MAGAZINE OF THE TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION
Texas
Elk
JULY 2022
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TEXAS WILDLIFE
CEO COMMENTS JUSTIN DREIBELBIS
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.
I
recently had the honor of serving on a panel at the Texas Land Conservation Conference with several leaders from the Texas natural resource community. We were tasked with discussing the future of land conservation in our state while facing enormous challenges related to population growth, land prices, development pressure, and more. I will be the first to admit that it can be hard to see our current situation as anything but an uphill battle. However, sitting in that room of passionate conservationists, sharing ideas, and showing a willingness to work together to make Texas a better place, certainly gave me new ideas and a lot of hope for the future. Good or bad, the pandemic has forced us all to look at the world through a different lens. Many Texans felt an urge to get outside during the lockdown and we continue to see people being drawn to the outdoors with heavy recreational use of state parks, WMAs, and other public recreational areas. Many companies are feeling pressure to be more environmentally conscious and are beginning to invest in environmentally friendly causes. At the same time, ecosystem service markets are developing to the point where landowners are beginning to get paid for doing what they have always known was the right way to manage their land. While many Texan landowners have always known the value of doing the right thing for the land, it has been a struggle to quantify and communicate to the public the natural resource benefit that results from true land stewardship. Now that markets are developing to the point that landowners are being paid for doing the right thing, values are being established for ecosystem services which will allow us to talk in a language everyone understands…dollars and cents. This year’s Private Land Summit during Convention will dig deep into ecosystem services and the environmental, social and governance (ESG) pressures felt by many of our country’s biggest companies. Be sure to come to the JW Marriott on July 14 to learn from industry experts about the opportunities and potential pitfalls of this exciting and often confusing subject. These are interesting times we are living in, but I believe there is opportunity in the madness. TWA stands on the same principles that we did 37 years ago…private landowners manage open spaces that produce clean water, clean air, healthy wildlife, healthy livestock—and healthy Texans. Their rights need to be protected and their stories need to be told. Good things to come. Thanks for being a TWA member.
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 2022 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.
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JULY 2022
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
JULY
VOLUME 38
H
8 Texas Elk
NUMBER 3
H
2022
27 Staff Spotlight
A Story of Revival by RUSSELL A. GRAVES
28 Borderlands News
Assessing Restoration Success
14 Hunting Heritage
by ERIN C. O’CONNELL, JUSTIN T. FRENCH, CARLOS E. GONZALEZ, LOUIS A. HARVESON, SHAWN S. GRAY and L. CODY WEBB
Tenderfoot Hunter
by CYLE ZIMMERMAN
18 Lessons From Leopold
32 Invasive Plants
A Commonsense Approach
When the Wells Went Dry
by STEVE NELLE
by STEVE NELLE
38 Update on Feral Hog Control
20 Conservation Legacy
by RICKY LINEX
Progress of Conservation Legacy “2.0” by ELANOR DEAN
54 Outdoor Traditions
24 Pond Management
The Birds Are Back in Town by SALLIE LEWIS
Blue-Green Algae
by BRITTANY CHESSER and TODD SINK
26 TWAF
Supporting Conservation Legacy & Hunting Heritage Through TWAF by TJ GOODPASTURE Photo by Russell A. Graves
Magazine Staff
MAGAZINE OF THE TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION
On the Cover Elk have become an important part of the hunting adventure for landowners and hunters alike. Their population is on the rise in the Trans-Pecos and Panhandle, which may have been historic range for the magnificent animals. Although TPWD classifies the species as non-native, historical documentation indicates elk may have once roamed what is now modern Texas.
MAGAZINE CORPS Justin Dreibelbis, Executive Editor Burt Rutherford, Consulting Publications Coordinator/Editor
Photo by Russell A. Graves
Lorie A. Woodward, Special Projects Editor David Brimager, Advertising Director
JULY 2022
Texas
Elk
Publication Printers Corp., Printing, Denver, CO
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5
TEXAS WILDLIFE
MEETINGS AND EVENTS
FOR INFORMATION ON HUNTING SEASONS, call the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at (800) 792-1112, consult the 2022-2023 Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual, or visit the TPWD website at tpwd.state.tx.us.
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
DECEMBER
AUGUST 3 Alpine Member Mixer in conjunction with the Trans-Pecos Wildlife Conference. For more information, visit www.Texas-wildlife.org or contact Kristin Parma at (800) 839-9453 or kparma@texas-wildlife.org.
SEPTEMBER 22 Hunting Film Tour, Yeti, San Antonio. The Hunting Film Tour features 10-12 conservation-oriented adventure stories. For more information, visit www.Texas-wildlife.org or contact Kristin Parma at (800) 839-9453 or kparma@texas-wildlife.org.
DECEMBER 12 Houston Clay Shoot, Greater Houston Gun Club. For more information, visit www.Texas-wildlife.org or contact Kristin Parma at (800) 839-9453 or kparma@texas-wildlife.org.
AUGUST 27 Members-only Firearm Cleaning Workshop, TWA headquarters, New Braunfels. For more information, visit www.Texaswildlife.org or contact Kristin Parma at (800) 839-9453 or kparma@texas-wildlife.org.
SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER 8 Hunting Film Tour Kickoff, Yeti Flagship, Austin. The Hunting Film Tour features 10-12 conservationoriented adventure stories. For more information, visit www.Texas-wildlife.org or contact Kristin Parma at (800) 839-9453 or kparma@texas-wildlife.org.
OCTOBER OCTOBER 6 Hunting Film Tour, Yeti, Dallas. The Hunting Film Tour features 10-12 conservation-oriented adventure stories. For more information, visit www.Texas-wildlife.org or contact Kristin Parma at (800) 839-9453 or kparma@texas-wildlife.org.
DECEMBER 17 Members-only Wild Game Cooking Class, TWA Headquarters, New Braunfels. For more information, visit www.Texas-wildlife.org or contact Kristin Parma at (800) 839-9453 or kparma@texas-wildlife.org.
OCTOBER 20 Hunting Film Tour, Yeti, Houston. The Hunting Film Tour features 1012 conservation-oriented adventure stories. For more information, visit www.Texas-wildlife.org or contact Kristin Parma at (800) 839-9453 or kparma@texas-wildlife.org.
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.
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Critter Connections are now available in a read-along format. Recordings of past issues are available online and are created for each new issue.
TEXAS ELK
There’s nothing quite like the majesty of a trophy bull elk surveying his kingdom. Wild elk in the Trans-Pecos and Panhandle add another dimension to Texas hunting adventures.
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JULY 2022
TEXAS ELK A Story of Revival Article and photos by RUSSELL A. GRAVES
I
t’s October and in the southern reaches of the Davis Mountain range, the temperature is cool. From atop Forbidden Mountain, my brother and I can hear the sound of a lone bull elk bugle lingering in the canyon walls of Little Aguja Creek. It’s a sound that once you’ve heard it, you’ll never forget.
Since seeing my first elk (Cervus canadensis) in Colorado a couple of decades ago, I’ve held the species in high regard. A member of the deer family, elk are larger cousins of whitetail and mule deer as well as caribou and moose and roam wild in parts of Texas. My brother and I aren’t here to hunt elk in a traditional sense. We are here
to document all the wildlife species we can find on this expansive West Texas ranch. Across the chasm we watch a few cow elk skitter through the acacia brush into cover. The bull calls again. The thick brush obscures the elk and I can’t see what’s going on several hundred yards away from me, even with my binoculars. WWW.TEXAS-WILDLIFE.ORG
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TEXAS ELK
Once you hear a bull elk bugle, you’ll never forget the experience. It is one of the most unique and tingling calls of the wild.
The fact that they are nearby is still exhilarating, even though they elude me and my lens. We don’t get any photos but we do get a bonus— a pair of matched shed antlers from a bull that would probably exceed 350 inches on the Boone & Crockett Club scoring scale. The cast-away antlers are a huge specimen from a mature bull. A couple of weeks earlier, I was south of Alpine, Texas, when I heard another bull bugle. This time elk were just off the road in the scrub of the flatlands that lie between the mesas. It seems that elk take to this country well. THE ELK BACKSTORY Archeological evidence suggests that elk migrated into North America from Asia via the Bering Land Bridge during the Ice Age that occurred around 20,000 years ago. Initially, they traveled from Siberia to present-day Alaska and slowly filtered their range south until their advance was halted by the desert environs of the Southwest. Initially, elk were relatively abundant but research shows their numbers and range exploded when European diseases (and other factors) decimated North America’s Native human populations. By
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some estimates, European pathogens like smallpox decreased the native population by as much as 90%. At that point, it appears that elk began to expand their range and their numbers across the continent. By the turn of the 19th century, elk numbers were thought to be around 10 million and their range extended across much of North America. When westward expansion began in earnest in the 1800s, market hunters began hammering the elk to provide meat for
railroad crews, miners, and other western settlers. In addition, much of the elk’s woodland habitat was razed across the eastern United States, making that area unsuitable for the species. As such, elk populations plummeted. In the early days of the 20th century, the nation’s elk herd numbered in the neighborhood of 40,000 head and those were relegated to the most remote parts of the western United States. That was the low point. When the overall wildlife population of the United States dipped to precipitously low levels in the early 20th century, conservation groups and politicians began to take notice. And thus, the modern wildlife conservation movement was born. The new ethic, along with landmark legislation like The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, stemmed the tide of overall game animal decline and by 2020, the number of elk in North America was estimated to be more than 1 million. The species is one of the true wildlife management success stories. THE DIFFERENCE IN ELK Taxonomically speaking, six North American elk subspecies are recognized by the scientific community. Two subspecies are now extinct—the Eastern elk, which once roamed the eastern United States, and the Merriam’s elk, once found in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.
The elk herd in Texas is increasing, but habitat restrictions may well come into play, especially in the Trans-Pecos. In a dry, desert environment, increasing elk numbers may lead to competition with native species like desert bighorn sheep and mule deer.
