Category: Wildlife Management

The mountains of northern Mexico are home to a very stable population of black bears from which individuals sometimes wander over into the Trans-Pecos and western Edwards Plateau looking for new habitat or to carry out part of their life cycle. In recent years, bears have been documented in several hill country counties that include Val Verde, Crockett, Edwards, Sutton, Schleicher, Kimble, Menard, and Kerr. These sightings and encounters are thrilling, but at the same time, this natural phenomenon is met with apprehension because of the misperception of black bears and how they fit into the Texas ecosystems. This mindset sometimes over-shadows the awesomeness and value of the return of a long removed member of these ecosystems. Black bears in Texas are rare, protected and listed as a State Threatened species.

There are 3 known subspecies of black bears in Texas which include the New Mexico black bear located in the Guadalupe Mountains, the Mexican black bear located in West and Central Texas, and the Louisiana black bear located in East Texas, which is also federally protected. It’s a violation of the law to kill a black bear in Texas and can carry penalties of up to $10,000, civil restitution fines, jail time, and the loss of all hunting privileges.

More About Black Bears in Texas

Mature adult black bears weigh between 130-300 lbs. and grow to a length of 4 to 7 feet long. Adult male black bears are larger than female bears. Black bears have a straight face with flat shoulders, semi-pointed ears, round head, and a short tail. The fur color can vary from black to chocolate brown with gray combinations. Adult bears as well as cubs are excellent climbers.
Black bear paws have short claws to help them climb, dig, gather plant food, and attack small mammals. They use their claws like fingers when they eat. Their front footprints or tracks have an oval base with a curved toe line. The hind paw will have a triangular indentation and the toes are spread out. They also possess an acute sense of smell which they use to their advantage. The black bear is very adaptable, intelligent and quite curious. But on the other hand, this smaller bear species is very shy and generally avoids confrontations by fleeing the area when given an opportunity to do so.

The black bear mating season or breeding usually occurs from May through August with a gestation period of 60 to 70 days. Females generally mate every other year. Mexican black bears do not experience a long term hibernation episode. Birth occurs during January or early February with a litter size of 1 to 3 cubs that are born with their eyes closed and weigh about 1 pound. Baby cubs will stay close to their mother for about 1-1/2 years before leaving to establish their own home territory. As adult bears, male home ranges are very large and can average 20,000 acres; female home ranges are smaller and can average 5,000 acres.

Black Bear Diet

Bears are considered omnivores and by nature are opportunistic feeders that will eat just about anything that is available to them. Their food habits in the Hill Country are very diverse. Approximately 80% of their diet consists of vegetation such as sotol, Texas persimmon, prickly pear cactus, agarita berries, acorns of different species, plant roots, tubers and various grasses. In addition to vegetation, their diet also consists of insects such as ants, grubs, termites and beetles. Small mammals such as rodents, rabbits and of course carrion, often in the form of road kills, are also eaten by black bears.

Bears can become habituated to unnatural or manmade attractants such as the following: garbage in dumpsters or landfills, pet foods, and deer feeders filled with corn or protein pellets. Once bears are habituated to these “easy and accessible” foods, they are very hard to drive away and break this negative habit.

If You Encounter a Black Bear in Texas

The likelihood of having a bear encounter in the wilds of Texas would be uncommon. Within the Hill Country a majority of the reported bear sightings have been associated with some type of manmade food item. Hunters have asked, “What do I do on the deer lease if I encounter a bear?” It is very important to remember that all bears are protected in Texas. In the past, feral hogs have been misidentified for black bears, especially during low light conditions when hunting. Key feral hog physical characteristics include a long head with pointed ears, a definite snout, and eyes positioned on the sides of the head. In comparison, a black bear’s head is rounded with semi-pointed ears and forward-oriented eyes.

Black bears are normally shy and not aggressive toward humans, but if you do encounter a black bear in the wild at close range, talk in a calm manner while slowly backing away. DO NOT MAKE DIRECT EYE CONTACT and DO NOT RUN! This can trigger a bear’s chase instinct. NEVER APPROACH A BEAR! But if a bear approaches you, stand your ground and make yourself appear larger by raising your arms, backpack or jacket. Yell at the bear to scare it off and if by chance you are attacked, fight back aggressively with anything available. Let the bear know you are not easy prey and, by all means, do not play dead when attacked by a black bear.

