Seasons – July 2020

• Look at the vegetation on your property. Checking browse pressure on desirable vegetation is an excellent indicator of the deer population. If deer are eating a lot of low quality forage and there are no desirable shrubs to be found, then you have too many deer, regardless of what your surveys indicate.
• Keep harvest records. The condition of deer harvested says a lot about what is happening in your deer herd as well. If it is a lean year for rain but the deer are still heavy with fat, then your population is probably in pretty good shape. Recording field dressed weight, antler size, and body conditions are important. You should also age each deer to one of three categories – young (0.5-1.5), middle-aged (2.5-3.5), and mature (4.5+).

Deer surveys typically start in August and there is a limited window (August-October) in which to get them done and determine harvest recommendations before the general deer season starts.

You don’t have to be perfect at your Wildlife Management activities, but you (or someone you hire) do have to do them. If you need help or have questions please contact us at (512) 894-3479 or [email protected]

An Update on Chronic Wasting Disease

By Shane Kiefer, Director of Ecological Services, Certified Wildlife Biologist and Registered Property Tax Consultant

Hunting in Texas is currently over a two-billion-dollar industry that is supported by rural lands and landowners that will persist as long as the access is available. Since its 2012 emergence in Texas in a free-ranging mule deer population, chronic wasting disease (CWD) has changed the game for some hunters across the state. This is an update to a 2017 article about regulations and CWD management by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) in an attempt to control the spread of CWD.

What Hasn’t Changed

Chronic wasting disease is still here and still spreading. The CWD tracking page lists 169 positive cases of CWD in Texas, including 1 case in a red deer and 3 in elk. That’s up from 50 confirmed cases in mid-2017. The most recent discovery in a free-range population was in Val Verde County in early 2020. The neurological disease is only seen in the Cervidae family which includes deer, elk, and moose. The disease seems to be limited to a subset of cervids including all those native to North America as well as sika deer and red deer. The CWD prions (infectious, misfolded proteins) are shed in the waste and body fluids of infected animals and can persist in the environment long after any infected individuals are gone. CWD has been reported in 24 states since its discovery in Colorado in 1967. The Centers for Disease Control recommends testing susceptible species harvested from known CWD locations before consumption. There are still no recorded transmissions to humans and animal research models offer no clear evidence that transmission is possible. The good news is that the regulations and management TPWD and TAHC have set in place for CWD have limited the spread in Texas to a handful of counties.

Information for Hunters

CWD Zones with mandatory sampling will continue in the future within certain areas of Texas. For the 2019-2020 hunting season, these areas included the Trans-Pecos, the Panhandle, South-Central Texas, and Val Verde County. Deer harvested within these containment and surveillance zones must be brought to a TPWD check station within 48 hours after harvesting and restrictions on carcass movements apply. Deer head waivers must be obtained from a check station before transporting an intact head from any CWD zone. Along with TPWD’s regulations, the TAHC requires all susceptible exotics (red deer, sika, elk, reindeer, black-tailed deer, moose, and any subspecies and hybrids of these species) harvested statewide to be tested as well.

Future Deer Hunting in Texas

It has been 50 years since the discovery of prions in captive mule deer in Colorado. CWD has spread to 24 states in the U.S., as well as Canada, South Korea, and Norway. Mandatory regulations from TPWD and TAHC will aid in controlling the spread of the disease to animals, as well as to the environment, although it may never disappear from areas it now inhabits, due to its ability to bind to minerals in the soil.

Prevalence rates in Texas are low but they will increase over time as seen in areas that have had CWD for longer periods. The disease spreads naturally in free-ranging populations but long-distance movements that result in new disease centers are best explained by human activities – the movement of deer between captive facilities or movement of infected carcasses/tissue. While we are still learning about long-term impacts on animal populations, there is evidence that the disease can result in steep declines over time. The slow-moving nature of the disease means answers about real-world impacts will come slowly.

As always, Plateau’s mission is to assist “owners of rural land to increase value by conserving, restoring and/or improving their property’s native wildlife and habitats through science-based solutions.” Unhealthy deer should be reported immediately to TPWD authorities, but if you have concerns or questions please give us a call at (512) 894-3479.

One of the better articles you can read about CWD is on the Texas Wildlife Association’s website. The Texas Parks and Wildlife website has abundant resources about CWD and current rules and regulations set in place for hunting in Texas can be found in the Outdoor Annual.

Know Your Risk, Save Your Land

Risk Management Considerations for Landowners by Braun & Gresham