Drought impacts mule deer antler growth in Texas Long-term drought has resulted in massive reverberations across the West. In Texas, it has impacted mule deer, particularly herds in the Panhandle and Trans-Pecos areas. With archery season already underway and general season on-deck in a just a couple of weeks, hunters should be aware that, this year, antler growth is below average even though herd health is still holding steady, according to the Texas Farm Bureau. “I would say the chances of bagging a mule deer would probably be average, but the antler production is going to be quite a bit below average just because we didn’t have any moisture during the antler development time,” said Shawn Gray, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) mule deer and pronghorn program leader. Low fawn production is also linked to “timely rains, and its impact on forages.” Currently, the average mule deer fawn crop in the Trans-Pecos and the Panhandle is 30% to 35%, which Gray acknowledges should s
Post: 16 November 18:25
