LEVEL 3 MLD, Need some help

My landowner gave me the option to go level 2 on the track of land I hunt this year.

I did not do that since I see that the only plus would be to take does in bow season with a rifle.

If I understand correctly Level 3 allows the harvest of any buck or doe starting September 28 with a rifle.

I know there are requirement that need to be met by the landowner, but think we are there.

Let me know if I am correct in my understanding and maybe why I do not want to do this.


Thanks

That is correct. You can take any deer by any legal means as long as you have permits

Thank Tye.

Any reason someone would not want to be level 3 ?

The landowner reason is to take does off early.

He mainly does not like them eating his winter crops, and want to keep the numbers down.

My goal is to take a nice buck early before they disappear, when bow season starts.

I did see more does this year than bucks, with most of the bucks being in the 2 1/2 year old age group.

Some 3 1/2 few 4 1/2.

Saw the Big guys before bow season, then they were gone.

Killing your doe early in the season insures they are not bred. Also, shooting late season is risky as some bucks around us start losing their horns. Killing doe is an essential process to any good management plan.

Level 2 you will start getting issued buck tags and be able to hunt them all until Feb28th. Going to three means more requirements.. usually pulling jawbones too. Only plus is that you can hunt early.. id just get a bow if I were you.

Your quotas will be more strict also.. meaning they will give you a minimum and maximum bucks and doe to harvest. will depend on your biologist but most will want 3yr old and better 8s and 4yr old or better tens taken. They do not set the quotas for you not to meet them..

You will get just as much benefit hunting late rutted down buck coming to feed as you would hunting early. Except some may jump the fence, die from rut, and more broken up bucks will be common

As the MLD levels increase the requirements do go up. Your landowner will have to submit age, weight and some basic antler information on deer harvested. The number of buck/doe tags is set between the landowner and biologist based on deer survey data from the property and on the habitat, and management practices utilized. The buck tags are for bucks, they are not contingent on what types of bucks are taken. The biologist may make recommendations but they are not binding on the landowner or hunters. The advantages are that at LVL 3 you have the extended season starting at the beginning of archery season running through the end of Feb. The main goal as mentioed earlier is that the does are taken prior to breeding season. A property has to go through the the progression of levels, 1,2, and then 3.

Who and what determines these levels? Are these just big ranches? Just curious

Your quotas will be more strict also.. meaning they will give you a minimum and maximum bucks and doe to harvest. will depend on your biologist but most will want 3yr old and better 8s and 4yr old or better tens taken. They do not set the quotas for you not to meet them..
^^^^^^^^^^^THIS IS FALSE^^^^^^^^^^

Level 3 wants you to shoot the following:
1) Does
2) Spikes
3) Branched antlered bucks 4.5 and older (do not shoot 1.5, 2.5 or 3.5 year old branched antlered bucks)

It is true the biologist will give the land owner a specific number of doe and buck tags based on survey results

Your quotas will be more strict also.. meaning they will give you a minimum and maximum bucks and doe to harvest. will depend on your biologist but most will want 3yr old and better 8s and 4yr old or better tens taken. They do not set the quotas for you not to meet them..
^^^^^^^^^^^THIS IS FALSE^^^^^^^^^^

Level 3 wants you to shoot the following:
1) Does
2) Spikes
3) Branched antlered bucks 4.5 and older (do not shoot 1.5, 2.5 or 3.5 year old branched antlered bucks)

It is true the biologist will give the land owner a specific number of doe and buck tags based on survey results

Best advice I can give; figure out who the biologist(s) is/are for your county. Or contact the biologist your already working with and talk to them. They will be the ones to best explain to you the ins and outs of the program and how it will benefit or not your particular property.

What's been said is good guidance but each biologist, district, and region of Tpwd implement with slight nuances though it's about 98.5% the same across the board.

Also, this......https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdforms/media/pwd_1047_w7000_mldp_program_information_white_tailed_deer.pdf

Lvl 2 you can take spikes with rifle start of archery, and bucks start of rifle through Feb 28th. Lvl 3 is bucks starting archery-Feb 28th. We are 3 and it's nice to have the flexibility. We've been through a few biologists over the years, and really like the one we have now. The main thing is setting goals for your property, as everyone's is different. No skin off anyone's back if you decide to stop participating.

Does anyone know the answer to this question. I would be interested also, but only have a small piece of property.

I sure appericate all the response.

Here is a little more information.

The farm is 600 acres.

I pay to hunt the bottom ( 300 acres ) the owners son and family ( two hunters ) hunt the top 300 acres.

There is a 800 acre ranch to one side hunted with no doe permits. ( 10 hunters last year )

The other side is 1100 acres which has never been hunted. ( that is back by me )

Since I pay, I get to choose the level.

It's a big decision , I know the landowner would like to take does early.

However level 2 just means the shooting will start early and make the old guys go somewheres else.

We have been in the program for two years at level 1.

Could have been level 2 this year.

The biologist for our area is great and works great with us.

Really wants us to take does.

Last year 20 permits used.

I took two.


More thoughs ??

Want to make everyone happy.

But I want to happy too.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdf...tailed_deer.pdf


Read the information and you'll have a better idea.

The biggest implementation is the habitat management practices which don't include supplemental feeding. As it is to be "habitat" management. If I were you I would call your biologist, and he will be the best resource.

There is no size requirement, but it has to make sense. Especially from employing the various habitat management practices. A 100 acre property shouldn't need the extended season as it's unlikely they are having a huge investment in time to harvest the deer necessary from the number of tags issued.

Also, most low fence properties under 200 acres would get a buck tag a year max, and some years may get none. Unless, your sex ratios, deer density, and age structure are where they need to be. Most hunters wouldn't want to be limited by that restriction so stick with level 1 for the flexibility added by the doe harvest in counties who aren't open all season for anterless, and then use their regular license tags for buck harvest.

Like I said biologist will be different in what they want and each herd will be different in what they need taken.... 3.5yr old 8s were more than expectable for the place I was at. I took all info and pulled jaw bones and spoke direct with the biologist every year. Taking a large number of bucks and doe was important on this ranch just as much as age was so taking 3yr old 8pnts and under was needed.