The ranching community has been forced to adapt to changing market pressures in recent years, often creating a blend between traditional livestock and farming practices and fee-based wildlife programs.
Category
Habitat
Expert advice and insights for managing habitat on your land, property and land improvements, habitat for wildlife and more.
How to Create a Tame Backyard Space
Mother Nature is already an excellent designer, making it easy to choose plants for your land, besides what nature already offers. Here are some suggestions on how to choose plants for your land.
Ben Holt - March 1, 2019
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How to Choose Plants for Your Land
Mother Nature is already an excellent designer, making it easy to choose plants for your land, besides what nature already offers. Here are some suggestions on how to choose plants for your land.
Meredith Hale - February 22, 2019
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Living with Wildfire
If you’re a landowner in a wildfire-prone area, it’s important to be aware of what you can do to reduce the risk of catastrophic loss and promote natural resource recovery in the event a fire does strike.
Backyard Conservation: Endangered Species & the Role Landowners Play
About half the species listed as endangered or threatened have the majority of their habitat on private lands, giving landowners an essential role in their conservation. Here’s a look at some of the federal programs in place to assist and incent landowners to contribute to species preservation.
Preserving America’s Great Spaces: Montana’s American Prairie Reserve
The Great Plains is a landscape that has been valued by humans for centuries, from the Native Americans who inhabited it to the artists, explorers and fur trappers who marveled at its wildlife bounty. Since the 19th century, a variety of efforts have been undertaken to ensure that America’s Great Plains remains intact for future generations.
Guide to Native Plants of the Mountain West
The Mountain West is a region of majesty and beauty. The wide mountain range lends to native plants that can survive in adverse conditions. The following native plants of the Mountain West can be seen in various habitats and do well in area gardens and landscapes.
Stephanie Smith - February 28, 2018
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Guide to Native Plants of the Southwest
If you live in the American Midwest or Southwest, you are surely no stranger to the difficulties of trying to maintain a luscious, verdant garden. It can be incredibly hot and dry, making it tough to cultivate many strands of ornamental plants.
Emily Higgins - February 21, 2018
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Guide to Native Plants of the Southeast
Noticing native wild plants in your area, and then choosing them for your own garden, is a great way to make sure your outdoor space looks great year round. Here are three selections for the Southeastern states of North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
Timothy Johnson - February 14, 2018
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Don’t Shoot!: How Small Critters Improve the Country Lifestyle
Few people feel that small mammals like skunk, opossum and armadillo improve country lifestyle; but before you load the shotgun or set the trap, let’s look at what these animals contribute.
Winter Wheat: Texas’ Best All-Around Wildlife Food Plot
Wheat that is planted with a grain drill provides beneficial interstitial spacing of plants, thus enhancing the foraging navigation for small birds, such as dove and quail.
How to Manage Your Habitat for Quail Sustainability
One of the most avid and dedicated group of hunters in the entire state of Texas are those that pursue quail. Often their most cherished possession is one or more good dogs that flush coveys and retrieve birds after they have been shot. Addicted quail hunters will freely spend money to support their habit.
How to Create Sustainable Habitat for Big Game Production
This article is adapted from a presentation by Texas Tech’s Dr. Warren Conway on “Sustainable Rangelands for Big Game Production and Habitat Management.”
Save Our Trees!: The Plight of the Eastern Hemlock
Got hemlocks? Look out for these special trees on your land. The hemlock is under threat from an invasive insect species that has particularly taken hold throughout the eastern United States.
Grazing as a Habitat Management Tool
Ruben Cantu and Greg Simons of Wildlife Consultants offer an overview of the benefits of livestock and game grazing to improve ranch and farm habitat.
The Value of Restoration: A TWA Topic
Linda Campbell and husband David Mahn headed west, searching for a ranch they could manage for quail, which meant buying in either South Texas or West Texas. They had a budget, a wish list—and a vision.
How to Optimize Habitat on Your Land
There is a subtle, but critical difference between optimizing habitat and maximizing habitat.
How to Manage Brush on Your Land & Rural Property
Written by Greg Simons and Ruben Cantu, Wildlife Biologists | Wildlife Consultants, Inc. “Measure twice, cut once” is good advice for carpenters—and for landowners who are considering brush management. Unlike mown grass that can spring back within days, brush-based habitat can take years to recover from overzealous or poorly planned brush removal. Before you cut, define your objective: […]
Habitat Management Practices for Wildlife Valuation
While agricultural tax valuation is fairly common, Texas landowners have a unique opportunity to qualify for wildlife management valuation.
How to Manage Small Habitats on Your Land
Just as there are creatures great and small, there are habitats great and small. Landowners, regardless of the size of their holdings, can make a difference for wildlife by improving the habitat.
