Texas Wildlife - The Great Monarch Migration - October 2021 by Texas Wildlife Association

MAGAZINE OF THE TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION

The Great

Monarch Migration

OCTOBER 2021

TEXAS WILDLIFE

PRESIDENT'S REMARKS SARAH BIEDENHARN

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.

OFFICERS

ctober has always been one of my favorite months. The convergence of seasons leaves no time for boredom—there’s usually a few doves still flying, whitetail deer season begins under the Managed Land Deer Permit (MLDP) program, and the elk are bugling in West Texas all during the height of fall cattle workings and the most weather-appropriate college football games. There really is just too much to do and not enough time! If the last year has taught me anything, it’s that I need to appreciate these busy seasons and be grateful that we can participate in these adventures with family and close friends. I hope that you are all finding time to do the same. This fall, as you gather with friends and family who enjoy spending time outside and appreciate all that our great state has to offer, I hope that you will consider asking them to become members of the Texas Wildlife Association. As you may have heard, TWA is working with a third-party consultant who is helping us strategize on how to grow and engage our membership base. With the help of TWA staff and volunteers, I believe we are working toward a great plan that will achieve big results. Of course, no broad marketing strategy is ever as impactful as a recommendation from a close friend. After all, do you buy anything without reading reviews these days? When your friends ask you why they should join, tell them about the work we do at the state legislature to protect our land, water and wildlife. Tell them that we educated more than a quarter of a million youths last school year through our Conservation Legacy Programs or that we took 800 kids hunting through the Texas Youth Hunting Program. TWA’s impact across the state can be difficult to quantify in totality, but it is far reaching and vital to the future of Texas wildlife conservation and private land stewardship. None of it would be possible without dedicated members like you. If there’s ever anything I or our amazing TWA staff can do to help recruit or engage a new member, please don’t hesitate to let us know. Thanks for all you do to support the great work of TWA.

Sarah Biedenharn, President, San Antonio Jonathan Letz, Vice President, Comfort Dr. Louis Harveson, Second Vice President for Programs, Alpine Nyle Maxwell, Treasurer, Georgetown For a complete list of TWA Directors, go to www.texas-wildlife.org

PROFESSIONAL STAFF/CONTRACT ASSOCIATES Administration & Operation Justin Dreibelbis, Chief Executive Officer Quita Hill, Director of Finance and Operations Cynthia Moncrief, Office Administrator

Outreach & Member Services David Brimager, Director of Public Relations Kristin Parma, Membership Coordinator Mimi Sams, Engagement Coordinator

Conservation Legacy and Hunting Heritage Programs Kassi Scheffer-Geeslin, Director of Formal Education Elanor Dean, Conservation Education Specialist Peggy Maxwell, Conservation Education Specialist Gwen Eishen, Conservation Educator Adrienne Paquette, Conservation Educator Elisa Velador, Conservation Educator Ali Kuehn, Conservation Educator Brittani Dafft, Conservation Educator & Program Assistant Marla Wolf, Curriculum Specialist Iliana Peña, Director of Conservation Programs Amanda Gobeli, Conservation Education Specialist Chad Timmons, Conservation Education Specialist 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 2021 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

OCTOBER 2021

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

OCTOBER VOLUME 37

8 The Great Monarch Migration

NUMBER 6

2021

32 TTU Wildlife Research News

Influence of Woody Vegetation Patterns on Habitat Selection, Survival and Reproduction of Scaled Quail in the Texas Rolling Plains

by LORIE A. WOODWARD

16 Hunting Heritage

by BLAKE A. GRISHAM, SARAH FRITTS,

Stories From the Hunt

MANUEL SILVA, CHARLOTTE WILSON, ROWDY WHITE, JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, and C. BRAD DABBERT

by KARA STARR

20 Conservation Legacy

36 Plant Profile

Practice What You Preach

Orange Flameflower

by ILIANA A. PEÑA

by RICKY LINEX

22 Member Profile

38 Pyric Herbivory

Alan Curry

by DALE ROLLINS, PH.D.

by LORIE A. WOODWARD

40 South Texas Brush Country

26 Caesar Kleberg News

Impacts of Utility Scale Solar Development in Texas

by STEVE NELLE

44 Waterfowl

by ANTHONY D. FALK, SAMUEL LUTFY and KEITH PAWELEK

Hunting Pressure and Roost Establishment by NATE SKINNER

28 Noble Research Institute

How Regenerative Ranching Practices Help Build Suitable Wildlife Habitats

54 Outdoor Traditions Wild Geese

by HUGH ALJOE and WILL CHAMBLEE

by SALLIE LEWIS

Photo by Joseph Richards

Magazine Staff

MAGAZINE OF THE TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION

Justin Dreibelbis, Executive Editor Kim Rothe, Consulting Publications Coordinator/Editor Lorie A. Woodward, Special Projects Editor

Publication Printers Corp., Printing, Denver, CO

On the Cover Texas’ state insect, the monarch butterfly, widely recognized by its bright and shiny orange and black wings, migrates through Texas each spring and fall. But there’s been a noticeable decline in the number of these beautiful pollinators. Over the past two decades, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, the overall monarch population decreased by 80 percent. Read more about their ecology and decline and the importance of Texas monarch conservation in Lorie A. Woodward’s article “The Great Monarch Migration,” starting on page 8.

MAGAZINE CORPS

David Brimager, Advertising Director

OCTOBER 2021

The Great

Monarch Migration

Photo by Joseph Richards

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TEXAS WILDLIFE

MEETINGS AND EVENTS

FOR INFORMATION ON HUNTING SEASONS, call the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at (800) 792-1112, consult the 2021-2022 Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual, or visit the TPWD website at tpwd.state.tx.us.

OCTOBER OCTOBER 7 Fort Worth James Green Wildlife & Conservation Initiative, Auction and Dinner. For more information and to register, visit https://twafoundation. org/james-green-wildlifeconservation-initiative-2021/.

OCTOBER 21-24 Texas Master Naturalist 2021 Annual Meeting, Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Marriott Irving, TX. For more information or to register, visit https://txmn.tamu.edu/eventscalendar/texas-master-naturalist2021-annual-meeting/.

OCTOBER 30 Small Acreage Big Opportunity Workshop, Allen, TX. For more information and to register, visit https://www.texas-wildlife.org/ program-areas/small-acreagebig-opportunity.

TEXAS WILDLIFE

C O N S E R VAT I O N L E G A C Y Y O U T H P R O G R A M M I N G VISIT THE PROGRAM PAGES ONLINE AT www.texas-wildlife.org/program-areas/category/youth for specifics and registration information.

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.

WILDLIFE BY DESIGN ACROSS TEXAS CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS: • (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.

Critter Connections are now available in a read-along format. Recordings of past issues are available online and are created for each new issue.

6 TEXAS WILDLIFE

OCTOBER 2021

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T H E G R E AT M O N A R C H M I G R AT I O N

8 TEXAS WILDLIFE

OCTOBER 2021

THE GREAT MONARCH MIGRATION Article by LORIE A. WOODWARD

n early October, the temperatures in my then-hometown of San Angelo began their annual descent from summer’s scorching three digits to fall’s mild, humidity-free “come outside and play” mid-double digits. The breeze shifted, often imperceptibly, from the north. By then, avid dove hunters nursed cricks in their necks from scanning the skies. For more than a month, they had been enjoying the bounty of the annual dove migration. For me, the sound of their distant and diminishing shotgun blasts served as celebratory fireworks announcing the arrival of another great, mysterious migration: monarch butterflies. As surely as the swallows return to Capistrano in the spring, the Eastern population of monarch butterflies pass through Texas in the fall. (The Western population breeds west of

the Rockies and overwinters primarily in California.) The sojourners generally appear in the Concho Valley during the first week of October en route to their wintering grounds in the mountains of central Mexico. Every fall, I waited eagerly for the announcement that I knew would come late one afternoon from my backyard heralds, a blue-eyed girl with cascading blonde ringlets and a chocolatechip-eyed boy with a brown buzz cut. As preschoolers they got as excited about monarchs as their mother. “Momma, it’s raining butterflies!” one would say. The observation was my cue to grab a clipboard and begin counting the butterflies drifting overhead. For a week or so, we stood in the ranks of citizen scientists, contributing our sightings to the data collection effort known as Monarch Watch.

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Photo by Joseph Richards

Photo by Wendy Caldwell, Monarch Joint Venture

Photo by Joseph Richards

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Our single afternoon backyard record, tallied over a two-hour period, was upwards of 900—just a tiny portion of those that passed through the neighborhood. Our elderly neighbors’ untended pecan grove and heavily shaded, overgrown backyard served as the monarchs’ local Motel 6. Unknowingly, the Moody family had “left the light on for them.” The iconic, orange-and-black North American travelers hovered and fluttered above our heads as they settled in for the night. (Since then, my kids and I have wandered through the Smithsonian’s Butterfly Pavilion and a butterfly preserve in Ecuador’s cloud forest, neither came close to recreating the magic of monarchs in that tangled backyard.) The next morning, we got up with the sun because the monarchs’ departure was always as majestic as their arrival. As the sun glinted off their closed wings, the trees took on a dull metallic sheen. Then one or two would begin to flap. Tiny sparks of orange soon billowed into flickering flames as more butterflies began flapping their wings in preparation for the day’s flight. “The trees are on fire,” a herald would note, with the wideeyed wonder that comes so easily to children. And then the adult insects, weighing one-half gram on average, began to rise like beautiful smoke, driven by an unknown evolutionary force, south toward Mexico. Along the way, they accumulated as much fat from sipping from fall’s flowering plants as cross-continental flight would allow. Arriving at their destination, the journey’s survivors congregated into overwintering colonies, nestled in the branches of oyamel firs, and slipped into reproductive diapause, the insect equivalent of hibernation. In this state, the monarchs’ metabolism slows and reproduction is postponed until the following spring. If the weather cooperated, most woke up in the spring, bred and funneled back through Texas. Here the overwintering adults, known as the “Super Generation” because they can live up to nine months, laid their eggs in milkweed: green antelope horn milkweed east of I-35, antelope horn milkweed west of I-35 and zizotes milkweed throughout the state. Then, they died. The eggs hatched, producing larvae that feed on milkweed and ingest its toxins for their own defense. The caterpillars’ and adults’ distinctive orange-and-black coloring acts as a warning sign for birds and other predators. Through metamorphosis, the brightly striped caterpillars transform into butterflies. This cycle occurs three more times as they head up through Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and on up through Minnesota, Michigan and finally Canada. Unlike winter’s Super Generation, the succeeding generations live for two to six weeks. As time passed, late afternoon carpools and competing schedules removed me and mine from the ranks of citizen scientists. Although I was no longer formally counting the winged visitors, a change was apparent. While I was aware of the fragmentation changing the landscape of Texas, I didn’t realize the advent of Roundup® Ready

