Farm and Ranch Living May 2019

Published May 31, 2019

Agriculturalists of the year

Ranchers Robert and Carol Mills honored as agriculturalists of the year, Page 2

Eggs for Education

James L. Collins Catholic School, Page 3

Fun on the Farm

Tops In Texas PRCA Rodeo Highlights Page 12

Children learn about farm life during half day camp in Bullard, Page 4

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May-June 2019

East Texas Farm & Ranch Living

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Couple honored as agriculturalists of the year

By Rich Flowers

R

Athens Daily Review

anchers Robert and Carol Mills were recognized on Tuesday for their service to the county and and agriculture at the 56th annual Henderson County Farm and Ranch Tour luncheon, at the Texan Theater.

“The 2019 Joe B. Fulgham Agriculturalist of the Year is a dynamic duo,” said Julie Moore, who announced the winner. “They have left their imprint on the agricultural community not only locally, but internationally.”

They have served on numerous Henderson County livestock and agricultural boards and are lifetime committee members of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Go Texan Scholarships for youth.

Their Bradford cattle have taken many honors. They have been breeders of the show bull of the year and twice breeders of the heifer of he year.

“Their Bradford cattle have been national champions more than any ranch in the show ring,” Moore said.

In addition, Robert has served as a breed superintendent at the East Texas State “This is quite and honor, because some of these gentlemen who have won this in the past are people I look up to and have for years,” Robert Mills said.

Carol Mills said she was humbled by the honor.

“We’ve leaved a blessed life that God has blessed us with, living in the country and living in agriculture,” Carol Mills said. “It’s the best life ever.”

The award was presented by 2018 winner Jimmy Mitchell.

The 2019 tour stops were southeast of Athens. Although rain threatened throughout the morning, the heavy showers held off until the final stop.

Pixlie Farm, a property with a large variety of animal species and a 27 acre lake was first on the itinerary. Next was Caddo Creek Ranch a cattle operation that also focuses on timber management and wildlife management. The final stop was the Forester Brothers Cattle Company which runs more than 1,500 grown head of cattle, plus 2,000 to 5,000 feeders depending on the time of year.

David Bickerstaff, president of the Henderson County Master Gardener Association, was the event speaker.

The first Joe B. Fulgham Agriculturist of the Year Award was presented in 1989 to Wendell Tackett, one of the organizers of the Farm and Ranch Tour when it began in 1964. Recipients are chosen for their contributions to the agricultural industry, leadership and accomplishments in the field.

The 2018 Henderson County agriculturalist of the year was Jimmy Mitchell.

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Wind And Solar Energy Is Not Cheap!

B

ureaucrats and tree huggers have done their best to sell wind and solar energy as free for all. Not quite! Just because the wind blows—sometimes—and the sun shines, that electricity generated by those unsightly humungous windmills means taxpayers are on the hook. Dr. Erin Kiella, a scientist with Texas A & M’s real estate research center, put together a presentation on the costs involved in producing this “free energy”. Kiella says the cost to produce electricity from wind and solar cost taxpayers $14 billion dollars in subsidies in 2016—and that cost is rising.

But the taxpayer subsidies for natural gas and oil was far less, though our petroleum products

produced over 80% of our energy needs. Put another way, Kiella said this year, the cost to produce a megawatt hour of energy will be only $1-2 for oil and natural gas. The cost to generate that same amount of energy from wind will be $15-57 and $43-320 for solar. That “free wind” and “free sunlight” is not near the bargain some folks claim. (A megawatt hour is equivalent to the amount of electricity used by about 330 homes in one hour.)

When it comes to raising cattle, in Texas and adjacent states, most are raised on farms or ranches averaging about 40 cows All told there are over 700,000 outfits reporting they raise cattle throughout the fifty states. The pencil pushers who keep up with

cattle numbers also say that we are producing far more beef with fewer cows than in the past.

Some days those of us who believe in America—first, last and always—get some good news from a company moving production lines back home from overseas. Stanley Black & Decker reports they will build a ten-acre facility in Fort Worth to manufacture Craftsman mechanics tools. The company says the move back to the U.S. will add 500 jobs in the new plant. The company bought the Craftsman brand from Sears, Roebuck a few years ago.

Last week three of our supermarket chains in East Texas featured what they claimed to be catfish in their newspaper ads.

Nursing eggs for education

By James Page

S

Corsicana Daily Sun

tudents at James L. Collins Catholic School hatched eggs recently as they learned about the life cycle of a chicken.

JLCCS partnered with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office in Navarro County as part of it’s 4-H education program.

Four classrooms at James L. Collins Catholic School partnered with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Navarro County to be included in it’s chick hatching program.

Cecily Nors from AgriLife coordinated the program.

Nors brought each class an incubator, egg turner, and instruction manual on March 21. This manual included activities that could be done in class to further students understanding.

The four classrooms who participated were preschool, kindergarten, second, and third grade, each received 12 eggs to put in their incubators.

The entire process took about 15 days from the day JLCCS received the eggs to when they began to hatch.

When the second grade students came in one Monday morning, they were giddy with excitement that they had chicks.

The teachers were pleased to see how the results of the hands on experience benefitted the children.

The program taught the students of God’s creations, and how they are responsible for taking care of them.

The second grade class had a better outcome than the other classes, they had 11 out of the 12 hatch and live.

The second grade teacher, Julie Green, had a specific routine for her classes’ chicks in addition to what the manual suggested.

Everyday at 10:45 a.m. her class prayed for their eggs.

Green’s class, truly believed that the reason they had such a good turnout was because they prayed for them.

“I have taught children for 32 years and have never done an egg hatching program before,” Green said. “It was such a fun hands-on learning experience. I hope to do it again every year!”

One offered fresh, U.S. farmraised catfish filets at $5.99 a pound. A second store offered the American raised product at $4.99 a pound. The third supermarket offered fried Swai fish from Vietnam at $6.99 a pound in the deli. The grocer said the regular price was $7.99 but was reduced to $6.99 for sale. Brookshire’s put a fancy name on their Vietnamese catfish look-alike by calling it “Southern Fried Fish”. When most of us think of Southern Fried Fish we want real catfish, not an import raised thousands of miles away from our shores. My wife bought the American catfish from both HEB and Kroger stores—it was excellent. When it comes to fried catfish, we often visit a local Brookshire Brothers store.

Their American farm-raised fried catfish from the deli is top notch!

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Millipede Invasion

BY PENNYLYNN WEBB Palestine Herald-Press

M

illipedes are everywhere in East Texas, including inside our homes. “We’ve had quite a few complaints with regard to millipedes this year,” said Truman Lamb, Anderson County’s AgriLife Extension Agent.

Millipedes typically enter homes in large numbers during migration, becoming a considerable nuisance. They do not damage your home, although they may leave a stain if they are crushed.

