Texas Wildlife - Exploring Texas Caves - June 2024

Exploring Texas Caves

June means that the 2024 TWA Convention, WildLife 2024, is right around the corner. This annual event, slated for July 11-14 at the J.W. Marriott Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio, is always an extremely fun and educational time for the entire family. For those who have attended in the past, a big thank you! For those who have not yet attended our annual convention, I highly encourage you to join us in San Antonio.

While the convention is always fun, entertaining and informative, it is also critical to the annual financial success of TWA. The funding generated at this event represents a significant portion of operating revenue that supports our programs and staff who are not otherwise directly funded by grant funding through the Texas Wildlife Association Foundation.

One of the first convention events is the Private Lands Summit that will take place on Thursday, July 11. This event is becoming more popular every year as it provides a deep dive into specific topics such as land management, wildlife stewardship, and conservation. This year, water will be the primary topic of focus at the summit. We will explore where we are with this critical resource and what the future holds. This is an important issue for us all and I look forward to some great dialogue on this topic.

Advocacy fundraising is also front and center at Convention and it serves as a significant portion of the PAC annual revenue raised by TWA. Stop by our PAC table and visit with Carroll Schubert and other PAC Committee members. Buy a raffle ticket for the Mossberg Silver .410 over & under donated by Larry Weishuhn or just give a donation. Any amount is welcome. We know this next legislative session will bring a number of issues important to TWA and having a well-funded PAC will be more important than ever.

After this issue, TWA will transition to a quarterly magazine instead of the monthly issue. This was not an easy decision to make, but we feel it is the best decision moving forward. The new magazine will be coordinated internally with Sean Hoffmann, our new communications director, serving as editor. It will have a new, exciting look with more articles, highlights and information. I look forward to our first issue in September and I am sure you will enjoy the new look.

As I wrap up this article, I want to mention a special thank you to Burt Rutherford. For those who don’t know, Burt has been the editor of this magazine for the past several years. Burt has done a great job as our magazine’s editor. All of us at TWA say thank you and good luck in your future endeavors.

Remember, TWA’s success depends on you! I look forward to seeing you at the convention in July. Until next time, enjoy the outdoors.

Serving Texas wildlife and its habitat, while protecting property rights, hunting heritage, and the conservation efforts of those who value and steward wildlife resources.

Texas Wildlife

Texas is home to many wonderful things. Among those are thousands of caves. Whether big or small, they are a feature of wild Texas that have been part of the landscape for eons. While most are known as a home for bats, Texas caves have provided shelter for many species, including ancient humans, Today, they serve as a fascinating glimpse into a world below the surface, as Russell A. Graves describes in his article beginning on page 8.

Photo by Russell A. Graves

MEETINGS AND EVENTS

JULY

JULY 11

Private Lands Summit

Building Water Resilience for the 21st Century. Tickets at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/ twengeve/event/wildlife2024/

JULY 11-14

WildLife 2024, TWA’s 39th Annual Convention. For more information visit https://www.texas-wildlife. org/wildlife-convention/

JULY 12

TWA Foundation Luncheon. Join us for this special event as we honor Larry Weishuhn for his lifetime of contributions to hunting, conservation, and the Texas Wildlife Association.

Tickets and tables available at https://secure.qgiv.com/event/ strfyy/

JULY 27

Conservation Film Tour & TBGA Award Ceremony, Bryan, Texas. For information, contact Kristin Parma at kparma@texas-wildlife.org or 800-839-9452

AUGUST

AUGUST 10

Conservation Film Tour & TBGA Award Ceremony, San Antonio. For information, contact Kristin Parma at kparma@texas-wildlife.org or 800-839-9452

AUGUST 17

Conservation Film & Tour and TBGA Award Ceremony, Fort Worth. For information. Contact Kristin Parma at kparma@texas-wildlife.org or 800-839-9452

OCTOBER

OCTOBER 31

8th Annual Houston Sporting Clay Tournament & Fundraiser, Houston, Texas. For information, contact Charlie Stockstill at cstockstill@texas-wildlife.org or 800-839-9452

TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION OFFERS FREE LUNCHTIME WEBINARS

Would you like to spend your lunch break learning about wildlife management? Join us for our FREE monthly program, “Wild at Work: A Stewardship Series.” Wild at Work’s are one-hour long webinars scheduled from noon to 1:00 p.m. on Wednesdays to give working people a chance to virtually attend. These webinars will cover a variety of topics concerning everything from private land stewardship to Texas wildlife management to natural resource policy updates. Topics planned for the remainder

of this year include conservation easements and mitigation banking, North American model of wildlife management, and natural resource legislation updates.

Date and Time: Second Wednesday of every month | noon – 1:00 p.m. with time for live Q&A

Who: Variety of speakers from Wildlife Biologists to Natural Resource Lobbyists

Cost: Completely FREE (Donations are helpful)

Contact Jared Schlottman at jschlottman@texas-wildlife.org or 512-350-5563 for more information

or visit

https://www.texas-wildlife.org/waw/.

Details on future webinar dates/ topics will be forthcoming.

Spelunkers are a special breed of folks. It’s dark in there and often cramped, damp, and full of bats. Those who enjoy exploring the thousands of caves Texas has to offer, however, see a side of the natural world hidden from the surface.

THE CAVES OF TEXAS

Article and

Iby RUSSELL A. GRAVES

’d heard about this cave for a while. It was unlike any cave I’d been in before, and its existence was an anomaly. You’d think most caves would be at the bottom of a hill or a canyon, but this one’s entrance was up a small hill from a ravine. It was initially hard to see as the landowner and I approached. I was looking in the wrong place in the topography. Then he pointed.

“There it is,” he said.

I followed the direction where his finger pointed and saw the round, smooth opening of the cave’s mouth. It was unlike any cave I’d ever seen. While I can’t say that I am an experienced spelunker, I can say that I’ve been to my fair share of caves, both public and caves on private lands. No two are alike. This one, however, was way different.

photos

Instead of a dirty, craggy opening with rough edges to the inside, this one was smooth and symmetrical. Typical caves often wind through the earth and terminate in an endless maze of subterranean passages. This one, however, was like a tunnel.

It had an entrance and exit, and through the cave, the white gypsum walls were smooth—clear evidence of water flowing through the passage at some point in the past. The floor was covered in silty textured soil. It was damp but not muddy. It appeared water still flowed through this oblong-shaped cave, but not much.

While the water had mostly receded, this cave still served as a sanctuary for wildlife. Coyote tracks dotted the floor, and a dead coyote rested near the wall, a reminder of the circle of life in this hidden world. Above, a group of bats huddled together and clung to the ceiling, their presence a testament to the rich biodiversity of this cave.

While this cave was a fascinating spot, it’s just a fraction of the geological wonders that Texas offers. The state boasts more than 13,000 known caves and sinkholes, each with its own unique features and mysteries.

THE STATE OF KARST

According to the Texas Speleological Survey (TSS), a cave “is a naturally occurring, humanly enterable cavity in the earth, at least 15 feet, 6 inches in traverse length, and where no dimension of the entrance exceeds the length or depth of the cavity.”

Based on TSS data, at least 137 caves in Texas are longer than 300 feet. The state’s longest cave is the Honey Creek Cave in Comal and Kendall counties. It’s nearly 21 miles long and is still being explored.

The deepest cave in Texas is Sorcerer’s Cave in Terrell County at 570 feet deep. TSS reports at least 132 caves are more than 99 feet deep.

Within the cave are larger chambers, which are generally referred to as caverns. Inside the caverns are features that “grow” within the cavern. Caves and caverns occur in areas with underlying water-soluble rock, which is known collectively as karst. Estimates indicate that karst covers as much as 20% of the state.

As defined, karst includes carbonate rocks such as dolomite, limestone, and gypsum. The latter two are the most common in Texas and form the areas where caves are found.

Cave openings can be small, simply a hole in the surface. Watching where you walk is a good idea.

Can you spot the cave mouth? Often, cave entrances are hidden by rocks, foliage or other obstacles.

Most of the state’s caves are found west of Interstate 35 and are concentrated on a broad swath of the Hill Country, western Central Texas, and the Trans Pecos. Here, limestone formations dominate. However, in the central Rolling Plains, from around Snyder north to beyond Wellington, a band of gypsum holds an abundance of caves as well.

WHERE DID THE CAVES COME FROM?

