MAGAZINE OF THE TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION
Quality Mule Deer Understanding Antler Progression
DECEMBER 2020
TEXAS WILDLIFE
PRESIDENT'S REMARKS T O M VA N D I V I E R
Texas Wildlife Association Mission Statement Serving Texas wildlife and its habitat, while protecting property rights, hunting heritage, and the conservation efforts of those who value and steward wildlife resources.
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OFFICERS
hat a year 2020 has been! As the year ends, it’s interesting to look back at what we have endured and to reflect on the silver linings that are always there if you look hard enough. One certainty in life is that change is inevitable. TWA has endured extreme challenges in how we accomplish our programs. Telephone conferences and Zoom have become the norm. We have a beautiful new headquarters that we hoped to use for gatherings of all sorts. Social interaction with all the good people of TWA has been limited. And, of course, the convention took on a radical new format. That said, TWA has come through these challenges strong, successful and full of new ideas. Social distancing and lockdowns have created new awareness of the value of the great outdoors. Our open spaces, water and wildlife have created outlets for people starved for space and recreation. TWA’s mission and good work are appreciated more than ever. In our personal lives, I suspect the positive outcome is that we have slowed down and simplified our lives a bit and have new appreciation for family and home. We have likely spent more quality time with our families than has been possible in a long time. As we wrap up the year, we should count our blessings. As the challenges of 2020 fade into the past, we need to remember the lessons we learned this year. Keep life simple. Be willing to try new things. Appreciate family and friends. Enjoy the great outdoors. I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. And, don’t forget that a TWA membership makes a great Christmas gift! Thanks for all you do for the land, water and wildlife of this great state of ours!
Tom Vandivier, President, Dripping Springs Sarah Biedenharn, Vice President, San Antonio Dr. Louis Harveson, Second Vice President for Programs, Alpine Jonathan Letz, Treasurer, Comfort For a complete list of TWA Directors, go to www.texas-wildlife.org
PROFESSIONAL STAFF/CONTRACT ASSOCIATES Administration & Operation David Yeates, Chief Executive Officer Quita Hill, Director of Finance and Operations
Outreach & Member Services David Brimager, CWB®, Director of Public Relations Kristin Parma, Membership Coordinator Mimi Sams, Engagement Coordinator
Conservation Legacy and Hunting Heritage Programs Kassi Scheffer, Director of Youth Education Elanor Dean, Education Program Specialist Gwen Eishen, L.A.N.D.S. Educator Adrienne Paquette, L.A.N.D.S. Educator Elisa Velador, L.A.N.D.S. Educator Ali Kuehn, L.A.N.D.S. Educator Brittani Dafft, L.A.N.D.S. Educator & CL Program Assistant Marla Wolf, Curriculum Writer Iliana Peña, Director of Conservation Programs Courtney Brittain, Website Consultant COL(R) Chris Mitchell, Texas Youth Hunting Program Director Bryan Jones, TYHP Field Operations Coordinator Bob Barnette, TYHP Field Operations Coordinator Briana Nicklow, TYHP Field Operations Coordinator Kim Hodges, TYHP Program Coordinator Sherry Herrington, TYHP Administrative Assistant Kara Starr, Texas Big Game Awards Program Coordinator
Advocacy Joey Park, Legislative Program Coordinator
Texas Wildlife Association
TEXAS WILDLIFE is published monthly by the Texas Wildlife Association, 6644 FM 1102, New Braunfels, TX 78132. E-mail address: twa@texas-wildlife.org. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Wildlife Association, 6644 FM 1102, New Braunfels, TX 78132. The Texas Wildlife Association (TWA) was organized in 1985 for the purpose of serving as an advocate for the benefit of wildlife and for the rights of wildlife managers, landowners and hunters in educational, scientific, political, regulatory and legislative arenas. TEXAS WILDLIFE is the official TWA publication and has widespread circulation throughout Texas and the United States. All rights reserved. No parts of these magazines may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without express written permission from the publisher. Copyrighted 2020 Texas Wildlife Association. Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Texas Wildlife Association. Similarities between the name Texas Wildlife Association and those of advertisers or state agencies are coincidental, and do not indicate mutual affiliation, unless clearly noted. TWA reserves the right to refuse advertising.
4 TEXAS WILDLIFE
DECEMBER 2020
6644 FM 1102 New Braunfels, TX 78132 www.texas-wildlife.org (210) 826-2904 FAX (210) 826-4933 (800) 839-9453 (TEX-WILD)
Texas Wildlife
MAGAZINE OF THE TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION
DECEMBER VOLUME 36
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8 Antlers by the Numbers
The Apache Ranch Mule Deer Experience by JUSTIN T. FRENCH, THOMAS S. JANKE, CARLOS E. GONZALEZ, JUAN J. CELAYA, P.J. FOUCHÉ, and LOUIS A. HARVESON
NUMBER 8
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2020
34 Plant Profile
American Elderberry by BRADLEY KUBECKA
36 Achieving Success with Plant Succession
18 Hunting Heritage
by DALE ROLLINS, PH.D.
TYHP Hunter Ed Hunts by COL(R) CHRIS MITCHELL and WILLIAM KREBS
40 Dark Skies
by KATY BALDOCK
22 Conservation Legacy
The Conservation Legacy Effect Featuring Iliana Peña and Kassi Scheffer
46 Battling Invasive Species by TAMRA BOLTON
by LORIE A. WOODWARD
54 Back at the Ranch
26 Caesar Kleberg News
Unique Christmas Gifts for the Outdoor Enthusiast
A Model of Applied Research by DAVE HEWITT, CHARLIE DEYOUNG, TIM FULBRIGHT, and DON DRAEGER
by WHITNEY KLENZENDORF
30 Noble News And Views Wild Pigs
by JOSH GASKAMP and STEPHEN WEBB, PH.D.
Photo by Lane Sumner
Magazine Staff
MAGAZINE OF THE TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION
DECEMBER 2020
On the Cover This quality mule deer was photographed by Lane Sumner west of Marfa in Presidio County. Mule deer management is a complex undertaking that requires multiple approaches to meet goals. In this issue, researchers with Borderlands Research Institute share their Apache Ranch Research Study findings on antler progression and the efficacy of harvest strategies in producing larger bucks and higher scores. Read more in Antlers by the Numbers: The Apache Ranch Mule Deer Experience, starting on page 8.
MAGAZINE CORPS David Yeates, Executive Editor Kim Rothe, Consulting Publications Coordinator/Editor David Brimager, CWB®, Advertising Director Lorie A. Woodward, Special Projects Editor Publication Printers Corp., Printing, Denver, CO
Quality Mule Deer Understanding Antler Progression
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TEXAS WILDLIFE
V I RT UA L M E E T I N G S A N D E V E N T S G U I D E VISIT THE PROGRAM PAGES ONLINE at www.texas-wildlife.org/program-areas/category/youth for specifics and registration information.
WILDLIFE BY DESIGN CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS: •• (Virtual) Wildlife by Design is available for K-8 students in the DFW area, Greater Houston area, South Texas, and West Texas. Have your local teacher visit the website for more information. •• (Virtual) Wildlife by Design Across Texas is for schools outside of the areas served by TWA educators (DFW area, Greater Houston area, South Texas, and West Texas). Programs are offered on a set schedule and registration is required in advance.
YOUTH DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS: •• Youth Videoconferences are live interactive presentations featuring Texas wildlife species. Offered throughout the semester, classes connect via videoconference equipment or Zoom. •• On-demand Webinars are recorded interactive presentations about natural resources and wildlife conservation topics and are available anytime on the TWA website.
Critter Connections are now available in a read-along format. Recordings of past issues are available online and live broadcasts accompany each new issue. All recordings and scheduled live readings can be found online.
6 TEXAS WILDLIFE
DECEMBER 2020
Photo by Louis Harveson, Ph.D.
ANTLERS BY THE NUMBERS
Having a clear understanding of the antler potential for your deer herd is essential to establishing management goals and associated culling criteria for your mule deer herd.
8 TEXAS WILDLIFE
DECEMBER 2020
ANTLERS BY THE NUMBERS The Apache Ranch Mule Deer Experience
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Article by JUSTIN T. FRENCH, THOMAS S. JANKE, CARLOS E. GONZALEZ, JUAN J. CELAYA, P.J. FOUCHÉ, and LOUIS A. HARVESON
anaging mule deer herds may be considered more art than science. Unlike their eastern cousins, little information exists to guide managers on the development of mule deer antlers or the efficacy of harvest strategies in producing larger bucks and higher scores. Many questions remain unanswered, such as: “How do scores of mule deer antlers progress over time?” “When do they peak?” “How variable are they through time?” “How can we predict which deer will be trophies in the future?”
Unlike white-tailed deer, there are few captive populations to study because mule deer do not do well in captivity. Even if there were captive populations, it’s difficult to say how well findings on captive deer translate to the field. Furthermore, studying wild mule deer is challenging because of their large ranges and relatively low density. Without serious investments in time, effort and equipment as well as a long-term vision and a healthy dose of patience, monitoring individual mule deer over time is challenging . WWW.TEXAS-WILDLIFE.ORG
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Photo by Louis Harveson, Ph.D.
ANTLERS BY THE NUMBERS
Once captured, known-aged mule deer bucks were scored, ear-tagged, and released back onto the Apache Ranch.
In 2010, the Borderlands Research Institute (BRI) partnered with the Apache Ranch near Van Horn, Texas to study how mule deer antler scores change over a buck’s lifetime, which we term “antler progression.” This is distinct from antler development, which is the process by which antlers form. This project was conceived as a longterm study of wild, known-age deer. It was only possible because of the ranch owners’ long-term vision and commitment to quality management as well as desire to bring scientific understanding to this challenging task. LOOKING AT ANTLERS A DIFFERENT WAY Antler progression is widely studied in white-tailed deer. While some patterns may translate between the two,
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there is considerable debate over what patterns mule deer exhibit. Many studies in white-tailed deer have produced seemingly disparate results, which have been attributed to study design, statistical errors and uncontrolled sources of variation. However, there is a near-universal tendency for studies to examine antler progression in cross sections. This means that the distributions of antler sizes are compared across age cohorts, 1.5-yearolds compared to 2.5-year-olds, etc., rather than considering how specific individuals’ scores change over time. Cross-sectional analyses of dynamic processes such as antler progression are harder to interpret, particularly when inference is based on averages within cohorts. This difficulty likely leads to incomplete, perhaps contradictory
DECEMBER 2020
interpretation of results, even when they may actually agree. The alternative is called a longitudinal study, where researchers compare continued measurements of individuals over time to those of other individuals. This allows researchers to examine how attributes of the individual and changes in their environment affect antler progression. These studies rely on fewer assumptions and treat the question of antler progression more naturally. Such studies are often difficult to implement, however, because they require long-term monitoring and considerable investment in equipment, manpower and time. The Apache Ranch’s willingness to make such an investment allowed us to implement a longitudinal study on wild, known-age mule deer bucks. Using a helicopter and net gun, we captured a total of 93 mule deer bucks between 2011 and 2014 and were able to monitor 55 known-aged bucks on the Apache Ranch from 2011 to 2019. We only captured fawns and yearling bucks for this study because they are the only age classes that can be aged reliably. We confirmed age based on tooth eruption and replacement. While tooth wear is not reliable for estimating age, the presence of a tricuspid premolar commonly known as a “milk tooth” indicates a fawn or yearling, similar to white-tailed deer. Fawns and yearlings can be further separated based on the eruption of the rear-most molars: they clear the gum-line in yearlings, but not fawns. Thus, fawns and yearlings were considered known-age deer for our study. Known-age bucks were scored at the time of capture and fitted with an ear tag with a unique color and number combination. The tags permitted identification of known individuals following release. We monitored bucks using trail cameras placed at feeder stations from 2011 to 2019, allowing us to monitor antler progression in mule deer bucks up to 8.5 years of age. We used multiple photographs of each tagged buck after he shed his velvet to estimate individual’s antler scores each year.
