AgriLife Extension Wildlife & Fisheries
AgriLife Extension Wildlife & FisheriesTeaching, Research, Extension and Service

Reports of tainted Texas corn raise concern among some deer hunters

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Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu

Contact: Dr. John Tomecek, 325-650-3520, john.tomecek@ag.tamu.edu

Dr. Cat Barr, 979-845-3414, acbarr@tvmdl.tamu.edu

THRALL – Concerns over corn tainted with Fusarium fungi, which can produce Fumonisin, continue to flow into Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists’ offices, but with the main deer hunting season only days away, the calls are increasingly from concerned hunters feeding corn to deer and less from corn producers, said agency experts.

“Shelled corn is the traditional ‘go-to feed’ in Texas for deer, so it’s understandable there would be concerns considering how much of it is fed to wildlife,” said Dr. John Tomecek, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist at Thrall, who also serves West Texas.

Worries over tainted corn have experts fielding questions as hunting season arrives. Wild turkey gather under a feeder full of corn in this typical West Texas scene. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Steve Byrns)

Tomecek said it’s best for hunters to be aware of the problem and know what they are buying, but not to be overly concerned.

“I think what is important to remember when we feed corn to free ranging deer, is chances are we aren’t providing much more than a treat to these animals in the greater scheme of their diets,” Tomecek said. “Granted, corn helps provide energy during cooler months and is a great bait for hunting success, but it really doesn’t make up a high percentage of most deer diets.”

Dr. Cat Barr, veterinary toxicologist with the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at College Station, had similar thoughts.

She said the upper limit for deer feeding on Fumonisin-tainted corn should be no more than 30 parts per million and should be no more than half their diet. These rates are limits set for confined breeding cattle, a scenario not likely to occur in free-ranging deer.

“Even if the corn kernels themselves are nearing the recommended toxin ceiling, the deer are diluting it with all the greenery they’re eating as well,” she said.

Tomecek said the excellent growing conditions most of the state has enjoyed this year resulting in this greenery is another strong reason for lesser concern. Aside from its diluting effect, the lush growth tends to limit corn-feeder visits by wildlife.

As far as a human health threat from consuming Fumonisin-eating game, Barr said studies of ducks, turkeys and pigs showed no measurable Fumonisin B1 levels in muscle tissues when animals were fed up to 20 ppm at 50 percent of the diet, a level unlikely to occur in free-ranging animals during favorable growing conditions.

“As for the effects on game birds, we know these kinds of toxins can have serious adverse effects on birds in general,” Tomecek said. “But again, unlike a domestic poultry production scenario where the birds are confined, wild birds — be they game birds or those frequenting a backyard feeder — are using the corn as only a part of their diet, although perhaps at a higher proportion than do deer.

“A concerned hunter can always examine the crops of birds harvested to determine how much of their diet is coming from the corn, but most will find there is a great variety in diets of wild birds.”

Fumonsin toxin is produced when certain Fusarium fungi are present on corn, a condition exacerbated by moisture during seed development, Tomecek said.

“The good news about Fumonisin is that Fusarium molds don’t grow in storage, the way Aflatoxin-producing molds can, “ Barr said, “so at least the amount of Fumonisin in the corn is not going to increase, regardless of changes in temperature or moisture. Just keep in mind that some corn may contain both mold types.”

“An Aflatoxin problem can increase inside metal feeders where corn heats and cools at a different rate than the outside air, so condensation forms inside,” Tomecek said. “We see this pretty frequently any time of year where dew or condensation forms on vehicles and such things as metal fence posts and uninsulated tin roofs. Typically, this problem is minor, especially in mostly dry West Texas, but when it does occur clots of dust from corn or other feeds may form and toxins can grow in this environment.

“I recommend cleaning feeders before and after the hunting season, or when it’s convenient at some point during the year. Letting them run low or out, then refilling them with tested corn devoid of toxins should keep your animals coming, while keeping the feed and your investment in that feed, protected.”

Tomecek said corn shouldn’t be feared and is an excellent and cost-effective feed for wildlife, but he does recommend knowing the product and how it should be handled.

“I don’t think folks should shift away from corn entirely,” he said. “But these outbreaks are good reminders to hunters of the importance of proper feed and feeder management; namely to buy quality corn and ask your supplier if they have test results. Ask when the corn was tested and how it has been stored since that date.”

Tomecek said not all corn storage is created equal, especially in productive years, as the grain may have been left outside and is of lower quality, hence lower in price.

“The main take-home points are to purchase a quality product, store it in dry containers and clean your feeders. Do these things and you’ll have no worries.”

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Texas Crop and Weather Report – Oct. 24, 2017

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Deer season expected to provide good opportunities for hunters

SAN ANGELO – The general hunting season for white-tailed deer opens Nov. 4, and Texas hunters should expect good opportunities in the field, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist.

Dr. John Tomecek, AgriLife Extension assistant professor and wildlife specialist, San Angelo, said good weather conditions have provided good forage and cover for deer.

The quality of this year’s white-tail deer crop is expected to be very good because of good rain and browse availability. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Dr. Jim Cathey)

“The deer we’re seeing are healthy, and the bucks have good antlers,” he said. “There were a few places around the state that dried out early in the summer, but the common complaint I am hearing is that everything is so green that the deer don’t care about the corn, so they’re not coming to the feeders.”

Hunting is a multi-billion industry for the state, Tomecek said. Deer leases and hunting provides a critical source of income for rural landowners, ranchers and communities.

“You have communities that may have one diner and a few businesses, and once deer season starts, those diners are full of hunters,” he said. “Those businesses rely on that money. It’s the same for landowners. We have a lot of landowners who might have a bad year with their agricultural ventures, but then their hunting lease payments come in.”

As opening day nears, Tomecek said signs indicate 2017 will be a good year. He suggests checking Texas Parks and Wildlife hunting rules and regulations in the area where hunting before going afield.

Tomecek said deer movement is increasing as daylight hours shorten, which activates the rut, and temperatures cool.

“Animals are starting to move, and a good cold spell or freeze may reduce the available forage and push deer to corn,” he said.

Tomecek said there appeared to be a good yearling crop and that conditions provided good forage and cover for does and fawns during a critical time.

“Those mothers need good food sources or their bodies may tell them it’s not a good time to go into estrus,” he said. “But once you have healthy fawns on the ground, they need good cover to help them avoid predation by coyotes, wild pigs and other predators.

Tomecek said hunters typically take younger deer, but that it’s preferred hunters take deer 3-5 years in age.

“We like to see hunters take full-bodied, muscled bucks that aren’t going to get any better,” he said. “They’ve done their part in reproduction and we like to see them taken before their bodies begin to decline.”

Tomecek said there are some lingering issues hunters in certain areas of the state should be aware of. Hunters in the southernmost parts of Texas, around the Rio Grande Valley, should be aware of quarantine areas where health officials continue to monitor for cattle fever ticks.

“You can harvest animals,” he said. “They’re safe, but remember that state inspectors will want to inspect that carcass or cape for ticks to prevent them from being transported to other parts of the state,” he said. “It’s a simple inspection that only takes a few minutes. You just want to contact the Texas Animal Health Commission and have them look at it before you leave if you’re in one of those quarantine areas.”

Tomecek said he encourages all Texans to participate in hunting, and to share the experience with youth hunters.

“That’s the fun part, the getting out in the field with friends and family and creating generational memories,” he said.

AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries:

The 12 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Districts

CENTRAL: Dry conditions dominated the area, and rain was severely needed. Oat and wheat planting stopped in some areas due to lack of moisture. Armyworms were seen in large numbers on small grain fields and Coastal Bermuda grass fields. Farmers sprayed for armyworms on emerged fields. Cotton harvest was winding down, and harvested cotton wasbeing ginned. Ryegrass was planted or over-seeded on pastureland. Cattle remained in good body condition and doing okay on native and improved pastures. Supplemental feeding started. Overall, livestock were in super condition. Sale barns were unusually busy with buyers and sellers. Stock tank levels were declining. Most counties reported good soil moisture. Overall crop, rangeland and pasture conditions were good in most counties.