The karst landscapes in Texas are remnants of ancient seabeds that receded millions of years ago. Made up of shells and mud collected on the ocean floor over millions of years, the materials compressed and hardened over time into

Some caves begin as holes on the surface of the ground. In some cases, the holes are really big. Caves in Texas are largely found in the Hill Country, where karst landscapes dominate the geology.

Sinkholes are another formation that can occur in karst landscapes. As water erodes the rock under the surface, the ground can become too heavy for the cavern to support.

limestone. Gypsum karst is the remnant of seawater evaporating from the shallow seas that covered the ancient landscape.

Both types of rock are water soluble. When it rains, water picks up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and soaks down through the soil. Together, the two elements form a weak carbonic acid. Over time, as the slightly acidic water comes into contact with the soluble karst, areas of the subsurface rock begin to wear away and form vast rooms and passages.

Over time, cave openings may emerge as water runs through draws and finds its way underground. The entire process is long and ongoing, as many of Texas’ caves are still forming and growing.

Sinkholes are another type of geologic feature found in karst regions. A sinkhole is a natural depression that’s formed when subsurface limestone, salt, or gypsum is slowly eroded by groundwater. As surface water infiltrates the soil, it percolates downward and moves deeper into the soil.

Over time, the water eats away at the rock layer until voids, or caves, form in the rock. As these voids grow, ultimately, the spaces between the rocks become too big, and the weight of the earth on top of the rock causes the chamber to collapse.

Karst areas also provide subterranean cavities that hold water in vast aquifers. The Edwards Aquifer is one of the most recognized in the state. Located under parts of 11 counties, it encompasses approximately 4,350 square miles. In various places around the aquifer, artesian wells bubble up through the limestone, where water flows from springs.

THE LIVING CAVE

While the wildlife varies by cave and location, caves are undoubtedly valuable habitats for a variety of wildlife species. Transients like coyotes, snakes, owls, rats, swallows, and other surface-dwelling animals utilize caves for shelter. Down deep, however, past the “twilight zone,” the area where surface light is still visible in the cave, a host of other species live in complete darkness.

Scientists classify life in caves under three different designations:

For eons, humans have been attracted to caves. Early humans used them for shelter while modern humans find them inviting to explore.

Trogloxenes are cave visitors. Like the animals mentioned above, they come and go from the cave as they leave to search for food.

Troglophiles are cave lovers. They can leave the cave but spend most of their time inside them. Various species of worms, cave crickets, and some frogs fall under this category.

Troglobites are cave dwellers that spend all their time inside caves and in the subterranean depths in total darkness. The most notable troglobite is perhaps the Texas blind salamander. This eyeless and colorless amphibian spends its entire existence deep in the confines of a cave where no light ever reaches.

While the deepest cave creatures are hard to appreciate because they are seldom seen, Texas caves are the chief habitat of bats of all sorts. According to TSS, the largest known mammal colony in the world lives in the Bracken Bat Cave in Comal County. Here, 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats emerge at

dusk from April to November each year and consume tons of insects on their nightly flights.

Texas caves are also repositories for numerous fossilized mammals. Dating back more than 20 centuries, the fossils in the caves are lasting records of long-extinct species like ground sloths and mammoths.

CAVE TERMINOLOGY

Like other specialized geology, caves and caverns have specialized terms to describe their features. In caverns, formations called speleothems grow from minerals deposited over time by flowing water. The two most common speleothems are stalactites and stalagmites. Stalactites are rock formations that resemble icicles and hang from the ceiling of caverns, while stalagmites grow up from cavern floors. A column is where stalagmites and stalactites grow together to form a single unit.

Whether in a pile or hanging from the cave roof, bats are just one of the many wildlife species that use caves for shelter.

Other cave features include drapery, flowstone, and soda straws.

WHERE TO VISIT CAVES IN TEXAS

While tens of thousands of caves and caverns exist in Texas, a few notable ones are available for public viewing. The Caverns of Sonora near Sonora, Natural Bridge Caverns near San Antonio, and Longhorn and Kickapoo Caverns are a few of several caves open to the public. Each is worthy of a visit as each one is different.

My favorite Texas cavern is one I first visited as a kid. Inner Space caverns and its associated collateral remind me of what traveling Route 66 must have been like back in the 1950s. The big sign has that vintage vibe about it.

While the landscape around Georgetown, Texas, seems to change daily due to commercial and residential development, the sign and the building right off Interstate 35 are just how I remember it, even though this is my second visit since about 1978.

This cavern was discovered serendipitously in 1963 when construction crews were drilling core samples in preparation for an

Often, caves are formed by running water. Over time, cave openings may emerge as water runs through draws and finds its way underground. The entire process is long and ongoing, as many of Texas’ caves are still forming and growing.

Perhaps the most recognized formations inside caves are stalactites and stalagmites. Stalactites, which hang from the cave roof, are formed as mineralized water filters into the cave from above. Over time, the minerals form the cave version of an icicle.

overpass while building Interstate 35. After 60 years, Inner Space Caverns still entertains families from Texas and elsewhere.

Inside the cave, you’ll see the typical stalactites, stalagmites, and soda straw formations. Since the cave is still active, water is omnipresent in the air and on the rocks. In fact, the humidity even keeps some bones from fossilizing. In the pit of an archeological dig, white bones from ancient mammals lie in situ—too brittle to move.

The cave bottom is about 150 feet underground. Up top, the late January temperature is around 50 degrees. Down here, though, it’s in the low 70s, and it always is even when the land is baking in the summertime.

When you stand near the original borehole, which was punched through the karst when this cavern was first discovered, you can hear a car pass by overhead every now and then. It’s a faint sound, but you can pick it out nonetheless. Those sounds fade away when you study the miraculous and otherworldly formations within the cave.

Soon, our tour leader takes us to the deepest reaches of the cave, where he turns the lights off. It’s as dark an environment as you’ll ever experience. It’s a bit disorienting, but it’s an incredible experience nonetheless.

That’s part of the magic of Texas caves.

Stalagmites form on the cave floor. Like the stalactites that hang above, they are formed as water drips into the cave and leaves mineral deposits behind. Over time, stalactites and stalagmites can join, forming a mineral column.

Caves often form in karst areas which are water soluble. Water and carbon dioxide combine to form a mild acid, which erodes the karst formations. Over time, subterranean cavities can form that hold water in aquifers. The Edwards Aquifer is one of the largest and most recognized in the state.

11th Annual Private Lands Summit July 11, 2024 | 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

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$150 • Register Today Registration ends at 5 p.m. July 8, 2024

TWA Expeditions Continue to Grow and Impact Students

Article by GENE COOPER

With 95% of Texas privately owned, it’s likely that today’s average school students will, when they become adults, either own land and/or influence how Texas’ land and natural resources are utilized, managed, and cared for. Texas needs future leaders and landowners who realize the importance of managing private property and appreciate the value of the state’s precious natural resources.

TWA’s Conservation Legacy Youth Education programs are all geared toward accomplishing this goal. Currently, TWA’s Wildlife by Design program has eight conservation educators around the state who facilitate free and TEKS-aligned, hands-on conservation presentations in K-8 schools.

Of course, there is no classroom substitute for experiencing the sights, smells, and sounds of Texas’ beautiful prairies, marshes, Rolling Plains, Piney Woods, Cross Timbers, and

Post Oak forests. That’s where TWA’s Land, Water & Wildlife Expeditions program comes into the picture.

The Land, Water & Wildlife Expeditions program is a free, TEKS-aligned conservation partnership between TWA and participating Texas middle and high schools. The partnership provides a TWA-created natural resources curriculum to middle and high school students culminating with a day of outdoor studies focused on land, water, and wildlife.

Science teachers from each school are trained and implement five TWA lessons into their classroom, based on land, water, wildlife, and natural resources conservation. During the field day, there are six to nine stations focused on land, water, and wildlife that bring the concepts taught in the classroom to life by getting the students outdoors, giving them hands-on experiences and the opportunity to learn from natural resource experts.

Photos courtesy of CONSERVATION LEGACY

TWA’s Land, Water & Wildlife programs not only provide classroom learning, but field experiences where students spend a day outdoors, learning about ecosystems and how they function. This impacts students both individually and collectively.

The goal is to enhance student comprehension of natural resources as part of their formal science studies. For example, one of the popular wildlife stations is the Scent Station. Flour is laid out in a circle the night before the field day. An open can of tuna is placed in the middle of the flour circle. During the field day, students investigate the animal tracks that appear overnight in the flour. Scent stations are just one method to determine some of the wildlife that are in the area.

