South Plains Counties Welcome Additional Wardens for the 9 Day Mule Deer Season
Lubbock district Game Wardens will be dedicating extra patrol hours and manpower to the Mule Deer season which occurs in certain southwestern panhandle counties and runs from November 19th -27th.
The west Texas mule deer attract hunters from across the state and around the country to the southern plains of Texas to have a chance at harvesting a buck. The 9 day general season is open to hunters with a valid Texas hunting license and permission to hunt on property. Legal harvesting methods include the use of permitted firearms, or archery equipment. The bag limit is one buck per legal hunter, and does not allow the take of mule deer does unless a special MLD permit is obtained.
Lubbock district public information officer Aaron Sims, says this is one of the busiest times of the season, and as such they are calling in reinforcements. “We receive numerous reports of illegal poaching activity leading up to and throughout the nine day hunting season. Due to the sharp increase in activity, we are bringing in additional wardens from across the state to assist in patrol efforts. They will patrol during legal daytime hunting hours as well as late into the night to deter illegal hunting.” Sims also acknowledges that even with the additional assistance, illegal hunting can and will occur outside the presence of the wardens. Sims is asking the general public to be extra vigilant in the coming weeks. “A good sportsman knows the importance of protecting the resource, and we get numerous tips from hunters who are in the field and see suspicious activity such as hunting from a county road. It’s simple, if you see something suspicious, say something.”
Also, for the first time in recent years, the wardens will have the Texas Parks and Wildlife airplane to spot potential suspects from the air. Sims is excited to have the eyes in the sky as it is important for the wide open rural topography. The pilot and spotter, who are also highly trained game wardens, will be able to fly over the vast area and call out specific coordinates of suspected poachers to the wardens patrolling on the ground. The airplane, which will fly both during the day and night, will allow the wardens to see for miles and to deter against potential illegal spotlight or road hunting activities.
The increased enforcement marks the third year in a row that Game Wardens from other parts of Texas are being called in to assist. The potential violations range from improperly tagged deer, to more serious violations such as hunting deer at night, and hunting on property without landowner consent. Hunting deer without consent carries a punishment of a state jail felony and potential loss of hunting and fishing privileges in Texas and other US states. Area wide landowners and citizens are encouraged to report any and all game violations that occur. The public can access their local game warden’s contact information online, or they can anonymously report to Operation Game Thief hotline by calling 1-800-792-4263 (GAME).
