Weather, population control, and other management strategies try to balance the impact Mother Nature provides.

Story and photography by Bob Zaiglin

Persevering the devastating pandemic ‘Covid 19’ that wreaked havoc not only in Texas but around the globe, Texans had to endure another obstacle — winter storm Uri in mid-February of 2021.  With single digit temperatures and seven inches of snow accumulation twice over a seven-day period, it reminded us once again just how unforgiving Mother Nature can be.

The frigid temperatures crippled the state’s power grid, leaving people without electricity, in some cases for weeks, throughout much of the Lone Star State.  The ramifications of the storm were debilitating to people and devastating to wildlife, particularly two of the most abundant exotic ungulates in the state, with hundreds if not thousands of axis deer and blackbuck antelope succumbing to the storm throughout the Hill Country.  The impact it had on the avian community has yet to be determined.  On the bright side, however, white-tailed deer, equipped with a well-insulated winter coat fared well.

Some normalcy returned to the state in April with relaxed demands pertaining to Covid, but South Texans faced yet another harsh reality, severe drought, which negatively impacts all wildlife, but more importantly the revered white-tailed deer, particularly when it comes to antler size.

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