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This 5.5 year old buck was killed on a free range ranch in Burleson County last week. He has 19 scorable points that gross B&C 181 2/8 and nets B&C 176 3/8 non-typical. The smallest mass measurement was 4 2/8 for a total of 39 1/8 inches of mass.Thursday, November 20, 2008
Huge Burleson County Buck
This 5.5 year old buck was killed on a free range ranch in Burleson County last week. He has 19 scorable points that gross B&C 181 2/8 and nets B&C 176 3/8 non-typical. The smallest mass measurement was 4 2/8 for a total of 39 1/8 inches of mass.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
"Cat Squirrels"
Recently, I sat face to face with a “cat squirrel” as it debated its next move. I sat motionless, wondering what I would do if this bushy-tailed creature, complete with sharp, tiny claws decided to lunge into my lap. During the last several weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to spend hours perched in a water oak tree waiting for deer to travel down their trail which meanders through the woods just yards from the banks of the Navasota River. While deer sightings have been few and far between, the gray squirrels, or “cat squirrels” are abundant in the river bottom this year and have provided hours of entertainment as they scamper from limb to limb and tree to tree chattering and barking as they feverishly search for, eat, gather, and bury acorns.
Gray squirrels are scientifically classified in the Order Rodentia along with porcupines, rats, mice, beavers, and other gnawing mammals. Their scientific name is Sciurus carolinensis although they are more commonly known as “cat squirrels” because of their agile movements and nervousness which resembles that of a cat. The gray squirrel is a medium-sized squirrel with dark yellowish rusty upper parts, especially on the head and back. The legs, arms, sides of neck, and sides of rump have gray-tipped or white-tipped hairs, giving these parts a gray appearance. Hairs of the tail are dull yellow at the base, then blackish, and tipped with white. The belly is white and ears have a conspicuous white spot at base in the winter. The gray squirrel averages 18 inches in total length with a tail averaging about 8 inches. Adults weigh between 11 and 21 ounces. Cat squirrels are highly gregarious and noisy. When the woods are otherwise quiet and still, these squirrels can be heard “cutting” acorns and constantly “barking”. The voice is described as being a c-h-u-c-k c-h-u-c-k c-h-u-c-k repeated rapidly and followed by a buzz and finished with a grunt. When one squirrel is alarmed, it will sound a warning “bark” as if to instruct the others to remain quiet until the danger has passed.
In Texas, gray squirrels’ native range is confined to the eastern 1/3 of the state. Within this range, they are confined to the river and creek bottoms. They make their homes in large, forested areas of mature hardwoods where the canopy is dense enough to permit them to leap from tree to tree through the crowns, without descending to the ground. Optimum habitat includes a mixture of mature hardwoods including oak, sweetgum, pecan, hickory, beech, and elm with an understory of mulberry, hornbeam, yaupon, huckleberry, and holly. As with most wildlife species, habitats with greater variety of trees, shrubs, and vines are home to a greater number of squirrels.
Although young gray squirrels may be found anytime of year, there are 2 main breeding periods – winter and summer. With a gestation period of 42-44 days, most young are born in February-March and August-September. Litter sizes vary from 1-4 young per litter. Young are born naked, blind, and deaf, without any teeth. They are completely dependent on their mother until they gradually grow teeth and hair and their eyes and ears are opened. At 14 weeks of age, they become independent of the mother. Gray squirrels prefer to raise their young in tree cavities 20-30 feet above the ground. During the summer or where tree cavities are limited, adults may bring forth young in leaf nests carefully constructed of twigs and leaves and lined with shredded bark, plant fibers, and grasses. There are usually 2 openings to these nests. Nests are used throughout the year as resting places and for refuge. They are strongly built to withstand wind and rain.
Gray squirrels spend tireless hours obtaining food both for now and later. Their primary food source is hard mast such as acorns, pecans, and hickory nuts so they must bury these items when available in the fall and uncover them throughout the year. Other food items included in their diet include: fruits of yaupon, hawthorn, blackberry, mulberry, and grape; maple and elm buds; moth and butterfly larvae; fungi; and grass seeds. To maintain proper body condition a gray squirrel must consumer 0.2lb of food per day. According to one calculation, it would take 7 water oaks and 15 red oaks to produce enough acorns to feed 2 squirrels for a year. This calculation does not take into account the competition these squirrels have with deer, fox squirrels, raccoons, opossum, woodpeckers, flickers, bluejays, flying squirrels, crows, rats, mice, and feral hogs for these same acorns. As a result, it is vitally important to the existence of gray squirrel populations that forests be managed to maintain an abundance of mature, mast producing oaks and pecans.
