Texas Wildlife - Raising Recruitment Rates - June 2021

MAGAZINE OF THE TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION

JUNE 2021

Raising

Recruitment Rates

TEXAS WILDLIFE

PRESIDENT'S REMARKS T O M VA N D I V I E R

Texas Wildlife Association Mission Statement Serving Texas wildlife and its habitat, while protecting property rights, hunting heritage, and the conservation efforts of those who value and steward wildlife resources.

OFFICERS

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ell, somehow my six-year term as a TWA officer is almost over. I appreciate the opportunity, and I thank all of you for your trust and support.

TWA is a wonderful organization doing great things for our outdoor world. You already know that. It’s been a real pleasure!

Early in my term I was asked by a good friend and TWA leader what I liked about being president of this association. The question caught me by surprise then, but I have reflected on it ever since.

I think if asked that same question now my answer would have three components: (1) the opportunity to contribute to our mission, (2) the people of TWA, and (3) the chance to give back to our outdoor world in a significant way.

Our mission is of course stellar. But it’s the people who support the TWA mission that make this organization what it is. What a bright, dedicated group of members we have.

All of you make TWA successful and have made my years as your president very rewarding. That, combined with the opportunity to give back to our land, water and wildlife, has meant a lot to me.

I have been very fortunate to have Sarah Biendenharn, Jonathan Letz and Dr. Louis Harveson on my officer team. TWA will prosper in their capable hands.

We officers have had the pleasure of working with a dedicated, hard-working, creative staff. Our committees have done an outstanding job in providing advice on all issues brought before them. My thanks to all of you.

As you know, we have had significant challenges and changes to deal with during our term. I feel good about the way these challenges were dealt with. Change is inevitable.

The ability to adapt and carry forward is what counts. TWA has adapted to these challenges and is strong and full of new ideas.

Thank you again for this opportunity. One more time, thanks for all you do for the land, water and wildlife of this great state.

Tom Vandivier, President, Dripping Springs Sarah Biedenharn, Vice President, San Antonio Dr. Louis Harveson, Second Vice President for Programs, Alpine Jonathan Letz, Treasurer, Comfort For a complete list of TWA Directors, go to www.texas-wildlife.org

PROFESSIONAL STAFF/CONTRACT ASSOCIATES Administration & Operation David Yeates, Chief Executive Officer Quita Hill, Director of Finance and Operations Cynthia Moncrief, Office Administrator

Outreach & Member Services David Brimager, CWB®, Director of Public Relations Kristin Parma, Membership Coordinator Mimi Sams, Engagement Coordinator

Conservation Legacy and Hunting Heritage Programs Kassi Scheffer-Geeslin, Director of Youth Education Elanor Dean, Education Program Specialist Gwen Eishen, L.A.N.D.S. Educator Adrienne Paquette, L.A.N.D.S. Educator Elisa Velador, L.A.N.D.S. Educator Ali Kuehn, L.A.N.D.S. Educator Anna SoRelle, L.A.N.D.S. Educator Brittani Dafft, L.A.N.D.S. Educator & CL Program Assistant Marla Wolf, Curriculum Writer Iliana Peña, Director of Conservation Programs Courtney Brittain, Website Consultant COL(R) Chris Mitchell, Texas Youth Hunting Program Director Bryan Jones, TYHP Field Operations Coordinator Bob Barnette, TYHP Field Operations Coordinator Briana Nicklow, TYHP Field Operations Coordinator Kim Hodges, TYHP Program Coordinator Sherry Herrington, TYHP Administrative Assistant Kara Starr, Texas Big Game Awards Program Coordinator

Advocacy Joey Park, Legislative Program Coordinator

Texas Wildlife Association

TEXAS WILDLIFE is published monthly by the Texas Wildlife Association, 6644 FM 1102, New Braunfels, TX 78132. E-mail address: twa@texas-wildlife.org. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Wildlife Association, 6644 FM 1102, New Braunfels, TX 78132. The Texas Wildlife Association (TWA) was organized in 1985 for the purpose of serving as an advocate for the benefit of wildlife and for the rights of wildlife managers, landowners and hunters in educational, scientific, political, regulatory and legislative arenas. TEXAS WILDLIFE is the official TWA publication and has widespread circulation throughout Texas and the United States. All rights reserved. No parts of these magazines may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without express written permission from the publisher. Copyrighted 2021 Texas Wildlife Association. Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Texas Wildlife Association. Similarities between the name Texas Wildlife Association and those of advertisers or state agencies are coincidental, and do not indicate mutual affiliation, unless clearly noted. TWA reserves the right to refuse advertising.

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JUNE 2021

6644 FM 1102 New Braunfels, TX 78132 www.texas-wildlife.org (210) 826-2904 FAX (210) 826-4933 (800) 839-9453 (TEX-WILD)

Texas Wildlife

MAGAZINE OF THE TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION

JUNE

VOLUME 37

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8 Does & Fawns

NUMBER 2

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2021

26 Noble News And Views

Improving Water Quality in Impoundments Impacted by Livestock

Management and Recruitment

by NATE SKINNER

by MIKE PORTER

12 Hunting Heritage

28 TTU Wildlife Research News

TBGA Trophy Search Database

by DAVID BRIMAGER

Axis Deer in the Hill Country

by MATTHEW J. BUCHHOLZ,

14 Conservation Legacy

BLAKE A. GRISHAM, THOMAS L. ARSUFFI, and WARREN C. CONWAY,

Where Is Our Water?

by ELISA VELADOR

32 Singing the Praises of Pricklypear

by STEVE NELLE

16 Member Profile Robert Dullnig

36 BioBlitz

by LORIE A. WOODWARD

by MARY O. PARKER

20 Caesar Kleberg News

40 Conserving Freshwater Mussels,

Recruitment of White-tailed Deer Fawns in Texas

The Unsung Heroes of Texas Rivers

by AUBRY BUZEK

by MICHAEL J. CHERRY

54 Outdoor Traditions Texas Cactus

by SALLIE LEWIS Photo by James Richards

Magazine Staff

MAGAZINE OF THE TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION

JUNE 2021

Deer hunting and its future relies on successful fawning seasons. And while some variables are out of our hands, Texas landowners can do their part to ensure that does are given the best chance of becoming good mothers and that fawns are provided with the best chance of surviving. Read more by Nate Skinner in his article Does & Fawns: Management and Recruitment starting on page 8.

MAGAZINE CORPS David Yeates, Executive Editor Kim Rothe, Consulting Publications Coordinator/Editor

Photo by Rita Frey

David Brimager, CWB®, Advertising Director Lorie A. Woodward, Special Projects Editor Publication Printers Corp., Printing, Denver, CO

On the Cover

Raising

Recruitment Rates

WWW.TEXAS-WILDLIFE.ORG

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TEXAS WILDLIFE

MEETINGS AND EVENTS

FOR INFORMATION ON HUNTING SEASONS, call the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at (800) 792-1112, consult the 2020-2021 Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual, or visit the TPWD website at tpwd.state.tx.us.

JUNE

JULY

SEPTEMBER

JUNE 5 Texas Big Game Awards Regional Banquet, Brazos County Expo Hall, College Station. For more information, visit www.TexasBigGameAwards.org.

JULY 15-18 WildLife 2021, TWA’s 36th Annual Convention, San Antonio JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa. For more information, visit www.wildlife2021.com.

SEPTEMBER 25 Small Acreage Big Opportunity – Field Day Series, Nacogdoches.

Register at www.texas-wildlife.org.

JULY

AUGUST

JULY 15 8th Annual Private Lands Summit, Open Gates: Opportunities That Benefit All Texans. JW Marriot San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa. For more information and to register, visit www.wildlife2021.com.

AUGUST 28 Small Acreage Big Opportunity – Field Day Series, Alpine. Register at www.texas-wildlife.org.

OCTOBER OCTOBER 30 Small Acreage Big Opportunity – Field Day Series, Allen. Register at www.texas-wildlife.org

TEXAS WILDLIFE

V I RT UA L M E E T I N G S A N D E V E N T S G U I D E VISIT THE PROGRAM PAGES ONLINE at www.texas-wildlife.org/program-areas/category/youth for specifics and registration information.

WILDLIFE BY DESIGN CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS:

YOUTH DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS:

• (Virtual) Wildlife by Design is available for K-8 students in the DFW area, Greater Houston area, South Texas, and West Texas. Have your local teacher visit the website for more information.

• Youth Videoconferences are live interactive presentations featuring Texas wildlife species.

Offered throughout the semester, classes connect via videoconference equipment or Zoom.

• (Virtual) Wildlife by Design Across Texas is for schools outside of the areas served by TWA educators (DFW area, Greater Houston area, South Texas, and West Texas).

Programs are offered on a set schedule and registration is required in advance.

CONSERVATION LEGACY TEACHER WORKSHOPS: • (Virtual) Teacher Workshops are scheduled for the summer. Workshops are offered at no cost and participation in the 3-hour live Zoom meeting and completion of self-directed work earns participants 6 hours of CPE credit. Schedule and registration are found online at www.texas-wildlife.org/program-areas/ teacher-workshops.

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• On-demand Webinars are recorded interactive presentations about natural resources and wildlife conservation topics and are available anytime on the TWA website.

Critter Connections are now available in a read-along format. Recordings of past issues are available online and live broadcasts accompany each new issue. All recordings and scheduled live readings can be found online.

Photo by Rita Frey

D O E S & FAW N S

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JUNE 2021

DOES & FAWNS Management and Recruitment Article by NATE SKINNER

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ummer is crucial for our state’s white-tailed deer population. Although the hunting industry emphasizes off-season deer management in regards to antler growth for bucks, the summertime is equally important for does and fawns.

Deer hunting and its future relies on successful fawning seasons. And while some variables are out of our hands, Texas landowners can do their part to ensure that does are given the best chance of becoming good mothers and that fawns are provided with the best chance of surviving.

KEY HABITAT FEATURES FOR DOES AND FAWNS Key habitat features for does and fawns such as tall grass cover, brush, browse and water during the summer months are extremely important. Without them, does won't have a healthy gestation cycle and become good, efficient mothers, while fawns won't survive the threats of summertime heat and predators.

TPWD White-tailed deer Program Leader Alan Cain said does require a diverse mix of native brush and forb species in order to pack on body weight to aid in gestation and lactation.

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D O E S & FAW N S

necessary cover that fawns need at an early age,” Korzekwa said.

Fawn survival rates vary greatly among properties, based on habitat condition, brush diversity and supplemental feeding programs.

“Neighboring landowners can have night-and-day differences in fawn survival solely based on how the land is managed,” Korzekwa said. “Fawn survival can average 30 percent on unsupplemented properties with native habitat, to well over 100 percent on properties with native habitat and a supplemental feeding program.”

DOE GESTATION, LACTATION AND FAWN REARING Gestation in white-tailed deer averages 200 days.

“With the peak breeding date in South Texas occurring around Dec. 24, the vast majority of fawns in the region are born

by July 25,” Korzekwa said. “The peak fawning date for South Texas occurs around July 12.”

Peak breeding and fawning periods vary across the state, depending on the geographic region, as well as other variables that are particular to individual properties. For example, Korzekwa said that areas that have a Photo by Joseph Richards

“The body condition of a doe has a direct effect on how successful of a mother she will be,” Cain said. “It all boils down to nutrition, much of which is precipitation dependent."

Spring rains and soil moisture are necessary to produce the native brush and forbs that does rely on during the summer.

"Landowners can help compensate for a lack of these during dry conditions by providing ample supplemental feed and water sources; however, there is nothing better for a doe’s nutrition than good range conditions,” Cain said.

TPWD South Texas Wildlife Biologist Blaise Korzekwa said adequate habitat for fawns consists of tall grass cover and a brush overstory that provides shade.

“A fawn’s best defense is to blend in,” he said. “They will typically lie still and use the brush as a thermal shield from the sun, while using tall grass as cover for concealment.”

Korzekwa said landowners should avoid overgrazing or over-shredding pastures at all costs, especially during fawning season.

“Overgrazing and shredding all the pastures on a given property will guarantee low fawn survival rates, as the results of these practices will remove the

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skewed doe to buck ratio or does with poor body conditions will experience a rut during the fall and winter that lasts much longer.

“This results in fawning dates that will occur later into the summer,” he said.

According to Korzekwa, the third trimester and pre-weaning phases are the most crucial periods for fawn health and survival. Does that are able to pack on calories during their third trimester should experience proper fetus development and give birth to fawns with a healthy body weight.

“The weeks immediately following birth are extremely important,” Korzekwa said. “Lactation puts the highest demand on does, as they have to resort to body reserves to produce enough milk for their fawns. Even when habitat and range conditions are ideal, it is difficult for does to consume enough food to keep up with the demands of lactation."

