By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter

Texas landowners are running out of time to sign up for the program that gives them an extended deer hunting season and more liberal bag limits.

The enrollment period for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) Managed Lands Deer Program (MLDP) Conservation Option closes June 15.

“It’s really a program about habitat conservation, deer harvest and providing landowners some flexibilities and tools,” Alan Cain, TPWD’s white-tailed deer program leader, said. “The department is encouraging habitat management on private lands. For the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to be successful in wildlife conservation and carry out our mission in Texas, we’ve really got to have a government agency/public entity in a partnership with private landowners in Texas.”

MLDP’s harvest and conservation options give enrolled landowners more harvest opportunities, including the method of take, depending on the particular option a landowner is enrolled in.

“Part of the program is recognizing that deer harvest is an important aspect of habitat management and wildlife conservation,” Cain told the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network. “Landowners that enroll in this program are able to take advantage of an extended deer season, which runs from around Oct. 1 to the end of February.”

Under the conservation option, participants have the opportunity to work with a TPWD biologist to receive customized, site-specific habitat and deer harvest recommendations and MLDP tags for white-tailed or mule deer.

“You can harvest buck and antlerless deer from about Oct. 1 to the end of February with any legal means. So, you can hunt in October with a firearm, and that’s a very attractive benefit that people like about the conservation option,” Cain said. “It does provide that flexibility, and you’re provided more site-specific harvest recommendations for the tag issuance because we’re using deer population data collected on that ranch to determine the harvest recommendation for the property.”

The conservation option does require some work, in addition to hunting, from the landowner.

“It does require a wildlife management plan. We’re going to provide specific habitat management recommendations to help you meet your deer harvest management goals and your wildlife and habitat management goals on the property,” Cain said. “You have to conduct some sort of annual deer population data and provide that to our staff because that’s what we’re going to use to make the harvest recommendations.”

At the end of the MLDP season, enrolled landowners must report the number of bucks and does harvested on the property. Those enrolled in the conservation option must also report the three habitat management practices they completed for the year.

“The conservation option is more in-depth, but you get a lot more flexibility in terms of general tag issuance and the ability to harvest bucks early in October,” Cain said.

Landowners enrolled in the conservation option who successfully turned in their harvest log before the deadline should be automatically re-enrolled in the option for the upcoming season unless the landowner has opted out.

The harvest option is more of a self-serve program for landowners. It does not require the same work the conservation option does.

“It’s intended for landowners that may not need as much assistance or are maybe just looking for a couple of tags or the benefits of an extended season,” Cain said. “It doesn’t require a wildlife management plan, any data collection or habitat management practices to be conducted.”

Those who apply for the harvest option on the Land Management Assistance website enter their information and the system automatically generates MLDP tags for that property.

“The nice thing about the harvest option for landowners is you can choose to either have tags issued for antlerless deer, bucks or both bucks and antlerless deer,” Cain said.

Those hunting on a property enrolled in the harvest option with buck tags can only harvest branched antler bucks in October with legal archery equipment.

“Around the first weekend of November to the end of February, you can harvest bucks with a firearm or any legal means, but antlerless deer or spike bucks, or a buck with unbranched antlers, can be harvested with a rifle anytime between Oct. 1 through the end of February under the harvest option,” Cain said.

Landowners must still turn in a harvest log at the end of the MLDP season. Enrollment is not automatic. Landowners previously enrolled in the harvest option must re-apply every year they’re interested in participating.

The deadline to sign-up for the conservation option is June 15.

Enrollment for the harvest option remains open through Sept. 1.

Cost for an individual property under the conservation option is $300 for the first management unit and $30 for each additional management unit. Cost is $300 for an aggregate site and $30 per management unit for a wildlife management cooperative member.

Enrollment in the harvest option is $30 per management unit for an individual property and $30 for an aggregate site.

Interested landowners can estimate their tag issuance and apply here: lma.tpwd.state.tx.us.