Harvest Strategies
(This article was previously published on www.whitetaildomains.com)
Posted November 27, 2009)
Traveling through south Texas this last week I couldn’t help but marvel at the splendor of what rainfall can do for the parched earth. The brush country looks as good as you will ever see it. The timing of the abundant October rains has blessed us with tall green grass, trees in full foliage and brush popping with new bright green growth reminiscent in color of the chartreuse lures in your tackle box. Recent rains have greened up food plots. And as if that isn’t enough…..the cool nights have brought on the growth of winter weeds forming a perfect blanket of salad greens that is unparalleled in palatability, digestibility, and nutrition. Yes, these are good times.
I spent the last four days hunting with a guest and have had the opportunity to study the herd up close and personal. The bucks have added that layer of fat that is so crucial in helping them to survive the approaching rut. I believe that we are already guaranteed a better antler growing year next year than we have had in several years, as we have not had a sufficient crop of winter weeds in as many years. The does are also in good shape. Groundcover is abundant and ready for the next fawning season. And speaking of fawns…well…there are very few.
As good as things are right now, we must remember that 60 days ago we were still struggling to escape the grasp of the worst drought in recorded history. Yes, things are good, but we still have to live with and manage our way through the adverse effects of the harsh weather pattern that we have experienced for the last three years. Yes, we did have some rainy spells, but even when we did get the rains, the timing has been all wrong until now. We need to remember the past in order to manage for the future.
I realize that there may be huge variances in statistics from your area, but the areas that I am most familiar with have had fawn crops of approximately 45%, 55% and 15% over the last three years, with 15% being this years’ average. The long term averages should run 50% - 60% on ranches specifically managed for wildlife, if not better. I know the first two years don’t sound too bad, but consider that we have had only average or well below average fawn production for three years and above average post rut mortality during that time due to environmental factors. The net result is that most ranches have fewer mature bucks and fewer replacements than we have seen in a long time. Each property needs to analyze their own set of statistics, but I would say that this is true of most places.
I have shared a few campfires recently and have listened in on many conversations regarding these issues. We have cussed and discussed every different angle that comes to mind. Now is the time to see the glass as half full! We as managers and stewards of the land and wildlife have an excellent opportunity at hand. We need to recognize the fact that we can have a huge impact on our herd dynamics this year. I know of many ranches that have not been able to catch up with their populations. I frequently hear concerns about how many does have been harvested on a particular place and the surveys seem about the same no matter what they do. This is not the year to back off, this is the year to go for the throat and get your numbers under control. This is a catch up year !
A healthy dose of heavy harvesting will provide meat for the table, and will offer then remaining herd a better habitat. What about the bucks? Well, unless you are running a feedlot, your antler production is off. There are and always will be exceptions to the rule, but on average antler production is off across the spectrum. It would definitely be a good idea to preserve your trophies and hope for an antler rebound next year….and pray for rain.
“But wait”, you’re thinking, “he just said this was the year to catch up”? Exactly. It is the year to catch up, but catch up with overall numbers by removing the undesirables, use your buck tags on culls and give the trophies a pass. Toss this idea around with your family, ranch or lease partners and give it some thought. Analyze your numbers of male, female and overall numbers. Decide how many of each would be the ideal number, and shoot down to that number. Protect only the best representatives of each sex. Harvest does by age, shooting the oldest first and saving only the youngest. Harvest bucks by removing the worst representatives of each class, thus saving the best. Make this your year to be a true manager and not just a hunter. Make this the year to focus on quality. I promise this is an excellent year to have a drastic effect on your herd. Take advantage of this opportunity, it will pay dividends for years to come !
'Tis the Season
(This article was previously published on www.whitetaildomains.com)
Well folks here we go again. The dog days of summer are upon us. It’s hotter than the lower regions. I can’t remember the last conversation that didn’t begin with some mention of the lack of rain. Heck, the cactus is even beginning to wonder if it settled in the right region. Holy smokes! This is downright miserable. And that darn whistle, I’m about to crawl out the window and go choke that high school football coach if he doesn’t stop blowing that …
FOOTBALL ?? Wait a minute. Football season, Friday night lights, late night drives to the ranch, dove season, DOVE SEASON! THIS IS IT! It’s our favorite time of year guys!!