ANTLERS BY THE NUMBERS
Figure 1: Antler progression curves for 55 known-age mule deer bucks monitored on the Apache Ranch from 2011-2019. Each buck is represented by a unique color, and the black dashed line represents the average antler progression. As you can see, it’s messy.
Photos by Louis Harveson, Ph.D.
Boone and Crockett (B&C) measurements were obtained by measuring the antlers in pixels from different photo angles and relating them to the known size in inches of the ear tag in each respective photo (also measured in pixels). This process allowed us to estimate the bucks’ B&C score for each year of their lives without recapturing the animals. We compared estimated scores to those obtained at capture or upon harvest to validate our camera-based estimates. Our results suggested that the estimates performed well, but were consistently overestimating the true score by 8 percent, which we addressed with a correction factor. We then compiled antler progression curves for each monitored deer, which simply represent each buck’s score through time (Figure 1).
By capturing only known-aged deer, researchers at BRI were able to monitor antler progression of individual mule deer over an 8-year time span. In the case of Red 28, the change is striking, progressing from a fork-horned yearling (l) to a 165 pound 7.5-year-old 10-pointer (r) that scored 155 inches.
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ANTLERS BY THE NUMBERS
Photo by Louis Harveson, Ph.D.
Figure 2: Comparison of predictions of projected and realized antler progression curves of buck Yellow 86, relative to the average buck. He had high ratings on both Lifetime Potential and Age at Peak, which led to a high score early in life and a pronounced decline later on.
In theory, selective harvest or culling allows managers to increase the potential of favorable deer genetics (antler quality) to be passed on from one generation to the next.
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DECEMBER 2020
The average mule deer buck reached an estimated peak score of 172 inches (B&C) in their fifth year, but we see tremendous variation among bucks. However, we can see that there are different tendencies in how the curves vary. We analyzed these tendencies with a method called functional principal components analysis (fPCA). This analysis finds different, independent ways in which antler progression varies among the bucks in our study and provides a rating of how much specific trends contribute to their antler progression. The dominant pattern showed that some bucks have larger antlers throughout their lives than others. Ratings on this pattern therefore represent the Lifetime Potential of each buck. Surprisingly, this pattern accounted for a staggering 71 percent of the total variation in antler progression. Thus, Lifetime Potential is the most variable aspect of mule deer antler progression at the Apache Ranch. The second pattern showed that some deer reach their peak score earlier or later than average. While some deer peak as early at 4.5 years old, most peak at 5.5 or 6.5 years old. Mule deer with particularly high ratings on Age at Peak are the “crashers� who may appear promising at a younger age but fall off later in life. Our results suggest that the age at which a buck reaches his peak is independent of his Lifetime Potential, meaning a big-antlered buck can peak early or late—and so can a small-antlered one. Age at Peak accounted for an additional 21 percent of the variability in antler progression, meaning the variables Lifetime Potential and Age at Peak score captured 92 percent of the variation in antler progression at the Apache Ranch. The remaining 8 percent of variation is likely a combination of natural variability and unavoidable, random error in B&C score estimates. We can illustrate this with Yellow 86, named for his ear tag color and number (Figure 2). He had an above-average rating on Lifetime Potential, which raised his curve above the average deer early in life. However, he also had a high rating on Age at Peak, meaning he reached his peak early and declined after.
ANTLERS BY THE NUMBERS
We combined these ratings to show what Yellow 86’s antler progression curve would look like if only his potential and Age at Peak were considered. We see that the prediction did a pretty good job of matching reality, but other factors make him deviate from the prediction.
Figure 3: Likelihood of making the correct call based on the number of points as a yearling mule deer buck. Blue and red areas represent the probability the given criterion achieves or fails to meet the goal of culling below average deer and passing over above average deer, respectively. The dashed vertical line represents how well a coin-flip would perform, instead of a criterion.
Photo by Louis Harveson, Ph.D.
MAKING SENSE OF THE PIECES We were able to separate different aspects of how antler progression varied, but what does that mean to a manager? The large contribution of Lifetime Potential is encouraging because it means that predictions of how big a buck could ultimately be are less confounded by other factors. This means that the future antler quality is more predictable. Additionally, the Lifetime Potential rating gives us a single number that explicitly represents a bucks’ potential. That, in turn, gives us a basis by which to evaluate harvest strategies.
To cull or not to cull? Based on the antler progression study at the Apache Ranch, culling yearling mule deer bucks is risky business and equates to nothing more than a coin flip for this age class.
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ANTLERS BY THE NUMBERS
Figure 4: Likelihood of making the correct call based on the presence of G4s in adult bucks. Blue and red areas represent the probability the given criterion achieves or fails to meet the goal of culling below average deer and passing over above average deer, respectively. The dashed vertical line represents how well a coin-flip would perform, instead of a criterion.
Despite questions of its efficacy, selective harvest, or culling, is one of the most widely applied tools to manage antler quality. Independent of other factors, if a culling criterion does not reliably predict which bucks will have higher or lower quality in the future, then the culling effort will not be effective. Thus, rigorous evaluations of these criteria are incredibly valuable, particularly given the enormous investments of time and money these programs require. Because we know the characteristics of each deer throughout its life, we can compare different culling criteria based on how likely they are to meet management goals. Culling Question: What about spikes? As a simple example, consider culling spike mule deer bucks as yearlings, a hotly debated topic in white-tailed deer management. Figure 3 shows the chances of making the right call on deer that were spikes, 3-pointers, or 4-plus pointers as yearlings, based on their Lifetime Potential rating. If we were to cull spikes and 3-pointers, but let yearlings with 4 or more points walk, the blue areas represent the proportion of time we make the correct call based on our goal, while the red areas represent the chances of calling the shot incorrectly.
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Looking at spikes alone, there is a 45 percent chance, essentially one out of two, of making the wrong call. For 3-pointers, if you were to cull them, each shot has a 34 percent (one out of three) chance of missing the goal. Somewhat ironically, letting a 4-plus point yearling walk would result in the wrong call 46 percent of the time. It is important to remember that “wrong” in this case is relative to achieving the management objective. Allowing a buck to walk is not necessarily a bad decision, certainly since the outcome is less absolute than culling. However, if the goal is to remove below average deer, this criterion would pass them over more than half of the time. Overall, at least on the Apache Ranch, culling spikes and 3-points would result in a 42 percent chance of culling a deer that was actually above average over the course of its lifetime, each time you pull the trigger—barely more reliable than a coin flip. Culling Question: What about 3.5 or 4.5-year-old bucks without a G4? We can evaluate any given set of harvest criteria in the same way we did for spikes. Most managers recognize the utility in giving deer a few years to start showing
DECEMBER 2020
their potential. On the Apache Ranch, high quality deer are not harvested until they are 6.5 years or older for this reason. However, for culling we would like criteria that are reliable at younger ages. For the sake of comparison, we evaluated a simple criterion applied on the Apache Ranch: presence of both G4’s on deer judged to be 3.5-4.5 years of age. Our average curve suggests that we need criteria that predict well prior to 5.5 years of age to be effective, thus we only consider 3.5 and 4.5-year old bucks here (Figure 4). We see that the criterion does not reliably predict whether a 3.5-year-old will be above or below average, based on the presence of G4s. Additionally, we see that having both G4s does not mean a 4.5-year-old buck has a high Lifetime Potential. However, it is highly unlikely that a 4.5-year-old buck without both G4s will be a high-quality deer. At least within our sample, culling 4.5-year-olds that lack one or both G4s would achieve the management objective of culling a below-average buck 99 percent of the time it is applied. While this certainly highlights the benefit of letting deer mature before making a ruling, the high percentage we see on the Apache Ranch may not apply to all settings, so more research is required in other areas before this should be considered a generally acceptable criterion. Another important caveat to the foregoing discussion is that we are comparing strategies on the basis of Lifetime Potential. While overall Lifetime Potential captured a large portion of the variability, it left a considerable amount on the table. The more that is left, the less confident we should be that the deer will realize the potential we base the harvest decision on. That’s because the other factors act independently to influence each deer’s antler progression. This leads us to consider the second way antler progression varied. Influence of Habitat Conditions We suspect that the age at which these deer reached their peak antler score was influenced by the habitat conditions they experienced throughout their lives. One of the unique attributes of the Apache
Photos courtesy of Apache Ranch
ANTLERS BY THE NUMBERS
Mule deer known as Red 33 is a good example of a deer that showed below average antlers early in his life but matured into a nice deer sporting 18 points and scoring 220 B&C at 5.5 years of age.
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Photo by Louis Harveson, Ph.D.
ANTLERS BY THE NUMBERS
Ranch is its extensive supplemental feeding program. Supplemental feeding serves to buffer animals from nutritional stress brought on by drought conditions, which would reduce the variability in antler growth caused by such conditions. It is possible that supplemental feeding reduces variation caused by environmental conditions, meaning Lifetime Potential captures more. This could allow us to see the bucks’ potential more clearly. While an interesting hypothesis, the patterns seen on the Apache Ranch must be compared to those in areas with other management schemes before we can draw any conclusions on the feeding program’s effect. WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED AND WHERE TO GO FROM HERE? Culling Questions: Are There Answers? While it has been suggested that mule deer reach their peak antler size later than white-tailed deer, our data suggest the pattern is quite similar to that of white-tailed deer. At least at the Apache Ranch, the average mule deer reaches its peak at 5.5 years old, but it can vary from 4.5 to 6.5 years of age. Thus, for selective harvest to be effective we need reliable criteria before 5.5 years of age. We see that judging bucks based on the number of points they have as yearlings is demonstrably unreliable at predicting their Lifetime Potential, and now have a reasonable basis for evaluating alternative culling criteria. Culling 4.5-year-old bucks that lack one or both G4s may be an effective culling criterion but should be evaluated further before general acceptance. Additionally, although our data suggests that antler progression of the average buck peaks at 5.5 years of age, mule deer with high Lifetime Potential ratings and late Age at Peak, while rare, can become truly exceptional deer. In fact, the Apache Ranch strives to harvest trophy quality deer at 6.5-7.5 years to ensure they have ample breeding opportunity and to allow for maximum antler potential. One of the biggest assumptions of applying these culling criteria is that deer can be aged accurately on the hoof.
