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

A Quail’s Tale

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Kirby the Quail helps spread message of wildlife conservation

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

Contacts: Amanda Gobeli, 720-333-6224, amanda.gobeli@ag.tamu.edu

Dr. Jim Cathey, 979-458-2565, james.cathey@ag.tamu.edu

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

COLLEGE STATION – One of the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute’s most popular “spokespersons” for quail appreciation and conservation isn’t a person at all, but a sociable  6-inch-tall northern bobwhite named Kirby.

“We have been using Kirby as a ‘life model’ for a variety of educational programs and activities related to the conservation of quail and quail habitat,” said Dr. Jim Cathey, an associate director of the institute in College Station. “Texas is home to four quail species and quail are a vital part of the economy and ecology of the state. Unfortunately, the number of quail, especially northern bobwhite, has been declining for decades. Some possible causes are land use changes and land fragmentation, drought, habitat loss, predation, invasive species and disease.”

Cathey said the institute, which has offices on the Texas A&M campus in College Station and in San Antonio, as well as additional personnel based in Texas and other states, has an extensive wildlife conservation and mitigation program that helps address today’s wildlife and habitat management issues.

Kirby and Amanda Gobeli at a statewide  conference of the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society. (Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute photo)

“We promote stewardship of wildlife populations, including game, nongame, endangered and threatened species and their habitats through the application and translation of sound science and outreach,” he said. “Among those outreach efforts is providing educational opportunities for youth and adults to better understand the challenges wildlife such as quail face in the wild — and what can be done to help them overcome those challenges.”

He said using Kirby as part of the institute’s educational component connects people with nature.

“A lot of youth and even adults, particularly in urban areas, may never have seen a quail,” he said. “Having Kirby during educational events provides an opportunity to talk about quail physiology and how quail are built to occupy a particular niche in nature.”

Cathey said quail have a short wingspan so they aren’t strong long-distance fliers; consequently, they spend much of their time on the ground. They also have large feet, which they use to scratch the ground to find food, like prairie chickens and other wild — and most domestic — fowl.

“Since most of their life is localized within a square mile or two, they are strongly affected by changes to their habitat,” he said.

Dr. Dale Rollins, retired Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist, San Angelo, has worked for more than five years on the statewide Reversing the Quail Decline in Texas Initiative and on other quail and quail habitat conservation initiatives for the past 35 years.

Rollins said a 2000 survey of more than 250 members of Quail Unlimited in Texas showed the average expense for a quail hunter is more than $10,350 per person, including travel, accommodations and lease fees. A 2012 follow-up survey showed only a small reduction in the amount spent.

“In many of the counties where there is quail hunting, smaller communities really depend on those hunters,” Rollins said. “So if there are an inadequate number of quail, the hunters won’t come, and their absence will have a significant negative economic impact on these communities.”

Rollins also noted in ecological terms quail can be thought of as the “canary of the prairie” in that they serve as an early indicator of problems with the habitat or ecology of the landscape.

“Quail are subjected to all sorts of predation by other animals and face many environmental challenges,” he said. “So if you have abundant quail on land that’s suited for them, then there’s likely been proper use and stewardship of that land. But if there aren’t many quail, that means the land likely also is not suited to and will not sustain an abundance of other species.”

Amanda Gobeli, institute associate based in Dallas, is Kirby’s keeper and caretaker and takes him to educational “gigs” throughout the state.

“Kirby was hatched from an egg a breeder provided and I was the first person he saw, so he imprinted on me,” Gobeli said, “He is basically a pet, staying in my house and interacting with the other birds in the household. He lives in a large enclosure lined with pine shavings. He has a jar with sand where he can take his dust baths. And he has a heat lamp. He eats a gamebird crumble, a nutritionally complete food, and he gets sunflower and chia seeds as treats. I also hide treats he has to scratch for, so he can use that natural food-finding behavior.”

She said Kirby has been around people since he was a chick, so he is comfortable interacting with and being handled by humans.

Gobeli said Kirby is an excellent conversation starter and popular with both youth and adults. (Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute photo)

“He has been part of presentations at schools, quail appreciation events, and wildlife conferences and conventions throughout the state,” Gobeli said. “He’s always the star of the show when I do a presentation. Kirby gets people’s attention just by being there, and then sometimes he will whistle or do a covey call that draws people to him. He’s a big hit, especially with the kids.”

She said one particular question frequently asked about Kirby often leads to meaningful discussion about the many challenges quail face.

“Many people ask me how old Kirby is,” she said. “When I tell them he’s 3, I also add that, in the wild, the average life span for a quail is less than a year — and most of them never make it to their first breeding season. This usually leads into a meaningful conversation about the various reasons for quail decline and what can be done to help protect quail and quail habit in Texas. He’s a great ambassador for engaging people so we can start a dialogue with them.”

Gobeli said while estimates of how long quail live in captivity vary, she expects Kirby’s life span should be at least five years.

Dr. Maureen Frank, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist in Uvalde, has presented at several events, lectures and conferences where Kirby has been shown. A few of the more recent events at which they appeared were the first-ever Urban Quail Appreciation Day last fall at the Witte Museum in San Antonio and a quail appreciation program last summer at the El Progreso Memorial Library in Uvalde.

