Junction Texas & Surrounding Areas Hunters Guide 2020-2021

FREE

Junction

Hunters

TX

& Surrounding Areas

DEER Country 2020-2021

Guide

TPhe Junction E agle K C S 1882 ublished in

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ounty

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The best place to work, play, raise a family and retire!

First state Bank has been providing banking services here for over 70 years, serving the local real estate market as “the #1 real estate lender,� promoting the business community, supporting the ranching industry and helping our community and our youth. Enjoy your stay in this beautiful county, and let us know how the friendly folks at First State Bank can help you.

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THE JUNCTION TEXAS and Surrounding Areas

HUNTERS GUIDE 2020-21 Contents Guest Contributors - pg. 7 Kimble County Hunting Forecast - pgs. 9 - 13 Deer Season Tidbits for 2020-21 - pg. 15 Local Spotlight - pgs. 16 & 17 Which Deer Do I Harvest - pgs. 20 & 21 Wild Game Recipes - pg. 23 Taxes and Wildlife - pg. 25 Kimble County Exciting Events - pg. 26 Velvet Antlered Bucks in the Fall - pg. 27 Places to Set Your Sites On - pgs. 28-29 Local Game Submissions - pg. 30 Hunting Lease Ethics - pgs. 32-33 Javelinas in Central Texas - pg. 35 Can I Put Exotics on My Ranch with White-tailed Deer - pg. 37 Know Your Brush - pgs. 38 -39 Fawns, the Throttle of Your Deer Herd - pgs. 41 - 43 Fences and Fawns - pg. 45 Spanish Road to Santa Fe - pg. 47 The Story of the Junction Jaguar - pgs. 49 - 51 TTU Axis Deer Project Update - pgs. 53 - 54

Publisher’s Message

T

he staff at The Junction Eagle welcomes hunters and visitors to the best hunting country in the great state of Texas.

While you’re here in the splendid “Land of Living Waters”, we want you to enjoy yourselves, forget about the shenanigans in Washington (What a mess!) and have the most successful hunting experience ever.

Kimble County has a lot to offer hunters: whitetail deer, exotics, turkey, feral hogs, quail, javelina, bobcats, coyotes, red fox, predator contests, welcoming free breakfasts and lunches; and there are some of the finest folks here that you’ll ever meet anywhere.

We encourage you to shop with our advertisers. The local merchants who advertise in our Hunters Guide demonstrate they want, will work for, and appreciate your business. They have years of experience in stocking what you need, and they will go out of their way, with typical Hill Country hospitality, to make sure you are well served.

We hope visitors to Kimble County will enjoy this publication. We’ve at-

tempted to give you some hunting information, a little local history and info about local services.

The Eagle’s graphics lady extraordinaire, Ashley Lundy, worked (remotely) long and hard to bring you this special edition. Since she is a new mom to adorable Mason, she pressed Sydney Carpenter and Asia Happner into service this year. We think they did an excellent, excellent job for our advertisers and for you.

We are always grateful to the Spring Creek Outdoors and its wildlife biologists Macy Ledbetter, Matt Nuernberg and Wade Ledbetter for the wealth of information they provide us with each year. This year we are also pleased to publish the work of Kimble County Historian Frederica Wyatt, Ginger Andrews, Texas Tech Junction as well as the beautiful wildlife photography of locals Robert Stubblefield and Jordan Keeton, local game photo submissions from Colt Brandenberger, Ashton Thomas, Buzzy Bierschwale, Jordan and Kersten Keeton and local recipe submissions by Susan Martin, Sandy Knickerbocker, and Kersten Keeton. Many thanks to Reba Byrd at Cowboys and Lace of Dripping Springs, Pam Dechert and Kerry Collins for hosting Bubba and Clem for our photo shoot.

Thank you for choosing to visit us.

Be careful; have a great time while you’re here.....and come back soon!

Jimmy and Debbie Cooper Kistler, owners

A Welcome from State Representative Andy Murr

O

n behalf of my friends and neighbors in Kimble County, I’d like to welcome you to Junction on the banks of the beautiful North and South Llano Rivers. As someone who grew up here, served as Kimble County Judge and is now serving as our area’s State Representative, I suppose my objectivity regarding the allures of Kimble County could be called into question.

But in my humble opinion, you have chosen to

visit the finest 1,251 square miles Texas has to offer, and we are all very happy that you did.

Our part of the Texas Hill Country is deeply important to the multi-billion dollar hunting, fishing and recreation industry. Texans purchased well over a million hunting and fishing licenses last year, and many of those hunters and anglers chose to spend their time in Kimble County’s pastures and pristine river banks.

The opportunity to spend time surrounded by nature, with family and friends, proves to be a constant enticement for folks visiting our “Land of Living Waters.”

Please know that I, and the members of Texas Legislature, remain committed to ensuring that

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the State of Texas remains a reasonable and pragmatic steward of native wildlife and waters, a protector of our fundamental rights to hunt and fish, and a supporter of continued research and study of the natural world around us. As someone who grew up on the land, I zealously support the gifts of the outdoors that surround us all.

Once again, welcome to Kimble County.

Ihope your stay is pleasant and enjoyable, and that we will see you again in the years to come.

Sincerely yours, Andrew Murr Member, Texas House of Representatives

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Junction Warehouse ........................................................................

KC Predator Management ...........................................................

ABOUT THE COVER: Clem expresses concern.

"I don’t know, Bubba. There’s something about her that’s just not right.”

Thank you to Reba Byrd and Cowgirls and Lace, Dripping Springs, for use of the “decorated" deer.

50 52 52 18 19 46 36 19 40 48 24 19 24 18 48 26 2 50 48 34 12 12 50 12 55 46 52 10 24 52 31 6 24 34 50 56 19 21 12 34

KC Sheriff ’s Office ............................................................................. 19 Kevin Wall Dirt Work .......................................................................... 44 Kimble County Farm Bureau ........................................................ 50 Kimble Hospital ................................................................................... 18 Kimble Market ...................................................................................... 18 Kimble Processing .............................................................................. 3 Lowe’s Grocery and Market .......................................................... 22 Lum’s BBQ ............................................................................................... 24 Lyssy & Eckel Feeds ........................................................................... 42 Molesworth Cedar Shearing ........................................................ 44 Picadilly Pizza ........................................................................................ 31 R.D. Kothmann Real Estate ............................................................. 36 Rawhide Taxidermy ............................................................................ 34 Rhino Linings Kerrville ..................................................................... 48 Rhodes Brothers Taxidermy ......................................................... 34 Robinson Plumbing ............................................................................ 52 Rodeway Inn of Junction ................................................................. 46 Rudie Gonzalez Electrician ........................................................... 55 Secor Equipment ................................................................................ 44 Simon Brothers Merchantile & Cafe ....................................... 42 Simply Generations ........................................................................... 12 South Llano Farm ................................................................................ 44 Spring Branch Trading Post ........................................................... 40 Spring Creek Outdoors ................................................................... 13 Spurs Liquor .......................................................................................... 18 Star Stop Food Mart 17 .................................................................... 31 Star Stop Food Mart 18 .................................................................... 55 Subway ...................................................................................................... 31 Surety Title Co. ..................................................................................... 36 Texas Tech University-Jct ............................................................... 55 Trey Sullivan Real Estate ................................................................. 36 West Bear Creek General Store ................................................. 8 West Central Towing ......................................................................... 48 Whitetail Junction Ranch ................................................................ 14 Willard Crenwelge Dozer Work ................................................... 44

A message from TEXAS GAME WARDENS Opening day of season is right around the corner and Texas Game Wardens would like to welcome you to Kimble County! There are several wardens working in Kimble County this year. We wish you a safe and successful season. This year we would like to encourage everyone to download the Outdoor Annual application on your phone and view rules and regulations pertaining to Kimble County. This application is free and once downloaded, can be used offline. Please make special note of the new Chronic Wasting Disease zone and mandatory check station for Kimble County. Again, we welcome you to the 2020-2021 season and we wish you a safe, ethical, and fulfilling hunt. Always remember life is better outdoors!

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Same location for 43 years.

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A complete source of automotive parts, supplies...

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Guest contributors: SPRING CREEK OUTDOORS MAT T NUERNBERG Matt Nuernberg is a professional wildlife biologist and member of Spring Creek Outdoors, LLC team.

He became interested in wildlife and habitat management at a young age and started working on helicopter captures, surveys, and with captive white-tailed deer while in still in high school. While Matt was a student at Texas A&MKingsville, and after graduating in 2013 with a B.S. in Range and Wildlife Management, he worked in the wildlife industry. His range of experiences include working as an assistant biologist and hunting guide on a King Ranch corporate hunting lease, and serving as manager, biologist, and guide on two large South Texas ranches and a North Texas exotic game operation.

With his wife Shelby and daughter Sarita, Matt lives in Llano, Texas. You can reach Matt anytime at mattn73@live.com or check out the website at www.SpringCreekOutdoors.com

MACY LEDBET TER senior co n t r i bu t o r

Macy Ledbetter is a professional wildlife biologist with a life-long passion for wildlife, habitat, and hunting. Macy earned his degree from Texas A&M University and now operates his wildlife consulting business, Spring Creek Outdoors, based in central Texas on his historic family ranch. Macy is a fifth-generation rancher and actively manages his ranch for optimum cattle and wildlife production. His client list totals over three million acres in all corners of Texas and Mexico. He understands and explains wildlife management processes like few others and can make each individual step palatable and educational for his clients.

When he is not surveying wildlife, hunting, or writing about game management, he may be found supporting legislative projects or involved in a wide array of public speaking activities. Macy and his wife Cathy live on their family ranch in northern San Saba County, along with a wide array of pets. You can reach Macy anytime at Macy.Ledbetter@gmail.com

WADE LEDBET TER Wade Ledbetter is a professional wildlife biologist and member of Spring Creek Outdoor, LLC team.

He grew up both in the thornscrub of south Texas and on the historic family ranch in San Saba County.

Being homeschooled most of his life, Wade has spent years in the family business working directly with landowners, conducting helicopter surveys and wildlife captures and has more hands-on experience with intensive wildlife management than most professionals three times his age. As a sixth generation landowner, he firmly grasps the responsibility of landownership and intensive wildlife management. Wade received his Wildlife Ecology degree of Texas A & M in 2020, was a member of the Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Team where he won seven different collegiate national championships. When he is not counting or catching wildlife, Wade conducts private, for-hire, intensive shooting instruction classes for individuals, law enforcement and shooting industry representatives. With his wife Macie, Wade lives in Mason County and can be reached at any time at wadeledbetter@me.com

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Kimble County

2020-2021

espite the hardships of 2020 thus far, Covid-19, politics, elections and all of the craziness, you are going to enjoy hunting in Kimble County this year! I am sure you are glad to be back in the brush and rocky hills of this beautiful county, and we are happy to host you again this fall.

Hunting season forecasts are easy to do when it rains and even easier when it doesn’t. However, this year is a mixture of both with lots of variations in between! That old saying about, “it depends” is true this year. It depends on which side of the county you are in. It depends on what soil types you have on your land, it depends on whether you were fortunate with the rains, and it depends on if livestock were on the ranch this summer. Whew, that is just as crazy as Covid-19 and the ridiculous phrase “new normal.”

Kimble County wildlife came out of 2019 in good shape. The rains were favorable for the most part and well-timed and spring sprung nicely. The brush exploded, the grass grew thick and tall, and farmers and hay producers were busy.

Then Covid arrived, the oil and gas market tanked, and the beef industry fell flat as a cow pie. Just as summer approached, the rains stopped and the heat intensified. Cattle producers couldn’t afford to sell their stock at a loss so they hung on to them as the world was in a pandemic lockdown. Many absentee landowners fled the cities and headed to the ranch, and those already on the land stayed put.

The excellent spring conditions quickly turned sour as vegetation turned brown and the grasshoppers moved in. The ponds started to drop, and large-scale fish die-offs occurred as oxygen levels in the warming water disappeared. The wildlife hung on, trying to raise their babies and did the best they could up until the very end. By August, it was bone dry and plenty hot and windy.

Does with twin fawns soon became does with single fawns. Those more experienced ones managed to keep that single fawn through the summer while those less experienced did not.

D

Macy Ledbetter

Continued on page 11

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Est. in 1950

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2020-2021 Kimble County Hunting forecast

Macy Ledbetter

Continued from page 11

Adult turkeys moved miles and miles from their home ranges to the major watersheds and larger trees. Cottontail rabbit populations dropped almost overnight; jackrabbits declined but took advantage of the more open fields to escape predators. Quail nests failed and the adults banded together for survival and just hunkered down like the landowners.

Even the feral hog and coyote production dropped to less than half of their normal rates! But finally, and thankfully, the cooler temperatures and rains returned just in the nick of time. Oil and gas prices are improving, the cattle markets are tolerable, and the habitat is responding to the recent rains. Wildlife is starting to spread back out, and hunting season is finally here once again.

