Time to Hunt in the Texas Hill Country

It’s hunting season time in the Texas Hill Country.

The 2021-2022 big game season for white-tailed deer and other wild game such as turkey, quail and dove draw in hunters from around the United States for its notably successful harvests.

Alan Cain, whitetail deer program leader for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, says he expects a great season throughout most of the state.

“If fawn recruitment predictions hold true, coupled with a good carryover of deer from the 2020 hunting season, landowners and hunters should expect to see an increase in the overall statewide population,” Cain say. “Statewide fawn recruitment estimates average about 39 percent, and this year, we should expect to see fawning recruitment in the 45 to 50 percent range, if not higher.”

TPWD biologists estimate that the state’s deer population is around 5.4 million deer, or a density of 49.25 deer per 1,000 acres. However, that density is not uniform across the state and those areas with better habitat tend to support higher deer populations. Cain added that the Edwards Plateau in south-central Texas has the highest deer numbers, with an estimated population of 2.06 million.

The Hill Country remains a great region, Cain said, and expectations here are above average for 2021. Hunters here should expect to see more mature bucks (5.5 years old or older) relative to other age classes because of good fawn production in 2013 through 2016.

“All areas of the state, except the Trans-Pecos (far western Texas), are looking good for the upcoming deer season,” says Cain. “Most of the state has received substantial rainfall over the spring and summer and relatively mild temperatures until late July. Habitat conditions are in great shape, and antler growth is looking really good. The Trans-Pecos has been dry, and antler quality might be down in that region of the state.”

He added that though the end of 2020 was dry and most of Texas saw freezing conditions in 2021, the late spring summer provided a “buffet of natural forages for deer.”

Cain noted hunters can expect the “exceptional” habitat conditions to moderate deer movements at feeders and blind locations early on in the season.

“With a high fawn recruitment expected this year, hunters are encouraged to fill their doe tags to help keep population growth in check, especially in the areas of the Hill Country and Cross Timbers ecoregion,” he said.

The archery-only season in the designated North Zone (to which Gillespie County belongs) for turkey and deer runs from Oct. 2-Nov. 5.

General rifle season for turkey and deer starts Saturday, Nov. 6, and runs through Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022.

Youth-only hunting weekends, for those licensed hunters 16 years of age or younger, are planned on Oct. 30-31, 2021, and Jan. 3-16, 2022.

A special late season during which harvests are restricted to antlerless deer and spikes, runs simultaneously to the late youthonly season, from Jan. 3-16, 2022.

Aside from whitetails, Gillespie County is also considered to be in the Central Zone for dove hunting.

Dove season will run from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31, and then again from Dec. 17 through Jan. 14, 2022.

The quail season across Texas will run Oct. 30 to Feb. 27, 2022.

Information on bag limits, license requirements and other general information is available from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Outdoor Annual or at tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/ outdoor-annual/.

The Texas Hill Country also has an abundant amount of non-game wildlife such as armadillos, raccoons, hawks, opossums, coyotes and numerous other birds, not to mention an occasional porcupine and skunk.

Among the factors accounting for the large populations of deer and other forms of wildlife in the Fredericksburg area is the rugged,

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Hunting is one of Gillespie County’s big attractions in the fall and winter. White-tailed hunting’s general season starts Saturday, Nov. 6 and ends Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. — Standard-Radio Post file photo

hilly terrain, which affords plenty of cover, vegetation and water to sustain the animals year-round.

In other parts of Texas, the terrain is flatter and less wooded, perhaps even converted to farmland. Also, the increasing development of housing and expanding city limits in other places has forced wildlife out of its natural habitat.

Gillespie County values wildlife. Farmers, ranchers and residents hold animals in high regard not only because of their presence, but also because of their contributions to the area’s economy.

Information on bag limits, license requirements and other general information is available from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Outdoor Annual or at tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/ outdoor-annual/.

The Texas Hill Country also has an abundant amount of non-game wildlife such as armadillos, raccoons, hawks, opossums, coyotes and numerous other birds, not to mention an occasional porcupine and skunk.

Among the factors accounting for the large populations of deer and other forms of wildlife in the Fredericksburg area is the rugged, hilly terrain, which affords plenty of cover, vegetation and water to sustain the animals year-round.

In other parts of Texas, the terrain is flatter and less wooded, perhaps even converted to farmland. Also, the increasing development of housing and expanding city limits in other places has forced wildlife out of its natural habitat.

Gillespie County values wildlife. Farmers, ranchers and residents hold animals in high regard not only because of their presence, but also because of their contributions to the area’s economy.