The 2023-24 school year ushered in the second year of TWA’s Land, Water, and Wildlife program. The number of participating schools has grown, which has resulted in a significant increase in teachers and students impacted by the program.

During the 2022-23 school year, five Texas schools had 945 students participate in the Land, Water, and Wildlife program. These were Fort Worth Country Day School, Northwest ISD’s Medlin Middle School, Brenham ISD’s Brenham Junior High School, and the San Antonio area’s Compass Rose Journey Academy and San Antonio Academy.

The 2023-24 school year saw the number of schools participating double from five to 10. In addition to the five original schools, new campuses include Judson ISD’s JSTEM Academy, Pflugerville ISD’s Dessau Middle School, Harlandale ISD’s Terrell Wells Middle School, Alvin ISD’s Rodeo Palms Junior High School, and Comal ISD’s Danville Middle School.

This year, Land, Water, & Wildlife Expeditions have provided more than 2,000 students with hands-on, engaging conservation related classroom lessons and field day experiences, and we hope to continue to grow exponentially each year.

TWA understands the importance of ensuring that today’s students have knowledge and appreciation of the natural resources found on private property in Texas. Whether those natural resources are related to land, water or wildlife, the actions (or inactions) of our future leaders will greatly affect the private property and natural resources of this great state. Thanks to the support of the TWA membership and TWAF, the Conservation Legacy Youth Education programs will be at the forefront of meeting this goal.

A ring of…flour? As part of the day-long Land, Water & Wildlife Expedition, students learn to identify animal tracks. The night before, flour is scattered on the ground and a can of tuna dumped in the middle. Tracks show up clearly in the flour.

All ecosystem food webs start from the bottom up. These students are learning to identify aquatic bugs that are an important part of ecosystem function.

QUOTES FROM EDUCATORS:

“I believe this expedition was successful in fulfilling its objective because our students showed growth in their knowledge and skills based on the vocabulary and topics that were presented to them.”

~ Frank Lopez, Compass Rose Journey

“Helping them see how the topics we discuss in class will be a part of their lives regardless of profession, as most are land owners, [was my favorite aspect of the program.]”

~Amelia Gagnon, San Antonio Academy

QUOTES FROM STUDENTS:

“I had fun because I got to learn about these things in more of a fun interactive way instead of just sitting in a class listening to all of this information.”

~ Medlin Middle School student

“It made me think that nature can be much more fun than sitting at home watching television or the phone.”

~ Medlin Middle School student

“I think it is very important to know about your resources so you can be a steward to the land.”

~ San Antonio Academy student

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“It makes me want to spend more time outdoors because of how pretty nature is and I wanna get to know about everything around me and how it works.”

~ Rodeo Palms JHS student

“I now want to explore more about wildlife, and I want to go down to the creek in my neighborhood to look at the different species.”

~ Medlin Middle School student

“I’m interested in learning more about natural resources because the concept drives me to take care of the environment”

~ Rodeo Palms JHS student

“I was really interested in the wildlife and I want to be able to learn more about the animals in nature.”

~ Rodeo Palms JHS student

TWIN LAKES RANCH

CROOKED TREE RANCH

These students learned about life underground. They inserted a digital probe into the ground to gather temperature and moisture readings, then used a soil probe to take a soil sample.

TEXAS WILDLIFE

CAESAR KLEBERG WILDLIFE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-KINGSVILLE

Rut Behavior and Movement of Texas Panhandle Mule Deer

Article by LEVI HEFFELFINGER, CALVIN ELLIS, and MICHAEL CHERRY

Photos courtesy of CAESAR KLEBERG WILDLIFE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

All deer species in North America are polygamous, which means individual males attempt to reproduce with multiple females. In addition to growing larger and developing antlers, males have adapted a number of behaviors to acquire mates.

These additional behaviors are called mate-search strategies and two main types seem to be prominent in deer— “harem” and “tending bond” strategies. Elk are a great example of harem strategy users, where a mature, dominant bull elk

will collect, protect, and exclusively mate with a group of females while warding off competitors.

White-tailed deer, however, are an example of tending bond strategy users. Males often establish the dominance pecking order leading up to rut, and then spend their time alone searching for individual females to come into estrus to “lock down” with to gain breeding rights. However, the mate-search strategy for mule deer remains unclear. Often, hunters observe mule deer bucks tending a

harem of females during the rut, like elk do. However, many times the opposite is observed, where a mule deer buck is chasing a female similar to white-tailed deer.

There have been observational studies looking at rut behavior of whitetailed and mule deer that show a clear signal for whitetails performing a tending bond. However, the mule deer data are “messy.” Like hunters’ observations, the data indicate that bucks sometimes try to form pairs and other times, larger groups.

Sponsored by JOHN AND LAURIE SAUNDERS

This group of does includes research animals identified with neck collars. They are a harem opportunity for a buck that is big and strong enough to keep other bucks at bay.

Previous work by Dr. Aaron Foley and others at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute (CKWRI) have evaluated white-tailed deer mate-searching using GPS collar data. We are now replicating these studies with mule deer to compare between species.

A recently completed Texas Panhandle study accumulated GPS collar data from 146 mule deer, of which 69 were bucks and 77 were does. We used this dataset to look at movement rates and areas used by bucks throughout stages of rut, like the previous white-tailed deer study.

To assess rut behavior in mule deer, we first need to know when rut is. The previous white-tailed deer work had the luxury of relying on older work that identified rut timing. With Texas Panhandle mule deer, little is known.

To determine mule deer rut, we backtracked and examined female movement during fawning. Female deer drastically reduce movement in the days immediately following birthing. So, we looked at average movement of females to find the “dip” mid-summer. Then, backdating that by average gestation length identifies the average conception date, which is peak rut.

Using this method, we found peak rut to be December 30 in Hall and Motley counties, December 21 in Lamb, Yoakum, and Cochran counties, and December 3 in Hutchinson and Roberts counties. These estimates match some work by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in the 1980s as well as the observed buck movement.

So far, we have seen similar results between mule deer and whitetails in buck movement surrounding rut. From early rut through peak rut, mule deer bucks increase the amount of movement and space use, like whitetail bucks, in search of receptive females. After peak rut, movement rates and space use size then begin dropping off at a quicker pace than white-tailed deer.

Perhaps this quicker drop-off is an indication of differences between species. Whitetail bucks may be cruising for the last couple of females while mule deer bucks are done protecting harems. Conversely, like whitetails, mule deer bucks at least two years old seem to do most of the rut movement and yearlings do not spend as much time looking for females.

Another indication of rut behavior may be the size of mule deer space use during the rut. Mule deer bucks on average use almost 4,000 acres during the rut, with some individuals using upwards of 9,000 acres. Following rut, bucks decrease space use to around 2,800 acres and continue decreasing their range. Space use is smallest through the year end at 1,600 acres before the next rut.

These large rut home ranges suggest hunters may need to cover a significant area to increase their chances of encountering a mature buck during the rut. Additionally, these results highlight the importance of managing habitat and hunting pressure across a grander landscape scale, as bucks may range widely across multiple properties.

Despite the large variation in the size of space used throughout a year, bucks often use different areas seasonally. For example, the area that bucks use during the rut overlaps only 26% of the area they use pre-rut. Similarly, the area used post-rut averages 38% overlap of the rut area.

These results raised the question; would mule deer bucks reuse the same peak rut area between years? Perhaps, bucks would search the same area during the rut from year to year for receptive females (like whitetail) or maybe wander away to where the groups of females are (perhaps a harem strategy).

We found bucks have little overlap of rut space use between years. Surprisingly, bucks use about 31% of the same pre-rut and rut areas between two years. This increases during post rut, averaging 35% overlap between years.

This inconsistent use of pre-rut and rut areas from year to year suggests hunters and landowners may need to adapt scouting, hunting, and management strategies annually to identify prime

Movement rates of Texas Panhandle mule deer (top) and South Texas white-tailed deer (bottom) based on age class and rut stage. Whitetail data are from a 2015 publication by Dr. Aaron Foley and others at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute. The white-tailed deer publication is titled “Purposeful wanderings: mate search strategies of male white-tailed deer” in the “Journal of Mammalogy.”

pre-rut and rut areas rather than relying on previous years’ patterns. Additionally, the slight increased consistency of postrut areas could allow landowners to adjust management strategies to improve habitat in these areas that are crucial to rut recovery.

