The start of hunting season is underway, and this year the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers made a significant change to its hunting rules. Through the duration of deer hunting season, hog hunting is no longer allowed on Corps land. Deer hunting season is Sept. 30 until the first of January.

According to Mike Stephens, Collin County game warden, this rule was instituted to reduce the risk of illegal hunting White Tail deer in Collin County.

As Collin County has changed and developed, rural spaces are now being developed for homes, businesses and community centers. This change has significantly reduced the roaming space for wildlife in the county.

“With all the urbanization in Collin County, we’re really pushing a lot of the animals in different directions, and one of those animals is our deer herd,” he said.

The county’s deer population is quite small; however, what the herds lack in numbers, they make up for in antler size.

“We have very very large antlers in Collin County. Trophy bucks in any other county are your typical deer here in Collin. We’re very fortunate because we have a lot of trophy here, but there’s not [as much] range for these deer,” Stephens said.

The majority of the deer herds call 6,000 acres of Corps land home near Lake Lavon. This land is free and open to the public – with a permit – for dove, squirrel rabbit, and, until recently, feral hog hunting. Wardens have had an issue with illegal deer hunting on Corps land in the past, Stephens said and hog hunting was often the main reason why.

According to Stephens, if approached by a game warden, hunters tell wardens they’re hog hunting even though they plan on deer hunting. Hunters can have all the tools that suggest they’re deer hunting, but there’s nothing wardens can do to prove them otherwise, he said. “We have to take their word for it. That has been the norm.”

But now that hog hunting is outlawed, “that excuse doesn’t fly anymore,” he said, which will help game wardens crack down on poachers in the area.

All deer hunting in Collin County occurs on privately owned land, “so unless you know somebody or you’re paying for a lease, the possibilities of deer hunting are not going to be available to you,” he said. Illegally hunting deer is a state jail felony, and the Corps is prepared to prosecute and demand restitution for any lost deers.

Stephens added that first-time hunters looking to legally hunt this year must also attend a hunting education course. The latest legislation states anyone born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, must attend a classroom or online course to obtain this education license. Veterans, law enforcement or current military personnel are exempt from this rule.

First-time hunters should also keep their rifles or shotguns at home if they plan to hunt deer in Collin County: It’s an archery-only county.

“With the rifle, you have the distance on the animals. It’s a lot easier to kill the deer. With archery, it’s a lot more competitive. It’s more of a sport hunt,” he said. “And a lot of that deals with our herd. We don’t have a very large herd here, so we want to preserve that herd for future generations to hunt.”