corn and soybeans and the subsequent increased glyphosphate application was obliterating milkweed throughout Midwestern croplands. The loss was significant. A study by Mark Sears, Karen S. Oberhauser et al published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science in 2001 found, as part a multi-state look at the potential impacts of Bt corn pollen on monarchs, that more monarchs were produced per acre in corn and soybean than in any other habitat. During the same time, the renewable fuel standard set in 2007, requiring gasoline to contain 10 percent ethanol, prompted a huge increase in demand for corn. Farmers throughout the Upper Midwest put their marginal land back into production. Millions of acres of once-fallow fields, which served as prime native habitat for monarchs, became monocultures of herbicideresistant corn. It was a double-whammy of unintended consequences. Monarchs bore the brunt. Through the years, our annual backyard butterfly deluge became a light shower. By the time I moved from San Angelo in 2017, the butterflies arrived in intermittent sprinkles. MISSING MONARCHS? Scientists confirm my casual observations: monarch populations are declining steeply. Over the past two decades, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, the overall monarch population decreased by 80 percent. To estimate monarch population, scientists measure the amount of occupied winter habitat. During the past 27 years, the smallest overwintering population occurred in 2013-2014, when about 1.7 acres of winter habitat were occupied. In recent years, the population has fluctuated widely. In 2017-2018, the winter habitat measured about 6.1 acres, but in 2018-2019, it rebounded to about 14.9 acres; in 2019-2020, it declined to about 6.9. acres; in 2020-2021, it shrank to about 5.2 acres, a 26.3 percent decline from the year before. Researchers hypothesize the minimum threshold necessary to keep monarchs out of the extinction danger zone is 14.8 acres. The Western population, which breeds west of the Rockies and migrates to overwintering grounds throughout California, has declined by 99.9 percent since the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation began its count in 1997. The last overwintering count conducted November-December 2020 estimated there were 1,914 butterflies remaining in a population that once numbered more than 4.5 million. In 2014, a petition was filed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list monarchs on the endangered species list. After completing the status review, USFWS, announced on December 15, 2020, that listing the monarch as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act was warranted, but precluded by higher priority listing actions. The monarch is now a candidate under the Endangered Species Act; its status, according to USFWS website, will be reviewed annually until a listing decision is made. When it comes to listing, the ESA treats vertebrates and invertebrates differently. While the ESA allows species,

Photo by Jennifer Thieme, Monarch Joint Venture

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subspecies, or “distinct population segments” of vertebrates to be listed, only entire species or subspecies of invertebrate can be listed. According to a Xerces Society blog post published Jan. 19, 2021, this means that regional populations of vertebrates—grizzly bears in greater Yellowstone or orcas in the Puget Sound, for example—can be given protection even if the entire species or subspecies is not protected, but the western population of monarchs that migrates to California cannot because it is not a subspecies. “Californians will likely continue to see resident monarchs because people are growing milkweed, but the Western migration is likely lost,” said Dr. Orley “Chip” Taylor, an ecological biologist and professor emeritus at the University of Kansas, who founded Monarch Watch. The precipitous decline and imminent threat of extinction to the Western population creates a conundrum for monarch conservationists as well. “With the Western population teetering on the brink of collapse, there is a difference in urgency between it and the Eastern population,” said Wendy Caldwell, executive director of the Monarch Joint Venture based in St. Paul, Minnesota. “We can’t put all of our energy into the West and then let the East slip away.” The Western population’s rapid collapse signals another truth: monarchs are vulnerable. “When a population only has three to four generations, a successive decline in any two of those can create a downward spiral that is difficult for a species to recover from,” Taylor said. In the case of the Eastern monarchs, the Pacific Ocean’s rising temperatures are prompting more wet winter storms to cross central Mexico’s mountains. Wet storms not only drain the insects’ limited energy supplies, but when temperatures

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Photo by Joseph Richards

“The monarchs’ designation as a candidate species is definitely a driver for monarch conservation these days,” Caldwell said. To wit, USFWS crafted a monarch butterfly Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurance with integrated Candidate Conservation Agreement for Energy and Transportation lands. If the monarch is ever listed under the ESA, the agreement provides participants regulatory assurances that additional conservation measure will not be required. More than 45 energy and transmission companies and state departments of transportation across the nation voluntarily are committing time and funding to carry out monarch butterflyfriendly management practices on millions of rights-of-way acres. The Texas Department of Transportation, which has actively planted wildflowers for decades, announced in March that nearly 450,000 acres of the 1.24 million acres it enrolled has been adopted into the agreement.

drop into the 20s., ice crystals penetrate all of the butterflies’ water-containing tissues, which causes death-inducing damage. Millions die. A large, robust overwintering population can better absorb the losses of any given storm. The larger the population, the greater the percentage of survivors, Taylor said. In simplest mathematical terms, an 80 percent loss of 100 butterflies leaves 20 survivors, while an 80 percent loss of 10 butterflies leaves two survivors, so it is the absolute number of survivors that is critical, he said. “When a population is robust, the numbers surviving are sufficient to restore the population, but when you lose 80 percent of a small population the recovery can take years,” Taylor said. Prolonged drought throughout the range or unseasonably high or low temperatures that affect two or more generations can have the same effect. The impact of these is more subtle and longer term, but as potentially devastating as a winter storm. “The fact of the matter is the Eastern population is still very vulnerable even though it’s larger and seemingly more stable,” Taylor said. Even the darkest clouds can have silver linings. The monarchs’ potential listing has created a flurry of engagement and activity from stakeholders. Industries, agencies, municipalities and other stakeholders hope by actively managing the habitat and stabilizing populations to preclude the listing that would trigger a host of regulations.

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WATCHING MONARCHS After research on the so-called killer bees moved from ecology to genetic assessment, Taylor turned his attention to monarchs. The iconic butterflies have the longest two-way migration of any insect on the planet. “At the time, little was known about the migration,” Taylor said. “It was a black hole of knowledge and a rich source of misinformation.” In 1992, Taylor issued a press release calling for volunteers to help tag monarchs in order to solve the mysteries of migration. “There aren’t that many biologists—and we don’t have nearly enough arms, legs, eyes or time to cover something of this continental magnitude,” Taylor said. “There was no way to obtain the data without citizen scientists.” The Des Moines Register ran the release, and 500 people volunteered. A second press release published a few weeks later in the Dallas Morning-News elicited the same response. “Within the first two months, we knew we had a project people were interested in and Monarch Watch was launched,” said Taylor, noting that many other species ranging from birds to frogs and bumblebees now benefit from the citizen science model pioneered for monarchs. During the past 30 years, citizen scientists have tagged about 2 million monarchs; more than 19,000 have been recovered in Mexico. The mountains of data have provided valuable insight into migration and ecology. Taylor and his team recently released two peer-reviewed papers, and two more are in the works. The first paper helps settle an argument between scientists regarding the causes of population decline. Using data, Taylor and his team added to the body of proof collected by many over decades indicating habitat loss, especially milkweed availability throughout the Upper Midwest, as long hypothesized, is the major driver behind plummeting numbers. LIKE CLOCKWORK The second paper, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, further illuminates a mystery that has been

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explored by scientists across the continent. Ten years ago, researchers showed that monarchs possess an internal clock in their antennae that help them navigate based on the sun’s horizontal movement. No one had discovered what triggered the monarchs’ cross-continental trek—or how they paced their daily journeys with such precision that historically their arrival in Mexico coincides with Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on Nov. 2.

“As we reviewed the data, we noticed a correlation between the monarchs’ arrival in Mexico and the date they depart from their summer grounds in Winnipeg, Manitoba,” Taylor said. “They leave Canada when the Noon sun is 57 degrees above the horizon.” The pattern repeated itself regardless of where the monarchs set out. They follow the changing angle of the sun from north to south.

Photo by Matt Wagner, Texas by Nature

POLLINATOR CONSERVATION “ENERGIZED” IN EAGLE FORD SHALE

Texan by Nature, in partnership with EOG Resources, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Stillwater Foundation and private landowners are energizing pollinator conservation by restoring South Texas oilfield sites to pockets of native prairies. “Through this program, EOG Resources is leading, what we hope will become an industry-wide shift, toward restoring energy infrastructure sites with native plants instead of reclaiming them with introduced grasses as has been the tradition,” said Matt Wagner, who oversees project development for Texan by Nature. Introduced grasses create dense monocultures that overwhelm native plants, which in turn reduces habitat for everything from pollinators and birds to big game. The partners, who are concentrating their efforts on downsized oil pads and pipeline road rights-of-way, plant a mix of about eight native grasses and four or five pollinator plants, most of which are nectar producing. “By planting a native mix on small sites throughout properties, we’re actually creating perennial food plots,” Wagner said. “Early discussions on conserving monarchs turned to wider efforts to conserve all pollinators, but the impact on the ground is even broader than that—landowners are seeing quail that are attracted to the cover and the hard, native seeds produced by the native habitat pockets.” Texan by Nature provides the seed. EOG Resources covers the planting costs. Other than agreeing to defer grazing from the newly planted sites for two years, participating landowners bear no risk or expense.

The seeding program, which launched in 2019, is about halfway to its 350-acre goal. At the time of this writing, the team had planted 20 different sites on eight different ranches in Atascosa, Gonzales, LaSalle and McMullen counties. “The program is off and running, but we’re working with such small sites it takes a while to accumulate land,” Wagner said. The partners are looking for additional ranches in the fourcounty and surrounding area. To qualify, properties must contain EOG infrastructure, and landowners must temporarily defer grazing for two years or fence the sites, so the emerging native plants can get established. Interested landowners can contact their EOG land agent, who will notify Texan by Nature and set the process in motion. The landscape is responding. On most sites, the native plants are flourishing. Pollinators and grassland birds regularly visit the pocket prairie buffets. “It’s been challenging to mesh the best management practices for conservation with oil and gas industry’s best management practices for the oilfield, but EOG is learning our business and we’re learning theirs,” Wagner said. “And working together, great progress is being made.” Success begets success. EOG Resources is laying the ground for the project’s next phase. The energy company, interested in reducing its carbon footprint, has challenged Texan by Nature to facilitate the research necessary to answer the question: Does the capacity for carbon sequestration differ between native prairie and introduced grass pastures, and which one is the most efficient and effective? If native landscapes are as efficient, or even more efficient, than introduced grass pastures, it could change energy companies’ standardoperating procedures for land restoration across the board, Wagner said. “This program exists—and is succeeding—because of a synergy between industry, landowners and NGOs as well as supporting agencies,” Wagner said. “The future of natural resources in Texas relies on shared visions, synergistic working relationships and long-term cooperation. For more information about the program, see www.texanbynature.org or contact Texan by Nature at (512) 284-7482 or at info@texanbynature.org.

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“They arrive in Mexico just as the sun drops 57 degrees below the horizon, and they stop and overwinter,” Taylor said.

