Category: Outdoor News

The golden eagle is found across North America and is the largest bird of prey found in the United States. Golden eagles occur in the greatest numbers from Alaska southward throughout the mountain and prairie habitat of the West and into Mexico. They occur in lower numbers to the east across Canada, the Great Lakes states, and the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. Golden eagles have caused livestock losses and there have well-been documented cases of golden eagles taking mule deer and pronghorn antelope fawns.

Golden eagle prey consists primarily of small mammals such as prairie dogs, rabbits and ground squirrels, but they will consume birds and reptiles when they can catch them. Large mammals are fair game too. Golden eagles sometimes attack large mammals. Mule deer and pronghorn of all ages have been observed being attacked or killed by eagles. In fact, documented kills of bighorn sheep, coyotes, bobcats, and foxes being killed exist. They also eat carrion. Continue reading Golden Eagle Attacks Pronghorn Antelope in Wyoming

It’s almost the end of the calendar year, but still about mid-stream for the ducking hunting season in Texas. The early part of the season was hit and miss for some waterfowlers, but the late season is typically stronger when it comes to ducks and geese on the ground in Texas. The High Plains Mallard Management Unit hunting reports sounded fair, with goose hunters enjoying better decoying action near Dumas, Spearman and Amarillo with the snow and colder conditions.

Christmas Day brought four inches of snow on the High Plains which encouraged geese to decoy better. Larger Canada geese are showing with frozen ponds in the northern states. Snow geese and Canadas are solid on roost ponds near Etter. Duck numbers continue to build in the Panhandle, with more mallards showing on playas. Many divers are hanging out on reservoirs and other deep water ponds. Feed lot ponds are good for gadwalls and wigeons. Recent snow runoff has put water in many dry playas. Outfitters have said hunter participation has been down. Prospects are good in the near term for Panhandle duck hunting action. Continue reading Duck Hunting in Texas: Reports Sound Good

There are many habitat management practices that can be used to manipulate native plants, but none are better than prescribed burning. It seems that a record-breaking wildfire season has private landowners and state agencies interested in controlling fuel loads. The Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, Texas AgriLife Research and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service have assisted prescribed burn associations throughout the state in forming the new Texas Alliance of Prescribed Burn Association.

The purpose of the prescribed burn alliance will be to safely increase the use of prescribed burning, according Roel Lopez, the institute’s associate director. Lopez said prescribed burning, or the controlled application of fire to the naturally occurring buildup of fuels in a predetermined area, has been used for years to improve and manage forests and rangelands, improve wildlife habitat and reduce the risk of devastating wildfires. Continue reading Prescribed Burn Associations, Alliance in Texas

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a disease that impacts whitetail, mule deer and elk. The disease has not yet been found in Texas, and officials would like to keep it that way. Elk producers wanting to sell or move elk in Texas must enroll in the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) CWD herd monitoring program or have elk tested as described later in this article. During 2011, the TAHC’s rules for elk movement have been held in abeyance to encourage producers to enroll in the CWD elk monitoring program.

After January 1, 2012, however, elk will only be allowed to move after all surveillance requirements have been met. Surveillance requirements can be must met by one of two ways. First, breeders can qualify by enrolling in the CWD status program and testing all mortalities and achieving the necessary status. Or additionally, elk breeders can qualify by having a valid “not detected” CWD test on file prior to elk movement. Continue reading CWD Testing of Texas Elk is Mandatory!

There are many types of foods that can be planted in combination with wildlife habitat management practices to improve a property. A great plant for a variety food plots is chufa. In fact, chufa is an excellent planting for food plots for turkeys as well as food plots for ducks. Chufa is a Spanish word meaning “ground almond.” It is a type of nut-grass that produces a potato like tuber under ground. Most often grown for wild turkeys, these tubers are high in carbohydrates and protein.

As eluded to earlier, chufa makes for great food plots for ducks. This species is an excellent food source for wintering waterfowl when flooded. Chufas flooded up to a depth of about eight inches are readily eaten by dabbling ducks, especially mallards. Diving ducks such as ring-necks, redheads, and canvasbacks, love chufas when they are flooded to depths over one foot. Chufa commonly occurs in bottomland hardwood understories and on exposed mudflats of seasonally flooded lakes. Continue reading Chufa Food Plots for Turkeys and Ducks

It’s a method of landscaping that is wildlife friendly, promotes native plants and it can save you money on your water bill. In Texas, it is best known as wildscaping, and at the heart of the practice is resource conservation. With drought impacting every corner of the state, native plant wildscaping could be just what the biologists ordered to help you conserve water while maintaining some greenery in your yard.

With temperatures rising and water low, it’s a bad time to be a water-dependent plant in Texas. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows Texas gasping for water under a dark red thermal blanket of severe to exceptional drought intensity, the third worst dearth of rainfall seen by the state in recorded history. But there is something we can all do. Studies have found lawn care accounts for over 50 percent of a household’s water usage! Enter wildscaping. Continue reading Wildscaping for Wildlife: Texas Style Conservation

Armadillos are a different animal and a really odd mammal. For most people, armadillos pose no major problem. However, sometimes they can be a major nuisance in suburban and agricultural areas when they dig up the place looking for grubs and insects. Though many people want to know how to rid themselves of these troublesome armadillos just to save their yards or gardens, many are still asking the question, “Do armadillos carry leprosy?” Research has found that, yes, humans can very rarely get leoprosy from touching armadillos, but it’s not the only way.

Source: “Only about 150 leprosy cases occur each year in the U.S., mostly among travelers to places like India, Brazil and Angola where it’s more common. The risk of getting leprosy from an armadillo is low because most people who get exposed don’t get sick with the ancient scourge, known medically as Hansen’s disease and now easily treatable. Armadillos are one of the very few mammals that harbor the bacteria that cause the sometimes disfiguring disease, which first shows up as an unusual lumpy skin lesion. Continue reading Do Armadillos Carry Leprosy?