In the pages of Texas history, the significance of game wardens shines through, particularly in the context of white-tailed deer hunting. This historical era was characterized by lax game laws and minimal enforcement, where hunters often took matters into their own hands, wielding dogs and shotguns loaded with buckshot, and setting their own bag limits with a shoot-first, ask-questions-later approach.
19th Century
Back in 1895, a mere four-game wardens patrolled the vast expanse of the Texas coast. However, as the 20th century dawned, momentous changes were afoot. In 1903, Texas established a bag limit of six fork-antlered white tails for November and December. By 1907, the term “Game” was integrated into the mission of the Fish and Oyster Commission. The pivotal moment arrived in 1909 with the issuance of the state’s inaugural hunting license, even as Texas’ population stood at just over three million residents.
A game-changing event occurred in 1919 with the recruitment of six game wardens entrusted with enforcing game and fish laws. Their ranks would swell to 80 by 1928. The year 1933 witnessed the establishment of national forests spanning 500,000 acres in East Texas, prompting the migration of residents to outlying regions. Simultaneously, changes in deer hunting seasons and bag limits were introduced. In 1923, the Texas Legislature instituted a general hunting season from November 16 to December 31, with a two-forked-antler buck bag limit. In 1932, confiscated fawns from the Hill Country found a new home in East Texas, marking the first white-tailed deer restocking effort. Around the same time, Texas Game and Fish magazine made its debut under the aegis of the Game, Fish, and Oyster Department in 1942.
Great Depression
The trying years of the Great Depression inflicted hardships not only on the human population but also took a toll on Texas’ wildlife and livestock. As economic turmoil gripped the nation, the impact extended far beyond the realm of human suffering. The very balance of nature was disrupted, and the well-being of both game and domesticated animals was in jeopardy.
In the midst of this crisis, the federal government took unprecedented steps to safeguard Texas’ wildlife resources. In 1930, federal trappers were mobilized with a singular mission: to eliminate over 20,000 predators that posed a significant threat to the delicate ecological balance. This formidable task involved confronting a spectrum of formidable predators, including mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, bobcats, jaguars, and ocelots. The concerted effort to reduce predator populations was seen as essential to protect not only the game animals but also the domestic livestock upon which many Texans relied for their livelihoods.
The scale of intervention was immense, as evidenced by the distribution of an astonishing 300,000 poison baits across the state. These baits were strategically placed to target not only the larger predators but also creatures like skunks and crows, which had a detrimental impact on game birds and animals. It was a desperate and audacious measure, born out of the growing realization that the natural order of Texas’ wildlife needed to be preserved and nurtured during these trying times.
It became increasingly apparent that the very survival of game birds and animals was in jeopardy. The intervention by federal trappers and the widespread use of poison baits, while controversial and fraught with ethical questions, underscored the urgency of the situation. It served as a stark reminder that during times of crisis, the preservation of the natural world is intimately intertwined with the well-being of society itself. In this chapter of history, the extraordinary efforts made to protect Texas’ wildlife during the Great Depression reflect the profound and enduring connection between humans and the delicate ecosystems they inhabit.
New Era of Regulation
Texas hunters responded by actively engaging in predator control, resulting in the elimination of 14,736 coyotes, 422 wolves, 2,280 bobcats, one jaguarundi, and three ocelots in 1944, marking a 10% increase from the previous year. This endeavor not only provided recreational hunting opportunities but also served as a source of income through fur sales. The last jaguar in Texas was recorded in 1948 near Kingsville, and the final two Mexican gray wolves vanished into history in the Big Bend region in 1970.
The implementation of comprehensive game and fish legislation in conjunction with the establishment of a game warden academy in College Station in 1946, along with the addition of 14 new game wardens, marked significant steps towards enforcement in Texas. Remarkably, as late as 1952, the state’s deer harvest was estimated at 50,000 fork-antlered bucks, predominantly from the Edwards Plateau and South Texas.
The 1950s ushered in a new era of regulation, bestowing the Texas Game and Fish Department with the authority to define hunting seasons and bag limits. By 1962, this jurisdiction extended to 129 counties. This period also witnessed experimentation with the harvesting of antlerless deer, while spike bucks remained protected. Notably, three counties – Gillespie, Llano, and Mason – paved the way by issuing doe permits in 1957. This practice gained momentum statewide, leading to the issuance of “antlerless” deer permits in areas with thriving deer populations. In 1961, Llano County recorded a harvest of 7,099 does, nearly matching the buck harvest of 7,794. Furthermore, the experimental harvest of spike bucks in Kerr County’s Kerr Wildlife Management Area and Anderson County’s Gus Engeling WMA culminated in the statewide legalization of spike buck hunting in 1962. These changes, coupled with the inclusion of all bucks and several thousand antlerless deer, drove the total state harvest to an astonishing 200,000.