Land fragmentation, timber harvest, and competition with increasing populations of white-tailed deer and feral hogs in the river and creek bottoms of east Texas pose a real threat to gray squirrels. Many whom have childhood memories of hunting gray squirrels in the woods behind their parent’s or grandparent’s homes have given up the sport in pursuit of more productive endeavors because of reduced squirrel populations in recent years. Mature hardwoods have been cleared or thinned to make room for home sites, subdivisions, roads, or for profit from timber harvest. However, where dense stands of mature oaks and pecans remain in and along the river bottoms, gray squirrels thrive - especially after a good mast producing fall like we experienced in 2007. When clearing timber on your property, remember the cat squirrels and other creatures that rely on the acorns for food and the natural cavities for den sites. When sitting in the woods, hunting deer, hogs, or ducks, take a minute to recognize the barks of cat squirrels and their constant feeding activity accentuated by nervous movements and agile leaps from treetop to treetop.
Gray squirrels are scientifically classified in the Order Rodentia along with porcupines, rats, mice, beavers, and other gnawing mammals. Their scientific name is Sciurus carolinensis although they are more commonly known as “cat squirrels” because of their agile movements and nervousness which resembles that of a cat. The gray squirrel is a medium-sized squirrel with dark yellowish rusty upper parts, especially on the head and back. The legs, arms, sides of neck, and sides of rump have gray-tipped or white-tipped hairs, giving these parts a gray appearance. Hairs of the tail are dull yellow at the base, then blackish, and tipped with white. The belly is white and ears have a conspicuous white spot at base in the winter. The gray squirrel averages 18 inches in total length with a tail averaging about 8 inches. Adults weigh between 11 and 21 ounces. Cat squirrels are highly gregarious and noisy. When the woods are otherwise quiet and still, these squirrels can be heard “cutting” acorns and constantly “barking”. The voice is described as being a c-h-u-c-k c-h-u-c-k c-h-u-c-k repeated rapidly and followed by a buzz and finished with a grunt. When one squirrel is alarmed, it will sound a warning “bark” as if to instruct the others to remain quiet until the danger has passed.In Texas, gray squirrels’ native range is confined to the eastern 1/3 of the state. Within this range, they are confined to the river and creek bottoms. They make their homes in large, forested areas of mature hardwoods where the canopy is dense enough to permit them to leap from tree to tree through the crowns, without descending to the ground. Optimum habitat includes a mixture of mature hardwoods including oak, sweetgum, pecan, hickory, beech, and elm with an understory of mulberry, hornbeam, yaupon, huckleberry, and holly. As with most wildlife species, habitats with greater variety of trees, shrubs, and vines are home to a greater number of squirrels.
Although young gray squirrels may be found anytime of year, there are 2 main breeding periods – winter and summer. With a gestation period of 42-44 days, most young are born in February-March and August-September. Litter sizes vary from 1-4 young per litter. Young are born naked, blind, and deaf, without any teeth. They are completely dependent on their mother until they gradually grow teeth and hair and their eyes and ears are opened. At 14 weeks of age, they become independent of the mother. Gray squirrels prefer to raise their young in tree cavities 20-30 feet above the ground. During the summer or where tree cavities are limited, adults may bring forth young in leaf nests carefully constructed of twigs and leaves and lined with shredded bark, plant fibers, and grasses. There are usually 2 openings to these nests. Nests are used throughout the year as resting places and for refuge. They are strongly built to withstand wind and rain.
Gray squirrels spend tireless hours obtaining food both for now and later. Their primary food source is hard mast such as acorns, pecans, and hickory nuts so they must bury these items when available in the fall and uncover them throughout the year. Other food items included in their diet include: fruits of yaupon, hawthorn, blackberry, mulberry, and grape; maple and elm buds; moth and butterfly larvae; fungi; and grass seeds. To maintain proper body condition a gray squirrel must consumer 0.2lb of food per day. According to one calculation, it would take 7 water oaks and 15 red oaks to produce enough acorns to feed 2 squirrels for a year. This calculation does not take into account the competition these squirrels have with deer, fox squirrels, raccoons, opossum, woodpeckers, flickers, bluejays, flying squirrels, crows, rats, mice, and feral hogs for these same acorns. As a result, it is vitally important to the existence of gray squirrel populations that forests be managed to maintain an abundance of mature, mast producing oaks and pecans.
