Dr. Billy Higginbotham Archives - AgriLife Extension Wildlife & Fisheries

Combination food plots can attract deer year-round

September 2, 2016 by

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.

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/

Summertime pond management requires planning and caution

July 26, 2016 by

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)

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.

Stocked fish ponds more susceptible to oxygen depletion during summer months

June 23, 2016 by

June 18, 2016

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.

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

May 13, 2016 by

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)

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 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/