He continued, "This is why it is essential for does to have a good body condition and plenty of energy reserves going into the summer months and another reason why it is important for Texans to implement supplemental feeding programs on the properties they own or manage.”

Does will typically wean fawns anywhere from 12 to 16 weeks of age.

“Fawns are functionally weaned and can survive without milk as early as 10 weeks of age,” Korzekwa said.

STATEWIDE RANGE CONDITIONS At the time of this writing, the whole state is considered to be relatively dry.

“Portions of East and North Texas received some moisture during the late winter and early spring, but the Hill Country, Rolling Plains, West Texas, Cross Timbers and South Texas regions of the state just didn’t receive the significant rain events that were expected during the winter,” Cain said. “We got a little bit here and there, but just not as much as I’d like to see.”

“Range conditions are average in much of South Texas, and drought conditions still persist,” Korzekwa said. “The hard freeze in February knocked back new growth on nearly all brush species and

halted what was going to be an early spring green up.”

Rainfall in South Texas usually peaks April through June and then again in September and October.

“The peak in the spring and early summer is very critical for the body condition of does, and in turn, affects their fawns,” Korzekwa said. “Soil moisture is currently low in South Texas, but only time will tell as to whether this will improve.”

Cain said that the dry conditions don’t necessarily mean that fawn crops will be lower than normal this year.

“It just means that landowners need to do what they can to help their deer herds through this dry period,” he said.

His suggestions include: practicing rotational cattle grazing and allowing for fair amounts of tall vegetation to be left standing; leaving riparian areas in their natural state as much as possible and leaving ample amounts of cover across the terrain.; and providing supplemental feed to help does maintain their body condition during harsh conditions, allowing them to become better mothers and produce healthier fawns.

HERD MANAGEMENT Management of a deer herd during hunting season can also play a role in the success of fawn crops during the summer.

TWA Past President Marko Barrett, owner and operator of Las Raices Ranch in Webb County, said he has been collaborating with TWA Director and whitetail deer manager Mark Mathews on deer herd management for years. They agree that mature does make good mothers.

“For that reason, we typically let mature does walk during hunting season, and harvest doe fawns late in the season instead,” Barrett said. “A lot of folks have a hard time understanding this method, because they think that eventually you will end up harvesting your entire fawn crop and then run out of does. The truth is that there’s just no way it can actually happen. Hunters are only going to see a fraction of the deer that they actually have on a property while they are hunting.”

Barrett said that this practice works well for two reasons.

Photo by Rita Frey

D O E S & FAW N S

“First of all, you’re leaving mature does that are 3 years old or older on the landscape,” Barrett said. “Mature does are proven to have more fawns with better survival rates compared to younger does. Secondly, you’re removing a young doe that doesn’t have any fawns, so the strategy actually improves your fawn crops and the efficiency of your deer herd over time.”

A NOTE ABOUT SUPPLEMENTAL FEEDING It is proven that an extensive and robust supplemental feeding program will increase fawn crops, as well as help maintain body composition in does.

Many folks employ different strategies such as setting up hog panels around feeders to restrict non-target species from being able to get to the feed. Barrett said that strategies like this can negatively affect fawns, because it prevents the fawns from being able to access the feed.

“We really feel it is important to be able to provide fawns the same access to supplemental feed as older deer,” Barrett

said. “Even if the fawns aren’t tall enough to reach the spout of a protein feeder, they can eat what has been spilled on the ground, or what has been broadcast by a broadcast feeder.”

For this reason, Barrett said use hog panels around the feeders on the Las Raices Ranch.

“We try to put enough pressure on hogs and predators throughout the year so hog panels are not necessary,” Barrett said. “A strand or two of barbed wire can be used in areas where cattle are present, and it will still allow fawns to access the feed.

Put as much pressure as you can on hogs and predators and try to leave feeders open for fawns to access them.”

Mother Nature ultimately controls many variables that impact does and fawns throughout the summertime and the fawning season. With so much being left up to chance, it just makes sense for Texans to do their part to promote healthy does and successful fawn crops. Doing so will ensure the quality and future of deer hunting and the traditions that go along with it.

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Texas Big Game Awards Trophy Search Database Article by DAVID BRIMAGER

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ave you ever wanted to know about the all-time best typical whitetail ever entered in the Texas Big Game Awards (TBGA)? Or maybe how many entries you or a friend might have entered? Or possibly how many of a certain species have come a certain county in Texas? Well, now you can find out easily We have updated the TBGA Trophy Search Tool on the TBGA website, and it can be accessed at http://www.

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texasbiggameawards.org/searchTrophy. php. The new database search tool allows access to the TBGA’s trophy entries since the program’s inception in 1991.

Entries can be searched in a number of different ways depending on the type and amount of information in which you are interested. Search by: season, county, hunter last name or by animal.

Everything you ever want to know about TBGA program entries are just a few clicks away.

We’ll be celebrating the 30th anniversary of TBGA during the Texas Wildlife Association's 36th Annual Convention, WildLife 2021, set for July 15-18 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa. More than 40,500 hunters, landowners, youth and first-time hunters have been showcased since 1991, and the TBGA continues to be the leader in recognizing the contributions that landowners, land managers and responsible hunters make to wildlife and wildlife habitat conservation on Texas’ private lands.

Visit the TBGA website and log on the Trophy Search Tool to check out awardees from this season or past seasons.

Have a safe and enjoyable hunting season—and we look forward to seeing you at the TBGA 30th Anniversary Celebration on Friday July 16 at 7 p.m.during WildLife 2021. Sign up today at www.wildlife2021.com or by calling (800) 839-9453.

Where Is Our Water?

An Insider’s Perspective

Article by ELISA VELADOR Photos courtesy of CONSERVATION LEGACY

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here Is Our Water? is one of the five Wildlife by Design presentations that L.A.N.D.S. Educators offer to teachers and students across Texas.

This lesson covers topics that include the water cycle, water conservation, surface water vs. groundwater and aquifers.

Central to all Wildlife by Design presentations is a discussion of how we can be good land stewards for the benefit of our water, soil and wildlife especially on private land. Read on for an overview of how the water lesson is taught and what students learn.

THE WATER CYCLE Students learn about the water cycle in their early elementary years, so this part of the presentation can be a brief review for older students, or each component of the water cycle can be explained in detail for younger students. Students are always amazed to learn that the same water the dinosaurs drank 65 million years ago, is the same water that humans drink today thanks to the water cycle.

Students learn that the sun drives the water cycle; it causes evaporation from bodies of water and from plants. The water vapor that is produced cools down in the atmosphere and forms clouds in the sky during condensation.

Water droplets get bigger in the clouds producing precipitation as rain, snow, hail or sleet. After precipitation falls on the earth it can become runoff or infiltrate through the soil and become groundwater. Students learn the difference between surface water and groundwater followed by the different water sources on earth.

WHERE IS OUR WATER? Students are asked what the biggest source of water is. Most of them know that the biggest source of water is the ocean or salt water. Unfortunately, we humans are not adapted to drink salt water; we drink fresh water.

The next question is: What are the different sources of Earth’s fresh water? Students quickly answer that fresh water is found in rivers, lakes, streams and ponds. They are reminded about all the groundwater that is also fresh water and then they are asked one more question.

Where in the world can frozen fresh water be found? After thinking about the question, hands start to go up. “Icebergs?” a student asks. “Snow?” another student asks. Finally, someone says, “Glaciers!”

Yes, glaciers are a source of frozen fresh water and there is also a lot of frozen fresh water in the polar ice caps. These are all the places where water is found.

ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD DEMONSTRATION All the Water in the World is a great demonstration that shows the amount of water per category that is available on earth and how much is available for human use.

Three volunteers are secured from the group of students. Two gallons (7.57 L) of blue water are ready in a large container. This represents all the water in the world.

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WHERE IS OUR WATER?

Using a measuring cup, one student volunteer will remove 1 cup (236.5 ml) from the container and pour it into a clear cup labeled “Fresh Water.” Students learn that this is only 3 percent. What is left behind in the large container represents all of the salt water which is 97 percent of all the water.

Another student volunteer removes 2/3 cup (162.5 ml) of water from the clear cup labeled “Fresh Water” and will pour it into a cup labeled “Ice Caps and Glaciers.” This represents 2 percent of the Earth’s water.

This means that most of the fresh water in the world is frozen or trapped as ice and not easily accessible to most people.

The remaining 1/3 cup (74 ml) of water in the “Fresh Water” cup represents approximately 1 percent of all the water that is easy to access and is used by humans for everything from drinking to manufacturing products. This includes water that is in lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater.

The last student volunteer is instructed to dip a tablespoon into the “Fresh Water” cup and shake the water on the spoon into a cup labeled “Surface Water.” These few droplets represent the fresh water found in lakes, rivers and streams. The water remaining in the “Fresh Water” cup represents the groundwater found in rock formations called aquifers.

This very powerful visual of the small amount of readily available fresh water allows students to comprehend the importance of conserving this valuable resource for the future.

THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER CONSERVATION After learning that only about 1 percent of the Earth’s water is readily available for all 7.6 billion humans, plants and other animals to share, the students discuss ways in which humans use water every day. Since we use water for so many things, is there really any way to conserve it?

The students are asked, “What specific actions can we as land stewards take, at home or at school to conserve water?”

Some students suggest taking short showers, turning off the water when brushing teeth and making sure to fix leaky faucets and pipes. Aside from these,

watering plants early in the morning, harvesting rainwater and using less electricity will save water too.

“If Sarah is the only one conserving water, is that going to make a big difference?” the students are asked.

“NO!” they all answer. “So, what needs to happen?” “We ALL need to conserve water!” the students say. As our population increases, so does the need to conserve water, this is important not only for us but also for the wildlife.

WHERE DOES YOUR WATER COME FROM? It is very important for students to know where their local drinking water comes from in order for them to be stewards of that body of water. “Here in this city, where does the water come from?” they are asked.

Some students guess it comes from the ocean, others from a lake, a river, an aquifer or the big water tower by their house. The answer to the question depends on where the students live.

Approximately 40 percent of the water used by Texans comes from a river or lake (surface water) and 60 percent comes from groundwater. Because we depend on clean water, it is important to keep our land clean so that the run-off from the land is safe as it enters rivers, lakes and aquifers.

AQUIFER ON THE GO! Next, the students dive deeper into learning about groundwater.

Groundwater is stored in special underground rock formations called aquifers. Aquifers can be made of limestone or other types of porous sediment. These layers of underground rock allow groundwater to flow through them and allow people to pump water out using a well.

Students learn that there are 21 minor aquifers and 9 major aquifers in Texas.

Most students live in an area where an aquifer exists underground.

This revelation is always surprising and exciting to the students, and they quickly ask how deep they have to dig to get to the water. A diagram with a crosssection of an aquifer is shown so that the students can better understand what

an aquifer looks like and how water is pumped out.

Students then transition to their handson activity which is to build a model of an aquifer in a cup. Groups of four or five are formed and each student will have a job to do as the group builds the aquifer model.

Students take turns adding aquarium gravel, soil, moss and water into their cup until they complete their aquifer model.

Carefully observing their model, they can see the water infiltrate through the soil and fill the rocks at the cup's bottom.

They then simulate pumping out water using a straw as their well.

Students enjoy building their aquifer model and pumping out water from it.

They discuss what would happen if too much water is pumped out of the aquifer without allowing the proper recharge to occur.

“The aquifer can dry up and people will run out of water,” a student volunteers.

To conclude the lesson, students review the importance of conserving water no matter what the source and the importance of land stewardship to maintain clean water.

Teachers and students alike learn a lot of facts during the Where Is Our Water? presentation. This lesson highlights the importance of conserving one of the most important natural resources we have not only for us but for our wildlife. It continues to be a very popular Wildlife by Design program all over Texas.

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T WA M E M B E R P R O F I L E

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Robert Dullnig Grounded in the Land

Article by LORIE A. WOODWARD Photo courtesy of ROBERT DULLNIG

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and grounds Robert Dullnig's life—past, present and future.

“Working with the land gives you a constant reminder that Mother Nature is in charge,” said Robert, who owns and operates Dullnig Ranch Sales in San Antonio and ranches near Uvalde. “Land, because of the hard work required to take care of it, keeps you humble and grounded.”

PAST Robert was reared in San Antonio, but spent every holiday, most weekends and the majority of his summers on the family's ranch.

“My earliest memory of the outdoors—and I must have been four or five—is my dad feeding a herd of javelinas out of a tin bucket,” Robert said.

His father Bobby Dullnig taught him to hunt whitetails and was with him when Robert shot his first buck. His mother Jeannie helped Robert take his first turkey.

