I have seen the pictures of truck-loads of frozen blackbuck, axis, and other exotics. I had thought Nilghi might have survived due to larger body size, but have learned they are very susceptible to the cold.

Main question--how much effect did the cold-spell have on whitetail survival, it having come when the bucks were at their post-rut weakest?

Suspect the hog population didn't suffer at all.

quote:

Main question--how much effect did the cold-spell have on whitetail survival, it having come when the bucks were at their post-rut weakest?

Northern whitetail survive cold that makes what happen in Texas seem down right balmy.

From many of the pictures of dead exotics, it appeared they were in open pastures with no protection from the elements and not in a wild environment of brush and woods.
An unfortunate situation for the animals and their owners.

Have game managers, Fish/Wildlife Service, ranchers reported any decreased census of whitetail deer-- bucks in particular? Maybe we have to wait till we can see some antler growth for a decent evaluation.

Whitetails in South Texas were unaffected, flew a helicopter survey of 2 ranches, and everything was normal. A lot of the Exotics, that were lost were in the hill country, and some Nilgai on the southern costal area. All in all it wasn't that bad.

I read in DSC's Game Trails mag that some fallow deer and red sheep were lost. Fallow deer are a european species and I think red sheep come from the mountains of asia. They should have been able to take the cold. The nilgai did better in heavy brush where there was a wind break. Feral hogs did well, of course.

For axis, ones that did not have protection and were in velvet were the hardest hit. The blood flow in the growing antlers is exposed to the cold. I had friends that lost their velvet axis, but not the hard antlered or antlerless ones.

Whitetails are over-populated in most of their habitat in Texas. If some were lost to the weather then that is probably beneficial in the long-run. However, since Texas whitetails rut long and hard (often several times from October into early January), there might have been some extra mortality among mature bucks which are run-down and in weakened condition after the rut.

On the other hand, widespread rains across the state right now (mid-May) will certainly help with fawn survival and antler development.

Nothing in nature is static. "Good" years and "bad" years occur at nature's whim. Sometimes she deals a straight flush and other times none of the cards match in either number or suit.

Kill approx 70% of the Blackbucks in my area.

We hunted the Kennedy Ranch for Nilgai back in late March. We found a lot of dead nilgai, probably at least 20 in two days.