The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will be hosting a Deer Symposium in Childress on Friday, October 29. While this is the first time conducting this specific deer symposium, Dana Wright, Texas Parks and Wildlife Natural Resource Specialist IV, hosts presentations like this frequently and covers topics that benefit people in the area, like Texas kangaroo rats and mule deer antler restrictions. Wright said that landowners and hunters alike will benefit from the information at the symposium as well as wildlife recreation land buyers.
Wright said the symposium came about after Texas Parks and Wildlife finished up a 5-year project covering the movement of mule deer in relation to cropland. She felt that the results and data found in the project could apply to local landowners in the panhandle.
Many of the topics chosen for the symposium originated from the theme of the 5-year project, but others were chosen simply because Wright had seen these presentations given before and was amazed by them. She said that she wanted to find a way to get this information to the people in the panhandle. Another advantage that came when selecting topics is that Wright works with hunters and landowners; she knows the information they need to have and if they aren’t currently aware of new information.
“People will be sitting on the edge of their seats; the information is that good,” Wright said.
Wright said she is excited to be able to offer this opportunity for people to come learn things they haven’t before. She said there will be information on how the deer are moving, using the landscape, showing before and after growth pictures and that it is a great way to meet other landowners.
The Deer Symposium will be held at the Mashburn Event Center, located at 1100 7th Street in Childress from 8:30 a.m. to the last presentation starting at 3:00 p.m. Lunch will be catered by Top Notch BBQ. Pre-registration is required for the event and can be done by filling out the form at the Childress Chamber of Commerce before Friday, October 22 with checks made payable to the chamber. For more information, contact Dana Wright at 806-269-1031 or email dana.wright@tpwd.texas.gov.
Deer Symposium Full Schedule
8:30 a.m. – Registration
9:00 a.m. – Mule Deer Antler Restriction, Is It Working? with Shawn Gray, TPWD Mule Deer and Pronghorn Leader
9:30 a.m. – Mule Deer and White-tailed Deer Hybridization in Texas and Beyond with Jim Heffelfinger, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Wildlife Science Coordinator
10:00 a.m. – Mule Deer Home Ranges and Movement Relative to Agriculture with Levi Heffelfinger, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute
10:40 a.m. – Break
10:50 a.m. – Corteva LandVisor Program with Jodie Stockett, Corteva Range and Pasture Specialist
11:15 a.m. – Culling for Genetic Change, Does it Work? with Randy DeYoung, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute
12:00 a.m. – Lunch catered by Top Notch BBQ
1:00 a.m. – Chronic Wasting Disease in Texas with Mitch Lockwood, TPWD Big Game Program Director
1:45 a.m. – Mule Deer Body Size, Age and Antler Development with Levi Heffelfinger, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute
2:20 a.m. – Deer Management-Putting It All Together with Jeff Bonner, TPWD Technical Guidance Biologist
2:45 a.m. – Break
3:00 a.m. – Pesticide Laws and Regulations with Ryan Martin, TAMU AgriLife CEA