TEXAS ELK
Roosevelt’s elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti) is a subspecies of elk named after Theodore Roosevelt and are found from Northern California to the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest. The Tule elk subspecies (Cervus canadensis nonnodes) are found in California’s Central Valley while the Manitoban elk (Cervus canadensis manitobensis) is a subspecies found in North Dakota and the southern Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta. In the mountains of western Texas, where the elk run wild, they are the Rocky Mountain subspecies (Cervus canadensis nelsoni), native to the Mountain West. The question of whether elk are native to Texas is subject to some debate. Officially, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department classifies the mammal as an exotic species. Under that designation, state regulations hold no sway as to the season elk can be hunted nor to their overall bag limits. Those limitations are left up to the landowners on whose land the wild elk roam. However, historic records indicate that elk are indeed native to Texas. In addition, Native American rock art as
well as uncovered bones and antlers across various sites in Texas definitively show that native elk were once here. Essentially, the debate boils down to game animal status. If made a game animal, the State of Texas would have the right to set a season and establish bag limits for the mammal.
Are elk a native species in Texas or not? TPWD classifies the species as exotic, but historical evidence indicates that wild elk may have once roamed what is now modern Texas.
In a Borderland News article published in 2015 in “Texas Wildlife” magazine, authors Louis Harveson and Paula Pohler state succinctly, “Despite their status, elk populations in West Texas are increasing in number and distribution. Depending on your perspective, elk expansion may be perceived as good or bad. “On one hand, increasing elk herds can have negative impacts on the fragile desert habitat, leading to competition with native species like desert bighorn sheep and mule deer. Because elk can quickly adapt their diet from browse to grass, they can also compete with all classes of domestic livestock. On the other hand, elk can provide more recreational opportunities for hunters and wildlife watchers and supplement the revenue for landowners.” It appears that the Texas elk herd is growing. With frequent appearances in the Panhandle from stragglers out of New Mexico and a growing number of elk living in the desert, the Texas Tech Natural Science Research Laboratory estimates the Trans-Pecos herd may exceed 3,500 individuals. According to the laboratory, Judge J.C. Hunter brought the first 44 elk to the TransPecos in 1928. Forty-four individuals were brought from the Black Hills of South Dakota and released at McKittrick Canyon in the Guadalupe Mountains.
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TEXAS ELK
At one time, elk populations in the United States were dangerously low. However, a conservation ethic among hunters, along with landmark legislation like The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, stemmed the tide of overall game animal decline. By 2020, the number of elk in North America was estimated to be more than 1 million. The species is one of the true wildlife management success stories.
They took to their new home well. By 1938, there were 10 times more elk than first released. Since then, the population has held static due to limited water availability. However, it’s believed that individuals migrating from that core herd along with migrating New Mexican elk, and escapees from high-fenced ranches have helped grow the Texas elk population. The elk’s adaptability is well documented. Before being declared extinct in the 1880s, the Eastern elk subspecies roamed over much of the eastern and northern United States. Some 40 years later, wildlife officials in Pennsylvania brought in Rocky Mountain elk to repopulate the area. The reintroduction was successful and in the ensuing years, multiple states have reintroduced elk into the former haunts where habitat is suitable. Today, healthy elk herds exist east of the Mississippi River and can be found in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia. In midwestern states, elk live in Missouri, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska. While not back to their historic numbers and overall range, elk populations are certainly doing well. 12 T E X A S W I L D L I F E
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ELK 101 While the subspecies vary in size, a typical elk cow may weigh as much as 500 pounds and be about 4-1/2 feet high at the shoulder while a mature bull elk will be as big as 5 feet high at the shoulders and weigh as much as 700 pounds. Depending on their locale, their diet can vary. Typically, however, it’s a mixture of forbs and grasses during most of the year. Like other deer and ruminants like cattle, they have four stomachs that aid in digestion. In colder ranges, elk have a distinctive summer and winter range that changes as food availability changes. In Texas, due to the temperate climate, it’s likely that elk spend most of their year in the same sort of habitat types and simply move based on food and water availability. In appearance, the elk’s color morphs slightly throughout the year depending on the season. In the summer, the body color is a darker brown but becomes light tan throughout the rest of the year and their legs and head are often a bit browner in color. Their rumps are light in color which prompted the Shawnee tribe to name the animal Wapiti, which means white rump. One of the most fascinating behaviors elk exhibit is during the
TEXAS ELK
rut. During the summer, as the cows raise the calves that were born in late May and into June, the bulls are typically solitary or hang out in bachelor groups. As fall ensues, the dominant herd bulls begin to sort the cows and gather them into a harem for breeding. A harem may be as many as a couple of cows to 10 or so. During the rut, the bulls aggressively guard their harem against other bulls that wish to breed the cows. In perhaps one of the most dramatic displays of breeding behavior found in the wild, the bulls will take mud baths, soak themselves in urine, and bugle incessantly as both an attractant for the soon-to-be-receptive females and a warning to the would-be suitors. When a rival bull does come to steal a cow, a violent clash can ensue and elk fight head first with their antlers being used as both an offensive and defensive weapon. The biggest elk antlers are really big. Starting with fresh growth in late winter to early spring, the blood-filled appendages grow fast—as much as an inch per day—until late summer when the growth ceases. During the antler growth phase, the antlers are covered in velvet, and in the fall, the velvet is rubbed off off to reveal hard bone beneath. Elk and other ungulate antlers are some of the fastest-growing tissue on earth and it’s not unusual for each antler to be as heavy as 20 pounds when growth ceases. After a fall and winter of carrying antlers on their head, the antlers fall off the bulls in the winter and the growth starts all over again.
With frequent appearances in the Panhandle from stragglers out of New Mexico and a growing number of elk living in the desert, the Texas Tech Natural Science Research Laboratory estimates the Trans-Pecos herd may exceed 3,500 individuals.
During the rut, however, the antlers are a showy sign of dominance. Once the rut winds down by mid-October and many of the cows are bred, things are calm once again in elk country. After a gestation period of 8-9 months, a spotted baby calf is born. ELK AS A COMMODITY Aside from being a huntable commodity, elk also have tremendous commercial potential. Numerous private herds exist across the country. The North American Elk Breeders Association estimates that private farms hold 70,000 elk in North America.
Bulls will be bulls, but bull elk take that to another level. In addition to bugling and fighting, bull elk wallow in the mud and make themselves as smelly as possible.
The primary products produced by elk farming are meat, hides, and antlers, both velvet and hardened varieties. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, elk meat compares more desirably to beef for those who seek a lower fat and calorie diet. While taste is subjective, elk meat is excellent in stews, chilis, or stand-alone cuts due to its mild flavor and palatable texture. Elk antlers have a variety of uses. The velvet is marketed as a dietary supplement to promote everything from metabolism to immune function. Elk velvet’s nutritional benefits to humans aren’t substantiated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, the FDA treats dietary supplements like food and not drugs and, therefore, they are not regulated like drugs. Hard antlers are often used as dietary supplements as well, but the chief use for antlers harvested by elk farmers is for making decor pieces such as furniture, lamps, or knife handles. For artists, elk antlers are a versatile medium for making nature-inspired pieces. The truth is elk are fascinating. Like other North American wild ungulates, they are survivors of the dark days of unregulated killing. They have responded well to the tenets laid forth by the North American model of wildlife conservation.
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Tenderfoot Hunter Article by CYLE ZIMMERMAN Photos by CURTIS ANDERSON
TWA Director and landowner Brad Wolfe (left) with Cyle Zimmerman and his first ever big game harvest.
“There is a patience of the wild—dogged, tireless, persistent as life itself—that holds motionless for endless hours the spider in its web, the snake in its coils, the panther in its ambuscade; this patience belongs peculiarly to life when it hunts its living food.” - Jack London
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I
t’s an odd thing to leave your family, your bed, and the comforts of home in search of discomfort, poor weather, and exhaustion. A decision like this requires the pull of a strong force. Jack London dubbed it the call of the wild.
It’s a constant whisper to reject modern convenience and return to the outdoors. Not as an observer, but as a participant. I’ve been to many parks, camp sites, and nature trails, but I believe to be truly integrated in nature, I needed to become a hunter.
TENDERFOOT HUNTER
For years, I tried to wade myself into the water, so to speak, unable to find a gentle entry. I remember the first time I ever tried hunting, I climbed into a borrowed tree stand, discount compound bow in tow, having no idea what I was doing. I’m not too proud to admit that I had even forgotten my release back at camp. Even if I did see a deer, I’m not sure what I would have done about it. I spent the next six hours of that morning being entertained by an armadillo ruffling around through the crunchy, fallen leaves. My second attempt at do-it-yourself hunting happened several years later. A buddy, also a tenderfoot, decided to spend a long weekend tent camping and hunting in a national grassland in North Texas. I prepared for months in advance by reading every article, watching every video, and spending hours poring over maps. I assumed that if I consumed enough data, it would be impossible to come back empty-handed. On satellite maps, I found water, I set waypoints for what I assumed might be food, and I found trails to get in and out. Once we finally stepped onto hunting
land, all of that preparation went out the window. The water was dry, the food plots were overgrown brush, and the trails were filled with hunters. At this point, I realized I wasn’t going to luck myself into a deer. I needed help, but I didn’t know anyone who could show me the ropes. I already knew there were multiple programs geared toward youth hunting, but I had no idea if there were any for adults. After a little digging online, I found the Texas Wildlife Association and its Adult Mentored Hunting Program. This is exactly what I needed—someone with ample experience to take me under their wing and allow me to ask all of the questions I have while also pointing out the questions that I should be asking. I’m pretty sure I applied for the hunt on the first day it became available. When I heard that I was selected to participate, I was just as excited as when I got my college acceptance letter—and I’m not exaggerating. As I was driving to South Texas for my three-day hunting trip, I had two expectations. Number one, I had a preconceived idea that hunting was one particu-
lar thing, with one acceptable method. In my mind, if I was not walking around, searching for my target at a bedding spot, water hole, or food source, I wasn’t hunting, but merely harvesting. Number two, the best and most memorable part about a hunting trip was the quiet time spent in the woods. I was proven wrong on both accounts. My assumption that there is one superior method of hunting was largely based on two things: hunting’s portrayal in the media and my experience as a solo hunter. For the most part, hunting media shows the most extreme, entertaining, or exotic versions of hunting, so that was my expectation. Plus, I was not raised to see the value of any other form of hunting other than the most traditional. And two, while quiet time spent outdoors is precious, I had never hunted with other people, so I had never experienced the camaraderie of a hunting camp. On my visit to the beautiful, historic Yturria Ranch, we hunted safari style. Essentially, we drove around in an old, repurposed truck with the top chopped off, trying to find our game. When I first
Cyle Zimmerman takes aim at the shooting range prior to start of his first mentored hunting experience with support from TWA Director Curtis Anderson.
