Deer
Management in Texas has changed dramatically in the
past few years. With new and
more diverse permits now available
from Texas Parks
& Wildlife (TPW), land
managers
have more
flexibility now than ever before to improve
the quality of their white-tailed deer population.
However,
with more choices comes more potential for confusion.
I hope the following
information will
help you become more familiar with your options:
Wildlife
Management Plan (WMP)
Whether you are a landowner, a land manager, or a hunter, the
starting point for any wildlife management
practice is the Wildlife Management Plan (WMP). The WMP indicates
your goals, the
status of the current population, the condition of the habitat, the
current land management practices,
and the history of the deer management. Many of the
permits require a
WMP prior to their issuance. (more
information)
Deer Census
A portion of the WMP will include the status of the current
population. Deer
population censuses are vital to
maintaining
the density that
you desire. Various census
techniques
can be used
depending on location and habitat types.
Certainly the most popular
are Helicopter, Spotlight, and
Video Census.
(more
information)
Managed
Lands Deer Permit (MLD)
Landowners/ Land Managers wishing to have more flexibility in
managing their deer population through
traditional hunting measures can obtain an MLD. There
are several levels
of MLD Permits that can allow you the flexibility of extended
seasons, enhanced
bag limits,
and
choice of weapons. (more
information)
Antlerless
Deer Control Permit (ADC)
Landowners/ Land Managers who wish to manage their deer
population with a specified number of
individuals can obtain an ADC Permit. This permit allows for
designate harvesters
to remove a
portion of the deer population. This permit is often used when a
large
number of animals are needed to be removed by a few individuals.
(more
information)
Trap &
Transfer Permit (TTT)
Landowners/ Land Managers who wish to restock their
ranch
with native
white-tailed deer or improve the genetics of
their current
white-tailed deer population can obtain a TTT
permit. (more
information)
Deer Breeder Permit
(DBP)
Landowners who wish to own, breed, sell, or restock properties
with
privately owned white-tailed deer can obtain a
DBP.
Under this
permit, a breeder actually owns the animals and can propagate, sell, or purchase these similar
to
other forms of
livestock. Deer belonging to a permitted Deer Breeder belong to the individual, however, if released from the Breeder Facility, the deer enters into the
state’s population and becomes property of the state of Texas.
(more
information)
Deer Management Permit (DMP)
Landowners who wish to pursue selective breeding as
part of their
white-tailed deer management can obtain
a DMP. There are
several levels of DMP’s that allow
the permittee to detain deer
in an enclosure for breeding
purposes. This permit is often used
when a landowner
wishes to breed a deer owned under a Scientific
Breeder
Permit with deer belonging to the state of Texas.
(more
information)