According to Monarch Joint Venture Executive Director Wendy Caldwell, the best way to manage for monarchs is “being mindful of what monarchs need and when they need it—and then doing what needs to be done to make more of it.” More specifically… • Go Native: Control invasive species, so native plants can thrive. • Embrace Diversity: Plant a diversity of blooming, preferably native, plants that can provide energy-rich nectar in the spring and fall. In Texas, fall flowers are particularly important—and often overlooked. • Go. Don’t Mow: Avoid shredding or mowing habitat during critical times in the monarch’s life cycle. • Rest and Rotate: Manage livestock grazing to maximize plant diversity and vigor. • Be Cautious with Chemicals: Reduce pesticide use, which will benefit all invertebrates. • Keep What You Have: If at all possible, don’t fragment tracts of existing native habitat.

ADAPTABLE, BUT TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE In the aftermath of Texas’ devastating Winter Storm Uri, the Monarch Watch team, concerned about spring plant availability for northward migrating monarchs, activated its network of citizen scientists. The observations collected statewide were both surprising and somewhat comforting. “Monarchs were using a host of nectar-producing plants they never used before,” Taylor said. “Many of these were introduced plants in urban and suburban neighborhoods.” While he notes that the data could be biased by the human/ urban-suburban distribution of observers and introduced plants, it highlights the monarchs’ adaptability and the impact of widespread “habitat” resources. “When it comes to nectar, monarchs use what’s available,” Taylor said. “Monarchs explore what is around, and research has shown they learn colors and shapes because that helps them identify nectar-producing plants.” While milkweed is an immutable requirement for reproduction, the storm proved they will utilize what’s available. Ross Winton, state invertebrate biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said, “After Uri, some of the monarchs’ preferred species of milkweed were almost absent on the landscape, so they laid their eggs on whatever milkweed species was available. Survival trumps preference.” The post-freeze landscape also brought a widely held misconception into sharp focus. Many citizens mistakenly believe that to be impactful, they need to restore large contiguous tracts of habitat. While experts agree it is important to keep large, native landscapes intact, they also know monarchs, because they are migratory, benefit from small patches of habitat scattered throughout their entire range. “People think they need an entire acre of milkweed to support monarchs, but actually it would be better if that same acre was broken up into hundreds of small patches,” Taylor said. Why? Because each habitat segment has its own assortment of predators, disease and weather effects. Spreading out their eggs all along the migration route increases the likelihood that a higher percentage of eggs will hatch and offspring will survive. “They don’t put all their eggs in one basket, well actually one milkweed,” Winton said. “Every contribution is meaningful. People can make positive changes at any scale and have an impact.” While the insects do their best to adapt to the changes that nature and mankind throw at them, the monarchs cannot outfly temperature changes. “Like Goldilocks, monarchs don’t want it too hot or too cold, they want it just right,” Taylor said. Abnormal temperatures, whether they are too hot or too cold, influence the availability of plants at critical times, which in turn influences the timing of the monarchs’ journey and their subsequent reproduction. For instance, warmer than normal spring temperatures in Texas can push the monarchs north

Photo by Jennifer Thieme, Monarch Joint Venture

MANAGING FOR MONARCHS

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Photo by Joseph Richards

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before northern plant communities have emerged. Hotter than normal September temperatures in Texas can delay the migration into Mexico. According to a blog post written by Taylor on June 8, 2021 and published by Monarch Joint Venture, the monarchs’ optimal operating temperature is 84 degrees. Temperatures well above that result in increased metabolism, higher activity, higher demand for nectar and ultimately shorter lifespans and reduced egg production. Of course, higher temperatures and drought make finding additional nectar more difficult. Plants have shorter flowering periods and can shut down nectar production completely in the face of high temperatures and drought. Another double whammy… In recent years, Taylor has extensively reviewed historic weather records. Since 1975, the average temperature in Texas during the May to September growing season has increased 0.5 degrees each decade. In 20 years, the long-term average temperature in March, the monarchs’ crucial spring period in Texas, is predicted to be 6 degrees hotter than it is now, he said. “Of course, no one knows exactly what this means, but the signs are there,” Taylor said. “If we don’t do something to address these climatic changes, it doesn’t bode well for monarchs—or for us.” THE STATE OF TEXAS’ STATE INSECT When it comes to monarchs, Texas, as the state’s travel slogan once proclaimed, is “a whole other country.” “In monarch conservation, the importance of Texas can’t be overstated,” Caldwell said. The entire Eastern population funnels through Texas two times each year, using the same routes each season. One path

runs into the Edwards Plateau west of San Antonio through Del Rio and Uvalde, while the other stretches along the coast from Brownsville to Houston. “Texas provides their first groceries in the spring and their last groceries before winter,” Winton said. In 2017, the Texas Monarch Consortium, a network of agency, non-profit and industry conservation partners was formed to address monarch conservation in Texas. The group issued The Texas Monarch and Pollinator Plan, a broad, far-reaching plan to jumpstart conservation. After gaining traction quickly, the plan languished. Competition for limited time and resources is fierce. “Even though monarchs are charismatic, they’re not yet a species of greatest conservation need in Texas,” Winton said. “As the department’s only invertebrate biologist, I’m responsible for 400 other invertebrates, all of which carry a high conservation priority.” With that said, Winton is working to reenergize the consortium and revisit the plan later this year. From his perspective, the goal is two-fold: first is getting more Texasbased research and second is applying it, so management and conservation efforts deliver “more bang for the buck.” Many states such as Minnesota and Iowa have identified the limiting factors for monarchs in their respective environments, which generally is milkweed availability. They have specific state-based goals including the number of milkweed stalks that need to be planted to sustain and grow the monarch population. Unlike other states, Texas has relatively abundant milkweed and floral resources, especially in the spring, Winton said. “We love our wildflowers, so nectar-availability and even milkweed availability doesn’t appear to be the limiting factor here,” said Winton, noting monarchs and other pollinators could benefit from additional fall flowers. “Frankly, though, we’re not sure what the limiting factors may be because not a lot of research has been done.” He continued, “Once we know exactly how we can help the monarchs best, then we should target our efforts to the points in the ‘funnel’ where our efforts will have the most impact.” While conserving monarchs is a laudable goal in itself, the widespread management efforts it inspires may be even more vital. “Monarchs are the state insect of Texas, but they have an immense value as a ‘trickle down’ species,” Winton said. “Monarchs’ charisma may prompt people to increase floral resources and conserve native habitat, but these efforts will also benefit birds, native bees, other pollinators and a host of species up and down the ecological chain.” Caldwell concurred, “Monarchs are the shiny, beautiful vehicle that we can use to engage people of all backgrounds in conservation that benefits a host of species—and conservation success depends on getting people to connect to nature so strongly and personally that they want to sustain it. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much research is conducted or how many BMPs are identified if people aren’t engaged. People have to be part of the solution.”

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Stories From the Hunt Article by KARA STARR with experienced hunters for a few years, practiced their shot placement and are so excited when they finally get their “trophy.” As I read the two stories below, I was reminded why I love my job. I hope you will enjoy reading them too and be reminded that hunting is about a whole lot more than the harvest. KEVIN KURZ “Kevin Kurz is a 44-year-old man with Down syndrome. Although our family has hunted all his lifetime, he only recently became interested in hunting himself. We took steps to get him certified and licensed, got an appropriate gun (since he wears a pacemaker, we tried to get one with minimal kick) and engaged him in appropriate target practice to ensure he was capable. He wanted to shoot a buck. The photo with this story was the result of his buck hunt, a 9-pointer. He was thrilled! After tagging the deer, taking many pictures and offering many congratulations, we began to dress the deer and discovered it had no male parts. His 9-point buck was a doe! Certainly, a day to remember for the whole family.” ~The Kevin Kurz family Kevin Kurz with his family at the TBGA awards ceremony.

very year as the season begins my desk gets filled with envelopes, and I spend time each day opening mail and organizing scoresheets and entry forms. Sometimes there is an extra sheet of paper included which always piques my interest. A lot of folks get excited to hear how high the deer scored and want to see

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the field photos; but for me, I love the “hunt experience” stories submitted on a separate sheet of paper. The stories always make me smile. This year, two stories were submitted. Both happened to be about First Harvest entries. First Harvests are my favorite awards. These awardees have waited patiently while sitting in the blinds

OCTOBER 2021

Kurz’s brother-in-law Rusty mentioned how special Kurz is to the entire family and how beloved he is. The family's love was made known at the Texas Big Game Awards banquet in New Braunfels back in May when he had the loudest cheering section in the building. AVA MERCHANT (12 YEARS OLD) “On Jan. 5, my dad and I decided to go hunting. We started walking out to the

STORIES FROM THE HUNT

stand when suddenly my dad told me to get down. We saw a buck, but then it left. We got set up in the stand. Later on, something kept making noise behind the heater. I started getting worried; a minute later something hit my foot, I was ready to leave. My dad suddenly said, 'Shush. There’s a monster buck!' We got the gun setup, and I pulled the trigger. I hit it right below the neck. It was down in seconds. We went to get the truck and drove to go get it. When we pulled up, my dad realized it was the massive buck he’d been after for six years. We had gone hunting several times before that, but I think because I had my hair in a ponytail with a camouflage scrunchie this time, it might have brought me some luck.” ~Ava Merchant I hope you take a little time to reflect on your time in the field this year and maybe even write down a story of your own. If you do, know that I’ll be looking for those extra sheets of paper in envelopes again this year and would be honored to read your story.

Ava Merchant with her monster buck and lucky scrunchie.

More information on how to enter TBGA can be found at www.TexasBigGameAwards.org.

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Texas Wildlife Association Foundation Presents

An evening dedicated to celebrating the successful impacts of wildlife and conservation education in North Texas classrooms.

Thursday, October 7 th 6:30 until 9:30 Entertainment by Stoney LaRue Cocktail Reception and Dinner on the Bluff

Visit www.twafoundation.org for event details and registration.

Practice What You Preach Article by ILIANA A. PEÑA Photo by KIM HODGES

n a dew-covered May morning in 2020, while looking out at the Texas Wildlife Association’s (TWA) new 7-acre Anne-Weisman Campus north of New Braunfels, I had a strong realization—TWA is now a landowner, and the full weight of that responsibility took hold. We at TWA often talk about the importance of land stewardship and the responsibility it carries. Our building’s namesake David K. Langford has often said, “There is a difference in landowners. There are landowners who take from the land and there are landowners who give to the land.” I found myself looking out over our small, rural acreage and imaging how TWA could fully embrace the role of giver. For 36 years, TWA along with its numerous natural resource partners has conducted countless land stewardship workshops, conferences and field demonstrations across Texas. We work to bring applied rangeland and wildlife science to private landowners and Texans of all ages. We believe the future well-being of habitat that supports wildlife and rare species depends upon a private landowners’ commitment to improving habitat and being good stewards of the land. Property size is a moot point because all of us, small and large landowners, can contribute to healthy open space that serves not only us but serves the greater community through the ecosystem services that our land supports.