“I had a wonderful life in San Antonio with all the benefits of the city, but I was all about Uvalde and the ranch,” he said.

As a child, a visit to the ranch headquarters was a high point of any trip. In the late 1970s to early 80s, the headquarters was a constant beehive of activity. A great uncle was a Santa Gertrudis breeder, so there were always some cattle in the pens along with

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a remuda of 20 to 30 horses. Three families of ranch hands worked the property day in and day out. Their houses were at the headquarters along with all the barns, pens and equipment.

“Something was always going on down there,” Robert said.

In the midst of the action, a very young Robert found a role model outside his immediate family.

“Marcelino, a ranch worker, was a hero of mine,” he said. “He would work and work and work—and get more done in a day than anybody I've ever seen. I truly admired and respected this.”

In addition to knowing the people of the land, Robert's upbringing gave him a front row seat for the transition of Texas ranching. He witnessed the industry broadening its livestockonly perspective to include wildlife.

Over time, the value of hunting leases in his neck of the woods rose from $1/acre to $20/acre. As the economics of hunting shifted, so did ranchers' perspective on brush management.

To a grazier, brush is an income stealing nemesis to be fought to the death. To a wildlife manager, brush is a high-end lodge and all-you-can-eat buffet for desirable critters that needs to be selectively maintained.

“When I was a kid what I experienced was how ranching was done in Texas,” Robert said. “I'm grateful for what hunting has done, though, because the additional income it generates has allowed ranches across the state to survive.”

The cowboys moved off the ranch in the mid-1980s.

The family, who were outdoor enthusiasts, transitioned to a wildlife operation with a focus on whitetail deer, turkey and quail. The three homes that once housed ranch hands now serve as hunting lodges.

PRESENT (RANCHING AND WILDLIFE) When Bobby began managing the low-fenced ranch for native whitetail deer in 1975, the buck: doe ratio was 1 buck:10 does.

By the time he passed the reins to Robert in 2000, the ratio was 1:2.5. Today it is 1:1.6 and remains consistent. It is just one hallmark of progress.

“My big love is whitetails,” Robert said. “From the beginning our goal has been bettering our overall deer herd in a native, low-fenced environment.”

Bobby did most of the “heavy lifting” to get the population numbers in line. Building on this foundation, Robert has focused on knowing the herd and identifying which bucks to harvest and which to leave.

T WA M E M B E R P ROF I L E

To improve the herd, Robert and Bobby have worked hard to improve the habitat. Brush management has included mechanical and chemical treatments. Bobby replaced their cowcalf operation with a grazing lease to maximize flexibility. The lessee runs stocker calves for no more than seven months during the year.

In dry years, which come around with great frequency in South Texas, they have the option of shortening the grazing period or not allowing the lessee to graze at all. There are no cattle on the ranch during extreme drought periods.

“We want to keep our habitat in as good a condition as possible, so we opt for light grazing in periods of stress,” Robert said.

Most recently, Robert has focused on water distribution and supplemental feeding. His long-term goal? Having a water source available every 150 acres. Abundant water and superlative habitat obviously benefit the deer but is critical for quail and turkey to thrive as well.

While successfully managing land is a never-ending endeavor, visible progress and invisible satisfaction are the dual rewards.

According to Robert, one visible measure of success is the increasing size of the mature bucks. In the first 35 years of management, the ranch produced a single buck that measured more than 170 inches. In the past 22 years, it has produced five bucks measuring more than 180 inches.

“It is extremely satisfying to watch a buck age from a promising 3-year-old to a mature 7-year-old,” Robert. “I love seeing the exponential growth of antlers during the growing season and picking up sheds in the spring. I have a passion for the overall quality of the deer herd.”

And for the overall condition of the ranch.

“There is a feeling of pride in every improvement…whether it's the condition of the habitat or the fences or the roads or more plentiful water,” Robert said. “Every milestone continues our family tradition of working to leave the land better for the next generation.”

Time and first-hand experience have made him realize the challenges inherent in keeping ranches in a family.

“As a kid, I always looked up to my dad, but what I didn't see was everything he was doing to maintain the property behind

the scenes—all while working full-time,” Robert said. “Now that I participate in the management and deal with land for a living, I admire him even more. He has taught me so much that has given me an advantage in my career today.”

PRESENT (RANCH REAL ESTATE) Robert's career in ranch real estate is a natural outgrowth of his innate love of land.

“For as long as I can remember, I've always had an interest in the land—and the people who lived there and worked it,” Robert said. “I truly believe I am in ranch real estate because of this.”

As his graduation from the University of Texas, where he played football for the Longhorns, approached, a university alum suggested ranch real estate as a career path. Robert ran the idea past his father, who enjoyed a successful career as a stockbroker.

“Dad really encouraged me to give ranch real estate a try,” Robert said. “Without his support I probably wouldn’t be in this industry today.”

Robert started selling land or as he said “tried to sell land” back in 1999.

“I got off to a rough start,” Robert said. “It took me two years to sell my first ranch.”

His first sale was 365 acres in Dimmit Co that sold for $600/ac.

“I still remember the excitement of that sale—and of my first listing which was Judge Ross E. Doughty’s Uvalde County ranch,” he said.

Over the past 22 years, Robert has become one of the state's preeminent ranch real estate brokers. To date, he has sold more than 600,000 acres.

The superlatives, which are numerous, include: Land.com’s Land Star Award as the #1 Ranch Broker in the State, #80 ranking in the United States per the Wall Street Journal, “most solds” in the Texas Top 100, and most importantly to him being ranked #1 in both the South Texas and the Hill Country regions in sales volume. Through the years, Dullnig Ranch Sales has listed and sold a host of iconic historic ranches such as the YO, Burr, Double Dime, Sabino Grande, El Mirador and Oppenheimer ranches.

TALKING ABOUT TWA “My dad was an early TWA member. I don't remember exactly what membership number, but it was a low one.

Every month when Texas Wildlife arrived at our house, I'd grab it and flip to the last page. I couldn't wait to read 'A long the Back Sendero' [the monthly column written by thenExecutive Vice President David K. Langford]. It was one of things that shaped my thinking about land and stewardship.

On several occasions, when I was younger, TWA helped my parents with private property rights issues. Working together they positively addressed—and fixed—a couple of significant issues through the Texas Legislature. I've seen first-hand what an effective advocate TWA is for Texas landowners.

My personal involvement is a natural extension of the organization's long-term relationship with my family. I just

happen to have a 2007 issue of Texas Wildlife right here on my desk. That year I earned the distinction of 'Numbers Champ' for recruiting the most new members.

I've served on the Board of Directors and hope to do more in the future. I've been to every convention since I graduated from college—and now my wife and I bring our boys. Dullnig Ranch Sales advertises in the magazine and helps sponsor the convention.

Anyone who cares about the outdoors for any reason— whether it's hunting, fishing, hiking, paddling, floating, ranching, bird watching, photography or anything else— should join. It's an organization that is worthy of support.” ~Robert Dullnig

WWW.TEXAS-WILDLIFE.ORG

17

T WA M E M B E R P ROF I L E

“Personally, I enjoy learning the history of the various places, seeing how people manage and improve the land throughout the state,” Robert said. “On the buying side, the enthusiasm shown by a new owner is so rewarding for me.”

While the impetus for the brokerage was Robert's passion for land, he attributes a large portion of the business' success to the team of people, who have joined the ranks of Dullnig Ranch Sales. Today, the staff numbers 10 and collectively has more than 150 years of combined experience in selling only farms and ranches. There are two agents in Austin, one in Kerrville and the others are in San Antonio.

The two most senior members, Al Philip and Madeleine Bartholomew, have been with Robert for 22 years and 21 years respectively. Patrick McNamara and Randy Cadwallader have been with the firm for more than 10 years.

“I actually learned the business from Al, so it is great to still have him as part of our team,” said Robert. “Everyone on our

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team grew up around land, so our shared roots run deep. We trust each other, bring our respective expertise to every project— and work hard.”

In fact, he will put his team's work ethic up against anyone in the industry.

During 2020, his 10-person team recorded $214 million in sales, placing Dullnig Ranch Sales in the upper echelons of Texas ranch real estate brokerages.

Other brokerages achieving the same sales volume have 2 – 4 times more agents in their firms.

“It's just a testament to my team's individual work ethics,” Robert said. “In business, just like in land improvement, you won't ever achieve success if you don't stay disciplined, stay focused and work at it every day.”

FUTURE Robert met Linda Gail, his wife of 11 years, at an Earl Thomas Conley concert in Uvalde. He and his friends had been hog hunting at the ranch and didn't bother to clean up before they went to town.

“Obviously, I didn't expect to meet my future wife that night—or I would have at least taken a shower,” he said laughing.

Linda Gail, who comes from a ranching family, is a native of Uvalde.

“Our running joke is that I married her so I could spend more time at the ranch,” Robert said. “Plus, my friends have always teased me about being a 'wannabe' Uvaldean, so I figured that this might make me a true Uvaldean.”

It, all kidding aside, worked. Although the couple resides in San Antonio, they take their three sons, a 9-year-old and 6-year-old twins, to the ranch every chance they get. At the peak of 2020's pandemic, they spent five months on the ranch.

“We think it's important for our kids to be out in God's creation…in the open space…enjoying all that nature has to offer,” Robert said.

The oldest harvested his first buck when he turned seven. The twins will get their first opportunities this hunting season.

“Linda Gail took the biggest buck we've ever taken off the ranch,” Robert said.

“Their mom is their hero.”

In addition to hunting and fishing, the boys get to be boys, exploring the brush and splashing in the Nueces River, which runs through the property.

“They come out of the river covered in clay from head to toe…and laughing,” Robert said.

Of course, as a man who knows the value of a strong work ethic, Robert involves them in ranch chores. Recently, they helped him lay waterline as part of the ongoing water distribution project. Initially, the chore was met with grumbles, but Robert insisted they persist at the task. When the day's job was complete, the boys had helped install about 2,500 feet of line and knew first-hand the satisfaction of a job well done.

“The boys finally figured out if they kept messing with each other, it was going to take longer,” Robert said. “As a parent, I want them to understand that in land—and in life—you get out of it what you put into it…and it seems to me that a pasture is a really good place to learn that lesson.”

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TEXAS WILDLIFE

CAESAR KLEBERG WILDLIFE RESEARCH INSTITUTE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-KINGSVILLE

Recruitment of White-tailed Deer Fawns in Texas Investing in Future Herds

Article and photo by MICHAEL J. CHERRY, Stuart W. Stedman Chair for White-tailed Deer Research

Doe on the East Foundation’s San Antonio Viejo ranch during late gestation in 2020.

P

opulation dynamics of white-tailed deer are often characterized by stable adult survival rates, and variable fawn recruitment. Fawn recruitment can be influenced by many factors and is often much more sensitive than adult survival to environmental variability.

There are circumstances such as extreme drought, where all deer, independent of nutritional condition experience suppressed reproduction or fawn survival. However, such events are rare and generally deer in better nutritional condition have higher probability of survival and a reproductive potential that is more resilient to environmental variation.

The intuitive mechanism connecting nutritional condition to fawn recruitment is that fawns in poor condition are more susceptible to disease, starvation and exposure. However, there are likely more subtle linkages as well. For example, deer in poor condition may be more susceptible to predation because they engage in more risky behaviors to meet their energy requirements.

While there is abundant evidence that nutrition can influence population dynamics of deer, there is also emerging evidence that conditions experienced during early life may be important in determining the lifetime growth potential for deer. Luxury traits, or characteristics that do not affect survival but enhance reproductive potential such as antler size, may be especially sensitive to early life conditions.

It appears offspring resource allocation between efficiency traits, which enhance survival, and luxury traits may be a result of maternal effects. Maternal effects are the programming mothers provide to offspring to prepare them for local environmental conditions.

Maternal effects are thought to be driven by epigenetic mechanisms. Epigenetic change is the heritable change in gene expression that is independent of changes in DNA. The heritable nature of material effects explains why it took multiple generations to overcome regional effects on body and antler sizes in captive experiments where deer were all provided equivalent high-quality diets. Therefore, a bad year may not only reduce the number of fawns recruited, but the quality of surviving individuals in terms of body and antler size for their entire life.

If the gene expression is also heritable these effects will also be seen in their offspring's characteristics. In wildlife, this phenomenon is referred to as a cohort effect, and in deer this effect has been shown to transcend generations, as fawns pass along epigenetic changes in the way offspring express genes. Ultimately, if managers seek to improve

Sponsored by JOHN AND LAURIE SAUNDERS

20 T E X A S W I L D L I F E

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CAESAR KLEBERG WILDLIFE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

the quality or quantity of deer, they need to pay close attention to fawn and doe nutrition.