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DECEMBER 2020
Photo by Lane Sumner
ANTLERS BY THE NUMBERS
We presented two pictures of mule deer bucks at a meeting of both wildlife professionals and experienced managers and asked the audience to estimate the age of the two deer. Estimates from the audience were variable but had one commonality: they were wrong. The first was most often aged at 7.5-8.5 years old but was in fact 5.5. The second was commonly aged at 3.5-4.5 but was 6.5. The most interesting aspect of the comparison is that they were actually the same deer (Yellow 86 again, in fact) two years in a row. While most of us would like to think we are above average at aging deer, the truth is less satisfying. Without more reliable ways to estimate age, implementing these criteria effectively will remain difficult. On top of that, recent work by the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute on white-tailed deer in South Texas suggests that culling has no impact on a herd’s genetic structure. These white-tailed deer were under one of the most intensely managed scenarios possible, and yet there was no meaningful effect. Success would be even less likely in mule deer because they occur at low density and move over much larger areas. Selective culling may still benefit deer with higher potential by reducing competition for resources, but how effective this is remains to be seen. So, while we don’t know if even a good culling criterion will lead to better B&C scores across the herd, if a criterion cannot reliably predict which deer are above average, or can’t be reliably applied, the program is already on a shaky foundation. Variable Conditions and the Role of Supplemental Feeding While we cannot yet conclude what effects supplemental feeding has, we suspect it may reduce variation in antler progression due to environmental factors. This would make predictions of lifetime quality a more effective management tool and increase the reliability of selective harvest criteria. If
this hypothesis holds, antler quality would be more variable on “unfed” ranches, making it harder to predict Lifetime Potential. We expect that this would particularly affect how much Age at Peak score contributes to the overall variability. This really highlights the appropriate role of supplemental feeding as just that: a supplement. Feeding will help animals weather lean habitat conditions, but cannot replace high quality habitat. We cannot stress enough that weather conditions still play a prominent role in a bucks’ score as well. This is why we suspect that annual conditions contribute between 21 and 30 percent of the variation we observed in antler progression, despite extensive supplementation. This notion is supported by the fact that despite the feeding program, peak antler years have consistently been wet years on the Apache Ranch. While feeding may also improve overall antler quality on average, we still see considerable variation in age at peak in this population, despite the Apache Ranch’s extensive feeding program. This simply demonstrates that mule deer management is a complex undertaking and requires multiple approaches to meet goals. We continue to monitor bucks on the Apache Ranch and have expanded monitoring to other ranches with different management strategies. This additional data will allow us to test our predictions about supplemental feeding and examine environmental effects on different aspects of antler progression. For example, habitat conditions and doe nutrition during gestation are thought to influence the potential of bucks, which we can isolate with our approach. Getting these data takes time, effort, a long-term vision and a considerable amount of patience. We are grateful to our partners investing what it takes to tackle these tough questions. While we bring science to the assessment of culling criteria, plenty of art— particularly in aging— remains…for now.
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TYHP Hunter Ed Hunts
Getting Hunter Ed certified during a TYHP hunt weekend Article and photos provided by COL(R) CHRIS MITCHELL and WILLIAM KREBS
TYHP Huntmaster and Hunter Education Instructor (center) Andy Sobotka leads a skills trail.
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Game Warden involvement in Hunter Education greatly enhances the experience.
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lthough there’s been an uptick in online hunter education participants (ages 17 and up) this year, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Hunter Education Coordinator, the number of traditional hunter education and field course classes (ages 9-16) were reduced because of pandemic-related issues. So while the younger students could complete a 6-hour online course, they had limited opportunities/locations to “finish” the field course portion necessary for them to become certified. As a result, there are fewer hunter ed certified youths who are ready for this TYHP season.
TYHP HUNTER ED HUNTS
Young hunters can sign up before completing hunter education, but it is important to note that TYHP Hunter Education Hunt acceptance hinges on the youth completing the online Hunter Education portion prior to attending the hunt. Remember, not every TYHP hunt will be a Hunter Education Hunt, so TYHP applicants should be sure to sign up for the correct type of hunt. TYHP and hunter education are inextricably linked. This new way to reach new participants achieves both programs’ goals of ensuring safe and educated hunters in the field. Hunter Ed Hunts has the added bonus of making the process even faster.
Completing Hunter Education opens the door to unique TYHP hunts.
The Texas Youth Hunting Program is addressing the shortfall by providing an alternative way for these youths to become Hunter Ed certified. They can attend a TYHP Hunter Ed Hunt weekend where the field course for 9-16-year-olds will be offered. Hunter Education Hunts will provide one stop shopping for new TYHP hunters. TYHP participants will complete the online Hunter Education portion of the training prior to their scheduled hunt. Then, part of the TYHP hunt weekend will be dedicated to completing the Hunter Education Field Course. Once the course is complete, the rest of the weekend will be dedicated to safe, educational hunting as always. Many TYHP Huntmasters are also Hunter Education Instructors, so they can easily offer this option. Additionally, all of the TYHP field staff are Hunter Education Area Chiefs who can certify Hunter Education Instructors. If a Huntmaster wants to run a Hunter Education Hunt, we will find them an instructor or certify them so they can certify new Hunter Education students. Since participants in a Hunter Education Hunt will not have hunted with TYHP previously, they will have priority for selection. See TYHP.ORG to sign up
for hunts. Youth hunters will also need to create a free TYHP youth account, sign up for a Hunter Education Hunt and the corresponding field course.
Note: To find the free TPWD online course go to TPWD.Texas.GOV. Click on: “Hunting.” Then on: “Hunter Education.” Then on: “Courses.” Then on: “Option 2.”
Long Term Hunters Wanted! • Rancho Rio Grande - Del Rio, TX All: MLD 3, $15/ac, Hwy 277 Frontage, water & electric - 20,700 ac, Axis, Duck & Quail, some improvements. Live water: Rio Grande River, Sycamore and San Felipe Creeks. - 6,000 ac, Axis, Duck & Quail. Live Water: Rio Grande River, Tesquesquite Creek & a canal. - 1,850 ac, SW of intersection 693 & 277, runs south along 277. • Galvan - Webb County, South TX Hunting, MLD Level 3: - 3,800 ac, $15.75/ac, High-fenced.
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The Conservation Legacy Effect Featuring Iliana Peña and Kassi Scheffer Article by LORIE A. WOODWARD Photo by KRISTIN PARMA
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pring Break 2020 will loom large in the collective memory of educators as the time when all hell broke loose. “COVID-19 threw us all a curveball,” TWA’s Director of Youth Education Kassi Scheffer said. Students and teachers left their classrooms for a seven-day break, never expecting that it would be almost seven months before schools could reconvene. Adult educators, who had calendars of long-scheduled events, scrambled to contend with shelter-in place orders, travel bans and prohibitions on public gatherings. “COVID required us to very quickly change how we did things and how we saw our jobs,” TWA’s Director of Conservation Programs Iliana Peña said. “We had to be more creative in how we executed traditional programs.” Scheffer concurred, “Because of the pandemic, the Conservation Legacy staff, more than ever before, embraced the Marine Corps’ mission: improvise, adapt and overcome.”
