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PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE Saturday, October 24, 1998 Texas hunters preparing for deer season and gun-sales rules DALLAS (AP) -- Hunters in Texas are preparing for deer season and new background checks on rifle and shotgun purchases. The regular white-tailed deer season opens Nov. 7 in North Texas and a week later in South Texas. Bow hunting for deer is already underway. Not long ago, hunters and state wildlife officials were predicting a lean hunting season this fall. They figured that the long, hot summer had scorched wildlife habitat and reduced population of white-tailed deer and other wildlife. But now some of the same experts are finding renewed optimism. "We've already had reports of some good bucks being killed in South Texas during the archery deer season," said Butch Young, white-tailed deer program leader for the parks and wildlife agency. He said antlers spotted so far are better than expected. "I'd say that late spring rain in March carried those deer through the antler-growing season and helped, despite all the dry weather that followed," Young said. Shortly after the opener a new federal law takes effect that will require instant criminal-background checks on buyers of long guns. The law is the second phase of the 1993 Brady bill. Beginning Nov. 30, firearms dealers must call a federal clearinghouse to get approval for gun sales. About 200 staffers will check buyers' records to prevent people with felony convictions from buying guns. Bill Carter, president of the Texas Gun Dealers Association, predicts the call-in system will not work. "We don't believe the system that's being put in place will handle Texas on a busy Saturday, much less the rest of the country," he recently told The Dallas Morning News. "A peak sales day in America could involve more than 35,000 guns. Phone lines will be flooded with calls." The parks and wildlife department predicts plenty of deer and hunters in the Edwards Plateau, although antler production might be down a bit. In South Texas, department officials said, six months of heat and drought reduced fawn production, but the animals that survived are in good shape. They said the area between Laredo and San Antonio should be especially rich, but that the deer might not come to feeders. Deer weights and antler quality should be about average in the Post Oak region. Antlerless deer can be taken only by permit in much of the Post Oak. In the Cross Timbers, conditions are spotty to the west but better around Brownwood and Shackleford County. There should be plenty of yearling deer this fall in the Pineywoods because of extremely high fawn production last year and a good mast crop. Doe days have moved back and increased from two to four days in Nacogdoches, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby and Panola counties. Conditions should be decent in the Panhandle, although body weights and antler development will probably be subpar, state officials said. Antlers should be better than average in the Oak Prairies, a state biologist said. Fawn production will be below normal in the Trans Pecos, which is still trying to recover from a long drought.   Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below: texnews.com Reporter OnLine Local Sports Texas Sports Copyright ©1998, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below:

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