Tips for Dealing with Texas Black Bears

Recommendations for hunters and the general public in Texas to minimize the likelihood of having a black bear encounter include:

• Keep headquarters or camps clean to prevent odors that attract bears – Black bear sense of smell is 100 times better than humans and they can smell food items up to 5 miles away
• Store pet food items and other attractants in a secure place
• Modify trash dumpster lids and keep them locked from any bear access
• Hunters can use automated feeders hung 8-10 ft. above the ground and out of reach of bears
• Use deterrents such as electric fencing or unwelcome mats made with 1” nails to keep bears away from buildings and feeders
• Do not offer deer corn in piles or in open feeders
• Discard gut piles away from any human structures
• If a bear regularly visits your deer stand, scare it away with rocks, a slingshot or air horn

Texas State Officials and Bears

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)policy is to use “aversive conditioning” techniques on nuisance black bears rather than trapping and transplanting. Aversive conditioning associates a negative stimulus such as pepper spray or noise makers with unwanted behavior – in this case coming near humans, human food or human developments. The TPWD’s Official Response Policy is to respond to all black bear sightings or interactions and complete a sighting-incident report. It is recommended that citizens report all black bear sightings to their local TPWD Office.

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The one sure-fire way to improve hunting on your property is to get involved in habitat management for wildlife. All animals need food, cover, water and space. If you are interested in better white-tailed deer hunting, turkey hunting, quail hunting, dove hunting or just having more songbirds then the first step is taking action to reach your goals. The next step will be to contact Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. These two agencies can help you help the plant communities on your land, which will in turn help the wildlife and hunting on your land.

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist Salvador Salinas today announced that NRCS in Texas has $5.5 million in funding available for people who want to develop and implement wildlife management and improve habitat on their land through the agency’s Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). “WHIP helps Texas landowners restore and improve fish and wildlife habitats, and benefit at-risk species,” said Salinas. “This funding will give landowners across the state the opportunity to address wildlife concerns in Texas.”

This funding has been established to improve Bobwhite quail and Pronghorn antelope habitat, as well as for landowners that have lost wildlife habitat through the drought and wildfires of recent years. It will also help other wildlife species that benefit from the habitat management practices implemented for target species. Practices for quail are especially beneficial for whitetail populations and deer hunting. Through WHIP, the NRCS provides both technical assistance and financial assistance to establish and improve fish and wildlife habitat. WHIP agreements between NRCS and the participant generally last from 5 to 10 years from the date the agreement is signed.

Landowners interested in participating in the program are encouraged to contact their local USDA-NRCS field office, in the nearest USDA Service Center. Applications for WHIP are accepted continuously and the ranking criteria are established by the State Conservationist, based upon input from the state technical committee.

WHIP applications must address traditional natural resource issues such as water quantity, water quality, grazing lands, forest health, soil management, emerging natural resource issues, and climate change. For additional information about WHIP, or to find the NRCS service center nearest you, visit their website. Improved habitat, healthier wildlife populations, better hunting and a cost-share program to boot? Sounds like a recipe for success!

The rabies virus poses a serious threat to Texas wildlife and people that spend time out of doors. Hunters are especially prone to running into animals that are infected with rabies. A case of Texas fox variant rabies was found near the Concho/McCulloch County line. This variant of rabies is of special concern to public health officials. A contingency wildlife management and disease response is being implemented to try and prevent it from spreading to other counties. A protocol has been developed to help agencies respond to calls about potentially rabid wildlife, and to facilitate the testing of animals suspected of having rabies.

According to state wildlife and disease officials, Wildlife species of most concern in Texas fox variant rabies transmission are foxes, coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, feral or free ranging dogs and cats and livestock. Any mammal, including white-tailed deer and feral hogs can contract rabies., but they are not of great concern to the variant of concern. An animal is considered suspect if it is a member of a species of concern and is aggressive, unafraid, acting unusual.