ROLLING PLAINS: Fall armyworms continued to be a serious problem and were causing some losses. Several fields needed to be replanted. Cotton was close to harvest. A low percentage of cotton was prepped and could be ready for harvest soon. Most acres of cotton were slightly behind and needed heat units and delayed frost for best yields. Peanut harvest was going better since producers could get in the fields. Livestock are in good condition. Counties that received moisture reported good rangeland and pasture conditions. One county reported cattle were on supplemental feed due to inadequate pasture conditions. Cooler temperatures set in during nights but remained high during the day.

COASTAL BEND: Cotton gins were still running at full capacity, and some gins took in more cotton from areas affected by Hurricane Harvey. Field work continued with cotton stalk destruction and some producers were already sampling fields for soil tests. Fall armyworms continued to be a problem in forages. Huisache and Macartney rose treatments were made on pastures and rangeland. Livestock were in good shape with many ranchers marketing calves through local auction with large numbers reported. Pasture conditions remained good in most areas.

EAST: A cold front swept the area and brought much-needed rain to several counties. Harrison County was added to the burn ban list. In Anderson County, a wildfire was reported due to the dry conditions. Jasper County conditions were drier than normal since Hurricane Harvey. Anderson County producers tried to finish mowing and baling hay. Gregg County grasses all but stopped growing, and Marion and Upshur counties reported grasses were getting short. Wood County noted some producers planted winter pastures ahead of the cold front, hoping to get enough moisture for germination. Pasture and rangeland conditions across the area were mostly poor, but Anderson, Marion, Upshur, and Wood counties reported good conditions. In Anderson County, 80 percent of the winter wheat was planted with 30 percent emerged. Anderson County also reported cotton was defoliated, and the bolls were 90 percent opened. Cool-season vegetables were looking good in Anderson and Marion counties. Subsoil and topsoil conditions across the area were short, while Anderson and San Augustine counties both reported adequate conditions. Most counties reported livestock were in good condition and cattle prices were holding steady. Anderson County reported producers were supplementing with protein, and Gregg County reported producers were feeding hay. Marion County cattle started to calve. In Anderson and Henderson counties wild pig activity was on the risewhile activity was down in Gregg and Upshur counties. Harrison County reported large numbers of calf deaths due to coyote activity and deer were spotted in the middle of the day foraging. Henderson County noted fly numbers were high and horn flies were still a major issue in Houston County.

SOUTH PLAINS: Subsoil and topsoil moisture levels were beginning to dry out. Defoliant was applied on cotton and harvest was underway. A lot of cotton was expected to be stripped over the next few weeks. Pest problems were nonexistent. Corn and peanut harvests continued. Sorghum and sunflowers continued to finish out. Winter wheat continued to mature. Pastures and rangelands remained in fair to good condition. Cattle were in good condition.

PANHANDLE: Near-normal temperatures were reported. Soil moisture was adequate in most areas. Deaf Smith County producers were in full harvest mode in corn, grain sorghum and sunflower fields. Corn harvest was coming along, but some problems with mycotoxins were reported in some loads of food corn headed to local elevators. Sorghum for seed crops were being harvested after corn harvesting was complete. The cotton crop was holding on with some producers starting to apply boll openers to their crop. Winter wheat was at all stages with some earlier plantings ready for cattle, and producers were just starting to put seed in the ground on other fields. Hall County cotton continued to mature with warm days. Harvest was underway in peanuts and cotton there. Mycotoxins in corn were being monitored with most fields reporting elevated but acceptable levels of fumonisin. Cattle and pastures looked good. Wheat planting was nearing completion with excellent moisture conditions. Randall County producers were in the field every day this reporting period. Harvest was in full swing. Corn harvest was active with fields averaging around 160 bushels per acre. Cotton harvest was just now underway, so no yield reports were available. Sorghum harvest was expected to be underway within the next 10 days.

NORTH: Temperatures started dropping to mid-to-upper 40s in the morning hours. Weekend rain relieved moisture stress for winter pastures. Several counties reported up to 3 inches of rain. Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels ranged from mostly short to adequate, with some counties reporting very short. Cotton harvest continued with about 50-60 percent of the crop harvested. Reports indicated the crop was very good with some fields yielding two bales per acre. Wheat planting was slow as many farmers were waiting for soil moisture. Hay producers were still in the field baling last cuttings. Hay supplies were very good, but quality was not as good. Many cattle producers were weaning calves and working cows. Many stocker cattle producers needed rain on planted winter annual pastures. A cool front helped relieve some livestock stress and slowed fly development. Wild pig activity was moderate.

FAR WEST: Temperature highs were in the 90s, and lows were in the 40s. Rain amounts ranged from a tenth of an inch to 1.5 inches for the reporting period. Cotton harvest moved into high gear as everyone in the far western part of the region was running hard and working long hours. Several days were very humid and harvest work did not begin until around noon, but producers were able to run until late into the night. Yields on dryland fields were not as good as most producers wanted. Producers were just getting into irrigated fields. Fall armyworm activity was very high in most wheat and small grain fields and in some alfalfa. Producers were encouraged to scout and make applications if needed. Pastures were looking better, but there were still areas not recovered from drought conditions. Mosquitos and weeds were a problem around structures where runoff water amounts were higher. High weeds could be a fire hazard after frost. Pawnee pecan harvest started, but no production assessments were reported. Producers continued to feed wildlife and livestock.

WEST CENTRAL: Temperatures were seasonable with warm days and cool nights. Some areas reported a few scattered showers, but nothing significant. Dry conditions continued and all areas needed rainfall. A light frost was noted in some areas. Stock tank water levels continued to drop. Field preparations and planting continued. Armyworms were a problem in all areas. Many wheat fields were destroyed by armyworms and were replanted. Producers started applying pesticides to control them. Cotton fields were progressing with a large percentage showing open bolls. Cotton fields were defoliated in preparation for harvest. Some cotton harvest was underway and should be in full swing in the next few weeks. Rangelands and pastures were doing very well going into the fall season. Conditions continued to look good, with good vegetation available for livestock and wildlife. Growth of forages and grasses slowed some. Livestock remained in fair to good condition. Respiratory problems were emerging in livestock in a few areas. Cattle prices were down some. Pecan harvest was underway.

SOUTHEAST: Conditions were dry in Walker County. Rainfall was needed to maintain good growing conditions and to ensure successful germination and subsequent growth of cool-season forages and crops. Waller County received about 1 inch of rain throughout the county following a cold front. Brazos and Jefferson counties received showers, and Lee County reported up to 2 inches of rain. Cooler weather was forecast and should relieve livestock.

SOUTHWEST: Counties reported slightly lower temperatures in the evenings and mornings, with warm temperatures during the day. No rain was reported for most counties, and signs of stress from lack of moisture were evident. Fall armyworms plagued some fields. Rangeland and pasture conditions remained fair to good. Livestock conditions were good throughout the counties. Fall calving was in full swing, and supplemental feeding began for most livestock producers.

SOUTH: Northern parts of the district reported adequate moisture levels and mild temperatures but no rain. Live Oak County reported scattered showers. Temperatures were around 80 degrees during the day and down to 60 degrees at night in western parts of the district. Peanut harvest was in full swing, but wheat planting stalled due to heavy armyworm infestations. Pasture and rangeland conditions were fair to good with some reporting armyworm damage. Some producers were aggressively treating for armyworms. Supplemental feeding declined in recent weeks. Starr County reported range pastures improved from previous rains.  Body condition scores on cattle remained decent overall. Livestock conditions were starting to drop after 60-90 days of drought conditions in most areas. Cull cows were marketed with body condition scores from 2-4 with very few in optimal shape. Consequently, prices continued to slip on that class of beef cattle. On the other hand, prices for feeder calves climbed about a nickel per pound in most weight classes. In Zavala County, native rangeland and pastures continued to provide adequate forage for grazing. Pecan harvest was about 15 days out. Cabbage and spinach crops developed well thanks to very cool mornings across the area. Ranchers were planting winter forages for cattle and wildlife. In Hidalgo County, vegetable planting continued, and sugarcane harvest was expected to start soon. Row-crop land was plowed and being prepared for winter moisture and early spring planting.