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OCTOBER 2021

The new TWA Campus is on the western edge of the Blackland Prairie Ecoregion. The tract of land was historically farmed and more recently seeded for hay production. Given our location, one mile west of the Interstate-35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio, our stewardship efforts will provide an easy and accessible place to educate and showcase the benefits of land stewardship on small rural acreage. TWA solicited expertise from federal, state and NGO partners like the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Wildlife Habitat Federation, and coalesced their recommendations into a restoration plan that fits the Association’s land management and operational goals. The overarching theme for the rural acreage will be the improvement of soil health, control or suppression of non-native exotic grasses and forbs, and a goal of improving the overall diversity and habitat functions of native plants for the benefit of pollinators and wildlife. TWA plans to give back by sharing our work through field days and events, contributing to bird and other wildlife surveys and inviting local educators to use our site as an extension of their classrooms. Like any land management venture, this is going to take time and energy. We will continue to share our story and invite all of you to follow our journey.

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T WA M E M B E R P R O F I L E

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Alan Curry A Cattleman in Camo

Article by LORIE A. WOODWARD Photos courtesy of ALAN CURRY

lan Curry’s career—and his land ethic—can be traced to summers spent working at his maternal grandparents’ ranches in West Texas. “From the time I was 10 or 11, I left Fort Worth [his childhood home] as soon as baseball season was over and headed to San Angelo to stay with my grandparents,” said Curry, who has called San Angelo home since 1985. “What began as summers in West Texas turned into a career and a lifelong passion for land stewardship.”

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In those days, Curry’s maternal grandfather, Roy Glass, was operating ranches in West Texas including the family's Glass Ranch, the original property homesteaded in 1886 by Curry's great grandfather, J.L. Glass. Initially, J.L. Glass homesteaded four sections located on Lacy Creek in western Sterling County; he later purchased two additional contiguous sections for $1/acre. These holdings formed the base of the Glass Ranch, on which later generations continued to expand.

TWA MEMBER PROFILE

“I’m a fourth-generation rancher, who is blessed to operate parts of our original Glass Ranch,” Curry said. In addition to operating the Glass Ranch, Curry runs his family’s deeded ranches and leased ranches in Sterling, Coke, Irion and Tom Green counties and manages the family’s oil and gas interests. As a boy, Curry earned $10/day for completing ranch chores such as working livestock, building and repairing fences, cleaning out water troughs and tanks, and other general day-today ranch work. His pay doubled when he “got old enough to be better help.” A bounty on jackrabbits, which at the time were considered competition for sheep and goats, added another $.10/head to his paycheck for every rabbit bagged. Despite the fact that Curry and his grandfather were up at the crack of dawn every morning, the duo often spent late nights varmint hunting to lower the population of predators that regularly killed their sheep and goats. “Even though my grandfather worked hard all day, every day, he made it a point to take me out at night,” Curry said. “He’d say, ‘We need to go get that red fox…’ And while that was somewhat true, he was doing it for me too.” To this day, Curry still remembers the first red fox his grandfather called up for him using a Burnham Brothers wooden mouth call. The call, which mimicked a dying rabbit, was never out of reach on the dash of his grandfather's pickup. And while summers brought predator hunts, the fall’s cool breezes and winter’s northers delivered family hunts. For generations, the family’s ranches have been natural gathering spots. “I shot my first deer when I was seven on our family ranch in Schleicher County...I remember exactly where I was standing… and it was 53 years ago,” Curry said. “And I know exactly where I was when I shot my first dove. The opening of dove season is a national holiday to me—and has been forever.” The seeds that Roy Glass sowed in his grandson sprouted. After graduating from Austin High School, Curry attended the University of Texas, and then went on to the TCU Ranch Management Program in Fort Worth. Once he completed the intensive, hands-on program under the tutelage of the legendary John Merrill, Curry headed west to stay. “The people of West Texas are the friendliest, most genuine, salt-of-the-earth people you’ll ever meet,” said Curry, noting his mother was born and reared in San Angelo and still views it as the greatest place on earth. “San Angelo is a farming and ranching community, and a lot of deals are still done with a handshake. Plus, it’s a great place to raise kids.” His children, Allison (34), Sterling (32), and Mary (27) grew up with “dual citizenship.” They were reared as San Angelo town kids and West Texas ranch kids, enjoying the best of all worlds. Today, their dual citizenship continues. Allison and her husband Adam live and work in Fort Worth, while Sterling and Mary both call Houston home as they establish their respective careers. “The kids grew up hunting and fishing on our Clark Ranch west of Water Valley,” Curry said. “I’m confident that their roots

are planted deep in West Texas, and they will be ready to take over when the time comes.” In the meantime, Curry, using San Angelo as a home base, has continued the Glass family legacy of ranching and land stewardship. Looking to the past and anticipating the future, some things in the ranching business have changed while others such as family togetherness have, for good reason, remained the same. Curry’s operational touchstone is balance. In his mind and in his operations, wildlife is as important as livestock. Early in Curry’s career, he attended a quail management workshop led by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension wildlife biologist Dr. Dale Rollins. During his presentation, Rollins noted that the headgear choices of two different types of land managers symbolized the extremes of the land management spectrum: cowboy hats on ranchers signified their livestock-only focus, while camo caps on wildlife managers symbolized their wildlife-centric emphasis. “If there was such a thing as a camo cowboy hat, I’d have one,” Curry said. “Our family values both wildlife and livestock— everything we do on the ranches is based on balancing their needs.” RANCHING When it comes to livestock, Curry runs a commercial cowcalf operation as well as some Spanish goats. The cow herds are made up primarily of Angus or Angus/Hereford crosses known as Black Baldies, and he raises his own replacement heifers. He purchases registered Hereford and Angus bulls from trusted purebred operations throughout Texas and Oklahoma. “West Texas is always in some stage of drought,” Curry said. “Our biggest liability is a lack of consistent rainfall.” In West Texas, the amount of rain is not the stuff of stilted, polite chitchat. It, as the lifeblood of many businesses, is a leading topic of serious conversation.

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TWA MEMBER PROFILE

“It doesn’t matter if you’re at church or a cocktail party, the first thing that people ask you is, ‘How much rain did you get?’” Curry said. “People don’t ask you that in the big cities...and those people don’t go stand in their front yards and watch it rain when thunderstorms roll in either.” To make the most of the rain that falls, Curry implements rotational grazing on all of the properties in his care. Each grazing program is tailored to an individual ranch. (As a side note, this year's uncharacteristically plentiful spring and summer rains have left the land, according to Curry, as "pretty as I have ever seen it.") “Every place is grazed differently because each place is different—and the amount of rain that has or has not fallen is different, too,” Curry said. To further enhance the land’s productivity, Curry uses a combination of prescribed burning, mechanical control and chemical control in an ongoing effort to manage everencroaching brush. This past winter, he concentrated his chemical control efforts on dense stands of prickly pear targeted by aerial application from a helicopter. And, while he has conducted winter burns for many years now, Curry conducted his first summer

WHY TWA AND TWAF? For the past 25 years, Alan Curry has served as a TWA Director. Five years ago, at the request of long-time friend and TWA stalwart Steve Lewis, Curry became a Texas Wildlife Association Foundation (TWAF) Trustee. Today, he is TWAF’s Vice President and a passionate advocate for the association, the foundation and their collective work across Texas. In addition, he supports the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association with equally committed enthusiasm. Curry's son Sterling is a new TWA Director and hopes to follow in his father's TWA footsteps. “TWA and TWAF work hand in hand; it's all about connecting Texans to the land. TWA advocates on behalf of Texas landowners, educates landowners and Texans of all ages about conservation and the value of voluntary land stewardship, and works to ensure our hunting heritage. TWAF raises the money necessary to support the vital work of conservation education and hunting heritage preservation. Conservation Legacy, TWA's education program, has impacted 4.4 million young people and more than 300,000 adults since its inception in 2007. On the hunting heritage side, the Texas Youth Hunting Program, which has operated in partnership with TPWD since 1996, has taken more than 25,000 youth on about 3,000 hunts. When you include the students’ adult companions, we’ve had more than 70,000 participants. And while the numbers of impacted people continue to grow, so does the need. It is no secret that every day the demographics of Texas are changing. Everyday our cities get bigger and devour another chunk of rural Texas, further eroding our voice, influence and relevance.

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OCTOBER 2021

We have to figure out how to engage urban and suburban Texans and help them understand the importance of land, wild places and wild things. TWA’s programs are a start, but at TWAF we know that we need to expand them tremendously and that means raising money to continue to educate Texas children about Texas land. We are kicking off CL 2.0 (Conservation Legacy 2 Point 0). Now, more than ever, we need our fellow members and friends to step up to the plate on behalf of our future. In addition to providing financial support, it is vital that TWA members open their gates, especially to yellow school buses. School-age kids can’t appreciate and respect what they’ve never experienced. A day of conservation education on a ranch can change hearts and open minds, but that change won’t occur without open gates. As a West Texas rancher and landowner, TWA’s commitment to private property rights and addressing burdensome, unfair processes such as eminent domain, and our water rights, make the organization a standout that I am proud to support. But we need more people at the table to strengthen our position. If you aren't at the table, you'll soon find yourself on the menu. Through our respective track record of effectiveness and responsibility, TWA has earned a seat at the legislative table in Austin. Now we need informed committed landowners to show up and fill the chairs. In my opinion people who sit on the sideline and don't get in the game have no room to complain. Working with like-minded organizations, such as TWA and TSCRA, and on behalf of private land stewardship is essential. Texas wildlife and its habitat—and the continued conservation of both—deserve our best effort."

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burn this July, directed at prickly pear, tasajillo and seedling mesquites. “My grandfather used to clear brush fence line to fence line,” Curry said. “We take a much more measured approach.” Today, the land is a mosaic of brush, which provides plenty of edge and cover for wildlife, interspersed with open stands of native grasslands. Each summer from May until school starts in August, Curry employs high school boys to spray brush using the Individual Plant Treatment (IPT) method to contend with resprouting mesquites. “We’ve always got something going on whether it’s feeding, working livestock, spraying brush, building fences, putting in pipeline, filling feeders…it never seems to end, but it's all about improving the ranches,” Curry said. “I recognize that we are blessed to have the resources to reinvest in continuing to improve the land—and I don't take that for granted." His land stewardship goal continues the family legacy. “I want to leave the land better than when it came into my care, and I hope the generations to come will have the same compassion for the land,” Curry said. WILDLIFE AND HUNTING The low-fenced ranches’ wildlife resources, which include white-tailed deer, Axis deer, Rio Grande turkeys, mourning doves and bobwhite and blue quail, provide both income and family fun. Some of the ranches are leased and others are kept strictly for family use. “Hunting is a big deal for our family— both immediate and extended,” Curry said. “Every Labor Day, we get together to hunt dove, every Thanksgiving it’s deer and football, and at Easter we flower the cross and spring turkey hunt.” Curry, following in his grandfather’s footsteps, got his children involved in hunting early and often. His two youngest children shot their first deer while sitting on his lap. “My fondest hunting memories involve my kids harvesting their first deer, shooting their first dove and catching their first fish,” Curry said. “As a parent, you never forget making those memories—and neither do they.”

