By Justin Walker
Communications Specialist
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is conducting two public scoping meetings this week to gain insight on a proposed doe season in 21 counties.
Bastrop and Caldwell counties will host the meetings, with information and discussion on a proposal that would implement a four-day doe season in the surrounding area, according to TPWD white-tailed deer program leader Alan Cain.
“If folks want to show up and hear about the proposal and hear about some of the data we have regarding the deer populations in these counties, these would be a great opportunity to hear that and provide your thoughts on the proposals,” Cain told the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network.
The proposals presented at the scoping meetings will hopefully be presented at the January commissions meeting for TPWD, Cain said.
Deer populations in these counties have increased by about three percent annually, he said.
“On average in the last 13 years, we have seen this steady progression in the number of deer in those areas,” Cain said.
Currently, antler harvest in the area is only conducted through the Managed Lands Deer Permit (MLD) program, which provides landowners a better way to manage deer populations.
This proposed season would provide local hunters who do not wish to be in the MLD program an extended opportunity to manage their populations, according to Cain.
“That’s why we are looking to propose a four-day doe season in those counties, potentially for next year,” he said.
The season would begin on Thanksgiving Day, Cain said, and conclude on the Sunday following the holiday.
The Bastrop County meeting was held Jan. 15 at the Commissioner’s Courtroom in Bastrop.
The Caldwell County meeting is set for 7 p.m. today, Jan. 17, at the Scott Annex Building in Lockhart.