Deer, Foxes, and Snakes: Wildlife on Sunset Canyon Acreage

Sunset Canyon's appeal is the Hill Country acreage — and that acreage comes with neighbors that have fur, feathers, and scales.

What you'll see daily

• White-tailed deer — herds of 10–30 cross most properties at dawn and dusk. They eat almost any ornamental you plant unwrapped.
• Gray foxes, raccoons, ringtails — mostly nocturnal, mostly harmless, occasionally interested in chicken coops.
• Black-chinned hummingbirds, painted buntings, scissor-tails — the bird game is excellent.

What to plan for

• Deer-resistant landscaping — salvias, lantana, rosemary, agarita. Skip hostas, hydrangeas, roses unless fenced.
• 8-foot deer fencing around any vegetable garden or orchard.
• Snake-aware yard habits — keep brush trimmed back from the house, watch where you reach.

The two snakes worth knowing

Western diamondback rattlesnake and Texas coral snake are both present but uncommon. Most snakes you see will be harmless rat snakes or coachwhips. Don't kill what you can't identify — Texas rat snakes eat rodents that attract rattlers.