AGSC 381 Hunter Education

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AGSC 381 Hunter Education

• Big Game Animals In Texas

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Objectives

• Identify game species in Texas
• Elk, White-Tailed, Mule Deer
• Determine
• Description
• Range
• Habitat/Habits

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Elk (WAPITI)

• Description
• Large, hoofed mammal
• Cream colored rump patch
• Small cream colored tail
• General reddish-brown body with chestnut brown
  neck (mane in males)
• Huge spreading antlers on males in summer and
  autumn
• Range
• In Texas, free roaming elk are limited to the
  trans-pecos region
• Some private herds are not considered game
  animals located in Central and South Texas
  regions

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Elk (WAPITI)

• Habitat/Habits
• Lives in semi-open forest, mountains, meadows,
  foothills plains, and valleys
• Herbivorous- eats grasses, forbs, some brush,
  twigs/bark
• Usually migrate to higher elevations in spring
• Live 14 years and males are polygamous (breeds
  more than one female)
• Ruts start in September calves born in May-June
  normally one calf per cow - spotted

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Elk
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WhiteTailed Deer

• Description
• Small to medium hoofed mammal with reddish brown
  to blue-gray or tan colorings
• Underside of tail is white
• Antlers on male consist mainly of main beam with
  tines growing from it
• Range
• Texas has the most white-tailed deer of any state
  (over four million)
• Texas hill country is most densely populated area
  in the country
• West Texas and the Panhandle are the only spotty
  areas with whitetails

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White-Tailed Deer

• Habitat/Habits
• Lives in forest, swamps, open brushy areas,
  foothills plains and river bottoms
• Herbivorous- eats forbs, browse, wigs, shrubs,
  acorns, fungi and some grasses
• Limited movement (rarely more than one to two
  miles)
• Lives to 16 years in the wild
• Male is polygamous (breeds more than one female)
• Rut starts in October through December, spotted
  twin fawns are normal

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White-Tailed Deer
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Mule Deer

• Description
• Medium to large hoofed mammal with reddish
  (summer) to blue-gray (winter) coloring
• Rump patch is cream colored with black-tipped
• Cream colored tail
• Ears are larger than white-tailed deer
• Antlers are dichotomous (branches equally---not
  all from one beam)
• Range
• Located primarily in the High Plains and
  Trans-Pecos regions (west)
• Some Mule Deer overlap with ranges of Whitetail
  deer

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Mule Deer

• Habitat/Habits
• Live in forest, desert shrubs, chaparral,
  grasslands, plains, foothills and river bottoms
• Herbivorous- eats forbs, browse, shrubs, twigs,
  and some grasses
• Migrate similar to elk, but in Texas limited
  movement may occur
• Lives to 16 years in the wild
• Male is polygamous (breeds more than female)
• Rut starts in October through December
• One to two fawns are typical - spotted

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Mule Deer
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Work Sheet Activity

• Use the work sheet provided and identify the
  specie.
• List one or more physical descriptions
• Name the range/area
• Name habitat or habits

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Happy Hunting