The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is hosting a multi-county Range and Wildlife Management Field Day May 6 in Coryell County for landowners interested in managing both wildlife and livestock on their ranches. The multi-county field day is from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Harman School Community Center, located about four miles off of Farm-to-Market Road 580 on Harmon Road, and the field portion will be from 1-4 p.m. at the Hannah Ranch following lunch.
“Many landowners in Texas are beginning to see the value in managing for wildlife on their ranch,” said Brian Hays, associate director of the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources and a speaker at the program. “Landowners interested in wildlife management and habitat can take advantage of various incentive programs to diversify their income through good land stewardship for livestock and wildlife.”
Pasquale Swaner, AgriLife Extension agent for Coryell County, said various AgriLife Extension staff will discuss turkey and quail biology and management, feral hog biology and abatement, and rangeland evaluation during the morning session. A Texas Parks and Wildlife Department expert will speak on wildlife management planning and Proposition 11, which allows landowners to retain their agricultural property tax valuation for wildlife management. A U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service expert will discuss proper brush management techniques such as dozing, prescribed fire and herbicide application.
“A particular focus will be given to quail because of their popularity as a game species, the extreme decline they’ve seen recently and the fact that habitat that produces quail also supports scores of other wildlife species in the rangelands of Texas,” said Mike Marshall, AgriLife Extension associate for the institute. “We will also focus on feral hog abatement, as hogs have detrimental impacts on the wildlife landowners manage for.” At the Hannah Ranch, attendees will observe demonstrations on calculating stocking rates, plant identification, habitat assessment and feral hog trapping.
Lunch will be provided by Coryell County from a Texas Department of Agriculture County Hog Abatement Matching Program, or CHAMP, grant. Interested persons should register for the field day by May 2 by contacting AgriLife Extension offices in Coryell County at 254-865-2414, Hamilton County at 254-386-3514 or Lampasas County at 512-556-8271.
The cost of the Central Texas land management workshop focusing on Coryell, Hamilton and Lampasas Counties will be $10 and includes lunch and 3 Texas Department of Agriculture CEUs. For those interested in obtaining 5.5 PTP CEUs for Tax Appraisers, the cost will be $25.