Texas Parks & Wildlife

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.”

Two last-minute opportunities to take the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Hunter Education course will be presented locally this month on Oct. 15 and Oct. 22.

The general deer hunting season is from Nov. 5- Jan. 1 and new special season is Jan. 2-15. Any hunter born after Sept. 2, 1971 must have successfully completed a mandatory Hunter Education Training Course and have the certification, plus a valid Texas Hunter license and photo ID, with them while hunting. Hunter Safety is not required to buy a hunting license, but it is required for an individual to hunt alone, without the accompaniment of another hunter who is either certified or was born prior to Sept. 2, 2971.