the problem, we are now getting comprehensive reports from most lakes in the area. Next time you see Spencer, buy him a cheeseburger and let him know how much you appreciate his, and the TPWD's, efforts.