“Some years are worse than others, especially when the weather conditions are right,” Lamb said. “They tend to be more of a problem when people have a lot of organic matter like leaves, firewood or tree limbs around their homes.”

Millipedes are wormlike, with rounded body segments that each bear two pairs of legs. Species can vary in length from less than 1 inch to 2 or more inches. They are typically light brown to black.

Millipedes can climb walls easily and often enter homes through foundation cracks above ground.

Millipedes are not poisonous, but many species have glands that produce irritating fluids that may cause allergic reactions.

Most millipedes are scavengers, feeding mostly on decaying vegetation and leaf litter. Some species attack the roots of living plants.

They occasionally damage seedling plants by feeding on stems and leaves.

Millipedes spend most of their lives in the soil, where they also overwinter. In the spring, millipedes lay between 20 and 300 eggs.

How do you get rid of a heavy infestation? Giving your home a good Spring cleaning will eliminate a number of insects.

Lamb said indoor insecticides such as Demon, or setting off bug bombs, should clear up any indoor problems. For outdoors, Lamb suggested Liquid Sevin, Perimeter or Malathion.

“If you are spraying outdoors, you want to make sure you give yourself four hours drying time, which is hard to do in our current rainy conditions,” Lamb said.

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May-June 2019

Soggy bottom syndrome D

o you have it? Chances are, if your yard or garden has a low spot, you do! Whether it is tomatoes or squash, peppers or lawn grass, the long soaking rains we have been getting are keeping the ‘wet feet’ on the plants (meaning keeping water on the roots) and most plants do not tolerate that well.

This week has been squash week in the office, and we have gotten many calls about sudden wilting and rot in the members of the Cucurbitaceae family (our big leaved garden beauties). If you are noticing your cucumbers, squash or cantaloupes suddenly wilting, it is probably phytophthora root rot, brought on by those wet feet.

There are quite a number fungal spores lurking in the soil waiting for just the right scenario to cause problems: phytophthora, fusarium, anthracnose and many more. Usually they aren’t a problem but when water is present at root level for six to eight hours and the temperatures are warm, then issues can develop.

Depending on which of these lovely fellows you are dealing with, there is sometimes not much to be done other than pulling up the diseased plants to keep the fungal spores from reproducing, although there are antifungal treatments available for some of them. Prevention is the best way to handle it. High rows or hills that allow for as much drainage as possible - leveling the garden so that there are fewer low spots for the water to pool, or gardening in raised beds or containers to allow for free flow of water and air.

If you have areas that are prone to soil diseases, there are also resistant plants that may be available. Hybrids have been developed that are resistant to many of the soil-borne diseases, also there is the potential for using grafted plants that will have rootstock tough enough to withstand your problem areas.

Your shadow over your garden beds will help you to see early signs of problems, which can save neighboring plants from being infected. Being there to notice the changes will help with control and prevention. If you have questions, feel free to call the extension office and share them. We are happy to help.

Kim Benton

Cherokee County Horticulturist

Weekly camp = Fun on the farm

By Jo Anne Embleton

E

Jacksonville Daily Progress

very summer since 2017, Half Pint Pony Parties & Petting Zoo transforms into weekly camps for children ages four and older who want to experience a little bit of “Fun on the Farm” as they learn about farm life.

“I grew up on a farm, and am the mother of three – I’ve noted that a lot of children nowadays don’t have the opportunities I had, that I took for granted (growing up exposed to farm life),” said farm owner Amanda Bamert. “I wanted to give that same opportunity to modern-day kids, of riding ponies and playing with barn cats like I did.”

Beginning June 3, a total of eight week-long sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday, at the 11321 FM 344 West farm in Bullard. The final week of “Fun on the Farm” summer camp is slated July 22-26.

The half-day camps, which feature basic horse care and safety, pony rides, nature walks and scavenger hunts, among other activities, have exponentially grown each year, as inaugural campers brought friends and siblings to the 2018 camp, she said.

“The second year, pretty much all of the children returned, and they brought their friends and siblings, and attendance doubled,” Bamert recalled, adding that this year, the numbers have increased as well. “The feedback has been great – I love having our campers come back each summer.”

Teaching through demonstration and presentation, Bamert said most of the education takes places in a hands-on manner.

“They learn best through participating. We explain as we go, but the program is very hands on: They get to plant a garden, gather eggs, milk a goat – we even give them an opportunity to chase goats, with their parents’ permission,” she laughed. “It’s kind of an ongoing dialogue with them that’s loosely structured. We want them to have fun, yet learn without realizing they’re learning.”

Campers, whose average ages range from four to 10 years old, aren’t grouped by age, but instead mixed together, all for good reason.

“It’s kind of like an old-time family farm, where everyone works together,” Bamert said.

“We tell them that’s how it works on a farm.”

As older campers guide younger ones, friendships foster, something which she said is fun to watch.

“That’s been lost over the past couple of generations, but it’s important for them to learn to work as a group,” she said.

Farm camp also includes a segment in which children learn where food and other products come from, as they plant seeds and learn more about the animals on the farm.

For instance, when they are introduced to the sheep, “we tell them, this is what it feels like when (wool comes) off the sheep … it’s made into clothes,” she said. “It’s pretty neat to be able to share that sort of thing with them.”

The camps are as big a hit with parents as they are with the youth.

“They absolutely love (Fun on the Farm Summer Camp), and they can’t wait for the

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next year – they’ll say to put their kids on the list for next year, because they can’t wait for them to be outside,” Bamert said, adding that the appeal of the outdoor program is that it takes the focus off electronics and introduces children to simpler pastimes.

“We always tell people, ‘it’s old-fashioned fun.’ It’s not battery operated,” she said, recalling her own experiences both on the farm which she grew up and visiting her grandfather’s farm in New Mexico during the summers.

“I would go help with his animals, helping around his farm, riding horses – he had two wagons in front of his house … I remember sitting and playing on those wagons. So I had to get a wagon for kids to play on out here!” she laughed. “It’s old-fashioned fun. We want everything out here to be kid-powered, no electrical stuff. Just all nature.”

The 18-acre farm where the “Fun on the Farm” summer camps are held has sheep, goats, cattle and farm ponies, among other animals.

“Who would not want to share, being blessed with all this?” Bamert asked.

Summer camps are limited to 16 children per session, with each camp overseen by Bamert and two other counselors. Learn more by calling 903-521-2030 or visiting www. halfpintponyparties.com. Or visit the “Half Pint Pony Parties” page on Facebook.

Photos courtesy of Half Pint Pony Parties

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East Texas Farm & Ranch Living

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Foreign Language A

medical doctor friend of mine was recounting his experiences in Africa as a volunteer for a church missionary program. He said it was very satisfying for the soul but his biggest problem was communicating with the patients.