• If a suspect animal is found in the target area (refer to a listing of counties on page three or the map on page four) please contact appropriate personnel in those areas (Animal Control, Sheriff’s Department, local County Trapper, Texas Parks and Wildlife-Game Warden) to have the animal humanely destroyed. Refer below for pick- up and rabies testing.
• If a private citizen in any of these counties is witness to a suspect animal and cannot contact appropriate personnel it is asked that the animal be humanely destroyed and held until appropriate personnel can be contacted. This recommendation pertains to citizens living outside of the city limits.
• State officials ask that all safety and care be practiced when attempting to obtain suspect animals. Remember: always wear latex, rubber or leather gloves when handling dead animals.

Human/Domestic Animal Rabies Exposure

If a human or domestic animal has been bitten, scratched, or otherwise potentially exposed to rabies by a wild or domestic mammal, or if there is any question about what constitutes exposure, contact the Texas Department of State Health Services. If located in West Central Texas, contact Dr. Ken Waldrup at 915-834-7782 or 915-238-6216; or call Kathy Parker at 432-571-4118 or 432-230-3007. For after-hours rabies emergency cal 512-776-7111. Contact the Health Department at 915-834-7782 or 432-571-4118 if there is a question of rabies exposure.

Rabies Suspected – Sick or Strange-Acting Animals, or Animals Found Dead

If personnel are available, the following agencies will provide assistance or advice on how to deal with a sick-acting raccoon, bobcat, fox, coyote, feral dog or cat. Contact Health Region 9/10 offices of the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) during normal business hours (M-F, 8-5). If in West Central Texas call Dr.Ken Waldrup or Kathy Parker. Additional Contacts include the Texas Wildlife Services Program (TWSP). You can call the closest office: San Angelo at -325-655-6101, Brownwood at 325-646-4536, Kerrville at 830-896-6535, Uvalde at 830-278-4464, or if no response, contact the central office of Texas Department of State Health Services Zoonosis Control at 512-776-7255 or the TWSP State Office at 210-472-5451. If no other options are available, keep pets and children indoors and leave the animal alone.

Note: State officials are actively trying to test suspicious foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and raccoons for rabies. Freezers are located at several Texas Wildlife Services offices. Freshly killed or dead animals should be kept cooled or frozen for testing. Do not shoot animals in the head. Contact one of the above telephone numbers for handling procedures.

No Rabies Exposure, But Nuisance & Injured Wildlife/General Wildlife Information

For information on Oral Rabies Vaccine (ORV) baiting and Enhanced Rabies Surveillance (testing), contact the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Dr. Skip Oertli at 512-776-3306 or Texas Wildlife Services Program’s Bruce Leland at 210-472-5451. TWSP can also provide advice on preventing and resolving nuisance wildlife problems.

Enhanced Rabies Surveillance Counties of West Central Texas

• Brown
• Coleman, Concho
• Gillespie
• Kimble
• Llano
• Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Mills
• Runnels
• San Saba, Schleicher, Sutton
• Tom Green

Rabies Prevention: Things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your pets

• Do not feed, touch, or adopt wild animals, and be cautious of stray dogs and cats. Rabid animals do not always appear ill or vicious.
• Teach children to leave wildlife alone. Be sure your children know to tell you if an animal bites or scratches them.
• Call your doctor and your local health department for advice if an animal bites or scratches you. Thoroughly wash the wound with soap and water and report the incident immediately!
• Have your veterinarian vaccinate your dogs, cats, or ferrets against rabies. Keep pet vaccinations up-to-date.
• Tightly close garbage cans. Open trash attracts wild or stray animals to your home or yard.
• Feed your pets indoors; never leave pet food outside as this attracts wildlife.

Also, do not relocate wild mammals – this can cause rabies to spread quickly to new areas. Importation of rabies-vector wildlife into Texas from other states or other counties would be disastrous. Landowners and homeowners should not transport and release animals.

