This was mailed to me and states:

In order for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to provide the best possible management of our wildlife resources and develop appropriate science-based harvest regulations, we need to determine deer and javelina harvests in Texas during the hunting season just completed. To obtain this information, we need your help in completing this big game harvest survey. If you plan to continue hunting after you have received this survey, please wait until your hunting season concludes to finish and return the survey.

Your response to this survey is critical even if you did not hunt or kill any deer or javelina during the hunting season just completed (including archery, youth, general, special late, muzzleloader, or any other open season). Knowing whether you did not hunt, hunted and were unsuccessful, or hunted and were successful, are all necessary to properly estimate harvest for deer and javelina. All survey responses are important and not returning the survey could lead to improper estimations of harvest that ultimately affect hunting seasons and bag limits.

How can this help? The reason I ask is honest & not sarcastic as many of my posts are. if I had taken this survey in my early 20s it would be different responses based on my behavior. I recall a handful of hunts at that age when I would stay up late drinking with my girlfriend, go out in the morning, find a nice pile of oak leaves to rest my head, and go back to sleep. It was more about being in the woods away from DFW than hunting. Those unsuccessful hunts had nothing to do with the herd population and everything to do with my behavior and intent. Now that I see the 50 year mile marker up ahead, things are much different, as are my response to this survey. I can't understand how useful info can be obtained from the survey, knowing the hunter has as much to do with it as the deer.

Problem is with MLD my season is not completed yet. I get them from time to time and always note that season is not over.

Well, I think it does have to do with deer populations. We are on MLD ground for mule deer here in West TX. In doing our surveys back in September for the upcoming season, we counted deer on three separate occasions via spotlight and sent census to our biologist. We were allotted 12 tags on 65000 acres. We managed to kill ZERO deer, hunting for 3 months and throughout the rut. Deer were scarce to say the least. Not sure if they left for greener pastures (not sure where that would be), died off, or what. We've been in serious drought since 2011.

I almost always fill out the Colorado harvest surveys, but I never get them from Texas. I would like to think that participation by all would result in better management practices from the state level. Of course, that won't work if everyone doesn't participate.

the app has harvest survey also. Its similar to using online lic. as its the precursor to it

looking forward to the results of 2022-2023 harvest

I goon line every year and fill in the harvest log...who is sending out the letter?

I see no reason for MLD places to submit answers on this survey when they already report in their harvests for the season

those who hunt both regular tags and MLD might see it differently.

I received one for the first time in 23 years and seems quite simple and and basic.

Last year being the poorest hunting I have experienced in my 23 years of hunting in Texas i am curious of the results,

As I am sure they have performed these surveys many, many times over the years the historical comparative data will include all variables one might expect in the surveyed population.

Quite simple "Did You get a deer"? Where? and How many?

The number of Honest Folks, poor or inactive hunters, Cheaters, Braggers and Liars are probably in the same proportion as in the past so I expect the result will reflect a reasonable reality of this years actual conditions,

The level of hunter participation and information collected can aid the TPWD when it comes to getting their share of state tax dollars. So it's not so much the information they get from hunters but in an indirect way, how much interest hunters show in how their tax dollars are being spent.

While I didn't harvest a deer last season, I wanted to make sure the TPWD knew I was one of those who purchased a license and roughly how often I was in the woods enjoying the sport. I have to believe the total hours Texas hunters spent outdoors is very valuable when it comes to getting the politicians to support and fund TPWD efforts.

Can't TPWD just assume that anyone who bought a hunting license used it to hunt?

Take the number of licenses sold and multiply it by the average hours spent in the woods and you have a much bigger number to impress the powers to be.