Program studies reproduction rates of area deer
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The Goliad County Wildlife Management Association will hold a White-tailed Deer Breeding Chronology Field Day in March 2010, but to attend the event you will have to complete a homework assignment this hunting season.
Scott Mitchell, O'Connor Ranches wildlife biologist, will conduct the field day and will continue his study of the reproductive potential of white-tailed deer in the Southern Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, which primarily consists of Calhoun, Goliad, Refugio and Victoria counties.
Mitchell and two Victoria County 4-Hers, Megan Lesak and Chris Wood, spent the better part of two hunting seasons measuring fetuses from harvested does to ascertain when the doe was bred.
The data to date indicates that our region has the earliest breeding season in the state.
Ordinarily, our hunting season is scheduled during the peak of breeding season, which gives the hunter an advantage because the big buck is being preoccupied with his thought patterns during the rut.
But Mitchell, as well as many hunters in the region, has often indicated that they do not observe an abundance of breeding activity during the general rifle season. Mitchell decided to collect breeding chronology data, compare it with past studies, and see if any of the data would be useful in adjusting an optimal opening date for hunting seasons in the future.
During the 2007-08 hunting season, 57 does were sampled in-utero and 97 percent carried a total of 100 fetuses. In the 2008-09 season, 94 percent carried a total of 94 fetuses. Some does were carrying triplets, some twins, some only had one and some were open.
In 2007-08, the mean conception date was Oct. 30. The majority of the breeding occurred in two peaks: one occurred mid- to late October; and one mid-November. Fifty-five percent of the does were bred by the opening week of general rifle season, and 86 percent were bred by the second week of the general season.
In 2008-09, the mean conception date was Oct. 18 and the two breeding peaks of late October and mid-November were prevalent once again.
Mitchell's in-utero observations were validated with spring parturition dates or fawning dates. Parturition dates peaked in mid April and again in mid July, just as he observed with the two breeding periods in-utero.
This study shows that most land managers in the region could utilize this fetal aging technique to observe site specific breeding chronology. Fetuses must be at least 8 weeks old to begin to use the fetal aging technique.
During the season, while field dressing the harvested doe, remove the fetus and place in the freezer until the March field day. Further information will be given regarding instructions and location of the field day next year.
With this data wildlife managers in the area might need to petition Texas Parks and Wildlife in regard to our hunting season.
For more information on how to become a member of the Goliad County Wildlife Management Association, please contact my office, or any of the WMA directors.
Brian Yanta is a Goliad County Extension agent.