Over the past 25 years, wildlife management has gone hand in hand with hunting in Texas. Landowners have put their time, energy and money where their mouth is when it’s come to the management of the Lone Star State’s natural resources. It’s been a great thing to watch. It’s also nice to see deserving landowners be rewarded for the hard work that they have done.  Revitalization efforts on two ranches in two different ecological regions of Texas have earned a Houston couple the 2013 Leopold Conservation Award, Texas’s highest honor for private land conservation.

“On Buckhollow Ranch, the wildlife management goals are to manage and improve the ranch for wildlife diversity, and to provide optimum wildlife habitat,” retired Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologist Richard B. Taylor pointed out in his nomination of Jack and Jan Catos for the Leopold Award. “The emphasis is on improving the native habitat through proper range and wildlife management, and to maintain healthy, native wildlife populations – with an emphasis on nongame, threatened, and endangered species.”

Due to excellent habitat management, endangered species such as the black-capped vireo, golden-cheeked warbler and Tobusch fishhook cactus are increasing on the Buckhollow Ranch. Natural springs are returning to life, and flow volumes have increased since the Catos purchased the ranch. Because of the ample ground cover that has become established through sound management practices, water penetration has improved, run-off slowed, and soil erosion noticeably diminished. The benefits of good are evidenced by the healthy plants and abundant wildlife populations on the property.

Native plant populations have been surveyed on Buckhollow by the Texas Nature Conservancy and monitored by various agencies including TPWD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Texas Snowbell, an endemic native plant, was reintroduced several years ago in an attempt to re-establish it in its historical range.

On the Stockard-Sirianni Ranch, bi-annual helicopter surveys are conducted to assess white-tailed deer, coyotes, feral hog, javelina, turkey and quail populations. Incidental herpetological surveys have also been conducted by the landowners, TPWD, and ranch visitors. Plant surveys targeting native grasses have been conducted by South Texas Natives and TPWD. Similar to those found on the Buckhollow, bird populations are also monitored throughout the year by various bird watching groups and individuals, including the Catos, who are active birders. The Catos have participated in a prescribed burning school and numerous wildlife seminars to better educate themselves on habitat management and environmental issues. Most of their knowledge has been directly applied to the landscape.

The Catos’ Wildlife Management Activities

• Water guzzlers (a mechanical water conservation device) installed throughout Buckhollow Ranch continue to benefit wildlife by improving species distribution and decreasing dependance on natural springs, rivers, and streams.
• In addition, extensive stands of ashe juniper have been removed to increase spring flow, and four solar-powered water wells have either been retrofitted or drilled. Water diversion berms have been created across all hillside roads to prevent soil erosion, promote soil conservation, and one small holding tank has been created to capture seasonal water for wildlife. This has helped reduce negative impacts to sensitive areas.
• As a result of extensive habitat management on Buckhollow Ranch, native grasses such as little bluestem are returning at an increasing rate, slowly replacing the non-native King Ranch bluestem that previous owners planted and allowed to increase. Browsing pressure on woody plants such as live oak has decreased dramatically, allowing ample regeneration.
• At the Stockard-Sirianni Ranch, existing fences have been replaced, and a rotational grazing system instituted. This has benefitted the native habitat, and improved livestock production. In addition, a roughly 20-acre wetland has been established for resident and migratory waterfowl, complete with levees and pipelines to maintain water levels. More than 100 bird nesting boxes have been erected on this property, including bluebird boxes, screech owl boxes, wood duck boxes, purple martin houses, and bat boxes.
• In addition to the work they have done on their land, the Catos have been generous in sharing their properties with others—including local residents, neighbors, conservation groups, universities, and state and federal agencies. They have been actively involved with TPWD, NRCS, the Nature Conservancy, West Texas A&M University, and Southwest Texas Junior College by allowing these agencies or institutions to use the ranch for meetings, field days, research projects, demonstrations, and educational programs.

Perhaps the most dramatic demonstration of the Catos’s long-term commitment to wildlife management and conservation is the recent placing of the Buckhollow Ranch under a perpetual conservation easement with The Nature Conservancy. The sole purpose of an easement of this type is to preserve the natural beauty and habitat of the ranch for future generations. It’s like wildlife management — forever.