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Overcome they did. In the youth education realm, conservation educators transformed five in-class presentation modules into virtual learning experiences. “Within three weeks, our team members were back in the ‘classrooms’ virtually,” Scheffer said. “No complaining, just problem solving and forward motion.” The full calendar of adult events ranging from the education programs and Private Lands Summit that help define the TWA Convention experience to field days such as “Small Acreage, Big Opportunities” and partnership conferences such as the South Texas Wildlife Conference were reimagined as online offerings. “We didn’t cancel any of our TWA events,” Peña said. “Were they ideal? No. But we were able to do it.” Despite the limitations, people responded to the re-imagined learning opportunities. As one example, the February “Small Acreage, Big Opportunities” workshop had 29
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attendees at the in-person event, while 79 people participated in the virtual workshop held in May. “There’s no way of knowing whether or not 79 people would have attended an in-person event, but we do know on-line experiences remove the mileage barriers that exist for Texans,” Peña said. “And we do know our audience—our members, our land stewards—are still passionate and eager for good information. If we provide the opportunity, they take it.” While COVID provided more than its share of challenges, it also provided a multi-faceted prism through which to examine the many different aspects of the Conservation Legacy program. In 2019, a donor challenged the staff to examine, evaluate and possibly expand the outreach and education programs through a project dubbed CL 2.0. “It’s the first time in 20 years that we’ve enlisted facilitators, along with our partners and stakeholders to join us, as we undergo a deep-diving self-examination,” said Scheffer. “We’re taking a long, hard look at our strengths, our weaknesses
THE CONSERVATION LEGACY EFFECT
and the best ways to grow, develop new programs and enlist new technologies. Just as we’re not protecting any sacred cows, we’re not committed to adding things if we discover we’re meeting the needs of our audiences and are already positioned to grow.” She continued, “Our standards have always been high, but as they move to the next level hold on tight. While we don’t know the end result, I’m confident in saying get ready for Conservation Legacy to blow the top off.” A Q&A WITH ILIANA PEÑA AND KASSI SCHEFFER What do you consider the hallmarks of Conservation Legacy? IP: In the arena of adult conservation and natural resource education, TWA positions itself to be heavily involved, both as a sole provider and in partnership with other like-minded organizations with reputations for excellence. We work diligently to earn a reputation as a trusted provider of good, solid, current land stewardship information that has been vetted by leaders in the field. We want to be the go-to resource for landowners, whether they’re newcomers or stewards of a multi-generational legacy. KS: Accessibility. In the area of youth education, we’ve really focused on delivering conservation education through schools and other formal education systems. To that end, we’ve worked hard to remove participation barriers for educators just as TWA’s Hunting Heritage program strives to remove barriers to entry for firsttime hunters. Our programs are free, and they run a gamut from Discovery Trunks to live streams and On-demand Webinars, so regardless of a school’s access to the Internet, we can provide useful tools for teachers. Understanding that many teachers don’t come from an outdoors background, our materials are accurate, but simple and clear-cut enough that teachers can read in preparation and feel confident teaching the material. By designing our lessons in all formats
around the TEKS objectives, we speak the language of education and align ourselves with the teachers’ professional goals. What three words would you use to describe Conservation Legacy staff and volunteers? KS: Passionate. All of the people who work with this program, professional and volunteer, do it because they love what they do—and are passionate about introducing Texans of all ages to the natural world. IP: Committed. Unlike many organizations, we have volunteers who when they say they’re going to do something, they do it. This kind of commitment is crucial and essential. We couldn’t do what we do without their support. KS: Invested. They continue to learn new things and work to make the new information relevant and engaging. They take the time to assess, incorporate and improve. IP: Everyone involved asks themselves, “How do I take the knowledge of what I’m passionate about and present it in such a way that it excites other people?” 2020 has been a pivotal year for Conservation Legacy. What strengths has it identified? KS: In my opinion, we’ve always been flexible, adaptable and resilient, but 2020 has stretched us beyond the ordinary. We identified problems, worked to find solutions and along the way found all of these crazy silver linings. We really had to re-think how we delivered information to students, so we came up with new systems, strategies and methods that will be relevant long past COVID. Although we found ourselves scrambling and reacting to an unprecedented situation, all of the ideas and solutions we came up with had real value that will move the program successfully into the future. IP: In my job, I’m a convener. I convene programs, partnerships, seminars. In 2020, we had to pivot and go from an on-the-ground inperson model to on-line virtual delivery. We did it in short order. While it’s not ideal, it has benefits. Online
programming cuts across geography and distance removing barriers to participation. Online programming exists beyond the moment because it can be taped, catalogued and made available for learning on demand. Now we know how to deliver in both realms and can tackle the questions of how to get back to safe, in-person gatherings in the era of COVID. What do you want the legacy of Conservation Legacy to be? KS: Texas is 95 percent privately owned and yet there are still members of the general public who don’t understand land stewardship and the role it plays in their lives. TWA and Conservation Legacy are here because we have a passion for the natural world and its stewardship. Our job is to provide unbiased information about land, water and wildlife and how to best take care of them. I’d like for TWA and Conservation Legacy to be household names and trusted sources of information that help people understand and connect with nature in such a way that they want to care for it. IP: Land ownership in Texas is changing. Holding size is decreasing. The number of first-generation landowners is increasing. Resources are being fragmented while demand for them is rising. Multi-generation landowners are facing more challenges than ever before to keep their land intact. Regardless of individual situations, we have to help people understand that as land stewards we’re managing systems to produce healthy soil, clean water and diverse habitat. When we do that collectively it is good for the state. To do that, we have to continue to be a trusted source of vetted, current information. The next step is to figure out how to use the myriad of communication channels that exist now to connect rural and urban Texans. We need urban Texans to understand they have a stake in well-managed private lands, so they can help rural Texans advocate for what is good for the land and for society.
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GIVE TWA MEMBERSHIPS THIS CHRISTMAS! LOOK FOR THE TWA MEMBERSHIP FORM INSERTED IN THIS ISSUE. Gift memberships are also available online at www.texas-wildlife.org or by calling the office (800) 839-9453.
TEXAS WILDLIFE
CAESAR KLEBERG WILDLIFE RESEARCH INSTITUTE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-KINGSVILLE
A Model of Applied Research Article by DAVE HEWITT, CHARLIE DEYOUNG, TIM FULBRIGHT and DON DRAEGER
Tim Fulbright and CWKRI graduate students take detailed measurements of shrubs, some protected from deer browsing by fences, to determine the effect of deer foraging on vegetation.
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n 2003, Dan Friedkin and Donnie Draeger approached Charlie DeYoung with an idea of studying two key questions they had about deer management on the Comanche Ranch near Carrizo Springs. The first question was: “What is the deer density that results in the largest number of trophy bucks without damaging the habitat?” The second was: “What is the effect of supplemental food on productivity of deer and on the habitat? These two questions are relevant to every deer management program in Texas. These questions also delve deep into the
basic ecology of wildlife populations, foraging ecology and the relationship between deer and plants. This research agenda was both simple and complex, exciting and daunting. A hallmark of great science is replicating the study, which means doing the study more than once to determine if the results are repeatable and applicable to more than one place. To meet this goal, Friedkin, Draeger and DeYoung approached Stuart Stedman who understood the value of making the study repeatable and enthusiastically offered the Faith Ranch as a second study site. With this step, the
Sponsored by JOHN AND LAURIE SAUNDERS
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CAESAR KLEBERG WILDLIFE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Comanche-Faith Deer Research Project was born. This project was a massive effort that involved 2,400 acres divided into 12, 200-acre high-fenced enclosures, housing for research personnel at each study site, a half-dozen pick-up trucks, more than 25 graduate students, more than 30 undergraduate research techs, dozens of volunteers, three faculty, and unflagging, on-the-ground support from the Comanche and Faith ranches. In addition to these unprecedented resources, this project lasted 14 years, which is much longer than most research projects. Fourteen years ensured the study encompassed a mix of wet and dry years and allowed time for deer foraging to influence vegetation. The project occurred in two phases. The first phase was nine years and focused on the effect of deer density on the vegetation and on the deer themselves. The first phase also studied deer and vegetation relationships in the presence of supplemental feed. The second phase lasted five years and dealt with the effect of even greater deer densities, all in the presence of supplemental feed. The second phase also investigated the effect of increasing the number of feed sites as deer density increased to reduce competition among deer for feed. In addition to answering our original questions, this research project uncovered a multitude of other facts and relationships beyond the original objectives. For example, we showed that native habitat for deer in southwest Texas can support healthy deer populations and can grow large bucks but does not meet all the deer’s nutritional needs. Providing supplemental feed improved deer nutrition and increased fawn production, deer survival, body size and antler size. We demonstrated that even in the presence of supplemental feed, fawn production and antler size are greater during wet years than dry years, suggesting that diverse and healthy native habitat is important even if supplemental feed is available. We showed that deer eat a lot of fruits and pods during summer and autumn, which is only possible with a wide variety of plants to produce these foods. We
The effects of deer foraging were studied intensively to understand the interrelationships between deer and the vegetation on which they rely.
Kory Gann, a CKWRI graduate student at the time, records bites taken by a habituated deer that lived in the research enclosures permanently.
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Photo by Lindsey Phillips
CAESAR KLEBERG WILDLIFE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Results from this research project show that nutrition is limiting for deer in South Texas and that if you improve nutrition and allow bucks to get old, the average antler size of bucks will increase and a few top-end bucks will emerge.
discovered that deer are creative and flexible in meeting their nutritional needs in the highly variable South Texas brush. Deer eat blackbrush flowers and fungus on twisted acacia during spring, snail shells and mouse skeletons for minerals during summer, and a wide variety of browse species during the autumn and winter. We found that in good nutritional conditions, young females become pregnant and produce fawns but that these young mothers rarely raise their fawns. Nearly all the fawns produced come from mature does. The project resulted in more than 100 research presentations at state, regional, national and international meetings. It produced several scientific publications and a wildlife monograph. It enabled 26 graduate students to learn about deer ecology and management and to earn master’s and doctoral degrees. These outcomes are all academic. What products directly benefitted deer management and wildlife conservation?
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First, we presented study results to deer managers at various landowner meetings over the last 15 years. We wrote a book that will be published next year by Texas A&M University Press specifically for deer managers summarizing the project’s findings. All those graduate students who worked on the project went out into the world. They are ranch managers, biologists for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and employees for natural resource agencies across the country. Our research team is most proud of these products because they directly benefit deer management and wildlife conservation on the ground. We share this story with you because we feel the Comanche-Faith Research Project is an excellent example of what the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute seeks to accomplish. The project used a sound research approach to address management questions and provided information for land stewards and wildlife biologists to meet their management goals. The research was worthy of publication in top research journals and helped answer important ecological questions. Finally, the project provided training for a huge number of graduate and undergraduate students who now understand the complexities of whitetailed deer ecology and management. These students also appreciate the passion of private landowners for wildlife conservation and know the privilege of working on private property. Long-term, large-scale research with large animals like deer is expensive. The lion’s share of funding for this project came from T. Dan Friedkin, Comanche Ranch, Stedman West Foundation and the Faith Ranch. Other contributors over the years were the Rene Barrientos Tuition Enhancement Fund, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the San Antonio Livestock Exposition, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Stedman Chair for White-tailed Deer Research, and the Meadows Professorship for Semiarid Land Ecology. We thank these funding sources for their foresight in supporting applied wildlife research.
OBSERVING & EVALUATING WHITETAILS by Dave Richards & Al Brothers
Used by wildlife biologists, educators and managers throughout the country, Observing & Evaluating Whitetails is a must-have resource for anyone interested in learning more about North America’s most popular big game animal! This isn’t a reprint but an updated edition with NEW aging and judging sequences of unique bucks! • Over 470 color photographs • 21 buck aging sequences showing their body and antler changes over their life • 35 judging examples of live bucks with known Boone & Crockett scores • Why we don’t use antler size as an aging criterion • Estimating Boone & Crockett score on the hoof • Whitetail communication and sensory capabilities • Whitetail antler development and anomalies and much more! OBSERVING & EVALUATING WHITETAILS UPDATED EDITION by Dave Richards & Al Brothers $35 each includes shipping
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TEXAS WILDLIFE
NOBLE NEWS AND VIEWS NOBLE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Wild Pigs
Kings of the Pecan Grove Article by JOSH GASKAMP, Noble Research Institute wildlife and range consultant and technical consultation manager / jagaskamp@noble.org and STEPHEN WEBB, PH.D., Noble Research Institute staff scientist, range and wildlife ecology / slwebb@noble.org
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WILD PIG RESEARCH ecause of the widespread problems caused by wild pigs, Noble Research Institute continues to study and develop tools to help producers control, manage and mitigate damage from wild pigs. For example, in 2012, Noble research validated a suspended trap system called BoarBuster, a solution for producers to capture entire sounders, including trap-shy animals. Past research also has documented prevalence of diseases impacting livestock producers and reduction of damage on rangeland following wild pig control. More recently, Noble Research Institute, in collaboration with Oklahoma State University and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, implemented a study to learn how wild pigs use agricultural landscapes and how damage can affect economic viability. The study was conducted on Noble Research Institute’s Red River Ranch, located in Love County, Oklahoma. The study had two main objectives: 1) learn how wild pig sounders, groups of related pigs, utilized pecan orchards and surrounding habitats and 2) measure the economic burden inflicted on pecan producers from pig damage in orchards. A planned outcome of this research was to build a tool that would help pecan producers measure economic damages from wild pigs in their operations. In September of 2016 and 2017, we equipped 29 sows with GPS collars. We To learn more about how Noble Research Institute supports agricultural producers through research, education and direct consultation, visit www.noble.org.
