Author: WM Pro

Richland Creek WMA Hunting & Birding at Wetlands

Richland Creek Wildlife Management Area is known for producing large-antlered white-tailed deer, but it’s man-made wetlands also offer excellent duck hunting and birding opportunities. The north unit has had wetland impoundments for some time, but recent and additional wetland development has increased surface water, making the area even more attractive to wintering waterfowl and shorebirds.

Source: “The benefit of the a wetlands project such as this one is it actually accomplishes more than one goal,” Kramer said. “It is much more beneficial than other types of wastewater and water supply projects because it provides habitat for birds and other types of wildlife.”

While the bird counts vary throughout the year, Symmank said they have soared as high as 30,000. Last week, about 10,000 birds were hanging out, many getting ready to head northward for the spring migration. By April, most will be gone, having flown off for the Dakotas, Canada or even Alaska. Besides hunters, the wetlands are also becoming an increasingly popular place with birders.

During field trips over Feb. 27-28, the Texas Ornithological Society counted 84 species of birds on the wildlife management area’s two units. The 5,209-acre North Unit contains the wetlands while the 9,029-acre South Unit in Freestone County consists of bottom-land hardwood forest.

“The bird population down there — it’s just gone crazy, it’s just increased exponentially,” said D.D. Currie, the regional director for Piney Woods region of the Texas Ornithological Society who splits time between Arlington and a second home in Henderson County a few miles from the wetlands.

Currie, who has traveled all over Texas to see birds, said she can now find most of them at the wetlands. “Five years ago, you wouldn’t have seen a white-faced ibis there but now you can see as many as 30,” Currie said. “There so many bald eagles out there, they’re like gnats. Now there’s a dozen out there with a breeding pair on the South Unit.”

But this time of year, ducks are the predominant species. The northern pintail duck was the most prevalent last week, but there also were plenty of northern shovelers, gadwalls, green-winged teals, blue-winged teals and mallards. While the ducks showed a preference for the water, a juvenile bald eagle and a northern harrier hawk alternated between flying over the wetlands and perching atop nearby trees.

“A lot of pintails will be leaving soon, and we’ll see a flush of more blue wings coming through,” Symmank said. And this summer, they’ll be replaced by a new population of birds, including wood storks, roseate spoonbills, great egrets and great blue herons. Hunters are finding plenty of ducks in the wetlands public hunting areas.

During the duck season that ended on Jan. 24, almost 2,600 hunters came to Richland Creek and killed 7,833 birds, according to Parks & Wildlife statistics. While duck hunting has declined in popularity across some areas of the country, it is growing in Texas. The estimated number of duck hunters climbed from 54,675 in 2008-2009 to 99,514 in 2013-2014, according to Parks & Wildlife.

“I don’t know why,” Symmank said. “It’s just becoming more popular in Texas. The TV show “Duck Dynasty” is real popular. That may have something to do with it but I don’t know.” Many first-timers come to public lands to try out duck hunting and they often have questions. “It’s more complicated than some other forms of hunting,” Symmank said. “I end up walking people through on the phone about what permits they need.”

Because of the nasty weather — and with duck season being over — the birds were largely undisturbed last week. But hunters from as far away as Minnesota and Wisconsin were camping at the wetlands and searching for feral hogs. For birders, Currie said, it is important to be aware of the hunting seasons when visiting the property.

“It’s an active wildlife management area so there could be hunters there,” Currie said. “It’s pretty primitive so you need to take a lunch and take some water and be prepared to go the bathroom behind a tree. You’ll need to allot quite a bit of time to see it all out there.”

Spring Turkey Hunting Season Closed in East Texas?

Let’s face it, spring turkey hunting is fun when the gobblers are hot to trot! Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer birds in East Texas, prompting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to look at closing the spring season in the eastern half of the state altogether. Most years between the early 1990s and 2011, fewer than 200 turkeys were recorded at the mandatory check-stations, where successful East Texas hunters were required to bring their birds.