One of the challenges faced by landowners is ability to maintain good or improve plant communities for both livestock and wildlife. Wildlife and habitat management have become increasingly important in recent years because of the recreational value of providing healthy, abundant wildlife populations. Hunting in Texas is more popular than ever, but the costs of wildlife habitat management faced by landowners are more expensive than ever. The Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) management grants can help.

“Applications for funding opportunities with the USDA’s NRCS Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) are currently being accepted at all NRCS offices across Texas. NRCS in Texas has received its initial allocation of EQIP funding for 2013 and will begin ranking and obligating EQIP contracts after February 15. All agriculture producers interested in submitting an EQIP contract application for 2013 should do so before this ranking deadline.

EQIP is a voluntary, continuous sign-up program that allows landowners or operators to apply for financial and technical assistance for the application of specific conservation practices; but the deadline for the first 2013 funding is February 15, 2013. Contracts are offered for wildlife management periodically depending on budgetary allocations. Applications made after the deadline will be considered in the next funding cycle. Higher priority will be given to those applications that address national, state and local priorities and provide higher cost efficiency.

NRCS encourages any person interested in participating in their programs to contact their local field office, usually located at the county seat. EQIP offers technical and financial help to install or implement structural, vegetative, and habitat management practices that can benefit the soil, water, air, plants, livestock, and wildlife. Each county in the state is funded yearly to assist producers financially with these land management practices.

Last year, NRCS in Texas funded over 4,000 EQIP contracts with $76 million to accomplish conservation practices such as irrigation efficiency, minimum tillage, brush management and more on 2.1 million acres across the entire state. In addition to helping our environment, Farm Bill conservation program funds support rural communities. In Texas, it is estimated that each dollar of NRCS and private matching expenditures on NRCS conservation programs generates an additional $2.54 in sales of goods and services.

For more information, including eligibility requirements, call the USDA Service Center office serving the county where your land is located. Service center locations and program information can be found on the Texas NRCS web site.”

Habitat management leads to better plant communities and increased hunting opportunities, but it can also be expensive to implement. The EQIP program is a good way to cost-share and get on-the-ground work accomplished on your property.

White-tailed deer hunting in Texas is big time and everyone has heard of the Kerr Wildlife Management Area (WMA), located just west of Kerrville, Texas, in Kerr County. The WMA offers public hunts for many game species, so many hunters are familiar with Kerr WMA hunting. It’s a great place to hunt and anyone selected for a hunt out there is in for a treat. Additionally, the WMA pioneered whitetail genetic research in Texas and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) does a great job of managing the habitat found on the property. Here is TPWD’s account of the drought of 2011:

As was the case all over Texas, 2011 was the second driest year ever recorded on the Kerr Wildlife Management Area (WMA) since 1952. Total rainfall for the year was 10.92” which is 15.2 inches less than our average rainfall of 26.13”. Approximately one-third of that fell in the month of December. Though it did not beat our record low of 8.25” in 1956, it was just as devastating. Most of the rainfall came in several small events which resulted in little more than keeping the dust down.

The typical emergence of new grass and forb growth was non-existent. Some woody plants managed to leaf out and put on growth, but it was not long before they also shut down. Due to the lack of spring growth, deer were forced to begin eating available low protein browse early which depletes their winter food source. This became apparent around mid-summer as brush showed signs of heavy use and deer began showing poor body conditions. Looking across the landscape one could see large areas of defoliated oaks and rusty colored cedar trees.

Landowners were justifiably concerned about the welfare of wildlife on their ranches. Despite high feed prices, many of them chose to continue supplemental feeding on into the fall and winter. This drought has taken a toll on all wildlife. It not only affects health and reproduction, but it also changes the movement and activity of animals as food and water sources become dangerously limited. This was evident to many as they were seeing half the expected number of deer along survey routes, but yet there was no indication of an unusually high mortality. It was unclear how to move forward in this extreme situation.

There was even some debate among biologists about whether to greatly reduce deer populations to hopefully avoid a die off, or to maintain the current population so that if a die off occurred the herd would have enough individuals to recover. Fortunately, we were blessed with some fall moisture that resulted in considerable forb growth which improved the outlook…at least for the winter.