He gave me an odd look and said it gave him a begrudging respect for veterinarians.

Several ago I made a trip to Australia. Grand folks, hospitable and definitely livestock people.

However, it did take me several days to get used to the language.

It’s like you’re talkin’ Spanish to Italians...they sound so much alike, you actually think you’re communicating!

The only thing I really learned

to say in Australian was ketchup.

But they call it T’maw-tow-sawz.

It didn’t stop me from makin’ friends. I spent a week each with a couple of bush country veterinarians. On the day they planned to pass me from one to the other we made the trip from Barraba to Quirindi. The three of us found much in common, as three ol’ cow vets could. We spent the afternoon at an Angus field day.

That evening my hosts had planned a big formal supper. On our way home a call came over the two-way.

“Can you attend a kawving?” it squawked.

“A carving?” I asked.

“Yes, a kawving.”

It was getting dark as we climbed out of the car at a little farm. The wife said her husband was detained at the pub but the heifer was in the crush. Said heifer was smallish and pitiful lookin’. Sort of a magpie Angus cross. Two cold hooves stuck out behind her tail. It didn’t look good. My colleagues introduced me to the Missus and explained, to my surprise, that she would be pleased to see the American method.

The chute was covered and had a concrete floor. Unfortunately, the floor was wider than the tin roof so the afternoon shower had left two inches of standing muck right where we laid the heifer down.

Soon I was wallowing about on my side in the slimy pool, arm deep inside trying to correct the ‘head back’ malpresentation. My two friends carried on a nonstop commentary describing my procedures to the preoccupied farm wife. She stood, arms folded across her chest as I splashed and scrabbled for some leverage on the slick floor. They held the flashlight and occasionally lent a

boot for me to brace against as I pedaled like a three leg-ged crab on glass.

We saved the heifer but lost the calf. I rode to the formal dinner in the backseat, my green underwear sticking to the upholstery. Needless to say, ‘The American Method’ was dinner conversation.

I was reminded of my Australian experiences while listening to the African M.D. Yes, I told him, I could relate.

I, too, had been to a foreign country where I didn’t speak the language. But I was able to communicate with my patients. I guess it was because my language was universal. I speak cow. www.baxterblack.com

Free Earth Project: Supplying a food desert

By James Page

A

Corsican Daily Sun

fter setting up at a few markets and having excess produce-so much that even they couldn’t eat it all, Cody Robson and his team decided to fill a need. The next week they put up a sign that read, “Free produce, donation only.”

“It was then that we realized how big the need was. Seeing families come by and being able to grab all the produce they needed for the few dollars in their pocket was quite humbling. So the journey began.” Robson said.

Robson is the founder of the non-profit organization farm, Free Earth Project.

The purpose of Free Earth is to supply natural foods and educate the community on food production and sustainability.

Athens, as well as much of Henderson County, is a “food desert.” One-third of the citizens are low-income, and live more than 20 miles from a super market.

Nearly 19 percent of their community lives below the poverty line, which is higher than the national average of 14 percent, with only 28 percent of their low income community members receiving SNAP benefits.

Free Earth Project will address these community needs by increasing access to affordable farm fresh foods and providing education on healthy food choices. Free Earth provides a unique opportunity for people to make the connection between their food and it’s source as it aims to make this a much more personal and fulfilling experience.

Free Earth Project is located on 35 acres of land in Athens, Texas. Currently they are growing vegetables for community programs that distribute food to those in need, but have future plans to grow and extend their services.

They hope to expand their area of production drastically as well as add

livestock and other natural wellness products. It’s their goal to one day be able to be completely sustainable and also provide a means for community members to live sustainably.

Their plans beyond this first season include establishing a community dog park, a community garden, and an edible food forest.

The Corsicana Daily Sun recently caught up with Cody to learn about the vision behind, Free Earth Project.

• Now that the idea has been sparked, what is the motivation to continue to carry it out?

We all enjoy working with the land, learning new things and growing as individuals and we want to share that experience with others. Our goals are not only to feed those in need but also to educate through workshops and give people the tools to do this on a personal level for their families. As a society, we are so disconnected from where our food comes from, how it is produced and how much work it requires.

We aim to bridge that gap. We also want to show young people that it can be a fun and rewarding experience to grow and produce your own food.

• Beyond feeding the needs of the community, what else does Free Earth hope to inspire from this?

Free Earth does this to meet a direct need in Henderson County, but our long term goals include us being able to do this same thing all over the country and then eventually the globe. This same model can be successful in many places with some hardworking hands, strong leaders and community support. We do this because we believe that our existence is not only to serve our own needs and wants but to affect others while we are here. We want to see communities come together. Our mission is to sow seeds that inspire growth and enrich community.

• What can the community do to support the Free Earth Project?

We need the community to support us, share our posts by helping us get the word out. Free Earth is always looking for volunteers to complete tasks on the farm like weeding, building raised beds, planting and harvesting. We have the ability

to make a significant impact on a county that ranks below average on the national poverty level.

If you feel led to donate to the cause, it is always greatly appreciated and every dollar is stretched as far as possible. We always look for ways to recycle and we strive to buy used first and then refurbish things to fit our needs if possible. We also love inkind donations like hog paneling, pallets, compost, rabbit droppings, t-posts, etc.

Since we are a 501 c3, any donation made, monetary or in-kind, is tax deductible.

Free Earth is funded right now by a handful of directors. We are all teachers, so we don’t have a lot of expendable money but we are very resourceful and thrifty. We look for any way to cut costs at all. We have a volunteer that constantly checks the free section of Craigslist to see if we can repurpose something to fill a need. We also have Wright’s Tree Service dump mulch every year from local tree trimming for our furrows and we repurpose cardboard to keep weeds down.

We have received a few modest donations that help aid us with bigger purchases like compost and equipment.

• Do you plan on doing this full time?

Eventually, yes, we would all love to do this full-time. We achieve so much right now working for Free Earth part-time that we are confident and excited at the impact we could have if we were able to do this full-time. This whole process has been very eye opening as we really had no idea the amount of red tape, paperwork and behind the scenes time that goes into creating and sustaining a non-profit. It definitely takes a team and although we are small, we are fierce and driven.

• What is the edible food forest?

The edible food forest is a long term project that we are working to grow in Athens, TX. The idea is essentially a living forest of edible foods that you can walk through and pick fresh, healthy fruit from. It will not only be a beautiful addition to the city, something that family, friends and photographers can enjoy, but it also serves the purpose of simultaneously feeding people.

• Long term volunteer housing?

A huge part of making this organization successful in the long term is having livein volunteers that can be on site and help us keep things running. We aim to partner

directly with WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), that connects volunteers with farms all over the world.

