Granite Shoals deer not as dumb as they look
Glynis Crawford Smith/The Highlander
Granite Shoals deer continue to happily graze their urban terrain for a heavy nutritious acron crop and the detremental but delictible corn supplied by residents. Does appraently have grown wary of the same 'junk food' offered by archery hunters in a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department-sanctioned urban deer program.
By Glynis Crawford Smith
The Highlander
City deer turn out to be as crafty as they are numerous and not nearly as dumb as they look standing in the middle of traffic, judging by a report presented by the Granite Shoals City Council on Jan. 10.
Overrun by urban deer, the city received permission from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) to conduct a pilot archery program to reduce their numbers. The program with stringent rules for hunters and hunting sites was organized by the Granite Shoals Wildlife Committee and the program began Oct. 4.
“Why is it, after a grand total of 762 hours donated by volunteers, we have just 71 deer removed,” asked Mayor Carl Brugger. “This is a good report and we want to thank the committee, but I am just wondering why the number seems low.”
The fact that committee chairman Jason Brady was absent because he was busy arranging for delivery of a kill to a food bank was evidence that harvesting has not ceased. But, as committee member Todd Holland explained, does seem to be wise to the committee's fixed-base program with permits for antler-less deer only.
“In my last seven sits, I have had zero success,” said Holland. “In the front end, we had great success, but from the period of this report—Nov. 8-Jan. 3—not so much, just 25 deer.”
“You would think they would all figure it out, but the bucks are dumb,” he said. “We have to chase them away and sometimes they are right behind us when we climb into the blind. Bucks were turning over the feeders until we tied everything down.”
Holland said several factors have added to declining harvests, including a heavy acorn crop and breeding activity.
“But the does seem to be wising up to our activity,” he said. “The total has come to a painful near halt.”
The report said that the average weight of a dressed deer in the program was 57 pounds that works out, at $12.99 per pound retail, to 1,424 pounds of venison harvested, valued at $18,497, so far in the program. That includes 395 pounds donated to Abundant Heart Ministry Church and 105 pounds to Joseph's Pantry.
Neither the report, no Holland commented on another factor that could have an impact on the harvest. TPWD warned the program could not be successful unless feeding in the city ended.
Citizens voted down a “No Deer Feeding Ordinance” option on the Nov. 8 ballot.
The meeting was a lengthy one, but most items were devoted to discussion, rather than action. Among agenda items approved was an amendment to the meeting decorum resolution. Citizens are always allowed to address the council, even in the opening of the meeting on issues not included on the agenda. Nothing prevents citizens from talking outside meetings to their elected officials and city staff, or from sending them letters or emails. However, the council agreed that statements aiming at some kind of meeting record, would have to be presented by the writer in person at the meeting.
Official council minutes are required to report the action of the council, although they may include some remark about citizen statements. But requests for having emailed or postal-delivered statements read into the audio recording in absentia have been coming in.
The council agreed that statements would have to be brought personally by the writer to the meeting, even if only submitted in written form as material presented at the meeting.