These results raise some questions. If mule deer are mate-searching like whitetails, why do hunters and landowners often see harem-like groups of mule deer during the rut? Does decreased mule deer movement in late rut compared with whitetails mean they are harem breeders?

Does the large range sizes and little range overlap mean they are cruising like whitetails or shifting the areas they keep a harem from year to year? And, if mule deer use a tending bond strategy, how do they do this during the large migrations of western Rocky Mountain populations?

Perhaps the mule deer mate-search strategy is a behavior that’s fluid based

on circumstance. The Texas Panhandle has extensive agriculture and moderate to high densities of mule deer which might provide a similar competitive mating scenario to whitetails.

In areas of low mule deer density, it might be advantageous for a mule deer buck to find a group of females and protect them for the entirety of rut as opposed to wandering the landscape in search of individual does. Further, migratory populations, unlike the Texas Panhandle, might be forced to perform harem-like behavior because many deer are concentrated in small areas where single pairs cannot separate from the group.

We are looking into more ways to answer these questions with further analyses and by combining datasets with nearby states where deer undergo varying scenarios that could shape their rut behavior. But for now, the jury is still out on whether mule deer act like small elk or big whitetails during the rut.

Long Term Hunters Wanted!

How mule deer bucks use the space around them varies by season. This example shows a mule deer buck’s range overlap between the rut in two consecutive years in the Texas Panhandle.

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Register online at https://www.texas-wildlife.org/wildlife-convention/

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Filling the Gap

Article by LARRY WEISHUHN

Photos courtesy of LARRY WEISHUHN OUTDOORS

There was a time when my summer months were filled with cutting trails through South Texas Brush Country whitebrush thickets, creating trails that bucks might follow come the fall hunting season. I had long ago learned deer, like people, will nearly always take the path of least resistance.

By creating those trails through brush thickets, I essentially caused them to walk where I wanted them to. Quite often I fertilized those newly cut trails with 13-13-13. While I created an easier trail, it was also tempting, boasting fresh growth that was highly palatable and nutritious.

My man-made trails were usually 4 to 6 feet wide, and either zig-zagged or snaked through dense thickets. Those designer trails allowed me to hunt those areas, regardless of wind direction, where even the wariest of bucks felt safe. Depending on when I hunted those cut trail thickets, I either sat in a South Texas Tripod produced by my long-time friend and TWA supporter, Chuck Cashdollar, or I sat on the ground and rattled.

While hunting those tight cover whitetails, I most often used my .44 magnum or .454 Casull revolvers, T/C Contender or Encore handguns, or a lever action, as opposed to some of my traditional longer range rifles. By shooting the appropriate Hornady ammo and hunting this way, I put several mature bucks on our camp’s meat pole.

That was back when I was involved with several ranches where I had access to hunt or was part of a lease group.

During the many years I did outdoor television shows, I mostly participated in guided or semi-guided hunts. In order to procure a sufficient number of episodes each year, I had to hunt many places and that meant also hunting other states plus Canada, Mexico, Europe, Africa, South America, Australia, and New Zealand. In those years, I continually had a cameraman by my side.

I have occasionally said, “There’s hunting and there’s hunting for the camera. The two are worlds apart and have very little to do with one another.” There’s more truth in that than most people, even hunters, ever realize.

Switching horses on you, at our annual TWA Convention in July we will once again have many exceptional auction items up for bid, including several fabulous hunts. One of the other items will be a Ruger No. 1 single-shot rifle, which is the fifth in

Build it and they will come. And go. Deer, like people, will take the path of least resistance and building trails through the brush is a great way to get deer to walk where you want them to.

a series that I set up called the Founder’s Rifle and I donate to TWA.

For the past four years, I have done an original drawing of one of the five native big game species we have in Texas. So far, as part of the series, I’ve rendered a white-tailed deer, a mule deer, a pronghorn, and a desert bighorn sheep. Each drawing was engraved on an appropriate caliber/round of a Ruger No. 1’s receiver, along with my signature. The Texas Wildlife Association logo was engraved on the other side of the receiver.

The only game species remaining is the javelina, which is the 2024 Founder’s Rifle and the last in the series of five. The caliber/round appropriate to hunt the species will be announced shortly before the Convention.

As one of our three co-founders, these represent my effort to give back to and support TWA and all the great things we as an organization have been able to accomplish. I look forward to seeing you in San Antonio at our 39th annual TWA Convention!

One of the popular auction items at the TWA Convention is a Ruger No. 1 single-shot rifle, donated by the author, called the Founder’s Rifle. This year’s rifle will be the fifth in the series and will highlight the javelina.

TAMU NEWS

Life Skills and Wild Pig Management

Article by BRITTANY WEGNER and ABIGAIL HOLMES

Photos courtesy of TAMU NATURAL

RESOURCES INSTITUTE

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) remain one of the greatest invasive species problems not just in Texas but in the United States. They are highly adaptable, incredibly smart, and learn patterns very quickly. Now established in at least 35 U.S. states, these animals have adapted well along the human-wildland interface, resulting in widespread negative impacts to urban and suburban areas as well as rural lands.

Using data from the Texas Demographic Center and the TAMU Natural Resources Institute (NRI) Texas Land

Trends program, human populations in Texas are projected to increase by 3–5 million by 2036; We are tracking about a square mile of agricultural lands converted to development every day to support this growth. From these data, we can conclude that an increasing number of people will continue to encounter wild pigs and experience their negative impacts.

To better equip Texans with the tools and knowledge necessary to manage this species, NRI’s wild pig expert Jay Long joined us on the latest episode of The Land Steward Podcast. We dis-

cussed a few aspects of wild pig management that he teaches at educational workshops statewide.

Long served in the Marine Corps for 10 years, including two overseas tours, before he landed back in the natural resources field as a park ranger and public hunting coordinator for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). Long’s day-to-day travels across Texas provide the opportunity for him to meet with landowners to help them navigate managing invasive species through educational programming and technical assistance.

Wild pigs can be hard to control due to a variety of factors. Among them is a rapid rate of reproduction. TPWD estimates that wild pig sows can have 4 to 6 piglets per litter and can have as many as 1.5 litters per year.

THE WILD PIG PROBLEM

Nationwide, the wild pig population is estimated to be more than 6 million, with estimated numbers of 2.6 million in Texas alone. They’ve been observed in every county in Texas except El Paso and Dallam counties. Dallam County recently became wild pig-free due to intensive control efforts through the USDA’s Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program.

The cost of wild pig crop damage and control efforts are reported to be greater than $1.5 billion across the country. Damage and control efforts in Texas are estimated to be about $500 million annually, according to the Texas A&M Department of Agricultural Economics and the USDA.

While these are the best available data, it isn’t entirely representative of the wild pig situation because there is no one agency or individual dedicated to counting wild pig populations and quantifying the damage they create. Wild pigs are also very elusive, which only compounds the difficulty of this effort.

However, we know they spend a significant portion of their time around creeks and streams to wallow, and they can contribute bacteria and nutrients to those water bodies. That can cause watershed impairments that lead to detrimental health impacts for human communities.

They can substantially impact water quality by depositing E. coli bacteria, eroding banks, increasing sediment loads and algae blooms, and causing oxygen depletion. In short, wild pig use of any water resource can have huge downstream impacts for both wildlife and people.

TOP THREE TAKEAWAYS FOR WILD PIG CONTROL

The top three things that Long conveys at educational workshops are:

• Wild pigs are here and it’s going to take a sustained and joint effort across the state to reduce their population numbers and the damage they cause.

• Pigs need water and will often become nocturnal during the hot, dry summer months, making it a challenge to adapt control efforts

around their movements during these times.

• There are two reduction methods that have been scientifically proven to be independently capable of reducing wild pig populations— aerial gunning and corral trapping. The caveats here are that aerial gunning is often cost-prohibitive for landowners, and not every property is suitable for aerial gunning, given its size and location.

Trapping, if done incorrectly, can lead to learned wild pig aversion to both the trapping efforts and human presence. Thankfully, there are assistance programs that can be found throughout Texas counties. For information regarding assistance programs, landowners can reach out to their county Extension agent and Texas Wildlife Services (TWS).

When presented with these two options, many landowners ask if they can make the same kind of population-scale

impact on their land using just a rifle. Long shared some field insights. He explained that, even with all the bells and whistles, it’s just not possible for an individual landowner to harvest more than three or four pigs at a time before they fully disperse and it becomes unsafe to shoot. This is not to say shooting doesn’t work at all, but, on average, without incredible frequency, this strategy alone won’t make a large-scale population effect for an adaptable species like the wild pig.