All of the directors running Free Earth work full-time and one of the main directors also volunteers as a Scout Committee Member and has two small children, so it is a constant juggling act to schedule and commit our time to the farm on the evenings and weekends.

We need someone helping complete daily tasks so we can put more of our efforts into finding grants, building connections, sourcing donations, creating funding ideas and planning events/workshops. We plan to feed our volunteers from the farm of course and we feel like this relationship will work out well and hopefully blossom into an opportunity for some of our volunteers to become a long term part of Free Earth.

• How can people volunteer and donate?

If you are interested in volunteering, link up with us on our Facebook page Free Earth Project or send us an email: Cody@freetheearth.org OR Tricia@freetheearth.org.

We are always ready for help and if you have a particular passion for this type of project, we want you! If you are interested in helping fund our operations, we have a donation button on the first page of our Facebook that will take you directly through the process.

Free Earth is also set up on Amazon Smile, which donates a portion of each purchase back to the non-profit. The only catch is you have to check out through the Amazon Smile website for us to get credit! If you have in-kind donations like equipment, fencing, compost, etc, please send us an email or call us at 903-258-3753 so we can work out drop off/pick-up.

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Navarro County Farmer’s Market offers fresh fare

By James Page

T

Corsicana Daily Sun

he Navarro County Farmer’s Market opened its 49th season May 4, bringing fresh-picked produce for all its customers to enjoy.

The Market operates on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon from its home at 408 E. Sixth Ave. in Corsicana, adjacent to the Corsicana Daily Sun. “We have all kinds of vegetables and some baked goods,” said Ronnie Farmer, The NCFM’s President.

“We’re a market mostly for gardeners and farmers to sell their produce, and our vendors have been here for years and years.”

Wilson is an avid supporter of the Navarro County Farmer’s Market, and speaks highly of Farmer’s own produce, along with Vernon Strebeck’s cantaloupes, which he is best-known for.

The popularity of farmers markets has surged in the past few years as consumers become more health-conscious and aware of where their food comes from. No longer delegated to roadside stands, these farmto-table outlets are increasingly found in urban centers.

“It’s all fresh-picked, I could pick squash tomorrow and bring it right there next day as it ripens,” Farmer said. “Produce found in a grocery store has to be shipped green and then gassed to ripen. Our vegetables don’t have to be gassed or artificially altered, which is healthier.”

Anyone interested in joining the Farmer’s Market should contact Farmer at 903-641-878.

“We charge growers $30 to join the association, an $8 booth fee on Saturday and a $6 booth fee on Tuesday. The fees are mainly to keep electricity on and pay the bills.”

May-June 2019

Texas A&M AgriLife unveils plans for state-of-the-art robotic greenhouse Staff Reports

T

Athens Daily Review

exas A&M AgriLife unveiled plans May 22 for a multi-million dollar Automated Precision Phenotyping Greenhouse that will utilize advanced sensor technology to enhance agricultural crops in the areas of crop health, yield, nutrition, temperature, drought stress and other environmental conditions.

“Global population growth coupled with consumer demands for more nutritious food calls for new advancements in the agriculture food system and new technologies to keep up with this change,” said Dr. Patrick Stover, vice chancellor of agriculture and life sciences with Texas A&M AgriLife and director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research.

“As Texas A&M AgriLife focuses on the importance of revolutionizing our food systems and enhancing the traits of our produce to nourish the world, this greenhouse will be a key component for our crop industry and advance both urban and row agriculture.”

The facility will be located at the intersection of F&B Road and Agronomy Road in College Station, north of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory.

The project, expected for completion by summer 2020, is being led by AgriLife Research and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Both AgriLife Research scientists and faculty will use the facility for experimental trials as well as a teaching platform for undergraduate and graduate students.

The facility is funded by the Chancellor’s Research Initiative Award and matched by the Governor’s University Research Initiative Award. Additional robotic equipment is funded by a Research Development Fund Award.

The facility has a construction budget estimated at $3.5 million.

Two 2,400 square foot greenhouses

Photo courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife

A rendering of the new Automated Precision Phenotyping Greenhouse at Texas A&M University. The project is being led by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. for physicists, biochemists and engineers will work alongside a 3,813-square-foot headhouse with field scientists working in soil, plant, microbe, insect and other disciplines.

The facilities are expected to be completed by June 2020.

The robotic system includes a gantry beam that will transit the entire length of the greenhouse. On the gantry is a rolling truck with a robotic arm capable of long reach to perform a variety of research activities such as plant health and movement. A sensor head will include a multispectral camera and a Raman spectrometer.

In conjunction with advanced genomics and big data collection, the greenhouse technology can identify specific chemical compounds, accelerate crop plant improvement through breeding and genetics, maximizing productivity and stress tolerance.

This will open new opportunities for the study of plant nutritional phenotypes, according to researchers.

“Multiple research institutions have built sophisticated greenhouses with various sensing equipment, but the APP

Greenhouses will have the advantage of maximum flexibility in configuration of plants in the greenhouses, in positioning of sensors relative to the plants, and in the types of sensors used,” said Dr. Alex Thomasson, AgriLife Research engineer and professor in the department of biological and agricultural engineering at Texas A&M. “These capabilities will make research in the APP Greenhouses truly unique worldwide, helping position Texas A&M as the leader among peer institutions in this exciting area of discovery.”

The organizations represented among the investigators involved include AgriLife Research, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Science, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, and the College of Engineering. Departments represented include biological and agricultural engineering, soil and crop sciences, plant pathology and microbiology, biochemistry and biophysics, physics and astronomy, mechanical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and computer science and engineering.

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Most of my best memories come from some old dirt road.

May-June 2019

By Luke Clayton Outdoors Writer

D

uring my threedecades career as an outdoors writer, I have had the opportunity to travel to many places and spend time with some wonderful people. This past week, I enjoyed a turkey hunt up in Palo Pinto County on a ranch that ranks very high on my list. Through the years, I have enjoyed some grand times hunting this ranch situated right on the banks of the Brazos River.

The ranch manager, Randy Douglas became a great friend through the years and on this recent hunt, we spent some time recalling some of the good times we shared there in these rugged hills, situated on the edge of the Palo Pinto Mountains.

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Back home at Dale River Ranch In past years, I’ve set up a tent camp on the banks of the Brazos River just down from the lodge on the ranch. Randy would usually join me for a camp dinner before heading to his home in Mineral Wells.

There is something very special about camping in solitude on the banks of a river, listening to the slow moving current gurgling through a ‘skinny’ stretch of streambed , with only the sounds of a night hunting owl or lone coyote out looking for dinner to keep one company. On these camping/hunting trips, my tent was set several miles from the nearest human and when the night sky was clear, I would enjoy a ringside seat with an amazing view of the heavens.