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New Texas A&M Wildlife, Fisheries and Ecological Sciences Building grand opening celebrated at College Station

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Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – Sept. 15 marked the grand opening of the new Wildlife, Fisheries and Ecological Sciences Building at 534 John Kimbrough Blvd. on the Texas A&M University West Campus.

Dr. Mark Hussey, vice chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences at Texas A&M, College Station, said the $32.5 million building is the fourth to be constructed in the Agriculture and Life Sciences complex, a group of buildings housing staff  “dedicated to feeding our world, protecting our environment, enriching our youth, improving our health and growing our economy.

“In September 1937, the Texas A&M University department of wild game was founded. Eighty years later, we open a state-of-the-art facility to continue eight decades of outstanding teaching, research and Extension outreach,” he said.

Dr. Michael Masser, wildlife and fisheries department head, said the opening will mark the first time all of the department’s faculty, staff and students are together in the same building since the 1970s.

New Texas A&M Wildlife, Fisheries and Ecological Sciences Building opens. (Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by John Chivvis)

“The building will bring more collegiality, cohesiveness and collaboration to the department,” Masser said. “The new building represents a major investment in our department and the ecological sciences department and will provide opportunities for increased research and the opportunity to attract new faculty and students because of the greatly enhanced facility.”

Dr. Kathleen Kavanagh, ecological sciences department head, said about one-third of her faculty will be located in the new building. They will gain high-end computing facilities for research and teaching, as well as four new labs for studies on global water modeling, wetland ecology, remote sensing, climate change biology and paleobiogeography.

The facility, Hussey said, includes two floors of state-of-the-art laboratories and 80,000 total square feet of space.

“Like the other buildings in the complex, it is built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)  silver standards. The building also connects to our rainwater capture system, which underscores our commitment to sustainability.

“A building constructed with sustainability in mind is a perfect home to two departments that work on the broad spectrum of environmental, ecology, wildlife and rangeland issues.”

Hussey said the wildlife and fisheries department combined program is the largest in the U.S. Additionally, the impact of the ecosystem science and management department is felt throughout the state with its faculty educating some 9,000 citizens at a number of educational events over the past year.

“This building gets us even closer to our ultimate goal of moving our departments together onto the West Campus,” Hussey said. “But what makes these buildings special is that they serve as a central home for one of Texas A&M’s founding colleges, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and as a statewide hub for our agricultural agencies, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, whose 5,000 employees touch the lives of Texans daily. We live the land grant mission of close integration of teaching, research, Extension and service – and this complex is a commitment to continue that legacy into the future.”

The formal festivities ended with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a tour of the facility.

Maureen Frank hired as new AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist at Uvalde

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She will serve 64 counties in agency’s West, Southwest and South districts

Writer: Paul Schattenberg, 210-859-5752, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu

Contact: Todd Swift, 830-278-9151, twswift@ag.tamu.edu

Dr. Maureen Frank, 830-278-9151, mgfrank@tamu.edu

UVALDE — Dr. Maureen Frank has joined the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Uvalde as the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist for the agency’s West, Southwest and South districts.

Frank provides support to AgriLife Extension county agents and participates in program development, result demonstrations and agent training. She also develops educational materials related to wildlife and conducts applied research projects to address area wildlife management issues.

Dr. Maureen Frank is the new Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist based in Uvalde. (Courtesy photo)

Dr. Maureen Frank is the new Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist serving 64 counties. She is based at the agency’s district office in Uvalde. (Courtesy photo)

“Dr. Frank brings a badly needed expertise in wildlife to this area of Texas,” said Todd Swift, AgriLife Extension regional program leader for the Southern Region, based in Uvalde. “We have some of the most robust and vibrant wildlife habitat in the state, so we need someone with her knowledge and abilities to ensure we help our area landowners make the most of that natural resource.”

Swift said Frank has been visiting with agents throughout the district to introduce herself and find out what wildlife-related issues are most important to them and area landowners.

Previously, Frank was a Ph.D research and teaching assistant at Utah State University. Before that, she attended Texas A&M University in College Station, where she was a research assistant.

Frank has a Ph.D in wildlife biology from the wildland resources department at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, and a bachelor’s degree in wildlife and fisheries sciences from Texas A&M University, College Station.

“I’m interested in ensuring landowners look at the entire landscape as it applies to wildlife and wild spaces,” Frank said. “One of my goals will be to help landowners, especially new landowners, manage their lands in a way that maximizes land quality and protects wildlife.”

She said proper land management requires human intervention and the use of the right tools to promote and maintain healthy wildlife populations.

“I’m looking forward to working directly with landowners as well as working with our AgriLife Extension agents throughout the district so they can better understand wildlife issues and help the landowners in their respective counties,” she said.

Frank has written numerous peer-reviewed publications and weblog publications, and has produced many research, invited and media presentations. She has various educational and technical certifications and is affiliated with several professional organizations, including The Wildlife Society. She also has received various awards and grants, including recognition as a Robins Award nominee and a presidential doctoral fellowship from Utah State University.

Originally appeared: http://today.agrilife.org/2016/09/29/maureen-frank-hired-new-agrilife-extension-wildlife-specialist-uvalde/

Combination food plots can attract deer year-round

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  • Writer: Adam Russell, 903-834-6191, adam.russell@ag.tamu.edu
  • Contact: Dr. Billy Higginbotham, 903-834-6191, billy.higginbotham@ag.tamu.edu

OVERTON – It’s time to plant food plots for white-tailed deer as hunting season approaches, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.

Dr. Billy Higginbotham, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist, Overton, has a food plot combination proven to attract whitetails and keep them hooked through the hunting season and beyond.

cowpeassnapshot

A plot of cowpeas is a good attractor for white-tailed deer. Combination fall plantings of cowpeas, oats and arrowleaf clover provide forage for deer through winter, spring and into summer. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Adam Russell)

The combination of winter-hardy oats, iron and clay cowpeas and arrowleaf clover works well in any area that receives 35 inches or more of rainfall each year, specifically in East Texas, Higginbotham said. Cowpeas grow quickly when planted in September when moisture is available. Sprouts are an immediate attractor for deer.

Higginbotham’s strategy is to establish numerous small plots edged by cover so deer will use them during legal hunting hours.

A great way to enhance plots is to provide a transition zone between the edge of the woods and the open food plots so deer feel comfortable moving through screening cover from the woods to the feeding area, Higginbotham said. Allow one or two disc-widths of native vegetation to grow between the food plot and the hard cover to provide secondary cover.

Also consider setting aside at least 1 acre for every 100 acres of habitat in cool season food plots as “sanctuary plots” that are never hunted, Higginbotham said.

“It’s good to rotate food plots each hunting season but I also recommend having a few food plots where deer can feed and are never pressured,” he said.

The cowpeas will be grazed out and/or die back at the first frost, but by then the oats will be established.

“Of all the small grains, deer prefer oats when given a choice,” Higginbotham said. “Be sure to select winter hardy oat varieties to plant because they will provide the bulk of the forage available from first frost until spring green-up.”

The arrowleaf clover will emerge in the spring and last until early June, he said. By then, spring-planted warm-season food plots should be established and able to carry deer through the summer.

To establish plots, shred and disk the area to be planted, Higginbotham said. Consider applying glyophosate to kill vegetation a few weeks before plot preparation if there is heavy vegetation on the site.

The plot should be in a natural opening that will provide enough sunlight for the forages but small enough to provide deer the security of nearby cover, Higginbotham said.

