wildlife management
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18-year-old FFA high school seniors. As I mingled through the mass of young people, I was amazed by their politeness and maturity, even the eightand nine-year-olds. My questions were either answered by “No Sir,” “Yes Sir” or in more lengthy and complete intelligent responses. These kids are not couch potatoes and computer game nuts. They have a keen interest in wildlife and its interrelated ecology. While I visited with the contestants, teachers and club leaders were registering their teams’ attendance. The final number of participating teams was 54. With four students on each team, the calculation is This young lady is identifying a plant. 216 participants. General assembly was called about 8:45 a.m. and teams were assigned to a guide that would lead them to the various contest stations scattered throughout a large wooded area. There were five different stations where students were tested in four different subjects. Identical plant identification tests were conducted at two different stations, but students only participated at one. Plant identification required more time to complete than the other tests, so two sites were used to move students through the contest more rapidly. There were 15 different plants to identify in their natural surroundings. The plants were marked with a stake bearing a red flag and a letter that corresponded to one Clyde Gottschalk giving instructions to the group guides. on the contest form. Students prepared for the contest by learning to identify a list of 60 East the habitat was not suited for one of the animals, they selected Texas plants. In addition to identifying the plants, they had appropriate habitat improvement practices from a provided to state whether it was preferred by deer, squirrel or turkey. list. The habitat evaluation site was an area delineated with red Wildlife biological facts and TPWD hunting and fishing flags at the four corners. Students were asked to score the regulations portions of the contest required written answers habitat within the flags for deer, squirrel and turkey in relation to food, cover and water. If the participants determined that continued on Page 92 90
TRACKS • january/february 2013