This past week’s turkey hunt was a homecoming of sorts. It had been a while

since I had the opportunity to visit with Randy and become re-acquainted with the ranch. My goal was to enjoy a one day hunt and hopefully harvest a long beard gobbler. The ranch is only a couple hours from my home and by getting up early; I can easily be hunting by the times the gobblers are on the ground and seriously looking for their lady-love of the day.

I met Randy at the gate and he informed me that he had already heard gobbling in a couple areas on the ranch. Through the 13 or so years that Randy has managed the ranch, he has learned every creek bottom and cedar flat intricately.

As he dropped off me off in an area he had heard gobbling, he instructed, “Luke, I would start by setting the decoy up in this little clearing. I heard

gobbling an hour or so ago on the little ridge over there, maybe you can coax a gobbler down within shotgun range.”

Some days gobblers sound off immediately and come running in to a call and decoy. Other days, they do not. This was one of those ‘other days’.

After about ten minutes of making those plaintive hen yelps on my old box call, I heard a distant response gobble, maybe 400 yards away up on the ridge Randy had pointed to. Then…. Nothing! Not another peep out of that gobbler. I was hoping he would come in silent as gobblers sometime do but after thirty minutes of occasional calling, all was quiet. In situations like this, I often get up and walk along slowly, stopping to call at likely places.

After covering a mile or so using this tried and true technique, I never heard a peep out of a gobbler.

A text from Randy told me the good news that he had heard two different gobblers in another section of the ranch. We met at a crossroads and our next stop was a ridge overlooking a big creek bottom. Two hours of occasional calling to two different gobblers gleaned the same result. They simply were not coming in, possibly they were ‘hened up’, or already with a hen.

For whatever reason both birds showed absolutely no interest in my calling.

My next spot to hunt resulted in one of those ‘turkey hunting stories’ that I am sure I will be telling the rest of my life. I

have had some downright comical things occur on turkey hunts. Maybe not comical at the moment they occurred but in retrospect, comical indeed!

Randy stopped the truck and pointed me toward a high ridge with a pop up blind and feeder nearby and instructed, “I know there are turkeys loafing during mid day along the creek several hundred yards off this ridge. Stay put here and maybe you can coax one out with your calling.”

After getting settled in and placing my decoy on the edge of the wood line where it could easily be spotted from several hundred yards by a turkey coming up the ridge, I began my hen yelps. After an hour of occasional calling I heard two distant gobbles coming from down on the creek in the direction Randy had indicated. They, just like the gobblers earlier in the morning, refused to come in. So, I began closing the distance to them until I was within what I estimated to be 150 yards of the birds. They responded occasionally with a gobble but I could not coax them out of the creek bottom.

Then began a sequence of events that involved employing a turkey hunting technique I learned many years ago and a very cagey old gobbler. I began a slow walk back to my spot on top of the distant ridge, stopping every 50 yards or so to call. Sometimes this tactic makes a gobbler think a hen is on the move, walking out of his area and brings him in on the run.

I made it back up the hill to my original spot and began calling every ten minutes or so.

Nothing! I was getting a bit disheartened. After setting in the blind adjacent a cedar tree for another hour, I picked up my box call and just as I was about to hit the box with the paddle, a very, very loud gobble broke the silence and made my hair stand on end! The gobbler was a mere FIFTEEN FEET from me. Obviously he had heard my calling and using that built in GPS unit that all gobblers possess, he had walked all the way out of the creek bottom to my exact position. Needless to say, this old turkey hunter was a bit shaken. There was a BIG gobbler, gobbling his head off almost within spitting distance. Mature gobblers usually don’t give a hunter long to make the shot and I had to do something and… fast! I eased the shotgun barrel up and twisted around until I could see the outline of the gobbler through the brushy cedar limbs. KABOOM! The next thing I heard was the turkey flying out of there, unscathed! At such close range, my shot pattern had centered a 2 inch limb on the cedar!

As I’ve always said, “Anything can and often does occur on a spring turkey hunt!”

For more information on the Dale River Ranch, visit www.daleriverranch.com Contact Luke via his radio website www. catfishradio.org. Watch his new outdoor video show on Facebook by ‘liking’ Friendlee News.

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East Texas Farm & Ranch Living

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May-June 2019

World class ropers compete on Memorial Day weekend

D

uring the Memorial Day weekend, world class ropers saddle up to compete in the traditional Windy Ryon Memorial Roping.

The competition draws dyedin-the-leather rodeo fans and it is one tough show to win for competitors. It is conducted in a sprawling arena. Ropers are required to give their steer a longer head start. There are days that competitors rope in windy and hot weather.

But during the team roping competition on May 24, not any of that fazed former world champion, Clay Tryan, and his partner, Jake Long, when the open division title was at stake during the final round. The duo entered the final with the lead in the aggregate race and held onto it after turning in a solid time of 7.45 seconds.

Tryan, who is from Lipan, and Long, a Morgan Mill resident who has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas eight times, clinched the open team roping title with a five-run aggregate time of 35.66 seconds at the 46th annual Ryon Roping.

Tryan, who won Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association team roping heading world titles three times (2005 and 2013-14), said he knows he will be tested at

the Ryon Roping.

“I think it’s going to be a long day when I come here every time and hopefully it is because that means you’ve made it to the end,” he said. “But you’ve got to earn it.”

In the women’s team roping, Hope Thompson of Abilene and Rylie Smith of Whitsett clinched the title with a four-run aggregate time of 36.01 after turning in an 8.5 in the final round. They each earned $3,750.

Clay Logan of Granbury and Rodie Wilson of Canyon finished No. 1 in the Invitational Knot Tying (a form of team roping).

They each pocketed $3,000.

During the Invitational Tiedown Roping competition on May 25, six-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Timber Moore finished No. 1 in the title race.

Moore has lassoed the title for the past four out of five years (2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019).

Moore clinched the title at the 2019 edition with a threerun time of 27.69 seconds after turning in an 8.71 in the final round. He earned $8,700.

Moore said it’s imperative that a competitor draws calves that can help him post good times because the Invitational Roping consists of only three rounds.

“You can’t have a calf kick you,” he said. “You’ve got to get good starts and you have to use every opportunity you have as far as roping really good calves. Luckily, today [May 25], I had three really good ones, made three good runs and got out of here with the win.”

Tough Moore fared well in the 40-man Invitational Roping, he struggled in the match roping on May 25 against defending PRCA world tie-down roping champion Caleb Smidt who is from Bellville.

The match consisted of eight

runs. Smith was ahead of Moore, 40.96 to 49.72 seconds, after four runs. Moore turned in a sluggish time of 25.03 in the fifth round and Smidt turned in a 9.81. At that point, Smidt had the lead over Moore, 50.77 to 74.75, and never looked back.