Despite having the busy schedules that come with being young professionals, the Curry children make time to come home to West Texas. They, according to Curry, were already calling in early July to solidify plans for the family’s annual Labor Day dove hunt. “If we didn’t have the ranches and hunting, it might be hard to get them to break away from their careers and come back home,” Curry said. “Fortunately, though, land provides a natural gathering space where we all can get together as a family.” In addition to hunting throughout Texas and North America, Curry, often accompanied by one or all of his children, has hunted and fished around the globe. While he relishes his experiences in the far-flung wilderness and oceans, Africa is his true love. While he has been fortunate to hunt in western and southern Africa, and in fact, has just returned from another safari, he continues to dream of Africa and plan future adventures.

While Africa speaks to Curry’s soul, Texas holds his heart. “If I had to choose a single North American hunting destination, it would be Texas 100 percent,” Curry said. “I love to hunt dove, quail, turkey, deer and to fish in both fresh and saltwater; I was raised doing it—and those species and experiences shaped who I am.” Although time marches on, Curry has no plans to slow down. He is getting married in the fall and feels like he has his whole life in front of him. “None of us know how long we have,” Curry said. “I’ve always been one to keep going and pushing. I’ll hunt and fish and continue to travel as much as I can for as long as I can, I promise you that.” And he will continue to do everything in his power to ensure the next generation has the same opportunities. “I want my children, grandchildren and their families to enjoy it as much as I have,” Curry said. “I want to make sure that the lineage continues, and I will do whatever I have to do to fight for it.”

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Impacts of Utility Scale Solar Development in Texas Article by ANTHONY D. FALK, SAMUEL LUTFY and KEITH PAWELEK

rom the Texas High Plains to its Gulf Coast, the growth and development of utility scale solar energy is happening at an unprecedented pace. A utility scale solar development is a development that generates at least one megawatt (MW) of electricity and would occupy roughly 5 acres of land. Texas saw the capacity of new solar installations increase from approximately 1,200 MW in 2019 to 3,400 MW in 2020 occupying roughly 17,000 acres of land and likely impacted many more acres throughout the construction process.

This raises the state's total solar capacity to 9,311 MW. This production level ranks Texas second nationally. Solar industry growth throughout the state has been spurred by several different factors. First, large portions of the state are well suited for solar production, having ample amounts of open land that receive lots of intense sun and have very few cloudy days. Second, the price to produce solar energy has been significantly reduced in recent years due to technological advances, federal tax credits and

investments by ERCOT in transmission line infrastructure, enabling the energy produced to be easily distributed throughout the states’ grid. These factors have resulted in a 40 percent reduction in production costs to date, and this trend appears to be continuing which will result in even cheaper production costs. Third, as the cost for oil remains relatively low and oil fields age resulting in reduced production, many landowners who have traditionally benefited from mineral royalties are now open to new income sources. These factors are causing utility scale solar projects to explode across the state, and there is no sign of slowing down. Because of this expansion, Texas Native Seeds (TNS) a project of the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, and many state and federal agencies have received concerned calls from landowners and managers wondering how to mitigate this new landscape use. In past times of intense energy development, Texas Native Seeds has worked to develop methodology to mitigate negative impacts of energy production, most recently in the Eagle Ford Shale region of South Texas. Because of research completed by TNS, miles of pipelines and acres of pad sites throughout the Eagle Ford Shale region were turned into native grasslands termed “pipeline prairies,” giving many landowners the opportunity to conduct habitat restoration that they would not

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32 T E X A S W I L D L I F E

Photo Courtesy of John McLaughlin

Article by BLAKE A. GRISHAM, Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University SARAH FRITTS, Department of Biology, Texas State University MANUEL SILVA, Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University CHARLOTTE WILSON, Department of Biology, Texas State University ROWDY WHITE, Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department C. BRAD DABBERT, Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University

Figure 1. A Scaled Quail captured and banded as part of this research project.

The Rumsey Research and Development Fund and the Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University

OCTOBER 2021

T TU WILDLIFE RESEARCH NEWS

Figure 2. A 5-gram Ecotone GPS transmitter attached to a Scaled Quail.

Photo Courtesy of Manuel Silva

state-of-the art GPS transmitters (Figure 2) that collected one location every 10 minutes for 21 consecutive days, which typically provided approximately 1,000 locations per tagged Scaled Quail and its associated covey. We also used a sophisticated drone to take high resolution images of each ranch. These images allowed us to quantify plant communities, including the amount of edge habitat and average patch size of each habitat type (bare ground, grasslands, succulents and woody vegetation) in real-time.

Photo Courtesy of Manuel Silva

conditions on the ground; as a result, the Texas Rolling Plains were slowly fragmented. While there has been a growing body of literature and interest in Scaled Quail, more research was needed to understand if Scaled Quail population declines in the Texas Rolling Plains were correlated to expansion of woody species and habitat fragmentation. The goal for our study was to quantify the relationships among plant community types and size, and how plant communities were arranged on the landscape as well associated temperature and relative humidity conditions. We also wanted to explore any relationships to Scaled Quail habitat selection, survival and reproduction. We conducted our study on two private ranches enrolled in the Quail-Tech Alliance’s (QTA) Anchor Ranch Program. We used a classification system based on habitat and population metrics to divide each ranch into one of two categories: stable or intermittent Scaled Quail population. Originally we planned to capture and track birds on multiple properties, but after intensive trapping efforts (more than 7,000 trapping nights), we were unable to detect Scaled Quail on most of the ranches we sampled. As such, we consolidated our resources and tackled our project objectives on one intermittent ranch in Dickens County and one stable ranch in Potter County. We divided the annual calendar into seasons that reflected the biology of Scaled Quail: October through mid-March (winter) and mid-March through mid-August (breeding season) to accomplish our objectives. Our study incorporated contemporary technologies and statistical techniques that improved our ability to combine and analyze large ecological data sets. For example, we used

Figure 3. Landcover classifications and home ranges overlaid on aerial images obtained from drone flights.

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T TU WILDLIFE RESEARCH NEWS

Finally, we tracked individual Scaled Quail and placed ibutton dataloggers that recorded temperature and relative humidity every 10 minutes at locations that Scaled Quail used; these locations were compared to nearby, paired random points not used by Scaled Quail. We then combined the temperature and relative humidity, vegetation and landscape data to assess the interactive effects of habitat, temperature and relative humidity on habitat selection by Scaled Quail. WINTER RESULTS We captured 187 Scaled Quail and deployed 43 GPS-transmitters that gathered location data of each Scaled Quail. We calculated home range size of 27 individual GPS-tagged Scaled Quail and collected 4,560 drone images to estimate habitat selection. The drone images' overall accuracy being classified as the correct vegetation community based on ground truthing was 85.65 percent; average home range size was 91 acres (Figure 3). Grassland comprised the largest percentage of landcover type within home ranges at an average of 54 percent followed by succulents (12 percent), bare ground (10 percent) and woody vegetation (8 percent). Scaled Quail selected similar habitat on both stable and intermittent ranches, and temperature was a better predictor of habitat selection in winter than

vegetation. There was no consistent pattern of vegetation selection at multiple spatial scales which suggested Scaled Quail were flexible and used various types of cover in winter. Our results indicated vegetation and microclimate did influence one another, and areas that were composed of more bare ground and woody vegetation were warmer. However, our results indicated woody vegetation and bare ground within the home range both negatively influenced overwinter survival, but fine scale vegetation and microclimate did not, which was consistent with previous studies; the overwinter survival rate was approximately 57 percent. BREEDING RESULTS As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic we were unable to access one of our ranches and therefore unable to compare breeding season objectives between stable and intermittent ranches. Focusing our efforts on the stable ranch in Potter County, we captured 43 hens and deployed 20 GPS-transmitters. We calculated 19 hen home ranges and collected 5,000 drone images. Average hen home range size during the breeding season was 140 acres. The drone images' overall accuracy being classified as the correct vegetation community based on ground truthing was 75 percent. Grasslands comprised the largest

percentage of landcover type in home ranges at 81 percent, followed by bare ground (10 percent), succulents (3 percent) and woody vegetation (1 percent). The majority of GPS-tagged females made at least one nest attempt, resulting in a total of 39 nest attempts among years of study. Scaled Quail hens selected grasslands for nesting, and within the grasslands, hens selected cooler sites to build nests and avoided locations with more litter, forbs and bare ground. Nest survival was lower in our study compared to previous work, and the probability of a nest surviving the 23-day incubation period ranged from less than 1 percent to 5 percent. Hen daily survival rates were similar to previous studies and positively correlated to the number of hot days (number of days with more than 98 degrees or higher temperatures) during incubation and negatively correlated to total area of woody vegetation within the home range. Hen survival during the breeding season was different between years of study, and the probability of surviving the 133-day breeding season in 2019 was 51 percent compared to 1 percent in 2020. DISCUSSION AND MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS The various lines of evidence from our study suggest grasslands are important for Scaled Quail populations at the ranch

TABLE 1 Approximate acres of bare ground, grasslands, succulents and woody vegetation recommended for management of Scaled Quail on the Texas Rolling Plains. Values were calculated using less than 10 percent bare ground, 45 percent grasslands, 15 percent succulents and less than 30 percent woody vegetation at 700 acres based on our combined findings. We recommend the minimal patch size for management of Scaled Quail be greater than 150 acres based on average home range size during breeding (141 acres) and in winter (91 acres). The recommendation for bare ground and woody vegetation are considered maximum acres, and our findings suggest Scaled Quail would benefit from minimizing bare ground and woody vegetation. Management Unit Size

Bare Ground

Grasslands

Succulentsa

150

15 67.5 22.5 45

300

30 135 45 90

700

70 315 105 210

1000

100 450 150 300

1200

120 540 180 360

a – Example species include (but not limited to) yucca spp. and cholla b – Example species include (but not limited to) honey mesquite, juniper spp. and lotebush