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TENDERFOOT HUNTER
heard about this style of hunting, I figured there was no way this was anything more than a walk in the park. Once again, I was wrong. Unsurprisingly, it’s very difficult to sneak up close on an animal in a loud truck. My imagined scenario of driving right up to an animal did not happen. The benefit, though, is that we were able to cover a lot of different areas in a day. When you’re hunting flat, heavily wooded terrain, there is great value to covering a lot of ground. Although we had a shooting bag perched on the dashboard
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in the event that a quick shot presented itself, that’s not how my hunt played out. We spotted my nilgai at about 250 to 300 yards away, but there was a fence between us. This gave me the opportunity to learn how to stalk game. Never having stalked any game before, this was a great experience where I was able to learn from my mentor on the fly. After a successful hunt in this style, and several conversations with the mentors, I began to realize there is a lot of value in other manners of hunting, whether it is from a blind, a stand, or a driven hunt.
I’m sure anyone who has spent time in a deer camp immediately saw my second misguided expectation, that the best and most memorable part about a hunting trip is the quiet time spent in the woods, as false. I certainly loved the time in the field—the searching, the stalking, and the elation from a successful harvest— but the laughing, joking, storytelling, and bonding between the hunters and mentors that happened between hunts could well be just as great, if not better. When experienced hunters regale you with their tales of antelope hunting on the Great Plains or mule deer hunting in distant mountains, it ignites your wanderlust and motivates you to go afield. I imagine it’s a similar feeling to a new prospector venturing out west after hearing tales from the old guys returning to civilization after striking it rich. Yes, I know the odds of success are small, but if someone I know can make it, maybe I can, too. The new hunters bonded over shared success. We sat around telling the stories of how our harvest was manifested, each still riding the high of our first successful hunt. Some described the stalking required to get into a good shooting position. Some described the effort exerted to pull a 300-pound animal out of dense cover. While another described how he lucked into success when it took three shots to hit a blind nilgai that wasn’t running away. (That last one was me.) We all had our own story to tell, and our laughs to share. When Jack London described the patience belonging to life that hunts its food, I think that also applies to those of us still learning to hunt, as well. I took a major step on this mentored hunt with TWA, but I’m still a tenderfoot hunter. I realized there are a lot of skills I need to hone, a lot of skills I need to learn, and a lot of experiences I need to have, but I gained a new level of motivation to keep learning and keep trying. My experience this year was amazing, but it was only my first step—and I have plenty still to take. You better believe when mentored hunt applications open again this year, I’ll be throwing my name back in.
Photo by Ross Studer
TEXAS
Wildlife Association Join like-minded individuals who value the land, water, and wildlife of Texas by becoming a member of Texas Wildlife Association. Our mission is to defend those natural resources for present and future generations through public policy advocacy, hunting outreach, and educating Texans of all ages. For more information visit www.texas-wildlife.org/membership or call (800) TEX-WILD
Photo Courtesy of the Aldo Leopold Foundation and University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives
When the Wells Went Dry BY STEVE NELLE
“In the drought of the thirties, when the wells went dry, everybody learned that water, like roads and schools, is community property.” Aldo Leopold, 1939
T
he drought of the 1930s is regarded as the worst largescale drought ever faced by the United States. There have been other catastrophic droughts since then but none of the magnitude of the 30s. The Dust Bowl taught many lessons. Wells go dry for a variety of reasons, but the biggest two causes are extreme drought, which curtails aquifer recharge, and excessive pumping. Either of these is bad enough, but when they occur together the results are especially adverse. We now have many more wells than in Leopold’s day and far greater pumping capacity, yet the total supply of water is the same. Simple arithmetic dictates that a finite supply of water cannot be infinitely pumped. When pumping exceeds recharge, bad things happen. This lesson reinforces an important truth that landowners and society must embrace: Water is a shared resource. Interestingly, we have different laws that govern groundwater and surface water, even though the two are often hydrologically connected. In Texas, groundwater is owned by the landowner, while surface water is owned by the state. This makes it more challenging to manage and conserve water supplies. Even though the ownership law is clear, many landowners understand that groundwater is a shared resource from a practical common sense perspective. Groundwater is not confined by the property line and readily flows into and out from under tracts of land as a natural part of the water cycle. How neighbors use their groundwater affects you and vice versa. Yes, groundwater legally belongs to the landowner and is governed by the rule of capture, but many will agree that water, in an ethical, moral sense, is community property. We all benefit from it and we all have a shared responsibility to use it carefully with regard to others and to the future. Private property rights are an important part of our culture and legal system and most of us will fight to protect these rights. With that said, how can landowners protect ownership of the water beneath their land? The truth is that you cannot protect your right of groundwater ownership unless the aquifer is being sustainably managed,
and this requires the reasonable cooperation of all landowners for the common good. Otherwise the biggest pump wins and your neighbors have the right to pump all the water they want even if it causes aquifer levels to drop and your well to go dry. Reasonable regulation of privately owned groundwater is clearly beneficial and helps keep everyone honest and accountable. Groundwater Conservation Districts are the state’s preferred method of groundwater management. Texas law authorizes districts to modify the rule of capture by regulating the pumping of non-exempt wells, implementing well spacing requirements, and enacting other rules needed to conserve groundwater. Landowners can and should become involved with their local district to provide needed input into how aquifers can be best managed in a sustainable way. It all works fine when the pumping rate does not exceed the recharge rate on a sustained basis. Yet today, some aquifers are in long-term decline even with these regulations in place. Part of the problem we face is caused by a faulty sense of historic normal. The decades of the 1970s, 80s and early 90s were uncharacteristically wet across much of Texas. Aquifer recharge rates and surface water supplies were unusually good and this created a false sense of security. Starting in the late 1990s, rainfall patterns returned to a more realistic normal, including both wet and dry periods. Simultaneously, people are moving to Texas at an unprecedented rate—and the trend is alarming. The increasing water demand combined with unreliable rainfall and recharge is a calamity waiting to happen unless a deeper sense of conservation is instilled and embraced In the end, groundwater conservation is like other kinds of conservation. It is best accomplished by stewardshipminded landowners and water users who take their obligation seriously and use finite resources conservatively. As TWA Vice President Emeritus David K. Langford reminds us, property rights run both ways…with every right comes corresponding responsibility.
WRITER’S NOTE: Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) is considered the father of modern wildlife management. This bi-monthly column will feature Leopold's thought-provoking philosophies as well as commentary.
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18th South Texas Wildlife Conference Changing Paradigms in South Texas Wildlife Management Friday, September 9, 2022 | 8:30 am – 4:30 pm | Cuero, TX www.ckwri.tamuk.edu/south-texas-wildlife-conference
PRESENTATIONS BY: David Hewitt – CKWRI; Roel Lopez – Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute; Meagan Lesak – TPWD; Fidel Hernández – CKWRI; Eric Grahmann – Bass Ranch; Tim Anderson – USFWS; Charlie DeYoung – CKWRI; Trey Barron – TPWD; Lenny Brennan – CKWRI; Jim Blackburn – CEO and Chair of BCarbon; Tony Falk – CKWRI; David Forrester – TPWD
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Progress of Conservation Legacy “2.0” Article and photos courtesy of CONSERVATION LEGACY STAFF
T
he first installment of funding from the Elma Dill Russell Spencer Foundation arrived in 2021, allowing Conservation Legacy (CL) to put into action Year One of a five-year plan. The plan includes program expansion, new program development, and system improvements that will raise CL to a new level of natural resource education excellence.
Year One included more than a dozen new goals, programs, and projects, which currently range in evolvement from “in development” to “complete.” Presented here are four projects that highlight the expansion, development, and improvements underway in Conservation Legacy.
FAMILY LAND, WATER & WILDLIFE EXPEDITIONS - MENTOR TRAINING TWA hosted its first mentor training for the new conservation program, Land, Water & Wildlife Expeditions (LWWE) April 30 and May 1. Nine participants became certified program mentors through this pilot workshop. Over the course of the two-day training, participants learned how to
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plan, recruit, and coordinate for a one- to three-day outdoor experience on private land. They also heard from experts about resources that can be incorporated into LWWE programming. New mentors explored strategies for team building and group facilitation, the use of GIS applications, interpretive
practices, and the use of citizen science applications such as eBird, Merlin Bird ID, and iNaturalist on private land. Congratulations to the first cohort of mentors. CL is excited to see the impact they will make with families across the state.
PROGRESS OF CONSERVATION LEGACY “2.0”
STUDENT LAND, WATER & WILDLIFE EXPEDITIONS Land, Water, and Wildlife Expeditions are part of Texas Wildlife Association’s educational outreach program which strives to facilitate natural resource literacy within middle and high schools. It does this by creating tangible relationships between the outdoors and essential academic skills. Whether conducting an activity at school or on a private ranch nearby, students have a unique opportunity to observe, touch, smell, and feel what they are studying and increase or spark a passion to become good land stewards. Students will also get the chance to visit with local professional partners in various natural resource fields who serve as instructors and mentors. TWA works with school districts and natural resource partners across the state to get students outside. Several campuses across the state have been selected to immerse students in land, water, and wildlife conservation. Programs launching this fall will include learning objectives aligned with the updated state TEKS and the mission of TWA. These Expedition programs were created with the Texas teacher in mind, assisting them to meet state-mandated objectives, focusing on shared conservation topics all while fostering a greater appreciation of the natural world.