This past deer season the Kerr WMA estimated its lowest historical fawn crop (wildlife and habitathealth so we chose to make our normal harvest even though it could result in a considerably lower deer density for next season. We have always followed a simple rule, “If you can grow plants then you can grow animals, if you cannot grow plants then you cannot grow animals.” With fewer animals on the range we hope that the plants will make a faster recovery, and eventually we will grow more animals once things return to “normal.”

Most landowners want to improve deer habitat and improve deer hunting. However, a major challenge for many landowners in the Texas Hill Country is the proper management of white-tailed deer populations. Proper management includes the challenges of harvesting enough does to have the desired impact on the population density and the habitat in addition to allowing bucks to mature enough to be of good quality. Landowners, or their hunters, will often say, “If I don’t shoot the first decent buck I see, that buck will just jump across the fence and my neighbor will shoot him” – even though it may be a young buck far from his prime. Good deer management means abandoning that philosophy.

So where can one start? Reducing deer numbers to appropriate levels will improve overall health of the animals and improve the quality of the habitat for deer and other wildlife. This population management is a big part of deer habitat management. In addition, a balanced harvest of bucks and does can also improve the sex ratio as well as the age structure of bucks, resulting in better quality mature bucks.

Another major challenge for some landowners is getting the benefit of livestock grazing without owning the animals. Cattle can be both bad… and good! You’ve no doubt heard this before, “I just don’t want to mess with livestock anymore.” While periods of rest can be very beneficial to habitat, the long-term removal of grazing from the land can be detrimental in some cases. Periodic cattle grazing can maintain and improve native grass stands and at the same time can increase forbs (wildflowers) that are part of any healthy Hill Country property.

Each of these land management challenges impact the habitat and deer herds found in an area. They can be addressed by actively managing the plants and animals found on your property. You can also get assistance from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) or join a local Wildlife Management Association in your area. Wildlife co-ops have been formed around the state by groups of landowners interested in properly managing wildlife populations and habitats.

Many WMAs were formed around the goal of improving the quality of white-tailed deer. Landowners in these WMAs know that their neighbor shares the same goals and objectives for the deer population and that together they can have the desired impacts on the population and habitat. Even if you don’t hunt you can work with your neighbors to have the proper number of deer harvested in your area so you have healthier deer and healthier habitat for all wildlife.

Landowners can also work with their neighbors who have livestock and allow their land to be grazed. This way the landowner without the livestock gets the benefit of grazing without the day to day work of owning the animals. The key to using livestock as a tool in land management is periodic rest. Even landowners with small acreage can benefit from working with their neighbors. The landowner just needs to think of their property as a pasture that the livestock are rotated through for a short period of grazing.

Deer management is about manipulating the plants as wells as the animals found on your property. If you are serious about doing something for deer or any of the wildlife found on your property, I’d recommend contacting a wildlife professional to get you started in the right direction.

Whether you want to improve the quality of the deer and other wildlife on your property, or use livestock as a tool for habitat improvements, it may be as simple as looking across the fence for a partner in good land stewardship. TPWD has county biologists that can meet with you free of charge, already paid for by your hunting license purchase. They can give your some ideas to improve deer hunting on your property. Additionally, you may be able to get valuable information from a WMA in your area. Build it and they will come!

White-tailed deer hunting has become a big deal in recent decades. And not just to hunters, but to those that grow and produce quality deer. This increased interested in whitetail and hunting really brought shape to the concept of whitetail deer management. When you get down to it, much of wildlife management is a numbers game. A manager needs to know how many deer are on the property in order to know how many deer should be harvested. This is where deer surveys come into play. The following article discusses helicopter deer surveys and how they can be used for deer management and hunting:

“A survey of deer and other game by helicopter has been a common tool of wildlife managers since the 1970s. Over the years, the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute has done considerable research on helicopter surveys. This piece summarizes some of the major findings and the implications for managers. Emphasis is given to south Texas conditions but the information should be useful anywhere helicopter deer surveys are feasible.

