Texas Game and Fish, Volume 12, Number 11, October 1954 Page: 23
32 p. : col. ill.View a full description of this periodical.
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but formed. Other unknown factors
at times produce pellets of odd
shapes and varied sizes.
From the bedding area, the feed-
ing range can be found by following
fresh tracks, as can the watering hole.
A study of vegetation along this trail
will reveal cropped off twigs, nibbled
prickly pear, or other evidence of
what and where the animal has eat-
en. The trail will also lead to the
watering point.
However, other deer will be using
the same range and leaving signs.
The evidence discussed so far will not
provide the hunter with proof that
he is on the trail of a buck. Being
larger, though, bucks will reach
higher for browse and leave bigger
tracks, but neither will give positive
identification.
It is the belief of many that they
can look at a deer track and identify
the sex of the maker. This is not a
fact. No man can positively and con-
sistently identify the sex of the Tex-
as white-tailed deer by its track
alone, although there are character-
istics by which the tracks of does and
bucks can be differentiated under
certain conditions. There are simply
too many variable factors which pre-
vent establishing a foolproof pattern
which can be applied to deer tracks
for sex identification.
In the first place, the shape and
size of deer feet are individually in-
fluenced by the soils on which the
individual deer exists, its food, age,
health, size, weight, and by heredity.
The tracks left will be altered by the
soil the animal moves on and wheth-
er it is wet or dry, hard or soft, rockyv
or loamy, and whether the animal
was walking, trotting, or running.
However, a buck's front feet are
generally longer and more pointed
before he mates for the first time. As
he gets ready to mate, he paws the
ground making his scrapes. When
he ruts and runs does, he paws at
them. Both activities cause wear on
his front feet. Likewise he carries
more weight on his front feet than a
doe has to carry because he has the
increased weight of antlers and a
swollen neck during the rutting sea-
0 Continued on Page 28Summary of Seasons
FISH - GAME - FURBEARERS
WARNING-The open seasons listed below are general state laws.
Many counties, by action of the legislature, have special laws
which differ from the general laws. A digest of Game and Fish
Laws, which notes these exceptions, may be obtained from your
local game warden, from your gun and tackle dealer, or by writing
the Texas Game and Fish Commission, Austin.
GAME ANIMALS AND BIRDS
Mourning Doves-North Zone opens 12 o'clock noon Sept. 1, closes
sunset Oct. 10. South Zone opens 12 o'clock noon Oct. 1, closes Nov.
9 at sunset. Shooting hours 12 o'clock noon to sunset. Limits, 10
mourning doves per day, 10 in possession.
Gallinules and Rails (except Coot)-Season opens Sept. 1, closes sunset
Oct. 30. Shooting hours, one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
Limits: 25 Sora per day or in possession; 15 in the aggregate of
all other kinds per day or in possession.
Brant, Coot, Ducks and Geese-Opens 12 o'clock noon on Nov. 5, closes
at sunset on Jan. 3. Shooting hours, one-half hour before sunrise to
sunset. Season closed on black-bellied tree duck. Limits: 10 coots
per day or in possession; 5 ducks per day, 10 in possession, includ-
ing not more than one wood duck and one hooded merganser, and
excepting American and red-breasted mergansers, for which bag
limit is 25 per day with no possession limit after first day; geese
and brant, 5 per day or in possession, including not more than
2 Canada geese or subspecies, or 2 white-fronted geese, or one of
each.
Squirrel-general open season October, November, December, May,
June and July. Limit: 10 per day, 20 in possession. Panhandle
season, October 1 to December 1, and May 1 to July 1, both days
inclusive; limit, five per day or in possession. West of Pecos,
season closed. Many Texas counties have special laws.
Bear, Deer, Javelina and Turkey-general open season November 16
through December 31. Limits per season: 1 bear, 2 buck deer
with pronged horns, 2 javelina, 3 turkey gobblers. Panhandle season
open on deer and turkey November 12 to November 24, both days
inclusive; season open all year on javelina; season closed on bear.
Panhandle limits, 1 buck deer with pronged horns, 2 turkey gobblers,
per season; no limit on javelina. West of Pecos, season Nov. 20 to
Nov. 25, both days inclusive on deer and bear; javelina season Nov.
1 to Dec. 31, both days inclusive; turkey season closed. West of
Pecos limits for season: 1 black bear, 1 buck deer with at least one
pronged horn, 2 javelina. Note-javelina season open all year in
many counties; no bag limit (see Game and Fish Law Digest).
Chachalaca and Quail-General season open Dec. 1 to Jan 16, both
days inclusive. Limits: 5 chachalaca per day, 10 per week or in
possession; 12 quail per day, 36 per week or in possession. Pan-
handle quail season Dec. 1 to Jan. 16, both days inclusive; limit
6 per day, 12 in possession; season closed on chachalaca. West
of Pecos quail season Dec. 1 to Dec. 31, both days inclusive;
Mearns quail and chachalaca season closed; limits: 12 per day,
24 in possession.
Wilson Snipe or Jacksnipe-Season open one-half hour before sunrise
December 20 to sunset on Jan. 3. Limit 8 per day or in possession.
FURBEARERS
All furbearers except Muskrat-December and January.
Muskrat-November 15 to March 15.
GAME FISH
seasons on game fish in Texas (except for specialThere are no closed
county laws).OCTOBER, 1954
PHEASANT-BOB WHITE QUAIL-CHUKAR PARTRIDGE
- For
SPORTSMEN - Strong Birds for restocking
GAME BREEDERS - Eggs and Chicks in Season
GOURMETS -Frozen Birds at all times
MAGNOLIA GAME FARM
P. O. Box 103, Ph. McNeil 48 Magnolia, Arkansas23
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Texas. Game and Fish Commission. Texas Game and Fish, Volume 12, Number 11, October 1954, periodical, October 1954; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1588312/m1/24/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.