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NOBLE NEWS AND VIEWS
used BoarBuster traps to capture groups of pigs consisting of breeding-age sows and their offspring. We outfitted two sows from each capture with GPS collars to learn how wild pigs interacted with other members of the sounder. We euthanized the remaining pigs in the capture because state laws restricted release of captured wild pigs if not equipped with tracking collars. RESEARCH FINDINGS • Average litter size of pregnant sows euthanized in BoarBuster traps was 5.3 (range from two to nine). • Contrary to a popular belief, wild pigs in this study were not nomadic during autumn and winter. They occupied well-defined home ranges.
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NOBLE NEWS AND VIEWS
• In 2016, from Oct. 14 to Dec. 28, the average home range size of sows was 564 acres (range from 112 to 1,204 acres). • In 2017, from Oct. 13 to Dec. 20, the average home range size of sows was 350 acres (range from 73 to 1,223 acres). • Average sounder home range size (with multiple sows per sounder) was 659 acres. • Wild pigs are excellent swimmers. In 2016, 11 of the 16 collared pigs crossed the Red River a total of 80 times, with one sow swimming across the river 11 times.
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• Female wild pigs showed use of riparian vegetation communities and pecan orchards. • Sows also used areas closer to water sources, including streams, rivers and ponds. • Sows also used crop fields, rangeland and forested areas but under a narrow range of conditions. At the conclusion of each study period, all collared wild pigs and their sounder mates were targeted for collection either using very high frequency (VHF) tracking or recapture with the BoarBuster trap. When using traps to recover collared pigs, recent GPS data from
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satellite transmissions was instrumental in identifying the best places to trap each sounder. PIGS AND PECANS Pecans are native to the southern United States, including Texas. Native groves are commonly found along riparian corridors from the Texas Hill Country east to Louisiana and north to Oklahoma. In 2019, Texas was the third largest pecan producing state, producing nearly 43 million pounds of pecans valued at approximately $70 million dollars. Recent technologies have created improved pecan varieties and allowed
NOBLE NEWS AND VIEWS
irrigation in planted orchards. This has allowed producers to plant more acres of pecans outside of their native range, climate, soil and topography. Noble Research Institute has approximately 370 acres of native and improved pecans on its Red River Ranch. These orchards are managed for profit alongside a beef cattle enterprise. We also have populations of wild pigs on the ranch. This set us up nicely to collect data on wild pig impacts to the pecan enterprise. Kelly Boyer, master’s of science candidate at Oklahoma State University, used transects in native and improved pecan orchards to quantify rooting damage by pigs and pecan loss due to harvest inefficiency. We found that 10 percent of pecans were not harvested because of pecan harvester inefficiency. Orchard floors with wild pig damage allowed pecans to fall in or near rooting, wallowing or trampling and to escape harvest with specialty equipment. In areas damaged by pigs, 33.7 percent of
pecans could not be harvested, bringing the total non-harvestable loss to 43.7 percent in areas damaged by pigs. PECAN LOSS CALCULATOR From these findings, the Pecan Loss Calculator was developed to estimate the number of pounds and dollars lost as a result of pecan harvester inefficiency and wild pig rooting damage. This calculator can calculate estimates for both forms of loss in either native groves or improved/ planted orchards. Long-term averages for production (pounds per acre) and price per pound are prepopulated and specific to native or improved varieties. The user can overwrite these values by entering current and site-specific production and pricing. Here’s an example of how quickly these losses can add up. Let’s consider 250 acres of native pecans and 250 acres of planted orchards with 5 percent of each area being damaged by wild pigs. Accepting the long-term average production and price
per pound, total baseline loss because of pecan harvester inefficiency would be $90,557 and the loss due to wild pigs would be $15,259. The total loss would equal $105,816. Find the Pecan Loss Calculator at www.noble.org/pecan-loss-calculator. WHERE’S MY PECAN PIE? A pecan orchard is not only a valuable commodity to producers but home to abundant native wildlife such as whitetailed deer and wild turkey when wild pigs aren’t overly abundant. We know that wild pigs are especially attracted to pecan orchards, and they certainly place their mark on the territory. We also know wild pigs eat pecans, acorns and a variety of other hard and soft mast. These resources all offer opportunity for the wild pig to compete with native species. Wild pigs are as fond of pecans as we are for our Thanksgiving pecan pie, but are you sure you want them eating tradition?
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TEXAS WILDLIFE
PLANT PROFILE
American Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis) Article and photos by BRADLEY KUBECKA
Elderberry (blooming here) is common in areas with moist soil.
Elderberry flowers consist of five petals and five stamens occurring in clusters called corymbs.
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s I sit here writing the plant profile, I’m enjoying a special craft beer—a small batch, Berliner Weiss brewed with the fruit of American elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis). My palate assures me that I made a good selection, but I’m not the only one that enjoys the virtues of elderberry. American elderberry, more-simply referred to as elderberry or elderflower, is a perennial woody species that is also appreciated in the natural world. American Elderberry is found in all regions of Texas except the Trans-Pecos. It grows in moist soils with partial to full sun. As such, elderberry is typically found growing along ditches or creeks. Elderberry spreads by seed, underground rhizomes and stolons, a creeping horizontal plant stem or runner that takes root at points along its length to form new plants. The rhizomes and stolons can help hold soils along streambanks where elderberry is found. While widely distributed, elderberry is more common as you travel east in the state. American elderberry can be identified using multiple field characteristics. Elderberry leaves are directly across from each other on the stem and are odd-pinnately compound. Oddpinnately compound leaves have an odd number of leaflets, with a single leaflet at the leaf’s terminal end.
PLANT PROFILE
Extrafloral nectaries are commonly found at the juncture of elderberry leaflets.
Leaves of American elderberry are comprised of five to 11 serrated leaflets.
Spongy stem centers are indicative of elderberry.
A margined leatherwing beetle visits the corymb of an American elderberry.
Leaves are comprised of five to 11 leaflets which have fine serrated edges. Leaflets are about 1-2 inches wide and 2-6 inches in length. At the base of each leaflet pair, it’s common to find a pair of extrafloral nectaries, which aren’t used in pollination but do attract multiple arthropod species. Elderberry blooms from May to June and occasionally in September. The white flowers have five petals and five stamens but are only about 1/4 inch in diameter. Large clusters of flowers form on the end of stems in a flat or convex shape, known as a corymb. Pollinators such as bees and beetles frequent the flowers for nectar and pollen, more so than moths and butterflies. The flowers eventually develop into clusters of round fruits, which turn a dark purple when ripe. Fruits and seeds are eaten by multiple songbirds, turkey, quail, insects and mammals. Humans historically used the fruit for jellies and wine. More recently both the flowers and fruit found their place on the craft cocktail and beer scene, being infused into liqueurs such as St. Germain’s and delectable Berliner beers. The fruits, leaves and stems have toxic properties to humans when green… excess imbibing of craft brews may have a similar effect! Elderberry stems are grey when mature and typically smooth with occasional wart-like bumps. The stem centers are botanically described as “pithy” or spongy and were historically hollowed out to make flutes and whistles. The scientific name Sambucus is actually derived from the Greek sambuce, which describes a musical instrument. Stems and leaves, providing 7 percent and 14 percent protein, respectively, are browsed by deer, goats and cattle. Elderberry is often limited by overgrazing and excessive browsing pressure. A study in the Northeastern U.S. found that excluding whitetailed deer allowed Elderberry to increase by 485 percent its initial size in just one growing season; the plant grows quickly but is vulnerable to browsing pressure. Even box turtles are known to browse on Elderberry! Despite its virtues to soil health, pollination, wildlife forage and human consumption, our plant colleague Ricky Linex would opine that elderberry could be more beneficial for wildlife…if only it were more widespread. Herd management of browsers and judicious brush control are two approaches to allow elderberry to flourish.
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Season of burning can have a profound impact on vegetation response. The plot on the right was burned in August 2009 following an application of glyphosate. Burning in late-summer (followed by a wet fall) resulted in a canopy of broomweed a year later. The plot on the left was not burned.
ACHIEVING SUCCESS WITH PLANT SUCCESSION Article and photos by DALE ROLLINS, PH.D.
T
he habitat manager’s primary tool is the process of plant succession—the orderly, predictable process of change in plant communities over time. A corollary to this is “Rollins’ Rules of Plant Succession:” (a) know your plants and (b) know how to manipulate them. Know which plant species or plant communities are important to your desired species of wildlife, which in in my case is quail and then know how to use “Leopold’s tools” of axe, plow, cow and fire to foster that plant suite. The ability to identify the top 25 plants on your property is a prerequisite—so do your homework! Get yourself a good region-specific field guide or explore some of the apps on your smartphone such as iNaturalist. Depending on the tool used and the timing of its application, succession can either be advanced or set back. For example, a fire conducted in early April in North Texas tends to favor the taller grasses like little bluestem and Indiangrass, while a fire conducted in August might favor more forbs such as broomweed and western ragweed.
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A burn followed by grazing will favor forbs regardless of timing as the cattle will preferentially graze the grasses and give the forb community a relative advantage. One should strive to appreciate these interrelations in plant community dynamics. Two types of succession are recognized: primary and secondary. The former is when a lichen begins growing on a rock, literally starting at ground zero. As habitat managers, we’re more interested in the latter. To envision the process of secondary succession, let’s start with a stand of native grasses, e.g., in Clay County near Henrietta. If we plow up the native grasses (no, I’m not recommending this, but it’s been done extensively over the past 140 years…only used as an example here), and then walk away for a year, what plant communities might we expect to find? The plowed field would initially spring up in “early successional species” like common sunflower, pigweed, kochia, broomweed and some weedy grasses like Colorado grass. These species exemplify the idea: “Nature abhors a vacuum,” or stated more colloquially, “Mother Nature is not a nudist.”
