Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Prairie dogs live in connected underground burrows called “towns,” which have been known to cover up to 1,000 acres of land!

These colonies are divided into social groups usually consisting of one male, up to four females, and offspring less than two years of age.

Pat Bales, San Angelo State Park Assistant Superintendent, says the animals are active only in daylight hours.

They’re most active during the cool hours of the day, during that time they’ll engage in the social activities- visiting, grooming, as well as feeding of grasses and herbs. And normally whenever they are out feeding like that, they’ll have a sentry and they’ll have a lookout.

And down in the burrow itself, they’ll have little compartments where they can sleep, where they can feed.

Prairie dogs were indigenous to the San Angelo area, but various factors drastically reduced their population. But thanks to dedicated dog lovers – they’re back.

Actually, we have 2 towns- we’ve established one on the north side and south side of the park.

And you’re invited to take a Prairie Dog Tour at San Angelo SP on Saturday, August 4th. The program is free with park entrance fee. Find details at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show for today…with research and writing help from Loren Seeger…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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August 4, 2007 — San Angelo SP — Prairie Dog Tour — Prairie Dogs once numbered in the tens of millions and ranged throughout the entire plains regions of the central United States. Park interpreter will guide you to a Prairie Dog town, interpret facts and tell the story of these little engineering marvels who had a symbiotic relationship with other animals and helped shape the landscape of the Great Plains. Meet at the South Shore Gatehouse. 10-11:30 a.m. (325) 949-4757.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Wildlife Restoration Program

Acquiring outdoors knowledge and skills need not be painful or joyless. Steve Hall is Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Director of Education.

One of our most popular topics is outdoor survival and first aid. And of course that can apply to a camper, a mountain biker, a boater, what have you. We have a wealth of programs in education and outreach for anybody who just wants to learn more about safety, the outdoors, shooting sports.

So we have other types of programs and other audiences that we try to reach in those cases.

Find more information about outdoor educational opportunities on our website at passporttotexas.org.

While you’re there, click on the tab for Outdoor Stories and share your favorite memory of time spent in the great Texas outdoors.

That’s our show…made possible by the Wildlife Restoration program… helping to increase hunting and shooting opportunities in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Wildlife Restoration program

Hunting licenses go on sale next month. And if you’re a new hunter, or new to Texas, taking a hunter education class will prepare you for the seasons ahead.

Hunter education teaches hunting safety, skills and responsibility. And mandatory hunter education, taught over the course of a weekend, became law in 1988.

Steve Hall, Parks and Wildlife’s Director of Education, says hunter education is the first step in a lifelong pledge to safety and sportsmanship.

Hunter education is actually targeting those aged 12 through 16 years of age. And that’s kind of the way the law is designed. It’s to try to get them early enough in their hunting process to make a difference.

So we help them to understand safety first of all, but also their image. And that’s the kind of thing we try to teach.

Hunter education classes are ongoing statewide. Find classes near you by visiting our passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…made possible by the Wildlife Restoration program… helping to increase hunting and shooting opportunities in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Hummingbirds are small, colorful and fast. Mark Klym, Hummingbird Roundup coordinator for Texas Parks and Wildlife, offers additional interesting tidbits about this bird.

Most hummingbirds, their wing speed, at about 70 to 72 beats per second. And people just can’t imagine that –moving your arms at 72 times a second [admit it, you flapped your arms]. They can also hover. They can fly backward, which not many birds can do. Once they find a feeder they are very aggressive at keeping other birds out. And mostly during migration season. And the reason for that is if you just walked 25-hundred miles you’d be very protective of your food source, too.

Being a fast flyer does not keep this creature out of harm’s way. Klym says it is interesting to note that the biggest threats to hummingbirds include clean windows and cats…but the threats do not stop there.

Hummingbirds have a lot of other predators. Praying mantis – people don’t think of them as a threat to a hummingbird but they will certainly take a hummingbird. Spiders will take a hummingbird. Snakes, roadrunners, wrens…there’s a number of species that will take a hummingbird. Of course, other than your front window and the cats, most of them, the hummingbirds have evolved around and so they will usually escape.

We have links to more information about hummingbirds on our website. Visit us at: passorttotexas.org.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

While the mockingbird might be the official state bird of Texas, every July it’s the hummingbird that earns a place of distinction in the state.

July is usually the start of our hummingbird migration when we’ve got thousands of ruby throated hummingbirds heading this way from the northern regions.

Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Mark Klym heads up the annual Hummingbird Roundup Survey in Texas, where some 18 different species of hummingbirds have been documented.

The round-up really provides us with information about the hummingbird population here in Texas and gives us an idea of where they’re being found.

While the bird count takes place year-round, the birds are more prevalent in the state from July to October.

This would be a good time to start looking at possibly increasing your number of feeders if you have a yard that is going to be actively used by hummingbirds…the best way to get hummingbirds in your yard is to prepare a good hummingbird garden. Lots of plants that will feed the birds, salvias, Turks cap, trumpet vine.

Take part in the annual Hummingbird Roundup and receive your own survey kit…find out how… when you visit passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show for today. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti

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