Category

White-tailed 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: Charles DeYoungTitle: Chronic Wasting DiseaseDuration: 00:02:58Date: August 22, 2024Dr. Charles DeYoung is a wildlife biologist who has studied white-tailed deer for over 40 years, while also serving as a research scientist, professor, and director at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute in Kingsville. Here he discussed the history of Chronic Wasting Disease, a slow-acting yet lethal and politically controversial infection afflicting deer, elk and moose.Narrator: David HewittTitle: Caesar KlebergDuration: 00:04:40Date: May 25, 2024Dave Hewitt is a wildlife biologist who serves as Executive Director of the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute in Kingsville, Texas, and who has long been involved in white-tailed deer research. Here he tells the story of Caesar Kleberg, who helped run the King Ranch from 1900 through 1946, and who was also an early leader in recognizing the national decline of deer, and the need to restore them through hunting restrictions and relocation efforts.Narrator: David HewittTitle: Suburban HomeDuration: 00:03:35Date: May 25, 2024Dr. David Hewitt, Executive Director of the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, is an experienced white-tailed deer researcher. Here he talks about how deer, rare in their native habitat a century ago, have prospered and multiplied in the manicured gardens of America's suburban neighborhoods, and how this situation has led to management puzzles and conflicts. 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.