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Woody Vegetationb

level and Scaled Quail may not be able to establish home ranges in areas with too much bare ground or woody vegetation. Additionally, Scaled Quail avoided areas with dense woody vegetation and abundant bare ground during winter and the breeding season, and increasing woody vegetation can have negative population level impacts on nest site selection and adult survival in breeding and winter. Managing for Scaled Quail coveys at 700-acre blocks in the Texas Rolling Plains may result in more Scaled Quail coveys at the local level, but the percent values presented below can be mathematically transformed for smaller or larger ranches. We recommend 700 acres because that was the average landscape size that contained Scaled Quail home ranges among ranches when we combined our aerial photos. However, larger blocks of habitat may be needed to support populations at the regional level. Our results suggest reducing bare ground to approximately 10 percent and maintaining woody vegetation between 25 and 30 percent within 700-acre patches (Figure 4) may maximize home range development, winter survival and improve breeding season survival. Previous studies suggested Scaled Quail abundance is negatively correlated with woody cover greater than 3 feet in height, and our data supports these findings. In fact, two of four study sites were excluded from this study due to lack of Scaled Quail coveys, despite substantial trapping efforts. Anecdotally, these ranches were dominated by woody vegetation greater than 3 feet in height at 700-acre blocks and may no longer be supporting stable Scaled Quail populations. Nest survival was lower in this study compared to previous studies on Scaled Quail. Our results indicated that woody vegetation negatively impacted nest survival and supported the conclusions of other studies that precipitation and temperature also play an important role. We suspect adult Scaled Quail depended more on ranch

Photo Courtesy of Rowdy White

T TU WILDLIFE RESEARCH NEWS

Figure 4. Private ranch on the Texas Rolling Plains that is representative of less than 10 percent bare ground, 45 percent grasslands, 15 percent succulents and less than 30 percent woody vegetation at 700 acres.

level habitat features, whereas nest survival appeared to depend more on microclimate conditions, with both depending on weather characteristics such as precipitation and temperature. While we were unable to control factors such as high temperatures, our results indicated areas with more bare ground and woody vegetation were warmer. Stakeholders and private landowners can alter vegetation structure and composition to assist with regulating the thermal environment and to facilitate hiding and escaping from predators. We recommend using land management practices that decrease woody vegetation (mesquite and junipers), increase native vegetation, specifically succulent (cholla and yucca) and grass species (warm season bunchgrasses), and control grass height (approximately 12 – 15 in). In areas dominated by dense woody vegetation, we recommend mechanical removal of woody vegetation at small spatial scales of 5 – 20 acres with light to moderate livestock grazing (specific stocking rates will depend on local site conditions) and a combination

of prescribed fire and chemical treatment of woody vegetation at larger spatial scales of greater than 20 acres. The frequency, scale and season of prescribed burns will all impact how effectively brush is controlled, as well as the timing of herbicide application. A general rule of thumb says that prescribed fire should be applied every three years on a rotational schedule, but many factors go into that decision making process. Landowners should connect with a local biologist for site specific plans and recommendations. Our findings support previous assessments that suggest the woody vegetation encroachment is contributing to the decline of Scaled Quail in the Texas Rolling Plains, and management designed to reduce woody vegetation and increase native warm season bunchgrasses will be beneficial for Scaled Quail, grassland songbirds and other native wildlife on the Texas Rolling Plains. We thank the Rumsey Research Fund in the Department of Natural Resources Management for providing the funding to publish this article.

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PLANT PROFILE

Orange Flameflower Article and photos by RICKY LINEX, Wildlife Biologist

Spring growth of orange flameflower conceals this plant's true beauty.

range flameflower, Phemeranthus aurantiacus, is a showy, native perennial forb that grows 8 to 15 inches tall from a fleshy root. Growth is erect to reclining and often spreading from the semi-woody base. The stems and leaves have a fleshy appearance. The leaves are flat, usually alternate in growth up the stems but are sometimes seen with opposite leaves in the upper stem tips. The leaves can be further described as being sessile, linear to linear-lanceolate in shape, 1 to 2 1/2 inches long with a pointed tip. Flowers are orange to red-orange, up to 1-inch across, growing on short stalks from the stem's leaf axils, having five petals and more than 20 stamens surrounding the red, threeparted stigma. Flowers will open in mid-afternoon and close by sunset. Numerous flowers can be seen over the May to September flowering period which makes these flowers available for pollinators over a long period of time. Seed capsule is about ¼-inch long containing black seeds with several concentric subcircular ridges on the side. The plant is not readily sought by livestock but is sometimes mistakenly eaten when flameflower, surrounded by grass, is taken as the cow wraps its tongue around grass leaves. Orange flameflower provides fair forage value for sheep, goats and deer, and the seeds are eaten by quail and songbirds. Orange flameflower grows in rocky and sandy soils in all Texas' vegetational regions with the exception of the Blackland Prairie, Post Oak Savannah and the Piney Woods. There are several similar looking species of flameflower that can be found across our great state including ones with pink and blue flowers.

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The most typical growth habit is reclining upon other vegetation.

Back in the fall of 2012 during the annual field day held at the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch, I was helping gather plants for a plant quiz for those attending the tour and field day. Orange flameflower was in full flower and quite showy so I decided to add it to the quiz. The western side of the Quail Ranch is very sandy, and it was easy to sink the sharpshooter’s blade down to 16 inches as I cut the roots loose on four sides of the plant. When I lifted the plant out of the soil the full root was exposed, and it was impressive. The soil surface line could easily be seen about two inches above the top of the carrot-shaped root which was just over six inches in length. Into the ice chest it went along with the other plants that would be given a number and clipped to a cyclone fence at the headquarters. The plants remained on the fence for two hours and then were removed and returned to the ice chest. As the tour neared the lunch hour the plants were again clipped to a fence at the pavilion and names added for participants to browse through. After lunch the other plants were discarded, but I kept the still perky flameflower in the cooler and brought it back to the office that evening. I put it in a 16-ounce cup of water and left it in my office. The plant remained there for more than a month. It not only matured seeds but continued to put on new flowers. Just a testament to the tenacity of some of our native perennial forbs. Orange flameflower is often found growing in or around other vegetation that provides support for the fleshy stems. Just another reason why proper grazing use along with proper stocking rates of livestock and maintaining healthy populations of big game animals is important for land stewards.

PYRIC HERBIVORY Article and photos by DALE ROLLINS, Ph.D.

he most pervasive habitat problem for Bobwhite Quail in the Rolling Plains is overgrazing. Overgrazing changes the composition, species diversity and vegetative structure by, most importantly, reducing the number of tall bunchgrasses. While the novice quail manager sees a bounty of good foodproducing plants such as western ragweed and doveweed, food is rarely the limiting factor for bobwhites in Texas. Instead, nesting cover is commonly the weak link. CHANGING PARADIGMS Given that issue, why would I ever suggest a strategy for “focused overgrazing?” If you ever had a course in range management, odds are the discussions on grazing management pined for “uniform grazing.” That’s why we crossfence, adjust stocking rates, build water developments and distribute minerals—to spread the grazing impact of cattle across the pasture. This paradigm of uniform use is recommended for cattle but what of wildlife? Wildlife need and prefer more diverse landscapes and vegetation. So, when two of my former Oklahoma State University colleagues Dr. Sam

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Fuhlendorf and Dr. David Engle published a paper “Restoring Heterogeneity on Rangelands: Ecosystem Management Based on Evolutionary Grazing Patterns” in 2001, the paradigm for uniformity in grazing shifted to one seeking greater diversity on rangelands. Fuhlendorf and Engle used a combination of patch-burning and grazing, what they now term as “pyric herbivory” by cattle to increase species diversity relatively to traditionally grazed rangelands in the Osage region of northeastern Oklahoma. This innovative approach to managing livestock grazing to achieve desirable patches of vegetation for wildlife involves the use of patch burning. Burning small patches on the larger landscape concentrates grazing pressure because the cattle preferentially graze the burned patches. Such localized spot grazing promotes greater floral and structural diversity, an arrangement which should benefit a quail’s need for feeding and brooding habitat interspersed with nesting and escape cover. EXPERIMENTS AT RPQRR We used patch-burn-grazing as a “quail-friendly” approach for controlling prickly pear at the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch in Fisher County. We burned 10 percent of two pastures during December – February in two or three smaller patches of about 10 to 30 acres each. We then stocked the pastures with cows at a stocking rate of 20 acres per animal-unit for a six-month grazing period that ran February – August. Two of the cows in each pasture were equipped with GPS collars that downloaded a waypoint every 30 minutes so we could document which parts of the pasture were grazed more heavily. The patch-burns focused grazing post-burn and grazed burned areas more heavily than non-burned sites. We successfully demonstrated the use of patch-burning to enhance quail habitat based on several habitat parameters including: (a) promoting early successional forbs like sunflower and western ragweed, (b) increasing bare ground and (c) sustain desirable densities of warm-season bunchgrasses. The resulting matrix of burned and non-burned areas created a landscape interspersed with nesting and brooding habitats.

Cattle also consumed prickly pear post-burn but tended to avoid the burned pear pads for about two weeks post-burn. If we were to repeat this experiment, we would burn earlier (in about mid-November) and stock immediately to enhance consumption of prickly pear during the grasses' dormant season. More research is needed to define what the most desirable stocking rates are post-burn. LESSONS LEARNED a. Spatial distribution of cattle grazing can be manipulated efficiently and in a focused manner with patch-burning. b. Riparian areas should not be included in the patch-burn rotation—such habitats receive more use by cattle than is desired without attracting them to burned vegetation. c. Areas (“polygons”) to be patch-burn-grazed ideally should be laid out according to soil types; some soil types and plant communities receive adequate grazing pressure without additional attraction via burning. Sandy soils characterized by sand paspalum and shinoak are examples. d. Early successional forbs important to bobwhites can be promoted with patch-burn-grazing. Seed production of western ragweed was greater for at least three years postburn. e. Patch-burn grazing by cattle is an effective tool for reducing prickly pear cactus. In future trials we would burn earlier in the dormant season (December) rather than later (March) to foster even greater consumption of prickly pear.

SEEKING COOPERATORS FOR DEMONSTRATION OF PYRIC HERBIVORY If you’re interested in evaluating pyric herbivory on your property, especially in the Rolling Plains and Cross Timbers ecoregions, please e-mail Dr. Dale Rollins at drollins@quailresearch.org. Desirable characteristics for such demonstrations include: (a) a pasture 300-600 acres in size; (b) a small herd of cows (20-50 head); and, (c) a willingness to contribute to the costs of materials (for example, GPS collars at $1,500).

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Photo by Steve Nelle

SOUTH TEXAS BRUSH COUNTRY Article by STEVE NELLE

his area of Texas is formally known as the Rio Grande Plains, but most people just call it South Texas. What characterizes the region more than anything is brush— lots of brush of many kinds, mostly with thorns, and often so intertwined that a man cannot walk through it. To the casual observer, it looks like a vast ocean of generic brush. But to the more perceptive, each species is recognized as unique and special. One may zigzag 100 yards through a pasture and encounter 20 or 25 different kinds of brush, each with strange names such as granjeno, colima, brasil and chapote. Here, the Spanish brush names are used rather than the English names. The South Texas Brush Country extends from about Del Rio to San Antonio to Cuero and everything south but not including the wide band of coastal prairie. On the Texas side, it comprises about 20 million acres. On the Mexico side, it extends well into the states of Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas and Coahuila. Ecologists sometimes refer to the region as the Tamaulipan thorn scrub. South Texas has a subtle kind of beauty that is unlike anywhere else. It is not beautiful in the same sense as the Hill Country canyons and rivers or the West Texas mountains, but there is a different kind of beauty that must be cultivated and studied in order to be fully appreciated. South Texas can also be a harsh and desolate place where beauty is hard to find.

