Month: August 2011

Texas Wildlife Management Workshop at Engeling WMA

Texas property owners interested in helping whitetail and other native plants and animals found on their property should be aware of the upcoming habitat management workshop in East Texas. The Henderson County Wildlife Committee will sponsor a white-tailed deer management workshop at the Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area (WMA) on Saturday, September 24 from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Topics to be covered include deer management techniques, age and sex ratios, herd health, habitat management, food plots, trophy scoring, data collection, record keeping and census techniques. An optional spotlight deer survey will also be offered for landowners interested in learning more about this survey method to estimate deer populations on their property. Continue reading Texas Wildlife Management Workshop at Engeling WMA

Abandoned Fawn: What Should I Do?

The number of wild animals rises and falls based on environmental conditions. Habitat quality, namely food and cover, determines the success of individual animals to reproduce and recruit animals into the population. Many wildlife species, such as white-tailed deer and birds, are quite active throughout the year, but animals with young must work harder to find food due to increased energy demands. Young animals are often left unattended while mother looks for suitable forage. The result is that folks in rural as well as urban environments may find themselves dealing with an abandoned fawn, abandoned bird or other wildlife species.

These young or adolescent animals appear to need human kindness. More often than not, people just want to help and care for these stranded critters. Intentionally left unattended, young animals often stray and appear to be abandoned, and some may appear listless from the heat or lack of water. What you think may be happening may not be reality. Regardless of your intentions, this is not the time to lend a well-meaning hand. Continue reading Abandoned Fawn: What Should I Do?

Black Bears in Texas: Drought Has Them Moving!

Texas has been plagued by exceptional drought for almost an entire year and it’s taking a toll on native wildlife. Trees are losing their leaves, creeks and rivers have evaporated and the dry weather is driving black bears into urban areas searching for both food and water. In West Texas, the bears have been traveling out of their normal habitats for a couple of reasons. Not only has it been dry, but the place is literally burning up.

With fires scorching black bear ranges in the mountains of West Texas and Northern Mexico, and extreme drought making it hard to find water and food, the usually solitary bears have been on the move this summer, increasingly making their way into towns and cities. And where bears need to go is where the food is, be it dumpsters, gardens or even bird and deer feeders. Continue reading Black Bears in Texas: Drought Has Them Moving!