In Round 8, Smidt finished with a 9.81. Moore’s time was 60 seconds because he had a no time.

After eight runs, Smidt edged Moore, 83.71 to 173.34, and received $5,000.

In the women’s break-away roping, Bradi Good of Abilene lassoed the title with an 11.31 on three runs and earned $2,290.

The 2019 Ryon Roping concluded May 26 with steer roping. For the first time, the steer roping was sanctioned by the PRCA and earnings will count toward the steer roping world title race and the PRCA world all-around standings.

Trevor Brazile, a 24-time PRCA world champion, clinched the steer roping title with a four-run time of 53.3 and earned $5,265.

Brazile won the final round with a 12.2 on his way to clinching the

average title.

It was the third time that Brazile has won the steer roping title at the Ryon Roping, according to long-time announcer Curt Robinson who keeps detailed statistics on the renowned competition. Brazile also won the steer roping title in 1997 and 2018, Robinson said.

In addition to clinching the steer roping title on May 26, Brazile, who is from Decatur, also finished third in the Invitational Tie-down Roping title race on May 25. Brazile earned $3,480 in the tie-down roping competition.

Brazile’s total earnings in steer roping and tie-down roping at the 2019 Windy Ryon Memorial Roping were $8,745.

WPRA update On the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association circuit, Kellie Collier, a former National Finals qualifier from Hereford, finished third in the barrel racing title race with an 18.85 at the Beef Empire Days PRCA Rodeo in Garden City, Kan. The former Texas Tech star earned $1,683. Tyra Kane clinched the title at the May

Brett Hoffman, a Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame member, has reported on rodeos for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for more than three decades. Email him at bchoffman777@earthlink.net.

23-25 rodeo with an 18.34 and pocketed $2,405.

PBR update

The Professional Bull Riders will conduct its 2020 Global Cup, which is a team competition between countries such as the United States and Brazil, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The show is scheduled for Feb. 15-16.

Tickets are on sale and begin at $11. For more information, visit pbr.com.

May-June 2019

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East Texas Farm & Ranch Living

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From Scratch with Love

Pork Tenderloin with Spicy Apricot Glaze Total time: 10 mins plus 1 hour roast time makes 3-4 servings

This easy pork tenderloin only takes a few minutes to put together with flavorful results. Just stud the tenderloin with the garlic, roast for 20 minutes, and brush with the glaze. Return to the oven to thicken the glaze and finish cooking the pork, then slice and serve with roasted carrots or a spinach salad.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Heat the oven or toaster oven to 400°F. Place the pork tenderloin in a shallow ovenproof dish. Cut 6 (1-inch) slits evenly spaced across the top, insert the garlic pieces, and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes while the oven is heating.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the apricot preserves, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and cumin.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (If the preserves are still thick, add more lemon juice; don’t add too much, though, because the mixture should remain dense, not be runny.) Set aside.

3. Coat the tenderloin with olive oil and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread evenly with the apricot mixture. Return the pork to the oven and roast for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. 4. Remove from the oven and let rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

• 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed • 1 garlic clove, sliced into 6 thin pieces • 1/2 cup apricot preserves (preferably with whole fruit) • Juice of 1/2 medium lemon • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes • 1/8 teaspoon cumin • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Recipe by Audrey Robertson via Chowhound

East tExas stock PricEs

ANDERSON COUNTY LIVESTOCK

EAST TEXAS LIVESTOCK INC.

