Section III. Timing Your Purchase and Improvements Does it make any difference when you buy your ranch, when you high fence a ranch, when you dig a new stocktank? In this section, I provide some suggestions as to when to implement your plans, either for buying or developing your new ranch. Ch. 3-1: When to […]
Acclimate That Fat Retriever
Time to get yourself, and your dog, in shape for Dove season.
Still Too Early to Shred
Saw this guy dart across the road on the Rockpile and drop into the first cover he hit. Still very young and, as you can see, still in the “freezing” mode. I drove up at took this pic leaning out the window and he never budged. So I ask my readers to hold off another […]
Spot Check of Habitat Conditions
In my travels this week, I have been from Castroville to Encino, down to Pearsall, back to Falfurrias, then out to D’hanis and of course to my small place south of Castroville. Key indicators I look for are native sunflower and croton. Overall conditions are very good and remain green although there are some dry […]
Chapter 2-4. Managing Whitetail Deer
Over the course of 35 years in the wildlife consulting business, I have seen management emphasis change from cow-calf operations with deer leasing as an adjunct to pure deer programs with no cows and the agricultural exemption from ad valorem taxes granted for wildlife management alone. Whitetail deer are big business in Texas, all over […]
Supplemental Feeding of Deer in Texas
Supplemental feeding of deer has come a long way. Use some simple steps to save money and increase effectiveness of your feed dollar.
Early Return of Cows to the Rockpile
Last summer I had the ‘guest cows’ removed early due to a lack of rain. Of course, it started raining soon thereafter and it was a wet winter. Ponds are still going around and there is a surplus of cured forage going to waste. What I hope to achieve is a reduction of surplus that […]
Ch. 2-3. Managing Vegetation.
I’m sure you’ve heard it said that nothing is constant in Nature. Your piece of Nature is no exception and is constantly changing, even though day to day it may appear to be the same. Some changes are relatively rapid, such as grass growing. Others are slower, such as the filling of a pond […]
Chapter 2-2. Developing Your Water Assets.
That living chunk of dirt with all its inhabitants that you just bought, now known as “The Ranch”, can get along for a time without food, but not without water. Certainly, rainfall will replenish moisture in the soil, which takes care of the amoebas, worms and insects. Others, like Bobwhites, snakes and javelina, get by […]
Chapter 2-1: What IS a Ranch?
Now that you own a ranch, what is a ranch, what is it you own? A ranch, be it 10 acres or 10,000 acres is a living machine. It takes in moisture and sunlight and converts them into food, food for animals, insects, and plants. Such a machine is known as an ecosystem. A square […]
