Quote:
Our game ranger told me that he couldn't come on our property without our permission - even if someone was poaching. Of course, he could (and does) catch them when the get in their vehicles and drive onto a county road.
He also told me he wouldn't care if we took a deer or two or three or four or... as long as we eat them and aren't tropy hunting. We are so over run with deer in this area it's not even funny! They are a REAL problem. If you want to plant a veggie garden, you'd better plant three or four times as much as you think you want, because the deer WILL eat your plants and veggies. Even with the dogs barking their dang fool head off!
All the guys in our family have lifetime hunting licenses, so I am not up on the regulations - just know that over the years the licenses have paid off by not having to buy a tag for archery, black powder and gun season for deer and turkey.... and another tag for doe season.
Dee, I think you are correct. It is when the person puts the deer in their vehicle and gets on a public road that the Department of Wildlife acquires jurisdiction to check for deer. Under your scenario, you could shoot and process them without ever leaving your property. Deer are definately a challenge for a rural gardner. My mother had chicken wire around her young trees - in the middle of a housing addition in San Antonio - to keep the deer that ran the creek a few blocks from her house from eating her trees while they were getting established.
Teach - I hadn't thought about herd management within the state as being the reason the Department of Wildlife has oversight over the deer and such. Have the rules changed or are you still required to buy a license AND a deer tag each year?