Resource availability is highly dynamic on many landscapes and is often driven by factors that are independent of deer density such as weather patterns. Annual variation in rainfall has profound effects on deer recruitment and likely results in cohort effects that influence adult body and antler sizes.

To reduce the influence of fluctuations in environmental conditions, managers often provide supplemental feed or conduct habitat improvements to maintain more stable per capita resource availability. Feed is not a replacement for rain, but it reduces the importance of rainfall in defining resource availability.

This can have a stabilizing effect on fawn nutrition and recruitment in highly dynamic environments. However, there are many open and important questions regarding resource availability and its effects on fawn nutrition, recruitment and epigenetic changes. For example, when in the reproductive cycle should managers target for enhanced nutrition? Knowing the relative importance of resource availability during gestation, lactation, or post-weaning has important implications for deer management.

When data do not exist for wild animals, wildlife biologists often borrow from related fields of research, particularly biomedical and animal science. These bodies of literature suggest that the condition of the mother during early gestation (or breeding condition in livestock) can strongly influence quality of placental connections to the fetus which has implications for the transfer of nutrients, oxygen and waste between the mother and fetus during gestation.

This suggests managers should attempt to enhance nutrition in late fall and winter to ensure does are in good condition during breeding and early gestation. However, the majority of fetal growth occurs during the final trimester of gestation and lactation is the most energetically demanding portion of reproduction for the doe. Therefore, spring and early summer may also be important periods to target.

Furthermore, early life conditions in humans are key determinants of lifetime growth potential and appear to be an important period for epigenetic changes. For example, children who were younger than 2 years old during the Dutch Famine experienced during World War II, exhibited reduced adult height despite returning to a highly nutritious diet following the famine.

People were not able to overcome the effects of poor nutrition during early life and were shorter in adulthood than other cohorts. While other age classes also experienced malnutrition, they were able to overcome the temporary effects of food shortage.

If similar processes occur across mammals, managers should target nutritional supplementation to summer, early fall and winter. While it is well recognized that nutritional condition of fawns and does drive recruitment and fawn growth, research is needed to identify when during the reproductive

process managers should target supplemental nutrition to enhance resource availability.

In addition to the timing, the specific types of resources are also an important question. How variation in digestible energy, crude protein and macronutrients influence growth rate, body design and epigenetic changes are important questions. The answers hold the key to optimizing management that ensures deer are in good nutritional condition and have plenty of the right resources at the right time to express luxury traits such as antlers.

In February, Texas experienced an extreme weather event that dramatically altered resource availability for deer.

The winter storm decreased forage availability by killing or knocking back forages. This occurred during the energetically demanding period of gestation and some areas rebounded very slowly due to a lack of rainfall. How this storm influences fawn growth and survival will be worth watching.

WWW.TEXAS-WILDLIFE.ORG

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NOBLE NEWS AND VIEWS NOBLE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Improving Water Quality in Impoundments Impacted by Livestock Article and photos by MIKE PORTER, Noble Research Institute senior wildlife and fisheries consultant / mdporter@noble.org

Y

ou can improve the water quality of impoundments impacted by livestock by maintaining adequate plant cover throughout watersheds and managing livestock's access to impoundments. Impoundments are water bodies such as ponds, tanks, lakes, marshes and wetlands.

IMPORTANCE OF WATER QUALITY Quality of water residing on or flowing off land directly reflects land management. Most land management practices associated with producing livestock, crop, hay, timber and wildlife can influence water quality.

Aquatic systems' is closely tied to water quality. Many different pollutants cause problems, but soil is the most common pollutant in water.

Muddy or polluted water supports fewer pounds of game fish, attracts fewer ducks and supports lower diversity and abundances of amphibians, crustaceans, insects and plants. For example, ponds and lakes with good water quality can support two to three times more largemouth bass and bluegill than impoundments with very muddy water.

BENEFITS OF PLANT COVER Maintaining living plant roots in the soil helps stabilize the soil and the edges of impoundments. Surface vegetation protects soil from the impacts of raindrops, filters water, increases infiltration and slows runoff.

Figure 1. An unfenced impoundment with substantial livestock impact.

Plant particles in the water help clump soil particles and separate them from water. Adequate plant cover in a grazed watershed is maintained through proper livestock stocking rate and proper grazing management.

JUSTIFICATION AND DETAILS OF FENCING IMPOUNDMENTS Even when the livestock stocking rate and grazing management are appropriate for maintaining adequate plant cover in a watershed, an impoundment can still suffer negative livestock impacts. Negative impacts occur when the number of livestock that drink at an impoundment, the frequency of livestock use or the duration of livestock use is excessive for the impoundment.

Livestock with unrestricted access can: • increase clay turbidity in water; • create bare shorelines; • overgraze plants near water; • stir up sediments; • break down bank slopes to broaden shallow zones; • cause erosion on dams and spillways from trailing and overgrazing; • and, add undesired nutrients to water through feces and urine.

Fencing an impoundment can minimize these negative livestock impacts. Figures 1 and 2 show an unfenced and a fenced impoundment on the same ranch.

Figure 2. A fenced impoundment on the same property as Figure 1.

To learn more about how Noble Research Institute supports agricultural producers through research, education and direct consultation, visit www.noble.org.

26 T E X A S W I L D L I F E

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NOBLE NEWS AND VIEWS

Spillway

12 feet

minimum

Pond fe

nce

Pond Dam 40 20e ally Usu et wid fe d k an e Roc el bas v gra

ce

ra Ter

Gate

Figure 3. Diagram showing a fenced impoundment.

Electric fence wire Insulated connecting wire Brace post

Guide post (can be T-post with plastic pipe sleeve over it or metal pipe post)

2” polyethylene pipe (must be sealed air tight, so it will not accumulate condensation)

Rock & gravel base

Insulator

Rope with slack

Approximately 30% bank slope Larger rock under gravel (extend about 15 feet into water depending on slope)

Figure 4. Diagram showing a floating polyethylene pipe water access point at a fenced impoundment.

Fencing an impoundment also can benefit the livestock. Fencing prevents livestock from walking across and falling through ice and drowning. Fencing prevents livestock from walking across mudflats during drawdowns, getting stuck in the mud and needing to be rescued. Fenced impoundments can provide better water quality, which can increase animal performance.

However, fencing is not justified at all impoundments. When only a few livestock drink at an impoundment that is several acres in size, livestock can have relatively minor impacts that may not justify fencing. Fencing may not be justified when livestock use an impoundment for only a few days each year followed by relatively long rest periods that allow adequate shoreline-plant and water-quality recovery.

A fence around an impoundment should be placed at least 12 feet away, ideally farther, from the shoreline to provide adequate space inside the fence to allow enough herbaceous plant growth to help: • filter incoming water; • vehicular access; • mowing; • problem-plant control (such as brush, cattail and common reed);

• pond maintenance; • fishing; • hunting; • boat launching; • and wildlife habitat management.

The entire dam and most of an earthen spillway should be included inside the fence. Figure 3 shows a fence around a small impoundment.

PROVIDING LIVESTOCK WATER AT A FENCED IMPOUNDMENT When an impoundment is needed for livestock water, a water access point can be constructed, or water can be piped to a water trough. Piping water to a freeze-proof water trough has several advantages but often is best incorporated during initial impoundment construction. A floating water access point can be added relatively easily to most existing impoundments.

Polyethylene pipe is more durable than PVC pipe, making it a better choice for floating water access points. PVC pipe gets brittle in sunlight and is easily broken by livestock or wave action.

Pipe used for floating water access points should be sealed completely airtight. Otherwise, air moisture condensation forms and collects inside in a pipe, eventually sinking it. Figure 4 shows a floating polyethylene livestock water access point.

Most water access points at impoundments require installation of a rock base to prevent bogging of livestock, stirring up clay turbidity and breaking down bank slopes. Installation of a rock base is usually the most expensive aspect of a water access point.

The maximum depth in an access point should be at least 2 feet deeper than the maximum drawdown expected during the worst droughts. An excavator can be used to deepen, slope and lay rock and gravel in an access point to create adequate depth, proper bank slope and firm bottom.

CONS OF IMPOUNDMENT FENCING Although many pros exist for impoundment fencing, some cons also exist and should be considered: • Expense and labor are involved with constructing and maintaining a fence or water access point.

• Increased woody encroachment often occurs inside the fenced area due to reduced livestock impact. This can be desirable when a property needs more woody vegetation for landscape goals. However, woody vegetation can be undesirable when it interferes with dam stability or impoundment access and use, so woody plant control may be necessary.

• Floating water access points are usually the first locations to freeze in an impoundment due to reduced wave action.

Confining frequent livestock activity to a single location can help reduce ice thickness during extended freezing periods.

• The fenced area reduces the grazeable area available to livestock unless the fenced area is occasionally flash-grazed.

In summary, impoundment fencing helps optimize many goals such as water quality for livestock, sport fish production, wildlife, landscape aesthetics and more, but it does require some expense and effort.

WWW.TEXAS-WILDLIFE.ORG

27

department of natural resources management

texas tech university

TTU WILDLIFE R ESE A RCH NEWS

Axis Deer in the Hill Country The Ecological Impacts of an Introduced Exotic

Article by MATTHEW J. BUCHHOLZ, Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University BLAKE A. GRISHAM, Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University THOMAS L. ARSUFFI, Llano River Field Station (retired), Texas Tech University at Junction WARREN C. CONWAY, Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University

A

Photo courtesy of Matthew Buchholz, 2017

xis deer are now an economic and socio-cultural staple of the Hill Country, and an axis deer sighting is as (if not more) common as seeing native wildlife species such as white-tailed deer. However, since they were introduced in 1932, little reliable information exists about the ecology of free-ranging axis deer in Texas, or in the Hill Country specifically.

Researchers from Texas Tech University’s Department of Natural Resources Management and Llano River Field Station in Junction started a research project in 2016 to answer several relevant questions about free-ranging axis deer to aid in developing management strategies in the Hill Country.

A large group of axis deer on the Llano River Field Station. Axis deer are a gregarious species and are often seen in groups of more than 100 individuals.

SPONSORED BY

HOW DO AXIS IMPACT RIPARIAN HABITATS AND VEGETATION? Riparian habitats provide valuable ecological services including filtering groundwater, keeping the soil around rivers stable and mitigating floods.

Damage to riparian habitats from large axis deer herds can create negative feedback loops that ultimately affect existing vegetation, soil health and water quality.

To examine potential impacts of deer trailing and foraging behaviors on

The Rumsey Research and Development Fund and the Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University

28 T E X A S W I L D L I F E

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T TU WILDLIFE RESEARCH NEWS

HOW MANY AXIS DEER ARE THERE? Axis deer abundance is like a Bigfoot sighting; the story changes depending on who you talk to, and no one really has a good answer. Previously published estimates suggest that Texas contains somewhere between 6,000 and 125,000 free-ranging axis deer, but reliable data are lacking.

We conducted spotlight surveys using distance sampling to develop regional population estimates of free-ranging axis deer during 2018-2019. Distance sampling relies upon recording how many deer are observed and the distance to the deer from the survey route during spotlight surveys. This process provides a more accurate density estimate across the landscape by accounting for (1) spatial distribution of deer and (2) the probability of detection of axis deer during surveys.

During our surveys, we counted both axis and white-tailed deer to compare

densities between these species. During our surveys, we counted 3,514 total deer, and 1,806 were axis deer, where our estimated densities of axis and whitetails were roughly equal in Kimble County, site of these surveys.

While we conducted the distance surveys, we also recorded the habitat where we observed both deer species.

Unsurprisingly, axis deer used grasslands and riparian forests more frequently compared to other habitats, including juniper shrublands. Axis deer densities were more than 1.5 times greater in riparian habitats than upland habitats, confirming our original hypothesis that axis deer are more common in riparian zones compared to uplands.

Although final analyses and publications are not completed at this time, we can say the estimated axis deer population size in Kimble County from our surveys is substantially greater than any other estimate previously made public.

CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE IN AXIS DEER? Currently, axis deer are not considered susceptible to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Since the first cases of CWD in Texas in 2012, wildlife and veterinarian professionals have assumed axis deer

were not CWD-susceptible due to a lack of a positive test.

However, CWD testing in axis deer has been limited, and there have not been enough samples subjected to current CWD analyses to verify this assumption.

Because of the number of axis deer in portions of Texas and to address the potential risk of CWD in axis deer, we collected tissues from hunter harvested axis deer during the last few years.

CWD is caused by a prion (or misfolded protein) and not a bacteria, virus or other disease causing agent. Because CWD is a prion, one of the most important pieces of information needed to assess susceptibility to CWD across different deer species is the genetic sequence of the DNA region that codes for the particular protein.