We are talking about East Texas, so who knows what’s being killed east of IH-45, but with less than a couple hundred birds making it to through check-stations each year it seems like the right decision would be to stop all turkey hunting in the region. I can only imagine there are numerous problems with habitat and reproduction that are making things tough on existing eastern turkey populations, so it’s no wonder that even the TPWD turkey stockings have far from a raging success.

Turkey Hunting Season Close in East Texas

Source: A recommendation to suspend the spring turkey hunting season in almost half of the East Texas counties where a limited season for eastern-subspecies wild turkeys has been allowed. If approved by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, which will consider the proposals for adoption at its March 26 meeting, the changes would take effect September 1, 2015.

The proposal to close the spring turkey hunting season in all or part of 14 of the 28 East Texas counties where a month-long spring season currently is allowed comes as wildlife managers try to address what has been a frustrating, decades-long and mostly failed attempt to re-establish eastern-subspecies turkeys in the bird’s former range.

Since the late 1970s, TPWD, working in cooperation with U.S. Forest Service, other government agencies, universities, landowners and the National Wild Turkey Federation, have stocked approximately 10,000 wild eastern turkeys, trapped in other states and transported to Texas, into East Texas. The effort is aimed at re-establishing the subspecies of turkey native to as much as 10 million acres in the eastern third of the state, but which had been extirpated by the 1940s through a combination of over-hunting and habitat loss.

Farm & Ranch Land Management: Learn the How-To

There is a right way and a wrong way when it comes to farm and ranch land management. Often times, folks just keep in doing what they’ve always done because that’s how it’s always been done, regardless of whether it’s a good thing or not. If improper, then the habitat degrades and become less productive for ag production and the wildlife value decreases. As a farmer, rancher, or land steward, you know that one of your greatest assets is the land you work with, and managing that land can be tough due to weather conditions, environmental pressures and high input costs.

The Whole Farm/Ranch Land Management Program is designed to help you enhance the health, productivity and profitability of your land through the practice of Holistic Management. This hands-on course is taught by Holistic Management Certified Educators and experienced agricultural producers, wildlife biologists and other facilitators. Be prepared to get your boots dirty because the course is taught on holistically managed ranches and farms. The land management class covers Holistic Decision-Making, Grazing Planning, Biological Monitoring and Land Planning.

The six-day course is taught over approximately 6-12 weeks in 2-day increments, so you’ll have plenty of time to start applying what you have learned, while you’re still enrolled in the course. Each day starts at 9 am and ends at 5 pm and there will be plenty of time to network with other ranchers interested in improving their ranching skills. Your learning curve will be shortened by being on a ranch that practices Holistic Management and has built out water and fencing infrastructure and completed successful land improvement projects. At the completion of the course, you’ll have a personalized Holistic Goal, a Biological Monitoring Plan, a Grazing Plan, and a Land Plan. You’ll also be well prepared to:

  • Make effective farm/ranch decisions with the big picture in mind
  • Improve the health of your ecosystem with effective ranch management
  • Improve your rangeland and pasture productivity, water-holding capacity, soil health and wildlife habitat by applying effective ranching techniques
  • Build the landscape you desire and mitigate the effects of drought with better forage utilization and grazing planning
  • Improve land health and wildlife habitat by understanding and working with key wildlife habitat indicators
  • Create a monitoring plan to track performance and analyze natural resource issues
  • Create a land plan that will pay for itself with the right prioritization and investment strategy
  • HMI Holistic Management Whole/Farm Ranch Land Planning Course, land planningManage grazing and animal impact to improve soil and forage standards and build resilient landscapes
  • Know when to and how to destock
  • Create infrastructure and development strategies to create more profit

GET IN THE CLASS: Sign Up Now!

How to Find a Turkey Roost

The spring turkey hunting season is just around the corner, so to increases your chances of success it’s always good to know how to find a turkey roost. You can find wild turkey roosts by identifying roost trees and listening for calling birds. Wooded areas in more open habitat make it a no-brainer; littered with feathers and mixed with droppings indicates a good roost site. In lare forested areas, it can be difficult to pin-point birds since turkey have numerous places to roost.