The most important finding is that helicopter surveys result in a significant undercount of the deer present on a property. The original research showed that an average of approximately 34 percent of deer are counted. This research was done in 3-seat helicopters, but 4-seaters like the Robinson 44 are commonly used for game surveys today. Because the backseat observers in 4-seaters see some deer that the front seat observers miss, some think the average accuracy is considerably higher. Limited research on 4-seaters shows some improvement in accuracy, maybe averaging 40 percent of deer counted.

As important as accuracy is the variability from count-to-count in game surveys by helicopter. This is an issue that is unseen by most managers because most fly only a single survey per year or season. One year, five helicopter deer surveys were flown on a 5,000 acre portion of the Faith Ranch in one fall season, all between November 4-12. The counts were 159, 79, 116, 85 and 133. This data alone shows that the survey can vary considerably depending on what day you fly, even though there has been no change in the deer population.

Research has also taught us a lot about other deer population statistics commonly collected on game surveys by helicopter. Sex ratios are unbiased, meaning that there is no tendency to count more does or more bucks versus the other sex. However, sex ratios can be variable from flight to flight. Fawns tend to be undercounted even more that adult deer, perhaps as much as 30 percent. Thus, if a particular flight results in 40 percent of adults seen, perhaps only 28 percent of fawns will be counted. Commonly, managers and biologists classify bucks into categories like small, medium, and mature. These categories may vary from flight to flight but bucks are encountered at random. Some believe that mature bucks are less likely to be counted versus younger bucks. Research has shown this is not true.

A common issue that arises is whether to survey by helicopter in the fall or winter, or both. Commonly (but not always) more deer are observed in the winter when visibility is greater because of leaf fall from the brush. The weather may be cooler making deer more likely to flush from the helicopter and be counted. Winter helicopter deer surveys may average as many as 67% of deer counted. However, count variability is still likely and fawns can be harder to classify. Also, a few bucks may drop antlers right after deer hunting season, as early as January in some years. My personal preference is for a single fall flight and no winter count.

So, with the deer missed from a helicopter, and the variability from flight-to-flight, how should a manager use survey information? First, a harvest rate should not be calculated off a single survey. If the goal is to harvest 10 percent of the number counted, this would result in 16 deer if the survey was on November 4 or 8 deer if it was done on November 5, a 100% difference! If you must calculate a percentage of the survey, I prefer averaging the three most recent surveys to smooth some of the variability.

However, it is much better to use the helicopter deer survey as trend data through time and use some other benchmark for harvest. For example, some managers will not harvest more than one trophy buck per 1,000 acres. Such benchmarks can be set for the individual property and adjusted depending on the helicopter survey data trend through time.

Helicopter surveys are a powerful and useful tool in whitetail deer management. However, their strong and weak points should be recognized and the data used properly in wildlife management. Helicopter surveys also provide a manager with other important information. For example, tallies of quail coveys flushed are a good index to quail populations. In drought years, few or no coveys may be flushed, whereas wet years result in many coveys encountered. The most important value of helicopter surveys may be intangibles. That is, the flights give managers a quick overall impression of the condition of the habitat, game populations, and other factors affecting wildlife management.”

This article is written by Charlie DeYoung and was reprinted courtesy of Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute. Visit the CKWRI Deer Research Program web site for more information. Charlie DeYoung is a research scientist and professor emeritus at Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute and was instrumental in establishing the Institute. His interest include habitat and white-tailed deer management.

Fire is natural process that scares most people, but fire also played an important role in shaping much of the grassland and forested wildlife habitats found throughout the country. Since fire is an important natural process, biologist and land managers recognize that not fire is bad, especially prescribed fire. Once termed prescribed burns, most planned burns are now referred to as prescribed fire. This wildlife management practice has many benefits though, regardless of what you call it.

Sometimes the vegetation that makes up a particular species’ habitat requires a prescribed, managed fire, not a wildfire, to come along at the right place, at the right time, and in a controlled manner. This is prescribed fire. But it’s not just about starting a fire. The habitat management objectives of the fire must first be determined, and the specific conditions under which the fire should be carry out. It is only after the fire plan has been established that a fire prescription for conducting the fire has been developed.

