TOJ’s Annual Forecast of Whitetail, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Quail and other Game Animals along with the latest from-the-field information.

Story by Bill L. Olson

In a year of plenty even novice wildlife managers look good. When veteran Texas Parks & Wildlife District Leaders and their teams of biologists get excited you know the upcoming hunting season could be one for the record books.
When it comes to whitetail deer many hunters will hold out for that buck of a lifetime. However, good management strategies should continue with surplus doe, and exotics where available, taken early in the season.
Quail hunters are also rejoicing with several years of good hatches now having been strung together. Look for larger numbers of bobs and blues across the Lone Star State to startle more hunters on a covey rise.
Plus the stage is set for waterfowl hunters. There is plenty of water and available forage awaiting migrating ducks and geese. If the predicted cold weather hits the nesting areas in the mid-west of the country look for an excellent year to hunt ducks and geese.
Here is our district by district update.
REGION 1, DISTRICT 1, Trans-Pecos (West Texas)
Phillip Dickerson, District Leader for the Trans-Pecos region said, “Conditions are pretty good. Ever since the drought (2011) things have been improving each year. While they are not great, they are good. We’ve received above average rainfall and at the end of August we are probably at least 50 percent better than we normally are at this time.
With better than average conditions both whitetail and mule deer look good. “The quality of animals available for both species this fall is as good as it can be based on the conditions. We had good reproduction and expect fawn survival to also be good when surveys are completed.”
Dickerson said there has been good carry over of older age class animals. However from a biological standpoint there is a void in that age class born in 2011. “That is something most hunters won’t realize or notice,” he said. He expects this to be an above average year for both antler development as well as body weight.

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