Cross-Pollinating Ranches & Recreation

Cross-Pollinating Ranches & Recreation

Column by Greg Simons

THE RANCHING COMMUNITY HAS BEEN FORCED TO ADAPT TO CHANGING MARKETPRESSURES IN RECENT YEARS, OFTEN CREATING A BLEND BETWEEN TRADITIONALLIVESTOCK AND FARMING PRACTICES AND FEE-BASED WILDLIFE PROGRAMS

Almost 25 years ago, I attended a field day near San Angelo, Texas, that principally focused on alternative sources of revenue for landowners who were trying to scratch out a living in the ranching business. At that time, fee-based hunting programs were beginning to emerge as a bona-fide revenue option for landowners in this part of the state. Plus, Congress had recently passed a bill that would phase-out the wool and mohair subsidy that had served as a lucrative program for many ranchers since the mid-1950s. The mood of the day was one that seemed to acknowledge that the modern-day rancher would need to adapt their ranching practices and embrace those city-slicker hunters if their ranches were to remain financially viable. During an open discussion, an older gentleman wearing a sweat-stained straw hat piped up and said, “When it comes to those city folks who are willing to pay us for our hunting, it seems to me that we have two options; we can either learn to work with them or we will have to learn to work for them.” His profound epiphany has since defined how much of the ranching community has been forced to adapt to changing market pressures in recent years, often creating a blend between traditional livestock and farming practices along fee-based wildlife programs.

This paradigm of hybrid land-use practices can create possible conflicts and challenges associated with dynamic tension, but when distilled down to its rudiment, it is not rocket science that we are talking about; it’s the ability to adapt and flex. Cross-pollinating these two types of land-use cultures offers plenty of opportunity to create synergies for those who are committed to such outcomes.

People

When it comes to retrofitting “ranch people” into effectively serving the role of facilitating a wildlife-based recreational program, you will often run into stormy days with silver-lined clouds. Ranch people tend to be private sorts, and the idea of having to cater to outsiders is sometimes enough to bristle their hair. On the other hand, ranch people also tend to be genuine, caring people whose passion for the land is contagious, which can provide an amazing platform for educating folks about land stewardship and provide a dialog that is interesting and enjoyable to clients and guests. Some of the best down-homestyle chefs are people who grew up on and live on ranches and farms, so integrating those type of skills into the business service mix should be considered. Ranch people are often intimately familiar with the land and its resources, making them excellent candidates to serve as guides and interpreters. These are simply a few anecdotes. As with any service industry, Customer Service 101 should be the baseline standard that defines the operational culture.

Operations Compatibility

Merging different businesses practices can be tricky but using the “F” word is often the key; “F” for flexibility. Adaption should be the “constant,” and relying on personnel who are willing to adjust their normal routines can be vital. Calendar coordination of when livestock are worked versus when recreational clients are present should be considered. Further, are there opportunities to provide a value-added component to the recreational platform by involving these city-slicker recreationists with the ranching practices? Does such integration provide added liability, and if so, how do you hedge or minimize those risks? Are there ways to defer harvesting grain crops a bit later if such delayed timing creates opportunities for upland or migratory game-bird hunting or allows you to localize big-game species for hunting and supplemental forage enhancements? What about modifying livestock water troughs so that those water resources are more accessible to birds and smaller wild critters? Are your pasture fences designed to allow for pronghorn movement from pasture to pasture? Are your gate latches “dummy-proof” to avoid problems associated with improperly latched gates? Will your Sunday drive around the property interfere with the quiet time of paid hunters? Are you willing to forego family hunting and fishing if such privileges have been conveyed to a tenant? If traps, snares and M44s are being used for predator control by sheep and goat ranchers, are those ranchers willing to defer such practices if hunters are using bird dogs? As we explore the operational compatibility between these different activities, prioritizing and flexing is often the key to ensuring good synergies.

Ag./Wildlife Resource Interface

Simply, there are some combinations of ag. and wildlife that are morecompatible than others. Cows and quail can get along well, but grazingand rangeland practices should be tailored around quail habitat needsif such compatibility is going to be created. And those considerationsbetween cows and quail may be somewhat different than those betweencows and deer. Further, sheep or goats and deer may have a differentregime of considerations than cows and deer. Grain farming can potentiallybenefit gamebirds more so than cotton farming. These compatibilityconsiderations are often species specific, so depending upon whetheryour wildlife program is placing its emphasis on deer, quail, diversity ofsongbirds, Houston toads or something else, this is going to influence thedirection of how farming, livestock and range management practices areall blended together to try and ensure compatibility. When it comes toalterations to land features and wildlife habitat, the “measure twice and cutonce” approach is a wise operational philosophy to avoid heading south intonorth-bound traffic.

Rural Land Values

Like it or not, and there are exceptions, today’s open market ranch realestatevalues are often shaped more by wildlife potential than livestockpotential. Thus, landowners who are concerned about the long-term valuesof their lands would be well-served to heed the advice of my good friendand wildlife colleague, Dr. Dale Rollins, through his philosophy that wearinga camo cowboy hat provides good perspective when making decisionsthat not only can impact today’s yield, but can influence outcomes manyyears down the road. And for those landowners who want to rely on thirdpartyinput, there are plenty of good consultants who can provide sounddirection on making informed decisions.

Again, much of this discussion boils down to the willingness to adapt; kindof reminds me of Winston Churchill’s philosophy of, “Take change by the hand before it takes you by the throat.” °

The author, Greg Simons, co-owns a company that specializes in the development of commercial hunting enterprises and wildlife management programs on private lands. For further information on his company, check out WildlifeSystems.com. Simons also is involved with the environmental mitigation industry.