As you likely know, I spend every single day in the field starting in August looking, counting, photographing, monitoring, measuring and judging wildlife and habitat conditions throughout my travels.

The entire month of September finds me in a helicopter all over central Texas, primarily counting deer, turkey, quail and shooting predators so I get to see some incredible wildlife on incredible ranches up close and personal. And this is where the “it depends” comes back into play.

Some ranches fared much better than others because of rain. Some ranches had to graze their pastures longer than they anticipated as they waited on the cattle markets to return.

Some folks just aren’t living right and can’t buy a rain while others had their

Jordan Keeton

tractors stuck in the food plots! Some folks have ponds that are full and vibrant while others are down to the pits and hoping their cattle don’t get stuck in the mud. So the following information is vague and broad on purpose because it doesn’t make sense to try to be precise this year. It does absolutely depend on all the many factors this year so you may have the best hunting season of your life, yet your friend down the road has the worst.

Regardless of the challenges, we hope you enjoy your time outdoors and in our great county because as a community, we are happy you are here. We do social distancing pretty well in this area so spread your chairs out around the campfire and kick up your boots and stay awhile longer if you can.

Whitetail Deer

It really does depend. The county-wide fawn survival average this year is 50%.

However, it ranges from 40-80% and that variable is grass. If you still have grass on your ranch right now, you are likely in the high end of that range but if you see more rocks than grass, you are certainly on the low end. The markets, the drought, the heat and the lack of grass hit the fawn production very hard this year.

This means if your fawn survival is low, you need to make certain you know your herd dynamics before you start shooting deer this fall. And for sure you need to harvest the correct deer this fall to ensure production will continue next summer.

Antler quality and body condition are,

generally speaking, above average this year. There is a strong cohort of fourand five-year-old bucks this year, and there are some very nice bucks out there.

Every buck photo you see in this years’ Guide was taken in September in Kimble County by our consulting team. The antlers were produced back in the late spring and early summer before the drought hit, so antler production is good for the most part.

There is a decent acorn crop this fall with only certain trees producing acorns of any size. Deer will be hitting feeders a bit earlier and more often this year because of the previously dry conditions and reduced acorn crop. Most dryland food plots look to have little-to-no benefit this year and if the long-term weather predictions are correct, deer will be active at the feeders most of the season.

Turkey:

Last year, turkey production was down and this year, there was very low-to-no production unless you are near a major watershed. Turkeys are very mobile creatures and they will simply travel to where they need to be. In time and with improved rainfall and range conditions, they will return. In the meantime, keep the feeders running and take out as many predators as you can this fall. Once the seed heads bend the tall grasses over and we have more mud in the pasture, the turkeys will bounce back because they are very resilient.

Continued on page 13

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Junction Warehouse company Calling all hunters!

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2020-2021 Kimble County Hunting forecast Continued from page 11

Quail:

Quail numbers are very low throughout Kimble County this year. There are pockets of birds in the north and eastern portions of the county but they had a tough summer with very low production. Based on the covies flushed from the helicopter this year, the average covey size and count is half of what it was last year. If you see or hear quail this fall, you should be thankful they are hanging tough and doing their best.

Rabbits:

Rabbits are a “boom or bust” species, meaning when times are good, they do good and when times are hard, they don’t do as well. They literally “boomed” and “busted” this year in Llano County. Cottontails require grass to hide in while jackrabbits prefer bare ground and more open areas to use their eyes to escape predators. The first half of the season was full, completely full, of both cottontail and jackrabbits everywhere. Once August arrived, the cottontails all but disappeared and now only the adult jackrabbits remain. There is a disease that hit rabbits hard this year in the panhandle and west Texas but there are no known cases in central Texas. I have been moni-

toring it closely so the best I can tell at this point, their drop in abundance was simply weather-related and nothing else.

Feral hogs:

Speaking in general terms once again, feral hogs did suffer from the drought this summer. Sounder size is down this year as sows struggled to raise their normal litter size. The hot dry summer months moved a lot of hogs around as they scrambled for reliable water and had to work hard to find forage. I conducted many feral hog aerial shoots after game surveys this year and what we observed and harvested was way down from a typical year.

Predators:

Most predator species (coyote, bobcat, fox) had a very good year last year.

They also had a good spring this year and their numbers were high. As the summer took its toll on their prey items such as mice, rabbits, birds and insects, they started moving around more, searching for food. Trappers and landowners and hunters doing their own predator control saw numbers spike way up as they became more mobile. Many coyotes had lice and flea issues later in the summer and some died from related issues.

September helicopter observations and shootings appear to be down for the most

part but with some exceptions. One ranch will have a few very healthy coyotes while the next will have several skinny pitiful looking dogs that appear to be on their last leg. Do your part this fall and harvest predators when you can and until the landscape and habitat recovers well enough for the other animals to have an opportunity to hide. Right now, coyotes are very efficient killers because young wildlife have very few places to hide.

So there you have it---It depends. Some folks will love it and have a great year while others may not. Some may harvest the buck of their dreams while others will only dream about it. This year is a great example of how weather, rainfall patterns and the world’s markets impact the land around us. We can manage the livestock on our ranch only if we can afford to buy and sell them. We can only afford to raise crops if we can get them to market and people have money to buy them. We are simply renting our space on earth for an unknown amount of time, and we don’t know what that timetable is. That means you need to share the outdoors with everyone around you, educate them on wild processes, and let them enjoy it with you.

Get outdoors often, and I hope you have a great outdoor experience this fall.

Macy Ledbetter Spring Creek Outdoors

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Welcome all Hunters!

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Contact Tommy @ 210-247-8317 for rates or more information

Trophy Whitetail & Exotic Hunts

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Robert Stubblefield

Tidbits for 2020-21

By Macy Ledbetter The following are bits of miscellaneous information that hunters might find useful this hunting season in and around the Kimble County deer woods. These observations will help hunters and managers to improve their deer herd this fall: Be careful which does you harvest.

Don’t accidentally harvest a buck fawn.

Two females per male deer ratio is ideal!

This years’ fawn survival is average to low. This means you should be very careful to harvest the does without fawns this year. Take your time, look carefully with good optics and take out the oldest female possible without a fawn present.

When harvesting antlerless deer, make certain it is a female and not a buck fawn. If the deer is alone, the ears appear large in proportion to the head, the forehead is flat, it is the first deer to the feeder or in the field, it very well could be a buck fawn, so don’t shoot until completely confident of its identity. Doe fawns usually travel in groups, are smaller and less confident by nature than their brothers, and their foreheads are round, not flat across the top. Harvesting mature single does early in the season will usually prevent accidentally harvesting a buck fawn later in the season so begin surplus doe harvesting early this year and don’t wait until later.

An adult sex ratio of two females per male is ideal for optimum breeding and production for sustained harvest; however, more intensively managed ranches can have a much tighten sex ratio. If your adult sex ratio exceeds two females per male, you need to step up the antlerless deer harvest this fall. This strategy will result in less buck stress and natural mortality, tighter fawning dates next summer and a much healthier deer herd and habitat. A box of bullets is cheaper than a ton of feed!

Harvest hogs!

Feral hog numbers are strong this year. Continue to harvest every pig possible. Do it for the habitat, do it for the landowner, and most of all, do it for the betterment of the deer herd.

Early deer harvest = more parasites When harvesting deer early in the season, expect to encounter more parasites than normal. Do not be alarmed if elevated levels of nose bots, ticks, deer keds, or even lice are found. Under only extreme cases of infestation are these critters a problem for the deer. None of the mentioned critters negatively affect the meat quality.

If you are seeing spotted fawns in November...

If you are still seeing spotted fawns in November, you have too many does or not enough bucks and this scenario is unhealthy. Increase doe harvest until you stop seeing late-born fawns.

JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

Be strategic about deer harvest for genetic gains When selectively harvesting bucks, allow only the better quality bucks within each age class the opportunity to breed and pass the more favorable genetics into the herd. The earlier in the season you remove such undesirable bucks, the quicker genetic gains will be realized. Buck management is simple— if you like him, let him walk to breed.

If you don’t like him and don’t want to see more just like him, shoot him before he breeds.

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JUNCTION WAREHOUSE

e r u s a e r T s a x e T A

EST. 1938

HOLEKAMP’S

JUNCTION

By Sydney Carpenter The Junction Eagle

“We’re just an old-fashioned feed store,” said Laurrie Allen, one of three jointowners of Junction Warehouse Company.

Although many locals refer to the feed store as Holekamp’s, the surname of Laurrie’s grandfather, Conrad Holekamp.

The business, which has been passed down through the family since its inception in the early 1900s, was handed over to sibling trio Laurrie Holekamp Allen, Teddy Holekamp and Mariana Holekamp Schulze in the 1980s.

Being family owned and operated for three generations earned the warehouse recognition from the Texas Historical Commission as a Texas Treasure Business.

The award, created in 2005, provides recognition to businesses that have assisted the growth of the Texas economy by providing employment opportunities for over 50 years. Junction Warehouse Co. is one of three local businesses to receive the award. Junction National Bank and First

WOOL

WAREHOUSE RANCH SUPPLIES

State Bank have also been recognized as Texas Treasure Businesses.

When Conrad Holekamp founded the business, he intended for it to serve the community and the wool and mohair business as a warehouse for the booming industry throughout the Edwards Plateau.

Wool production in Texas peaked following a “raise more wool” campaign after World War II, as growers sheared over 80 million pounds of wool. About 20 years later, mohair reached its peak production as over 30 million pounds of it were collected from more than four million Angoras.

Laurrie offered her insights on the industry, “The wool and mohair industry

In the wool room of the warehouse, the Fairbanks springless scale is still a part of daily operation, although the adding machine and typewriter were retired about five years ago.

COMPANY MOHAIR

has changed a lot. Feed has changed a lot.

Ranching has changed a lot. Now, we’re not so much ranching as we are hunting and big game ranches now. Wool and mohair is definitely on the decline. We probably have less than ten producers of mohair in the county anymore, which is really sad because we were once part of the Mohair Capitol of Texas. It’s really sad to see how things have changed. Thank goodness we have hunting here because it certainly has sustained us as a business, and it has sustained the town, truly.”

Presently, Teddy is the president of Junction Warehouse Co. and Laurrie describes herself as a Jill-of-all-trades.

Certainly, keeping the business running is

Conrad Holekamp founded Junction Warehouse Company in the late 1920s. The business has been in the family ever since.

16

JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

Trucks loaded with wool and mohair prepare to leave the county on July 9, 1928.

Right: In the wool room, signatures of anyone from employees and 4H students to visitors and family are permanently on display.

a team effort with all three siblings working together.

“I keep the office going. Phone answerer, bookkeeper, wait on customers, all around ‘go-for,’” Laurrie said of her position, although, growing up she did not always see herself working there.

“I guess I fell into it as a necessity. It’s a great business if you like to help people. I guess that’s the best part about it for me, is talking to people and visiting with them and helping them to see what Junction has and meeting people from all walks of life— from ranchers to city professionals who come out here to hunt or fish,” she said.

At the turn of the millenia, the demand for wool and mohair began to decline.

Junction Warehouse Co. and the family learned to adapt to the needs of ranchers and hunters.

“We have definitely changed. I’d say the bigger part of our business is the deer feed business for sure,” Laurrie noted, adding that even the needs of the hunting industry have changed.

“The big push used to be Labor Day weekend to start feeding and then feed all season. With new science and technology, deer feed has evolved into a yearround business. Hunting has evolved.

You don’t just go and sit in a dilapidated blind. Blinds have improved, feeders have improved—it’s not like it was when I was growing up.”

Laurrie does not consider herself a hunter, however, she can recall the conditions of the unique structures that they would use as blinds growing up.

“We used to sit in old cars and watch the mice play. People don’t use dilapidated old cars for blinds anymore. That’s just how it was. They put those old big cars up on wooden stands, not real high,

and then you would get up in there and sit. Sometimes windows were broken, and sometimes springs poked you. It was pretty rustic. That’s just how things have changed.”

Junction Warehouse will not sell you an old car to put up on a stand, however, they do offer the latest technology to help make hunts successful, including blinds, feeders, timers, state-of-the-art feed and any accessory that is needed.

For those not hunting-inclined, Junction Warehouse Co. offers a wide array of gifts.

From shirts and accessories to bird-feeders, there’s something for everyone in the tack-room-turned-gift-room.

Laurrie credits the Warehouse’s ability to adapt and thrive to the employees and community’s support.

“We’ve been fortunate here to have had employees who have stayed for years, some 30 plus years. We are truly blessed

with faithful employees who we count on to help us, currently including Juan, Jorge, Mike, Leslie, Tommy, Tayler and Leacy.”

Employees and community members have literally left their marks on the warehouse, as seen on the concrete walls.