ACHIEVING SUCCESS WITH PLANT SUCCESSION
Her edict is to simply protect the soil surface and keep it in place. Early successional plants are essentially an ecological Band-aid to protect an open wound. As time marches on, these plants would be replaced with perennial forbs such as western ragweed and short-lived perennial grasses such as sand dropseed. After another 30 years has passed much of the original plant community has perhaps reappeared and re-established itself on the landscape, barring subsequent disturbance. Over most of Texas, various species of woody plants (mesquite, huisache) would encroach on the site. Chances are you’ve witnessed this process on lands enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program back in the mid-1980s. BEHIND THE COUNTY AGENT’S DESK I worked closely with county Extension agents across West Texas for more than 30 years. Ask any county agent what his or her most common question is about plants, and I’ll wager they will reply, “What is it?” followed by “How do you kill it?” I encourage them—and you—to insert this question between those two: “What is it good for?” Many county agents’ offices are adorned with a color poster called “Common Weeds in Texas Pastures.” Perhaps you’ve seen it. I’d remind them that most of the “weeds” thereon are key seed-producing plants for quail, and if they’d give me a bottle of white-out, I’d rename the poster to reflect that. “Weed” doesn’t have to be a four-letter word. Even the botanical neophyte knows some of the “problem” plants. But if they endeavor to be a “Student of Quail” I exhort them to increase their plant vocabulary. Some plants offer a “V8 moment” due to their simplicity. Here’s a soft toss: Where does one tend to find cowpen daisy? Around livestock pens! Why? Because anything that serves as a point-attractant for hoofstock results in a “sacrifice area” characterized by plants like cowpen daisy or buffalobur. So why not spray such areas to control these “undesirable” plants? Perhaps, but first consider Ralph Waldo Emerson’s
Re-starting plant succession with early-successional species like sunflowers usually, but not always, follows soil disturbance. This pasture was sprayed for pricklypear control about a year earlier. The sunflower response observed here is a response to the decaying cactus and perhaps nutrients being released in that process.
Cowpen daisy sometimes "replaces" sunflowers as an indicator of soil disturbance as one moves further west. This colony was a product of a burned brush pile in March 2020; the photograph was taken six months later in October 2020.
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ACHIEVING SUCCESS WITH PLANT SUCCESSION
maintenance or pulling a tandem disc. Less conventional methods might include rooting by feral hogs, burning brush piles or earlier in history buffalo wallows. The timing of when a practice is implemented can alter the plant community quite vividly. Check out the webisode “Disking for Quail Habitat in the Rolling Plains” (https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=RQzmvhQBYZU) to see what a difference of only two months makes in the plant response. On sandy loam soils in Fisher County disking in December tends to promote more sunflowers and insects than discing in October or March. As this pattern likely changes on different sites, soil types and latitudes, I encourage you to do some “strip disking” demonstrations on your property to see which month(s) provide the most desirable plant community for your management goals. Keep in mind the importance of rainfall after the practice is implemented; a December disking followed by six months of drought becomes a June disking by default.
This proliferation of early successional species in Archer County was a result of cattle grazing and a seasonally abundant rainfall.
question, “And what is a weed but a plant whose virtues have yet to be discovered?” As Yogi Berra reckoned, “You can observe a lot just by looking.” Check out where you’ve burned brush piles about six months ago. Perhaps you’ll see something common like sunflowers or cowpen daisy, but sometimes the response is more cryptic. Wildmercury is a nondescript little forb that produces a seed about the size of No. 6 lead shot; the seeds are consumed by quail. One never sees it in abundance, but if you check out burned piles, or summer burns, in the southern Rolling Plains, and you know what it looks like, you’ll spot it fairly frequently. Perhaps a note interesting only to a plant ecologist and a quail geek, but inquiring minds want to know. About 25 years ago I met a landowner named Bourke at his place in Coleman County. His first question of me was “how do you kill that yellow sticker-weed (buffalobur)?” As we stopped his vehicle in a one-acre patch of buffalobur, I asked him why he wanted to kill it, as it produces a nice seed for quail, which resembles small lava-rocks like one might put in a gas grill. We hadn’t driven another twenty yards when a covey of bobwhites flushed as testimony to my point. Given his name “Bourke” I dubbed him “Buffalo Bourke” to commemorate the teachable moment. I think he has a better appreciation for such botanical incorrigibles today. JUST ADD WATER Some type of soil disturbance, accompanied by rainfall, triggers the start of secondary succession. Soil disturbance takes many forms, including hoof action by livestock, grazing practices, brush control especially by mechanical means, road
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DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME Caveat emptor! Sometimes soil disturbance brings undesirable consequences, even to a quail geek like me. The infusion of various exotic grasses such as K-R bluestem and Lehmann lovegrass take advantage of an “open wound” and then proliferate. These “improved” grasses ultimately may claim the landscape and suppress diversity of other plants. Check with local experts in your area to ensure an attempt at improving plants for quail doesn’t wind up backfiring. Finally, if you have sandy soil, you’re probably painfully aware that soil disturbance often equates to sandburs. And when your pants and your bird dog’s paws are covered in sandburs, it’s difficult to think of any good that could possibly stem from them. When confronted with a pointed question on a range tour in Wheeler County in 1988 I proclaimed that every plant out there has significance for quail, but we don’t always understand when or how. As we stood in boot-high sandburs, one skeptic carefully pulled up a sandbur plant and thrust it in my face, then asked indignantly, “Just what good are these for quail?” It was an “en guarde!” moment. Confronted with the question, beads of sweat popped up on my forehead in the fear of being caught in a contradiction, and thus tarnishing my reputation and also the credibility of my premise about plants. Just in the nick of time my colleague, J. F. Cadenhead III, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Range Specialist at Vernon, came to my rescue when he retorted, “They slow down bird dogs don’t they?” Touche’! That story has been codified in the quail literature (mine anyway!) as Cadenhead’s Corollary and reminds us that “quail do not live by seeds alone.” Some plants that are important for quail may be unpalatable to many of us, so seek and appreciate their contributions anyway. Be that as it may, if you know how to conduct soil disturbance and not cause sandburs to flourish, please share your secret with me (drollins@quailresearch.org).
Š D.K. Langford
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DARK SKIES
Big Bend Ranch State Park
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DARK SKIES Article, photos and graphic by KATY BALDOCK
W
e all know the song, “The stars at night are big and bright…deep in the heart of Texas.” However, as urban development has dramatically increased over the past few decades and artificial lighting used at night has only gotten brighter, the stars at night aren’t quite as bright as they used to be. This is especially true for our highly developed population centers such as Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio and their suburbs. Even so, there is still ample opportunity for Texans to get out of the city and experience spectacular night skies with our many dark sky designated areas. Official dark sky designations are decided on by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). According to their website, “IDA designates [International Dark Sky Places] following a rigorous application process requiring applicants to demonstrate robust community support for dark sky protection and document designation-specific program requirements.” Texas currently has six Dark Sky Parks, “publicly- or privately-owned spaces protected for natural conservation that implement good outdoor lighting and provide dark sky programs for visitors;” four Dark Sky Communities, “legally organized cities and towns that adopt quality outdoor lighting ordinances and undertake efforts to educate residents about the importance of dark skies;” and one Dark Sky Sanctuary, “the most remote (and often darkest) places in the world whose conservation state is most fragile.” Having access to these designated Dark Sky Places in our state should not be taken for granted. According to recent studies, over 80 percent of Americans cannot see the Milky Way from their homes. The
fact that we have so many places in Texas that still have pristine night skies is truly special; but our night skies are under increasing threat. The accelerated use of urban lighting and the evolution of the ways that we use lighting has dramatically decreased night sky visibility over the years. When looking across the horizon from the outskirts of a city, approximately one third of the sky glow we see comes from streetlights. With the invention of LED lighting, the use of blue light in neighborhood and highway street lighting is increasing. This cool, bluish light, rather than infrared or reddish lighting, is more harsh on humans, wildlife and our dark skies. For the greater Big Bend region, the largest contiguous area of dark skies in the state and the least populated region in the state, the biggest threat is encroaching oil and gas related activity to the north in the Permian Basin. This increasing light pollution can have severe impacts on wildlife populations, especially those close to larger cities. Bill Wren, Special Assistant to the Superintendent at McDonald Observatory and coordinator of the Dark Skies Initiative in West Texas, spoke with me about some of the negative effects of light pollution and solutions to help preserve dark skies. “If you think about it in terms of evolutionary history, for really all living creatures on the planet, we evolved under a diurnal cycle,” Wren said. “And it's only been in the past hundred years or so that it's gone from day, night, day, night, to day, twilight, day, twilight. It never really gets dark in and around our major population centers, and that is problematic.” The gradual loss of true darkness at night in many areas around our country has indeed been problematic for wildlife. The patterns of light in the sky serve as a signal
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that guides many species’ daily and yearly cycles, such as when to sleep, hunt, reproduce, migrate or hide from predators. Approximately half of all living creatures on Earth are most active at night, and light pollution can interfere with the timing of these biological activities. Lack of true darkness at night imposes negative impacts to humans, as well. Artificial light can suppress the production of melatonin, a hormone that serves as our biological clock, signaling when to sleep and when to wake up. Failure of our biological rhythms to align with natural light patterns can increase risks for sleep disorders, depression and diabetes, to name a few. Beyond just artificial lighting, the types of lighting we use can make a big difference. Research has proven that it’s blue light, in particular, that suppresses melatonin production. When the light bulb was first invented, it was a warm light, similar to what humans were used to with fires and candles. But with the advent of bright, blue light LEDs and the use of blue light in our electronic screens, we are now seeing more blue light used than ever before.
Devils River State Natural Area
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“There's more and more blue white light in the night environment and no one really ever stopped to think about what the consequences might be ecologically,” Wren said. “And now we are learning that the consequences are really quite dramatic when it comes to every living creature, really.” Fortunately, it’s fairly easy for us to implement smart lighting techniques that decrease the effects of light pollution. Wren explained that it’s not about using less lighting; rather, it’s about proper lighting. “It’s a very visual topic. It’s the kind of thing that people often have to see before it registers,” Wren said. “You can talk about it, read about it, but it's often not until they actually see good lighting in use that it clicks, and they get it. This is not just about dark skies; it's also about good lighting. It's not anti-lighting.” Good lighting, as Wren explains, is using the right kind of light, the proper placement and the correct structures. Using warm, reddish color temperature light bulbs, shielding the light down, and only using lights on your own property is the best way to accomplish this.