GRAZING MATTERS In July 2019, TWA hosted a daylong conference titled, “Grazing Matters: Soil Health, Habitat and Wildlife.” That conference sparked ideas for a new web-based networking tool, one which would provide a platform for landowners and producers to not only discuss information about restorative grazing, but also to build relationships that could lead to new grazing leases. Thanks to support from the Dixon Water Foundation and other partners, TWA has been working to make those ideas a reality. The tool—a website titled “Grazing Matters”—is under development and promises the following features: • An easy-to-use interactive map showing potential partners across the state • The ability for users to create a profile as either a producer or a landowner • Landowner stories—testimonials from real landowners who are doing restorative grazing work • Information about restorative grazing practices, including the economic and ecological benefits of restorative grazing • Information on cost shares and other support programs The framework and key features of the website are already in place, and developers are currently working on improving its aesthetics and usability. Look for more information here and on the Grazing Matters program page as the full launch of the site approaches.
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PROGRESS OF CONSERVATION LEGACY “2.0”
NEW WEBSITE AND CRM (CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT) DATABASE Starting in April, TWA began work on a project to develop a new website and database that will allow the organization to provide enhanced customer service to our members, strengthen internal business practices, and improve impact reporting. Conservation Legacy components of the new website and system, to be launched in phases: • Rebuilt Discovery Trunk reservation system • New Curriculum Portal providing online access to all CL lessons • New classroom presentation reservation system • New volunteer management and training portal • Improved systems of program participation tracking— i.e., a participant’s lifetime participation profile, or identifying inaccurate webinar registrations
CONFERENCES MAKING A COMEBACK Photo courtesy of Dr. Louis Harveson TRANS-PECOS WILDLIFE CONFERENCE This event, last held in 2016 and co-hosted by the Borderlands Research Institute (BRI), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), and TWA, will be held August 4-5. It focuses on the unique challenges and opportunities characteristic of land stewardship in West Texas. The first day will take place in Alpine at Sul Ross State University’s Morgan University Center and will cover topics on both game and non-game species of interest, as well as landowner support programs for habitat restoration activities. A half-day field trip on August 5 will give participants an opportunity to see examples of land stewardship practices in action (location TBD). The cost to attend is $75 for early registration (before July 25) and $100 for late registration (July 25 and later, including at the door). Register today at bit.ly/tpwc2022
After a multi-year hiatus due to COVID, the Trans-Pecos Wildlife Conference and the South Texas Wildlife Conference, hosted by TWA and partners, are returning in 2022. Here’s what you need to know:
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SOUTH TEXAS WILDLIFE CONFERENCE Traditionally, this conference is held bi-annually, but it is returning in-person for the first time in four years. The conference, “Changing Paradigms in Wildlife Management,” is co-hosted with our partners, the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute (CKWRI), and TPWD. During the day-long event, speakers will explore the effects of past, present, and (potential) future management actions in South Texas. Join us Friday, September 9 in Cuero at the Municipal Park Clubhouse to attend. A detailed agenda can be found at the link below. Registration is $80 (before August 30) and $100 (after August 30, including at the door). Sign up at bit.ly/stwc2022
Trans-Pecos Wildlife Conference
2022
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT IN THE TRANS PECOS NONGAME/TOURISM
HABITAT
IN
A
Y
O
J
Sul Ross State University - August 4-5, 2022
TO D
BIG GAME
• GRASSLAND BIRDS AND SHRUB ENCROACHMENT
• CONSERVATION PLANNING/ ENERGY DEVELOPMENT
• AOUDADS IN WEST TEXAS: FRIEND OR FOE?
• LIVING WITH BLACK BEARS
• GRAZING AND PRONGHORN
• ANTLER DEVELOPMENT
• BIRDING THE BORDER: AN ECOTOURISM INITIATIVE
• LANDOWNER INCENTIVES FOR HABITAT RESTORATION (NFWF, TPWD LIP, Partners, SWCDs, RGJV, BRI, WTNS, BCR
• PRONGHORN STATUS REPORT AND RESTORATION UPDATE
• RAPTOR RESEARCH • AUDUBON’S BIRD FRIENDLY BEEF
• CWD UPDATE
Register Online:
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TEXAS WILDLIFE
POND MANAGEMENT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
Blue-Green Algae Visual Indicators and Management
Article by BRITTANY CHESSER, Aquatic Vegetation Management Program Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service TODD SINK, Associate Professor and Aquaculture Extension Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Photos courtesy of TAMU AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE
H
armful algal blooms have been a hot topic over the past few years, particularly blooms dealing with species that release natural acute or chronic toxins under certain conditions, such as cyanobacteria, which is also commonly referred to as blue-green algae. These toxins potentially cause a health threat to fish, livestock, pets, and humans that contact or ingest water containing them. The common name “blue-green algae” is a little misleading when characterizing the hundreds of known cyanobacteria species, since they are photosynthetic bacteria with many different growth forms and colorations. Notably, cyanobacteria blooms are not always “blue-green” but can range from brown and rust-red to
One of the first indications of a toxic blue-green algae bloom are dead and dying aquatic life. Toxic blooms can also be a health threat to wildlife, livestock and even people.
Blue-green algae is not accurately named, not completely at least. In addition to shades of blue and green, the cyanobacteria can range from brown and rust-red to turquoise blue to brilliant green. This is due to protein complexes that produce various pigmentations in their cells.
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turquoise blue to brilliant green. This is due to protein complexes that produce various pigmentations in their cells. Some cyanobacteria species are microscopic, mixed evenly throughout the water column, and do not present visual cues to their presence. Other more visible cyanobacteria species can be found floating around the shoreline in various growth forms,
POND MANAGEMENT
largely characterized by their appearance as “spilled oil paint” on water, surface scums, globules, or floating mats. While cyanobacteria are present in nearly every water body, they are not always undergoing bloom conditions or producing and releasing toxins. Toxin production and release is mainly used as a defense mechanism in response to grazing or nutrient competition during summer months when water temperatures, algal growth and competition are at their highest with little rain or wind. Visual cues, as described above, such as surface scums or a spilled paint appearance found in downwind areas along banks are evidence of a bloom and a strong indication that a cyanobacteria are actively producing toxins. These blooms may be accompanied by dead or dying aquatic life such as fish, turtles, and frogs. If a bloom is suspected, treat it immediately with an algaecide containing a copper-based product (copper sulfate or chelated copper complexes) or sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate to lyse the algal cells. Cyanobacteria will begin to release toxins as they die, potentially worsening any existing fish or wildlife kill, so it is very important to treat the bloom slowly in sections. Treat no more than 10% to 15% of the pond area at a time and wait 10-14 days between each subsequent treatment. If a fish kill is occurring or is worsened by the algaecide treatment, add 2 parts per million of potassium permanganate
to the pond to neutralize the cyanotoxins. Also, when possible: 1) restrict access by livestock, pets, and humans; 2) add supplemental aeration; 3) flush with fresh water; and 4) stop feeding and harvesting fish. Other types of management including skimming, dilution, pond dyes and others are also options but the level of control will vary due to cyanobacteria species and pond logistics. The best type of management is prevention. Limiting phosphorus runoff from fertilizer, animal waste, septic systems, etc. can reduce the chances of experiencing bloom conditions. Too much phosphorous in a water body causes a nitrogen imbalance which creates a competitive advantage for cyanobacteria because they can fix atmospheric nitrogen to outcompete other species. To confirm that cyanobacteria are the cause of death for livestock or wildlife, a necropsy is recommended over a water sample. Toxins can be detected from a water sample but do not always lead to a definitive answer. For more information on testing, see: “Texas A&M AgriLife Aquaculture Specialist Addresses Algae-related Dog Deaths” (https://agrilifetoday. tamu.edu/2019/08/16/texas-am-agrilife-aquaculture-specialistaddresses-algae-related-dog-deaths-cyanobacteria/ ) For more photos, key characteristics, and management recommendations please see: https://aquaplant.tamu.edu/bluegreen-algae/
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TEXAS WIL DLIFE ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION
Supporting Conservation Legacy & Hunting Heritage Through TWAF Article by TJ GOODPASTURE
B
y the time you read this, just over eight months have passed since I joined TWA as Development Director for the Texas Wildlife Association Foundation (TWAF). As each week passes, I grow more and more excited about the future of TWAF and the TWA Conservation Legacy and Hunting Heritage programs. The best part about my role is visiting with TWA members, TWAF donors, and our program partners about the amazing impacts our efforts are having on Texans. Everyone is so passionate about TWA and eager to help in any way possible. The more I learn about the many facets of TWA, the more fun it is to discuss with members and donors about how they can best support the organization. Established in 1991, TWAF was founded on the belief that to truly affect wildlife and habitat management, as well as to accurately educate our youth and adults about Texas conservation, we must emphasize wildlife and private land management. TWA accomplishes this primarily through the Conservation Legacy and Hunting Heritage programs. While your TWA membership dues and convention participation go to support TWA operations like membership and advocacy, TWA educational efforts like Texas Youth Hunting Program, Texas Big Game Awards, and the multitude of offerings through Conservation Legacy, primarily rely on grants and donations raised by the Foundation. I hope the information below will encourage you to think about new ways you can support parts of TWA you love most. Monthly Giving: You can set up recurring monthly payments via credit card or your bank account through the online giving portal at www.twafoundation.org. This makes giving easy and
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more manageable without having to think about sending a check on a regular basis. Multi- Year Cash Pledge: For those who are interested in pledging financial support over multiple years, pledging a yearly gift can help the organization and the donor. With ongoing pledges on the books, TWA can look deeper into its budgeting future. Pledges are a promise to work toward a specific philanthropic goal. Pledges can be made for any amount of time of 2-5 years. Planned Legacy Giving: An often-overlooked way for you to support TWAF is through planned giving. A planned gift is made in your lifetime or as a bequest in your Last Will and Testament, and can include gifts of equity, life insurance, real estate, personal property, or cash, and can be beneficial in estate and tax planning. Stocks and Bonds: Donating appreciated securities including stocks or bonds is an easy and tax-effective way for you to make a gift to TWAF. Retirement Assets: Donate part or all of your unused retirement assets, such as your IRA, 401(k), 403(b), pension, or other tax-deferred plan. If you are like most people, you probably will not use all your retirement assets during your lifetime. You can make a gift of your unused retirement assets to help further our mission. IRA Charitable Rollover: The IRA Charitable Rollover was signed into permanent law and as a result, if you are 70½ or older, you can transfer up to $100,000 annually directly to our organization. You may be looking for a way to make a big difference to help further our mission. If you are age 72 or older, you can also lower the income and taxes from your required minimum distribution (RMD) from your IRA withdrawals. An IRA charitable rollover is a way you can help continue our work and benefit this year. To keep the TWA Conservation Legacy and Hunting Heritage programs impacting as many Texans as possible, TWAF needs to raise nearly $2 million dollars a year. Visit the TWA Foundation’s giving page at www.twafoundation.org to learn of other ways you can give to the mission. Whichever way you choose to give, your support of TWA education and Hunting Heritage programs is greatly appreciated. If you’re interested in starting or increasing your financial support, please contact TWA Foundation Director of Development, TJ Goodpasture, at tjgoodpasture@texas-wildlife. org or (903) 253-1593.
