Join the Harvey WMA

Word is spreading about the wildlife habitat management activities, workshops, field days, and social events of the Harvey WMA. Landowners and leaseholders of properties in eastern Brazos County are visiting this site and benefiting from the information they find. If you own property or lease land for hunting or grazing in eastern Brazos County or along the Navasota River in Grimes County and would like to join the efforts of the Harvey WMA in maintaining and improving wildlife populations and wildlife habitats, contact us for a membership application. Join more than 40 owners and managers of more than 16,000 acres of land in Brazos County as they work together to improve bottomland and upland habitats for the benefit of white-tailed deer, waterfowl, song bird, and other important wildlife populations. Dues are $25/year. Membership includes a gate sign, invitations to meetings, field days, and social events, and the satisfaction of belonging to group that is making a difference for wildlife along the Navasota River. E-mail harveywma@gmail.com for a membership application today!

$1 Million to Control Feral Hogs in Texas

Some of you saw the news release yesterday announcing that for the FY 2008-2009 biennium, Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) was appropriated $1 million for a two-year grant program to fund a long-term statewide feral hog abatement strategy. Texas is home to nearly 2 million feral hogs, the largest feral hog population in the U.S., most of which reside in East Texas. Their numbers are continuing to increase because of their high reproductive potential and the lack of natural predators. In 2006-2007, TDA funded a pilot study through Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University to assess feral hog damage to crops, evaluate current control efforts, and measure economic impact. The results were then distributed to landowners and the general public through workshops and field days. The specifics of how the additional $1 million received by TDA will be spent in FY '08-09 has not been determined or released. However, it is likely that most of this money will be used by Texas AgriLife Extension's Wildlife Services unit to implement strategies for controlling and reducing feral hog populations. During the pilot study, Extension personnel selected landowners/ranchers to participate in the eradication portion of the study. To my knowledge, there is still no formal application process for local landowners who wish to have assistance with feral hog removal. However, if you would like more information on the next 2 years of the feral hog abatement project, contact Michael Bodenchuk with the Texas AgriLife Extension's Wildlife Services at (210) 472-5451.

For more information on the feral hog ecology, economic and ecologic impacts, control methods, etc. I recommend the following websites.
http://feralhog.tamu.edu/
http://wildlife.tamu.edu/publications/B6149FeralHogs_low.pdf
http://wild-wonderings.blogspot.com/2008/03/feral-hog-facts.html
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0195.pdf

May Link of the Month

In an effort to keep everyone coming back to the Harvey WMA blog site and keep WMA members informed of the latest information, I will periodically post on this site. At times, I will write "articles" on various topics. Once a month, I will also introduce you to a new link that contains information I think you will be interested in. This month, the link I'm recommending you all visit is the Spring 2008 edition of Texas Parks and Wildlife's Eye on Nature Newsletter. Click on the title of this posting to read the newsletter in its entirety. The Eye on Nature newsletter is published by the wildlife diversity program that Matt Wagner, my predecessor, now oversees. In this issue you will discover the key to great wildlife habitat, learn the differences between native and invasive plant species and effects of each on various wildlife species, read a narrative describing the development of Texas Parks and Wildlife's Private Lands Assistance Program which allows me to work individually with you on the management of your properties, and read short descriptions of native plants such as American beautyberry, wax myrtle, rusty blackhaw viburnam, hackberry, post oak, and mistletoe which provide valuable food and cover for some of your favorite wildlife. I strongly recommend that you follow the link in the title of this post and spend about 10-15 minutes reading the articles in this newsletter. Be sure to check the Eye on Nature Newsletter link on the right column of the blog to see past and future editions of the newsletter.