March, 2008 - Wildlife Management Pro

Fight Against Fever Ticks is Slow

Fever Tick

A few miles north of the Rio Grande, where spring temperatures climb past 100 degrees, helicopters work in concert with cowboys to gather cattle, thorny bushes nick kneecaps, and dust and manure swirl up noses and down collars, and cowboys inspecting, dipping or treating cattle are gritty and soaked with sweat before noon.

For a small contingency of government “hands” and livestock producers on the border, the very presence or absence of ticks on cow bellies or deer flanks indicate defeat or victory in the fight against the fever tick, a foreign-origin pest that threatens the health of U.S. cattle.

This is the scene that Mr. Bruce Knight, USDA’s undersecretary of agriculture for marketing and regulatory programs, traveled to South Texas to see in mid-March to gain a first-hand perspective of the fever tick situation. He visited a fever tick-infested premises, observed gathering and treatment of cattle, and discussed fever tick issues with ranchers, USDA and TAHC staff. Continue reading Fight Against Fever Ticks is Slow

Toyota Texas Bass Classic 2008

Texas Bass Classic

The Toyota Texas Bass Classic, a Professional Anglers Association sanctioned event, is only one month away from its return to Lake Fork. The April 18-20 team competition benefits Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) efforts to introduce young people and urban families to fishing and the outdoors.

Title sponsor for the event is Toyota. Tournament partners include Bass Pro Shops, Nitro, 96.3 KSCS and 96.7 the Texas Twister.

Lake Fork is one of the most prolific fishing spots in the United States for largemouth bass. TPWD manages the lake with rules designed to protect fish of certain sizes and maintain a healthy fishery. Fish in a length “slot” between 16 and 24 inches must be returned to the lake immediately when they are caught. The tournament’s rules have been designed to obey the slot limits without inhibiting the anglers’ competitive zeal. Independent observers on each boat use Boga-Grip scales to weigh each fish and live scoring keeps the fans up-to-date throughout the day. Fish are released immediately after weighing.

Continue reading Toyota Texas Bass Classic 2008

Chaparral WMA Facilities Spared by Wildlife

Directions to Chaparral WMA

A massive wildfire that torched 95 percent of the 15,200-acre Chaparral Wildlife Management Area spared much of the wildlife on the state’s premier public hunting site, according to initial findings during aerial surveys by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists.

Biologists flew the area on Thursday, March 20, aboard TPWD’s law enforcement helicopter counting deer and other animals and will compare those findings with recent annual aerial survey results, which should provide an estimate of wildlife loss from the fire.

“I am amazed how adaptive wildlife can be during a natural disaster; we found very few carcasses and have observed a lot of live animals — horned lizards, whitetail deer, javelina and quail,” said David Synatzske, Chaparral WMA manager. “We have between 20 and 25 wildlife biologists and technicians on the site assessing damage and fixing fences and they are not finding dead animals. We discovered about 30 dead animals in one location, but have not found concentrations elsewhere. I drove the entire 30-mile perimeter fence line and found only two carcasses. Considering 95 percent of the area burned, that’s incredible.” Continue reading Chaparral WMA Facilities Spared by Wildlife

Hunting and Fishing Worth $14.4 Billion in Texas

How does a $14.4 billion Texas-based industry go unnoticed? Easy when you consider most of its participants go about their business cloaked in camouflage or tucked in some secluded backwater hideaway.Despite not appearing on the stock market rolls, hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers in Texas collectively are a major economic force, according to new findings by the Southwick Associates, a Florida-based research firm specializing in economic and business statistics related to fish and wildlife resources.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Division commissioned the Southwick group to ascertain the economic effect from fish and wildlife-related recreation in Texas, based on data in the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The firm recently completed its Texas-focused report. According to the Southwick report, the economic effect from Texas hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers was estimated to be $14.4 billion. In other words, if these outdoor enthusiasts were to stop spending money in Texas and not spend these dollars on other in-state items, the state economy would shrink by $14.4 billion. Continue reading Hunting and Fishing Worth $14.4 Billion in Texas

Treessentials Company Products Increase Seedling Success

Tubex

The Treessentials Company is a Minnesota-based company offering tree seedling establishment tools including the Tubex® Treeshelters, VisPore Tree Mats, Right Start Fertilizer Packets and Tree Guard Deer Repellent, tree planting advice, and recommendations. Our tools greatly improve seedling survival and increase planting success.

The primary goal of the Treessentials Company is the successful establishment of difficult to grow seedlings on challenging sites. We work with private landowners, wildlife managers and foresters, federal, state and local land management agencies, and non-profit habitat organizations across the country to achieve that success. Continue reading Treessentials Company Products Increase Seedling Success

Easten Hognose Snake

Eastern Hognose Snake

The Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platyrhinos)is easily identified by its upturned snout. The Eastern Hognose is a very stout-bodied snake with brown blotches on a background that can vary from light tan to gray. Color can vary substantially between the habitats that this snake lives in. This is also a very unique snake with very unusual defenses!

When this non-venomous snake is first encountered, it will flare its neck and head so that it somewhat resembles a cobra and hiss very loudly! If this doesn’t scare you away, the snake may roll over on its back with its mouth open and “play dead.” If you roll it back upright, it will flip itself back onto its back, as though insisting that it is dead!

The adults average around 2 feet long, and they feed almost exclusively on toads.

Texas Hunting Accidents Still on the Decline

Mule Deer - Texas Hunting Accidents

Hunting accidents and fatalities in Texas continued their long-term decline in 2007, still down below three accidents per 10,000 hunters in recent years. That compares to about 12 accidents per 10,000 hunters in 1966, the year records began.

Short-term, Texas had 26 injuries from hunting accidents in 2007, two less than the year before. The state had four fatalities in 2007, the same as the previous year.

Although any fatality is tragic, Texas accident numbers are small compared to the number of hunters. According to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service national survey, 1,112,099 people hunted in Texas in 2007.

“The statistics show hunting is safe and getting safer in Texas,” said Steve Hall, education director for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “And we do believe that is directly related to hunter education.”

Continue reading Texas Hunting Accidents Still on the Decline