Prescribed fires have different uses depending on the management objectives. Prescribed burning is most often used to reduce fuels such as pine needles, leaves and herbeceous vegetation such as grass and weeds. These fine fuels typically build up quickly, but they also burn quickly. Prescribed fire is also important for individual game and non-game wildlife species. Fire can be used to effectively manage white-tailed deer and bobwhite quail habitat when used every three to seven years.

Fire behavior is closely very related to local weather variables that determine how a fire will burn. Air temperature, relative humidity, and wind have the greatest impact on fire behavior. Warmer temperatures make for more volatile fires. Low humidity also makes for hotter, more volatile fires. The wildlife and habitat management objectives must be taken in to account when determining the conditions under which the fire will be conducted.

In short, prescribed fire has many benefits that impact both plant and animal species. The habitat management goals must be determined first, then a prescribed fire plan must be developed. Prescriptions should be created that identify the weather conditions necessary to conduct the fire safely while also meeting the habitat management objectives. Proper preparation is the bulk of the work when getting ready for a burn. Land owners interested in songbird, quail, turkey and whitetail deer habitat improvement should consider prescribed fire as a wildlife management practice.

While biologist located in the northern states and Canada are reporting record waterfowl production, Texas has little to offer these winged-migrants this fall. And the winter is not looking very bright either. But even with no rain in sight, habitat management should be on every duck hunters mind. There are several management practices that can be implemented that can help produce duck foods and put birds in your bag.

While it is dry, consider disking to improve conditions to favor future production of smartweeds or millets, both of which are excellent waterfowl foods. Properties will flooded stands of smartweeds and millets will also have outstanding duck hunting. Disking is typically needed about every 3 to 5 years to promote and maintain these annual seed-producing plants for waterfowl and helps reduce the numbers of many undesirable perennial plants.

Shredding is another habitat management practice often needed on an annual basis to control wetland growth and nuisance vegetation like green ash, black willow, Chinese tallow, and cocklebur. These species are not favored by waterfowl. By the way, you will need approved aquatic herbicides to control particularly hard to kill woody species like black willow and tallow. That’s because these woody species will sprout back from the roots, so shredding or disking them does not eliminate them.

Additionally, duck hunters may need to consider herbicide treatment of undesirable perennial herbaceous plants, such as soft stem bulrush or maidencane, if they take up too much surface area in your wetlands, then this can actually decrease the value of the waterfowl habitat of your duck hunting area. Cockleburs and some other undesirables can easily be killed with a glyphosate herbicide.

If you are unsure of the species of plants you have growing in your wetland, don’t do anything until you have identified them. You may think they are bad, but they may be good seed producers or important for the duck habitat on your property. There are several good sources to use to identify your plants. And the Web is always a good place to look.

During the summer and fall months, clear swamps of invaded hardwoods such as maple, ash, gum and Chinese tallow trees. Also remove any brush such as buttonbush and water elm while these wetlands are dry. An excellent technique for performing this habitat management practice would be with a mulching machine followed with herbicide treatment of woody sprouts to kill the roots. If you decide to mulch, hire an operator with a large mulching machine. You will pay more per hour but your results will likely be a savings in the end. Make sure your wetland is dry first!

Forested wetlands can also be enhance with a dozer. I would encourage developing some openings within swamps that are overgrown. Do not clear out all the brush and hardwoods, but rather create some sizable openings, leaving a mosaic of waterfowl habitat. This habitat will bring in the birds and make for some awesome duck hunting in wooded areas from Beaumont to Katy to anywhere in East Texas. This clearing will also promote the growth of seed producing plants that waterfowl consume.

I have seen great results from increased production of smartweeds from such dozer clearing. In addition, millet and barnyard grass seed can also be broadcast into the wetland to provide additional food for migrating birds. Wetland habitat management for migrating waterfowl is a great way to get more ducks on your property. And more ducks means better duck hunting for you. It’s difficult to carry out these management practices when it may not rain this fall in Texas, but even if it does not your wetland will be ready for next year.