Signatures from past and current employees blend in with those of recent Junction High School graduates. Quite a few of the signatures are from when County Extension Agents used to take students to the warehouse to practice for wool and mohair judging competitions. Two local teams even went on to claim the national title for wool and mohair judging.

Even as an award-winning business, Teddy, Mariana, Laurrie and their families remain humble and true to their beginnings.

“We’re just an old-fashioned feed store.

Nothing fancy. Our fanciest things are the forklift and the computer.”

Longtime employee, Tommy Eckert, can be found taking care of any and all needs at the front desk of Junction Warehouse Company.

JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

17

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JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

19

WHICH WHICH

H

unters are faced with this dilemma each time a group of deer present themselves for harvest. This article is to help you answer this question once and for all for Kimble County for the upcoming 2020-21 season.

First, we need to establish a set of ground rules. A deer management plan, not just a lease contract, needs to be specifically addressed and organized. What specifically are your goals and objectives, other than to shoot a nice buck? Do you want to see plenty of deer or simply the best deer you can? There is a huge difference here, so be careful how you answer. Also, how dedicated are you at achieving your stated goals and objectives? This is not a trick question, but one of sincerity and honesty. If you have a one year lease, are you willing and able to pass up that young buck? What if you own the land or have a long-term lease?

Now we are getting somewhere.

If you have a long-term lease or own the land, why not raise the best deer you possibly can? I realize there are those who simply want meat to eat—and we will address that too—so be patient!

OK, let’s assume you have a longterm hunting arrangement on this piece of heaven so let’s get started managing it. First, you need a survey method that is fair and representative of the terrain and habitat. Once the survey is selected and the actual data is in hand, look at what can be taken from the property in order to make it better. If you only have six bucks and one hundred does, shooting bucks is not an issue so forget it for this season. Female management is the need for this property and once that issue is controlled, then, and only then, will we address the bucks.

Harvesting bucks on this property is only adding to the problem and certainly not helping it.

If, on the other hand, you have thirty bucks and fifty does, now we

can manage both sides of the population. If you want to see lots of deer with little concern for quality, simply harvest about 25-30% of BOTH sexes and go on down the road. In this situation, you basically remove the recruitment for that current year and the population and ratios stay static, ensuring a constant population each year.

If, though, you have this same ratio and you are concerned about quality, we will need to delve deeper. A deer hunter, very generally speaking, wants to shoot the largest buck possible on the ranch. A manager, however, wants to shoot the sorriest buck on the property and leave the biggest buck for breeding. Hey, don’t throw rocks at me, I am a deer hunter too you know!

So, we inventory the buck segment and carefully select the WORST bucks from each age class for harvest. Trophy buck harvest is very light and only the oldest quality bucks are removed, none of the best quality young bucks are removed. Of the female segment to be harvested, select the oldest female possible, ensuring the younger females are the offspring of the better-managed segment of the buck population and therefore assumed to be from better genetics than the older does.

Now, there are issues with bowhunters and Managed Lands Deer Permit (MLDP) holders when selecting a mature female with fawns present to harvest so early in the season.

The answer here is DON’T, not yet anyway. Basically, a fawn is weanable once it loses the spots. That means basically that it will not starve to death if the mother is removed.

So, don’t harvest a mature female with spotted fawns. Keep her for harvest later in the season, once the fawns are self-supporting (about Thanksgiving to be safe). So, first priority for female harvesting is any mature female without a fawn present or obvious milk bag. Removing

20

JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

DEER DEER DO I

DO I HARVEST

HARVEST

THIS THIS FALL?

Jordan Keeton

FALL?

as many mature unproductive females early in the season will create more and better habitat for the remaining deer, tighten up the adult sex ratio, improve future fawn survival rates, and lessen the chance of accidentally removing a buck fawn later in the season. People that elect to wait late in the season to complete their surplus antlerless harvest are not realizing the full benefits of their management.

They also usually harvest far too many buck fawns since the little bucks closely resemble a middle-aged doe, are usually alone, and are the first to come to the feeder or food plot.

Based on the idea that you want to manage the resource, no matter the length of your lease or your ownership status, here are my buck harvest recommendations for Kimble County this fall: Yearling bucks: There are a lot of yearling bucks out there this year, however, roughly half of them have spikes this year. The hot summer months, combined with the livestock that were carried on the landscape longer than normal, have caused some ranches to have stressed habitat. A yearling buck is the lowest animal on the dominance totem pole so he likely had little to no access to feeders or the better quality habitat.

If roughly half of your yearlings are spikes this year, do not shoot spikes or you will remove too many bucks simply because of stress and reduced nutrition. If he is truly a poor genetic buck (and they are few and far between actually) we can catch up with him next year.

Two and three year old bucks: harvest bucks with six or less total points and leave the eight-plus points along to grow up and make you proud. If this cohort happens to be missing one or both brow tines, take him out.

Four year old bucks: harvest any buck with eight or less points unless he has some great redeeming quality and you want to see more big eight points. Some folks like hugeframed eight points, but rarely will they score very high. I would take the

eight or less points out and move closer to better genetic gains quicker.

Five years and older bucks: At this age, most hunters will recognize this buck as fully mature. For genetic gains and optimum management effectiveness, and if two five-year-olds are standing side by side and one has eight points and the other ten, you should shoot the eight point and allow the ten to breed another day. This is where the deer hunter and deer manager diverge. This is where your management and dedication shows. Which one will you shoot?

OK, meat hunters, here goes. Do not shoot, for any reason, an immature buck that does not fit in the age criteria listed above and make up the sad, old, poor and ridiculous story about needing meat to fill

the freezer. You will have passed multiple older does in order to select for that one little buck, so I don’t buy your story at all.

If you really and truly need just meat, I can’t think of a single reason why you have to shoot a buck to do it.

Again, I know this doesn’t apply across the board to everyone, but I hope you see the mechanics and benefits of proper deer management by this exercise. By harvesting the biggest buck in the woods and doing nothing about controlling the does, you are NOT managing the population— except in a negative way. Do your part to improve the herd and the habitat and take responsibility for your actions by harvesting the right deer this fall.

Macy Ledbetter www.SpringCreekOutdoors.com

JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

Macy Ledbetter

21

Welcome Hunters and Visitors GROCERY & MARKET

We have everything you need to make your camping trip fun and memorable!

OUR Y T E G O T T E FORG SE? N E C I L G N I T N HU

DON’T FRET!

here e s n e c i L g n i t Get your Hun y! a d h c a e . m . p 0 1 from 7a.m. -

STOP BY FOR ALL YOUR HUNTING AND BBQ NEEDS! You’ll find everything you need under one roof!

• Men’s and Women’s Camouflage Clothing • Hunting Coats • Hunting Accessories • Deer Feeders • Deer Food • Plot Seed • Tarps • Scent Camouflage • Cooking Utensils • Proctor Silex Products

• Outdoor Dutch Ovens • BBQ Necessities • Coolers • Space Heaters & Fans • Propane Cylinders • Charcoal • Lighter Fluid • USDA Select Beef • Tents

1102 Main St. • Junction • 325-446-2650 • Monday - Sunday

• Sleeping Bags • Air Mattresses • Blankets & Towels • Beef Jerky • Beer, Wine & Ice • Knives • Gloves • Batteries • Flashlights • Dried Sausage • Film & Cameras

7 A.M. - 10 P.M.

WILD GAME VENISON RECIPES SUBMITTED BY JUNCTION AND KIMBLE COUNTY LOCALS.

STUFFED VENISON BACKSTRAP INGREDIENTS: • 2 pounds bacon • 1 small yellow onion • 8 ounces baby portabella mushrooms • 8 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature • 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley • 1-2 whole venison backstraps (loin) • 2 tablespoons of all-purpose seasoning • 2 tablespoons of BBQ rub

Recipes submitted by Kersten Keeton

INSTRUCTIONS: • Prepare a pellet smoker or any other grill for indirect cooking at 350 degrees.

• On a charcoal grill, place one half of a chimney full of pre-heated briquettes on one side of the grill’s charcoal grate in order to create direct and indirect cooking zones. Add your favorite wood to the hot coals for smoke flavor.

• To prepare the stuffing, cook 6 slices of bacon over medium heat, then drain on paper towels. Crumble when cool. There should be about 1/4 cup of crumbles. Save 2 tablespoons of drippings.

• Chop the onions, mushrooms and parsley. Then, saute the onions and mushrooms in the bacon drippings over medium heat. Stir them into the cream cheese, then fold in the crumbled bacon

and parsley.

• Trim excess silver skin from the backstraps and cut a slit down the length to butterfly it open. Be sure to not cut through the entire piece.

• Season with the all purpose rub and stuff with the cream cheese mixture.

• Lay the bacon strips next to each other, then put the backstraps crosswise over the strips. Wrap the backstraps in bacon, place seas-side down on a wire rack and season with BBQ rub.

• Set the rack on the smoker, and cook until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees or your desired doneness, about 30 minutes. The bacon should be brown on the outside.

• Cut crosswise into individual pieces for serving.

submitted by Susan Martin

CHEESEY VENISON LOG WITH PEPPERS INGREDIENTS:

INSTRUCTIONS:

• 1 venison backstrap • 6 slices of bacon • 6 slices or more of peperjack (or your choice) of cheese or cheeses • 1/2 onion or more • Serrano peeper (or your choice of peppers – jalapeno, bell pepper etc. ) • Cooking string or bakers twine • Italian dressing or red wine (see instructions)

• Remove the silver skin from the backstrap and beat until you have a square • Cook six slices of bacon, not crisp, about medium.

• Cover venison square with slices of cheese, pepperjack, or your choice, and put cooked bacon on top of cheese.

• Chop onion and serrano pepper or peppers of your choice and sprinkle over

CROCK POT VENISON WITH SAVORY SAUCE INGREDIENTS FOR SAUCE: • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (our family likes Salt Lick Honey Pecan) • 1/2 cup red wine • 1/4 cup broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable) • 2 Tbsp. vinegar • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce • 1 tsp dried basil • 1/2 tsp dried thyme • 1/2 tsp garlic powder or fresh garlic • Black pepper or other “heat” to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR VENISON: • Venison steaks, backstrap, and or tenderloins • Sliced onion • Whole fresh mushrooms (recommend portobello)

top.

• Roll just like you would roll dough for sweet rolls, into log. Tie with string in three places.

• Put in pan and cover with Italian dressing, red wine, optional, your choice.

• Put in ice box and leave 24 hours, or all day.

• This is great over a pit! Moist and tender.

submitted by Sandy Knickerbocker INSTRUCTIONS Sauce

• Whisk all wet ingredients • Add spices and herbs and whisk until mixed.

Crockpot Venison

• Prepare crockpot with non-stick spray.

• Put small amount of sauce in bottom of crockpot.

Salt meat on both sides and layer with sauce, sliced onion, and mushrooms, repeating layers. Cook on low for 8 hrs (or less, depending on cut of meat).

For thicker sauce, meat can be floured lightly before layering. Melt-in-your mouth deliciousness!

Freezes well.

JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

23

The Original

COOPER’S

BAR-B-Q

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A Family Tradition Since 1953

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1409 Main Street JUNCTION, TEXAS

24

325-446-9100 JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

TAXES AND WILDLIFE F

all is a time for deer and doves, football and campfires. One thing that couldn’t be further from most folks’ minds right now is taxes, but bear with me, and I’ll explain how taxes and wildlife can help each other.

Every piece of private property in the great state of Texas is subject to taxation. For our purposes here, we are going to talk about a ranch as the type of property. Now most landowners understand paying taxes. It’s generally a hatehate feeling on the matter. The common method for reducing the amount of tax burden is to qualify for an Open Space Appraisal, covered under Section 1-d-1 of the Texas Constitution. Now without getting too far off in the weeds, this essentially means that if a property’s main use is a form of agricultural practice (such as growing crops or raising goats or cattle) or is used for timber production, the property is taxed at a lower rate than it would be otherwise.

This lower tax rate equals more money in the landowner’s pocket, aside from the income from whatever land-use they are practicing.

Now, a good number of hunters could care less about cattle, and another fair few don’t care for them at all due to the added trouble they can cause during hunting season. As a wildlife biologist, I can assure you that cattle can be a great benefit to wildlife in a number of ways.

When not present in moderation, cattle can be a detriment to a ranch as well, but the benefits of cross fencing and rotational grazing will have to wait for another article.

While many landowners raise livestock as a source of income, a good number only keep them for the tax benefit. In this situation, it makes a great deal of sense to convert the taxes on a property to wildlife management, or 1-d-1w tax valuation. The shift to 1-d1w is even, i.e. no change to the tax rate, and it only requires a handful of criteria be met, most of which you are likely doing already. There are plenty of details to be discussed but the seven criteria are: 1) supplemental feed, 2) supplemental shelter, 3) supplemental water, 4) habitat management, 5) predator management, 6) erosion control, and 7) wildlife census counts. You must meet a minimum of three of these practices to qualify for 1-d-1w.