In a clean disked seedbed, broadcast the oats and peas at a seeding rate of 40 pounds per acre each and cover to a depth of 1 inch, he said.

“It is very difficult to disk lightly enough without burying these seeds too deep—a cardinal sin,” he said. “Consider devising a drag out of cattle panels or old tires so the seed can be covered to the correct depth.”

Cowpeas should be inoculated prior to planting. Be sure to purchase the appropriate inoculant when buying seed. Inoculation results in nitrogen fixation by the plants and boosts production.

Arrowleaf clover seed would then be broadcast at 10 pounds per acre and lightly dragged in, Higginbotham said. Like the cowpeas, clover should be inoculated prior to broadcasting. There are pre-inoculated varieties of arrowleaf clover available.

Inoculants minimize nitrogen fertilizer needs at planting and again in late deer season. However, if the oat component of the combination shows signs of “yellowing” during late December or early January, top dress the plots with additional applications of nitrogen at 200 pounds per acre.

“The cowpea-oat-arrowleaf clover-combination has proved to provide early deer hunting opportunities for youth-only and archery seasons when established in early September,” Higginbotham said. “The combination then provides a constant supply of forage for deer into early summer.”

Originally appeared: http://today.agrilife.org/2016/09/02/combination-food-plots-can-attract-deer-year-round/

Texas Master Naturalist program offers new printed curriculum

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Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu

Contact: Mary Pearl Meuth, 979-845-7294, mpmeuth@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – The Texas Master Naturalist program has a new training curriculum that’s hot off the press, a Texas A&M official said.

Mary Pearl Meuth, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service associate at College Station who works with the statewide program affiliated with her agency and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said the book published and available through the Texas A&M University Press can be ordered at: http://bit.ly/2bFwmg3.

“This edition is our first official professionally printed piece,” she said. “It has more than 600 color images and maps and four additional teaching units. Also, the entire content has been updated.

New Texas Master Naturalist curriculum is now available. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)

New Texas Master Naturalist curriculum is now available. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)

“The Texas Master Naturalist program is comprised of volunteers who, once trained, provide teaching, outreach and services to promote appreciation and stewardship of our state’s natural resources and natural areas,” she said. “This curriculum provides the basic instruction needed by trainees who must complete a certification course taught under the guidance of any of the more than 40 Texas chapters in order to become a Texas Master Naturalist.”

Meuth and Michelle Haggerty, the Texas Master Naturalist program statewide coordinator at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, edited the work. Meuth said the curriculum includes 24 instruction units ranging from geology to ornithology to wetland ecology. All the units were written by the state’s top scientists and experts in their respective fields of expertise, she said.

“The book, while tailored to Master Naturalist trainees, is also an excellent up-to-date resource for anyone seeking authoritative information about the natural world in Texas,” Meuth said. “It’s also great for those considering becoming a Texas Master Naturalist.”

The new version, all 763 pages of it, Meuth refers to as the second edition.

“It’s a far cry from the first edition, which has been in use for 10 years. That version was a three-ring binder printed in black and white with limited images and maps.”

Naturalists who have reviewed the book were effusive in their praise of the update.

Dr. Diane Russell, president of the Coastal Prairie Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist, said everything is better in the new volume versus the old one.

“It’s like night and day,” Russell said. “Everything is more logical and more clearly written.

“When I finished the training class years ago, I happily put that manual away never to open it again. But this book – I will keep it in my living room where I sit and work. I actually can’t wait to start reading it slowly for content – couldn’t do that before. I know I will become a much better naturalist with this to read.”

Lisa Flannagan, Texas Master Naturalist volunteer and Hill Country Chapter membership chair, said, “I love, love, love this book. What a work of art it is. I love that we have such a professional, well laid out text that we will use for years.”

The Master Naturalist program, now in its 18th year, has been hugely successful, Meuth said. During that time, more than 10,000 volunteers have been trained who, in turn, have dedicated more than 2.8 million hours of their time educating the public.

For more information, contact Meuth at 979-845-7294, mpmeuth@tamu.edu .For more information on the Texas Master Naturalist program, go to  http://txmn.org/ .

Originally appeared: http://today.agrilife.org/2016/08/25/texas-master-naturalist-program-offers-new-printed-curriculum/

Summertime pond management requires planning and caution

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  • Writer: Adam Russell, 903-834-6191, adam.russell@ag.tamu.edu
  • Contact: Dr. Billy Higginbotham, 903-834-6191, b-higginbotham@tamu.edu

OVERTON – Phone calls about out-of-control aquatic vegetation are a common midsummer occurrence, said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife and fisheries specialist Dr. Billy Higginbotham.

However, he said, pond owners should proceed with caution when treating aquatic weeds in ponds where fish are important resources.

Dr. Billy Higginbotham, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife and fisheries specialist, said pond owners should be cautious during summer months when controlling or eradicating aquatic vegetation to avoid fish kills. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns)

Dr. Billy Higginbotham, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife and fisheries specialist, said pond owners should be cautious during summer months when controlling or eradicating aquatic vegetation to avoid fish kills. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns)

Higginbotham said thinning or eradicating aquatic vegetation can improve the overall environment for the pond and increase the pond’s utility for recreation, livestock watering and/or irrigation. However, in larger ponds managed for largemouth bass and appropriate forage species, some degree of aquatic vegetation coverage may provide beneficial habitat and harbor food items.

Because of potentially extensive coverage, there are dozens of native and invasive species of aquatic vegetation that cause ecological and economic impacts throughout Texas, he said. And positive identification is the key to successful control of aquatic vegetation.

“I recommend people use the AgriLife Extension website http://aquaplant.tamu.edu for assistance in identification and control recommendations,” Higginbotham said. “There is a wealth of information available to help guide landowners.”

The site assists with identification including descriptions and photos and also provides treatment advice, such as whether biologic controls are available and gives multiple herbicide options, their effectiveness and how to calculate the area and volume of ponds for applications.

Higginbotham said landowners should treat ponds in stages if maintaining fish populations is important. Treating an entire pond with herbicides during the hotter months can create an oxygen debt, due to decomposing vegetation, especially algae and other submerged vegetation, and cause fish losses.

“This is typically a summertime problem because water at higher temperatures holds less oxygen than would be possible at cooler temperatures,” he said. “If treatment is necessary during the heat of the summer, break the pond up into sections and treat only 15-20 percent of the pond at a time with one week in between treatments.”

Higginbotham said lower water levels typically found in late summer can also aid landowners who want to renovate their ponds. Reduced volume of water requires fewer treatment chemicals to remove the existing fish population, which might include undesirable species, in order to establish and support fish species that offer better angling opportunities.

“Landowners with unbalanced fish populations may also want to remove existing fish populations and start over, especially in smaller ponds less than one surface acre in size that lend themselves more for the management of single species that accept a pelleted ration, such as channel or blue catfish, hybrid stripers or hybrid sunfish,” he said.

Removal of existing species not easily managed in these smaller ponds, or that will compete directly with the desired fish species or in some cases prey directly upon stocked fingerlings, can be accomplished using rotenone.

Rotenone is a restricted use pesticide, therefore pond owners need a Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator license to purchase and use, or must hire a licensed applicator, Higginbotham said.

The liquid formulation of rotenone is easier to use, Higginbotham said, because it mixes easily with water and can be applied by pump or by mixing into the prop wash of a small outboard motor. Protective gear should be worn during the application process including eyewear, gloves and long sleeves to avoid skin contact with the pesticide.

Rotenone prevents the fish from taking oxygen from the water. Fish should begin surfacing within 30 minutes of the application, depending on species. The fish, however, cannot be consumed because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has not established residue levels for rotenone.

Landowners should wait at least two to three weeks to restock the pond after the rotenone application, he said. It is safe for livestock to consume water that has been treated with rotenone, except for swine.