“People are drawn to wildlife and it’s a unique and memorable experience for them to see wildlife in person,” she said. “Attendees may not remember everything about a presentation, but they’ll definitely remember seeing and interacting with Kirby.”

More information about habitat requirements of Texas quail can be found on the institute website at http://bit.ly/2D0ttX7.

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Wildlife & Fisheries Specialist Academy – February 13 & 14th

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Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s Wildlife & Fisheries Extension Unit is hosting their first annual Wildlife & Fisheries Specialist Academy.

The purpose of the Wildlife & Fisheries Specialist Academy is to provide advanced training whereby master volunteers can support or expand specific county educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. The goal of the Wildlife & Fisheries Specialist Academy is not to produce “experts”, rather to identify Master Volunteers who have received highly specialized training to support specific natural resource-related programs or projects. Such projects may include educational projects such as training other master volunteers, clientele presentations, and/or applied research and demonstrations.

Presentation Topics will include:

Texas Terrestrial Ecosystems

Wildlife Disease Control & Management

Aquatic Ecosystem and Vegetation Management

Pond Ecology

Invasive Species Control – both Terrestrial and Aquatic

. . . with an expanded agenda coming soon.

The Wildlife & Fisheries Specialist Academy will be held Tuesday February 13th and Wednesday February 14th in College Station. Classroom sessions will be held in the mornings at the AgriLife Turf Research Facility (3100 F&B Road, College Station, TX) and field based sessions in the afternoon. Materials and lunch will be provided each day.

8:30am – 5:00pm – Tuesday February 13th – Aquatic Ecosystem and Vegetation Management

9:00am – 5:00pm – Wednesday February 14th – Texas Native Wildlife and Habitat Management

Registration is on a first come/first serve basis. Only 30 participant spots are guaranteed for this academy training. Registration will cover handouts and reference materials, meals (lunch Tuesday & Wednesday), coffee & snacks during the day and classroom instruction. Not included will be lodging. Registration will be $50 for both days or $30 for single day admission. Please note that there will be an additional late registration fee of $10.00 for any registrations after February 5th. To register, please email Kathrine Bradshaw at kathrine.bradshaw@exchange.tamu.edu. Please make checks payable to TAMU AgriLife Extension. And registration payment can be mailed to 534 John Kimbrough Blvd, 2258 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843.

Dietary restrictions will be collected through registration.

For more information, click here.

Invasive zebra mussels have spread to Lake Georgetown and Lake Livingston

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This destructive species, originating from Eurasia, can damage boats, clog water intakes and litter shorelines with sharp shells. The way boaters can help slow the spread? Clean, drain and dry all boating equipment before leaving the boat ramp. 

Remember, it is unlawful to possess or transport zebra mussels, dead or alive, in the State of Texas. It is required that boaters drain all water from their boat and any on-board receptacles before leaving or approaching a body of fresh water to prevent the transfer of zebra mussels. The draining requirement applies to all types and sizes of boats: personal watercraft, sailboats, kayaks/canoes or any other vessel used on public waters. Zebra mussel larvae are microscopic. Both the larvae and adult mussels can survive for days on boats transported from a lake. This is especially so during cooler fall months.

Visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department‘s website for the full story.

For more information on Zebra Mussels and learn more about stopping their spread in our lakes, visit the Texas Invasives’ website.

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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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/

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.

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.

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.

AgriLife Extension offers online wild pig distance education courses

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

Contact: Mark Tyson, 979-845-4698, mark.tyson@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is offering an online wild pig management course for landowners, land managers and others seeking information on feral swine.

Mark Tyson, AgriLife Extension wildlife associate at College Station, said the course is divided into five modules, which are split into three main areas of study— two providing continuing education units and one informational course designed for the general public. All are narrated by members of the Feral Hog Community of Practice, a group delivering information through a national effort called eXtension.

The three areas of study are:

– Wild Pig Management for Texas Pesticide Applicators,http://bit.ly/1nE9Esp. Cost is $45. This was developed for Texas Department of Agriculture private pesticide applicators and offers two continuing education units – one general and one integrated pest management.

– Understanding Wild Pig History and Biology Continuing Education for Professionals, http://bit.ly/1Nq6EVi. Cost is $70. This provides three category one contact hours for the Wildlife Society, 2.5 continuing education units for the Society for Range Management and 2.5 hours of category two Society for American Foresters continuing education credits.

– Understanding Wild Pig History and Biology, a course for the general public, http://bit.ly/20jygoc Cost is $20. This targets anyone seeking to increase their knowledge of wild pigs.

“I am excited about these distance education courses because they offer a new way of providing continuing education units to a diverse audience, around the clock whenever the user wants to participate,” Tyson said. “Topics cover history, biology, disease concerns, laws and regulations and the management of wild pigs which provide a greater understanding of their impacts on humans, livestock and the environment.”

For more information, contact Tyson at 979-845-4698,mark.tyson@tamu.edu.