DARK SKIES
“Forget the dark sky part. If you use a warmer color light and you direct it where you want the light to go (not wasting it offsite), you use fewer lights, lower wattage and it pays for itself in a couple of years,” Wren said. “Visibility is enhanced, increased and improved. Safety is improved because of reduced glare. It is very much a win-win situation.” The easiest change for individuals to make is ensuring they have proper lighting on their own property. Beyond that, encouraging neighbors and fellow community members to change the way they think about lighting and implement good lighting practices can make a huge impact. “When you aim so that it’s directed toward the area that you want to see, you’re cutting cost, you're improving visibility, increasing safety,” Wren said. “It's better lighting. And that applies for your home, your business, your community. It is simply more responsible, more cost-efficient, more effective outdoor lighting at night for safety and security. And, oh by the way, it also helps preserve our view of the stars.” Wren and others at the McDonald Observatory have been working with oil and gas companies in the Permian Basin to encourage good lighting practices on their drilling sites, often resulting in praises of these new lighting practices because it leads to much improved visibility. In addition to large energy companies out west, there have been ongoing efforts to educate the communities surrounding designated dark sky areas about the benefits of proper lighting. Amber Harrison, Interpreter at Big Bend Ranch State Park, spearheaded the Dark Sky Park designation at Big Bend Ranch and now continues to advocate for dark sky protection in surrounding areas. “Part of the ongoing effort for the park, now that we have the designation, is to continue doing public outreach and education in surrounding communities to make sure that people are practicing good lighting behaviors to keep our Dark Skies healthy,” Harrison said. For the past few years, she has been doing outreach, hosting educational programs, and developing partnerships
Lighting Techniques
Texas Dark Sky Places Map
in the greater Big Bend region both in her work time and personal time to spread awareness about the effects of light pollution. “Now we're protected and we made that internal commitment, but that doesn't
do us a whole lot if the surrounding communities aren't practicing good lighting behaviors. The hard part is working with those communities so that light pollution from the surrounding cities does not impact the quality of the
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Big Bend National Park
night sky in the designated parks,” Harrison said. “People come down here for the nature and the solitude and the dark skies and those sorts of things, and these communities rely heavily on ecotourism and tourism.” With a growing population and growing influx of tourism in the region, Harrison emphasized that mindful development will be crucial for preserving the area’s dark skies. “Development’s going to happen, growth is going to happen, those things are inevitable; and that's good in a lot of ways, but it's really important that we do it in a mindful and measured way because we have a lot at stake and we have a lot to lose. Not just with night skies, but with all our resources,” Harrison said. “It’s just important that people are mindful of the natural environment because that's why people come here.” To even further preserve the dark skies of the greater Big Bend region, both Harrison and Wren are working on obtaining additional designations from the IDA. Earlier this year, Chinati Mountains State Natural Area was added to the Big Bend Ranch Complex. While not yet open to the public, this addition added almost 40,000 acres to the Dark Sky Park designation. Harrison is also working on applications to get Elephant Mountain and Black Gap Wildlife Management Areas
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designated as Dark Sky Sanctuaries. In addition to furthering protections in close proximity to Big Bend State and National Parks, these designations would benefit an even larger effort being led by Wren — the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve. “We’re trying to create what will be the largest International Dark Sky Reserve in the world—bigger than all the others put together,” Wren said. “Jeff Davis, Brewster, Presidio County, and then some very large areas of protected land south of the Rio Grande in northern Mexico—Del Carmen, Ocampo, and Santa Elena are the three protected areas that border Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park on the other side of the river.” According to the IDA, International Dark Sky Reserves “consist of a dark ‘core’ zone surrounded by a populated periphery where policy controls are enacted to protect the darkness of the core.” Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park, together, would serve as the core of this Dark Sky Reserve, being accessible to the public for dark sky viewing. The protected lands to the south in Mexico and communities to the north in Texas would be the periphery with dark sky friendly lighting policies enforced. In order to accomplish this,
DARK SKIES
all of the surrounding landowners, community members, and parks will need to be on board. “They'll have to sign on to the lighting management plan,” Wren said. “Everybody that wants to be part of the Reserve will have to endorse that and subscribe to those practices as defined in the lighting management plan. The criteria for the Reserve… requires that the peripheral completely surround the core—that the core not be exposed on any of its boundaries to lands which are not part of the Reserve.” He continued, “It seems kind of like a no-brainer with those lands south of the river, where very, very little artificial lighting exists. It’s extremely dark, probably one of the darkest spots left on the continent, certainly. Getting that land included in this Reserve would be very desirable.” In far West Texas, organizations like the Big Bend Conservation Alliance, the McDonald Observatory, Tierra Grande Master Naturalists, and Friends of Big Bend Ranch State Park are joining efforts to help advocate for dark skies in the surrounding communities and help see these plans for a Reserve come into fruition. However, West Texas isn’t the only part of the state with night sky awareness and action. Central Texas has become increasingly involved in dark sky issues, with Friends of the Night Sky groups being active in Blanco, Travis and Hays counties, just to name a few.
The Hill Country Alliance has adopted night skies as one of their pillars for conservation, working to promote smart lighting techniques and protect the area’s dark skies from encroaching development. According to its website, “The Hill Country Alliance Night Skies program helps Hill Country counties and cities minimize the impacts of light pollution through education and outreach, the establishment of outdoor lighting policies, and the recognition and celebration of certified Dark Sky Places in our region.” Regardless of what area of the state you are in, there are many ways for individuals and businesses to contribute to reducing light pollution both on a small and large scale. Switching to smarter lighting practices around homes and businesses, starting a local Friends of the Night Sky group or joining an existing one, donating and volunteering with conservation organizations focused on dark sky preservation, and encouraging businesses to implement better lighting techniques are all impactful ways to help the effort. The future is looking bright for the stars at night in Texas, but it won’t come without cooperation of individuals and business to change the way we think about and use outdoor lighting. We will need to be mindful as development increases, while continuing public outreach and awareness to keep our night skies, wildlife species, and human populations healthy.
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The thumbnail-sized zebra mussel, an aquatic invasive species, forms such large populations that they clog pipes and drains and have been responsible for shutting down hydro-electric power plants. (Photo by Michael Massimi, Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, Bugwood.org.)
BATTLING INVASIVE SPECIES Article by TAMRA BOLTON
S
ince the 1500s when the Conquistadors brought us the feral hog, invasive species have been trying to take Texas. Others such as the Chinese tallow tree, which was imported by colonists in the 1700s as an ornamental, and salt cedar, (which arrived in 1823 as potential erosion control) have escaped their original boundaries and spread like wildfire over the Texas landscape. The good intentions of man sometimes have a way of backfiring, especially when it comes to introducing non-native species. Texas now has more than 800 documented invasive species, and that list is growing every year. While the economic impact of the damage caused by these hundreds of invasive species is anyone’s guess, some estimates are “many billions of dollars,” said Jerry L. Cook, Ph.D., Sam Houston State University.
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Cook cited a study completed over a decade ago at Texas A&M University which attempted to calculate the cost of just one species, the red imported fire ant. The study estimated the ants cost Texans over $100 million annually. Many in the science community think this figure is too small, and the cost has certainly grown over the last 10 years. As landowners in Texas, we can help in the ongoing battle against many of these harmful intruders and hopefully reduce the massive economic losses forecast for the future and save our state’s incredible biodiversity. WHAT IS AN INVASIVE SPECIES? Many people call any plant that is fast-growing and a nuisance “invasive,” but according to Cook, invasives have to meet two
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criteria: (1) they are introduced into an area where they do not occur naturally, and (2) they usually have a harmful effect on other species and the ecology of their introduced region. The list of invasive species includes animals, insects, plants, aquatic invertebrates and even pathogens. “They have invaded essentially all of the ecosystems of Texas,” said Dr. Jim Armacost, Director of Environmental Science at Lamar University. These intruders pose a threat to our native wildlife, waterways, forests, agriculture and even our health.
Photo by Tamra Bolton
WHAT TO LOOK FOR All the experts I contacted agree that some of the worst offenders are the feral hog, red imported fire ant, Chinese tallow tree, salt cedar, emerald ash borer, zebra mussel, hydrilla and giant salvinia. These eight species alone are responsible for billions of dollars in damage within the state of Texas. The feral hog can be found in almost every county in Texas and is the most recognizable invasive we have, next to the red imported fire ant. On-going research will hopefully find new ways to battle these two invasives, but effective methods still depend on individuals doing their part to help control the species. In most areas, trapping or hunting feral hogs has a minimal impact on the overall population because the hogs breed faster
than they can be hunted or caught. Many ranchers and farmers are resorting to “hog-proofing” their pastures and cropland with special fencing and other barriers to prevent further damage, but this alternative is expensive and cost prohibitive for many landowners. Several types of poison bait have been tried, but nothing has managed to make a dent in the ever-growing feral hog population in Texas. Dr. Christopher Ritzi, Professor of Biology at Sul Ross University, summed up the damage: “The feral hogs have truly left their stamp on the landscape. They range across the entire state, and unlike other threats like fire ants and some of the noxious invasive weeds, these animals have been ecosystem engineers, completely changing the environment from what it was before.” The battle against the red imported fire ant has had somewhat better success, but the ant still occupies most of the territory it previously invaded and is controlled only through constant monitoring and regular treatment. Ashley Morgan-Olvera, Director of Research and Education with the Texas Invasive Species Institute, Sam Houston State University, paints a bleak picture of what we are up against. “Many invasives are well-established before they are documented or recognized as invasive, making management a steep uphill battle,” she said. “But what encourages us to
Feral hogs can cause thousands of dollars in damage in just one night. Landowners have a constant battle to keep these intruders out of their pastures and forests.
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Photo by Tamra Bolton
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Photo by Jessica Spencer, Bugwood.org
The Chinese tallow tree forms dense clumps and can eradicate native vegetation along creek and river banks, forever changing the biodiversity of an infested area. The embedded image is a Chinese tallow tree fruit and a visible white seed.
Salt cedar grows along waterways such as river floodplains and can consume large quantities of water and reduce water availability. Saltcedar displaces native plants and degrades habitat for wildlife.
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continue in this battle is the significant contribution that engaged and mindful citizens provide in the control of invasive species. These helpful citizens provide more ‘boots on the ground’ in our attempts to curb these invasives.” According to the experts, the Chinese tallow tree is so resilient and prolific that herbicides or controlled burns are not completely effective. These trees can create vast stands that eradicate native species and create monocultures that deplete soil nutrients, lower the water table and destroy the biodiversity of the land or waterway they occupy. “Often a mixture of diesel fuel and herbicides must be applied multiple times for the treatment [of the Chinese tallow tree] to be effective,” said Morgan-Olvera. “Persistence through multiple treatments and regular maintenance of the species on your property are the keys to successful management.” Armacost agreed, “Although it is labor intensive, local stands of tallow trees can be controlled by cutting the trees and through application of herbicides.” Another plant that creates a monoculture is the salt cedar. This invasive has spread along the majority of waterways in the southeastern United States and has replaced native plants wherever it grows causing a reduction in the number of insects and birds, among other species. “Salt cedar actively deposits salt in the ground to impede the growth of competing plants, making it difficult to mitigate and heal the land after the invasion has taken place,” Ritzi explained. “Like the feral hog, the salt cedar can forever alter the biodiversity of the region it invades.” As far as control measures go, Ritzi recommends a number of tools. “Herbicides can usually knock salt cedar back, but due to the hardiness of the plants and their root system, they tend to bounce back and regrow,” he said. “Mechanical removal will also reduce above ground biomass, but if [roots] left in place and not followed by chemical treatments, it can result in spreading the plant rather than controlling it.” The salt cedar is so resilient that even after a hot fire regrowth will appear in two to three months. Ritzi is currently monitoring the salt cedar beetle which feeds on the plant, but not agricultural crops or other plants. He is hopeful that this beetle will help control and slow the spread of this invasive cedar. The emerald ash borer has only been in Texas since the 1990s, but this Asian native beetle has already spread to six northeastern counties. The brilliant metallic green borer can devastate not only the ash tree population, but also attacks the white fringe tree. It is the only borer with a bright coppery-red abdomen which may be visible only if the elytra, the hard outside covering on back, and wings are raised. Our native species of borers have either blue, green, or black (dorsal surface) abdomens. Humans have unwittingly spread this insect invader in firewood, nursery stock, green lumber, branches, logs and chips. Infested trees are hard to treat and usually the only way to effectively eradicate the beetle in an area is to remove and properly dispose of all infected trees.
