White-tailed deer are found all over the United States. There are an estimated four million white-tailed deer living in Texas. They are often solitary animals but can be found in herds ranging in various sizes. White-tails eat mostly forbs (weedy plants) and shrubs and can be found in wooded and brushy areas of the state. Deer do not migrate but remain in an area around one square kilometer in size (about 7 square city blocks) year-round.
White-tailed deer can be seen in many urban areas where deer overpopulation is a problem. Many homeowners feed the deer because they enjoy watching these browsers from their windows. The problem with feeding deer is that they can become a nuisance. Once they get comfortable eating the corn provided for them, they have less fear of humans and will eat landscape plants and garden vegetables. Deer love to eat the tender new growth of plants, often eating roses, and other favorite landscape plants. Feeding deer also leads to more fawns being born, and while that may sound desirable, it can lead to overpopulation which usually means starvation for many animals. This is an issue many urban areas are dealing with today.
Early September rut begins. Bucks (male deer) use their antlers to fight each other and win does (female deer). Only the bucks possess antlers. The rut season lasts for several months, the continuous fighting can be very hard on the bucks and can cause some to die. In the spring the bucks lose their antlers and begin to grow new ones, normally larger than the year before. Late spring and throughout summer is when the does begin to have their fawns. The fawns are brown with spots covering their backs. The spots create a camouflage for the fawn and protect it from predators. Often they are left alone for hours at a time, while the mother feeds. Sometimes fawns are found by hikers and others in the woods and thought to be orphaned or abandoned. Like most animals, deer mothers do not abandon healthy offspring. They are usually nearby and watching while humans carry the fawn away intending to “rescue” the baby. The best thing to do if you find a fawn in the wild is to leave it alone. They are very cute but they don’t need to be rescued by humans, what they need are their mothers and when you go away, the mother will return.
South Texas produces the biggest white-tailed deer, due to the protein in the brush that the deer eat there. During a spring of average precipitation, the nutritional value of some brush can exceed 21 percent crude protein. Even the ubiquitous prickly pear cactus, which contains about seven percent crude protein, is fortified with carbohydrates, representing an important source of energy for deer. This is particularly important for mature bucks during the post-rut period when they experience substantial weight loss. Prickly pear represents a valuable energy source when deer need it most and is plentiful in South Texas.
777 Ranch History
777 Ranch is the premier hunting ranch in the United States and has been for well over 50 years. The Ranch was acquired by African Dangerous Game Professional Hunter Jeff Rann and has never been the same. The ranch has been in operation for decades and the herds that call the ranch home are unique, exotic, and challenging to hunt. The ranch is home to over 60 species of animals from 80 different countries spanning 5 continents. The game on 777 Ranch is unlike anything you could ever hope to find in the wild.
Each animal is managed and kept so that the animal that you are hunting is going to be healthy a perfect specimen, and they are also going to have big horns. The brush of Southern Texas is similar to the brush of Africa making the location of the ranch perfect for a wide range of species. The animals are all healthy, they are given access to medical care as needed, and they have been bred with the best genetics in mind. The game at 777 Ranch is also allowed to fully mature so hunting an exotic like the Dama Gazelle is going to get you a fine specimen that is perfect for any hunter.
Owner & Professional Hunter
There’s nothing we love more than talking about 777 Ranch and helping you arrange the stay & hunt of a lifetime. This is our favorite place in the world — and we can’t wait to make it yours, too. Reach out today to let us know what you want to do and when you want to do it!