For more information about Rotenone use, go to http://bit.ly/29YsdQB or contact your local AgriLife Extension agent.

AgriLife Extension names Amanda Gobeli to state quail study post

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Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu

Contact: Dr. Dale Rollins, 325-653-4576, d-rollins@tamu.edu

Amanda Gobeli, 325-653-4576, agobeli@tamu.edu

SAN ANGELO – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has hired Amanda Gobeli as the new associate in quail studies.

Gobeli is headquartered at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo.

Amanda Gobeli is the new AgriLife Extension associate in quail studies.(Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo)

Amanda Gobeli is the new AgriLife Extension associate in quail studies.(Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo)

“Amanda will be working with AgriLife Extension agents and other ‘students of quail’ in the quest to reverse the decline of quail,” said Dr. Dale Rollins, state coordinator for Texas A&M AgriLife’s Reversing the Quail Decline Initiative at San Angelo.

Gobeli recently earned a master’s degree in environmental science with an emphasis on avian conservation biology from the University of North Texas at Denton. She also earned a bachelor’s in environmental science from Winthrop University at Rock Hill, South Carolina.

She was able to work closely with landowners while conducting quail work at the University of North Texas, which included call counts, habitat studies, and trapping and tracking quail.

Gobeli served as a teaching assistant at the University of North Texas and worked as a summer camp counselor for the North Texas Land Scholars youth camp. She also completed service as a volunteer trainer at the University of North Texas quail research program.

Gobeli succeeds Becky Ruzicka, who resigned in order to pursue her doctorate.

Stocked fish ponds more susceptible to oxygen depletion during summer months

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  • Writer: Adam Russell, 903-834-6191, adam.russell@ag.tamu.edu
  • Contact: Billy Higginbotham, 903-834-6191, billy.higginbotham@ag.tamu.edu

OVERTON – A Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert said landowners should watch for oxygen depletion in stock ponds as we enter the dog days of summer.

Snapshot 1 (6-18-2016 1-38 PM)

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist Dr. Billy Higginbotham checks the pH balance in a stocked fish pond. Higginbotham said pond owners should watch for signs of oxygen depletion during still summer days. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photograph by Adam Russell)

Dr. Billy Higginbotham, AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist in Overton, said landowners with stocked fish ponds should be aware of possible problems with oxygen depletion as hot, still days become more prevalent.

The summer months, between June and September, when the outside air is increasingly hot and pond water temperatures climb, are the time of year when oxygen depletions occur most for a variety of reasons, he said. Improper aquatic weed control, too many pounds of fish and the weather all contribute.

Higginbotham said typical ponds can sustain 1,000 pounds of fish per surface acre through summer months. When the environment is optimized and the pond owner stocks heavily, especially channel and blue catfish, and feeds heavily with floating fish rations, the density level can be easily met and exceeded.

Oxygen production via photosynthesis can slow or stop from several hot, still, cloudy days and fish continue to use oxygen until it falls below 3 parts per million gallons which stresses fish, Higginbotham said. Fish will begin swimming to the surface to try to obtain enough oxygen to survive at the air-water interface.

Higginbotham recommends checking the pond at daybreak when oxygen levels are at their lowest daily levels. The pond owner should act quickly if fish are surfacing for air.

Larger fish are affected by low oxygen levels more than smaller fish, he said.

“It’s almost as if they are gasping for air at the air-water interface,” Higginbotham said. “That’s a clear sign of oxygen depletion and the pond owner should act quickly to avoid a complete die-off of their fish.”

Pond owners can produce more oxygen for fish in various ways.

Backing a boat engine into the pond and circulating the water is one way to create more oxygen, Higginbotham said. Pond owners can also place a water pump in a shallow portion of the pond and spray water along the surface to circulate water along the air-water interface.

Once oxygen levels are restored, Higginbotham said pond owners should investigate the pond conditions that contributed to the depletion. He recommends thinning fish populations to reduce the pounds of fish the pond supports going into the mid-summer months when hot, still cloudy days are prevalent.

Controlling aquatic vegetation can also contribute to oxygen depletion, Higginbotham said. Oxygen is removed from water as plant tissue decomposes, which can create a scenario where a die off might occur.

Weed control efforts should be done gradually, about 15-20 percent of the vegetation at a time and with a week break between treatments, he said.

An aeration system is a good investment for landowners to avoid problems or prevent future problems, Higginbotham said.

“Watch very carefully as we enter these still, cloudy days, the dog days of summer,” Higginbotham said. “Be mindful of oxygen depletion and the possibility of losing fish populations.”

Four-wire electric fence system best control of deer access to food plots

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By: Adam Russell, 903-834-6191, adam.russell@ag.tamu.edu

Contact: Billy Higginbotham, 903-834-6191, billy.higginbotham@ag.tamu.edu

OVERTON – Landowners have a few options to protect forage plots and gardens from browsing deer,  but the electric four-wire system appears to work best, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist.

Dr. Billy Higginbotham, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist in Overton, said the system is the best and most cost-effective option for landowners looking to keep deer out of food plots and gardens.

Dr. James Kroll, emeritus director of the Institute for White-tailed Deer Management and Research at Stephen F. Austin University, created the four-wire electric fence design as a temporary barrier to control deer access to forage plots.

A four-wire electric fence system protecting a cowpea plot at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Overton. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Dr. Billy Higginbotham)

A four-wire electric fence system protecting a cowpea plot at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Overton. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Dr. Billy Higginbotham)

The technology has since been applied to protect high-value areas such as gardens as well, Higginbotham said. It has been field-tested for several years and was tested in Overton last summer.

The design allows landowners to limit access to small food plots that would otherwise be over-browsed by deer and at a much lower cost than an 8-foot-tall net wire fence, Higginbotham said. He said food plots as small as several acres of cowpeas can typically withstand browsing pressure but that forages need time, typically six weeks, to become well-established.

“We’ve been very pleased with the results, especially as we moved the fence to allow deer access to the forage,” Higginbotham said.

He advised using electric fence “tape” set 18 inches off the ground for the outside hot wire and twist it so small breezes will make it flutter. Then set white electric fence wire 12 inches and 24 inches above the ground 3 feet inside the outside hot wire, and again 3 feet inside the two hot wires, set another electric tape twisted to flutter in the breeze.

Six-foot t-posts with insulators are used for corner posts for the hot wire configuration, he said. Place white, if possible, electric fence posts every 25 feet between the t-posts. Additional t-posts may be needed every 100 feet on bigger food plots.

The configuration is only 6 feet wide and 24 inches off the ground but the three dimensional effect has proven successful at keeping deer out of cowpea stands.

Higginbotham used the design to control deer access to a quarter-acre plot of cowpeas at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Overton.

Four game cameras were placed to monitor the quarter-acre food plot and deer interactions with the fencing system, he said. There was only one breach of the fencing system during the summer field trial – a doe jumped inside the outside fence for about 30 seconds and then exited.

Higginbotham said the configuration is good for food plots because it can be moved to allow limited access to the food plot throughout the summer and leading into hunting season.

He said allowing food plots relief from browsing pressure could help landowners to keep deer hooked to summer forages all the way up to youth rifle season or archery season.

The four-wire electric fence system allows landowners to control deer access to food plots and can restrict access to high value crops and home gardens. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Dr. Billy Higginbotham)

The four-wire electric fence system allows landowners to control deer access to food plots and can restrict access to high value crops and home gardens. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Dr. Billy Higginbotham)

The success protecting food plots can also benefit other areas landowners who want to restrict deer access. Home gardens near deer habitat can be vulnerable to deer browsing, Higginbotham said.

The total cost to fence the quarter-acre plot was approximately $400, he said. However, cost would drop significantly on a per-acre basis as the size of the plots protected by the electric fence design increased in area.

“Right now is a good time for landowners to be planting their summer forage plots, like cowpeas, and this system does a fantastic job of protecting those plots when they’re starting and provides a way of controlling access as the landowner allows,” Higginbotham said. “However, it is important to have the fence in place before the cowpeas germinate.”