In general, the “how-to” of finding roost can be shortened if you narrow the search to areas likely to have turkey roosts, such as creek bottoms and wooded ridges. Hunters can also listen for birds flying up in the evening. The most sure method, however, of finding a gobbler roost is to elicit gobbles from roosted toms, which are known to gobble at dusk to alert hens in the area of their presence.

Find Turkey Roost

Source: In general, wild turkeys roost on primary branches in trees with at least 20 to 30 feet of branch-free trunk; this helps foil predators. Older and larger trees (with a trunk 20 inches or larger in diameter) are preferred. But I’ve seen birds roost in giant cottonwoods that two men couldn’t wrap their arms around, and in frail mesquites that looked like they couldn’t support a quail.

Sturdy branches that grow at right angles from the trunk are requisite for easy perching. This essential structure can be the key to identifying which species and size of tree that turkeys prefer to roost in. Find big trees with wide-spanning branches and you just may locate a roost. On one slope it might be a red oak, on a neighboring slope, maybe it’s a grand old sycamore tree
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In many regions of the country, you can predict the favored species of roost tree. In the Midwest, East, and Northeast, oaks (especially mature white oaks) and basswood make prime roosts. Birds often choose pines in inclement weather because their limber limbs tend to bend (and not snap) in stiff winds. In the South and Southeast, cypress, sycamore, live oak, and loblolly pine are favored. On the prairie, river-bottom cottonwoods serve, especially those bordering open fields. In the West, mid-slope ponderosa and other pines provide ideal roosts.

Locate concentrations of droppings and feathers beneath large trees. Squeeze the droppings to assess their freshness. Chalky droppings indicate a retired roost, but moist droppings are a sign that it’s being used and may be a good spot to hunt. Sometimes birds use the same roost daily. More often, turkeys work a circuit of sites, especially in big woodland habitat. Roosts are often near feeding areas, because birds forage hard after coming down in the morning and early evening.

When you locate a good spot, listen for that first daylight gobble to ring out to confirm that your assessment of roost preferences is correct.

Land Management Workshop for Hill Country Property Owners

The second annual Bennett Land Stewardship Conference is scheduled for April 23-24 at the Inn of the Hills Resort and Conference Center in Kerrville. The conference is funded by the Ruth and Eskel Bennett Endowment and hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, said Dr. Larry Redmon, co-chair and Bennett Trust AgriLife Extension specialist. Redmon said the Bennetts posthumously provided an endowment that will support land management and stewardship education in the Edwards Plateau for generations to come. The Bennetts retired to a ranch just outside Dripping Springs and established this endowment by generously gifting a portion of their estate to AgriLife Extension.

“Mr. Bennett loved the Edwards Plateau and left a legacy that will afford landowners and resource managers ongoing opportunities to acquire knowledge and sharpen their skills as responsible stewards of this unique and storied part of Texas,” Redmon said. “The proceeds from the invested endowment will provide unparalleled private sector support for AgriLife Extension educational efforts in the region.”

Cost of the two-day conference is $75 and includes all meals, break refreshments and tour transportation costs. Register online or by calling 979-845-2604.

Dr. Rick Machen, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist from Uvalde, said the conference will include “the best and wisest, accomplished stewards, visionaries and legacy-leavers together as educators for this conference. Those with a passion for natural resource stewardship and a love for the Texas Hill Country will want to be there.” Continue reading Land Management Workshop for Hill Country Property Owners

Will White-tailed Deer Suffer from Disease-Carrying Feral Cats?

Feral cats carry a parasite disease that can impact white-tailed deer. Most people do not fear feral cats, although we all know they are a tad bit sketchy in the health department, but this may have hunters thinking twice about those cats roaming around on their hunting properties. A study by researchers at Ohio State University found that feral cats may be responsible for the presence of a dangerous parasite in deer called Toxoplasma gondii.

According to the study, the number of deer infected with the parasite coincided with the number of wild cats in their area. Researchers collected samples from over 400 whitetail deer in the Cleveland, Ohio area and found that almost 60 percent of the animals showed signs of infection. Comparatively, 200 wild cats in the region were tested for the parasite and over 65 percent of the felines were afflicted with the parasite. Coincidence? I think not.