Staff Spotlight DEBRA “DEBBIE” COPELAND, Director of Membership TWA is excited to welcome Debbie Copeland as our new membership director. Debbie comes to TWA from a long career in the membership and media sales business, most recently serving as media account executive with Texas Trophy Hunters. Debbie’s strong experience in the hunting and outdoor publication business has helped her make a quick impact at TWA and she will continue to help us grow our membership statewide. “I have been in media/publishing since the late 80s with the last 25 years spent solely in the outdoor industry. My experience encompasses growing memberships, marketing, circulation and branching out to consumer/trade shows, advertising and building client relationships,” she said.
Her education includes attending Brookhaven College and Mtn View Jr. College. She attended Folio Publishing Courses for three years in New York and one year in Los Angeles and is a former member of the Dallas Postal Council, Dallas Marketing Association and POMA. “My current affiliations are with Ducks Unlimited, RMEF, Dallas Safari Club, and of course, TWA.” Copeland’s leisure time is spent saltwater fishing, hunting, traveling and cooking. The latest addition to her family is her beloved Borderdoodle, Rip. “He is one-in-a-million and he knows it.” Contact Copeland at (800) TEX-WILD and dcopeland@texas_wildlife.org.
BRAXTON HICKS, TYHP Field Operations Coordinator TWA is pleased to welcome Braxton Hicks to its lineup of Texas Youth Hunting Program staff. He serves as the field operations coordinator of the Texas Youth Hunting Program for the West and South Texas Regions. Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, Hicks grew up with a deep respect for the arid, high desert, mountain environment of Far West Texas where the landscape and sunsets are like no other place on earth. His love of hunting comes from the influence of family, with his father’s and uncle’s history of hunting passed on to him. “This legacy followed me to college where I served as the president of the Texas A&M Trophy Hunters Association for two years, representing the Aggie chapter in all charitable endeavors and trade shows,” he said. Hicks graduated from Texas A&M University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Renewable Natural Resources, with an emphasis in forestry and range manage-
ment. During college, Hicks expanded his knowledge of wildlife management and its importance by working weekends as a wildlife capture specialist for local ranching enterprises in the Hill Country. In addition, five summers as a youth camp leader for Laity Lodge on the Frio River rounded out his skills in certified gun safety, swift water rescue, conservation practices, and livestock management. Three years as a custom gunsmith instilled in him a high regard for the production, proper care and handling of firearms, which he passed on to the youth under his care in camp life. Two years with a resort horseback riding and skeet shooting operation further prepared him to work with youth and families. He lives near Austin on a small ranch where he often helps a friend with a small cow/calf and horse operation, and is deeply adored by his dog, Joey. If you’re interested in sponsoring a youth hunt, contact him at bhicks@texas-wildlife.org.
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TEXAS WILDLIFE
B ORDERL ANDS NEWS BORDERLANDS RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT SUL ROSS STATE UNIVERSITY
Assessing Restoration Success Pronghorn Movement Behavior and the Short Game
Article by ERIN C. O’CONNELL, JUSTIN T. FRENCH, CARLOS E. GONZALEZ, LOUIS A. HARVESON Borderlands Research Institute, SHAWN S. GRAY Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, L. CODY WEBB Rocker b Ranch
Photo by Erin O’Connell
P
Two translocated does on the Rocker b Ranch in west-central Texas.
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ronghorn are native to the grasslands of Texas and are a charismatic big game species in the Trans-Pecos. Pronghorn once occupied nearly all of Texas, however their range is much smaller today, in part due to drought, restrictive fencing, and human expansion, all of which contribute to habitat loss. In 2011, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) began a tremendous long-term program to restore pronghorn in the Trans-Pecos, partnering with Borderlands Research Institute (BRI), Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF), landowners, and other conservation organizations to monitor and learn from these efforts. Restoration efforts are complex and challenging to implement, particularly when animals must be moved from surplus populations to augment declining ones, a process known as translocation. Identifying viability of source populations, determining suitability of recipient habitat, and implementing safe, humane capture and transport procedures are all substantial undertakings. As a result, there is a considerable research focus on planning and implementing translocations.
BORDERL ANDS NEWS
Figure 1 1 However, a translocation doesn’t endFigure when the animals are released from the trailer. While TPWD and BRI are devoting significant time and resources to monitoring pronghorn post-translocation, there is little to go on when deciding whether or not the effort was a success. Such assessments require specific, measurable, and biologically justified benchmarks, though these remain elusive in the scientific literature. Measures such as post-release survival or subsequent population growth are obvious starting points but must be assessed over a meaningful timeframe. Some of these measures make sense in the short term, while others take longer to assess in a meaningful way. Without a biological reason for defining when to measure aspects of success, we are really just navigating in the dark. We asked the pronghorn, via postrelease GPS monitoring, to illuminate our way forward. Pronghorn range sizes (acres) through time. Each point corresponds to an individual resident (blue) The process of acclimation is gradual or translocated (red) pronghorn’s weekly range size. Initially, translocated pronghorn have large and influences an individual animal’s range sizes (>7,500 acres) whereas residents maintain stable range sizes across time. movement pattern. A newly released pronghorn will move differently than a resident. In an unfamiliar environment, Over the last several years, the ranch has working hypothesis of three weeks. Fura pronghorn must learn where to find undertaken extensive habitat restoration ther, translocated ranges continued to food, water, cover, and other pronghorn, efforts to remove the encroaching mesquite shrink after acclimation, though much so they will expend more energy and and shrubs. To increase connectivity more slowly than before. Ultimately, transwithin the pastures, the ranch made 200 located pronghorn ranges were 650 acres time exploring. This leads to larger range sizes initially. fence modifications prior to translocation. smaller on average than those of residents In February 2019, 20 resident pronghorn a year after release. However, moving across a large range is This was surprising, as we initially energetically costly and risky. As they from the Rocker b were collared to serve as acclimate to their new environment, controls to compare with the translocated expected translocated pronghorn to find suitable habitat, and familiarize pronghorn in our study. Then, in January learn from and absorb into resident themselves with available resources and 2020, 110 pronghorn from Pampa, groups. However, reality turned out to passable fences or fence modifications, Texas, were translocated to the Rocker be more complicated and revealed an pronghorn settle into smaller areas that b and 44 adult females were released important difference between resident meet their needs and reduce the risks of with GPS collars. We used the data from and translocated pronghorn. Pronghorn strongly rely on their moving through unfamiliar territory. these collars to watch how translocated Thus, we can determine how long it takes pronghorn range sizes changed through memory of the landscape, what we call pronghorn to acclimate by watching how time, and to compare them to those of a cognitive map, to choose habitat. We resident animals. thought that translocated pronghorn their range sizes shrink through time. On the far western edge of the Edwards We found that translocated pronghorn would learn from residents to develop Plateau, the Rocker b Ranch has a history ranges were large immediately post- their cognitive map, benefiting from the rich with pronghorn. Located just north of translocation, averaging 7,500 acres. residents’ experience. Instead, we found Barnhart, Texas, the Rocker b was a source Resident and translocated range sizes that translocated pronghorn readily for stock pronghorn for relocation projects were similar by 27 weeks and began to crossed modified fences and moved freely throughout the state in the 70s, 80s, and level off, indicating acclimation takes throughout the ranch, whereas residents, 90s. However, woody shrub encroachment approximately six months. by and large, did not. on the ranch degraded the open grassland This finding suggests acclimation takes The memory of past restrictions still habitat that pronghorn require. considerably longer than the previous limited resident animals’ use of the
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Photo by Erin O’Connell
BORDERL ANDS NEWS
A pronghorn buck stands next to an unmodified section of fence on the Rocker b Ranch. Two hundred sections of fence on the ranch were modified to allow for pronghorn movement. We found that translocated pronghorn readily crossed modified fences, whereas residents, by and large, did not. The memory of past restriction still limited resident pronghorn’s use of the landscape.
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landscape. This is of great concern to biologists and managers because, without connectivity across the ranch, it is increasingly difficult to increase pronghorn populations with physical barriers like fences preventing movement. In this situation, the naivety of translocated pronghorn toward fences is advantageous as they are not restricted to one pasture. This allows them to be more selective, better balancing the energetic costs and risks of moving more to find resources. This also allows them to colonize areas beyond the limits of the resident population, expanding the species’ range in the state. Somewhat ironically, naivety turns out to offer a management benefit for pronghorn restoration. Translocated pronghorn might be able to teach the residents something new about finding greener pastures. What does this tell us about assessing translocation success? It tells us that the short term is longer than we thought. Short-term metrics like post-translocation survival should be measured when the exploratory behavior has waned and risk of mortality is no longer elevated by exploratory behavior; conservatively, 6.5 months after release. Ultimately, this research provides a timeframe with a biological basis by which to assess short-term success of translocations, but it is just one piece in a larger puzzle to establish criteria for evaluating success of translocations. Longer-term assessments, such as population growth targets, require their own temporal benchmarks that depend on other processes. With continued monitoring, we will learn more about how pronghorn and pronghorn populations work. In doing so, we will find similar biological guidelines for setting assessment timelines of longterm metrics for restoration projects. As we said before, translocation doesn’t end when the animals leave the trailer. Continued monitoring, in both the short and long term, are the key to determining the success of these efforts. We are grateful to our partners at TPWD, TPWF and the Rocker b Ranch for their commitment to the success of Texas pronghorn.