TRAPPING

Generally, trapping is the most feasible option for many landowners, and Long teaches about three different styles of traps during demonstrations:

1. corral style traps

2. human-activated traps

3. continuous traps

Factors in trap style include property size, location, resource availability, how severe the problem is, and level of investment.

If it’s wet, wild pigs will find it. Because hogs can’t sweat, they need to wallow to stay cool. However, wild pigs can damage stream banks, increase turbidity in ponds, and spread harmful pathogens while doing what pigs do.

“No matter which method you choose, what I tell every landowner I talk to is that you’re only going to be as successful as the amount of pre-work you put in before you ever put a trap on the ground,” Long said. To his point, it could take days or weeks after building a traditional corral trap before you catch a single pig, which is why Long stresses the importance of pre-baiting.

To pre-bait, identify specific areas on your property where pigs are active, then begin baiting them consistently before interfering. Then, set up a game camera to get an idea of how many pigs use the area. On the podcast, Long recommended a simple set up, like a deer feeder and cell camera.

Once you’ve picked a good location, be patient for the whole sounder to come to the bait. It is important to observe their behavior toward the introduction of bait to the area; if the bait does not seem to cause any hesitation in the pigs’ use of the area, then it will most likely be appropriate to build the trap in one setting.

However, if the introduction of bait to the area appears to cause the pigs to hesitate, it may be more appropriate to build the trap over several days to allow for the pigs to get used to the new structure in their habitat. Although this technique is not published in literature, it’s a common practice that Long said will help land stewards become more effective trappers.

Once you’ve successfully trapped a sounder of pigs, you have two options. The first is to take them to an approved holding or hunting facility for processing. You can go to the Texas Animal Health Commission’s website to see a list of holding facilities close to your area.

As part of the pre-work so you can be prepared to transport them to a facility, Long recommended calling to confirm that they accept pigs, what size they are looking for, and at what price point. This option allows landowners to get some money back on their investment into trapping.

The second option is to dispatch the pigs in the trap. In this episode, Long provided a few strategies on the best way to do so, including looking for clean shots, shooting from the largest pig down

to the smallest pig, and using a suitable firearm like a .22 long rifle or a .17 HMR.

SUBURBAN AND URBAN WILD PIG MANAGEMENT

As Texas is continually developed, some land stewards may not be able to shoot or trap pigs safely because their neighborhood is growing more suburban. One option is working together as a neighborhood, buying one trap, and moving it around the land cooperatively to achieve wild pig control. The reality is that it becomes harder as neighborhoods become more urban and are closer to a city center.

In these cases, land stewards will need to rely on cities and towns to start sponsoring their own wild pig management programs. Organizations like TWS have existing urban damage management technicians across the state to help with more suburban issues. In areas where trapping and shooting are not viable options, Long said you can use specific types of fencing, like hog feedlot panel fencing, which can be effective if maintained properly.

WORKING WITH LANDOWNERS

We rounded out the podcast by hearing from Long about a landowner who recently became the manager of his family

Wild pigs are found in all but two Texas counties and are one of the greatest invasive species problems nationwide. They are highly adaptive and can cause tremendous damage to cropland, rangeland, and urban and suburban landscapes.

land and attended a wild pig workshop. This landowner asked many good questions during the workshop, had read a lot of the NRI wild pig literature, and asked if Long would be willing to come out to his property in Bastrop to help him begin his trapping efforts.

In this specific case, Long broke the rules of pre-baiting, but the landowner was willing to accept the trade-offs to have expert help for his first experience. In episode 4 of the podcast, we discussed how valuable it can be to contact your natural resource professionals like Long whose favorite part of his job is getting to travel to properties across Texas and provide insight and experience where it’s needed.

If you or a landowner you know are interested in this kind of expertise for wild pig management, you can find Long’s contact information on our NRI People page and learn a little more about our wild pig education and outreach program. We also have many videos and free, online private land stewardship lessons focused on different aspects of wild pig control, information about how they impact water quality, and even how to prepare and cook your harvests. Take a look at these resources and keep an eye out for some new video content we’re releasing soon.

Listen to our latest episode of The Land Steward Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

For more information on feral hog management, check out these links:

https://rise.articulate.com/share/F_9Ed NilyGKbqXbDkRejiWRovjyAi4o-#/

https://www.youtube.com/ playlist?list=PL-fHLDjeQUqY6yq-0EsvO0GhqOsH8UL0Y

extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.tahc.texas.gov/animal_health/swine/FeralSwineFacilities.pdf

https://agrilifepeople.tamu.edu/people/ view/8077

https://agecoext.tamu.edu/wp-content/ uploads/2023/02/Feral-Hogs-2022.pdf

Antelope-Horn Milkweed

Article and photos by RICKY LINEX

While there are many plant/insect-dependent relationships for pollination, food, or cover, the most widely recognized relationship arguably is that of the Monarch butterfly and species of the Asclepias genus of plants commonly known as the milkweeds.

While Monarchs utilize many milkweeds, they are often associated with Antelope-horn milkweed, Asclepias asperula It is found across much of Texas, particularly within the central third of the state which matches the northern springtime migration route of the Monarchs. Adult Monarch butterflies search for milkweeds where they lay their eggs.

Milkweed leaves and stems contain a class of toxic chemicals called cardenolides. When Monarch caterpillars eat the leaves, they ingest the toxins which remain within the caterpillar through several growth stages and eventually into the adult butterfly.

A predator that eats an orange and black caterpillar or butterfly will quickly become sick and vomit. This predator has learned a life lesson—never eat a black and orange caterpillar or butterfly. As a side note, cardenolides, also called cardiac

Many pollinator species nectar upon the 36 native and one introduced species of milkweed in Texas.

Antelope-horn milkweed can be found in all soil types.

Seed pods mature, split open, and the wind spreads the seeds across the land.

glycosides, have been used medicinally to treat heart ailments both in folk and clinical medicine.

This milkweed grows from a woody root, 1 to 2 feet tall with leaning stems up to 2 feet long, often spreading out and forming a rounded mound up to 3 feet wide. The leaves are simple, alternate, 2½ inches long on short petioles arranged up the stem in an irregular pattern. The leaves are lance-shaped with a prominent main vein and appear keel-shaped, folded like a boat’s hull.

The flower is most unusual in that the 3- to 4-inch terminal flower head is an umbrella shape resembling half a popcorn ball with numerous corollas showing five purplish petals surrounded by cream and pale green colors. The fruit is a green pod which matures to brown, resembling the horn sheath of pronghorn antelope.

Most milkweeds are poisonous to livestock but taste bad, so poisoning is very rare. Milkweeds are poor value for deer and antelope.

The mature seedpods split open releasing hundreds of seeds bearing silky tails that aid in spreading the seeds by windblown dispersion. The light brown seeds are flattened and average 3/16-inch in length.

Seed use by birds is low, although birds can break off the tail to consume the seed. Some songbirds use the silky fluff of the seed for lining their nests.

Milkweeds are great for pollinator species and demonstrate that most plants have value even if not for game birds and animals. All milkweeds serve as the larval host plant for Monarch and other closely related butterflies, and the flowers provide a rich source of nectar.

Milkweeds can survive in any soil type including rocky, sandy, and clayey soils, ensuring the plants can be found in all vegetative regions of Texas though fewer sightings are seen in the South Texas Brush Country and the East Texas Piney Woods. Antelope-horn prefers full sunlight, so open prairies will contain more milkweed plants than wooded areas.

All parts of the plant emit a milky sap when damaged. This sap can cause reactions to those with sensitive skin; however, an old-time use of this plant was removing warts by applying the milky juice daily.

Seeds of antelope-horn are fairly expensive, considering that a packet of 10 seeds sold for $6.00 a few years ago. One reason is because antelope-horn has not been extensively planted commercially, so supply is low.

Perhaps the main reason for the shortfall is that the milky, sticky sap that exudes from the seed pods and all parts of the plant prevents the traditional harvest with combines. So, when you buy antelope-horn seeds, give thanks to the person who hand harvested that seed for you.

Leaves reveal the folded or keeled shape with sap oozing from a damaged leaf.

Developing flower heads begin growing in late March into April.

Flower heads show multiple five-petaled flowers.