Originally published: http://today.agrilife.org/2016/05/12/four-wire-electric-fence-system-best-control-of-deer-access-to-food-plots/

Stocking new ponds with fish is a process

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  • By: Adam Russell, 903-834-6191, adam.russell@ag.tamu.edu
  • Contact: Todd Sink, 979-845-7471, Todd.Sink@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – Spring is a good time for landowners with new ponds to begin stocking fish but a planned approach is recommended, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension fisheries specialist Todd Sink.

Ely Evans, of Evans Farms in Como, shows off a small catfish caught from a stocked pond. (Photo provided by Candace Flora)

Ely Evans, of Evans Farms in Como, shows off a small catfish caught from a stocked pond. (Photo provided by Candace Flora)

“A lot of people think you just put fish in a pond and it is stocked and will result in a good fish population,” said Sink, who is based in College Station. “But you must first assure the water chemistry is correct to adequately support fish, create a strong pond food-chain, stock the proper baitfish to sportfish numbers, and finally there is a particular stocking order that must be followed.”

The first step is to assure the environment is suitable for where phytoplankton, prey organisms and fish at all levels of the food chain can thrive, Sink said. Phytoplankton are the single-celled microscopic algae that give water a greenish tint and are the basis of the entire pond’s food-chain. Sink recommends taking a water sample for analyses to determine the water chemistry of the pond. This is especially important in East Texas, he said, because the soil is typically acidic which leads to low-alkalinity, acidic waters.

Landowners should try to create an alkalinity of between 50-150 parts per million and a pH of 6-9. Doing so provides the best environment for the pond’s food chain, he said. Crushed agricultural limestone, hydrated lime, quicklime, or slaked lime can be added to low-alkalinity or low pH ponds to create a more productive environment for fish and their food prior to stocking. Hydrated lime, quicklime, or slaked lime cannot be added to a pond with fish because the rapid pH change can cause a fish kill.

Landowners can add crushed agricultural limestone, or agricultural lime, to correct alkalinity or pH issues in ponds that already contain fish with no adverse effects to the fish populations, because it creates a very gradual shift in pH, he said.

Sink also recommends a fertilization program be implemented if maximizing fish production is the goal. Most ponds benefit from adding 5-8 pounds of liquid or powdered, not pelleted, phosphorus per-acre. This practice will create a phytoplankton bloom, which creates food for baitfish, crawfish, insects, and other organisms at the base of the sportfish food chain, as well as for larval sportfish themselves.

The pond “won’t produce as much food as it could if unfertilized,” he said. “Creating a good basis for the pond’s food chain through fertilization programs can produce four to six times more fish from the same body of water.”

Fertilization can also help to limit the establishment of nuisance rooted vegetation by blocking sunlight to the bottom of the pond, he said.

After creating a good environment, Sink said owners should stock ponds in spring or early summer with 5-15 pounds of fathead minnows per acre, which are easy-to-capture baitfish that will spawn and create a good food source for larger baitfish and sportfish populations so they are established when stocked.

In the fall, Sink said the pond should be stocked with 500 bluegill or 400 bluegill and 100 redear sunfish per acre. Redear can grow substantially larger than bluegill, but the two species do not compete for food. By stocking the two species in combination, landowners end up with more fish in the pond because they are not competing for the same resources, which means the bass have more available baitfish and anglers have another species to catch, he said.

Bluegill and redear are good baitfish for bass and catfish, Sink said. When stocked in the fall, they will continue to grow throughout the fall, winter and spring so they are ready to spawn and provide sufficient prey for bass and catfish. Bluegill and redear are typically sold as 1-3 inch stockers while bass are sold at 2-4 inch and catfish 1-6 inch.

If landowners stock bass or catfish at the same time as the bluegill and redear are stocked, the bass and catfish eat the small sunfish before they ever have a chance to spawn, creating too many predatory fish and too few forage fish, leading to stunted bass and catfish populations.

“The fish population in the pond will be off to a bad start,” he said.

Bass spawn in March and April and fingerlings will be ready to stock by May or June. Catfish spawn in May and June and will be ready to stock in July or August, but fingerlings are available throughout the year due to fish production management, although size varies with time of year.

Ponds should be stocked with one largemouth bass for every ten sunfish stocked, so for the scenario above where 500 sunfish are stocked, 50 largemouth bass per acre can be stocked. Up to 50 channel or blue catfish per acre can be stocked, or up to 100 per acre with fertilization and supplemental feeding two to three times a week. Sink said catfish can be added any time after bass are stocked.

But Sink said owners should consider whether they will fish for catfish and must plan to remove larger catfish to protect bluegill, redear and smaller bass populations.

“A 2-pound catfish is a good predator and can feed on a quarter to half pound bass and 8-9 inch bluegill so they should be thinned out to keep their sizes small,” he said.

If the owner does not plan to fish for catfish or remove most of them by the time they reach 2 pounds, they should not stock catfish in their pond and focus more on bass, bluegill, and redear sunfish.

Once stocked, the pond should be ready for quality fishing in three years, Sink said.

Sink said owners could speed up the process a bit by adding more minnows, bluegill and redear during the first two years, but that stocking more minnows or baitfish is not necessary. Stocking additional bass into the pond is never needed, unless there is a fish kill, as bass over-populate in most ponds.

The key to managing good fish populations, and to growing big bass, relies on harvest of bass from ponds starting the third year after stocking. Most ponds require a minimum of 10 pounds of 6-10 inch largemouth bass be harvested per-acre per-year to support a healthy fish population. If the owner wants to grow trophy bass, they may need to harvest 25 pounds or more of 6-14 inch largemouth bass per-acre per-year to free up limited food resources so that remaining bass can grow fast or large.

If owners want to catch more large bass or are catching too many half to 2-pound bass, the answer is not to stock more bass because it would make the issue worse. Instead, work on building the food-chain and harvesting more bass to free up food resources so remaining bass can grow larger faster.

Owners can also add structures to ponds to provide cover for fish, but they typically are more beneficial to anglers because fish congregate around them and therefore they know where to find the fish, Sink said. Sink recommends the use of natural materials, such as wood and rock because tires and plastic pipe are petrochemical-based products and degrade over time introducing those chemicals to the water and the fish.

Also, algae and other food items do not grow well on plastic, he said.

“There’s nothing wrong with (structures) but fish don’t have to have them,” he said.

Aquatic vegetation can provide good cover for fish, but is in no way necessary or vital to a good fishery and should be managed. Sink said vegetation should be limited to 10-15 percent of the pond’s total bottom area. Vegetation should be managed if the coverage areas exceeds 20 percent, because fish kills caused by low-dissolved oxygen from excess vegetation can occur, he said.

Sink said aerators can be beneficial to many aspects of the pond but are not required. Aerators that mix water at all depths should be used when possible over surface aerators, he said.

Crappie are not recommended for stock ponds less than 20 acres because they are prolific breeders, Sink said. They are extremely difficult to manage because predators and anglers can’t keep up with crappie spawns and ponds are eventually overrun.

For more information from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension fisheries, go tohttp://fisheries.tamu.edu/.

For access to a 2015 Webinar about comprehensive stocking strategies and tips from Sink go to http://bit.ly/1VBHTyN.

AgriLife Research scientists study wild pig impact on bobwhite quail populations

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By: Paul Schattenberg

UVALDE — As part of an effort to understand the reasons behind the decline in wild quail populations, researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife Research have studied whether the continued increase in numbers and distribution of wild pigs, commonly referred to as feral hogs, may be a contributing factor.

According to data from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, within the South Texas Plains ecoregion bobwhite populations have been consistently low since the mid-1990s and to date have shown few signs of recovery despite land-management efforts to improve populations.

“Wild pigs are known to eat the eggs of ground-nesting birds, but whether they impact wild quail populations is unknown,” said Dr. Susan Cooper, AgriLife Research natural resource ecologist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Uvalde, who served as lead study investigator.