Susceptibility can be broken down into two components. First, are axis deer able to contract CWD from a molecular standpoint? And if so, what might the level of susceptibility be, relative to prevalence, or what proportion of the population might actually contract the disease? The first component is almost entirely based on genetics, while the second is linked to multiple factors including genetics, behavior and habitat, among others.

We have focused on addressing the first component of susceptibility and Photo courtesy of Blake Grisham, 2019

vegetation structure and composition in riparian habitats, we constructed and monitored 33 exclosures along the South Llano River for three years on private ranches, the South Llano River State Park and the Llano River Field Station. Not surprisingly we found more bare ground outside of the exclosures than within the exclosures, as over-abundant deer can remove vegetation that would normally stabilize the soil and prevent erosion.

Encouragingly, we found native grasses replaced the bare ground inside exclosures, which holds promise for riparian zone restoration. Native grasses are exceptionally important because they have large root systems that stabilize soil and are great for livestock grazing as well.

Axis deer and white-tailed deer have different foraging behaviors. Axis deer are grazers and typically choose grass first, whereas white-tailed deer are browsers and select forbs and shrubs first. Because of this important difference, we can attribute most of the variation in grass cover between exclosures and random points to axis deer; axis deer are likely degrading regional riparian habitats by removing grasses and contributing to soil compaction.

Examining axis deer jawbones for variation in patterns of tooth replacement and wear by age to develop a field method to estimate age similar to the tooth technique commonly used for whitetails.

WWW.TEXAS-WILDLIFE.ORG

29

T TU WILDLIFE RESEARCH NEWS

based on genetic analyses that we recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Prion, we have evidence that strongly suggests that axis deer are susceptible to CWD, potentially in a nearly identical manner as elk. Elk and axis deer are very similar genetically. They share identical amino acid sequences of the prion protein in our molecular analyses examining axis susceptibility to CWD which indicates axis deer are susceptible to CWD. We currently lack an answer for the second component relative to actual prevalence, as there simply have not been enough axis deer tested using either postmortem or ante mortem techniques.

Future efforts should include more frequent and systematic testing of axis deer, to more clearly understand any potential risks of further CWD spread from axis deer in Texas.

HOW OLD IS THIS AXIS? A common technique to age whitetailed deer is the tooth replacement and

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wear aging technique. However, no infield technique exists to age axis deer, and most people default to the aging criteria for white-tailed deer when aging axis deer. However, axis deer and whitetailed deer have different life-histories, longevity patterns and feeding habits that likely impact tooth growth patterns.

Using the white-tailed deer technique on axis deer provides an inaccurate age as white-tailed deer typically eat “harder” food and do not live as long as axis deer.

Incorrect aging can result in inaccurate age structure of the existing free-ranging population, which has cascading effects that impact management decisions.

We are finalizing a tooth replacement and wear technique specifically for axis deer that will be similar to the widely used technique for white-tailed deer.

We submitted incisors from axis deer collected from hunts on the South Llano River State Park, from roadkill, from processors or harvested by private landowners to a lab for cementum annuli

analysis, which obtains an age estimate by counting the rings within the root of a tooth that get laid down each year exactly like tree rings.

We then grouped jawbones into eight age classes and examined them for patterns in the replacement of deciduous premolars, eruption of molars and tooth wear. We identified reliable patterns of tooth eruption and wear up to 13-plus years old and have validated the technique by having experts and students use it to estimate the age of axis deer jawbones that were aged by lab analysis. We hope to have this technique publicly available by the end of the year after publication.

So at this time, the technique has not been fully vetted.

However, we identified a 15-year-old axis deer doe (as well as five does more than 10 years old) and a 10-year-old buck.

The 15-year-old doe was not checked for pregnancy, but each of the four does that were more than 10 years old that were checked were pregnant at the time of harvest, including two 13-year-olds.

The 10-year-old buck was a mature trophy axis deer, measuring 32 inches on both antlers, and showing no signs of decline in physical condition. This information suggests that many of the prior assumptions (most of which come from white-tailed deer management), including how long axis deer live, senescence and age structure of trophy bucks, are likely inaccurate. There is a need for an axis deer specific aging technique to better understand potential population structure and growth.

Over the course of this research, we have received substantial support from the Llano River Field Station, private landowners, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Hill Country Alliance, undergraduate and graduate volunteers, and others. We thank everyone who has supported our research in all matters including property access, sample collection, housing, meals and data sharing. This study would not have been possible without their support.

We also thank the Rumsey Research and Development Fund for providing financial assistance to pay for this article's publication.

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Photo by Rita Frey

SINGING THE PRAISES OF PRICKLYPEAR Article by STEVE NELLE

P

ricklypear cactus is undoubtedly one of the most wellknown plants in Texas. Whether hunter, hiker, nature lover or old-time cowboy, nearly everyone is familiar with pricklypear.

There are about 20 different species of pricklypear in Texas, but since it can be hard to tell one kind from another and since they hybridize, most landowners just lump them all together and call the plant “pear.” The two main forms are the tall upright types and the low prostrate types called “running pear.”

Opinions about pricklypear are as heated as today’s political debates. Some hate it; some tolerate it in a moderate amount; and, some see it as a desirable plant with many virtues.

For wildlife managers, its values are clear. American Wildlife and Plants, published in 1951 is still considered the bible for general wildlife food habit information. The authors state that pricklypear species “are outstandingly important wildlife food plants.” In addition to its food value, there are many other benefits to this well-known plant.

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NURSE PLANT One of the most significant benefits of pricklypear is the protection it affords to many other plants that may not survive otherwise. Not only does pear provide physical protection from grazing and browsing, but it also provides shade and windbreak for young plants that aids in their establishment.

Nurserymen use a lath house to protect young plants from harsh sun and provide a cooler more favorable environment.

Pricklypear does the same thing on millions of acres. It is not uncommon to see preferred grasses, desirable forbs and palatable browse species growing up out of a pricklypear clump and for these same plants to be absent or rare outside of the pricklypear's protection.. As you walk in the pasture this summer, note the plants that exist in the protection of pricklypear.

POLLINATOR INSECTS Today there is high interest in managing land for the benefit of native pollinator insects. This heightened awareness is due to

recent high-profile population declines in European honey bees which pollinate many important crops.

Pricklypear provides a windfall of pollen and nectar for many species of native pollinating bees, beetles and butterflies that are attracted to the flowers in large numbers. Peer into the flowers and you will see the jungle of stamens wiggling around due to the activity of insects deep inside the flower.

Unlike many traditional wildflowers, pricklypear makes a reliable and abundant crop of flowers each year, even in the most severe drought.

Photo by Steve Bentsen

S I N G I N G T H E P R A I S E S O F P R I C K LY P E A R

In a study near San Angelo, researchers found that 60 percent of bobwhite and blue quail nests were in or immediately adjacent to pricklypear.

“Even in the presence of excellent bunchgrass cover, quail may select pricklypear nesting locations,” said Becky Ruzicka, Research Associate with the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch. “Nesting in prickly pear offers mechanical protection in the form of cactus spines and may give the birds a slightly higher nest success rate compared to bunchgrass nests.”

She described the typical pricklypear nest site as a dense patch the size of a hula hoop and at least 18 inches tall.

Val Lehmann, the late and renowned King Ranch quail biologist describes another benefit of pear that may merit greater appreciation. He said that ripe pear tunas and other sweet fruits are a prime buffer food for coyotes in early summer and that this reduces nest depredation and contributes to greater quail nesting success.

Many have noted summer quail with purple heads as a result of pecking the ripe fruit. Whether they are seeking the moisture, the seed or the sweet pulp, quail and other birds make significant use of pear apples.

Photo by Rita Frey

Many ranchers do declare, They have too much pricklypear.

A thorny plant that they despise, But sure looks good through a quail hen’s eyes.

Photo by Steve Bentsen

QUAIL Dr. Dale Rollins has sung the praises of pricklypear as loudly as anyone, heralding its value as nest cover for quail. Every year, he teaches Bobwhite Brigade cadets the following marching cadence as part of their summer camp quail education:

DEER It would seem intuitive that deer might only eat pricklypear pads when other better foods are not available, but this is not the case. One study in South Texas showed that pricklypear was the single most important plant in the deer diet—eaten in three times greater amount than any other plant.

In this study, pads and fruit made up over 20 percent of the yearlong diet. In a year’s time, these deer would each have eaten over 1,200 pounds of fresh pricklypear.

Dr. David Hewitt and his colleagues at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute have since conducted the most

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S I N G I N G T H E P R A I S E S O F P R I C K LY P E A R

comprehensive work to date on whitetailed deer food habits. Hewitt said that “pricklypear fruits are exceedingly important in the summer” when they comprise 40-70 percent of the diet. Their studies show that pads are eaten mostly during winter and contribute 10-25 percent of the diet.

In the Rolling Plains and Edwards Plateau, pricklypear pads are not typically eaten in such large quantities, but the ripe fruit is extremely important in summer when most deer pellets examined contain pricklypear seed.

Pricklypear pads and fruit contain relatively high levels of energy but provide an insufficient level of protein for big game and livestock. Mule deer, pronghorn, bighorn sheep and some

exotics also use pear but usually to a lesser extent than whitetails. During drought or when other water sources become unavailable, deer and other big game can derive their water needs from the consumption of pricklypear if necessary.

OTHER BENEFITS Rodents, rabbits, reptiles and songbirds of many types utilize pricklypear for food, protection, nesting sites or water.

You may not get too excited about rodents and lizards, but they play an important role in the overall ecology and food chains of many other species. Everything is connected.

There is some evidence that pear helps create improved soil conditions, but this has not been confirmed or

quantified in Texas. Pricklypear has been used to help heal gullies and eroded areas with its ability to root from the pads no matter what time of year even in drought. The rooted plants slow down the water, trap and build sediment and provide protective niches for grass to establish. It is indeed a plant with many virtues.

LIVESTOCK FORAGE In a bygone era when labor and fuel were cheap, burning of pricklypear was a common practice. In a 1915 article in the Journal of Agricultural Research, scientists found that pricklypear was a very suitable ration for dairy cows when fed 110 pounds per day plus two pounds of cottonseed meal. Milk production was

PLANTS PROTECTED BY CACTUS photos by Steve Nelle

Winecup

Boneset

Indiangrass

Greenbriar

Morning glory

Sagewort

Copperleaf

Cupgrass

Bristlegrass

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high and animal health was good, and the authors stated that pear could be burned for 50 cents per ton.

Today, livestock still eat pricklypear, both the pads and the fruit, and they eat it voluntarily in modest amounts even when other forage is available. But if livestock are eating a large amount of unburned pear pads, it is usually a signal that something is amiss for both the livestock and the health of the range.

Burning pear is still practiced to some extent. These days it is not considered to be economically or ecologically sustainable.

BALANCE AND MODERATION If you are frustrated with too much pricklypear, think about management and reduction rather than control or eradication.

I recall a sad story from a ranch in the Rolling Plains. The new owner acquired the 5,000-acre ranch for hunting, but they also ran cattle. The ranch provided good habitat and had a good population of quail, turkey and deer. The owner was concerned about the excessive amount of pricklypear and was advised to aerial spray with Tordon (picloram).

A year later while conducting a helicopter deer survey, pilot Mackey McEntire and I both noted that almost all of the sumac, hackberry and wolfberry was dead across the entire ranch.

These were three of the most important wildlife plants on the ranch and are all very susceptible to Tordon. The landowner got rid of his pear, but the side effects for wildlife were significant and long lasting.

The lesson that can be learned is to consider the side effects beforehand and plan accordingly. Pear reduction can be done with prescribed fire, herbicides, mechanical means or a combination of these.

A modest amount of pear can still provide a lot of beneficial value for wildlife. Picture a clump of pear 10 feet in diameter.

If these clumps are 50 feet apart, there would be 17 clumps per acre, yet covering only 3 percent of the landscape. Wildlife friendly brush management requires forethought, planning, restraint and compromise.

CACTUS MOTH IN TEXAS While there is still plenty of pear across much of the state, a new and potentially devastating enemy of pricklypear has now made its way to Texas. The South American cactus moth Castoblastis cactorum has left a wake of dead and diminished pricklypear in many other places.

Native to Argentina, the small gray moth lays its eggs on pricklypear and the caterpillars bore into the pad eating it from the inside. The caterpillars, with voracious appetites quickly consume the pads; the moth can produce three generations each year.

Many years ago, the moth was intentionally introduced to Australia where it decimated 9 million square miles of dense cactus in only six years. Since then, the moth has been released in other places where it wiped out pricklypear populations. The moth was introduced to the Caribbean Islands in 1957, made its way to Florida in 1989, and has since been found in seven Gulf Coast states.