Guest Speaker

Mr. Whitetail

Friday, July 12, 2024

12:00pm - 1:30pm

JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa

23808 Resort Pkwy San Antonio, 78261

by 11:59 pm Friday, July 5

This year’s Foundation Luncheon guest speaker is none other than one of TWA’s founding fathers, LARRY WEISHUHN

Mountain lions are apex predators wherever they roam. Even though they prey on deer and the occasional calf, members of the Mountain Lion Stakeholder Group agreed the species is an important part of the Texas landscape.

Photo by Russell A. Graves

THE STATE OF MOUNTAIN LIONS

Article by LORIE A. WOODWARD

Thanks to a petition filed with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, the notoriously secretive mountain lion has been dragged from the remotest corners of Texas into the public eye.

“Acting on their belief that mountain lions deserved more protection in Texas, the seven-member coalition, known as Texans for Mountain Lions, filed a petition in June 2022,” said Justin Dreibelbis, TWA CEO. “The petition raised several issues regarding mountain lion management in a manner that forced the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission to act.”

When a petition is filed with the Commission, the group must accept it or deny it. In this case, the Commission denied the petition but created the Mountain Lion Stakeholder Group (MLSG) to explore and address the issues identified in the petition.

“From my perspective, the Commission’s decision to empanel a stakeholder group and investigate the premise for the petition was a very thoughtful response,” said Joseph Fitzsimons, South Texas rancher, attorney, TWA member, and former Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Chairman who chaired the MLSG. “It was not a knee-jerk denial, but a platform for asking ‘What do we know?’ and ‘What do we need to know?’”

The 19 members of the stakeholder group were intentionally chosen by TPWD to represent all viewpoints surrounding the potentially contentious subject. The stakeholders included affected landowners, land managers, trappers, houndsmen, livestock producers, academic researchers, private wildlife biologists, and subject matter specialists.

“Texas Parks and Wildlife did a good job of creating a representative body around this issue,” said James Oliver, a West Texas rancher who represented Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers on the MLSG. “This inclusive group of people ranged from those who have been chasing and trapping lions all of their lives to people who had never actually seen one but presented the urban perspective.”

The MLSG was tasked with discussing six charges: the abundance, status, distribution, and persistence of mountain lions in Texas; the development of a mountain lion management plan for Texas; harvest reporting; trap/snare check standards; harvest/bag limits; and “canned” hunts.

THE HISTORY

This is not the first time that mountain lion management in Texas has drawn attention. In 1971, two bills were introduced into the Texas Legislature. One designated the mountain lion as a game animal, a distinction that must be made by the legislature, while the other mandated full protection for the species. Neither bill passed.

Then in 1992, a petition was filed with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission to provide greater protection for mountain lions in the state. The petition was denied because the Commission believed the increasing number of voluntary reports of lion sightings indicated the cats’ range was expanding.

In its response letter, the Commission stated it would review the reports annually and implement mandatory reporting if the voluntary efforts proved to be inadequate. The issue was not revisited, and a management policy was not implemented.

More recently, TPWD convened an “expert panel meeting” in 2010 to discuss mountain lion management. Then, in 2012, the agency held an internal meeting of the Wildlife Division field leadership that issued four recommendations:

1. Develop and implement a program to monitor the population of lions statewide.

2. If or when necessary, manage regional harvest to maintain healthy, viable populations.

3. Institute a 36-hour trap check requirement for lions as currently exists for furbearing species.

4. Prohibit the possession of live mountain lions. Again, the recommendations were not implemented.

“Early on, Chairman Fitzsimons challenged us by saying, ‘I don’t want my grandchildren dealing with these same issues, so

let’s make common sense recommendations to the Commission and let them do their work,’” Oliver said. “This was a very deliberate process designed to bring us to some conclusions.”

THE PROCESS

Learning from the failed attempts of the past, Fitzsimons implemented two strategies to keep the group moving forward in cooperation instead of devolving into a highly charged emotional stalemate.

First, the meetings were open to invited guests only, which was defined as stakeholder group members and expert presenters. This prohibition wasn’t implemented to make the meetings “secret” but to limit the amount of unbridled emotion from people who weren’t charged with making productive decisions.

In addition, all participants agreed to keep the proceedings in the room and not post information to social media. They also agreed to forward any media requests to TPWD spokespeople instead of responding personally.

“We all entered this process with trepidation, knowing that mountain lion management could become a thorny issue that tapped into deep emotions,” Oliver said. “And at times, the process got emotional but never toxic. Everyone did an excellent job of being accountable for their actions, reining in extreme reactions, listening to differing viewpoints, and creating a collegial atmosphere of trust.”

Second, Fitzsimons created an “education forward” process that compelled stakeholder members to stretch beyond their opinions and current beliefs.

“As Winston Churchill said, ‘Facts are stubborn things,’” Fitzsimons said. “I’ve found that people who have the strongest opinions have generally done the least amount of homework.”

Working with researchers and agency biologists, he identified leading mountain lion experts from across the nation and invited them to address the current state of mountain lion ecology across the United States. The stakeholders also heard from members of state and federal agencies who have been actively managing mountain lions in their jurisdictions for decades. In addition, the stakeholder group was given significant homework that included a lot of reading.

“Through our shared education, we faced facts,” Fitzsimons said. “Gaining knowledge is a leveling process that makes it impossible to throw out your personally beloved opinion and then storm out of the room. By embracing the facts, we were able to move forward instead of simply repeating our well-known positions.”

The MLSG met five times in 2023. After the initial meeting, the group tackled two charges at each succeeding session. The meetings were a mix of education and breakout sessions. Even in the breakout sessions, all perspectives on the issue were represented.

The process produced the desired effects: a strong, openminded working group and concrete recommendations promulgated in the best interest of mountain lions and Texas.

“I think we all learned a lot by listening and considering different points of view,” Fitzsimons said. “I actually enjoyed it. If the Chairman [Jeffrey Hildebrand] wants us to continue as we

Mountain lions are secretive and hard to identify. As such, new technology including facial recognition offers new opportunities for research that will help better illuminate the state of the species in Texas.

Photo courtesy Texas Parks and Wildlife Department © 2022

have, where all sides are talking openly in a respectful way, then I believe this group could contribute greatly.”

THE RESULTS

The process yielded results. In Fitzsimons’ estimation, the diverse group reached consensus on “4.5 out of six” of the charges.

“For a diverse group representing all sides of the spectrum, we came to a remarkable level of agreement on a number of issues,” said Fitzsimons, noting that the group strongly supported banning canned hunting and conducting more baseline research, which is currently lacking. The research could eventually form the basis of a mountain lion management plan, which the MLSG agreed Texas needed.

“I think it was eye-opening for a lot of people to realize what we didn’t know,” Fitzsimons said.

For instance, part of the original petition asked for bag/harvest limits, which are required for a species to be managed as a game animal.

“It became clear to everyone that we didn’t have enough solid, scientific information to craft a management plan or establish any type of limits,” Fitzsimons said. “It’s a reality check to realize that we don’t know enough to do what some are asking for.”

Perhaps the most important piece of common ground that the group claimed was its widespread agreement that mountain lions have been, are, and will always be a vital part of Texas’ natural history.

“Within the group, there was a common appreciation for the species, whether they were part of the South Texas population, the Trans Pecos population or elsewhere,” Dreibelbis said. “No one, including those people who can take a financial hit when mountain lions prey on their livestock and wildlife, want the cats to disappear from the landscape.”

Understandably, the people who stand to lose their livelihood to mountain lions want to maintain the right to trap predatory cats, he said. From TWA’s perspective, trapping is an important tool to provide.

Trapping, specifically a mandatory 36hour trap check, was one point where the group did not agree. The sticking point was not the necessity of checking the traps, but mandating a specific timeframe that may not be enforceable or practical in the rough, rugged, and remote habitat that mountain lions frequent.

“Obviously, checking traps regularly is an ethical and moral issue—and something TWA supports,” Dreibelbis said. “When a specific timeframe is man-

be mandatory or voluntary. According to academic researchers, mandatory harvest reporting is the gold standard of information gathering because it ensures the most comprehensive data sets. Most western states have mandatory harvest reporting.

Texas, as a private lands state, is vastly different from the western states that have a preponderance of public land. In Texas, where 95% of the land is privately owned, most mountain lions and mountain lion

dated, though, it becomes problematic because it can inadvertently turn a wellmeaning, well-intentioned landowner into a lawbreaker.”

He continued, “Including trap check times as part of a departmental list of best management practices would be more productive and better received than a regulation.”