The reason why fall is a great time to think about this is due to the application deadline to make this shift. Deadlines can vary from county to county, but is generally around April. When the weather is cool and you are already at the ranch preparing for hunting season, or in the midst of it, is the perfect time to start checking these off the list.

For the landowner that is tired of dealing with cattle or the lease hunter who wishes the cows would stop knocking over his feeder, 1-d-1w tax valuation is a great option that can help everyone, especially the wildlife. If you have any questions about if you qualify or if you need help making the switch, check out our website at www.springcreekoutdoors.com or give us a call.

Matt Nuernberg Spring Creek Outdoors

Nuernberg installs a wood duck box to meet the Supplemental Shelter requirement for 1-d1w conversion

JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

25

Join us in

JUNCTION, TEXAS for these

Exciting Hunters Welcome Events 1st Weekend in November

Deer Hunting Season Opens

SAT: Hunters BBQ Lunch SIMON BROS. MERCANTILE/ LYSSY & ECKEL FEED/ ROOSEVELT 2021 FRI: Hunters Appreciation Lunch WEST BEAR CREEK GENERAL STORE SAT: London Hunters Breakfast LONDON COMMUNITY CENTER

Hunters Lunch

2020-2021 Events!

Easter Saturday Morning.

CITY PARK PAVILION AGES 1-8 YEARS

SCARF PET PARADE 11:30 a.m.

DRESS UP YOUR PET & JOIN IN THE FUN FOR FREE! Easter Eve, Saturday, April 3, 2021 70th ANNUAL EASTER PAGEANT

Outdoor Women Gone WILD

Annually, second Saturday of June For more info: 214.714.5653 or 325.446.6043 ____________________________________________

700 Springs Ranch Tour

Christmas Happenings • CHRISTMAS TRAIL OF LIGHTS - CITY PARK Sunday, November 1, 2020 (evening) • LATE NIGHT CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IN JCT. Annually in December • 4th ANNUAL CHRISTMAS AT THE RANCH Saturday, December 4, 2021 • 2 - 5 p.m.

SM

JUST FOR WOMEN! JUST FOR FUN! ____________________________________________

April 24, 2021 MEET AT COURTHOUSE IN JUNCTION.

Motorcade leaves PROMPTLY at 10 a.m. for Ranch. Bring Bag Lunch and Lawn Chairs. For more info: 325.446.3190 ____________________________________________

Junction A&M Club Scholarship Golf Tournament April 24, 2021

DINNER & SILENT AUCTION AFTER TOURNAMENT

SOUTH LLANO RIVER STATE PARK

www.junctionaggies.com fb.com/junctionaggies __________________________________________

• COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CANTATA Annually in December

Kimble/Menard FNRA Banquet

• LIGHTED CHRISTMAS PARADE Friday, December 11, 2020 • At Dark

For more info: Derrick Ard, 325.215.9425 __________________________________________

Fun activities for the Family. For more info: 325.446.3994 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, MAIN ST.

End of March or Beginning of April COKE STEVENSON MEMORIAL CENTER

MAIN STREET DOWNTOWN, ENDING IN JUNCTION CITY PARK

Kimble County

• LIONS CLUB PICTURES WITH SANTA

The Freezer—February 26-27, 2021 The Sizzler— July 29-31, 2021

Santa Claus will hear Children’s wishes immediately following the parade in City Park under the Trail of Lights.

For more info: 325.215.9376 ___________________________________________

“Hit for Sticks”

Softball Tournament

Annually, the Saturday after Thanksgiving November 27, 2021

EAT WILD GAME, WIN GUNS & HUNTS & LIVE AUCTION OF HUNTS & RESORT TRIPS! _______________________________________

STREET DANCE “Jody Nix & The Texas Cowboys” ___________________________________________

AMPHITHEATER BELOW LOVER’S LEAP • DARK THIRTY __________________________________________

Kimble County

WILD Game Dinner

Annually 1st Saturday in June Saturday, June 5, 2021 ON 5TH STREET BESIDE THE COURTHOUSE

LIONS CLUB EASTER EGG HUNT 10 a.m.

in Kimble County Annually, 3rd Saturday in April Saturday, April 17, 2021 SOUTH LLANO RIVER STATE PARK

2nd Saturday in November HOLEKAMP’S JUNCTION WAREHOUSE COMPANY ___________________________________________

Cowboys & Cajuns Together Again

Easter Happenings

Disc Golf Events

Benefiting Lexi Cardwell Scholarship Fund

Freedom Celebration

Annually July 4th Weekend July 2nd, 2021 FREE FIREWORKS DISPLAY! DARK THIRTY • CITY PARK, ALONG THE LLANO RIVER

Sponsored by City of Junction

July 4th PARADE ON MAIN – 10 AM

CELEBRATE THE 4TH IN JUNCTION!!! ____________________________________________

Hill Country Fair Assoc.

Summer Classic Rodeo

Annually, 2nd Full Weekend in August- Aug. 13 & 14 HILL COUNTRY FAIRGROUNDS DANCES & PARADE and Annual Martin Memorial

Open Car Show

For more info: 325.446.5658 ericag.rojas@yahoo.com ____________________________________________ Junction’s 7th Annual

BBQ Cook-Off & Kow Kick Family Fun Festival

Labor Day Weekend, Sat., September 4, 2021

LONE STAR BBQ SOCIETY SANCTIONED COOK-OFF – $5,000 Guaranteed Payout LIVE MUSIC • VENDORS • KIDS ACTIVITIES ____________________________________________

For info: Hoyt Moss 325.446.6565 or Charlie Chapman 512.557.2482 __________________________________________

Up & Back Boat Race

Seventh Annual Junction’s “Trial on the Pecos Trail”

South Llano River

For more info: 325.446.2622 or 210.289.2982 ____________________________________________

Annually in February - February 10-14, 2021

Email: southllanoriverbirdingfestival@gmail.com __________________________________________

TSDA Sheep Dog Trials HILL COUNTRY FAIRGROUNDS

www.texassheepdogassoc.org _________________________________________ 4th Annual

Predator Calling Contest March 13-14, 2021

Predator Contest with Cash Prizes and Drawing at end of Contest on Sunday (Must Be Present to Win).

For more info: 325.446.3190 ___________________________________________

Birding Festival

Labor Day Weekend, Sat., September 4, 2021 SOUTH LLANO RIVER - BEGINS & ENDS AT THE DAM

April 23-25, 2021

Memorial Day Celebration

Memorial Day Monday - May 31, 2021 8 am - TRIBUTE CEREMONY Honoring Fallen

Fort Worth Dallas

Veterans & Boy Scouts Troop 420 Placing of Flags

FLAGPOLE AT JUNCTION CEMETERY ON US. HWY 377 S

For more info: 325.446.3157

10 am - PARADE ON MAIN -

“Saluting our Military and Fallen Heroes”

For more info, Chamber of Commerce: 325.446.3190 ____________________________________________

El Paso

10

Junction

35

San Antonio

Houston

37

Corpus Christi Laredo

FOR EXACT EVENT DATES AND TIMES, VISIT: www.junctiontexas.com OR CONTACT: Kimble County Chamber of Commerce & Junction Visitor Information

402 Main Street, Junction, TX 76849 • 325-446-3190 • Email: chamber@junctiontexas.com

26

Velvet Antlered Bucks in the fall

Ledbetter harvested this mule deer buck that has hypogonadism last fall in Jeff Davis County.

Here are a few bucks Ledbetter photographed this year with hypogonadism. “They certainly are unique and a great conversation piece! I enjoy seeing them and photographing them but I REALLY enjoy shooting them!”

Photos courtesy of Macy Ledbetter.

I receive dozens of calls each fall from concerned hunters from central Texas, more specifically Llano, Gillespie, San Saba, Burnet, Mason and Kimble counties, about seeing or harvesting late season velvet-antlered bucks. The condition is called hypogonadism and it affects male deer primarily in the Central Basin, or Llano Uplift ecological area.

These areas are rich in granite gravel soil types and this condition tends to show up in numbers in these general areas in drier years. I have seen it outside of this area, such as this mule deer buck I harvested last fall in Jeff Davis County near Fort Davis, but it is very prevalent in male whitetail deer in central Texas.

The condition is caused by a diminished function of the testicles and testosterone production affects all aspects of antler growth from production, growth itself and casting of the antlers, so affected animals have unfinished, velvet-covered antlers during the normal hunting season.

There have been only a handful of studies on hypogonadism and some date back to the late 1950’s but still very little is understood about the condition. Here are some things that we do know about it: We know that the velvet-covered antlers, even in the late season, remains soft and pliable and not rigid like hard-antlered bucks.

The antlers are typically not shed and regrown but rather are maintained year around and often grow abnormally. The physical appearance of the affected bucks may look more feminine and they do not participate in rutting activity and are socially inferior, especially around other bucks.

Testicles are either absent or are very small and the condition is irreversible.

A buck may be affected at any time in his life with no predictability. I have seen bucks progress through the age classes as normal healthy deer and

JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

then one year, the condition develops and that is it—he never “gets over it” or recovers and remains a stag for the remainder of his life.

Basically, the condition is chemical castration, in a biological sense.

Antlers are produced and carried for breeding purposes and once the testicles are impacted, the antlers are impacted and the whole system falls apart, so I recommend to all of my client to harvest each one of these they find. Removing the animal creates more space and more forage for the remaining healthy animals. The stag bucks are typically large bodied and in excellent physical condition, much like a steer is after castration. So from a wildlife production perspective, you don’t need a pasture full of stag bucks running around consuming resources and not adding to the genetic gains of the program.

Because the antlers are covered in velvet and are still soft, you need to protect them soon after harvest if you plan to preserve the rack. Placing the rack in a cooler or getting it to a taxidermist quickly is recommended if you want to preserve the velvet antlers. They are very easy to damage during transport so plan accordingly.

The meat from a buck with hypogonadism is perfectly fine to consume and may be better than the older rut and post-rut buck you might harvest later in the season so don’t be afraid to take these deer out of the herd and take them home to the family.

From a hunting license tagging perspective, these critters are still legally considered male animals so you must put a buck tag on it immediately after harvest.

They certainly are unique and a great conversation piece! I enjoy seeing them and photographing them but I really enjoy shooting them!

Macy Ledbetter www.SpringCreekOutdoors.com

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Visit Kimble County

SOUTH LLANO RIVER STATE PARK

1927 Park Road 73 Junction, TX 76849 Five miles from Junction on Highway 377 S

Entrance Fees Adult: $5 Daily Child 12 Years and Under: Free

(325) 446-3994

CITY PARK & COUNTY PARK Located along the South Llano River, just below the historic metal bridge that leads from town to Interstate 10.

• Fishing, swimming, disc golf, BBQ pits, picnic tables, pavilions, canoe launch, playground, basketball and volleyball courts

KIMBLE COUNTY LIBRARY & O.C. FISHER MUSEUM

208 N 10th St, Junction, TX 76849 (325 )446-2342 Hours:

Mon., Tues. & Thurs.

9 a.m. -6 p.m Wed. - 9 a.m. -5 p.m.

Fri. - 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

FREE WIFI

Houses memorabilia of US Congressman O.C. Fisher, a Kimble County native.

LOVERS LEAP Beautiful sunrise and sunset views over Junction at Lovers Leap hilltop.

Cross the South Llano Metal Bridge, take Loop 481 to the first “scenic view” which leads you to the top of the hill for a breathtaking view.

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JUNCTION DEER HORN TREE The Deer Horn Tree is a must photo opportunity in Kimble County. Sitting in front of Kimble Processing facing Main Street, it is composed of hundreds of deer antlers. It was erected in 1968 by the Kimble Business and Professional Women’s Club.

JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY JUNCTION LLANO RIVER FIELD STATION 254 Red Raider Lane Junction, Texas, 76849, 325-446-2301 Home of the largest inland field station in Texas, and the Internationally recognized Outdoor Learning Center.

Call and schedule a tour of the campus!

KIMBLE COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM The Kimble County Museum’s new home is located 130 Hospital Dr. Junction, TX 76849 (325) 446-4219 Open by appointment only.

FT MCKAVETT Historic Site • Reenactments Star Parties 7066 FM 864, Fort McKavett, TX 76841 (325) 396-2358 Open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission: Adults - $4 / 6-18 - $3 Seniors - $3 / 5 and under Free

LONDON COMMUNITY Check The Junction Eagle for Current London Happenings Hunter’s Breakfast annually first day of open season CANCELLED FOR 2020

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ROOSEVELT COMMUNITY Lyssy & Eckel Simon Brothers Mercantile 3861 TX-291 Loop (325) 446-2604 Hunter’s Appreciation Lunch Simon Brothers Mercantile Nov. 7, 11:30 Sausage wraps, beans and fixings until food runs out!

