Archery season opens up, drought concerns top list

Texas white tail deer hunters will get their first opportunity to chase that buck they have been dreaming of since last season ended as the 2023-24 season gets underway this Saturday. The archery only season should be a good bench mark as to how much the state-wide drought has affected the deer herd. Hunters in east Texas as well as the panhandle, west, and south Texas have

been extremely dry for most of the year, especially during the critical months when young deer as well as antlers grow.

Archers who took the time to feed all year long, either with food plots or deer feeders, should be in for plenty of action as many areas are nearly void of natural vegetation. The only consistent food source for many of Texas’ 4 million plus white tails has been of the supplemental variety courtesy of land owners and hunters. With the available forage being so scarce in many areas it’s obvious that any place with a good supply of water and food has the potential to be a bona fide hot spot.

For many archery hunters this Saturday’s opener will be a culmination of months worth of work. One area where archery folks really excel over gun hunters is in the area of practice shooting and knowing their weapon. Most bow hunters routinely shoot throughout the year and have a much greater understanding of what their weapon is capable of doing. The sport of archery hunting is exciting but you do need to pay attention to the details and variables that go along with this style of hunting and that’s where good instruction and service really come in handy. Luckily for us here locally we have Precision Archery in Bridge City to take care of those problems and provide service that is second to none. If you have a problem with your bow or need some help concerning the sport of bow hunting this is the place to go, they are the best at what they do.

Now as of this writing it looks like the forecast will be warm for the weekend, low’s in the low 70’s and high’s in the low 90’s with high humidity. No it’s not ultra cold like most hunters would like but it’s also not 100 degrees plus either like it was just a few weeks ago. Now I am not 100 percent sure yet and I will need to do some checking but according to several folks I have spoken with the almanac says we are in for a wet and cold winter. That forecast may be music to many hunters ears but that remains to be seen if comes true. Fortunately for the first time in quite a while the local

conditions look much better than the majority of the state. Recent rains have come at a very opportune time and at this point we will all take everything we can get. If you are headed out this weekend for the archery opener be safe and remember to wear your safety harness when hunting from an elevated stand and don’t forget to purchase your new hunting license. Nobody wants to start the season with an accident or a ticket so be prepared and enjoy the time in the woods.