“This study documents the widespread infection of deer populations in northeastern Ohio, most likely resulting from feral cats, and highlights the need for consumers of venison to make absolutely certain that any deer meat planned for consumption is thoroughly and properly cooked,” lead author Gregory Ballash told The Billings Gazette.

Hunters are especially warned to take care in cleaning and cooking deer meat, as the parasite is transmissible to humans. Toxoplasmosis is the leading cause of death attributed to foodborne illness in the US. According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 60 million people in the United States (about 1 in 5) carry the disease. The Toxoplasma parasite can be suppressed by a strong immune system, but effects may include flu-like symptoms, muscle aches, and in more serious cases, the parasite can even cause eye and brain damage as well as memory loss.

Some animal rights activists contested the study’s findings and argue that other carriers may be responsible for the spread of the disease. Yet the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), an advocacy group for wild birds, is promoting the study as further evidence of the damage caused to wildlife by feral cats. ABC previously stated that “outdoor” cats kill millions of birds every year, as well as many other species.

The greatest number of disease-infected deer documented by the study were urban deer, who tested positive for the parasite at a rate of nearly three times higher than rural animals. This is likely because of the greater quantity of stray cats in urban neighborhoods. Overall, researchers estimate that about 44 percent of Ohio deer are infected with the parasite.

What do Coyotes Eat: Food Habits in Texas

Coyotes (Canis latrans) can be found across Texas, the US and the North American continent. Because coyotes are such versatile animals with diverse diets, high reproductive potential, and the ability to adapt to changing habitats – they continue to inhabit new areas. Since the range of the coyote is so great and transcends ecoregions, their diet reflects a variance from vegetarianism to dependence on big game species depending upon what is available. Most determinations about the diet of coyotes are, and should be viewed as, site-specific rather than regional. It’s more about what’s abundant within a coyote’s home range than what they most like to eat.

Coyotes are generally accepted as opportunistic feeders or generalists; however, some believe that coyotes are highly selective predators. Even though coyotes are archetypal generalists, some individuals may specialize on particular prey. The theory of optimal foraging states that the predator selects certain prey because the amount of energy gained from that particular prey is greater than the amount of energy expended during its capture.

Food Habits of Coyotes

A pair of coyotes can be energetically sustained for two days on a single lamb, but it would take approximately 10 jackrabbits, or 20 ground squirrels to do the same. This means that from an energy conservation standpoint, it would be more advantageous for coyotes to specialize in the predation of lambs rather than small mammals. Another reason for prey specialization may be that a coyote, during a stressful period, turns to a certain available prey species, subsequently develops a taste for that animal and continues to prey upon it. This is often the case when a coyote specializes in the predation of livestock.

Coyotes have the ability to assess and select the most profitable food items within a wide variety of prey. Some foods are selected for more than others during certain seasons. This is more likely due to food availability of these particular items during these seasons. The frequency of predation upon big game animals during late winter months and into the spring can be directly connected to the breeding season of the coyote. Because coyotes are in larger groups at this time, it is easier for them to take down larger prey. Ungulates such as white-tailed deer will hide their fawns while for-aging, leaving them helpless against a coyote looking for a meal to take to her pups.

In July of 2014, The TPWD Kerr Wildlife Management Area (WMA), in conjunction with The University of Texas – San Antonio (UTSA), initiated a study on the dietary habits of coyotes in the Texas Hill Country. In this study, coyote scat found throughout the WMA will be collected and processed to identify all food items in each sample. At the same time, baseline food availability surveys will be conducted seasonally across the entire WMA.

After all scat samples are processed and the amount of each food item found has been quantified, each food item will be compared to the results of the availability surveys. The results of the fecal analyses when compared to the baseline food availability surveys should allow the determination of whether coyotes are behaving as generalists, or opportunistic foragers specific to the Kerr WMA.

To become better wildlife managers, we must realize the importance of holistic ecosystem management and shy away from a single species approach. Coyotes are an important component to the ecosystem of Texas. As with the management of any species, the more knowledge we gain about coyotes, the better we understand their role, and the better we can manage for a healthy ecosystem.