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Photo by Steve Nelle
I N VA S I V E P L A N T S
Most wildlife managers prefer native habitat, but most ranches now have a combination of native and non-native vegetation which still provides healthy habitat for many species.
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INVASIVE PLANTS A Commonsense Approach Article by STEVE NELLE
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hat words come to mind when you think of kudzu? Even if you have never even seen kudzu, you have heard the stories and seen the pictures of what it can do. We all have our perceptions about invasive plants, but are they based on knowledge or hysteria? Invasive species have become a battle cry for many environmentally minded Texans and a call to wage war against the invading species. Too often, the term “invasive” is used like a red flag to incite an emotional reaction rather than a wellreasoned response. This article will encourage a balanced and logical perspective on the sometimes-heated topic of invasive plants and what we should do about them. Some people vilify and want to eradicate invasive plants, while others see the legitimate value they bring.
Both sides bring valid truth and neither side is always right or wrong. Most of us who live and work in the realm of land management appreciate native species but we have mixed feelings when it comes to non-natives and especially those that can cause problems. Experts say that about 15% of the non-native species that find their way to the United States become harmful or invasive. Most of the non-native species do not cause problems and many of them are beneficial. However, it is good to remember that it may be decades before the invasive tendencies of a newly introduced species become apparent, and by then it may be too late. CONFUSING TERMINOLOGY The term “invasive” is widely used but not well understood. Everyone has their own idea of what an invasive species is but
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SOME COMMON SPECIES DESIGNATED AS INVASIVE BY TEXAS INVASIVES WOODY PLANTS Chinese pistache Japanese honeysuckle Wisteria Macartney rose Leucaena Redtip photinia Pyracantha Siberian elm Mimosa
The only official listing of invasive plants for Texas is kept by the Texas Department of Agriculture. The agency lists 28 species as invasive or noxious, with no clear distinction between the two terms. Under state law a person may not sell, distribute, or knowingly import any of these species. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department also maintains a list that is geared specifically toward aquatic environments. That list contains 22 prohibited plants in addition to prohibited fish and shellfish that are considered invasive and harmful to Texas waters. Two additional invasive plant listings are sometimes used although they have no legal status. Texas Invasives is a collaborative listing and information database of species that have been designated invasive by partner organizations. This listing contains 179 plant species classified as invasive. Texas Invasives also lists the “Dirty Dozen” invasive plants for each region of Texas. The other unofficial listing is maintained by the Texas Invasive Species In-
stitute in association with the Texas State University System and with the cooperation of several governmental and nongovernment collaborators. This listing indicates 91 plant species as being invasive. So, which list is right or which one is best? Just how many invasive plant species are there in Texas? There is no clear answer, but regardless of what list is used, Texas is now home to a host of non-native plants that are considered by some to be harmful and undesirable. THINK FUNCTION NOT ORIGIN One common sense approach to invasive plants is to think about the function of the species rather than focus simply on its geographic origin or whether it appears on a list. Many of the species that are dubbed invasive have legitimate and useful ecological functions and benefits even though they can also cause problems. Does it protect soil? Does it enhance soil organic matter? Does it provide browse, berries, seed, nesting cover, or fawning cover for wildlife? Does it provide forage for livestock? Does it produce nectar or Photo by Steve Nelle
there is no uniform designation of which species are invasive. Most people now agree that the term should be reserved for non-native species. However, it is still common for people to refer to mesquite, cedar, huisache, and other shrubs as being invasive even though they are native. Nearly everyone does agree that invasive species are those that have a high potential to cause serious ecologic or economic harm. Most invasive plants have the potential to spread rapidly and to dominate and monopolize to the detriment of native species.
GRASSES Tall fescue Bahia grass Bermuda grass Buffelgrass Johnsongrass K R bluestem Kleberg bluestem Angleton bluestem Lehmann lovegrass Dallis grass Rescuegrass Mexican needlegrass FORBS Yellow sweet clover Bur clover Dandelion Periwinkle Muellin Coral vine English ivy Horehound
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Sometimes planted for its striking fall color, Chinese tallow is considered an invasive and can become a serious problem in some places.
I N VA S I V E P L A N T S
Photo by Russell A. Graves
MISLEADING INFORMATION Some invasive species are so strongly detested that detractors are guilty of exaggerating the negative characteristics as a way of inciting others to dislike the species. For example, it is common
Sometimes it takes an invasive to deal with an invasive. The salt cedar beetle was brought in as a natural control method for tamarisk, which can overtake river bottom habitat.
Photo by Steve Nelle
MANAGEMENT BACKFIRES We must be careful that we do not inadvertently do more harm than good when attempting to control invasive species. Sometimes we become so focused on killing invasives that we do not think clearly about the possible side effects. For example, using fire to suppress Lehmann lovegrass will often cause it to increase. The control of buffelgrass can cause an increase in Kleberg bluestem, which is considered a worse problem. The overly aggressive control of dense ligustrum or salt cedar in riparian areas can result in accelerated bank erosion. An invasive plant may be doing more good than harm when it is left intact and we can cause a worse problem by trying to control it.
Photo courtesy of Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M University
pollen for native insects? Does it help stabilize creek bottom areas? Does it have aesthetic or economic value?
Photo by Steve Nelle
K R bluestem is the most widespread and notorious of the exotic grasses. While it does provide good forage during the growing season, it has become too abundant in many places.
Non-native grasses are not a biological desert. Here a turkey is seen feeding in a thick stand of Kleberg bluestem.
Astute grazing managers can use targeted livestock grazing to reduce the abundance of invasive grasses without harming the native grasses.
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NOXIOUS AND INVASIVE PLANT LIST TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WOODY PLANTS Brazilian peppertree Camelthorn Chinese tallow tree Paperbark Saltcedar Chinaberry Kudzu Tropical soda apple GRASSES Giant reed Itchgrass Serrated tussock grass Torpedograss
The truth is that giant reed has considerable value in protecting creek and riverbanks from erosion and helps capture and stabilize sediment in the floodplain, thus improving water quality. Riparian experts would much rather see a diverse and healthy mix of native species, but where that is lacking, giant reed does an admirable job of stabilizing creek and riverbanks. The fact is that most invasive species do have certain beneficial values as well as the potential to cause harm. No plant is either completely bad or completely good. All plants, native and non-native, have characteristics that can be both desirable and undesirable. MANAGE NOT ERADICATE We will never be able to eradicate or even control many invasive plants to a significant degree. Most invasives are here to stay and the best we can do is to manage them. Our arsenal to manage invasive plants is similar to what we use to manage native species and includes herbicide, mechanical methods, fire, grazing, and various combinations of these. Managing invasives requires skill and experience since the methods we use to control them sometimes results in spreading them
even more. In addition to the traditional methods, invasive plants can sometimes be effectively managed with host-specific insects such as the salt cedar beetle. There are several basic strategies to manage the spread of invasive plants. The first seems all too obvious, but we can stop planting them. Some of the grasses that are most detested as invasive are still being actively planted on farms and ranches for their forage value. Some seed companies still market these grasses and some conservation programs share in the cost of planting them. Even if you do not intentionally plant these grasses, be sure to check with your seed company and ask what assurances they can provide that invasive grass seed is not accidentally mixed with native grass seed in small amounts. Secondly, landowners can limit establishing and spreading invasive species by keeping the land covered with a good, thick growth of native vegetation. Most invasive species find a niche for establishment when there is weak native plant cover or fresh disturbance. The two worst things that invite invasive plants are overgrazing and mechanical soil disturbance. Many of the initial introductions of invasive species come when heavy equipPhoto by Steve Nelle
to hear native plant enthusiasts proclaim that K R bluestem provides exceptionally poor grazing. However, most ranchers who have K R bluestem or its relatives consider it a valuable forage grass during the growing season and are glad to have it. Giant reed, also called Carrizo cane or Georgia cane, is another species harshly denounced by critics for causing extreme problems in riparian areas. This kind of overstated rhetoric spreads fear and dislike of the species and helps garner support and funding to control it.
FORBS Broomrape Balloonvine Hedge bindweed Japanese dodder Japanese climbing fern Purple loosestrife AQUATIC PLANTS Alligatorweed Eurasian watermilfoil Giant duckweed Hydrilla Oxygen weed Salvinia Water spinach Waterhyacinth Rooted waterhyacinth Waterlettuce
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Torpedo grass in foreground along the Pedernales River. Although it is on the invasive species list, torpedo grass helps stabilize riparian areas and reduce erosion.
Photo by Steve Nelle
I N VA S I V E P L A N T S
The old world bluestem in the foreground has been heavily grazed in late summer when Indiangrass (in back) is less palatable.
ment is brought to the ranch to control brush, develop energy or construct roads and right-of-ways. Anytime outside fill material or road base is brought in, there is a good chance of bringing in unwanted plants. Following such disturbances, pay close attention to new infestations. Invasive plant detection and control provisions can be written into energy production contracts to reduce risk. The most aggressive way to combat invasive species is to kill them either with herbicide, solarization, repeat plowing, or a combination of these. These are usually not practical or cost effective on a large scale, but can be useful in smaller areas. The main thing to remember is that repeat applications will be needed so be prepared for a long battle and numerous follow-up efforts. One of the most promising and practical ways to reduce the dominance of certain invasive grasses is the creative use of livestock grazing. For example, K R bluestem is often leafy and palatable in late summer and early fall when the native grasses have become coarse and lignified. At this time of year, cattle will often walk right past desirable native grasses such as Indiangrass and little bluestem to graze K R bluestem and they will often graze it hard. Another example is using goats to suppress salt cedar seedlings. For each region there are seasons when each plant is more and less palatable. As-
tute managers will be observant and make note of when the invasive plants are more palatable than the natives and use that information to practice targeted grazing with cattle, sheep, or goats. This approach will not eliminate invasive plants but it
can reduce their dominance and give a benefit to the natives. Those who most strongly dislike invasive plants are prone to show their hatred by calling them worthless, destructive, insidious, vicious, wicked, nasty, hideous, disgusting, and other names unfit to print. Yes, invasive plants can be a serious concern on farms, ranches, and forest land and sometimes there are reasons to be concerned. But our responses should be based on logic and sound judgement, not animosity. One thing is certain—most of the species we label as invasive are here to stay and are now a part of our farms, ranches, forests, parks, and yards. Common sense says we should learn to manage them where needed and benefit from them where possible. The stewardship mentality says that we look at the everchanging landscape with a wide-angle lens, trying to understand how all the parts fit together—the original parts as well as those that were recently added.
