Category

Whitetailed Deer

Under pressure from screwworm outbreaks, and from hunters equipped with repeating rifles, dogs, traps, pitfalls, snares and night lights, whitetailed deer population declined dramatically into the 1950s. However, with the advent of effective screwworm control, and the introduction of hunting seasons, bag limits, predator control, and cooperative management among landowners, deer numbers have boomed. Current concerns about deer center on the spread of chronic wasting disease, and the ethically and genetically-fraught problems of captive breeding and high-fence hunting operations.

Interviews

Narrator: Dede ArmentroutTitle: Less FitDuration: 00:02:40Date: June 22, 1999Dede Armentrout, a biologist and former National Audubon manager, points out the risks of privatizing and breeding wildlife, a trend affecting whitetailed deer.Narrator: Al BrothersTitle: Habitat and HerdDuration: 00:01:51Date: February 22, 2000Mr. Brothers, a wildlife biologist for Texas Parks and Wildlife and several large private ranches, speaks about experiences in whitetail deer hunting, and the vital importance of good habitat and herd management.Narrator: David LangfordTitle: A $3 Billion IndustryDuration: 00:02:56Date: February 13, 2006David Langford, a landowner and photographer long active with the Texas Wildlife Association, speaks about the importance of hunting, especially for deer, for the state's habitat and rural economy.Narrator: Shannon TompkinsTitle: Trophy HuntingDuration: 00:02:13Date: June 15, 2020Shannon Tompkins worked as an outdoor writer for the Houston Chronicle and Beaumont Enterprise for 40 years. Here he describes his view of how the pursuit of trophy antlers has changed the culture and practice of deer hunting in Texas.