Granite Shoals resets sights on deer population
A small herd of white-tailed deer roams the streets of Granite Shoals. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
After two years of population surveys, research, and preparation, the city of Granite Shoals is just weeks away from restarting its white-tailed deer harvesting program for the 2025-26 hunting season.
Certified deer harvesters with crossbows could be in stands as early as opening day of archery season on Sept. 27, shooting deer under special conditions at designated sites across Granite Shoals.
The city of Granite Shoals Wildlife Advisory Committee will run the program with the blessing of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department through the current Texas white-tailed deer season, which ends Jan. 4.
Harvesting will take place at 10 active sites on city-owned and private property, with three more spots identified if needed. Sites are equipped with tree stands, feeders, and backstops, and all crossbow shots must be taken within 20 yards. Residents living within 75 feet of a site will be notified and property owners contacted if a wounded deer crosses their land.
The city currently has about 30-40 certified harvesters but hopes to expand participation to as many as 100.
Hunters must:
- be 18 years or older;
- possess a Texas hunting license;
- complete a bowhunter education course;
- pass an accuracy test and a 15-question safety quiz;
- and undergo a Texas Department of Public Safety background check.
Two qualifying dates to join the program as a harvester remain this season:
- Saturday, Sept. 6, from 8-11 a.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 20, from 8-11 a.m.
Harvesting will be generally scheduled after school buses clear in the morning and again in the early afternoon to limit visibility for children, with each session lasting about two hours.
Contact the Wildlife Advisory Committee with questions and concerns, or to learn more about participating, at GSWAC78654@gmail.com.
WHY THE NEED
“When deer get diseases in an area with overpopulation, it spreads like a wildfire,” Wildlife Advisory Committee Chair Peter Hutnick told DailyTrib.com.
According to the most recent surveys of wild deer, there is an estimated one animal for every 0.86 acres in the city, which far exceeds the TPWD healthy population ratio of 8-10 acres for every deer.
This remains an issue for residents as the deer can be infected with Lyme disease, tuberculosis, rabies, and more, which can be passed along to humans or other animals
The harvesting program, which began in 2017, was halted in 2019 due to COVID-19 but returned after residents raised concerns. In its first two years, volunteers harvested 305 deer, logged more than 2,000 hours, and produced nearly 6,000 pounds of venison. Hunters may keep the venison they harvest, with leftovers donated to local food pantries.
Hutnick emphasized the program is not about trophy hunting but rather controlling herd size to a sustainable level. Thinning the herd should help prevent traffic accidents and reduce destruction to landscaping and vegetation, he explained.
The program is designed to lower the population to a number the city can realistically sustain long term, not completely eliminate the deer. The exact target number will be determined after a review of results from an August population survey.
Granite Shoals’ effort is coordinated with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which issues special deer permits that set the maximum number of harvests allowed. Nearly all harvested deer are antlerless, meaning does or immature bucks, reflecting the program’s focus on reducing reproductive rates.
According to Hutnick, alternative methods were considered, but as transporting live deer is illegal in Texas, archery harvesting was the most practical and legal option for the city. TPWD biologist Erin Wheland has been working with the city to guide management decisions and monitor outcomes.
“This is what we’re doing in the beginning, but we have to be flexible,” said Hutnick, noting that plans could shift as the program develops.