Letter From the Founder
As I write this letter, deer season is winding down. The general season is over, and a few ranches are still using MLD permits to harvest more does. I’d like to report on a good season, but it wasn’t there. Drought and quality bucks don’t mix, and we had a seriously dry spell that started in 2008. Most of the trophy bucks that I heard about from South Texas came from very well managed ranches with feeding programs. North Texas had a better spring and summer, and several outstanding bucks were killed north of I-20. All in all, 2009 will go down as a slow deer season.
On a brighter side, many landowners in Texas have thicker wallets, now that most deer hunters have come and gone. A lot of small landowners in Texas couldn’t stay on the ranch without deer-hunt money coming in each year. I feel good knowing that deer hunters add a substantial amount of income to landowners who have deer habitat. Sure, there are concerns about the cost of hunting, but hunters come back year after year because Texas has the best whitetail hunting in the lower 48.
Texas is unique in that we have property rights and trespass laws that are more progressive than many other states. Landowners in Texas can put up deer feeders and hunting blinds without worry that someone will steal them. Our trespass laws and local game wardens are a strong deterrent to anyone thinking of illegally killing a deer, or stealing a feeder or blind. Deer management is successful in Texas because we have the controls necessary to manage deer. This is not the case in many states east to the Atlantic Coast.
Now that we have had some good rains (and we can expect more), the outlook for 2010 is very promising. A lot of older bucks that failed to put on good racks because of the drought are still out there. With a little help from Mother Nature and some supplemental feed, next season should produce some outstanding bucks.
A good form of spring recreation is to look for shed antlers. If you search your hunting area, you may find some sheds that will spark your interest for next season. Another good spring activity is varmint hunting. The demise of a few coyotes in March and April could save some fawns in June and July.
We should have a good spring. The flowers will be blooming and the turkeys will be gobbling. It will be a good time to teach the kids how to shoot a .22 or catch perch with a cane pole. Regardless of what you do out in the wild, be sure to take the kids along. They are the future of hunting in Texas.
Now for my political soapbox: Don’t forget that there are a lot of politicians inside the Beltway of Washington, D.C. who would like to take away our guns and our right to hunt. Remember, folks up in the Northeast didn’t grow up in the outdoors like we did and don’t understand anything about our hunting heritage, which is a way of life in Texas. Not only is hunting good for the economy, it is a priceless form of outdoor recreation. I cannot stress enough how important it is to become politically active. These are just a few of the reasons why we have joined forces with the NRA to work towards preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals to purchase, possess, and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment. Did you know that there are many hunters out there who are not registered to vote or who do not bother to vote because they did not feel that their single vote would make a difference? If you didn’t vote, you should have; it can make a difference. Every election—local, state and national—is important and the “hunting nation” must step up and get involved or we could loose it all. Look for us to provide more information on hunting, land, and water rights in upcoming issues of The Journal. Get involved, get educated on the issues, and vote. Your vote is one of the most powerful weapons you have to protect your freedoms.