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CLIMATE AND SOILS Average rainfall ranges from about 18 inches in the west to 30 inches in the east; however, averages mean very little. The region is defined by the extremes not the average. If you have seen South Texas in the midst of a severe drought, there is no more dismal place. But if you see it during wet times, you might think you are in the Garden of Eden. Any historic accounts of “luxuriant grasslands” or of “barren wasteland” must be considered in the context of the erratic extremes of rainfall and drought in any given year. South Texas summers are endlessly long, torridly hot and almost unbearable to the newcomer. Winters are mild and pleasant but short. No other region of Texas has a more conglomerated mix of soils as South Texas. Soils range from deep sands to the tightest gumbo clays and everything in between. You can get stuck in the dry sand and in deep boggy mud on the same ranch on successive days. Soils can be shallow, deep, flat, rolling, saline, gravelly, red, black, gray or yellow. Subsoil materials include shale, sandstone and volcanic tuff. Some of the most beautiful agates anywhere in the world can be found on the gravelly ridges near the Rio Grande, and the region has an interesting variety of minerals including coal, barite and uranium.

SOUTH TEXAS BRUSH COUNTRY

trouble. Our pilot had literally to cut his way through the accumulated obstacles that opposed us.” These and many other historical records reveal open grassland with scattered trees in some places and thick brushlands in other places. The region was neither uniformly brushy nor uniformly open. The dense brush often occurred in bands alternating with more open grassland and some early observers correlated the density and kind of brush to differing soil types. There has always been lots of brush in South Texas; however, it is clear that many areas were once much more open than today. DEER South Texas is famous for its white-tailed deer. The “golden triangle” is still considered by many the supreme place to hunt trophy bucks, although just about any place in South Texas can produce great deer with the right management. Legendary whitetail pioneers like Murphy Ray, Al Brothers, Larry Weishuhn, Gary Machen, Ernie Davis and Roy Hinds are all products of South Texas. These and many others have made tremendous contributions to the art and science of deer management, deer hunting and the proper appreciation of South Texas as a haven for quality whitetails. Deer have been abundant in South Texas for a long time. Even where the brush was thin, explorers made frequent mention of deer and often in great numbers. From the Aguayo expedition in 1722 in present day Atascosa Country, “We saw around us as

Photo by Steve Bentsen

HISTORIC VEGETATION One of the questions often asked is whether South Texas was always characterized by thick brush. The answer is found in the journals of early explorers who crisscrossed the region beginning in the late 1600s. The best compilation of these explorations is found in A History of Vegetation on the Rio Grande Plain by Dr. Jack Inglis. A few excerpts will suffice to show the historic variation in brush density. In 1833, Benjamin Lundy traveling across Duval County noted “a delightfully rolling country affording the best pasturage in the world.” He reported that horses had grazed the grasses as close as he had ever seen. He later described eastern Webb County “as well adapted to grazing and farming as any land that I ever saw. The mesquite gave the appearance of huge peach orchard.” In 1853, Bartlett crossed Jim Hogg County and reported “open rolling prairie covered with luxuriant grasses and dotted with clusters of mesquite and oak.” In 1855, Havard described the area as an open grassy plain with no shrubs. In 1689, De Leon traveled across La Salle County and described vast dense chaparral through which a path had to be cut with machete and axe. But a short distance later he noted, “the country we passed through was level [open] with fine pasturage, with very pleasant glades and occasionally little motts of oak.” Hendricks, traveling from Laredo toward Zapata in 1842, described the area as “a wilderness covered with thick chaparral…the chaparral and prickly pear gave us infinite

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SOUTH TEXAS BRUSH COUNTRY

many as three or four hundred of these animals.” In 1846, Hughes reported seeing “herds of deer constantly crossing his path.” QUAIL For many avid bird hunters, South Texas is synonymous with quail. Like everywhere else, the population is subject to the inherent boom-bust cycles, but when they are booming there may be no better place on earth to hunt wild bobwhites. Val Lehmann’s classic book Bobwhites in the Rio Grande Plains of Texas is essential reading for serious students of South Texas.

HORSES, SHEEP AND CATTLE Feral horses were numerous in South Texas in the early to mid-1800s. They originated from early Spanish explorers and horses that crossed from Mexico and according to J. Frank Dobie, their numbers grew to an estimated one million. Wild horses were especially abundant in the coastal prairies and the eastern side of South Texas, an area that became known as the “Wild Horse Desert.” Most people today are unaware that South Texas was once the major sheep raising area of Texas. Val Lehmann documented the interesting but sad history of sheep ranching in his book Forgotten Legions: Sheep in the Rio Grande Plain of Texas. In the Photo by Wyman Meinzer

PRONGHORNS We do not normally think of South Texas as the abode of pronghorns, but they were present in some areas in the mid1800s. In 1854, John Bartlett Russell encountered pronghorns along most of his trip between Rio Grande Cityand Corpus Christi. They noted large numbers of pronghorns mixed with deer and wild horses in Brooks County. Pronghorns were especially abundant where the Rio Grande Plains merged into the coastal prairie. William Bollaert traveled extensively across South Texas on business and hunting trips. In 1843, he reported pronghorns in Zavala and LaSalle County. Over a hundred years earlier in 1722, Don Antonio De La Pena reported “wild goats” which must certainly have been pronghorns in present-day Frio County. The presence of pronghorns provides ample evidence that parts of South Texas were historically open landscapes with modest brush cover. Pronghorns require open views to detect and escape from predators; they do not thrive where brush is thick.

BUFFALOES Although buffaloes were “numberless” in other parts of Texas in the early 1800s, they were not nearly so abundant or widespread in South Texas according to early explorers. Buffaloes were present in significant numbers at the northern and eastern edges of South Texas but apparently not in the heart of the region. In all of the 32 historical accounts examined by Inglis, only a few references of buffaloes were made. In 1689 Alonso De Leon traveled from Webb County all the way to present day Victoria. No buffaloes were seen until they got near to Victoria where they killed six. In June of 1691, Domingo Terán de los Ríos traveled from Webb Country northward toward Uvalde and noted “great quantities of buffaloes” near the Nueces River. Later, he again described “great numbers of buffaloes” between Hondo Creek and the Medina River. Accounts of buffaloes in the 1800s are notably sparse indicating that buffalo numbers had already been depleted in South Texas.

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Photo by Wyman Meinzer

SOUTH TEXAS BRUSH COUNTRY

1880s, South Texas had over two million sheep, and the three leading sheep-producing Texas counties were Webb, Duval and Starr. Stocking rates of one sheep per acre were documented in some places. Major L. M. Rogers, who was trying to move cavalry across the heart of South Texas in February, 1864 wrote this account: “You cannot imagine how desolate, barren and desert-like this country is; not a spear of grass, nor a green shrub, with nothing but moving clouds of sand to be seen on these once green prairies. Around dry water holes could be seen hundreds of domestic animals, dead, their flesh seemingly dried upon their bones.” Range deterioration and drought brought about the demise of sheep ranching in the 1890s and the ranges were then stocked with steers in large numbers. The big Mexican steers survived on brush, since there was very little grass. Mechanical brush control efforts began in the early 1900s in an effort to boost grass production, and gained great momentum with the advent of the rootplow in the 1930s. Shortly thereafter, several exotic grasses were imported for their grazing value and were widely seeded and subsidized by government programs. Buffelgrass is the most famous of these and the most widespread. Touted as the miracle grass of South Texas, it has been planted on millions of acres and has spread to places where it was never planted. Wildlife managers dislike buffelgrass due to its tendency to monopolize, but livestock producers love it. Several other exotic grasses are also common in the region but are generally not as well liked as buffelgrass. Learning to manage and live with these immigrant grass species is one of the challenges of South Texas wildlife management.

LAND DEGRADATION AND STEWARDSHIP No doubt that past grazing practices caused great damage and degradation to most of South Texas. In some places, the turf was battered to dust by wild horses. In other places, vast herds of sheep repeatedly grazed the grasses down to bare earth. That was followed by a long period of widespread overgrazing by cattle. No one knows the amount of topsoil that has washed or blown away, but it must have been immense. Well over a century of heavy, abusive grazing punctuated with periodic severe drought has taken a toll on the land and changed South Texas' character forever. As the grasses declined, the brush increased. But thankfully, brush is an ecological blessing in disguise. It is more stable, deep rooted and hardy than the grasses. Nowadays, thick brush helps protect the remnants of the good grasses and gradually helps to restore degraded soils. It can be viewed as nature’s band aid. The good news is that careful, long-term stewardship can partially reverse the degradation of the past. Conservative, flexible, rotational grazing can help restore a healthy native grass cover. Prudent brush control can help restore a more natural and desirable balance. Native grasses and forbs can be re-seeded in lieu of exotic grasses. With stewardship-minded management South Texas ranches are beautiful, productive and sustainable, supporting both livestock production and a rich array of wildlife. South Texas, just like other regions, provides us with lessons about man’s relationship to the land. If we are careless in our management, the land's bounty dries up, but when we are conscientious and treat the land well, it gives back in abundance. WWW.TEXAS-WILDLIFE.ORG

WAT E R F OW L

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WATERFOWL

Hunting Pressure and Roost Establishment Article and photos by NATE SKINNER

t’s no secret that waterfowl migration patterns and behaviors have changed significantly through the years. Correspondingly, the tactics used to hunt ducks and geese have also a shifted. With increasing pressure on the birds and their habitat resources across the landscape, there is a growing concern about the future of wintering waterfowl in Texas. Some variables are outside of our scope of control, including anything determined by Mother Nature such as weather patterns and breeding success rates. We can control other variables, such as our footprint on the land and its effect on wintering habitat for waterfowl, as well as how much pressure we put on the birds. If Texans collectively make an effort to do right by the ducks and geese, waterfowl hunters will be able to pass on their hunting tradition for generations to come. TPWD ROOST POND PROJECT PROGRAM The establishment of roost sites and sanctuary ponds is one way that Texas landowners can influence wintering waterfowl populations positively. Roost sites and sanctuary ponds void of human disturbance will provide waterfowl with opportunities to rest, giving them fewer reasons to leave the area or region. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Waterfowl Program Leader Kevin Kraai, TPWD is working with private landowners on an extensive Roost Pond Sanctuary Project Program to create established roost sites for waterfowl throughout our Gulf Coast prairie region. “We had two private landowner cooperators last season. This year, we have added a third located on one of our properties along the Lyssy and Garwood

prairies,” Kraai said. “We were able to get water to the property and flood the site, so it will act as a protected roost site for the upcoming season.” At the time of this writing, Kraai said that TPWD had plans to establish at least one more roost site in the program prior to the commencement of hunting season. “Our partners with the Gulf Coast Joint Venture, as well as many others, have really worked with us on the funding of this project and the science behind it,” Kraai said. “The goal is to grow these roost pond projects within the program to a scale that is meaningful for wintering waterfowl in Texas. We also hope to be able to motivate hunters, landowners, outfitters and hunting club and lease managers across the state to create roost ponds and sanctuary sites on their own.” Kraai said that at some point, TPWD would like to be able to track how others, whether they’re private landowners or industry professionals, make good habitat management decisions benefiting wintering waterfowl on their properties. “We’d gather information from them and create a database of where they have roost and sanctuary sites established on their properties,” Kraai said. “This is extremely important, because it would help us determine the spatial aspect of where additional sanctuary and roost sites might be needed in regard to the distance birds are willing to travel to forage. This information would be instrumental in helping develop the strategy for creating a sanctuary for waterfowl.” Kraai said that what he’s heard from the general public in regard to the Roost Pond Sanctuary Project Program is that many folks think that TPWD is just going to take a shotgun approach to the project, scattering water randomly across the landscape.