While the group agreed Texas lacked adequate harvest data, the members disagreed whether the reporting should

habitat exist on private lands. As a result, most management activities and research opportunities require the cooperation of private landowners.

“In Texas, private land provides the laboratories where research data is generated,” Oliver said. “For researchers to find the answers about mountain lions—and all the other wildlife species—they must have the voluntary engagement and participation of private land stewards. Issuing mandates to a

Anecdotally, it appears the state of mountain lions in Texas is good, with a growing population. But data are limited and nobody really knows for sure, prompting calls for more research.

Photo courtesy Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

2022

bunch of independent-minded Texans could result in slammed and locked gates across the state—and nobody wants that.”

Mandatory harvest reporting could also jeopardize the positive working relationship that TPWD has built with

landowners over the past 40 years. The specter of losing the trust that has benefited Texas wild things and wild places is legitimate and has prompted some to look outside the proverbial box for solutions.

Dreibelbis envisions a voluntary reporting system that involves updating TPWD’s My Texas Hunt Harvest app to allow easy, confidential reporting of mountain lion harvests. The phone app could be personalized to capture additional data such as measurements or photos that would aid researchers. When it comes to mountain lions, the data on the app would be reported at a county level not at a property level, ensuring an extra degree of privacy in addition to that offered by Texas’ data confidentiality law for landowners.

In addition, with the advent of new technology, Dreibelbis maintains that the time is right to re-think population data methodology and develop new techniques that are built on counting live animals instead of just dead ones. Oliver, once it became known he was serving on the stakeholder group, received a steady stream of game camera images from landowners that featured mountain lions, including one picture that showed six adult cats at a single water trough.

“Anecdotally, it seems as if the lion population is in good shape, but we don’t have the hard data to support that,” Oliver said. “From my perspective, we need more data to make the best decisions.”

As part of the stakeholder process, the group heard how researchers were using new facial recognition software in conjunction with camera traps to identify individual lions, a capability that was previously unheard of.

“If researchers don’t have the methods necessary to get the data we need, I think now is the time to develop them,” Dreibelbis said. “Technology is opening possibilities that never existed before.”

Fitzsimons concurred.

“The only way to avoid biology by the ballot box is to have strong, scientifically verified information and then to communicate that information to the general public,” he said.

THE FUTURE

The MLSG delivered its final report to the Commission on Jan. 24. Following that presentation, the Commission directed TPWD Wildlife Division staff to come back in March with proposals on a trap check requirement and prohibition on canned hunting. A 36-hour trap check requirement was proposed along with the canned hunting ban proposal. A public comment opportunity followed, leading up to the May Commission meeting.

“TWA received input from our advisory and executive committees to formulate a position,” said Dreibelbis, noting that the Commission voted on the proposals May 23, just prior to this magazine’s publication date.

The Commission also directed staff to begin working on a wildlife management plan and identify the resources necessary to collect the data underpinning a management plan. In addition, staff were charged with addressing mountain lion data deficiency and present a long-term plan for remedying the shortfall.

“The success of our efforts to get the data voluntarily will determine whether we have the time-tested Texas model of cooperation or whether we end up with something more regulatory,” Fitzsimons said. “To that end, I would encourage landowners to get engaged and continue voluntarily providing information for mountain lions just as they have for so many other species their stewardship has benefited.”

Getting the necessary information will require an outreach effort on the part of TPWD and landowner organizations such as TWA and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. Fitzsimons suggested TPWD should take advantage of the existing network that exists with MLDP permit holders, wildlife co-ops, and other cooperators to communicate these new needs.

“Voluntary participation is powerful, and it strengthens the relationship of trust and progress that sets Texas apart in natural resource management,” Dreibelbis said. “We wouldn’t have the robust population of mountain lions that we appear to have without the hard work and dedicated stewardship of private landowners—and we can’t lose sight of that as we move forward.”

ROOTS OF LIFE

Article by RICKY LINEX

“Man—despite his artistic pretensions, his sophistication and his many accomplishments—owes his existence to a 6-inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains.”

I found that quote, attributed to the legendary American radio broadcaster Paul Harvey, in the early 1980s and taped it to a pullout writing shelf on my desk in the Snyder Soil Conservation Service field office. I thought about the meaning often as a young range conservationist working with farmers and ranchers in the Rolling Plains of the Panhandle.

Topsoil, sometimes deeper than 6 inches and sometimes less, was vitally important in the livelihood of all those who worked the land. Whether it is a farmer planting seeds or a rancher managing native grasses, all grew in the topsoil with roots extending farther down into the soil’s depths.

The germination and growth of native perennial grasses and forbs brings a smile to all landowners and managers as we watch the results of range seeding a mix of grasses and forbs onto a brush-cleared area. However, while what happens under the soil surface is not readily visible, it is vitally important to the continued success of those developing plants.

Individual plants have adopted different growth within their root structure, being either fibrous roots or tap-rooted. The tap-rooted and fibrous plants are very interesting in their growth and a dozen are shown here to highlight the ability of these perennials to hold the soil.

Big root cymopterus, Cymopterus macrorhizus, is one of several species of Cymopterus found in Texas and the Southwest. The name is appropriate and of several I have dug, the large, starchy root reveals only micro roots attached.

Big root cymopterus packs a large root under modest top growth.

Photo by Ricky Linex

Big root cymopterus flowers in late winter in the Rolling Plains and can survive sleet and freezing weather. I can report that the taste of the raw root was not appealing although some foragers report a positive experience. The plant has been used medicinally and specifically the root is used to treat kidney stones, urinary tract infections, and arthritis.

Texas bullnettle, Cnidoscolus texanus, is one of those plants that makes a lasting impression on those who first encounter it. The entire plant bears vicious stinging hairs. If touched it will sting for 30–45 minutes and raise welts. The white flower petals are the only plant parts lacking these stinging hairs.

The tap root can extend down as far as 5 feet or grow in a contorted shape with many smaller lateral roots. Three large seeds are contained within each seed pod and when mature, the seeds are thrown from the pods ensuring they can find room to germinate and grow. Seeds are utilized by birds and can be toasted in the oven and eaten.

Buffalo gourd, Cucurbita foetidissima, grows from a carrotshaped, starchy root and can be as large as a person’s leg. The leaves and younger stems are high in protein, averaging 30% in May, 27% in July, 20% in August, and 16% in October. Energy values are high throughout the summer growing season.

The food value for deer is considered poor. The seeds have been observed in crop contents from bobwhite and scaled quail. Livestock will eat the tender newer stems and leaves by picking up the end of the stem and pulling and chewing the stem until much of the entire vine is consumed. Another common name is stink gourd due to the plant smell which mimics that of body odor.

Texas bullnettle roots can grow straight and long or can be contorted.

Buffalo gourd can grow to 3 feet in length and as large as a person’s leg.

Photo by

Ricky Linex

Photo by Ricky Linex

Bush sunflower, Simsia calva, is one of the perennial sunflowers found within the western half of Texas. Bush sunflower is a robust and often scraggly perennial sunflower that grows from an impressively large, woody root. This perennial native sunflower is eaten by all classes of livestock and wildlife.

Bush sunflower furnishes good quality forage with 26% to 31% crude protein in early spring dropping to 11% in midsummer. Energy values are moderate throughout the summer. Game birds and songbirds eat the small, flattened seeds which have a notch in the tip, making them appear to be winged. While the seeds are smaller than other sunflowers, the quality is good. Seeds are commercially available for use in range seeding.

Illinois bundleflower, Desmanthus illinoensis. This perennial legume grows from a branching woody taproot. In rocky ground, roots make 90 degree turns to bypass rocks and continue their growth.

Illinois bundleflower is a premier forb that is highly palatable to all classes of livestock, deer, and antelope. Seeds are readily eaten by quail, dove, turkey, and songbirds. The flowers are heavily visited by many pollinator species, and the extended flowering period of bundleflower benefits pollinators.

Crude protein of the leaves and stems will run 17% to 20% during much of the early and mid-growing season. Seed is commercially available and is often included in range planting mixes to add diversity and food value.

Trailing ratany, Krameria lanceolata. This is a desirable perennial with numerous hairy, prostrate vines spreading radially from large, woody branching roots. The purplish roots are finger sized and run deep into the subsoil. Plants larger in diameter than a bushel basket are common with horizontal stems 18 to 60 inches long.

Trailing ratany is highly palatable and provides very good forage for livestock and deer. During extended summer droughts, trailing ratany will go dormant but begins new growth following adequate rainfall.