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Successful night of trapping using cellular tripped gate on corral trap.
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UPDATE ON FERAL HOG CONTROL Article and photos by RICKY LINEX
P
erhaps 25 years or so ago there was a common West Texas saying about landowners and feral hogs. It went like this: there are two kinds of landowners—those who have wild hogs and those who will have them. The explosion of feral hogs across Texas and much of the United States has proven this old saying true. The spread of feral hogs is increasing at a rapid pace with no signs of slowing down. DAMAGE “Wild pigs have been listed as one of the top 100 worst exotic invasive species in the world,” according to damage reports from “Ecology and Management of Wild Pigs,” written by John C. Kinsey and published by TPWD in 2020. “In 2007, researchers estimated that each wild pig carried an associated (damage plus control) cost of $300 per year, and at an estimated 5 million wild pigs in the population at the time, Americans spent
over $1.5 billion annually in damages and control costs. Assuming the cost-per-wild pig estimate has remained constant, the annual costs associated with wild pigs in the United States are likely closer to $2.1 billion today.” A very thorough report from Mississippi State University Extension Service and Alabama Cooperative Extension System states, “During the period of 1988 to 2009, feral hogs showed a 118% rate of land area increase for the conterminous United States. That is a 5% annual increase. 2009 to 2013, 34% rate of land area expansion for the conterminous United States. That is an 8% annual increase.” (See “A Landowner’s Guide for Wild Pig Management, Practical Methods for Wild Pig Control,” available online as a pdf.) WHAT TO DO? I often think of this quote from Henry Louis Bentley, a USDA agrostologist, a botanist specializing in grasses, back
The seeds of planted corn have been uprooted by feral pigs, reducing yield and profits.
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in 1898, who said, “Before a sick man can be induced to take medicine, he must be made to recognize that he is sick and that the prescription will in all probability benefit him.” Bentley’s comments in the publication “Cattle Ranges of the Southwest: A History of the Exhaustion of the Pasturage and Suggestions for its Restoration,” referenced the effects of excessive numbers of free-ranging cattle overgrazing the land in post-Civil War Texas and the indifference of the cattle owners. Today, 124 years later, we have another destructive overuse of the land with the spread of free-ranging feral hogs. Further, there does not seem to be a consensus among landowners about the need to remove feral hogs from their ranches. Some are using all tools at their disposal to reduce the occurrence of the animals. However, some are willing to put up with the damaging effects to the land, water, and ranching infrastructure brought about by wild hogs because hunters will pay to hunt them. Whether it is hunters during regular game seasons taking hogs when the opportunity arises or hunters
Spread of feral hogs across the United States from 1982 to 2021.
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paying to hunt them outside of these traditional seasons, this income seems to convince some landowners that tolerating feral hogs is acceptable. Dr. Billy Higginbotham, professor and Extension wildlife and fisheries specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, stated in a June 2013 report titled, “Wild Pig Damage Abatement Education and Applied Research Activities,” that of the 750,000 wild pigs removed from Texas annually (during that period) shooting accounted for 35% of the pigs removed. However, this number includes harvesting by hunters, night shooting and aerial gunning from helicopters which became legal Sept. 1, 2011. Aerial gunning would account for the vast majority of pigs taken by firearm. For recreational or opportunistic pig hunting, the most common scenario is a hunter might get a single well-aimed shot at a pig. Then the wild scattering of fleeing pigs presents extremely difficult follow-up shots. This often results in all but one escaping, compared with aerial gunning with its high percentage of mortality. In Higginbotham’s report, approximately 57% of the feral hogs removed were trapped. Over the past 12 years, trap design and technology has improved tremendously with the use of remote cameras and cellular activation of corral trap gates. Using video cameras to observe movements in and around the trap allows for remotely dropping the gate when all pigs are within the trap. This is an amazingly effective tool, which also ensures that livestock or deer that wander into the trap will not be captured or harmed, saving time and money. There are enterprising hog trappers who are using cellular camera systems made for home security which have voice capabilities where non-targets may be encouraged to leave the area by shouting or whistling, which is transmitted through the phone to the camera. Does this mean that box traps that fit in a pickup bed should no longer be used? Not necessarily, for trapping in town or smaller acreages where cameras show only a single or a few pigs, these box traps may still be effective. Even small tools from the toolbox can be quite useful.
Demonstration setup of corral trap with rooter style gate.
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A small water leak in a pipeline was damaged by hogs rooting during the 2011 drought.
“Wild pigs are now the United States’ most abundant free ranging introduced ungulate,” according to several research papers in “Ecology and Management of Wild Pigs.” The term ungulate refers to animals which have cloven, split, or twotoed hooves. “From 1982 to 2016, the wild pig population in the United States increased from 2.4 million to an estimated 6.9 million, with 2.6 million estimated to be residing in Texas alone. The population in the United States continues to grow rapidly due to their high reproduction rate, generalist diet, and lack of natural predators. “Wild pigs have expanded their range in the United States from 18 states in 1982 to 35 states in 2016. It was recently estimated that the rate of northward range expansion by wild pigs accelerated from approximately 4 miles to 7.8 miles per
New trap style called the Pig Brig set up as demonstration near New Braunfels.
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year from 1982 to 2012. This rapid range expansion can be attributed to an estimated 18-21% annual population growth and an ability to thrive across various environments, however, one of the leading causes is the human-mediated transportation of wild pigs for hunting purposes.”
Trailer load of feral hogs enroute to hog buyer
UPDATE ON TOXICANT BAITS Justin Foster, Region II research coordinator with TPWD based out of the Kerr Wildlife Management Area, is the lead investigator for the TPWD feral pig control program and has worked with research and testing of toxicant baits, including sodium nitrite (HOGGONE®), since 2010. “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authorized the Experimental Use
Josh Helcel, a project coordinator with Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI), discusses hogs and trapping with landowners attending a riparian workshop near Lampasas.
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U P DAT E O N F E R A L H O G C O N T R O L
Permit (EUP) for sodium nitrite testing in 2018,” Foster said. “This testing was completed during the spring of 2018 and migrating passerine birds that fed upon spillage of the bait were non-target casualties by eating this spillage.” This led to EPA reversing the approval of sodium nitrite as a toxicant bait awaiting further testing, he said. “During the summer of 2021, additional testing showed good control of pigs and low non-target causalities. Lethality to pigs averaged better than 90% across the two test sites in Alabama and Texas. EPA label will require testing during the same spring timeframe which is scheduled for 2023. EPA may take two years to review results and issue approval or denial of a permit.” Foster also relayed that HOGGONE® is registered for use in Australia and is currently used there. Much as sheep and goat raisers have long worked in concert across their counties to reduce predation upon their livestock by foxes, coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions, Foster also believes that education and working together with neighbors can help reduce damages caused by wild pigs. According to Foster, “Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will continue supporting research in sodium nitrite, other potential toxicants, and use of new trap technology. TPWD is interested in evaluating tools and techniques which would enhance control.” Many will recall the short-lived KAPUT® which contained a low dose of warfarin, which was originally used as a rodent poison but also became a blood thinner for people with high blood pressure. After early testing, the EPA authorized the use of KAPUT® and in February 2017, Texas became the first state to allow its use to control feral hogs. Public outcry was swift and led by hunting groups and feral hog meat processors who raised concerns about the product, its safety with other animals, and humanness in how the hogs died. In March 2017, a judge blocked its approval and a month later the manufacturer pulled its application to license the product from the market. Research in the use of warfarin continues to this day.
CONTRACEPTIVES FOR HOGS A licensed and commercially available oral contraceptive is now available for use in all states. The product, HOGSTOP®, is a bait with cottonseed oil as the active ingredient. When fed over time, this bait will slowly reduce the population of feral hogs. It works as a male contraceptive and reduces sperm counts in boar hogs which reduces fertility and over time, the population of hogs on your land. HOGSTOP® is not a toxicant bait and will not kill the hogs. It must be used with one of two approved hog feeders that can be purchased from the manufacturers with details on their website. The product is manufactured in Texas by Hi-Pro Feeds. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR TEXAS? With credit and apologies to Winston Churchill’s famous speech of June 4, 1940, to rally the citizens of Britain at the beginning of World War II, here is
an updated version, with 84-year-later challenges in parenthesis: “The British Empire and the French Republic, (Texas landowners and local, state, and federal government researchers along with NGOs and industries) linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength.” Just as Churchill exhorted his fellow countrymen to remain steadfast, all Texans should unite in this battle to control, nay eliminate, feral hogs from the 253 counties in Texas that currently have populations. The feral hog problem is getting worse every day. Single landowners aren’t going to fix the problem by themselves; it’s going to take a team effort utilizing all the great tools we have at our disposal. As were the British in the 20th century, all Texans in the 21st century should work together to accomplish this lofty goal and remember, we shall never surrender.
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JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa 23808 Resort Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78261
ANNUAL PRIVATE LANDS SUMMIT • INFORMATIVE SEMINARS • MEET & GREETS • ENTERTAINMENT • FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY!
FUN FOR EVERYONE!
COME SEE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!