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Jordan Keeton harvested this buck on Rust Ranch in Cleo last October.

Kersten Keeton stands next to the Black Buck she harvested on Rust Ranch in Cleo s last November.

Buzzy Bierschwale sits with his dogs from left, Gator, Cooder and Scout. They helped locate a wounded deer on El Segundo Ranch in Telegraph last November.

Ashton Thomas shows off this Axis deer he harvested on the Jetton Ranch at Copperas Creek June 2019.

Have your game photos published in next year’s Hunter’s Guide! Email to editor@junctioneagle.com

Colt Brandenberger, left, and his father Dale stand with the three coyotes they took about a mile outside of Junction city limits. All three coyotes were taken on the same stand using various FoxPro sounds as well as mouth calls. Coyotes are the number one threat to sheep and goat ranchers within Kimble County.

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JUNCTION

SHORT STOP PICCADILLY PIZZA & LAUNDROMAT FRESHLY MADE PIZZA!

Scholarship

Golf Tournament

Held annually in April at the Junction Golf Course

We are committed to raising scholarship money so that students from Junction who aspire to attend Texas A&M University will have the resources available to them. Check our social media for more information on Club events.

CALL 325-446-4524 F O R Y O U R F R E S H LY MADE PIZZA 4-9 p.m. DAILY

BEER CAVE DEER CORN ICE • DELI GAS LAUNDROMAT 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.

1977 N. Main • 325-446-2739 / 4524

DRIVE THRU

facebook.com/JunctionAgs • twitter.com/JunctionAggies www.aggienetwork.com/club-page/junct/

AVAILABLE!

We sell DEER CORN! Star Stop Food Mart #17 7 days a week 5 A.M. - 12 midnight

Pay at the Pump 24 hours a day

(325)446-3099

Subway

Sun. - Thurs.: 10 A.M. - 9 P.M. Fri. & Sat.: 10 A.M. - 10 P.M.

1014 Main St.

Dine In or Take Out

(325)446-8989

JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

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PRIMARILY FOR LANDOWNERS LEASING THEIR LAND:

The following are suggestions and recommendations that may help both the landowner and lease hunters avoid future problems. In my travels, I have seen and heard many horror stories and witnessed some tough situations simply because one part did not fully understand or appreciate the position of the other.

LET LEASE HUNTERS BRING THEIR OFF ROAD VEHICLES Many lease hunters use ATV/UTVs to get around on the ranch so they won’t tear up their town truck. They drive a truck to and from work but it likely has street type tires and looks good and is not the same type of truck as yours. Your truck is a tool, a piece of equipment just like the tractor, and chances are, your truck does not look as nice as theirs does. Let them bring their off-road vehicles to preserve their travel truck. If you ask them, they will stick to the ranch roads and not go crazy on the ranch like you might think they would.

PERMIT THEM TO CUT FIREWOOD Permitting them to cut firewood in an area you allow is not going to hurt anything. In fact, it might help if they cut it from around the gate brace posts, inside those old cattle pens you are not using and along the road edges so you can drive down the interior roads more easily. If you ask them, they will stack the smaller limbs over the stump and clean up their mess. You have plenty of dead trees on the ranch, so allowing them to recycle a few won’t hurt anything at all.

LISTEN TO THE OPINIONS OF YOUR LEASE HUNTERS Since you either live on the ranch or have spent your entire life there, be patient and understanding of their ideas and opinions about your ranch. Sometimes, you can literally not see the forest for the trees as you see things everyday and overlook or fail to recognize small changes on the ranch, especially the deer herd. The lease hunters pay very close attention to details when they are on your ranch for such limited time, and they sit and watch, video, use trail cameras and literally put their hands and eyes inside your deer herd. If they offer an uninvited opinion based on their observations fueled by their desire to improve things, you should listen and possibly learn something from them. Lease hunters want to improve the deer herd for the long haul so by listening to them you could possibly help with the improvements and aid in the happiness of the hunters—which guarantees a longer-term relationship for all parties involved.

BE PATIENT WITH YOUR LEASE HUNTERS The hunters who lease your land are doing so for only a short period of time each year. They might have a “year round” lease, but if you count the days they are actually there onsite, it very well could be less than one full month of each year. That is a lot of money for so few days of renting your land, please be patient with them as they sincerely need a place to relax and escape the concrete jungle rat race.

LET THEM BUILD A CAMPFIRE WHEN SAFE Letting hunters build a campfire (when and where safe) will make them really happy. Campfires and deer camp just go together.

BE UNDERSTANDING ABOUT ROAD DAMAGE If they are at the ranch and it rains, they just might make a few tire ruts in areas around the ranch. They can’t predict the weather and alter their plans at the last minute as they are planning hunts around holidays, weekends and vacation days and not the weather. Ranch roads get muddy and rutted sometimes and they can be fixed when this happens.

Good hunters will minimize the damage but there will certainly be some damage done. If they have ATVs and UTVs, road damage will be minimized.

TRY TO UNDERSTAND THEIR INTENTIONS FIRST The majority of lease hunters want a long-term relationship with you. They also want to do what is right by you but may sometimes not see your perspectives or understand all the details involved. Their actions may have not been malicious or intentional as you thought, they simply may not know, remember, or understand your perspectives of things. If they do something you don’t agree with, visit with them to find out their intentions.

A GENTLE REMINDER IS BETTER THAN A NASTY CONFRONTATION It is possible that they did not notice that plastic bottle or paper corn bag that blew out of the back of their truck or UTV. They do know it can kill cattle if ingested and looks terrible on the property. Good chance that they did not do it on purpose, and a gentle reminder would do much more good for relationships than a nasty confrontation.

ALLOW THEM TO BRING IN THEIR TRAVEL TRAILER If your hunters ask to bring down another travel trailer or build an outhouse at the camp, please let them. Yes, the travel trailer will be something else to look at every day when you drive by but a few more creature comforts may be nice for them. You could ask that they remove the travel trailer when the season is over or ask them to a park it in a way that is more out of the way, but be reasonable in their desires for space, privacy and couple-friendly arrangements.

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REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE RENTING THE PROPERTY

Remember, you are renting this property for very specific purposes and uses. You do not temporarily own the ranch and you do not have any ownership-type decision-making over it’s management. Just like renting an apartment in a complex, you are renting this space for a specific time and for a specific purpose. Your rental fees do not give you other liberties unless the hunting lease specifically says so.

TREAT THE LANDOWNERS PROPERTY WITH RESPECT

Landowners are fiercely proud of their property, and you must respect that fact. You are leasing this land because you do not own your own so you do not understand his/her personal and historical ties to this land. Please act respectfully and honorably while you are on this private property.

GOOD QUALITY LEASE HUNTERS DESIRE A LONGTERM RELATIONSHIP

PRIMARILY FOR HUNTERS LEASING LAND:

DEMAND OUTWEIGHS SUPPLY FOR LEASE HUNTERS

Good quality lease hunters are hard to find. Lease hunters are not. If you want to lose this lease, then act like it and you will almost certainly do so because demand far outweighs supply.

DONT TELL LAND OWNER WHAT HE/ SHE SHOULD DO

Ranchers do things that you may not agree with or fully understand. You are renting the hunting privileges and not the cattle or habitat management decisions, unless the lease specifies that. So “telling” the landowner what he/she should or should not do is never recommended. Politely asking or suggesting ideas is the best approach and allowing the landowner to hear your perspectives can be a good thing. Sharing ideas and concerns, with both parties listening more than talking, is always recommended.

ASK LANDOWNER ABOUT APPROPRIATE TARGET RANGE

Ask the landowner to identify an area to set up a target range. Don’t assume you can set one up just anywhere and posting the targets onto an oak tree or fence post is not recommended. Remove all paper targets after each use and do not leave them stapled to the backstop, as they will eventually fall off and blow away. Glass bottles should never be used as targets, unless you are shooting into the trash pit and Tannerrite is likely not welcome without prior permission.

Good quality lease hunters desire a long-term relationship with good quality landowners and vice versa. Go out of your way to keep the relationship in good working order and make sure to enforce any and all lease rules and agreements, even the hard ones. A signed lease is a legally-binding document so you are responsible for the actions of those on and in the lease, including guests and kids. If you let one party misuse the land, expect the entire group to suffer the consequences. Know your hunting parties well and make sure that rule enforcement is the first priority. Guests are responsible for more leases being cancelled than are the lease members themselves. Control and monitor and select your guests very carefully.

FOLLOW CARCASS DISPOSAL, TRASH & STORAGE DIRECTIONS

If the landowner designates areas for carcasses disposal, trash, feed storage, etc., make sure to follow those directions. You might think it won’t hurt to drag that feral hog carcass into the brush behind your blind, but that is not where it goes. If you elect to shoot it, then you take responsibility for putting it where it goes. If there are to be no paper products in the trash pit, then separate your trash accordingly and make sure that paper products do not accidently end up in the trash pit to be blown all over the ranch.

Robert Stubblefield

RESPECT THE LANDOWNERS SOCIAL MEDIA/ CONTEST WISHES

If the landowner does not want you to enter your deer or other harvested game into local deer contests or post on social media, then don’t enroll them in your hometown contest once you get home, believing the owner won’t ever see it. Privacy is just that, and many landowners do not want their names and ranches to be made public. Extreme care must be taken these days with internet, cell phones and mobile uploads by people who don’t understand or appreciate this very important issue these days.

HARVEST HOGS

If surplus deer or feral hogs are to be harvested, ask the landowner if he/she needs any venison for their own use.

If so, do the work and deliver a cleanly quartered carcass to their doorstep as a good will gesture.

Some of these points may not apply to everyone but you may be surprised how often they are overlooked and misused. A quality lease agreement is all about respect and communication. When either breaks down, small problems arise that eventually turn into big problems and usually an ugly outcome results.

Assumptions are bad, while clear communications are good. Keep the flow of information coming from both directions -- it is not a one-way street. Good luck this hunting season and please keep all of these points in mind while enjoying the great outdoors.

Macy Ledbetter

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DEER PROCESSING DEER • HOGS EXOTICS

CUSTOM MOUNTS AFRICAN GAME NATIVE GAME • EXOTICS

OWNERS: Lynn and Judy Nickelson

Open 7 days a week during hunting season Hours: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Closed Christmas Day 325-446-2048 • 325-257-7039 110 Holt Smith St. • Junction, TX

Have a successful & safe season!

Dennis Villanueva - Owner

Gary Broach, Owner

(830) 896-6996 gbroach@ktc.com

2391-A Junction Hwy. Kerrville, Texas 78028

www.rhodestaxidermy.com

www.rhodestaxidermy.com 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. • 7 days a week

Kimble County Predator Management, INC. Minimum $75 (0-750 acres = $75.00) or Total Acres: ____(x) 0.10/acre=_____

BOUNTIES:

One block from Kimble Processing

109 S. 15th Street, Junction, Texas 76849 rawhide2008@live.com

325-446-8510

www.heartothehillstaxidermy.com

paid on 600 Feral Hogs, 62 Coyotes, 2 Bobcats, & 0 Red Fox

(Must be a contributor to receive bounties)

For more information and to become a contributor

325-446-2620 https://kimble.agrilife.org/kimblecounty-predator-management-inc/

Search:

Heart O’ The Hills Taxidermy 416 Earl Garrett • Kerrville, TX 78028 830-257-4486

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Wade Ledbetter

javelinas C

ontrary to appearances, the javelina, or Collared Peccary, is not a hog! It’s not even a swine at all, instead, belonging to a family of mammals called peccaries. Whereas feral hogs are an invasive species introduced to America by settlers, javelinas are native to Texas and are still found from the Texas panhandle to Northern Argentina.

Javelinas are highly social animals, living in herds that are typically centered around a family unit. These herds typically have a strictly ordered hierarchy, with a dominant male or female, their offspring, and younger subordinates.

Members of a herd take turns grooming each other and mixing excretions from scent glands on their faces and backs, which they use to identify family members. The young in a group are fiercely defended from predators by the adults, who will make elaborate defensive displays including teeth clacking, hackle-raising, and loud barking grunts.

Both males and females bear sharp scissor-like tusks and do not hesitate to use them.

These animals are unique in many ways, including their harsh diet! Javelinas

IN CENTRAL TEXAS

subsist primarily on prickly pear cactus year-round, with little other vegetation, depending on the season. They will eat deer corn and can be spotted at feeders, sometimes driving away deer and other animals. Under Texas law, javelinas are considered game animals and have a bag limit of two per year, with some counties having specific hunt dates, unlike the feral hog. Hunting javelinas can be very challenging, due to their watchful herds and keen sense of smell. Their eyesight is not very good, but their ears and nose work extremely well.