Wild pigs, commonly known as feral hogs, are known to predate quail nests and eat their eggs. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo)

Wild pigs, commonly known as feral hogs, are known to predate quail nests and eat their eggs. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo)

Cooper said nest predation studies using artificial nests baited with quail or chicken eggs, as well as in-vivo field experience, showed wild pigs invade the nests of bobwhite quail to consume their eggs.

“Our study was able to demonstrate that on semi-arid rangeland, differences in habitat use and selection by Northern bobwhites and wild pigs should limit interaction between the species,” she said.

However, she noted, the study also showed there are still opportunities for quail nest depredation by wild pigs due to riparian areas providing access to drier upland areas.

By comparing the habitat use of quail and wild pigs, Cooper and her fellow scientists hoped to provide guidance on the rangeland sites where control of the feral swine might have the greatest positive impact on northern bobwhite quail populations. To achieve this, the scientists solicited the cooperation of the owner of an 84,000-acre-plus, low-fenced ranch in Zavala County used for game production and cattle grazing.

“We combined GPS data on the movements of 40 feral hogs collected in a prior study, with 10 years of spring call-count data available for quail on the ranch and three nearby properties,” Cooper said.

To get information on their habitat preferences, wild pigs were trapped and outfitted with a GPS collar. (Texas A&M AgriLife research photo)

To get information on their habitat preferences, wild pigs were trapped and outfitted with a GPS collar. (Texas A&M AgriLife research photo)

The call counts were made annually from 2004 to 2014 during mating season — mid-April through May. Quail rooster calls were recorded at 10 call stations spaced equidistantly along about a 10-mile route on each ranch. Information on habitat use and selection by wild pigs was based on two years of data collected on the main study ranch using GPS-collared wild pigs whose movements were recorded every 15 minutes.

“Through combining these studies, our goal was to identify habitats within South Texas rangeland in which wild pigs were most likely to overlap in distribution with the bobwhites,” Cooper said.

Cooper said the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service had determined the soil types of the study ranch were predominantly clays and clay-loams with a small area of deep sandy soil..

“The most characteristic woody plant on the ranches was honey mesquite, which was growing in combination with pricklypear cactus and a diverse array of drought-tolerant shrubs,” Cooper said. “Riparian areas were predominantly narrow bands of dense shrubs and mesquite trees along drainage areas. In contrast, the sandy areas provided an open prairie habitat.”

Research results showed bobwhites on the study ranch strongly preferred the area with deep sandy soil. In contrast, wild pigs favored areas underlain by clay soils, and especially riparian areas of that soil type. On the other three ranches, which lacked the sandy soils, the bobwhites showed no clear preference for any particular ecological site.

“There is a thermoregulatory requirement for wild pigs to stay near riparian areas because, like their domesticated relatives, they have no sweat glands and the water and cool ground in these locations help regulate their body temperature,” Cooper said.

She said in spring and summer, when quail have nests on the ground that are vulnerable to predation by mammals, feral hogs were typically in the vicinity of water and riparian habitats that make unsuitable nesting habitat for quail.

The study showed the greatest overlap in habitat selection by wild pigs and bobwhites occurred early in the quail-breeding season when the swine were more often located in the clay-loam areas.

“These shrub dominated sites, while not highly preferred by bobwhites as long-term habitats, are used extensively for nesting,” she said. “However, most locations of wild pigs within clay-loam areas were not in native vegetation but fallow fields too sparsely vegetated to be of use to nesting quails. Thus chances of the swine locating quail nests were less than may be expected.”

However, Cooper noted, the network of creeks and drainages allowed hogs to infiltrate into drier rangeland areas where quail do nest.

“The special distribution of creeks and drainages may provide these opportunistic omnivores with travel routes into the drier upland areas preferred by bobwhites as a habitat for establishing their nests,” she said.   

AgriLife Research investigators study effects of aflatoxins on quail reproduction

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By: Paul Schattenberg

UVALDE – In an effort to discover find what’s causing the decline of Texas wild quail populations, Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists investigated whether regular ingestion of low levels of aflatoxins by bobwhite and scaled quail may impacttheir ability to reproduce.

VIDEO: Quail and Afaltoxin Study: https://youtu.be/KV1r1ZONWDE

The study on aflatoxin ingestion by quail addressed what might occur if quail consumed grain-based feed infected by these fungal toxins. The study’s purpose was to see if repeated consumption of low levels aflotoxins might affect quail reproduction. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo)

The study on aflatoxin ingestion by quail addressed what might occur if quail consumed grain-based feed infected by these fungal toxins. The study’s purpose was to see if repeated consumption of low levels aflotoxins might affect quail reproduction. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo)

“In trying to identify reasons behind the decline in quail populations in Texas, we determined it would be worthwhile to study whether aflatoxins, which are fungal toxins that contaminate grain, might be a concern,” said Dr. Susan Cooper, AgriLife Research wildlife ecologist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Uvalde.

“We wondered whether eating grain-based feed supplements for wildlife, especially deer corn, might possibly expose quail to chronic low levels of aflatoxin poisoning, thereby affecting their reproductive ability.”

Cooper was helped in the study by research assistant Shane Sieckenius and research technician Andrea Silva, both of AgriLife Research in Uvalde.

Cooper said previous research has shown acute dosages of 100 parts per billion of aflatoxin in poultry could cause liver damage or dysfunction, leading to ill health as well as reduced egg production and hatchability.

In wild quail, such effects would result in a decrease in reproductive output and reduction in quail population, she said.

“We knew that experimental doses of even small amounts of aflatoxins may cause liver damage and immunosuppression,” Cooper explained. “So the objective of this study was to determine whether consumption of aflatoxins in feed at those levels likely to be encountered as a result of wild quail eating supplemental feed provided for quail, deer or livestock, would result in a reduction in their reproductive output.”

The researchers conducted feeding trials using 30 northern bobwhites and 30 scaled quail housed in breeding pairs. They initially conducted free-choice trials on three replicate pairs of each type of quail to determine if they could detect the presence of aflatoxin in their feed. The birds could not detect and avoid aflatoxins.

Then for 25 weeks, encompassing the breeding season of March through August, the researchers divided the remaining quail into four groups of three pairs of each species. These 12 pairs of caged northern bobwhites and 12 pairs of scaled quail were fed diets that included twice weekly feedings of 20 grams of corn. The corn had either 0, 25, 50 or 100 parts per billion of aflatoxin B1 added to it prior to consumption by the quail.

“These amounts of aflatoxin — 25, 50 and 100 parts per billion — represented the recommended maximum levels for bird feed and legal limits for wildlife and livestock feed respectively,” Cooper said. “And the feeding schedule mimicked what would occur with wild quail periodically visiting a source of supplemental feed.”

Quail were weighed monthly to see if there was any weight change due to the consumption of grain-based feed with low-level amounts of aflatoxion. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo)

Quail were weighed monthly to see if there was any weight change due to the consumption of grain-based feed with low-level amounts of aflatoxion. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo)

The researchers measured any changes in reproductive output and quail health over the six-month breeding period. Reproductive output was measured in terms of number of eggs produced per week as well as the weight of the eggs and their yolks. Health changes were measured by the amount of food consumed by the quail on a weekly basis and by any reduction in weight as measured on a monthly basis.

“We had to extract the birds from the pens using butterfly nets, then put them into a small enclosed cage area to weigh them,” said Sieckenius, who also prepared the corn for adding the aflatoxin. “We collected eggs daily and hard-boiled the eggs collected on the last week of each month to extract the yolks so we could accurately measure their weight.”

Cooper said the results of the study showed intermittent consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated feed had no measurable effect on the body weight, feed consumption and visible health of either species of quail.

“The reproductive output, measured by number of eggs produced, egg weight and yolk weight, was also unaffected,” she said. “Thus, in the short term, it appears that chronic low-level exposure to aflatoxins has no measurable deleterious effects on the health and productivity of quail.”

