The other national pasttime

Published 3:06 pm Wednesday, October 30, 2024

This weekend is the official coronation of the “national” past time of Texas.

The 2024-2025 edition of the whitetail general season began Saturday morning. All the tune up trips with the rifle sighting, feeder fillings and game camera updating are over and its time for the show to begin.

There will be first timers that are 7 years old and some will be starting their 50th season in the deer woods. Family and friends gathering at the deer camp, locally or halfway across the state to hunt and share the outdoor experience.

Its official enough for some school systems to shut down entirely for opening week and probably one of the most common school absentee days of the year.

We deer hunt. Always have, and likely always will.

Some deer and Texas facts that may surprise some are as follows:

Texas is the home of the most deer hunters (around 800,000) and Texas is also home to the most deer of any state. Numbers vary but somewhere around 5 million Whitetails call Texas home.

Around 500,000 deer are harvested annually in Texas, also number one in the nation.

This next fact shocked me but in 2021 nearly 1.2 million hunting licenses were sold which extrapolates out to only 4.0 out of 100 Texans which is the 16th fewest in the US. Whitetail deer adapt quickly to their habitat and coexist well even in some urban areas.

Longview has a very healthy deer population thriving inside the city limits. The nature trails around town are in great whitetail habitat. Greenbelts are a synonym for deer woods. Greenbelts nearly always include a stream that provides everything the deer need to flourish.

Thick cover, food sources and of course water to drink are all the deer need to exist in or out of town.

Saturday morning, when everything is coming into view from your deer stand take a moment to soak it all in.

Always use safe hunting practices and pass along ethical hunting beliefs. If a deer is outside of your range, DO NOT take a shot. Know your equipment and its limitations as well as your skill set and limitations. Learn and know what is beyond your shot.

This is part of gun safety but it never hurts to repeat. Modern firearms, especially centerfire rifles have tremendous range and an acceptable “backstop” or safe downrange is mandatory. Check online or use the Texas Parks & Wildlife Departments digital handbook for rules and regulations for your county.

This is especially true is you will be hunting elsewhere across the state. Plan your trip and know the rules before arriving.

Good luck and enjoy the 2024-2025 Texas deer season.