Historically, javelinas were found throughout much of Texas, but their range decreased due to over-harvest pressure, urban sprawl, and habitat loss. Today, they are most often seen in the south Texas brush, but small populations still persist throughout the panhandle, west and central Texas. Mason County has a diverse javelina population now. This population is due to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s effort to reintroduce javelinas to their historic range that started in 2004. In this effort, 29 javelinas were captured in south Texas and released at the Mason Mountain

Wildlife Management Area. Ultimately only a few individuals stayed within the management area upon release, but several animals dispersed into private property surrounding the area. Today their offspring can be seen roaming Mason, Menard, and Kimble counties.

Being one of the twenty-nine North American big game species, javelinas attract hunters from around the globe.

For landowners wishing to have them on their property, you must also tolerate prickly pear cactus. If your ranch has little to no cactus, you likely have little to no javelinas. So the next time you see a group of javelinas, tip your hat to the little smelly things and wish them well.

They are an economic engine for local communities, and they are unique to only a handful of states. If you are in the general area around Mason County, the ones you likely see today are offspring of the south Texas herds, relocated as a way of reintroducing them in hopes of getting them to stick around.

Wade Ledbetter www.SpringCreekOutdoors.com

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35

trey sullivan real estate www.treysullivan.com

R.D. Kothmann Real estate

seRving the hill CountRy sinCe the ‘40s 1701 main st.

JunCtion, tX

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Farm & ranch ReSidential • coMMeRicial

gReeR anD Kelly Kothmann www.KothmannRealestate.Com

Serving KIMBLE, EDWARDS, MENARD COUNTIES

1802 Main St. • Junction, tx 76849 oFFice: 325-446-3725 • Mobile: 325-446-6060 Fax: 325-446-3679

lee@suretytitleco.com robin@suretytitleco.com

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DOING BUSINESS IN KIMBLE COUNTY FOR OVER 30 YEARS. Real Estate Appraisals, Brokerage, Consulting & Mapping Call us Today for a Consultation!

(325)446-3052 • (325)446-2763

JUNCTION, TX www.bierschwalelandco.com

Paul E. Bierschwale, ARA, CRE Real Estate Broker, Appraiser

Aaron D. Bierschwale, ARA Real Estate Appraiser

Scott Phillips Real Estate Broker Cell: (432) 631-0589

Justin P. Bierschwale, ARA, MAI Real Estate Appraiser

Nathan Tonne, MAI, ARA Real Estate Appraiser

Erin Giesler Appraiser Trainee

Bierschwale Land Company, LLC is a full service appraisal, brokerage and consulting firm established in 1982. Through the years, our office has provided valuation expertise, litigation support and consultation services to our clients throughout the nation. Our background in real property valuation provides a unique perspective to clients in search of brokerage services. We also offer consulting and mapping services on recreational properties. Learn more about how our office can assist you in all your real property needs.

517 College Street • P.O. Box 154 • Junction, TX 76849 36

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Jordan Keeton

Robert Stubblefield

Can I put exotics on my ranch with my white-tailed deer?

I

n a nutshell, exotics are better competitors than whitetails. Whitetails are wimps when it comes to competing against them. Most exotics are group-oriented animals while whitetails tend to be more solitary or run in very small family groups. Common exotics, such as axis, fallow and sika deer are browsers first and grazers second.

Whitetails are only browsers and cannot graze due to their stomachs not being able to process lignin and/or grass.

Lignin is what wood is composed of and grass that stands up tall and straight has lignin in it. Ever wonder why deer can eat wheat or oats early in the season but avoids them early in the spring? The plants “lignify” and thereby become undigestible to whitetails. That is the time to either turn the cattle in on them for extra weight gain as cattle can digest lignin very well or mow the plots to force them to regrow.

Other exotics, like blackbuck antelope, oryx, sable and gemsbok, are classified as antelopes and they are grazers. They certainly will nibble on browse plants when young and tender, but primarily they consume grass day in and day out. If supplemental feed is offered, such critters will

belly up to the bar too, but on average, they will eat more grass than anything else. These animals, when combined with whitetails, will have much less effect on deer management and can be used in conjunction if their overall numbers are strictly controlled. Stick with the larger grazing antelope-type species in manageable numbers and you should be able to keep from impacting your whitetail management program significantly.

Elk and Red Deer: Supplemental feeding and elk/red deer are like oil and water. Each are large animals and they love the supplemental feed, especially those that are alfalfa-based and smell good. Not only do they eat a lot of feed but they also tend to damage the feeders once empty. One way around this issue is to construct another three or four strand barbed wire fence around the outside perimeter of your existing hog panel exclosure. Place the wire far apart and up to five foot tall. This will exclude them from jumping over or crawling under while allowing smaller animals--whitetails, axis, etc.--to crawl under and through the barbed wire and then jump over the hog panel exclosure to gain access to the feeder. This technique works very well

for domestic cattle, horses, super exotics as well. The first exclosure may be 120’ x 120’ and the standard feed pen can be 80’ x 80’ and this will solve your problems of feeding elk/red deer once and for all.

Blackbuck: Blackbuck antelope integrate well with whitetails but tend to fall prey to predators easily. They work best in a smaller high fenced pasture where intensive predator control and easier observation is possible.

Sheep species such as aoudad, Barbados/mouflon also compete directly with whitetails. Sheep are also group-oriented in big numbers, and browse first and graze second. They eat the prime whitetail forage plants first and most are able to stand on their hind legs and reach up higher than many whitetails are able to reach.

Exotics are not for everyone. For the ranch manager looking to expand his hunting opportunities and/or possibly generate typical off-season monies, exotics may be an alternative. But for the serious-minded whitetail deer manager, exotics have no place in the same pasture.

Wade Ledbetter www.SpringCreekOutdoors.com

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FOR A HEALTHIER DEER HERD How do I really know if there are too many deer for my land to support? Is my habitat healthy? When leasing or buying land, what can tell me whether or not the place is suitable for producing quality deer? Do I need to increase my harvest pressure this fall?

The Basics

The questions above and many more can be answered by conducting a browse survey on the property. Browse--the leaves and twigs of woody plants--form the mainstay of a deer’s diet. Although forbs (broad-leaved weeds) and mast (acorns, mesquite beans, fruits) are highly preferred and nutritious, both are seasonal by nature. Rainfall is normally heaviest in the spring and fall. Forb growth is heavy at this time, however, once soil moisture levels become depleted and temperatures increase, the weeds quickly die out. Acorn crops usually occur in the fall but are not dependable on an annual basis. In contrast, woody plants are the most stable part of the habitat and can supply deer with nutrition when other food sources are not available. Browse surveys are best conducted during these stress periods, often in late summer and/ or late winter. Having the ability to identify the plants and then to understand how they rank in forage preference is critical.

Browse Categories

It is vital to point out that not all browse plants are created equally. Deer are very selective when browsing woody plants. In central Texas, for example, Texas Kidneywood is considered a firstchoice plant. On the other hand, Agarito is rarely browsed when other woody plants are available. To simplify matters, browse plants are categorized using first, second and third-choice classifications. First-choice browse is comprised of plants that deer prefer most over any other. These plants are sought after because they are typically the most palata-

ble and nutritious. Second-choice browse is not as nutritious as first-choice species, but it makes up for it in abundance on most ranges. Lastly, third choice plants are consumed only when first and second-choice plants are not available. It is important to note that some of the moderately preferred species can be utilized to a greater or lesser degree depending on season of growth, growth form, soil type, etc. However, these categories are an accurate simplification of browse preference as it pertains to white-tailed deer and it will prove valuable for managers and hunters to understand the different plant classifications.

Methods

The first step in conducting a browse survey is identifying the plants on your property. Multiple field guides exist for both novices and more taxonomy-minded folks but perhaps the easiest to use tool is the Plant ID Video Series found at www.SpringCreekOutdoors.com Proper plant identification is critical and will increase your overall knowledge and appreciation of the ecosystem in which you are charged with managing.

The Plant ID Video Series will not only teach you how to identify the various plants but will also shed light on which wildlife species utilize each plant as well as provide management recommendations and suggestions for each.

For the purposes of this article, we will detail the cursory survey method. The cursory survey involves the “wide” approach, where the observer is looking at the big picture as it pertains to habitat. One of the first steps in performing a cursory survey is to know the boundary, shape, and topography of the land. This can be gathered from an aerial photo, topo map, soil survey map, or have someone knowledgeable about the property draw you a relatively detailed map. Once in hand, consider the focal points of the property---rivers or major creek drainages, mountains, food plots, supplemen-

tal feeding stations, permanent water sources, etc.

Next, note those areas that are farthest away from such focal points. Look for large blocks of brush, slight slopes, meandering roads, and far reaches of the boundary fences. With map in hand, begin to drive the roads in those areas. As you travel, take special note to observe the soil type and the plant community growing on each different soil and the condition of the plants growing there.

There are specific plants that grow on specific soils for specific reasons. Take note of any mechanical manipulation of the habitat. Did you see the old regrowth from the 1940’s root plow? Did you notice the brush community that now resides there? What condition is it in? Could you tell that the previous owner overstocked this property some years ago? The brush and the condition thereof, tell a story.

Reading the story is not difficult, but it does take some study.

Stop the vehicle often and get out. You want to select stops away from the previously mentioned focal points so that the survey is not biased. These focal points attract wildlife and therefore increase usage of those particular areas and may show signs that are not representative of the whole property. Avoiding the focal points and concentrating on the areas between them will give the observer a more accurate understanding of the habitat.

Noting the different soil types, brush communities, and condition of each, get out of the truck and take a short walk.

Stepping away from the road and into the nearby brush, the observer will witness the true integrity of the brush. Now select and identify individual plants and really look closely at them. Understand the ranking classification as it pertains to the deer’s preference rating for your eco-region is needed at this point. Does the plant look healthy? Can you identify the current year’s growth? If not, does the plant appear “hedged” or pruned in any way that is within the normal height

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of a feeding deer? Is this a first, second or third choice plant? Any grass or forbs around? If so, what condition are they in? If not, ask yourself why not or what happened to them? After making notes, get back in the truck and continue further down the road. Continue doing this for as long as it takes to uniformly cover the property. Small acreage may only require a couple of hours whereas large acreage may take a full day or more.

Now What?

Now that you have thoroughly surveyed the property, walked through the brush, and identified plants, were you impressed with what you found? What percentage of plants encountered were first, second and third choice? Did the amount of ground cover, lack of hedging, plant abundance and diversity catch your attention, or did you notice something else? What about the animals you saw during your survey? Did you see healthy animals or were they up feeding all day and still appeared thin and needy?

With notes and observations fresh at hand, now is the time to make some firm

decisions. If your browse survey results did not impress you, then act now. Habitat is where the animals live. They live there 365 days a year and 24 hours a day.

If the habitat is in need of improvement, then so are the animals. By reducing the number of animals utilizing the habitat, you will create time and energy for it to recover. As the habitat improves, so will the animals that use it. Do you need to add additional cross-fences to compliment the livestock grazing system? How many mouths can this range support?

The plants will answer these questions for you so there is no need to guess or make assumptions, let the plants tell you how to manage them.

Surveying your habitat under stressed conditions is the optimum time to do so. It will tell you the truth. You may or may not like it, but it will not lie. If you need to reduce numbers, then enact such measures immediately. As stewards of the land and “keepers of the gate�, take this experience into the field and put it to work for you. You and all the animals on your property will benefit.

Get Educated

In order to learn the bulk of the browse plants in central, south and west Texas (along with the preference classifications) without having to lug different field guides and heavy books to the ranch or lease, all you need is your cell phone or iPad. If cell service is limited at the ranch, simply download the videos ahead of time to be played back once you are afield. Go to www.SpringCreekOutdoors. com and check out the Plant ID Video Series found in the Video section of the website. Each video describes in detail how to identify the plant throughout the seasons by examining the shape, height, trunk, bark, twigs, leaves and fruit or flowers when present. Browse classifications are provided, along with wildlife use and management recommendations.

Wildlife management begins with plant management. Plant management begins with identification and knowing how to manipulate those that the wildlife depend on.

Macy Ledbetter www.SpringCreekOutdoors.com

Jordan Keeton

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Robert Stubblefield

D

o you realize that fawns are the driving force of your deer herd? That is correct, fawns. Folks like to think of deer management in terms of big bucks, but that is not accurate. I commonly tell people that we are not really deer managers, but rather fawn farmers.

As a wildlife biologist working far and wide and with a variety of scenarios, I find most folks fail to realize just how important fawns -- more specifically, fawn production -- really is. Fawn crop, fawn production, fawn survival, doe/fawn ratio or whatever you want to call it, just know that it is the same. As responsible land managers, we must be able to balance the deer numbers with the available forage produced each year. As fawns are added to the population, adult deer must be removed in order to make room for the new mouths. As managers, we must be able to identify, count and understand the herd dynamics in order to make the best possible management decisions. Management decisions are based on your goals and objectives, so the process works like this:

1. IDENTIFY: Conduct quality surveys in order to get the best herd dynamic information possible. This may include aggressive trail camera use, prolonged daylight observations, multiple spotlight surveys or a helicopter survey. I recommend using at least two such methods as no single method is completely accurate.