Cooper said as a result of the study it was possible to conclude that aflatoxins in supplemental feed are unlikely to be a factor contributing to the long-term population decline of northern bobwhite and scaled quail through reduced health or egg production. However, she cautioned that feed should be kept dry to avoid potential contamination with higher levels of aflatoxin that may be harmful.

”This project also does not address any long-term effects of aflatoxin consumption that may become evident when wild quail are exposed to nutritional or environmental stresses,” she said.

Livestock guardian dogs come to area ranches

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By: Steve Byrns

Year-long project involves seven ranches, 22 dogs

Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu

Contact: Dr. Reid Redden, 325-653-4576, reid.redden@ag.tamu.edu

SAN ANGELO – The West Texas sheep and goat industry will soon be “going to the dogs” if a team of Texas A&M AgriLife experts has their way.

Dr. Reid Redden and Dr. John Tomecek, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state sheep and goat specialist and wildlife specialist, respectively, and Dr. John Walker, Texas A&M AgriLife Research resident director, all of San Angelo, are heading a new year-long research project called “Understanding and Expanding the Use of Livestock Guardian Dogs in West Texas.”

“The goal is to place livestock guardian dogs on large West Texas ranches with ranchers who have never used them as a predator management tool,” Redden said.

Redden said 22 dogs, including two backups,  arrived shortly after Jan. 1 from a professional livestock guardian dog breeder based in Montana. The dogs, specifically bred and raised to live with and guard sheep and goats, are composite crossbred animals comprised of five large breeds of dogs used for thousands of years for this purpose.

“Predation on sheep and goats on large West Texas operations is arguably that industry’s biggest problem,” Redden said. “For many ranchers, controlling predators has gotten to the point where it’s almost impossible to effectively conduct predator management by traditional lethal means. So we are looking at new tools for our area, and livestock guardian dogs are a tool that’s been used in other countries and elsewhere in the U.S., but it has not been used very much in West Texas. The main difference is management style, and this management style affects how the dogs work.”

Livestock guardian dogs await assignment to area ranches as part of a year-long study. (Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Steve Byrns)

Livestock guardian dogs await assignment to area ranches as part of a year-long study. (Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Steve Byrns)

Redden said the research project aims to investigate and work with cooperating ranchers,  located from San Angelo west to Iraan and down to Del Rio, to better understand how livestock guardian dogs work in large expansive pastures.

“We have pastures in the project from between 500 and 5,000 acres,” Redden said. “These are large pastures where sheep can get scattered, making it easier for predators to do damage to the flock. It’s also difficult to spot a problem quickly in a large pasture, especially if it’s rough, brushy country as many West Texas pastures are.”

https://youtu.be/wnbFA1wnrnQ

Redden said the dogs were placed with seven cooperators and on AgriLife property Walker directs. Some ranchers got two dogs and some got four. The dogs, all between six and ten months old and previously bonded with sheep, were placed on the ranches shortly after Jan. 1. Once the dogs were placed on an operation, they were put in a small pen to bond with the sheep on that operation. Then within a few days to a few weeks, they were put out into large pastures.

Throughout the year the dogs are being fitted with GPS collars to track their movements throughout the day and night to see how they are working as a predator management tool.

“The observations thus far on the project have been fairly positive,” Redden said. “Most of the cooperators we’ve talked to have had good luck with the guard dogs. There have been a few issues that needed to be addressed, which is common with guardian dogs. It requires effort and perseverance to make the program work. But we have not had any reported sheep losses from coyotes, the No. 1 predator in Texas.

“One rancher even commented since getting the dogs that he’s seeing ‘repeat appearances’ among his sheep. Before, when his ewes would leave with a lamb, many of those lambs were never seen again, but now he is seeing them again…thus they are making repeat appearances.

“Based on cooperator reports, the guardian dogs have changed the movement patterns among the predators. Overall, we think they are starting to show some real positive effects on all the ranches that we’ve put them on.”

The other part of the project Tomecek oversees centers around the use of game cameras left running throughout the year to measure the traffic of predators such as coyotes, foxes and feral hogs.

Tomecek noted the predator populations were camera-surveyed prior to the livestock guardian dogs being added and will continue to be surveyed throughout the year to understand how the dogs change the predator movement and patterns as the dogs move in and around the ranches.

“Primarily, these livestock guardian dogs are a tool that dissuade predators from getting in the livestock,” Redden said. “One of the things people think is that the dogs are aggressive and go out and kill predators, and that is very rare. Actually the dogs are bonded to the sheep, they stay with them. They are part of the flock, while at the same time they provide protection for the sheep.

“They bark throughout the night to warn predators to avoid the area. They dissuade them from harming the livestock, and the predators go back to their normal prey of mostly rabbits and other small rodents.”

Redden said from a personal standpoint that livestock guardian dogs have kept his family-owned sheep and goat operation going since the 1990s.

“They’re a fantastic tool,” he said. “They do take effort and work to get them implemented and bonded and working on the ranch. But I think it’s a fantastic return on the investment of time and money once guardian dogs are put into place and you understand how to use them and understand how they work. The peace of mind that predation is no longer a problem is the best benefit of all.”

The AgriLife team would like to see the program build industry knowledge and widespread acceptance of livestock guardian dogs. They hope the group of ranchers will evolve into livestock guardian dog ambassadors, willing to help others wanting to use the dogs to remain economically viable in the sheep and goat industry.

“The whole West Texas belief that loose dogs among sheep as always being a bad thing must change, because these dogs don’t behave as most dogs do and must be handled in a totally unique manner,” he said. “It will be a learning experience, not only for the producers involved with this work, but for the whole West Texas ranching community as well.”

For more information on livestock guardian dogs, go to http://sanangelo.tamu.edu/files/2013/08/Livestock-Guardian-Dogs1.pdf . Redden can be reached at 325-653-4576, extension 224 or reid.redden@ag.tamu.edu

Yearlong AgriLife Extension wildlife educational series kicks off in San Angelo on Feb. 10

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Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu

Contact: Josh Blanek, 325-659-6523, j-blanek@tamu.edu

SAN ANGELO – Two Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service staffers are collaborating on a yearlong project aimed at providing wildlife education opportunities to West Texans.

Josh Blanek, AgriLife Extension agent in Tom Green County, and Dr. John Tomecek, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist at San Angelo, will conduct “Wildlife Wednesdays,” a series of 11 wildlife related one-hour seminars from noon to 1 p.m. starting Feb. 10.

The series will cover a variety of topics tailored to the time of year each seminar is presented. And, as the the name implies, they are all scheduled for a Wednesday.

All the sessions, which are free and open to the public, will be at Palmer Feed and Supply, located at 1318 N. Chadbourne St. in San Angelo.

“These sessions are meant to be very informal,” Blanek said. “We liken them to AgriLife Extension’s longstanding turnrow meetings where we meet at the end of a turnrow on a farmer’s field to discuss matters of concern or of interest to area farmers.

“We want participants to have a chance to learn about various current wildlife topics in a  casual atmosphere.”

Blanek said Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be offered when appropriate.

The dates and topics will include:

– Feb 10 – Managing Browse for Livestock and Wildlife.

– March 16 – Turkeys in Spring: Maximizing Management and Hunting.

– April 13 – Supplemental Feeding of White-tailed Deer.

– May 18 – Conducting Brush Management to Benefit Wildlife.

– June 22 – Integrating Wildlife and Livestock Grazing.

– July 13 – Dove Management.

– Aug. 17 – Preparing for Fall Turkey Management.

– Sept. 14 – Using Wildlife Sign as a Management Tool.

– Oct. 12 – Quail Management.

– Nov.16 – Managing for Mature Deer: Aging on the Hoof.

– Dec.14 – Feral Hog Management.

For more information, contact the AgriLife Extension office in Tom Green County at 325-659-6523.