By Amanda Young

Competition of woody encroachment from Ashe Juniper (commonly known as Cedar) and mesquite, overgrazing from livestock and wildlife, and exotic plants have always been obstacles for our native grassland prairies. We can help restore these historic prairies to the Texas Hill Country with time and restoration management techniques. For restoration to be successful, landowners need to evaluate specific soil types (https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov) and historic use of the land, and then plan for site preparation, determine what restoration technique to implement, and select the best suited native plants to restore.

Site preparation will be the basis for a successful grassland restoration project. Since each site is unique, it is important to determine an optimal technique for each specific site. One preparation technique is prescribed burning, which is used to eliminate old growth vegetation, remove leaf litter, and recycle nutrients back into the soil. Another option is herbicide used to target invasive vegetation. Herbicide selection is determined by the specific species being targeted, and is usually applied in late spring, then reapplied in late summer if necessary. Lastly, selective cutting or grubbing of woody vegetation, such as juniper or mesquite, will open the landscape for planting. Proper site preparation is the best way to ensure a successful restoration project.

The next step is to determine the best restoration technique to implement for the site. Depending on the resources available, there are several types of tools and management practices that can be used. The seed drill is a common technique which opens the soil, plants the seed, and then covers the seed with soil. The seed drill is efficient when restoring large tracts of land; however, in less accessible or smaller tracts, a hand-held broadcast spreader can be used. Native grasses should be planted between November-March. Several factors determine the success of seed germination in the soil including rainfall, soil moisture, soil temperature, and seeding depth.

Patience is key when it comes to grassland restoration. This is a long process where seeds generally sleep, creep and leap over a 3-year period. Site maintenance may be required to prevent reestablishment of invasive species which is essential in a successful restoration project. Photo points can be used to easily evaluate the occurrence of woody encroachment or the return of invasive species. After the restoration process is complete, it will be essential to maintain the restored grassland by implementing management practices such as prescribed burning, herbicide application, selective cutting, and/or replanting. As a landowner, if you have any questions or concerns about getting started, please reach out to your local TPWD biologist for assistance.

By: Mike Miller

Texans take great pride in the astonishing array of wildlife species and habitats occurring within our state’s borders. With over 95% of Texas land in private ownership, stewardship of wildlife resources ultimately lies with private landowners who have varying degrees of experience and understanding of land and wildlife management principles. Some folks are knowledgeable about wildlife habitat management and are comfortable with a self-directed approach. Others need a helping hand and would benefit from professional advice.

Did you know that TPWD offers wildlife management assistance to landowners through a Private Lands and Technical Guidance Program? Our biologists provide one-on-one landowner consultations, which includes visiting the property, listening to landowner goals, evaluating wildlife habitat, determining the factors that are most limiting to management success, and providing habitat management recommendations. The consultation may result in written recommendations or a wildlife management plan that provides actions and timelines to help guide landowner decision-making. Even better, this service is confidential, strictly advisory and free-of-charge.

Interested landowners can create an account and request technical guidance through the Land Management Assistance website. Following the request, a TPWD Wildlife Biologist will contact you to answer questions and select a mutually agreeable date for a site visit. If you have questions related to LMA account establishment or otherwise, you may identify and contact your local TPWD Wildlife Biologist directly through the Find a Wildlife Biologist website. Through this service, our wildlife professionals strive to help landowners conserve, manage, and restore wildlife habitat and populations for their unique patch of Texas and beyond.

By: Ben Olsen

For landowners with properties enrolled in 1-d-1 Wildlife Tax Valuation, spring can also bring a request from the County Appraiser for an Annual Report on Wildlife Management Activities. This annual report is a great way to brag about your hard work that benefited wildlife. Here are a few quick and easy tips to improve your annual report.

• List all the work and practices you completed throughout the year, not just the minimum requirement of 3.
• Include one photo from each practice you completed.
• Create a map of your property to show the locations of your practices. You can draw out or include locations of each of the practices completed on the map. This helps the appraisal district know where practices are completed. More importantly, this map will help you plan and monitor practices. The Texas A&M Forest Service “map my property” program is a great resource for making a map of your property.
• Keep receipts of your purchases related to your wildlife management plan. You don’t necessarily have to include copies of these in your report, however it is good to keep them.
• Keep a journal of the dates and time spent working on each practice. For example, write down dates spent trapping hogs and how many were removed, dates and time spent clearing brush, etc.