Updated: 5/22/2019 Head Count: 112 Buyers: 20 Sellers: 27

Updated: 5/28/2019 Feeder Calf Buyers: 16 Sellers: 129 Feeder Calf Companies: 27

STEERS

STEERS

200lb - 300lb

1.40

2.00

300-DOWN

$174

$227.50

300lb - 400lb

1.30

1.89

305lb - 400lb

$150

$196

400lb - 500lb

1.22

1.87

405lb - 500lb

$139

$178

500lb - 600lb

1.20

1.77

505lb - 600lb

$123

$169

600lb - 700lb

1.10

1.52

605lb - 800lb

$115

$155

700lb - 800lb

1.00

1.40

HEIFERS

HEIFERS

200lb - 300lb

1.30

1.75

300-DOWN

$125

$227.50

300lb - 400lb

1.25

1.67

305lb - 400lb

$118

$172

400lb - 500lb

1.20

1.50

405lb - 500lb

$110

$153

500lb - 600lb

1.10

1.48

505lb - 600lb

$103

$154

600lb - 700lb

1.00

1.42

605lb - 800lb

$100

$143

700lb - 800lb

0.85

1.27

Cows

0.40

0.63

Cows

$43

$62

Bulls

0.65

0.82

Bulls

$79

$86

PAIRS

$850

$1200

PAIRS

SLAUGHTER

STOCKER COWS GOATS

SLAUGHTER

$475hd

$950hd

$45hd

$150hd

TRI-COUNTY LIVESTOCK MARKET Updated: 5/25/2019 Head Count: 748

STEERS UNDER 300lb

1.30

2.12

300lb - 400lb

1.25

1.95

400lb - 500lb

1.20

1.60

500lb - 600lb

1.10

1.40

600lb - 700lb

1.10

1.40

700lb - 800lb

1.00

UNDER 300lb 300lb - 400lb 400lb - 500lb

BRED COWS

NACOGDOCHES LIVESTOCK EXCHANGE

STEERS

200lb - 299lb

1.80

2.00

300-DOWN

1.10

2.10

300lb - 400lb

1.25

1.85

300lb - 399lb

1.00

2.00

300lb - 400lb

1.00

2.00

400lb - 500lb

1.10

1.76

400lb - 499lb

1.00

1.77

400lb - 500lb

1.00

1.70

500lb - UP

0.95

1.54

500lb - 599lb

1.00

1.65

500lb - UP

0.85

1.55

1.25

600lb - 700lb

N/A

N/A

600lb - 699lb

1.00

1.49

HEIFERS

700lb - 899lb

1.00

1.35

300-DOWN

1.00

1.85

1.20

1.60

UNDER 300lb

1.30

2.30

HEIFERS

300lb - 400lb

1.00

1.65

1.20

1.50

300lb - 400lb

1.15

2.30

200lb - 299lb

1.00

2.05

400lb - 500lb

1.00

1.55

1.15

1.45

400lb - 500lb

1.10

1.76

300lb - 399lb

1.00

1.75

500lb - UP

0.80

1.40

0.75

1.44

400lb - 499lb

1.00

1.50

SLAUGHTER

N/A

N/A

500lb - 599lb

1.00

1.50

Cows

0.20

0.65

600lb - 699lb

1.00

1.27

Heavy Bulls

0.65

0.90

1.00

1.25

PAIRS

HEIFERS

1.10

1.35

600lb - 700lb

1.10

1.25

600lb - 700lb

700lb - 800lb

0.95

1.10

SLAUGHTER

SLAUGHTER

BABY CALVES STOCKER COWS LOW-MIDDLE

STEERS

2.35

500lb - 600lb

PAIRS

Updated: 5/24/2019 Head Count: 988 Sellers: 186

1.40

500lb - UP

Heavy Bulls

$1050/hd

ATHENS COMMISSION COMPANY

Updated: 5/20/2019 Head Count: 669

STEERS

NO TEST

$650/hd

UNDER 300lb

HEIFERS

Cows

HUNTS LIVESTOCK EXCHANGE

Updated: 5/23/2019 Head Count: 940 Buyers: 73 Sellers: 90

NO TEST

Cows

0.35

0.68

700lb - 899lb

0.20

0.61

Bulls

0.65

0.84

SLAUGHTER

0.70

0.85

PAIRS

$950

$2600

Cows

0.20

0.63

Low-Middle

$2150

STOCKER COWS

Bulls

0.70

0.82

PAIRS

$700

$1380

STOCKER COWS GOATS

$50hd

$350hd

$150hd

$600hd

$1100 NA $600/hd NA

NA

GOATS

$1275/hd

BABY CALVES

NA

HORSES

$750hd

$2000hd

$45hd

$150hd

$50

$200

STOCKER COWS

N/A

N/A

BABY CALVES

Top

$340hd

$1170hd

BABY CALVES

$150hd

$210hd

HORSES

$1,100

$1,400

$600

$1,000

0.55lb

0.90lb

$35hd

$300hd

10

May-June 2019

East Texas Farm & Ranch Living

Support Agriculture Businesses... They are the Heartbeat of Our Economy

Game Warden Field Notes

The following items are compiled from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.

Something Very Fishy Here On April 7, a Delta County game warden received a phone call stating five men were using two cast nets to catch game fish at the Cooper Lake Spillway. The suspects’ vehicle was located by a State Parks peace officer at a gas station in Cooper. Upon arrival, the game warden found the suspects to be in possession of 197 game fish. Species included hybrid striped bass, white bass, crappie, and catfish; 29 fish were undersized and only one of the five men had a valid fishing license. The suspects were in possession of two cast nets and three fishing poles but no hooks or tackle. Charges pending.

An Illegal Net-work Dallas County game wardens were on patrol when they received a phone call about several individuals netting at Rowlett Creek and keeping game fish. The wardens arrived at the location and observed from a distance six individuals scaling

and catching fish illegally with a cast net. The subjects were confronted and admitted to catching all the fish with the net. The violators had 48 fish in their possession, and of those 10 were undersized catfish and 8 undersized white bass.

As wardens were citing these violators, two more individuals were observed walking out of the woods carrying a bucket containing a net. After questioning, they admitted to catching fish using the net and led the wardens to the location where fish were hidden in another bucket in the brush.

The bucket contained 55 fish including 34 undersized white bass and 1 undersized crappie.

All subjects were cited and released.

possession of methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana. The subject was arrested and taken to the Navarro County Jail. A few days later, one of the wardens got a call from the Navarro County Sheriff ’s Office informing them the subject’s wife was just arrested for trying to bond her husband out using $900 in counterfeit bills!

No DeFence On April 19, a Brazoria County game warden

Funny Money Wardens observed an individual fishing on Richland Chambers Reservoir after dark with no lights on his boat and made contact. The subject was found to have several water safety, fishing, and narcotics violations, including no lights and no boat registration, no fishing license, using game fish for bait, leaving game fish to die, undersized crappie, and

Cleanup on Aisle 4 received a phone call from a local landowner stating three of his blackbuck antelope had been shot.

Two antelope were found dead

Farming Games

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and another one was wounded.

The landowner stated a neighbor saw two men with a .22 rifle along his high fence knew where the suspects lived. The suspects turned out to be a teenage boy and his father. After separating the pair, the teenage boy stated his dad had shot all three antelope. The boy also retrieved the .22 rifle that was used, and explained they planned on eating the antelope, but the fence was too high for him to cross over and retrieve the carcasses. With the overwhelming evidence building up against the father, he decided to confess. Hunt without landowner consent, no hunting license, and discharging a firearm across property lines were filed. Cases pending.

On April 15, a Hardin County game warden received a call from the manager of the Office Depot store in Beaumont. The manager indicated there was a small hawk flying around inside the store and they couldn’t get it to leave, even though they had the front and back roll-up doors open.

The warden enlisted the help of a licensed falconer experienced in handling and trapping birds of prey. After arriving on scene with a hawk trap and some live bait they soon discovered that although the bird resembled a hawk, it was in fact a large nightjar or “nighthawk,” which feeds on insects, rendering the trap idea useless. Undeterred, the warden and his falconer friend resorted to using a ladder and a dip net. After what resembled a scene from America’s Funniest Home Videos, they were able to finally corral the bird in a back hallway and catch it in the dip net. It was released outside where it flew off unharmed. The store manager was very grateful the bird was removed and would not be setting off the alarm system after closing.

Four Time Loser Game wardens patrolling Lake Amistad made contact with a boat operator exhibiting signs of possible intoxication and after failing seated field sobriety tests the man was arrested for Boating While Intoxicated. The subject was found to have 3 previous DWI convictions. Felony BWI was filed and the subject was taken to the county jail.

Farming Crossword

Across

2. One of Americas first domesticated animals 4. A _______ farm produces major crops and account for majority of sales 8. Romans originated an early type of 10. Along a river that gets deposited soil when river floods 14. Usual method of crop growing _______ system 15. Farming in 2000 was greater than 1950 by ______ times 16. Cities arose here due to argriculture 19. Today we have 1.3_______ farmers 21. Farmed along this river in Egypt 22. Diversified farming grows a ________ of crops 23. One of the first crops in the Middle East 24. One of earliest animals domesticated 26. Plantations grow as _______ grow 27. Intensive method of fruit and nut tree cropping 29. American farms are ran more like ________ 30. Transition that brought new foods to Europe, _______ Revolution

Down

1. Have been regarded as croplands recently 3. ______ and _______ is a system which adds nutrients to soil by burning 5. Growing of grains, field crops and forage plants 6. Began in the Middle East 10,000 years ago 7. ________ farming is common in crowded and poor countries 9. Government owned and usually grow a single crop 11. Slash and Burn is performed in _______ America 12. Society that recorded all agricultural practices 13. the 16th Century brought the 17. Extensive _____ orchards are in Europe 18. One of Asia’s first crops 20. New farming systems and technology brought animal________ 25. Plants and ______ were domesticated for agriculture 28. Tempted by sun and long growing seasons ________

May-June 2019

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East Texas Farm & Ranch Living

Support Agriculture Businesses... They are the Heartbeat of Our Economy

Hands Off:

It’s not good to mess with Mother Nature

By Matt Williams

I

Outdoors Writer

t’s late spring and the woods are bustling with all sorts of wildlife acting on Mother Nature’s cue to perpetuate their respective species. At other time of the year are humans more likely to encounter new borns in the wild.