Budget, terrain, manpower and time all impact which method to use but realize that without solid data, you are simply guessing.

2. COUNT: Determine the herd dynamics such as density (expressed as acre-per-deer), adult sex ratio (expressed as how many does per buck) and what percentage of does successfully raised a fawn as per the survey date(s).

3. UNDERSTAND: Based on your goals and objectives, we can now mathematically calculate the harvest recommendations in order to manipulate the deer herd to reach your stated goals and objectives.

EXAMPLE 1: If your goals and objectives include keeping the herd below the carrying capacity of the native habitat and wanting to produce only enough deer for sustained harvest, then you need a low density, a tight adult sex ratio and an average fawn survival rate. If any part of the survey data does not fall within such parameters, then you can use harvest pressure this fall to make the needed adjustments. Let’s say, for this example, your ranch is 500 acres and the density is 15.0 acres per deer (34 total head) and your sex ratio is 2:1 (16 does and 8 bucks) and the fawn survival rate is at .60 fawns per doe, or 60% (10 fawns). Just to sustain the herd, not increasing or decreasing it and expecting all the observed fawns to survive the winter, the harvest recommendations

would be to harvest five bucks and five does this fall. Again, ten deer in (fawns) and ten deer out (adults) and the sex ratio determines the number of each sex to be removed. This is a low density, low input and low output deer herd. Quick, easy, cheap, no stress involved.

EXAMPLE 2: Let’s take the same 500 acre ranch, but now let’s assume the goals and objectives are to increase production and harvest to support a large lease hunting operation. We are not interested in balancing the carrying capacity but we need to generate maximum amount of surplus deer to provide the maximum amount of hunting opportunities for a big group of lease hunters. Now the density is 8.2 acres per deer (61 head) with an adult sex ratio Continued on page 43

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41

Continued from page 41

of 3:1 (30 does and 10 bucks) with a high fawn survival rate of 75% (21 fawns). If we want to maintain this herd at the current rate, we will harvest five bucks and sixteen does, or twenty-one total deer, doubling our harvest output from the herd in Example 1.

EXAMPLE 3: Let’s keep with the same 500 acre ranch but now let’s assume we want to slow the growth rate down, lower the density to a more conservative level and we want to produce older aged class bucks for quality production. Surveys show our density is at 4.55 acres per deer (110 head) with an adult sex ratio of 2:1 (50 does and 25 bucks) with a fawn survival rate of 70% (35 fawns). Knowing we need to lower the population and slow down the growth, we concentrate our harvest pressure on the older aged females that are more prone to produce twin fawns. So now the harvest strategy on this ranch would be to harvest six bucks (only cull type bucks with undesirable antler traits) and thirty adult does.

Again, select the oldest doe possible as

she is the most experienced and most likely to raise both fawns. By harvesting only the handful of bucks required for genetic gains and increasing pressure on the older segment of the females, post deer season we can expect the density to be near 6.75 acres per deer with an adult sex ratio of 1:1.

Because of the young doe segment, next spring, the fawn survival rate will be below average, likely 45% or so and then the fall density would remain near 6.0 acres per deer but now your quality bucks are one year older, have had the opportunity to breed and now your doe herd is younger and growing at a slower rate that is easier to manage moving forward.

By maintaining this harvest strategy for two to three years, you will have mature bucks reaching their full genetic potential, and they will be breeding along the way to ensure that high quality genetics remain in the herd into the future. This strategy is the hardest, requires scrutiny and education and making sure you harvest the correct deer every time. You need to learn how to age deer on the hoof and have a

good understanding of what genetic traits you prefer and how to protect those traits until they are fully mature.

My hope is that you now better understand how the amount of fawns produced each year will impact the number of adults to harvest to best meet your goals and objectives. Fawn production determines our actions based on our goals and objectives.

How does your ranch or hunting lease stack up to these three examples? How do your goals and objectives compare?

Are you willing to perform the surveys required to formulate the data and then take the effort to carry out the recommendations? Big bucks don’t come easy, and farming fawns is certainly not the only part of herd management. But just remember, every mature buck you have ever seen in your life started out as a fourpound fawn.

Macy Ledbetter SpringCreekOutdoors.com

Robert Stubblefield

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& When you look at ranching in Texas, cattle and deer have not always been something that worked hand in hand. From a cattle rancher’s perspective, deer have quite often been an afterthought. From a hunter’s eyes, cattle can be seen as a nuisance and a headache during hunting season. These two viewpoints could not be further from the truth. Leasing a property for deer hunting or selling a few hunts every year can significantly relieve the financial burden on a rancher when the cattle market is down or when the rains failed to produce much grass as we saw this year. While this logic has gained acceptance with many landowners, hunters are not always as easily convinced.

Cattle can be a great asset to a hunting ranch, but there is a fine line that needs to be walked, and that line is literally a fence.

Deer have a certain need for cover, but heavy brush that is too thick or too abundant can be detrimental. Bedding areas of thicker brush are essential to escape

the elements, predators, raise fawns, and the list goes on. Deer like edges, meaning where the brush meets open area. As time goes, the natural progression of the habitat in Central Texas is to a climax community of thick brush. Historically, wildfires prevented this from occurring, but in modern times these fires are not left to clear the landscape unchecked. When cattle are present on a ranch, they open up trails through thick brush that deer will use for travel in and out of areas that might have been less accessible before the cattle went there. Cattle graze down tall grass and open up bare ground to allow sunlight to reach the small forbs that deer consume in the springtime. The hoof action from a 600-pound steer aerates the soil which increases germination of seeds. All of the above-mentioned things are great for wildlife. However, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

Grass cover is essential for fawn survival. This might not seem like a huge con-

cern, after all, hunters are after big mature bucks, not fawns. But keep in mind that every 160 pound, ten-point buck started out as a 4-1/2 pound fawn. When summer temperatures rise over 100 degrees, ground temperature in the rocky soils of the hill country can easily climb over 120 degrees, and this is a death sentence for an exposed fawn. Under tall shaded grass, the temperature can easily be 15 degrees less that the air temperature. Sitting out in the wide open for the first few weeks of their life also greatly increases the likelihood that a predator will find them. By temporarily rotating cattle to another pasture when you see the grass height lowering, you can help prevent many of these problems. Fawns start hitting the ground at the end of May so try to keep the grass tall until mid-July when possible, and your deer hunters and fawns will be grateful!

Matt Nuernberg Spring Creek Outdoors Matt Nuernberg

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Spanish Road to Santa Fe I

By Frederica Burt Wyatt

n this year while local historians are on the brink of planning observances in 2023 to mark the centennial of a transcontinental route known as the Old Spanish Trail, it is well to recall an account of a much-earlier and shorter “Spanish Trail" that traversed the eastern part of Kimble County and became a direct route between San Antonio and Santa Fe in New Mexico.

A historical marker placed by Kimble County Historical Survey Committee in 1967 along Ranch Road 385 reveals the interesting narrative, and the following article will share some of the diary kept

by Captain Francisco Amangual of San Antonio, leader of the expedition and veteran of forty-six years of service to Spain.

Amangual had been Superintendent of the hospital at Valero Mission but preferred utilization of his military skills.

Amangual's project was preceded by an earlier project of a trail blazed by Zebulon Pike, discoverer of his landmark namesake, Pike's Peak. Other explorers had been unsuccessful in determining a direct route between San Antonio (Bejar) and Santa Fe, and one motive was to impress the wild and fierce native-American tribes with the strength and glory of Spain.

Departing from San Antonio on March 20, 1808, Amangual and his men arrived in the created but unorganized Kimble

County on April 8. The entourage also consisted of two hundred soldiers and many horses and mules. The diary reflected on the topography of the land with the many hills, descents and ascents. Upon reaching a creek known as "El Chimal", they killed a bear and saw a herd of buffalo in the distance. El Chimal Creek is a stream with bluffs resembling Indian headdresses. Steamboat Mountain, a peak with the highest elevation in the county, was along the route.

In later years, El Chimal would be known as East James River/Little Devil’s River. The creek continued eastward and at one location, red bluffs shadowed the stream. The Spanish group set up camp at that location.

The trek had been tedious as the landscape was very mountainous and extremely "intractable". The chief timber was oak trees. The weary travelers could not foresee the countryside was to become a land of successful ranches.

At 1:30 in the afternoon of the ninth day of April, the travelers reached some very steep hills, barren and rocky, until descending a precipice to the Llano River.

This site was later known as Beef Trail Crossing, as the route was used by the Great Western Cattle Trail some decades later. No doubt, early Texas-bound immigrations also used this early route.

Captain Amangual reported the Llano was situated between some hills of solid

rock. The stream was very wide and carried much water. It ran East, and the bottom lands had few trees but were full of aromatic and edible onions. The diary stated that discovery was welcomed by the travelers who camped there on August 9.

By April 10, the group was in the present-day London area with its next stop being the San Saba River. At that location, buffalo herds were espied. The next oasis was the Presidio de San Saba on the banks of the river.

There were no incidences at that location however, at daybreak the next morning, two Comanche Indians appeared on their way to San Antonio but caused no trouble. Amangual and his men rested there to give the horses and mules some rest from the tiresome trip. Stampedes and losses of horses and mules had added to the difficulty of the trip.

After many hardships, the party reached Santa Fe on June 19. Six months later they returned to San Antonio. It had been an arduous but successful three months’ journey from Texas to New Mexico during the Spanish era in Texas.

A few years ago, portions on the original road are still visible along Ranch Road 385. We invite everyone to take time to read our county's many historical markers located along the highways and byways!

Typical El Chimal Formation White Bluff Community Kimble County, Texas JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

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The Story of the

Junction Jaguar

L

published in the 2008 edition of The Junction Eagle

by Ginger Andrews

ast week, as I was driving home from London, I turned on Hwy. 385, headed toward Yates Crossing, and about halfway between, where I had turned off and the Red Creek Road, I spotted a very large mountain lion, just standing in the middle of the highway.

He looked at me, unalarmed, and walked west to the bar ditch, stopped and casually watched me as I passed by.

The following Thursday, I was at Rotary, and met Carlton Turner. He said he and his wife had purchased the old Milton and Eunice Watters place outside of London about eight years ago. When I told him about spotting the mountain lion so close to where he lived, it reminded me of a story my grandfather, Everett Stewart, used to tell. I didn’t have time to tell it to Carlton that day, so told him I’d tell it in my article this week (Originally published in the July 30, 2008, edition of The Junction Eagle).

The story was first told by Emmett Hensley, who wrote an article in 1967, and Pa then followed up with another version he wrote in 1976. Now, in 2008, I am honored and privileged to be able to follow in their footsteps and combine both of their stories and tell it once again.

One Sunday morning, in the spring of 1909, when Pa was almost ten years old, he asked his father if he could spend the day at the Spoonts’ house, playing with his friend, Charley. His dad said it was okay, and off Everett went, two miles down the red dirt road and over to the Haggerman place, where the Spoonts were living at the time. When he arrived, he could see that a wagon was hitched, and it looked like the family planned on going somewhere. He soon learned that Robert Spoonts was taking his two older boys, Otis and Leonard, to the Llano River to spend the day fishing.

Charley, who was close to Pa in age, had other plans. He asked Everett if he wanted

to go hunting with him. Sheep had been disappearing, and he felt they had a good chance of catching something, maybe even a bobcat. At the very least, they should be able to catch a fox. Charley had three good hunting hounds to bring along with them. Pa was excited to get to go and it didn’t bother either one of them that they were barefooted and wearing short britches. That was the custom in that day.

You didn’t wear “long” britches until you were 14 or 15 and ready to “step out” and “impress” the girls.

Pa hated to tell Charley, but he wasn’t feeling too well that day. He had a terrible headache. Charley told him not to worry, he would fix him right up and he did. He gave him a cup of black coffee loaded down with sugar. Pa said he took a swallow of it and it made him so sick, he got rid of it and the headache at the same time. He never could stand sweetened coffee after that. They were burnin’ daylight, so Charley picked up a horn he had made out of a hollowed out cow’s horn and blew it. The hounds went crazy. It was time to go huntin’.

There was a long mountain behind the house about a mile away, and they headed straight for it. Dodging blue thorns and slip sheds, cacti and rocks, they managed to reach the top rim. Then they headed north towards Sam Hardesty’s place.

On the 1910 Federal Census, it shows Sam and Cora Hardesty living with their children, Dee (age 25), James (age 20) and Jack (age 18), on what later became the Watters’ Ranch. It is located directly across from the intersection of Hwy. 377 and the Red Creek Cemetery Road (Hwy. 333) between Junction and London.

