Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

In 2006, a massive wildfire swept through Amarillo, covering over 900,000 acres of land.

Despite concerns of habitat loss, Texas Tech University researchers recently discovered that quail populations have rebounded quite well.

Basically what we found was in two years post fire, we had normal quail movement, normal nesting success and normal survival of hens.

Head researcher Dr. Brad Dabbert says the research shows biologists need to keep monitoring quail, but they don’t need to worry too much.

It helps us to understand that if wildfires do occur and are large scale that we don’t necessarily need to panic about long-term reductions in populations.

He says, in the some areas that have a lot of vegetation, controlled wildfires can create good quail habitat.

Quail are considered to like areas that do have some bare ground below the canopy of plants. They like the weeds that are encouraged by fire at the right time of year.

And controlled fires can also lessen the possibility of a wildfire. Still, wildfires can be hard to predict. Like much of nature, we’re constantly learning how to live with and manage them while keeping people and wildlife safe and sound.

That’s our show… we had research and writing help from Gretchen Mahan…the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program supports our series… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Amarillo Wildfires Four Years Later Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Flagler Ranch is 36 hundred acres of Texas Hill Country. Since George Matthews purchased it in 1992, he’s used an ecosystem management approach. Before his stewardship, the land had suffered 100 years of abuse.

03—As far as being overgrazed by cattle and sheep and goats.

Louis Scherer III manages Flagler Ranch, which he said, had too many white tail deer.

15—And through MLD3 permits, we have got the whitetails population down to one in twelve per acre. Since we’ve done that and the other management practices, our weight per animal, and antler growth has almost doubled.

Flagler Ranch is the 2010 Lone Star Land Steward eco-region award winner for the Edwards Plateau. Jerry Turrentine is a consulting biologist for the ranch.

17—We’re trying to integrate various techniques into an overall ranch management plan. We’re looking at food plots. We’re going to bring back some rare plants through some plantings. We’re going to do some reintroductions of forbes and grasses…we’re trying to be a learning area for other ranches in the plateau.

Water is vital in any ecosystem, and Joyce Moore with TPWD says Flagler Ranch has done an exemplary job of collecting it.

10—And so what the Flagler ranch has been doing, which is very innovative, is they’ve been placing these spreader dams along these drainages to capture every bit of rain that Mother nature does provide.

Learn about the Lone Star Land Steward Awards on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show; the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program supports our series… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

LSLS: Flagler Ranch Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Thanks to increased legislative appropriations for parks over the last two biennia, many state park sites will finally get the attention they deserve. Our state park guide, Bryan Frazier, is here to tell us more.

We’ve got Improvements and renovations at Goose Island SP, that’s a very popular park. Along the coast there, on the beach, those old picnic structures are really in need of repair and those are being repaired and fixed up.

Dangerfield SP is actually going to close for a little awhile, because it’s going to get almost a total face lift to its facilities, its campgrounds and things. And so I think people are really going to see some of their favorite parks and facilities and some of the jewels that we have be that much better—and their camping and hiking and fishing experiences will be that much more enjoyable.

Share your experiences at these parks with others when you log onto the Texas Parks and Wildlife Facebook fan page, at Facebook.com/texasparksandwildlife.

That’s our show…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

SP IMprovements: Polishing Park Jewels Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

The fall hunting forecast and feral hogs are two stories that loom large in the September issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine. Editor Louie Bond says another story not to be missed deals with some scary characters.

We have a great story this month from Mike Cox, who talks about cryptids; it’s a term for legendary and mythical creatures. Of course, usually we talk about real science here, and I must stress, this is probably more imaginary than anything else. But we do get a lot of calls about some of these creatures.

I learned about a new creature in this story called the Lechuza, which is found in South Texas—or supposedly found, I should say—part bird, part bruja, or witch. So, there’s a lot of really cool creatures, which hopefully you won’t encounter on your hunting trip.

The September issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine is on newsstands now.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TPW Magazine September Preview Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Even people without a computer know about YouTube, the online video sharing website where you can view videos of practically anything.

03—Our YouTube channel has almost 200 videos on it.

Whitney Bishop is a video and web producer who helps oversee Texas Parks and Wildlife’s social media efforts, including its YouTube channel.

08—We have videos on almost all of our state parks, so it you’re thinking of going to a state park in Texas, it’s a great place to go and check it out and see what the park looks like and what it has to offer.

The parks videos give visitors a sense of being there. And with 200 videos and growing, there’s bound to be something for every outdoor enthusiast.

08—We also have stories about hunting and fishing. We have breaking news stories. Like, we’ve been posting recently stories about the oil spill and what Texas parks and Wildlife is doing about it.

In addition to YouTube, you can keep up with Texas Parks and Wildlife via its Facebook fan page, and Twitter feeds.

13—If you’re on Twitter, then you do these 140 character tweets. And Texas Parks and Wildlife also has some Twitter feeds people can follow. And Twitter is kind of like just late breaking news as it’s happening. So, it’s a good way to keep up with what’s going on right at the moment.

Find links to all Texas Parks and Wildlife social media on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

YouTube & Texas Parks and Wildlife Play Now | Play in Popup | Download