They key to maintaining healthy plant and animal populations is active management. Habitat enhancement activities on lands promote healthy ecosystems. One way to conserve and preserver valuable wild lands is through conservation easements. Currently, the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) administered by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is accepting applications for funding on a continuous basis. NRCS State Conservationist Salvador Salinas noted that the 2008 Farm Bill provided for a continuous signup to allow eligible entities more opportunities to sign up eligible parcels.
Eligible entities must submit applications on or before March 1, 2012, to receive consideration for conservation easement funding in fiscal year 2012. Only eligible entities may submit applications of eligible farm and ranch land. Eligible entities are State, Tribal, or local governments and non-government organizations that meet specific requirements. The entities must have an established farm and ranch land protection program, have the authority to hold and manage conservation easements; have the capacity to acquire, manage, and enforce the easements; and the funds to match the Federal contribution. Read More…
Granger Lake is well known by anglers looking for catfish and crappie, and duck and deer hunters know the Granger Wildlife Management Area offers great hunting, but the place has definitely gone to the birds as of late! Yes, there are whooping cranes at Granger Lake. At least six of these endangered birds have taken up residence at the lake since early December 2011. These birds normally make the 2,500 mile trek from northwest Canada to winter at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, but not this year.
The six whooping cranes at Granger Lake are actually two families of cranes. The fact that these birds are hanging out around the lake this year are stirring up the curiosity of bird watchers across the state. About two months ago, reports started coming in to Granger Lake Manager, James Chambers, that a family of three whooping cranes, two adults and a juvenille, had been spotted nearby. Shortly after the initial whooping crane reports, another family of cranes found out about Granger Lake.
Texas Parks and Wildlife has a particular interest in the birds because they typically winter near Aransas, Texas. Why are these birds here? Biologist believe these birds have found what they are looking for, food. Whooping cranes eat clams, insects and even waste grain found in agricultural fields. The drought of 2010 has left Granger Lake at very low levels, exposing plenty of clams for the whoopers. In addition, many corn fields were simply mowed-over last year, leaving plenty of corn for the birds. Read More…
It’s almost the end of the calendar year, but still about mid-stream for the ducking hunting season in Texas. The early part of the season was hit and miss for some waterfowlers, but the late season is typically stronger when it comes to ducks and geese on the ground in Texas. The High Plains Mallard Management Unit hunting reports sounded fair, with goose hunters enjoying better decoying action near Dumas, Spearman and Amarillo with the snow and colder conditions.
Christmas Day brought four inches of snow on the High Plains which encouraged geese to decoy better. Larger Canada geese are showing with frozen ponds in the northern states. Snow geese and Canadas are solid on roost ponds near Etter. Duck numbers continue to build in the Panhandle, with more mallards showing on playas. Many divers are hanging out on reservoirs and other deep water ponds. Feed lot ponds are good for gadwalls and wigeons. Recent snow runoff has put water in many dry playas. Outfitters have said hunter participation has been down. Prospects are good in the near term for Panhandle duck hunting action. Read More…
There are many habitat management practices that can be used to manipulate native plants, but none are better than prescribed burning. It seems that a record-breaking wildfire season has private landowners and state agencies interested in controlling fuel loads. The Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, Texas AgriLife Research and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service have assisted prescribed burn associations throughout the state in forming the new Texas Alliance of Prescribed Burn Association.
The purpose of the prescribed burn alliance will be to safely increase the use of prescribed burning, according Roel Lopez, the institute’s associate director. Lopez said prescribed burning, or the controlled application of fire to the naturally occurring buildup of fuels in a predetermined area, has been used for years to improve and manage forests and rangelands, improve wildlife habitat and reduce the risk of devastating wildfires. Read More…
Habitat is the key to maintaining healthy wildlife populations. In most cases, active habitat management is the only way to promote the plant communities that native animals need to flourish. A partnership between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, Playa Lakes Joint Venture and other conservation organizations has recently filled three new Farm Bill wildlife biologist positions in the Texas Panhandle. Their job will be to, first and foremost, promote good habitat for upland game birds.
These biologists will work with landowners, ranchers and farmers in the Texas Panhandle on habitat management and conservation measures to increase wild populations of lesser prairie chickens, pheasant, quail and other grasslands birds and animals. The state has seen populations slipping in recent years, but additional staffing centered on providing habitat will help get these birds back on track. Read More…
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a disease that impacts whitetail, mule deer and elk. The disease has not yet been found in Texas, and officials would like to keep it that way. Elk producers wanting to sell or move elk in Texas must enroll in the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) CWD herd monitoring program or have elk tested as described later in this article. During 2011, the TAHC’s rules for elk movement have been held in abeyance to encourage producers to enroll in the CWD elk monitoring program.
After January 1, 2012, however, elk will only be allowed to move after all surveillance requirements have been met. Surveillance requirements can be must met by one of two ways. First, breeders can qualify by enrolling in the CWD status program and testing all mortalities and achieving the necessary status. Or additionally, elk breeders can qualify by having a valid “not detected” CWD test on file prior to elk movement. Read More…
There are many types of foods that can be planted in combination with wildlife habitat management practices to improve a property. A great plant for a variety food plots is chufa. In fact, chufa is an excellent planting for food plots for turkeys as well as food plots for ducks. Chufa is a Spanish word meaning “ground almond.” It is a type of nut-grass that produces a potato like tuber under ground. Most often grown for wild turkeys, these tubers are high in carbohydrates and protein.
As eluded to earlier, chufa makes for great food plots for ducks. This species is an excellent food source for wintering waterfowl when flooded. Chufas flooded up to a depth of about eight inches are readily eaten by dabbling ducks, especially mallards. Diving ducks such as ring-necks, redheads, and canvasbacks, love chufas when they are flooded to depths over one foot. Chufa commonly occurs in bottomland hardwood understories and on exposed mudflats of seasonally flooded lakes. Read More…