WHAT CAN YOU DO? If you’ve ever encountered an invasive species, you know it can be a frustrating, expensive and an even downright alarming experience. Public education is the starting point in effectively dealing with these interlopers. Individual action combined with knowledge is vital in slowing or stopping the encroachment and subsequent establishment of these harmful intruders. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has a great resource for education about invasive species: identifying them, reporting and properly treating them. Through their partnership with TexasInvasives.org, the TPWD joins nine other agencies in providing support to concerned citizens and landowners. The TexasInvasives.org site has a fitting slogan, “Hello Invasive Species. Goodbye Texas.” To emphasize the seriousness of the invasive problem, Cook said, “The initial stage of introduction is really the only time that it is possible to eradicate invasive species. Once they become
The emerald ash borer is a brilliant metallic green beetle that can devastate not only the ash tree population, but also attack the white fringe tree.
Image source: TAMU Aquaplant https://aquaplant.tamu.edu/
First found in Lake St. Clair on the Michigan and Ontario, Canada border in 1988, the tiny zebra mussel has since wreaked havoc up and down the Mississippi Waterway. Native to Russia, this thumbnail size aquatic invasive “forms such large populations that they clog pipes, drains and have been responsible for shutting down hydro-electric power plants” according to Morgan-Olvera. These mussels are so hard to combat because the larvae are invisible to the naked eye and can live for days in water trapped in a boat or equipment. That is why it is so important to follow the “Clean, Drain and Dry” campaign the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and others are using to educate the public on this and other aquatic invasives. An aquatic plant that has troubled Texas waters since the 1950s is hydrilla. A native of the Indian subcontinent, this invasive was introduced to the United States by the aquarium trade. Hydrilla creates dense mats on the surfaces of infested bodies of water. The clarity of water produced by the relatively recent presence of zebra mussels now allows the hydrilla to grow at an even greater depth, creating a much more devastating threat than before. Difficult to treat, hydrilla can choke intakes to power plants and impede water flow to agriculture operations. It creates monospecific stands, often replacing our native submerged vegetation, which creates an almost irreversible change in the biodiversity of the bodies of water it infests. Popular as an aquarium and water garden plant, the giant salvinia was found in Texas in 1997. This aquatic plant invader is one of the most insidious threats to our lakes, ponds, rivers and other waterways because of its astounding ability to spread. Giant salvinia can double in size every two weeks and can cover a quarter acre pond in as little as six weeks. Like the hydrilla, the giant salvinia shades out or replaces native species, causing a radical change in the biodiversity wherever it is present. Giant salvinia also affects the quality of water in our waterways and hinders recreational boating, fishing and duck hunting.
Photo by Eric R. Day, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bugwood.org
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Hydrilla creates monospecific stands, often replacing our native submerged vegetation, which creates an almost irreversible change in the biodiversity of the bodies of water it infests.
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Photo by Keith Bradley, Botanist/Conservation Biologist, Bugwood.org
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In addition to its ability to replace native species, causing a radical change in the biodiversity wherever it is present, giant salvinia also affects the quality of water in our waterways and hinders recreational boating, fishing and duck hunting.
established, it is almost impossible. Then, it becomes a process of managing the invasive species, essentially forever.” “But,” he adds, “landowners should not think that they have to take on this process alone. The TPWD and Texas Department of Agriculture, among others, have expertise that can help identify and fight invasive species.” Ritzi advises landowners to “know your land, know what plants and animals are usually present and keep an eye out for pests or species that look out of place. If you discover an invasive has started to encroach onto your land, talk with experts and learn how to best control that particular species. Also, a healthy landscape can protect itself better from invasion and attack just like a healthy body can better handle a disease. By managing your land responsibly and making sure it has the resources to keep the native plants and animals alive and well, such as water, food and shelter, the land should be more resilient to attack from invasive threats.” 50 T E X A S W I L D L I F E
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As Ritzi said, good management can not only protect the land, but keep it healthy for wildlife. If invasives destroy the native vegetation or diminish water supplies, wildlife suffers. This creates a domino effect of destruction in the area which is difficult or even impossible to reverse. Although there is no simple way to mitigate the effects of these unwelcome intruders, Texans must continue to educate themselves and understand the immense losses we face from these pests. Ritzi reminds us that “invasives create a huge loss in biodiversity across the state…invasives are replacing and changing the face of Texas.” Through education and awareness, landowners across the state can help slow the spread of damaging species. “By far the best way to deal with invasive species is early detection followed by a rapid response to eliminate or at least control the spread of the invasive species,” Cook agreed.
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There are also proactive measures citizens can take to help with the invasive problem. “By not releasing non-native animals into the wild and by landscaping with native plants instead of non-native ornamentals, we can provide better habitat for our native wildlife and help stop the spread of invasive species,” Armacost said. There are good alternatives to non-native ornamentals, but MorganOlvera warns that there are some invasive plant species that are not federally regulated and can still be bought at garden supply stores. She recommends avoiding these ornamentals: Bamboo species, Brazilian peppertree, Chinese privet, Giant Reed, Kudzu, Japanese honeysuckle and Tree-of-Heaven. Opt for native plants instead. Researching the best plants for your region and sticking with native plants for your landscape will go a long way in helping the fight against invasives. Awareness and active engagement in the fight to keep our ecosystems healthy and strong is in the hands of all Texans. Saving our native flora and fauna is an on-going challenge, that will in large part, be decided by future generations and how they work to prevent further invasions of non-native species and how they respond to threats as they arise. As a landowner, you are on the front lines of the battle against invasives in Texas. The outcome of this battle depends largely on raising your own awareness of invasives and employing all the weapons at your disposal to eradicate or control species on your property. These measures can make the difference between victory or defeat. Texas landowners and wildlife managers have an especially big stake in maintaining the biodiversity across all ecological regions. Our immensely diverse landscapes and the wildlife that inhabit them are some of the features that make Texas such a great place to live, work and play… let’s not let invasives destroy the very things that makes this state so special.
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(830) 249-9339 - www.TexasRanchesForSale.com Ken Hoerster - Broker/Owner
972.588.8300
YOUR COMPANY HERE To find out how you can advertise in Texas Wildlife magazine, contact David Brimager at (800) 839-9453 for more information.
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DECEMBER 2020
TEXAS WILDLIFE
P RO F E S S I O NA L S E RV I C E D I R ECTO RY
Johnny Baker 713-829-9951
TDM ENTERPRISES FIREARMS RETAILER
johntxland@gmail.com
Tim McCreary
Owner & DSC Life Member TWA Member
Established 1967
972-816-3480
Farm and Ranch Realtor
tdmccreary@aol.com
www.txland.com
Official FFL Vendor for DSC
YOUR COMPANY HERE Tired of worrying about water for your cattle, deer, critters?
Call us and we’ll handle your problem. www.wewatertexas.com Kenneth R. Bell: 210-912-1288 | Damian Hubbs: 210-219-2264
Online
texas-wildlife.org
@texaswildlife
To find out how you can advertise in Texas Wildlife magazine, contact David Brimager at (800) 839-9453 for more information.
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TEXAS WILDLIFE
B A C K AT T H E R A N C H
Unique Christmas Gifts for the Outdoor Enthusiast
H
Article by WHITNEY KLENZENDORF
owdy everyone and happy holidays! I know 2020 has been a wild year, but I hope each of you gets to have the holiday you hoped for with family, friends and lots of time outside. One thing I’m grateful for is regardless of what happens in the news, I can go out in nature and be reminded that the world is a beautiful place. I think we all probably have at least one person on our list who loves the outdoors, so I’m going to share some gift ideas that may bring them joy this Christmas. Wooden topographic lake map – One of the neat gifts I’ve recently seen are carved topo maps of Texas lakes for display on the wall. Get one from your favorite nearby lake! Blown glass ornament from the national parks – Old World Christmas sells beautiful blown glass ornaments of each national park’s sign. Such a pretty way to remember a favorite trip or location. Ladies’ shooting/hunting vest from Upland Bespoke – Incredibly unique and beautiful American-made womens’ hunting apparel from a Dallas-based company. Clare Haggas art or silk scarf – Clare Haggas is a British artist who masterfully captures the beauty of upland game birds. Her designs and colors are captivating and the perfect look for anyone, man or woman, who loves game birds.
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DECEMBER 2020
Monogrammed boot bag – Essential equipment for any traveling Texan. Wild game cookbook – The Meat Eater Cookbook by Steve Rinella, Afield by Jesse Griffiths, Venison Every Day by Allie Doran and Buck Buck Moose by Hank Shaw are a few recommendations. Rocking camp chair – Nemo makes a rocking camp chair that has become my favorite camping accessory of late. Quality knife set – any hunter needs a reliable, sharp set of knives for field dressing. Other fun ideas include a clay thrower and clays, a new rod and reel, camo, a rangefinder or binoculars, or custom shooting bags. For kids: the best thing we can get them is quality time together in the great outdoors. Whether that means a trip to the aquarium, zoo or natural history museum (maybe even consider a membership for them to one of those places) or a camping, hunting or fishing trip, that gift will last a lifetime. As far as what to put under the tree, I recommend checking out the gift shops at nature and science museums for unique toys and games to inspire their love of the outdoors. Also check out my list of recommended reads for little ranch hands published in a recent Texas Wildlife issue. Of course, you can’t go wrong adding a TWA Membership to everyone’s stocking.
Texas-sized trophies seem even bigger when they’re on your land. As a cooperative, we share our profits with our customers. Since 2006, Capital Farm Credit’s combined cash returned and allocated equities for members is in excess of $1.75 billion – more than any agricultural lender in the state of Texas. So when you want your perfect piece of the Texas countryside, try a partnership that really pays.
Together we’re better.
877.944.5500 | capitalfarmcredit.com NMLS493828