EXCITING AUCTIONS WITH EXCLUSIVE HUNTS AND TRIPS!
TOP NOTCH TRADE SHOW!
TEXAS BIG GAME AWARDS STATEWIDE CELEBRATION
ANNUAL PRIVATE LANDS SUMMIT
BRING THE FAMILY! CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER ARE ADMITTED FREE!
Visit WWW.WILDLIFE2022.COM or call (800) 839-9453 for more information
COME CELEBRATE TWA’S 37th ANNIVERSARY!
HOTEL BLOCK NOW CLOSED Please call the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa at (877) 622-3140 for regular room rates and information.
LATE REGISTRATION IS STILL AVAILABLE Call (800) 839-9453 or fax your form to (210) 826-4933
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SCHEDULE ANNUAL PRIVATE LANDS SUMMIT • INFORMATIVE SEMINARS • MEET & GREETS • ENTERTAINMENT • FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY!
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
New for 2022: All events and meetings located on Level 2 in both JW Marriott Ballrooms
DAY 1 – THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2022 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM
Conservation Legacy Advisory Committee (Cibolo Canyon Ballroom 9)
TWA Private Lands Summit (Cibolo Canyon Ballroom 1-4)
10:00 AM – Convention Exhibitor Registration 6:00 PM and Move-In (Grand Oaks Ballroom & Foyer)
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM
Break
10:30 AM – TYHP Advisory Committee (Cibolo Canyon Ballroom 8) 11:30 AM Membership Committee (Cibolo Canyon Ballroom 10)
DAY 2 – FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2022 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Registration Open
12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Exhibits and Auctions Open
8:00 AM – 11:30 AM
TWA Committee Meetings **
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
(Grand Oaks Ballroom & Foyer)
** Anyone is welcome to attend the committee meetings to learn more about the programs associated within those committees.
Big Game Committee
Wildlife Conservation Committee (Cibolo Canyon Ballroom 11)
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
TWAF Luncheon
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
TWA Joint Membership & Directors Meeting (Cibolo Canyon Ballroom 1-4)
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
TWA Ladies Reception
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Cocktails with Exhibitors
(Cibolo Canyon Ballroom 3-4)
Land and Water Committee (Cibolo Canyon Ballroom 8)
(Grand Oaks Ballroom)
(Grand Oaks Ballroom A-F Foyer) (Note: Ladies only event)
(cash bar, includes 2 drink tickets, Grand Oaks Ballroom) Sponsored by Silver Eagle Beverages
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM
Break
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM
Legislative and PAC Committees
6:00 PM – 11:00 PM (Cibolo Canyon Ballroom 1-2)
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TWA Convention Kickoff Dinner & Casino Party - Back for 2022! (Grand Oaks Ballroom)
JULY 14-17, 2022 JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa 23808 Resort Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78261 Bring the Family: Children under 12 are admitted free!
DAY 3 – SATURDAY, JULY 16, 2022 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM
TWA Family Breakfast
8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Registration Open
9:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Exhibits Open
TWA Life Members and President’s Council Reception (supporting TWA PAC) (Grand Oaks Ballroom A-F Foyer)
(Grand Oaks Ballroom)
Sponsored by Crockett National Bank
Sponsored by San Pedro Ranch
(Grand Oaks Ballroom, Level 2)
Silent & Not-So-Silent Auctions Open (Grand Oaks Ballroom)
9:00 AM – 11:45 AM
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
TWA WildLife Education Seminars (Cibolo Canyon Ballroom Pre-Function Rooms 1-4)
Cocktails with Exhibitors (Ballrooms Foyer and Grand Oaks Ballroom)
5:00 PM 10:00 PM
Family Portraits Photo Booth Open
5:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Marriott Range Riders Kid’s Activities
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
TWA Grand Auction and Banquet Dinner
Sponsored by Brady & Hamilton LLP
Wildlife Management and Research (Cibolo Room 1)
(Ballrooms Foyer)
(Cibolo Canyon Ballroom 8-11) Sponsored by H-E-B
(Grand Oaks Ballroom)
10:30 PM
Silent Auction Final Closing (Grand Oaks Ballroom)
Landowner Awareness and Opportunities (Cibolo Room 2)
Education/ Outreach (Cibolo Room 3)
DAY 4 – SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2022
Habitat Management (Cibolo Room 4)
12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
TWA General Session and Awards Luncheon (Grand Oaks Ballroom)
8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Final Auction Check-Out
12:00 PM
TWA Convention Closes
(TWA Registration Desk)
Texas Big Game Awards Celebration (Grand Oaks Ballroom) Sponsored by Nyle Maxwell Family of Dealerships
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Open Time, Please Visit Our Exhibits (Grand Oaks Ballroom)
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TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION PRESENTS
Evolution of a Photographer and Author
Wyman meinzer
Join Texas Wildlife Association Foundation for its annual Foundation Luncheon featuring the official State Photographer of Texas, the acclaimed Wyman Meinzer. Raised on the League Ranch, a 27,000-acre ranch in the rolling plains of Texas, Meinzer's images have appeared in Smithsonian, National Geographic Books, Natural History, Ebony, Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, Audubon, Sports Afield, Field and Stream, Outdoor life, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Highways, Korea GEO, German GEO, Das Tier, Airone, Horzu, BBC Wildlife, and a host others.
FRI |July 15 JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa Noon-1:30 PM
$175 INDIVIDUAL TICKET
$1750 RESERVED VIP TABLE FOR 10 Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Business Casual Attire Register online today www.wildlife2022.com
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JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa 23808 Resort Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78261
ANNUAL PRIVATE LANDS SUMMIT • INFORMATIVE SEMINARS • MEET & GREETS • ENTERTAINMENT • FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY!
TEXAS BIG GAME AWARDS STATEWIDE CELEBRATION
BACK FOR 2022 CASINO NIGHT!
WHAT’S NEW FOR WILDLIFE 2022
Makes plans now to register and save on registration and hotel pricing! TWA’s 37th Annual Convention is only a few weeks away and we some exciting new changes to the schedule. FRIDAY, JULY 15, 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM Casino Night is back! Join us for TWA’s Family Dinner Celebration and Casino Night on Friday in the Grand Oaks Ballroom. Fun for the entire family.
SATURDAY, JULY 16, 12:00 PM will now host the Texas Big Game Awards Sportsman’s Celebration! Joining forces with all the other special TWA awards, this awards luncheon will make for an exhilarating afternoon of exclusive recognition in the Grand Oaks Ballroom.
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OUTDOOR TRADITIONS
The Birds Are Back in Town Article by SALLIE LEWIS
A
t my family’s ranch in Fredericksburg, the arrival of hummingbirds every spring is a cause for celebration. All summer long, the feeders are filled and hung with care from the limbs of an old live oak that stretches out over our home. Recently, I made a trip to The Hummer House in Christoval, located 20 minutes from San Angelo. This West Texas wildlife habitat located on the South Concho River is home to the state’s largest concentration of breeding Black-chinned Hummingbirds. The property, which sits in a natural flyaway surrounded by oak trees and water, is also the private residence of Cathy and Dan Brown. It was a windy spring day when I met the couple at their glassfront observation room. The space is open to the public every Saturday from April through July and attracts a flock of visitors hoping to witness Texas’ annual hummingbird migration. The Browns also have three guest cottages that are available to rent year-round. “Lots of people just want the experience of sitting on that porch and watching the deer, the turkeys, and the birds, and listening to the quiet sounds of nature,” said Cathy. “You miss that in the city.” Every year from March to October, Cathy and Dan feed thousands of hummingbirds and songbirds passing through, from Black-chins and Ruby-throats to Painted Buntings. “They know from memory that Dan Brown puts out a good feed and they know they can stop here for a few days, rest, eat, and go on their way,” she said. Since 1995, The Hummer House has hosted a banding program that began with a team of ornithology professors from Angelo State University. Charles Floyd continues those efforts today, contributing to the more than 54,000 birds and 162 species that’ve been banded at The Hummer House over the years. Currently, Floyd is one of only roughly 130 hummingbird banders working in the U.S. and Canada. “I use specific traps designed to catch hummingbirds with the least amount of stress,” he shared. “There’s lots of training involved.” Banding records are used to track the age and migration patterns of birds in the area. Through them, we know that most Black-chins live from three to eight years, though up until last
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year, The Hummer House held the world record for one that was 11 years and 3 months old. Also through banding, Floyd has recorded a few surprise guests, including rarer species like Lucifer’s, Anna’s, and Broad-billed Hummingbirds. “They try to catch lots of birds in June and July that are juveniles,” Cathy said. “That’s your baseline, and then in coming years when you recapture that bird, that’s when the story starts evolving.” Unbeknownst to many, hummingbirds are creatures of habit and return to the same nests, feeders, and flowers year after year. Once, Cathy had the privilege of finding a nest by her home. “It was just about eye level and I thought, ‘This is great because I can go check the progress of the eggs and take the grandchildren,’” she remembered. Hummingbird nests are tiny treasures made with the soft down of dandelion and thistle, lichen, and spider silk. Four years in a row, she found the same nest on the same spot of the same small twig. “That had to be the same bird,” she said. “Their recall memory is incredible.” Equally incredible is the emotional effect hummingbirds have on people around the world. Once at The Hummer House, a hummingbird flew inside one of the guest cottages where a woman and her 98-year-old mother were staying at the time. After catching it, Cathy took the bird to the elderly lady and asked if she’d ever held a hummingbird. The old woman shook her head. “I put the hummingbird in her hand and tears started rolling down her face,” Cathy shared. Floyd has seen similar reactions over the many years he’s banded birds. “I have literally handled thousands of hummingbirds,” he said. “Every time I get one in hand, people start crying.” How something so small can conjure such raw emotion is part of the hummingbirds’ universal mystique. Perhaps it’s their agility or the luminescence of their feathers, which gleam like jewels under the sun. Whatever it is, watching these tiny flying machines stop for a summer drink or hover over a blooming flower patch is proof that it’s the little things in life that incite joy. “Even old grouchy people like hummingbirds,” Cathy said. “They bring out the best in everyone.”
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