These tips will not only help improve your annual report but are a great way to boost your overall management program and keep organized. If you have any questions or need assistance, your local TPWD biologist will be happy to help.

Kerr WMA

The Kerr Wildlife Management Area (KWMA) consists of 6,500 acres located at the headwaters of the Guadalupe River. At the time it was purchased in 1950, the KWMA was overgrazed by livestock and heavily dominated by blueberry juniper (cedar) which resulted in poor range health. White-tailed deer was the initial management focus, but a holistic approach was later taken that resulted in improved habitat for all wildlife. Careful implementation of grazing systems, brush management, prescribed fire, and deer population control helped to shape the landscape and remains an integral part of the present management operation.

In addition to this habitat management program, the KWMA also maintains the only deer research facility owned by TPWD. The Donnie E. Harmel White-tailed Deer Research Facility was constructed in 1974. This 26-acre facility has been used in a series of progressively complex research projects designed to investigate the effects of nutrition and genetics on antler and body development in white-tailed deer.

Since 2009, the KWMA has been involved in research efforts focused on population monitoring and control of invasive feral pigs. This work demonstrated the need for captive facilities which allow for controlled experiments and testing of new tools and techniques. Today, the Kerr WMA Wild Pig Research Facility spans 311 acres and continues to host numerous collaborations in which government, academic, and private researchers conduct experiments in the name of wild pig control.

  The WMA boasts a diversity of wildlife typical of the Edwards Plateau, as well as healthy populations of more rare species. Bird watchers come from all over the world to see endangered/threatened songbirds such as the black-capped vireo and golden-cheeked warbler.  The Kerr WMA also supports a well managed, native deer herd which exhibits exceptional antler quality. The public can apply for hunting opportunities, drive through and tour the area on their own, or attend one of the scheduled tours and educational programs offered throughout the year.

Mason Mountain WMA

Located in the Llano Uplift, Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area (MMWMA) was a working exotic game ranch before TPWD acquired the tract in 1997. TPWD began reducing the exotic and native animal populations to desirable levels. Today, two species of resident exotics provide excellent opportunities to study the effects of African ungulates on local habitat, and interactions between exotic and native wildlife. Research projects have investigated diets of exotic species, deer breeding behavior, deer census techniques and the re-introduction of the javelina, Texas horned lizard, and black-tailed prairie dogs. 

The Area is situated on the boundary between the Central Mineral Region and the Edwards Plateau, and as such, a variety of wildlife habitats are represented. About two-thirds of the Area consists of granite derived soils supporting a community of post oak and blackjack oak. The remainder of the Area is dominated by live oak and Texas oak on limestone derived soils. The topography of the Area is rough, with steep canyons, caliche hills, and granite outcrops. Deer populations are maintained at approximately one deer to 12-15 acres, substantively lower than much of the Hill Country.

MMWMA provides both guided and unguided public hunting opportunity for native and exotic game. There is also 540 acres of public dove hunting land, planted with sunflower and other grains, that can be accessed with the Annual Public Hunting Permit (APH) throughout the Central Zone dove season. Educational programs are held periodically.

By: Johnny Arredondo

The purple martin is the largest North American swallow species. Males are a dark, glossy, purplish-blue color, hence the name “purple martin”, while females and juveniles are a grayish color. Like many other swallows, the purple martin has a distinguishable forked tail, long wings, and their flight consists of short glides and rapid flapping wings. They are skilled flyers as they dart to catch flying insects for food. They spend the winter months in South America and migrate to North America for breeding season in late-February to early-March, which is when they are commonly seen in the Texas Hill Country. After the nesting season ends, purple martins will gather in large flocks to begin their migration south to winter roosts, which is an attractant to many public viewers. Sometimes called “America’s back yard bird”, these birds have evolved to become reliant and accustomed to humans. Unlike other swallows that make their own nests, purple martins depend on humans to create nest sites for them. Before European settlement, native Americans hung up empty gourds to provide housing for purple martins and now they nest exclusively in man-made birdhouses in eastern North America as a result. Consider putting up a purple martin house in your backyard, and you can enjoy a close-up look at these engaging birds throughout the breeding season.