Some may be all alone and appear to need help, but in most cases they really don’t.

Three words of advice to anyone who comes across one and ponders the idea of picking it up thinking they are doing it a favor: Don’t do it.

Chances are it will do the animal more harm than good. It could be a death sentence for a white-tailed deer fawn, bluejay fledgling, baby fox or rabbit.

That’s the word from wildlife biologists, game wardens and licensed wildlife rehabilitators all over the state.

“We always get flooded with calls this time of year from people who have found young animals,” said Sean Willis, a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wildlife biologist based in Lufkin. “They bring them home thinking they are helping, but that’s never a good idea unless the animal is obviously injured in some way or the mother has been hit by a car something.

If you come across a fawn bedded down in your yard or pasture, it’s best to leave it alone and back away. The mother probably isn’t far and she’ll come back.”

Amy Sethman knows the drill all too well. Sethman lives in Burnet, a busy little town situated near the heart of the deerrich Edwards Plateau.

Several years ago, Sethman’s ex-husband found a days-old fawn bedded down in a field. Thinking the fawn had been abandoned by its mother, he scooped it up brought it home.

The couple quickly found out caring for young deer isn’t as easy as it might seem.

They also learned it is illegal to possess one without the proper permit.

Taking the young deer back where it was found wasn’t an option, so they started making phone calls to locate a licensed wildlife rehabilitator to care for it. They found one nearby, but she wasn’t happy when she learned how they came by the

Courtesy Photos by Amy Sethman

Amy Sethman of Burnet recently came across this white-tailed deer fawn as it crossed a county road on the heels of its mother. The fawn temporarily bedded down on the pavement before Sethman coaxed it off the roadway and out of harm’s way. Those who encounter fawns and new born wild animals are encouraged to leave the alone, as mother probably isn’t far away. baby deer.

“She (the rehabilitator) was pretty mad about it when we told her what happened,”

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Sethman said. “She scolded us pretty good.

It was a lesson learned. The fawn should have been left alone.”

Sethman was reminded of the lesson last week as she made the daily commute home from work. She was driving down a county road and noticed a doe crossing ahead of her. The doe had a new-born fawn in tow, its legs wobbling as it grasped for footing on the hard pavement.

As Sethman slowed her vehicle, the doe kept going but for some reason the fawn didn’t.

“It laid down right in the middle of the road,” she said.

Sethman was taking pictures of the fawn out the window when it got up and meandered behind her car. Concerned the fawn might get hit by a car, she got out and approached the deer hoping to coax it out of the roadway.

“I was worried about it getting under my car or something,” she said. “Then it started following me. Finally, it walked off to the side of the road and bedded down in the grass.”

Sethman said the doe was standing in a field about 100 away and never appeared to lose sight of the fawn.

“She was still standing there, just staring, when I drove away,” she said. “She knew exactly what was going on. I figured she’d come back, and she did.”

TPWD white-tailed deer program leader Alan Cain said Sethman did things right on all accounts.

She didn’t attempt pick up the fawn.

Plus, she made sure the young deer was out of harm’s way and drove away.

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Fawns aren’t discovered bedded down in roadways very often. The animals are most often found in fields or in the woods, usually obscured by tall weeds or brush.

Suburban subdivisions located in areas with high deer densities are hotspots for backyard encounters with fawns that may appear to be abandoned, but really aren’t.

Cain says it is nature’s way for does to leave fawns unattended between nursing sessions while they venture off to find nourishment for themselves.

“Does bed down their fawns in places they are believe are safe and then she’ll go off and feed,” he said. “It may be a couple of hours or 3-4 hours, but she’ll always come back to nurse them. They are good mothers. That’s just how they do things.”

Fawns will often curl up in the grass or beneath the shade of a bush. The animals are born scent-free with tannish coats and around 300 white spots to help them go undetected by predators. They are genetically programmed to remain motionless with their head low and ears flat while in the hiding mode.

It is during these away times that humans usually encounter fawns and pick them up. Sadly, the well-meaning gesture often spoils any chance of the youngster being reunited with its mother. It also

State Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitators In some cases, wild animals do get into trouble on their home turf and need outside help to aid in their recovery.

TPWD maintain lists of licensed wildlife rehabilitators on their website, tpwd.texas.gov/ huntwild/wild/rehab/list/.

The rehabilitators are listed by county.

The list currently includes 83 counties along with pertinent information including names, phone numbers and the species of wildlife the rehabilitation facility specializes in. places the now-orphaned fawn a situation where it is totally dependent on humans for survival.

Some get sick and die. Those that do live never benefit from the learned behaviors their mother would have taught them.

This reduces animal’s chance of survival in event it is released back into the wild at an older age.

“People need to understand these fawns aren’t abandoned,” Cain said. “They are more likely to do harm to the fawn by picking it up and trying to take it to somebody. The chances of it surviving are a lot slimmer than if they just leave it where they found it.”

Plucking a perfectly healthy fawn out of the wild isn’t just unfair to the deer. It places an unnecessary burden on those who are asked to take on the chore of raising it. Because it is illegal to possess fawns and other wild animals, licensed wildlife habilitators are usually called to intervene. It’s a job that demands long hours with no financial rewards.

“What a lot of people don’t realize is that wildlife rehabilitators don’t get paid,” Willis said. “They do it out of the goodness of their hearts. All of the expenses to feed that animal, vet bills, etc… come straight out of their pockets. People would be doing themselves, the animal and the rehabilitator a favor if they would just stay away and leave them be.”

Like other wildlife biologists, Willis fields his share of phone calls about orphaned wildlife in late spring.

“It runs the gamut of everything turtles to raccoons, opossums and fawns, but we probably hear more about fledgling birds than anything else,” Willis said. “People find them on the ground and think they have fallen out of a nest. Most of the time these birds aren’t injured. If the bird is feathered it is probably just learning to fly, but hasn’t got it quite figured out yet.”

While some new borns found in the wild may need help, most of them don’t.

Backing off and watching from afar is usually the best policy.

Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by e-mail, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.

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East Texas Farm & Ranch Living

Support Agriculture Businesses... They are the Heartbeat of Our Economy

May-June 2019

57th Annual Tops In Texas PRCA Rodeo highlights

Progress photos by Jay Neal

The 57th Annual Tops In Texas PRCA Rodeo opened on Thursday evening in front of a large crowd at the Jacksonville Rodeo Arena. The rodeo proved to fun for the entire family, with fast-paced action, color and pageantry and plenty of laughs.

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