The South Texas Brush Country is Long Noted for Trophy Whitetails

Texas boasts the largest whitetail herd in the nation numbering approximately 4 million animals.  The majority of those deer can be found outside the more expensive regions of the South Texas Brush Country.  Hunters harvest approximately 400,000, or 10%, of the states renewable resource every year.

Based on surveys by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Brush Country ranks third in deer population, trailing the Edwards Plateau (Hill Country Region) of Central Texas, and the Pineywoods Region of East Texas.  The north-central Cross Timbers region and the Post Oak Savannah are right on the heels of South Texas for sheer numbers of deer.

The Hill Country is the mother lode, harboring almost 50 percent of the state’s deer population and a hunter-success ratio of close to 100 percent. And it’s a pleasure to hunt: a mix of cedars, oaks, and mesquites amid rolling, rocky terrain.

The typical deer hunter would be thrilled to tag a mature 8-or 10-point buck that scores in the 130″ B&C range in South Texas, though most hunters familiar with that region have even bigger hopes and expectations.

The long whitetail season, which begins in early October (for archery) and extends into January for most regions, provides plenty of opportunities to book a hunt.  Private land is the rule and most of the ranches are low-fenced.  Three or four strands of barbed wire designed to control livestock have no impact on the movements of the free-ranging deer.  Since deer can travel freely from one ranch to another, managing the herds can be difficult.  This can work to the budget hunter’s advantage.  Few, if any, monetary restrictions on antlered bucks exist on those places.

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