The boys decided to start looking for big boulders they could roll down the side of the mountain, when all of a sudden the hounds went wild. They had something.

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Pa and Charley ran as fast as they could to see what it was, and when they got to where the dogs were barking, they saw something they couldn’t quite believe. It was a huge, spotted jaguar in a shallow cave, and the dogs weren’t about to let it go.

Now this part gets interesting. Neither Pa nor Charley had a gun. They were depending on the dogs to handle anything that they came across. It was obvious the dogs weren’t going to handle this well or get out of this confrontation easily. Pa and Charley were scared to death. They had never seen a jaguar and didn’t even know what it was they were seeing. They just decided they’d better run for their own lives and try to get help as fast as their legs could carry them. Down the mountain, not caring anymore about thorns or rocks, cacti or thistles, they headed for the Hardesty home. When they got there, panting and out of breath, you can imagine the story they told Dee, the oldest of the boys. Dee grabbed a sawed off shotgun, loaded it with #4 shot, and they all headed back up the mountain.

Now, Dee was indeed older, but not without his own fears. He told Pa and Charley to stand behind him, on a large rock in front of the cave and to hold their pocket knives open and ready just in case he missed or worse, just wounded the cat and the cat came out fightin’ mad after them. He told them to be ready to fight or again, to run for their lives. Dee was shaking so badly, he decided to let the cat have it with both barrels, but he missed. The cat charged out and ran about 50 yards up the mountain. The dogs circled it and drove it back inside the cave. A hound they called “Lizzie” got hurt during the fracas, when the cat swiped at it with a force so powerful that the dog fell and broke her hip.

Continued from page 51

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Continued from page 49

The boy’s legs were bloody from running so much through the brush, but they had hardly noticed. All they knew was that they weren’t getting much “satisfaction” and it was immediately decided that they should go for more help and another gun. Looking down towards the J.F. Vance place, they could see Will McCollum plowing in a field. Again they ran, not stopping until they were face to face with Will, telling him the whole ordeal. Will got his .22 repeating rifle and followed the boys back up the mountain. He stood above the animal and shot it rapidly four times in the head, kill-

ing it instantly.

The boys then had fun trying to get that huge cat down off the mountain.

It weighed 126 lbs. and measured 6 ft.

7 inches, from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail. They rolled and carried it all the way back to the Hardesty home.

Sam Hardesty hitched up a wagon to a gotch-eared horse and they hauled the animal to London to George May’s storeto have it weighed. They then took it all over the community, showing it to everyone.

George May offered to buy it from the boys for $125. That was a lot of money, and Pa said he thought about it long and hard, but decided not to sell it. Instead, they decided

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to skin it and nail the hide to the side of the barn to let it dry. That night, the hounds, feeling a little cheated out of a good fight, had the last say. They finished the battle by attacking and chewing that hide, tearing it into shreds. Pa and Charley took it back to George May, hoping he might still want it and he did, but this time he only offered them $5. They took the money. Pa told me that the big boys got all the glory; they got their pictures taken with the cat, one of which is hanging in Wilford Wagner’s barbershop downtown, but it was the little boys who found it and did all the hard work, and it was the little boys who had the skinned up arms and legs to prove it.

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2020 Texas Tech University Axis Deer Project Update submitted by: Matthew Buchholz Wildlife and aquatic researchers from the Department of Natural Resources Management (NRM) and Llano River Field Station at Texas Tech University are nearing the end of a multi-year research project and have completed the field research to better understand the ecology of free-ranging axis deer along the South Llano River and the Texas hill country.

The goals of this project are widespread due to the relative lack of research on axis deer in Texas over the last 30-40 years.

The major goals of the project include assessing the effects that axis deer have on native riparian habitats and vegetation, what vegetation they eat, assess population density, assess the population genetics and potential genetic susceptibility to disease, and assess habitat selection. Matthew Buchholz is the Ph.D. student who is leading the project and is advised by Dr. Blake Grisham and Dr. Warren Conway in the NRM department in Lubbock and Dr. Thomas Arsuffi at the Llano River Field Station in Junction.

Effects of Axis Deer on Riparian Habitats and Vegetation We completed monitoring deer exclosures for the effects of axis deer and white-tailed deer on vegetation structure and composition in riparian habitats in January. We planned to have one more period of vegetation monitoring in April, but travel restrictions prevented data collection. We have since dismantled all of our exclosures on cooperating private ranches and exclosures at South Llano River State Park have been transferred to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for use as long-term monitoring plots.

We started analyzing the data collected on vegetation ground cover and biomass differences between grasses, forbs (flowering plants), woody vegetation, cactus, and bare ground. Our data indicated excluding white-tailed deer and axis deer resulted in a decreased bare ground, suggesting vegetation consumption by the species may be removing vegetation that stabilizes the soil and prevents erosion along the river banks. In particular, we found within deer exclosures, much of the ground cover was

Robert Stubblefield

in native grasses. Native grasses provide large root systems underneath the surface that stabilize soil, as well as provide forage for cattle and wildlife Because axis deer are primarily grazers, and white-tailed deer are primarily browsers, between axis deer and white-tailed deer, we attribute in the increase in grass coverage to preventing axis deer from entering the exclosures. This finding suggests axis deer are likely having an effect on the stability of the riparian habitats due to vegetation removal.

We also found that over time, the proportion of ground that was covered by grass increased ~ 15% inside of exclosures over the 2+ years that deer were excluded.

Conversely, the proportion of forbs outside of the exclosure increased by~10% during the same period. It is possible that as axis deer consumed the grasses outside of the exclosures, forbs obtained a competitive advantage and sprout and take the place of grasses and bare ground. The forbs we recorded outside of the exclosures, such as frostweed and common horehound, have little nutritional value and are considered undesirable by native wildlife and livestock.

Population Surveys We completed our last spotlight survey in December 2019. Again, we were planning another survey in March but travel restrictions prevented us from completing our surveys. Our surveys were conducted using a technique called distance sampling. Distance sampling not only counts how many axis deer are observed during the spotlight surveys, but also calculates axis deer densities and accounts for our ability to detect them, if they are present. This process obtains a more accurate estimate axis deer densities across the landscape by accounting for the spatial distribution of animals along the survey route and how likely we were to detect axis deer during our surveys.

During the surveys, we counted both axis

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and white-tailed deer to compare densities of the two species. During the seven surveys we conducted, we counted 3,514 total deer, 1,806 of which were axis deer. When we put this data into the program that estimates deer densities, and our preliminary data estimates suggest axis deer and white-tailed deer densities are similar in Kimble County, where we conducted the survey.

We also recorded the habitat that we observed axis deer in our surveys to help us better understand where axis deer occur at night. Unsurprisingly, axis deer were more common along riparian areas as well as in grasslands (i.e., pastures) and were uncommon in Juniper-dominated shrublands. Axis deer were at least 1.62 times denser in riparian habitats than upland habitats, reinforcing previous assumptions that axis deer are more common in riparian habitats compared to upland habitats.

Genetics and Disease We are in the process of conducting an analyses to assess the genetic diversity of the axis deer population in the Texas Hill Country. With the assistance of numerous partners, such as‌..we collected tissue samples from the counties where self-sustaining axis deer populations occur. We found that the axis deer population throughout the Texas Hill Country is not genetic diverse, implying that the existing population that occupies the region are genetically similar to individuals in the initial introductions in Texas in 1932.

We are also currently assessing the susceptibility of axis deer to disease based on their genetic composition. Specifically, we are interested in Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Axis deer have never tested positive for CWD, and are not currently thought to be susceptible, but do occur within the CWD surveillance zones in Kimble, Medina, and Val Verde Counties, and are closely related Continued on page 54

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to elk. Chronic wasting disease was first found identified in elk, and axis deer are closely related to elk so axis deer may have similar genetic and physiological components as elk that may make them susceptible to contract CWD. We are sequencing the gene in the laboratory from axis deer tissues that codes for the protein that misfolds to cause CWD to assess if axis deer are susceptible or resistant to CWD. Tooth Replacement and Wear Technique We are in process of finalizing edits to our peer-reviewed publication of a scientifically-developed tooth replacement and wear technique specifically for axis deer. Our method is extremely similar to the widely used technique for white-tailed deer; in fact, in our paper we report estimated age of axis deer using the tooth replacement criteria for white tailed deer is an unreliable way to measure axis deer age.

Axis deer have different foraging and breeding behavior than white-tailed deer, and these components drive different tooth-wear and replacement in axis deer. We found that estimating axis deer age using white-tailed deer tooth replacement criteria resulted in under estimating axis deer age by several years. We anticipate our findings, and the tooth and replacement wear guide for axis deer to be published in the Wildlife Society Bulletin, a peer-reviewed wildlife management journal, within the next 3–6 months.

To develop the aging guide, we submitted teeth from axis deer collected from hunts on the South Llano River State Park, roadkill, from processors, or harvested by private landowners to a lab in Montana for cementum annuli analysis. This method estimates the age of the axis deer by counting the rings within the root of a tooth, similar to that of a tree, and one ring roughly equals one year. We then grouped jawbones from the axis deer that we took the teeth for the lab analysis and examined the jawbones for patterns in the replacement of deciduous premolars, eruption of molars, and tooth wear. We identified 8 different patterns in the replacement of deciduous premolars, eruption of molars, and tooth wear and can reliably estimate age and place an axis deer into one of 8 specific ageclass, starting with extremely young

deer (~6months old) and ending at ~13+ years old. After 13 years old, the jawbones and subsequent patterns were not reliable, because all of the teeth were wore down to the point where we had no reliable measure or patterns to estimate specific age.

We validated our technique by having wildlife biologists and students study and then use our guide to estimate the age of axis deer jawbones without knowing the estimate age of axis deer from the cementum annuli lab analysis. We compared the estimated age from the students and biologists to the age estimated in the lab, and found both groups were highly accurate and precise at matching the ages, which suggests our guide is an extremely reliable way to age axis deer.

During this process we identified a 15-year-old axis deer doe (as well as 5 other does >10 years old) and a 10-year-old buck. The 15-year-old doe was not checked for pregnancy, but the four does that were >10-year-old were pregnant at time of harvest, and 2 of the 4 does were ~13-year-old, based upon the lab tooth analysis. The 10-year-old buck was a mature, trophy axis deer, and his antlers measured 32 inches on both sides, and a necropsy at the time of check-in on the animal indicated the buck was extremely healthy (minus the gunshot…).

Over the course of this study we have received substantial support from private landowners, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Hill Country Alliance, and others. We thank everyone who has supported our work. We thank everyone who provided access to private property, collected data, and provided tooth, jaw, and tissue samples for analysis. We thank the Kimble County Sheriff’s office for coordinating and providing logistical assistance during our night-time spotlighting survey. We thank the Llano River Field Station and associated staff for extremely clean, comfortable housing, warm meals and cold drinks, and a myriad of various logistical and financial support since 2015.

If you have any questions or are interested in more information, please feel free to contact Matthew Buchholz at 715-204-8680 or matthew.buchholz@ttu.edu.

Texas Tech Junction LLANO RIVER FIELD STATION OUTDOOR LEARNING CENTER

by Robert Stubblefield, TTU Junction Director and Brett Mosely, TTU Junction OLC Director One of the best and continuous successes of the Texas Tech University Center at Junction’s Llano River Field Station (LRFS) is the Outdoor Learning Center (OLC). Since 2003, the OLC has served over 70 independent school districts, 35,000 students, and hundreds of teachers. These students and teachers travel to the OLC from school districts statewide and internationally to experience an outdoor learning experience they can find nowhere else. A high quality, hands-on STEM curriculum has been built for both the elementary and secondary level student, using the hill country landscape as a background. Students explore, experiment, and are engaged in learning about the ecosystems found along the Llano River.

These unique learning experiences enhance their reconnection to nature, foster critical thinking skills, and have shown markedly increased student achievement on standardized test scores. For those reasons, teachers choose to bring back their classes year after year.

In addition to the OLC, the LRFS summer academic programs bring over 140 college students and faculty to Junction for two 15-day intensive sessions. Courses are field-based and taught face-to-face in areas of Mammalogy, Herpetology, Ornithology, Field Geography, Field Ecology, Photography and Vegetation and Wildlife Inventory and Analysis Techniques. Students and faculty lodge at the field station but spend time in town exploring local businesses and restaurants.

With over 80 documented species of birds at the field station, birders from all over the nation gravitate to the center to walk the trails and along the river in order to cross off a greatly sought after bird sighting from their list. The LRFS also hosts numerous conferences and workshops for local, state, national and international organizations. An average of over 4,000 visitors and guests utilize the field station and OLC each year, making it an integral part of the community and revenue generator for local businesses and the city of Junction.

Visit our website for more information about the Texas Tech University Center at Junction’s Llano River Field Station and the Outdoor Learning Center: www.junction.ttu.edu.

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