I visited Rick down the hall yesterday and he was telling me about his trip to pick up his retriever from his fall brush-up with the trainer (all the while admiring his new ATV gun rack that had just been dropped off by the UPS driver). Scott called last week to extend an invitation to his annual dove opener party. Macy even called yesterday to let me know that he had my MLD tags.
Yes,’tis the season, and as usual the phones have started ringing with more frequency, as it always does this time of year. The telephone at my real estate office is as much the barometer for the ranch market as the ticker tape is for the New York Stock Exchange. We are always slower during the summer months and as the outdoorsman population shifts from summer vacations and fishing, and starts thinking about football, dove season and trail cameras, then the phone starts ringing off the wall. It would be an exaggeration to say that this is just like previous years; we all know it is not. So what is the ranch market doing this year?
We have definitely made a huge role reversal from a sellers market to a buyers market. There are many more ranches on the market than we have seen in quite a few years. It now feels like ages ago, but it was only about 18 months ago when the only properties that lasted any time on the market were just the undesirable tracts of running mesquite and/or the “moon properties” that had been so abused and overgrazed that they looked like the moon. I regularly read the farm and ranch listings in the local newspaper and I see brokers advertising some of the same properties that they were advertising one or even two years ago. But don’t be fooled by that, the market has evolved, and there are some GREAT ranches on the market.
I know that many of you have been leasing hunting properties for many years and have always dreamed about the day when you would get off that lease and purchase your own ranch. I have even read some threads on WHITETAIL DOMAINS about people who have done so recently. Please believe me when I say NOW IS THE TIME ! It has been a very long time since there have been so many quality ranches on the market. Values have declined in many areas and asking prices are lower than we have seen in years, and ranches are starting to move.
So maybe this is the year, maybe it’s your turn. Imagine not having to worry about Tony capping that 10 pointer that you passed on. Or maybe you are the guy who always has to harvest all the does because the other guys never get it done. And just maybe you would rather spend your ranch weekend relaxing with your wife and children or mother or father or just whoever you chose. I don’t know…..just thinking.
Shed Antler Time is Here
While spending the past couple of days in Webb County, I visited with a couple of chopper pilots in that area who reported that from 10% to 50% of bucks have shed their antlers, depending on the ranch and various herd conditions. Personal experience over the years has shown that deer in Webb County generally shed around the end of March. It appears as though the drought has put so much stress on the bucks that they are going into survival mode and shedding early. I spent some time checking feeder pens and in the process saw about 20 bucks, all wearing both antlers still. We were lucky in a sense that our herd has been greatly reduced and thus we have been able to maintain decent body conditions. Now is an excellent time to assess your herd health, if your deer are shedding unusually early then it might be a good idea to further trim your herd next year. It is always best to manage for bad times such as these!! Good Luck.
Mark
Posted on February 1, 2008
Here is a picture of a quail that is apparently an F1 cross between a blue quail and a bobwhite. It was harvested on the Alta Mira Ranch in Duval County. They are fairly rare and I understand that most of them don't survive to maturity because of some mixed-up survival instincts. Interesting picture though. If anyone has a better picture of one I would like to see it!!!!
Posted on November 9, 2006
On November 1st , I attended the second formal meeting of the SOUTH TEXAN'S PROPERTY RIGHTS ASSOCIATION (STPRA). The STPRA is a new organization made up of landowners and others who are concerned about property rights issues in our region. The topics addressed at this meeting included water rights, eminent domain, trespassing/ illegal immigration, and landowner indemnity. As a landowner I was immediately impressed with this organization and standing in line with my check and membership form in hand. If you are a landowner, prospective landowner, lessee or just interested in learning more about issues involving property owner rights then you owe it to yourself to pull up www.stpra.org. I know you will be impressed and will probably get in line yourself !!! |