Photo by Steve Nelle

S I N G I N G T H E P R A I S E S O F P R I C K LY P E A R

In Texas, the moth was discovered in Brazoria County in 2017. Researchers from the University of Texas Brackenridge Field Laboratory (BFL) initiated a monitoring program in 2019 and the moth has now been confirmed in Colorado, Chambers, Matagorda and Aransas counties. The scientists have found that entire areas of pricklypear “just melted away” due to the moth.

Ecologists and wildlife biologists are concerned that the moth will move inland into South Texas, Mexico and beyond where it may have dramatic ecological and economic impacts.

The BFL research team and Argentinian colleagues have been working together to study a host-specific parasitic wasp also from Argentina that will control the moth. These tiny wasps, once approved for release, will need to be mass-reared and released in the field to hopefully slow or halt the spread of the moth in Texas. Adequate funding is one of the main obstacles for the continuation of this important biocontrol project.

SYMBOL OF TEXAS Pricklypear was designated the State Plant in 1995 with the following declaration: “Whereas, rugged, versatile and uniquely beautiful, the prickly pear cactus has made numerous contributions to the landscape, cuisine and character of the Lone Star State, and thus it is singularly qualified to represent the indomitable and proud Texas spirit as an official state symbol. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby designate the prickly pear cactus as the official state plant of Texas.”

The benefits of pricklypear are easy to enumerate. Wildlife consumes the pads, flowers, fruit and roots, and insects by the millions feed on the pollen and nectar and suck the juices from pads. Pricklypear clumps are used as protection for many species ranging from rodents and reptiles to big game and to birds of many kinds.

Not everyone loves it and, and yes, it is easy to get too much, but all can appreciate the value that this plant adds to the wildlife richness of Texas. What other plant can you think of that promotes increased plant diversity, provides food, cover or water for so many species, not to mention tender nopalitos, good jelly and colorful flowers for our enjoyment. Go ahead, sing the praises of pricklypear.

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Photo used with permission from Don Kirchoff

Photo used with permission from Don Kirchoff (Front left to right) Don, Susan, Elise and Scott Kirchoff. (Back/top) Brenda Kirchoff. The Kirchoff kids chomp the watermelon they grew on Kirchoff Family Farm (1958). Today, that farm is called Kirchoff Prairie. TWA Member Don Kirchoff said, “Those watermelons were the sweetest I ever ate.”

(Left to right) Don, Brenda, Scott and Susan Kirchoff. Together, the Kirchoffs own and are restoring the 200-acre prairie that used to house their family farm.

BIOBLITZ Article by MARY O. PARKER

P

icture it: five siblings dressed in 1958 garb, footlong watermelon slices placed across the real smiles underneath. Joy emanates from the image picturing the brothers and sisters relishing a reprieve from the hard work of farming and the heat of a Texas summer day.

The Kirchoff kids, Scott, Susan, Brenda, Don and Elise, helped grow that sweet summer treat they savored so much. They also did the back-breaking work of row cropping, pig raising and cotton picking on the 200 acres that their parents Leroy and Brunhilde Kirchoff, bought in Wilson County near Floresville in 1954.

The farmhouse where the photo was taken still stands, but much else has changed since those days. Leroy and Brunhilde passed away in 2008 and left the land to the children. And, in 2016 they lost Elise, too. But the family stopped growing watermelons, raising livestock and doing everything else that made the place a farm long before that.

Today, this slice of tallgrass Blackland prairie no longer goes by the name Kirchoff Family Farm. Instead, it uses the moniker Kirchoff Prairie and has been under conservation easement with the Native Prairies Association of Texas since 2013. The goal now, as Don put it, “is to restore the property, as much as possible, to the condition it was before the Europeans first arrived.”

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In that context, the Kirchoffs are planning their first BioBlitz.

“They’re planning a what?” you might ask. Consider that “bio” means “life” and blitz “a swift barrage.” Put those together and a BioBlitz amounts to a snapshot of all organisms on your land taken in a quick and intense manner.

Typically, a BioBlitz lasts for one 24-hour period which includes nighttime if the landowner has the means to collect data in the dark. You want to blitz on the same date, during the same hours each year. Many landowners hold BioBlitzes more than once a year, depending upon their land management goals.

The National Park Service (NPS) held the first known BioBlitz in 1996 at Kenilworth Gardens in Washington, D.C. Since then, especially with the introduction of citizen-science driven smartphone apps such as eBird and iNaturalist, their popularity has grown.

It’s early-spring when TWA member, Don Kirchoff shows me around the family’s grasslands to talk about the upcoming BioBlitz. Thanks to Snowmageddon 2021, not much spring has sprung yet, but I do see a hint of prairie verbena, and its pastel purples and the bright yellow of cowpen daisies color the fields.

Today the wind blows hard and makes me glad I’ve worn my hair up. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to spot the monarch

butterflies that try to casually float by. But the stiff breeze calls their bluff—no casual floating today.

“That switchgrass gets up to 9 feet tall!” Don said, pointing at the horizon. Last year’s switchgrass rises so tall that even a pump jack in the next field appears small in comparison. The childlike wonder in his voice brings to mind the little boy who, as a man of 77, confessed to me that yes, he and his siblings did sometimes playfully spit those watermelon seeds at one another.

The closest thing to a BioBlitz the Kirchoffs have done so far is an annual wildlife survey. That’s thanks to the hard work of Pat Merkord and others at the Native Prairies Association of Texas (NPAT). Those efforts create a partial baseline for comparing the BioBlitz data.

If the folks at NPAT were doing this year’s survey, they could’ve added another Burrowing Owl to their list. In lateMarch, the folks from Blackland Prairie Raptor Center brought a once-paralyzed bird to Kirchoff Prairie for release. Before the new addition, these environs hosted at least one, maybe two, of the tiny owls.

On our way back to the farmhouse, we passed a wise and wrinkled mesquite. A bird box hangs from it, charmingly crooked, one of dozens on the land, all built by Don. And then there are the birds. In particular the Northern Bobwhites, which we flush on our way to the barn. The days when flushing quail felt familiar are long gone from my muscle memory, and the sound of their sudden rise sets my heart to tapping.

Don’s pointed into the brush, “They’re still there.”

Sure enough, I count at least six.

At home two weeks later, I called both Brenda and Susan, the remaining Kirchoff sisters. Brenda shared with me how it took her months to learn the native prairie grasses, but the simple shape of windmill grass resonated and took hold. Too, the hands-on experience of being involved in its planting helped.

Don told me that when they were kids, they stopped seeing turkeys, deer and Northern Bobwhites. So I wasn’t surprised to see his big smile when he said, “Within two years of getting native grasses back the quail came back.”

Photo by Jeff Parker /ExploreinFocus.com

BIOBLITZ

This provides a great visual of just how tall native switchgrass can grow in a native prairie ecosystem. TWA Member Don Kirchoff stands next to fullgrown switchgrass from last season. The grass is an important part of the prairie ecosystem in large part due to its size and extra-deep root systems.

Photo by Jeff Parker/ExploreinFocus.com

BIOBLITZ ASSIST Planning: • https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/bioblitz/ Doing: • Texas Master Naturalists: https://txmn.tamu.edu/ • Native Plant Society of Texas: https://npsot.org • Audubon Society of Texas: https://tx.audubon.org/ Share, Store & Analyze What You Find: • iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org • eBird: https://ebird.org/home Other Info: • TPWD – specifically this URL: https://tpwd.texas.gov/ education/bioblitz/participate

TWA Member Don Kirchoff explained that within two years of adding native grasses to their tallgrass Blackland prairie ecosystem the Northern Bobwhite had returned.

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Photo by Jeff Parker/ExploreinFocus.com)

BIOBLITZ

The Kirchoff Prairie boasts quite a few old mesquite trees full of character. Most of them also boast a bird house built by TWA Member Don Kirchoff.

The Kirchoff kids could’ve told you how to pick cotton. In fact, the family once had to pick 11 bales. They could’ve also told you how to prepare soil, plant corn and cantaloupe and how to tend pigs, cattle, doves, chickens and goats, among other animals.

They could’ve also told you the best place to be on a hot afternoon: the very same spot where they chomped that watermelon. Susan laughed when she told me, “That rainwater cistern near the farmhouse was the coolest place around.”

Now, if you asked them how to do a BioBlitz, even after seven years devoted to prairie restoration, they’d tell you they don’t know how. Technically, I reckon they don’t, but these folks know an awful lot by now. Perhaps, the truth is they’ve learned a landowner’s most important lesson the hard way: after the first few years of mistakes, you learn to listen to the experts.

Thus, they’ve turned to the Bexar Audubon Society and the Alamo Chapter of Master Naturalists for help with their BioBlitz.

Both organizations have graciously agreed to help them with the details. The Kirchoffs have scheduled two springtime blitzes.

One takes place the first week in May and focuses on birds. The other, focusing on plants, insects and mammals, takes place a week later.

Patsy Inglet, President of Bexar Audubon Society, heads up the bird-focused blitz, which, fittingly, everyone calls the “BirdBlitz.”

At Kirchoff Prairie, Inglet will oversee four teams of four volunteers. Every team member has done bird surveys before.

Inglet recommended that landowners conduct separate blitzes just for birds. “If you have too many people stomping around it flushes the birds,” she told me.

The result? Bird surveyors grow frustrated and landowners receive inaccurate results. Accurate bird counts matter, Inglet insisted, because birds act as important bio-indicators.

DON’T FORGET THE FUN! Want to do a BioBlitz but not sure you’re ready to get that serious just yet?

Then don’t!

Get the kids and grandkids involved by making a game of seeing who can discover the most species on your property that no one else in the family has noticed before (don’t forget the plants!).

Enter what you find into iNaturalist using smartphones. Thanks to the help of citizen scientists, there’s a good chance that within minutes of uploading your images your “new” species will be identified. That evening, host something akin to “popcorn and movie night” to share your discoveries with one another.

Remember: BioBlitzes can be as casual or as structured as you want them to be. They just need to resemble

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a “blitz” – that is, they take place quickly and intensely – and focus on living things (hence, the “bio”).

Want to make it a tad more organized, but still not too serious? Kick off a f a m i ly-a nd-f r iend s -a nd-neig hb or s Blitz. Divide participants into teams of 3-6 people (be sure to include children!).

Then, designate certain slices of your property to each team.

You can even create areas closer to your house as “mini” territories for small children and/or those with mobility issues. For toddlers, consider using hulahoops as mini-mini Blitz territories.

Top all the data-gathering all off with a traditional Texas BBQ during which you share what you learned during your day of Blitzin’.

And don’t just limit your blitzing to daytime. Consider a moth cloth

to trap myriad moths. If you’ve got game cameras, consider placing them in different spots than usual such as game trails through the brush not easily available to off your own beaten path.

Prepre for your blitz by making log piles throughout your property at least six months before the start date. This gives creatures like lightning bugs, pack rats, and armadillos time to moved in and established enough for participants to spot.

Another good way to prepare is to choose a few areas where you’ll let the grass grow. Taller grass attracts different critters than cut grass. Make sweep nets (“butterfly nets”) available for blitzers so that when they explore your tall-grass regions they can scoop up some of what they discover.

BIOBLITZ

“They eat just about everything,” she said. “Insects, rodents, other birds, seeds.

Birds tell you a lot about what’s going on.”

If birds rank high on your blitz list, Inglet suggests surveying them three times per year: spring, fall and winter. In fact, as I researched this piece, I discovered that summer BioBlitzes in Texas rarely occur.

When it did, herps were the exception.

Makes sense considering how blistering hot the Lone Star State gets.

What you do after your BioBlitz ends actually has a lot to do with what you do beforehand: make a land management plan. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) offers free assistance with that via its Technical Guidance Program (www. tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/land/private/).

They’ll help you determine which goals best suit your land type and location. In turn, that helps you determine what data points make the most sense for you to collect and, consequently, analyze during your BioBlitz.

If this is your first blitz and you have no previous data against which to compare your findings you can still learn plenty.

For example: Do you have more—or fewer—invasive and non-native species than you expected? Did you turn up species you hoped to find? Or, did species you hoped to find go missing? On that note: were food sources missing that certain species needed?

If, after all the inputting and sorting and analyzing, you still haven’t ID’ed some of what you photographed, hold a BioBlitz “after party” and get everyone together again to give identifications another shot.

That also provides an opportunity to debrief about how the blitz went.

“The goal is that as the diversity on the ground grows, the list created from each consequent BioBlitz grows longer,” TWA’s Director of Conservation Programs Iliana Peña said. “So as the land supports more plants that means there is a greater diversity of insects, therefore a greater diversity of birds and a greater diversity of wildlife; an indicator that you’re doing good work.”

This article went to press before the folks at Kirchoff Prairie conducted their BioBlitz, so I don’t know yet what they discovered.