Comprehensive Restructuring
The watershed year of 1961 witnessed a seismic shift in game management. The Game and Fish Commission underwent a comprehensive restructuring based on recommendations from The Texas Research League, leading to the establishment of nine commissioners, an executive secretary, Austin-based staff, and five regional headquarters. This reorganization empowered the state agency to expand its regulatory and protective measures, safeguarding Texas’s wildlife resources. In 1963, the Texas Game and Fish Commission transformed into the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, ushering in significant strides in wildlife management. Funding from the Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937, which levied excise taxes on firearms and ammunition, allocated proceeds to states based on hunting license sales. Simultaneously, the agency’s publication underwent a rebranding, emerging as Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.
By 1962, the menacing threat of the screwworm fly in South Texas and the Hill Country had been vanquished. The ’40s and ’50s witnessed the agonizing demise of thousands of deer, afflicted by the flesh-eating larvae deposited on flesh wounds and navels of adult and fawn deer. The successful control of screwworms marked a pivotal moment in both ranching and wildlife conservation. In its aftermath, white-tailed deer populations experienced a resurgence. Consequently, deer habitats in the Edwards Plateau and South Texas reached their ecological limits. During this period, roughly 300,000 deer hunters, constituting 5% of the license-age population of six million, took to the woods in pursuit of their quarry. Texas secured substantial federal aid funds for wildlife restoration and management, guided by regulations set and supervised by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The 1960s witnessed a surge in wildlife biologists, supported by federal aid, and game wardens, mandated by legislative action. This influx of personnel led to sweeping changes, substantially enhancing hunting opportunities throughout the state.
By 1962, the menacing threat of the screwworm fly in South Texas and the Hill Country had been vanquished. The ’40s and ’50s witnessed the agonizing demise of thousands of deer, afflicted by the flesh-eating larvae deposited on flesh wounds and navels of adult and fawn deer. The successful control of screwworms marked a pivotal moment in both ranching and wildlife conservation. In its aftermath, white-tailed deer populations experienced a resurgence. Consequently, deer habitats in the Edwards Plateau and South Texas reached their ecological limits. During this period, roughly 300,000 deer hunters, constituting 5% of the license-age population of six million, took to the woods in pursuit of their quarry. Texas secured substantial federal aid funds for wildlife restoration and management, guided by regulations set and supervised by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The 1960s witnessed a surge in wildlife biologists, supported by federal aid, and game wardens, mandated by legislative action. This influx of personnel led to sweeping changes, substantially enhancing hunting opportunities throughout the state.
With the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department equipped with ample financial resources and personnel, the transplantation of pronghorn (antelope), white-tailed and mule deer, and wild turkey from thriving populations to unoccupied habitats within the state became a feasible endeavor. Extensive trapping of white-tailed deer on the Aransas Wildlife Refuge and King Ranch, initiated after World War II, resulted in the translocation of thousands of white-tailed deer to selected areas east and north of the Colorado River. All white-tailed deer stocking initiatives proved successful, commencing with an initial group of 30 bucks and 70 does. Consequently, hunting seasons were temporarily closed for five years. Today, virtually every county east of the Pecos River and south of the High Plains hosts a white-tailed deer season, with the 27-county Edwards Plateau (Hill Country) accounting for half of the state’s deer and hunters.
With the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department equipped with ample financial resources and personnel, the transplantation of pronghorn (antelope), white-tailed and mule deer, and wild turkey from thriving populations to unoccupied habitats within the state became a feasible endeavor. Extensive trapping of white-tailed deer on the Aransas Wildlife Refuge and King Ranch, initiated after World War II, resulted in the translocation of thousands of white-tailed deer to selected areas east and north of the Colorado River. All white-tailed deer stocking initiatives proved successful, commencing with an initial group of 30 bucks and 70 does. Consequently, hunting seasons were temporarily closed for five years. Today, virtually every county east of the Pecos River and south of the High Plains hosts a white-tailed deer season, with the 27-county Edwards Plateau (Hill Country) accounting for half of the state’s deer and hunters.
The 1960s witnessed the inception of significant deer hunting contests, spearheaded by Leone Garza’s My Grande Deer Contest in 1965. Held at his Texaco gas station in Freer, it marked the first competition of its kind in Texas and ignited interest in several more deer contests. Collectively, these contests attract hundreds of entries, with major events in Laredo, Nuevo Laredo (Mexico), Pearsall, Freer (two), and Ingram, along with numerous smaller-scale contests. As white-tailed deer populations thrived across the eastern part of the state, deer hunting evolved into a cherished outdoor pursuit.
In 1975, the release of Al Brothers and Murphy Ray’s publication, “Producing Quality Whitetails,” signified a watershed moment. The book initiated groundbreaking endeavors centered on the age, nutrition, and genetic principles underlying quality deer management. For the first time, landowners and hunters extended their focus beyond hunting, setting the stage for the modern era of deer management.
Throughout these chapters of Texas’s wildlife history, game wardens stood as unwavering guardians of the state’s natural heritage. They ensured that hunting practices were conducted responsibly and that wildlife populations remained robust and sustainable. The role of game wardens was pivotal in shaping the trajectory of Texas’s rich legacy of white-tailed deer hunting. Their presence and dedication continue to be indispensable in preserving the integrity of Texas’s natural resources for generations to come.