Hunters Asked To Help Rid Axis Deer From Big Thicket National Preserve

By Compiled From N... - January 3rd, 2023

Axis deer, also known as a chital (photo from Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Hawaii) NPS Photo / Glauco Puig-Santana

Hunters who hold a valid license in Texas and have a permit for hunting in the Big Sandy Creek Unit of Big Thicket National Preserve can take as many nonnative axis deer that they come across.

A preserve release didn't say how the axis deer came to be in Big Thicket, but noted that they are not native to southeast Texas and can outcompete native white-tailed deer for food and habitat.

Hunters need to currently hold a Big Sandy Creek Unit hunting permit and follow all current Big Thicket regulations for deer hunting, such as maintaining a 500-foot distance from trails and roads and hunting only in the designated hunting area.

The preserve currently has a limited number of Big Sandy Creek permits still available at the Big Thicket Visitor Center (Texas hunting license required); however hunters who have already received a permit for a different unit cannot switch.

Hunters do not need to report their numbers to Big Thicket or Texas game wardens and there is no limit on the number of axis deer that a hunter can dispatch. For questions, please contact us at 409-951-6700.

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Big Thicket National Preserve

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