Last I heard, the released Burrowing Owl seemed to be faring well. I hope that by the time you read this the tiny bird will feel fully enmeshed into its new grassland home. Until the blitz is done, I will wonder if the Bexar Audubon group located the owl and so were able to count it during their BirdBlitz. I will wonder if they counted more Northern Bobwhites than NPAT did last year. And I’ll wonder, too, if the blitz turned up any horned lizards.

There are, however, two things I will not wonder about:

1) How contagious the Kirchoffs’ passion for their prairie restoration work is because I know that it is very contagious. As Iliana Peña put it, “[They’ve] done a phenomenal job of engaging volunteers to help them with their efforts.” Indeed!

2) And I will not wonder if the BioBlitz teams led by Alamo Master Naturalist VP Peter Hernandez triumphed over those oh-so-difficult-to-ID native prairie plants; I am sure they did. I am also sure they did not find any watermelon seeds… or did they?

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CONSERVING FRESHWATER MUSSELS, THE UNSUNG HEROES OF TEXAS RIVERS Article by AUBRY BUZEK

Photo by Photo by Aubry Buzek, USFWS

“Those would always get our attention,” Charles said.

After the couple married, started a family, and took over the management of the property in the late 1990s, Charles noticed the river wasn’t running as it did previously. By 2011, the effects of excessive pumping and frequent drought at times left a 40mile stretch of the river completely dry.

Not only was the water disappearing, but the attentiongrabbing mussel shells that were once a common sight on the river were vanishing, too. Aside from the collection the family had displayed on its mantle, Charles realized he hadn’t actually seen one in decades.

Charles' experience isn’t unique. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Freshwater Mussel Biologist Clint Robertson, landowners from around the state have told him that the mussels they once saw everywhere are now getting harder to find.

A Trinity pigtoe mussel found in Lake Fork Creek, a tributary of the Sabine River in East Texas.

A

A SIGN OF TROUBLE s teenagers, TWA Member Charles Granstaff and his future wife Marci often roamed her family’s property on the San Saba River, fishing, exploring, and picking up curiosities they found along the way. Of particular interest were giant, dish-sized mussel shells they found strewn abundantly about.

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AN UNSUNG HERO One couldn’t be faulted for not noticing the presence or absence of freshwater mussels in Texas rivers. It’s easy to overlook a species that looks and acts more like a rock than an animal.

But there’s more to Texas’ freshwater mussels than meets the eye. As renowned Texas outdoor writer Larry Hodge once said, “Beauty would serve little purpose for a creature that spends its life partially buried in mud.”

Because mussels lack the aesthetic appeal of a warbler or monarch, mussel enthusiasts tend to use colorful analogies to get people excited about the species’ conservation, calling them “canaries in the coalmine” or “silent sentinels.” Robertson may have come up with the best elevator pitch for the species yet.

“They're the little water treatment plants of the river,” he said.

Like water treatment plants, freshwater mussels clean the aquatic ecosystem by filtering impurities from the water.

Mussels also feed on algae, bacteria and silt and serve as water quality indicators.

Anyone who enjoys fishing or swimming in Texas rivers might consider thanking these unsung heroes for their contributions to ecosystem health.

“Having healthy, diverse mussel beds helps clean the river and clean the water,” Robertson said. “They feed fish, raccoons, otters, and even birds."

He continued, "They're also a good indicator the fish population is good, because mussels need the fish as part of their

C O N S E RV I N G F R E S H WAT E R M U S S E L S , T H E U N S U N G H E R O E S O F T E XA S R I V E R S

FEDERAL PROTECTION Under the ESA, anyone can submit a petition to add or remove a species from the list of threatened and endangered species.

"Endangered" means it’s in danger of extinction throughout a significant portion or all of its range, and "threatened" means it’s likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.

Most of the freshwater mussels under review in Texas ended up on the national listing work plan in the late 2000s, when environmental organizations submitted several “mega-petitions” with hundreds of plant and animal species to the USFWS. Once the USFWS receives a petition, it evaluates whether it presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing may be warranted. If it does, the USFWS conducts a “12-month finding” that includes a species status assessment (SSA). The USFWS drafts the assessments with input from the public, scientific community and state and federal agencies. A recommendation team then determines whether the species needs federal protection, and if so, whether it is threatened or endangered.

If the team recommends a listing, the USFW initiates a formal rule-making process before the species can receive protection.

This process requires public comment and additional scientific peer review.

As of April 2021, the USFWS has found one Texas freshwater mussel species requires federal protection. In 2018, it listed the

Texas hornshell as endangered based on impairment of water quality and quantity in its native Rio Grande River.

Four Texas mussel species have been removed from the listing work plan. The USFWS removed the Southern hickorynut after finding no substantial information warranted the listing. The smooth pimpleback, golden orb, and triangle pigtoe were found to be genetically identical to more common, widespread species.

For 10 other Texas mussel species, the USFWS will announce findings on whether they warrant federal protection as early as this year. This includes six Central Texas species: the Texas fawnsfoot, Texas pimpleback, Guadalupe orb, Texas fatmucket, Guadalupe fatmucket and false spike. Two East Texas species will also be evaluated: the Louisiana pigtoe and Texas heelsplitter. In 2022, the USFWS will announce findings for two Rio Grande mussel species, the Salina mucket and Mexican fawnsfoot.

Federally listed species receive several conservation benefits, including protection from harm by federal activities, restrictions on take and trade, authorization to seek land purchases or exchanges for important habitat, and federal aid to state conservation departments with cooperative endangered species agreements.

Protection from harm by federal activities comes in the form of critical habitat, which are areas designated as essential to the species' conservation. This critical habitat requires federal agencies to ensure that their activities do not destroy that habitat.

“It just comes down to finding a way to avoid or reduce the impact on the species that inhabit that area,” said Matt Johnson, the USFW's ’s freshwater mussel conservation and recovery coordinator for Texas. “For freshwater mussels, it typically consists of us saying ‘We know that mussels are in this area, we would like you to avoid working here if possible.’ If they can’t, we then work with the project developer on mitigation options, such as relocating the mussels away from the project area before starting work in the stream.”

For non-federal landowners, the USFWS offers a variety of tools and incentives to protect landowner interests while benefiting listed and other at-risk species.

Photo by Photo by Gary Pandolfi, USFWS

reproductive cycle. They really are just like the umbrella species for river systems, because so many components need them to survive. They’re kind of incredible in that way.”

“Because mussels are often more sensitive than fish, finding mussels likely means the waterway is also supporting healthy fish populations too,” added Gary Pandolfi, freshwater mussel biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Austin Ecological Services Field Office.

The United States has the highest diversity of freshwater mussels in the world, with more than 300 species occurring in its watersheds. The Lone Star State is home to more than 50 of these species, with some East Texas rivers like the Neches boasting nearly half.

For comparison, Texas alone has greater mussel diversity than the entirety of North Eurasia, including the basins from Europe and Arctic Russia to northern Africa and the Middle East.

“Texas is unique because there are so many endemic species that literally don’t exist anywhere else,” Pandolfi said.

Despite their incredible diversity, mussels are among the most imperiled groups of animals in North America. Twenty-one species are already extinct, and another 91 are protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The decline in Texas’ native mussels has the attention of federal and state natural resource management agencies. Since 1989, the Service has added 15 species of Texas’ freshwater mussels to the work plan for consideration as federally listed species. TPWD has added 16 species to the state’s list of threatened and endangered species.

Texas fatmucket mussels found in the San Saba River in Central Texas.

WWW.TEXAS-WILDLIFE.ORG

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Photo by Photo by Aubry Buzek, USFWS

C O N S E RV I N G F R E S H WAT E R M U S S E L S , T H E U N S U N G H E R O E S O F T E XA S R I V E R S

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Texas freshwater mussel conservation and recovery coordinator Matt Johnson.

One of the main tools is the Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA). In return for implementing voluntary conservation practices, non-federal landowners and developers receive assurances they can manage their land as outlined in agreements with no additional requirements should be species become listed.

Another is a Habitat Conservation Plan, which describes how impacts to federally listed species will be minimized. This plan allows “incidental take” by the permit-holder to legally proceed with an activity that would otherwise result in the unlawful take of a listed species.

In October 2020, the Brazos River Authority submitted the first CCAA for freshwater mussels in Texas. The CCAA, which covers the Texas fawnsfoot and the false spike mussels, includes flow requirements to minimize impacts to freshwater mussels and their habitats.

“Right now, the Brazos River Authority is the furthest along in the process to where we are reviewing a document or an application that they put together,” Johnson said. “Some other agencies and river authorities are looking to go the CCAA route, and some others are considering Habitat Conservation Plans because they already have a number of other listed species in their basins.”

STATE PROTECTION For the state’s list of threatened and endangered species, TPWD uses the Conservation Status Assessment protocol developed by NatureServe as a standardized method for listing, down-listing or de-listing species. NatureServe rankings consider multiple criteria including range extent, known occurrences, abundance, and threats.

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The state list of threatened freshwater mussel species includes Central Texas’ false spike, Guadalupe orb, Texas fatmucket, Texas pimpleback, Texas fawnsfoot, Brazos heelsplitter, and Guadalupe fatmucket; East Texas’ Louisiana pigtoe, Texas heelsplitter, Trinity pigtoe, southern hickorynut, Texas pigtoe, and sandbank pocketbook; and the Rio Grande’s Mexican fawnsfoot and salina mucket. One endangered mussel, the Rio Grande’s Texas hornshell, is also on the state’s list.

For mussel species, a state listing makes collection or possession a Class C misdemeanor without a TPWD-issued scientific permit.

Non-listed mussel species also receive protection by the state through harvest regulations. For these species, harvest is by hand collection only, and there is a minimum shell size requirement. A commercial mussel and clam fisherman’s permit is required to take mussels or their shells from state waters for commercial purposes.

To help protect native mussels from overharvest and recover areas with depleted mussel populations, TPWD designated several areas of the state as mussel sanctuaries. These are found in 15 rivers and creeks in Texas, including portions of the Sabine, Angelina, Neches, Trinity, Brazos, Guadalupe, Concho, San Saba, San Marcos and Rio Grande rivers.

A NEED FOR HELP A variety of threats have caused decline in mussels. Among these are historic overutilization for the commercial pearl and button industry, introduction of non-native species like Asian clams and zebra mussels, impoundments, pollution, and disease. The most important threat is the destruction of instream and riparian habitat, which is linked to degraded water quality and quantity.

Though habitat destruction is bigger than any one person, landowners can help mussels by maintaining riverine and riparian habitats on their properties. Helpful steps include adding cross-fencing to keep livestock out of sensitive habitat, avoiding driving in streams or the flood plain, leaving native vegetation intact, conserving surface and groundwater, avoiding introducing non-native plants, avoiding mowing or paving in riparian areas, leaving vegetative buffers between cropland and riparian areas, and adding designated access points to help focus foot and vehicle traffic.

Landowners who need financial and technical assistance with habitat restoration can seek help through several state and federal voluntary programs, including theUSFWS’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFW), TPWD’s Landowner Incentive Program, and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Stewardship Program, among others.

Through these programs, local field biologists work one-onone with private landowners to plan and implement restoration projects that are consistent with their existing land uses. They can also help landowners find other sources of funding and help them through the permitting process when needed.

C O N S E RV I N G F R E S H WAT E R M U S S E L S , T H E U N S U N G H E R O E S O F T E XA S R I V E R S

A WAVE OF RESEARCH When Charles Granstaff noticed a die off of mussels on the San Saba, he called TPWD to investigate. Though they found a variety of dead mussels in the riverbed, they were lucky to find some live mussels hanging on in stagnant pools, including four of the mussel species currently under review for an ESA listing.

Since then, a wave of research has centered on the river.

One study by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and The Nature Conservancy is researching how the extreme low and high flows in the Hill Country impact populations of rare mussel species and how climate change might exacerbate their struggle to survive.

Studies like this one couldn’t come at a better time. With so many mussel species currently under review for an ESA listing, one would think there is a comprehensive historical data set for biologists to review for species status assessments. Unfortunately, little was known about Texas’ mussel species until the 1990s. It was only in the last decade that researchers started receiving funding to begin focusing on the imperiled species.

“In Texas, we're kind of behind the ball as it pertains to mussel research in the U.S.,” Robertson said. “The Southeast has had listed species for 30 plus years already—and they understand basic biology and distribution for species in their states—so we've got some catching up to do. But we're committed to doing that so we can make more informed listing decisions, and hopefully, also help us focus recovery efforts for federal or state listed species.”

Today, many nonprofit, state and federal agencies are funding freshwater mussel studies in Texas, including The Nature Conservancy, TPWD, the USFWS and the Texas Comptroller’s Office. These studies range from finding out basic biological requirements and thermal tolerance of certain species to studying unique parasites that consume the gonads of mussels.