The prostrate vines will often be seen during the July to August heat sporting a maroon color on the top half of the vines; perhaps it is a way of adding sunscreen to the vines. They are green on the underside so the vines are still healthy and growing, just reflecting a bit of color back to the sun.

Bush sunflower plants reveal massive root compared to above ground growth.

If Illinois bundleflower can’t go through an obstruction, it will go around it to get root depth.

Photo by Ricky Linex

Photo by Steve Nelle

Maximilian sunflower, Helianthus maximiliani. A native, perennial forb, this sunflower forms a rounded mass of stems early in the growing season leading to a mass of yellow blooms in the fall. Stems are erect, unbranched from fleshy rootstocks, spreading by rhizomes forming dense spreading colonies.

This dug selection was entered into the Agriculture & Horticulture exhibits of the West Texas Fair and Rodeo a few years ago. This was from an old native grass planting which included several forbs. The massive root and rhizomes are quite impressive. Seeds are commercially available for use in range seeding.

Compassplant, Silphium laciniatum. Compassplant is a native, warm-season perennial and deeply rooted rhizomatous forb. Stems and leaves with short stout bristles give the plant a feel of sandpaper when touched.

Maximilian sunflower greatly enlarges the crown size of mature plants over time.

Trailing ratany has numerous maroon-colored roots that penetrate deeply into the soil.

Photo by

Ricky Linex

Photo by Ricky Linex

Roots usually go straight down to depths up to 16 feet. This is a four-yearold compassplant that was container grown from seed by a good friend. The growth shows dense white roots that turned upward and were air-pruned. This plant is now growing in our front yard and I’m hoping for some yellow flowers late this summer.

Orange flame flower, Phemeranthus aurantiacus. Flame flower is a showy perennial that grows from large, fleshy roots, 8 to 15 inches tall, with an erect to reclining growth spreading from the semi-woody base. The flame flower in this photo was dug on the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch as part of a plant identification quiz for field day participants.

Dug from deep sandy loam soil, it was easy to extract the entire root. When the field day was over, I hesitated to throw this plant away. I placed it in a Solo cup of water and after a few days flowers continued to open. This plant lived for more than 30 days in the water and produced seeds from the first flowers that were open during the field day.

Orange flame flower has a carrot shaped taproot several inches below the soil surface.

Compassplant has reddish taproot that becomes smaller with depth.

Photo by Ricky Linex

Photo by Ricky Linex

Water willow, Justicia americana. Water willow is an erect-growing perennial found in streams, rivers, ponds, or shallow water areas. Colonies of water willow spread by a dense network of rhizomes and rooting from the nodes of lower stems. These fibrous roots give water willow much strength in being able to withstand high flow events in creeks and rivers.

I was wading Honey Creek and noticed this patch of water willow that had been partially dislodged from the rock seen in the photo. The water’s rippling makes it a bit harder to see the roots that were washed clean by the flow.

Livestock and deer graze upon water willow, and the plants will be utilized extensively when other forage becomes scarce during hot, dry summers. When stocking rates are appropriate for the available vegetation, water willow will receive light to moderate use by livestock and deer.

Prairie flameleaf sumac, Rhus lanceolata. Prairie flameleaf sumac and a closely related species, flameleaf sumac, Rhus copallinum, are often called one and the same, although botanists have struggled with the proper identity. Prairie flameleaf sumac is a large shrub or small tree that can grow to 30 feet though often seen much smaller. This sumac reproduces by seeds and rhizomes.

Prairie flameleaf sumac has two common traits that affect management and involve underground lateral roots and burning the seeds. This sumac has rhizomatous growth with plants connected by shallow roots; these can be pulled from the ground when the soil is moist.

Following mechanical control, if a fruitbearing flameleaf sumac is pushed into piles and burned, the heat of the fire will scarify the seeds, causing hundreds if not thousands of seedlings to germinate and grow from the burned areas. Not all the seedlings will survive, but you will be able to tell where the brush piles were burned for many years because of the sumac growth there.

Havard shin oak, Quercus havardii. Also called sand shin oak, this low-growing rhizomatous shrub rarely grows to more than 3 feet tall, but it forms extensive colonies that can cover many acres. Occasionally it will take the form of a

Prairie flameleaf sumac sprouts from rhizomes and seeds.

Riparian plants are adapted to root and grow from broken plant parts.

Photo by

Ricky Linex

Photo by Ricky Linex

small gnarly tree or grow in clusters of several trees up to 20 feet in height.

Havard shin oak is the shin oak of the deep sands found on the western Rolling Plains and High Plains. Although it may only rise 3 feet above ground, the roots are reported to reach depths of 90 feet. This photo from Yoakum County is from a Texas Tech University graduate study looking at the carbohydrate reserves in roots of sand shin oak circa 1972-73. A fire truck was used to wash away 3 feet of the topsoil exposing the dense mats of roots and rhizomes of sand shin oak.

When managing grasses and forbs for livestock and wildlife, we must pay attention and manage for the perennials which will show up even in drought years. Across the wet and the dry years, the perennials are the plants we can count on to be there providing food and cover.

All of these native perennials are tough, used to drought and hot summers, and continue to green up and grow year after year. Put your money into natives and they will not let you down.

Extensive roots and rhizomes of Havard shin oak root system.

Photo by Texas Tech University

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This drawing will be open to all who Join or Renew at the Associate Level or higher. The package will consist of the new All Seasons Feeders Corn Pro (feeds both corn and protein), a Mossberg Patriot .270 Win 22” Rifle (donated by Larry Weishuhn), and a Yeti 35 Qt Tundra. The winner will be drawn at the TWA Convention on Saturday, July 13, 2024.

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Happy Trails

Article and photo by SALLIE LEWIS SCHNEIDER

It’s hard to believe 31/2 years have passed since I began writing this column. Much has changed, many lessons have been learned, and through it all, I’ve found deep wells of joy penning these stories for you.

Every month, I’ve had the pleasure of sitting down and sharing some of my favorite outdoor traditions, travels, and observations in nature. If you’ve been with me since the beginning, you might remember those early entries when I waxed poetic about welloiled family quail rigs, migrating whooping cranes, and the thrill of a found arrowhead.

I shared early memories reeling in redfish off the Texas Gulf Coast and turkey hunting on frosty winter mornings at my grandparents’ property in Menard. Others might remember my pandemic pursuits, picking prickly pears, searching for sheds, and watching the seasons change through the lens of my dad’s old binoculars.

For those who didn’t know, my column was born out of a personal sabbatical I took to the Texas Hill Country in 2020. This spring marked the fourth anniversary of COVID-19, and as I look back on those days, I am grateful for the full year I spent in nature. During that time, I found solace and inspiration at my family’s ranch located just west of Fredericksburg.

Every day I immersed myself in the outdoors, filling both my mind and my living space with collected curiosities from sharpened flint and woven nests to fallen feathers and dried tortoise shells. At the same time, I began learning Mother Nature’s lexicon, naming her native grasses, shrubs, flowers, and trees.

I also became an ardent observer of the avian world, finding childlike glee in the presence of northern flickers, goldfinches, black chinned hummingbirds, and cinnamon-bellied barn swallows that crossed my path. Watching birds gave me faith that despite the challenges of our modern world, nature heals and life rebirths, moving ever forward. Even the simplest rituals, like watching the sun rise in the east and set in the west, became cherished moments of my day.

I kept a journal of that year in the country and the spiritual awakening that ensued. Often, I like to go back and re-read my entries, delighting once again at the things I saw, like the double rainbow that arced over my home after a summer rain, the harvest moon that rose like a silver disc in late September, or the fat, fragrant onions I pulled from my parents’ garden in spring. These columns became an extension of those entries, and as I look back over them, I can vividly remember the Saturday mornings spent cooking brisket with loved ones or the peaceful sight of white-tailed deer grazing just beyond my porch. Learning to slow down and live life in the moment has been the greatest lesson of all, and one I’ve carried with me in the years since.

Now, as new chapters await both the magazine and me, I say goodbye to you here with a grateful heart for all the time we’ve shared together. The great American naturalist, John Muir, once said, “Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.”

I like to think this column was one of those off-the-beaten paths that led me to you. It has been a pleasure to contribute to such a special publication read by my fellow outdoorsmen and women.

I thank you with all my heart for following along and hope you’ll stay in touch. I can be reached at sallielewis@gmail.com. Happy trails!

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