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WAT E R F OW L

“Not only would that approach not work, but we could not afford to do it,” Kraai said. “We’re using science to strategically create roost ponds and sanctuary sites in specific locations.” Kraai said that TPWD, after decades of surface water analysis studies, has identified certain areas that can hold the amount of water necessary to winter large concentrations of waterfowl. “Telemetry data from studies over the years has also shown us how far the birds are willing to travel to find food,” Kraai said. “Right now, we are looking at about an 11-mile radius in which a duck or goose will travel from their roost to forage. So, we are basically mapping out circles with an 11-mile radius across the landscape, identifying where current roost sites and sanctuaries are present and then finding the holes where new sites are needed.” Kraai said that the ideal roost pond project involves 120-150 surface-acres of water, containing an abundant food source within an 11-mile radius from its location. “These large bodies of water are sanctuaries, and they will not be hunted,” Kraai said. “They also contain a buffer of no disturbance around them. We don’t necessarily want people to be able to hunt right next to these sites, so we are establishing a 200-yard buffer around their perimeter.” Kraai said that each roost pond project within the program is guaranteed to have water from Nov. 1 through March 31. “The period of time that falls directly after hunting season ends is incredibly important to birds wintering on the Texas Gulf Coast,” Kraai said. “It is vital for bird health and reproduction success, and that's why having water on the landscape is necessary, even when hunting season wraps up. This water also provides habitat to a wide range of other birds as well.” Farmers along our coastal prairies have historically drained the water from ponds immediately following hunting season to prep fields for spring agriculture. This takes habitat away from wintering waterfowl. “The current sites within the program are located in El Campo and up to Garwood,” Kraai said. “We hope to expand this to cover the entire Gulf Coast Prairie region.” One aspect about the program that Kraai said is noteworthy, is that they are being extremely careful about the location at which they establish roost pond and sanctuary site projects.

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“The current sites within the program are in areas on private land that were already not being hunted by waterfowl hunters,” Kraai said. “Site locations are being specifically established in areas that are not going to take away habitat open to hunting. Once the program grows to the extent that it is meaningful to waterfowl across the landscape, it will actually create more opportunities for increased harvest rates.” Another interesting point to be made about the roost sites and sanctuary ponds within the program is that they will never be hunted. “It is tempting for hunters, hunting club managers, outfitters and landowners to hunt a roost site at the end of the season, especially since it may be loaded with birds that have been finding refuge there, away from pressure,” Kraai said. “The sites we have established within the program will not be hunted at all.” WHAT CAN LANDOWNERS DO? Landowners across the state can imitate and implement the same or similar TPWD Roost Pond Sanctuary Project Program strategies on their waterfowl and waterfowl habitat. “Regardless of how large or small a property is, waterfowl are going to benefit from the establishment of a roost site or sanctuary pond,” Kraai said. “We have seen as little as 20 acres of water or less make a big difference in places where hunters and landowners were willing to give the birds an area to rest, void of pressure. Not only does this type of management practice increase the number of waterfowl on that particular property, it also increases the waterfowl concentrations in the general area.” Kraai said that this means that surrounding properties will also benefit from establishing roost or sanctuary sites. A a collective effort by landowners and hunters to establish roosts across the landscape could produce significant results. “At the end of the day, what we are really trying to accomplish and motivate hunters and landowners to do, is to give the birds a reason to want to stay in the areas that they have traditionally wintered in,” Kraai said. “This will then increase hunting opportunity and hunter success rates.” After establishing roost and sanctuary sites, hunters and landowners should also be mindful of the amount of nonhunting human disturbance that is present around these areas.

WAT E R F OW L

“It’s not just gunfire and hunting pressure that disturbs ducks and geese,” Kraai said. “Any kind of human disturbance such as traffic from cars, trucks and agricultural equipment can push birds. Many folks are tempted to go watch roosts and take photos and videos of them once the birds begin to pile in there. I would encourage folks to resist the urge to do this, especially if they have to get close to the birds to do it. Even that type of human disturbance could force ducks and geese out of an area.” TWA Executive Committee Member Craig Williams manages two properties for waterfowl hunting in Calhoun County. He said that being mindful of pressure and establishing roost sites on these properties has become integral to the management process each season. “We try to only hunt a few days out of the week during the season, primarily on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays,” Williams said. “We also do not hunt during the afternoon hours. The birds are allowed to rest, and they are not pressured every single day.” Williams said that he also sets aside large bodies of water on the properties he manages that are not hunted, specifically for roost sites. “Our ponds where we hunt are managed to produce a lot of native aquatic vegetation which serves as food for waterfowl,” Williams said. “The idea is, that birds will leave the roost sites when they are hungry and come and feed in the ponds that we hunt. This gives our hunters harvest opportunities while still providing waterfowl with a refuge away from hunting pressure.” Williams said that they also do not hunt within earshot of the roost ponds on the properties he manages. “The folks managing the surrounding properties have seen the success of these management practices, and many have started implementing the same strategies on their properties,” Williams said. “It’s a win-win situation, because these practices not only benefit the property that they are employed on, but they also benefit the greater surrounding area. Over time, we have seen our hunting improve because of it.” HEADING INTO THIS SEASON Kraai said that significant rain events during the late spring and early summer of this year deposited tremendous amounts of water for waterfowl in regions of the state that are usually very dry. “The Coastal Sand Plain and South Texas Brush Country regions are extremely wet, and probably wetter than I’ve ever seen them,” Kraai said. “This is great for waterfowl, and they will respond to this water accordingly this season. That may mean that the birds will be less concentrated for hunters, but it does mean that there is more wintering habitat in those areas for ducks and geese.” Playas within the High Plains and the Texas Panhandle are also holding much more water than they have in previous years as a result of late spring and early summer rains, according to Kraai. “Playa basins are significantly wetter than they were last year, for sure,” Kraai said. “Things are looking good heading into the season.”

As a whole, Kraai said that the fact that much of the state has experienced a wet year has been a positive for waterfowl. “For the most part, more water is better for ducks and geese,” Kraai said. “With that being said, reservoirs and bodies of water that have been full to the brim were not able to grow as much vegetation around their shores and perimeters. This vegetation typically serves as food for wintering waterfowl; however, we will take rain and water anytime we can get it.” At this time, the biggest concern headed into duck and goose seasons is the poor summertime conditions of the waterfowl breeding grounds located in the prairie pothole regions of the Dakotas and Canada. “The breeding grounds experienced extreme drought during the summer, and all signs are pointing towards a decrease in juvenile ducks in the flock this year,” Kraai said. “Productivity in terms of this year’s hatch was much lower when compared to previous years.” Kraai said that the silver lining is that we are coming off two years of duck reproduction. “That could be the saving grace for this year’s season,” Kraai said. As the regular hunting season for ducks and geese approaches, Texas hunters should keep this thought in mind: the birds are patterning our actions and behaviors just as fast, or maybe even faster than we are patterning them. The decisions we make directly affecting their wintering grounds could ultimately be the deciding factor in whether they continue to return to the areas where we love to see them flourishing, year after year.

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Wild Geese Article and photo by SALLIE LEWIS

ll my life I have been a selfproclaimed “city girl.” Over the years, I’ve had the good fortune of calling San Antonio, Austin, Washington, D.C. and Florence, Italy home. Last year, however, a sabbatical in the Texas Hill Country proved to be a much-needed reset for my mind, body and spirit. Of all the things I learned while living at my family’s Fredericksburg ranch, it was the art of slow living that I continue to appreciate most. In slowing down, I saw life reflected back at me more luminously, like moonlight on the water. Birdwatching became one of my favorite (and most unexpected) passions during my year in the country. Be it Swallows or Hummingbirds, Whistling Ducks or Northern Flickers, I felt stillness

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and peace as I peered through my binoculars and observed the avian world. Of all the birds I watched, however, perhaps the most special was the large gaggle of Canada Geese that have long called my family’s property home. While most geese follow a migratory cycle, ours have stayed put in recent years, only leaving for brief stints before returning to our Hill Country haven. Here, they find refuge by the sun-drenched tank, feasting on corn at the nearby feeder and grazing on leftover grain in the surrounding farm fields. Much has been written about geese in years’ past. My favorite poet, Mary Oliver, gave them the honorary title in one of her most renowned works of poetry, Wild Geese. The great American wildlife ecologist and conservationist Aldo Leopold also paid tribute in his essay “The

OCTOBER 2021

Geese Return” from The Sand County Almanac. For years, celebrated Hill Country artist Ken Carlson has studied them in their environment. His first-hand observations imbue each canvas with a sense of intimacy and knowing. Like Carlson, I spent countless days last year observing the geese in their habitat. On my daily walks, I often passed a pair by the White Oak Creek. Other times, while writing outside, I could hear the gaggle’s resounding calls from somewhere over the hill and was reminded that despite the changing seasons and the unrelenting passage of time, we are never alone in nature. Today, the geese on our property have become a well-loved extension of the Lewis family at large. Their steady presence is a comfort for us all, and often, a source of comedy too. We never tire of their constant chatter nor do we miss a chance to watch them waddle to the feeder with wagging bottoms in tow. While every glimpse in their direction conjures a smile, the most special sight to behold is a flyover at dusk. When the sun sets over the ranch, my family and I like to take our seats beneath the old live oak behind our home. Here, we wait for Mother Nature’s nightly symphony. As the geese prepare to leave with the day, their chorus reaches a crescendo. Soon, they’re flying overhead, so close they seem to skim the treetops with their webbed feet and fat bellies. With eyes to the sky, we watch them glide west into the sun, honking aloud, before dropping into the fields with “landing gear lowered,” in the words of Aldo Leopold. Their touch-down leaves a plume of dust rising up into the fading light. And just like that, another day has come and gone like wild geese.

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Texas Wildlife - The Great Monarch Migration - October 2021

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