wildlife management - Wildlife Management Pro

Wildlife Management for Lunch Webinar Series

Every landowner interested in learning more about wildlife and habitat management should take advantage of these free classes. The Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Wildlife Association are co?sponsoring lunch-based “Wildlife for Lunch” webinars every third Thursday of every month throughout 2011. It’s a fast and easy way to learn more about wildlife management and habitat management from anywhere. Wildlife for Lunch webinars provide sound, science-based wildlife management options delivered by experts to you in the comfort of your own home or office.

These webinars are an interactive way for you to participate while learning about the natural resources, whether it be waterfowl management or pond management! Each web-?based seminar is fully interactive and allows you to engage the experts, make comments, and ask questions during the course of the presentation. ForestryWebinars.net is made possible through partnership with Texas AgriLife Extension Service, North Carolina State University Extension Forestry, and Southern Regional Extension Forestry Office. Continue reading Wildlife Management for Lunch Webinar Series

Creating a Wildlife Management Plan

For landowners interested in wildlife and habitat management, a wildlife management plan is an important part of successful, long-term management of their property. Before getting too deep into management practices you may want to implement, determine your goals and objectives for the land. Then, begin the wildlife management plan by obtaining a map or aerial photo of your land. Aerial photographs are available at no charge to the landowner from many state wildlife agencies in addition to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

When looking at a photo of your property, note the different plant communities. Most properties have 3 to 5 plant communities, and it’s important to see how they fit together. Each type of habitat meets different wildlife needs, so for best results they should be intermixed on your property. Also, pay attention to areas that are isolated from other habitat types.

Some smaller animals, such as quail and rabbits require habitat types be close together. These species like dense brush adjacent to open grassy areas. Other wildlife species such as white-tailed deer and turkey can travel hundreds of yards to find food, cover, and water, so spacing is not quite as important. However, it’s important to plan travel corridors for these animals. Continue reading Creating a Wildlife Management Plan

Habitat Management Workshop

Interest in habitat management has increased in recent years thank to the environmental awareness of landowners across the State of Texas. Holistic Management Texas is inviting interested individuals to a field day at the Duncan Brothers’ Duncan Spade Ranch from 9am to 4pm on Saturday, April 10, 2010 ($30). In addition, a Drought Mitigation Workshop with Walt Davis will follow on April 11-12.

“The Spade Ranch was established in 1870 by my great-grandfather, Green C. Duncan, who came to Wharton County from Kentucky after serving in the Civil War. The main crops during the Ranch’s first 30 years were potatoes, cotton, sugar cane, and molasses. Currently, the Ranch is operated by Duncan Brothers, a partnership of five families, with a fifth generation member of one of the families serving as ranch manager – these are our primary decision-makers. Our two ranch employees and six tenant farmers can be included as decision-makers at another level, but they are also part of our resource base. Continue reading Habitat Management Workshop

Moose Excited Over Buffalo Statue!

Wild animals, like people, will always have the urge to do what comes naturally—and it all depends on how the mood strikes! Luckily for wildlife biologist, wild animals usually have no trouble keeping the population growing if suitable habitat is available for the species. Every wildlife species has a defined breeding period, and during this time animals act much different than they do during the remainder of the year.

Apparently the breeding season was in high gear and the desire to mate was striking this moose right between the, uh, eyes, because this moose definitely had eyes for this buffalo. Well, not exactly a buffalo, but more like a buffalo statue! Some pervertedly lucky photographer was able to capture this young, bull moose mounting an unreceptive buffalo statue! Like every young male, he was just ready to jump on anything that would sit still!

Deer Hunting Important to Texas

Interest in white-tailed deer hunting remains strong, but for some Texans, finding a place to hunt means traveling a lot further than in previous decades. Subdividing ranches for housing developments is a common occurrence in bedroom communities such as Bandera County near San Antonio. “Hunting is still a very important part of the Bandera County economy, but it has changed,” says Johnny Boyle, owner of Bandera True Value, which sells hunting supplies and equipment.

“It used to be all about that eight-week rush of the white-tailed season. Now there are not as many leases available as there once were, but there is more year-round hunting for hogs, axis deer and other exotics.” (Non-native “exotic” deer such as axis deer are not subject to restricted hunting seasons.) And hunters seeking their own land are heading further west than Bandera, Boyle says.

“Instead of buying 400 acres of Texas land for sale in the Hill Country, they go to Rocksprings [in Edwards County] and buy 1,500 acres,” he says. Even so, hunting remains highly important to rural Texas, says David K. Langford, a member of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s White-Tailed Deer Advisory Committee and vice president emeritus of the Texas Wildlife Association, which lobbies on behalf of ranch owners and outdoors enthusiasts. Continue reading Deer Hunting Important to Texas

Whitetail Hunting Economically Important

Whitetail deer hunting is not immune to tough economic times. Businesses that rely on hunting have to adapt, says taxidermist and animal processor Gary Broach, owner of Rhodes Brothers Taxidermy in Kerrville. “Guys like us in Kerrville are fortunate to have year-round hunting with the axis herds and sika and fallow deer,” Broach says. “A lot of small taxidermists out there, rural guys, are really hurting,” he says.

“I’ve talked to them about where they need to put advertising dollars and where to get in with whitetail hunting ranches. I like the fact they aren’t giving up. They just need to regroup.”

Continue reading Whitetail Hunting Economically Important

Bobwhite Quail Population Dynamics

Bobwhite quail are an amazing upland game bird species with dynamic populations. Research has found that annual cumulative rainfall from April through August is a predictor that explains over 92% of the variance in annual bobwhite quail productivity, based on juvenile:adult ratios obtained from hunter bags in South Texas. Basically, annual reproduction is highly correlated with precipitation.

Overwinter survival of bobwhites in South Texas ranges from about 17 to over 80%, and is far more variable than overwinter survival of bobwhites in the Rolling Plains, which is only about 30%. Harder, colder winter weather obviously can take it’s toll on bobwhite quail populations. Continue reading Bobwhite Quail Population Dynamics