Providing quality habitat is the basis for wildlife management. Without a good place to live wildlife will not thrive and will in some cases struggle to survive. The Texas Section Society for Range Management (TSSRM) will be hosting their annual meeting in San Angelo, Texas on October 12-14, 2011 at the McNeese Convention Center. TSSRM is a society of landowners and professionals concerned with range, wildlife management. and water conservation in Texas. The theme for this year’s meeting is, “Rangeland Stewardship: A History of Heritage, A Future of Change.”
The annual event will start on Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m. with a session for ranchers, land managers, and young range professionals. The Wednesday afternoon program will focus on using technology to promote rangeland products including: livestock, recreational opportunities and rangeland tours. This session will be followed by a job fair for those wanting to enter the range and wildlife management field. The habitat management focused conference will conclude with a reception featuring live music and auction.
The Thursday morning program will consist of presentations by ranchers and scientists discussing ways to adapt to the ever-changing field of ranching and range management. This session will be followed by an awards luncheon catered by Kenny Blanek. Following the annual awards luncheon, the afternoon activities will include an option of two events. Take a tour of historic downtown San Angelo and Fort Concho or join us for a friendly round of fire at the San Angelo Clay Bird Association. The day will conclude with the annual awards dinner followed by a dance, with entertainment provided by Johnny Dickinson and Big Country.
Friday morning participants will head to local working ranches to experience a variety of hands-on activities and current agricultural issues. Topics of interest on the tour will include habitat recovery after recent wildfires, along with the recent increase in wind energy and oil exploration. In addition, there will be demonstrations by Priefert Ranch Equipment and Stay-Tuff fence.
The meeting will focus heavily on range management for livestock, but also include habitat management for white-tailed deer, quail and other wildlife species. Those interested in attending the meeting can contact Corey Owens at (325) 942-2029, x 285. Visit the TSSRM Website to register online. For hotel accommodations, please contact Springhill Suites (325)949-6900; Holiday Inn Express (325) 223-2200, or Comfort Suites (325) 944-8600.