“It's amazing the amount of published research that's come out in the last five years on Texas mussels,” Robertson said.

As new data are collected and compiled, state and Service biologists can use the information to better evaluate species for listing. These data can also contribute to recovery act ions that natural resource management agencies might plan down the road.

“We always want to know what else people are seeing out there,” said Erik Orsak, supervisory biologist with the Service’s Arlington Ecological Services Field Office. “Recovery plans, conservation strategies—all those can be informed by what they're finding. When you start putting the pieces of the puzzle together you can be more strategic with the conservation measures you're trying to put on the landscape.”

Private landowners can assist with mussel research in Texas by helping university, state and federal researchers learn more about the mussel communities in their stretches of river.

Because public access points aren’t usually the ideal mussel survey locations, landowners can open the door to remote areas that are more suitable for mussels.

“That is probably the single most helpful thing any river landowner in Texas can do, given 98 percent of this state is

private property with very little river access other than at road crossings,” Robertson said. “Having a collaborative landowner opens up a lot of river miles for us to look at and to get a better sense of what's going on.”

This access could also one day be helpful if researchers determine a need for mussel stocking in Texas’ rivers and streams. Though there are no plans to start stocking any time soon, multiple university and federal researchers are refining the process for propagating mussels in the hatchery setting.

At Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery in Burnet, the hatchery team is already producing tens of thousands of native freshwater mussels per year. While most propagation involves using host fish to carry the mussel larvae, researchers are working on other techniques. In 2020, Inks Dam staff were the first to use in-vitro transformation to grow Texas fatmucket larvae into juvenile mussels using rabbit serum.

“Right now, the goal is to figure out how to produce mussels,” Johnson said. “We're not at a point where we're looking to produce them en masse for releases, it's more about seeing if the mussels that we produce could survive in the areas that we may select for mussel restoration in the future.”

A SIGN OF HOPE Since the historic drought that hit Texas in 2011, rivers like the San Saba have experienced some relief with higher precipitation in recent years. Though threats to the mussels remain, the hope is that with increased research and conservation efforts the USFWS and other partners will be able to help them persist into the future.

“A state is defined by the people who exist there and the nature and species that inhabit it,” Pandolfi said. “That’s what we’re shooting to do—we want to help keep the unique species that exist in Texas around for future generations.”

After a historic flood tore through Central Texas’ Hill Country rivers in 2018, the Granstaffs visited their family ranch to survey the aftermath. With the kids and grandkids in tow, Charles wandered down to the river, where something on the shore caught his eye.

He picked up a large, muddy shell and slipped it into his pocket to examine further once they got back up to the house.

At the time, he thought it might make a nice addition to the collection on their mantle.

Then, Charles realized something exciting.

“All of a sudden it dawned on me—it was kind of heavy,” Granstaff said. “I said you know, I better check this, and then when I got it back out and I looked at this thing I realized it’s alive—the mussel is still in there.”

It was the first he had found like it in decades—just like the ones he and Marci used to encounter when they were teens.

And, it was alive.

“It was really kind of a revelation,” he said. “Somehow they've been resilient. And even with the lack of flow, and some of these years hot, stagnant pools of water, somehow, they've been able to hang on. And it really is nice that they have.”

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HOW TO REGISTER • MAIL-IN REGISTRATION FORM Fill out the Registration Form at www.wildlife2021.com and return with payment to TWA at 6644 FM 1102, New Braunfels, TX 78132 • FAX REGISTRATION FORM Complete your Registration Form and fax to (210) 826-4933 • PHONE REGISTRATION Register and pay by phone at (800) 839-9453 • ON-LINE REGISTRATION Register on-line at www.wildlife2021.com • FOR HOTEL RESERVATIONS

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COME CELEBRATE TWA’S 36th ANNIVERSARY!

WildLife 2020 Schedule of Events JULY 15-18, 2021 (As of June 1, 2021)

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

TWA Private Lands Summit

(Cibolo Canyons Ballroom 10)

10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

(Cibolo Canyons Ballroom 8-9)

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Membership Committee

(Cibolo Canyons Ballroom 1-5)

Conservation Legacy Advisory Committee

Convention Exhibitor Registration and Move-In (Grand Oaks Ballroom & Foyer)

TWA Wildlife Conservation Committee (Cibolo Canyons Ballroom 11)

Noon – 1:30 p.m.

TWAF Luncheon

FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2021 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Registration Open 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Exhibits and Auctions Open (Grand Oaks Ballroom & Foyer)

8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

TWA Committee Meetings **

(Grand Oaks Ballroom) Featuring Keynote Speaker Steven Rinella, MeatEater

2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

TWA Joint Membership & Directors Meeting (Cibolo Canyons Ballroom 1-4)

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

TWA Ladies Reception (Cibolo Canyons Ballroom 8-9)

(Note: Ladies only event and no charge for drinks)

** Anyone is welcome to attend the committee meetings to learn more about the programs associated within those committees.

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

(cash bar, includes 2 drink tickets) (Grand Oaks Ballroom)

Deer Management, Water Advisory, Legislative and PAC Committees (Cibolo Canyons Ballroom 1-4)

9 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Break

9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

TYHP Advisory Committee (Cibolo Canyons Ballroom 8)

Cocktails with Exhibitors Entertainment with Zach Nytomt Sponsored by Silver Eagle Beverages

5 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Marriott Range Riders Kid’s Activities (Cibolo Canyons Ballroom 10-11)

6 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

TWA Convention Kickoff Dinner (Grand Oaks Ballroom)

Conservation Legacy Advisory Committee

Sponsored by Nyle Maxwell Family of Dealerships

10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Texas Big Game Awards Celebration

(Cibolo Canyons Ballroom 9)

Break

7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

(Grand Oaks Ballroom)

SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

TWA Family Breakfast

5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

TWA Life Members Reception & TWA-PAC Reception

(Grand Oaks Ballroom)

(Cibolo Canyon Ballroom 1-4)

Sponsored by San Pedro Ranch

Cocktails with Exhibitors

8 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Registration Open (Level 2)

9 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Exhibits Open

(Grand Oaks Ballroom)

Silent and Not-So-Silent Auctions Open (Grand Oaks Ballroom)

9 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

TWA WildLife Education Concurrent Session Seminars (Cibolo Canyon Ballroom Pre-Function Rooms 1-4) Sponsored by Brady & Hamilton LLP.

Wildlife Management and Research (Cibolo Canyons Ballroom 1) Landowner Awareness and Opportunities (Cibolo Canyons Ballroom 2) Education/Outreach (Cibolo Canyons Ballroom 3) Habitat Management (Cibolo Canyons Ballroom 4)

Noon – 1:30 p.m.

TWA General Session / Awards Luncheon (Grand Oaks Ballroom)

Featuring Keynote Speaker, the Honorable Susan Combs

1:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Open Time, Please Visit Our Exhibits (Grand Oaks Ballroom)

(Grand Oaks Ballroom & Foyer, Level 2)

5 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Family Portraits Photo Booth Open (Level 2, Foyer Area)

5 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Marriott Range Riders Kid’s Activities (Cibolo Canyon Ballroom 8-11)

7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

TWA Grand Auction and Banquet Dinner (Grand Oaks Ballroom)

10 p.m.

Not-So-Silent Auction Final Closing (Grand Oaks Ballroom)

Starts approximately 30 minutes following the Grand Auction

10:30 p.m.

Silent Auction Final Closing (Grand Oaks Ballroom)

Tables close after the Not-So-Silent Auction in approximately 15-minute increments

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 8 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Final Auction Check-Out (TWA Registration Desk)

Noon

TWA Convention Closes

8TH ANNUAL

PRIVATE LANDS SUMMIT JULY 15TH JW MARRIOTT SAN ANTONIO HILL COUNTRY RESORT & SPA

Open gates

Texas Wildlife Association Foundation Presents

GUESKTER

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FRIDAY, JULY 16TH

JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa 12:00pm – 1:30pm Doors Open at 11:30am RSVP by July 3 Business Casual Attire

Steven Rinella is the host of the Netflix Original series MeatEater and The MeatEater Podcast. He’s also the author of seven books dealing with wildlife, hunting, fishing and wild game cooking, including the New York Times bestseller The MeatEater Guide to Wilderness Skills and Survival

Please register online today at www.wildlife2021.com

TWA Auction Success WildLife 2021 is the place to be this July—and IT’S IN PERSON! This year’s auction features some of the most exclusive hunts, trips and vacation packages available anywhere as well as game feeders, blinds, firearms, clothing, jewelry, optics and so much more.

One of the rare offerings at this year’s convention is the opportunity to hunt some of the most exclusive lowfenced property in Texas.

The Comanche Ranch is 113,000 acres of pristine habitat located between Eagle Pass and Carrizo Springs. Thanks to TPWD Chairman Emeritus T. Dan Friedkin and the Comanche Ranch, this all-inclusive hunt is for one (1) hunter and one (1) non-hunting guest to enjoy an unforgettable free-range whitetail hunt. Dates to be arranged during the 2021-2022 hunting season, one hunter will have the opportunity to harvest one (1) mature 160-class B&C gross-scoring whitetail buck. Also included are exquisite accommodations, all meals and drinks, as well as guides. AND, bow hunters are welcome.

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Exclusive adventures like this are among the many exciting items you can find at the TWA Annual Convention, WildLife 2021, to be held July 15-18, 2021 at the beautiful JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa. Visit www.wildlife2021.com or call (800) 839-9453 to register today!

WildLife 2021 - Friday Night Happy Hour MUSIC BY

ZACH NYTOMT FRIDAY, JULY 16 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

(KICKOFF DINNER TO FOLLOW)

Grand Oaks Ballroom JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa

Thank You to our WildLife 2021 Convention Sponsors!

(Sponsors as of June 1, 2021)

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53

TEXAS WILDLIFE

OUTDOOR TRADITIONS

Texas Cactus Article and photos by SALLIE LEWIS

O

ver the last year, while living in the Texas Hill Country, my appreciation for the outdoors deepened dramatically. As the seasons changed, I watched life ebb and flow, noticing the birds that came and went and the flowers that bloomed before returning to seed.

To my delight, as time passed I saw Mother's Nature's country colors, I saw Mother Nature’s country colors reveal themselves through the landscape. In spring, the prickly pear cacti at my family’s ranch in Fredericksburg flowered with vibrant yellow blooms. By summer’s end, their bulbous fruit, known as tunas, ripened from pale green to electric pink, dark red and deep purple.

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JUNE 2021

Across northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States, people have eaten varietals of nopal—the Spanish word for cactus—for thousands of years. Today, cactus is still an important dietary staple in Mexico thanks to its ample medicinal and nutritional benefits.

In border towns and cities like Laredo, it’s common to see street vendors selling tunas, chilled over ice, as snacks to passersby. Much like the cactus pads, the fruits are loaded with nutrients, such as magnesium and potassium, calcium and iron, along with Vitamins A and C. Unbeknownst to many, the prickly pear cactus is the official state plant of Texas. It is available both canned and raw in many Texas grocery stores, and is easy to plant in your garden at home. At my parents’ house in San Antonio, we have a thornless varietal that grows in the backyard, and we harvest the pads regularly.

For years, my family has eaten nopalitos—or stewed cactus— drawn to its healthiness, versatility and unique flavor profile.

After removing the spines with a small paring knife, the pads can be boiled, sliced and soft-scrambled with eggs, or sautéed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro and queso fresco. Another popular preparation is to sear the pad whole like a steak and layer it with ground beef, mushrooms, tomatoes and melted cheese.

Last year, as summer waned and fall flickered in Fredericksburg, my family and I tried something new. Noticing the abundance of prickly purple tunas growing atop the cacti on our property, we decided to harvest the fruits for our first time.

With gloved hands and long steel tongs, we set out on foot, filling a large plastic tub with the fruits of our labor. Back at the house, we surveyed the loot and rolled up our sleeves.

Like the cacti’s pads, preparing its tunas for consumption is a labor of love. We began by peeling their fuchsia flesh, wary of the fine, spiny hairs called glochids that burrow beneath the skin. Burning the fruit, be it with a torch or on the stovetop, is another effective means for glochid-removal. Next, we pureed the tunas and strained their seeds, leaving a sweet and tangy, jewel-colored juice that lingers in memory to this day.

That evening, as we pulled the last of the bristles from our fingertips and sipped ice-cold prickly pear margaritas, I gave thanks for the day and the age-old tradition we’d partaken in.

Pretty soon now the tunas on our property will transform once again, from pale green to hot pink and magenta-red. As they do so, I’ll be gearing up, with gloved hands and tongs in tow, ready to work for a timeless taste of Texas.

Game on

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