Land fragmentation, timber harvest, and competition with increasing populations of white-tailed deer and feral hogs in the river and creek bottoms of east Texas pose a real threat to gray squirrels. Many whom have childhood memories of hunting gray squirrels in the woods behind their parent’s or grandparent’s homes have given up the sport in pursuit of more productive endeavors because of reduced squirrel populations in recent years. Mature hardwoods have been cleared or thinned to make room for home sites, subdivisions, roads, or for profit from timber harvest. However, where dense stands of mature oaks and pecans remain in and along the river bottoms, gray squirrels thrive - especially after a good mast producing fall like we experienced in 2007. When clearing timber on your property, remember the cat squirrels and other creatures that rely on the acorns for food and the natural cavities for den sites. When sitting in the woods, hunting deer, hogs, or ducks, take a minute to recognize the barks of cat squirrels and their constant feeding activity accentuated by nervous movements and agile leaps from treetop to treetop.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Another Notable Harvest
This buck was killed in Madison county this past week. It is hard to tell from the picture, but this 10 point grosses 169 1/8 B&C and nets 165 even. This 4 1/2 year old has an inside spread of 18 7/8, 4 tines over 9 ½ inches, and 15 ½ inches of brow tines. These are local genes on a low fence ranch.
HWMA 10 Point
Here's a game camera picture of what appears to be a good little 3 1/2 year old 10 point captured on game camera by someone in the Harvey WMA. Thursday, November 6, 2008
Great Local Bucks!
Low fence...Brazos County...gross B&C 146 1/8...net B&C 140 3/8
Low fence...Brazos County...not yet scored
Low fence...Madison County...gross B&C 151..net B&C 147 5/8 Friday, October 31, 2008
Great Local Deer!
Below are game camera pictures taken on a low fence, free range ranch in our area. He appears to be a typical 12 point with 3 additional "kickers" for a total of 15 points. His estimated Boone & Crockett score is in the low 170’s. He appears to be 4.5 years old. Therefore, this landowner is choosing not to harvest him this year in an effort to allow this buck to mature another 1 to 2 years. This is just one example of what can happen when bucks are allowed to reach maturity in our area. 
If you have pictures that you would like posted on this blog, please send them to harveywma@gmail.com. Unless you want to be recognized, specifics about the location of deer pictured will be kept anonymous.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Aging Bucks on the Hoof
Deer hunting season has already begun for those of us who have the patience to sit in the tree with a bow and arrow and willingness to tolerate the mosquitoes and warm October afternoons. As you know, the keys to having large-antlered bucks on your property are providing nutrition, maintaining genetics, and allowing the bucks to reach maturity. The genetics to grow large antlers are already present in white-tailed deer populations of Brazos, Grimes, and Madison Counties. Much of the river bottom habitat provides an abundance of native plants providing quality nutrition. In most cases, the factor limiting antler quality in our area is age. Most of the bucks we see while sitting in deer stands or on our back porches are less then 3 1/2 years old. They have not yet reached maturity and, consequently have not grown their biggest set of antlers.
While aging deer "on the hoof" is more of an art than a science, the educated hunter and wildlife observer can learn to adequately determine if a buck has reached maturity and/or should be harvested. The physical characteristics which help define the different age classes can vary with geographic location, health of the animal, time of year, observer bias, and individual animal variations. By studying bucks carefully before harvest and comparing age estimates based on tooth-wear and replacement with "on the hoof" estimates, one can hone their aging skills on a particular ranch or geographic area. The following are some general characteristics which should be used to distinguish between young, middle-aged, and old deer:
- Young deer have: (1) long legs, (2) long, thin necks, (3) high flanks, (4) rumps higher than their shoulders, and (5) an overall slim, dainty appearance
- Middle-aged deer have: (1) thick, muscular necks, (2) heavily muscled round hind quarters, (3) bellies that are full, but not sagging, (4) legs that appear proportional to their torsos, (5) flat backs that do not sway
- Old deer have: (1) swayed backs, (2) "pot-bellies" which lack musculature, (3) heavy necks and shoulders, and (4) legs that appear short and stubby
Classifying bucks as 1 1/2, 2 1/2, 3 1/2, 4 1/2, etc. is not a precise science. However, there are some researchers and authors who have published some useful guidelines and training tools. Click here for an article from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine archives that paraphrases text and introduces a book written by Dave Richards and Al Brothers which I introduced on this blog months ago. This book contains very good pictures of deer from south Texas which follows the same deer throughout their life and antler progression. Mississippi State University Extension Service also has a publication titled A Hunters Guide to Aging and Judging Live White-tailed Deer in the Southeast which includes a some good pictures and descriptions. Click the title or find the link on the right of this blog to view this publication.
When you go hunting, take a good pair of binoculars, be aware of the ways that lighting conditions, the deer's distance from you, the angle you are viewing the deer from, and the amount of adrenaline flowing through your blood can affect the way you perceive that buck. Take time to study the characteristics of his body before looking at his antlers. Remember, once you pull the trigger, the decision is final and his antlers will never grow to be any larger.
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