Good news for hunters! Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologists anticipate an exceptional white-tailed deer season this fall. The 2024-25 archery-only season kicked off Sept. 28 and hunters should expect to have good harvest numbers and opportunities for quality bucks.
“Given that over half the state experienced excellent habitat conditions this spring, it will be another great season to pull the bow out and spend time hunting,” said Blaise Korzekwa, TPWD Whitetailed Deer Program Leader. “Whether you’re looking to fill the freezer with venison or harvest the trophy of a lifetime, it will be time well spent in the field this year.”
Much of the state received drought-quenching rain in the spring, which allowed for excellent habitat growth during the initial part of the growing season. Even those regions that missed out on spring rainfall will still have a good number of mature bucks this season.
Spring forb (weeds and flowering plants) production, which is a critical component of a deer’s diet coming out of winter, was abundant and offered essential nutrients to boost antler development in bucks and aids does in meeting lactation demands for nursing fawns. Additionally, the improved habitat conditions over the summer helped keep fawns healthy enough to survive their first few months (also known as fawn recruitment).
While the archery-only and Managed Lands Deer Program seasons begin Sept. 28, the general season opens more than a month later, on Nov. 2. The general season runs through Jan. 5, 2025, in the North Zone and Jan. 19, 2025, in the South Zone. A youth-only gun deer season is set in both zones for Oct. 25-27 and Jan. 6-19.
Landowners and hunters play a critical role in managing Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Before heading to the field, hunters are reminded that several new CWD zones are in place for the 2024-25 season, and some have transitioned to voluntary sampling.
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