Wildlife management is a form of agriculture and the crop produced is a memorable experience.
WILDLIFE AS AN AGRICULTURAL CROP Article by STEVE NELLE Photos by RUSSELL A. GRAVES
W
e all know how important agricultural crops are. Our lives and the entire world population depend on crops each day for food and clothing. But not all crops require tilling soil and planting seed. It is easy to recognize wheat, corn, cotton, soybeans, vegetables, fruits, and nuts as agricultural crops. And it is not hard to see that cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, and other livestock also are an agricultural crop. Likewise, we understand that timber is a type of crop even though it takes many years to be ready for harvest. These are what we might call traditional agricultural crops. The beauty of agricultural crops is that they are sustainable and renewable—the land will produce these crops perpetually and without loss of productivity if the cropping is done well.
36 T E X A S W I L D L I F E
JUNE 2022
Good agricultural practice not only feeds man and beast but also perpetuates soil health and can even restore depleted soils. In the United States where we are blessed with productive soil, favorable climate and efficient agriculture, each farmer feeds an average of 166 people. IS WILDLIFE A CROP? Everyone knows that grain, cattle, and pecans are agricultural crops, but how does wildlife fit into the agricultural picture? Is wildlife also an agricultural crop, or is it something different and separate from agriculture? Aldo Leopold (1887 – 1948) is well known in the world of wildlife management but he also understood agriculture. In fact,
