Chaparral WMA: Wildlife Viewing


Phone: (830) 676-3413
Address:
South Texas Ecosystem Project Office
64 Chaparral WMA Dr.
Cotulla, TX 78014

Contact: Whitney Gann, Project Leader

Dates Open:

General Public Use is allowed uninterrupted from April 1 through August 31 each spring and summer. Contact area manager for additional dates or special events. Public Hunts are available annually by special permit and annual permit.

Area Biologist: Diego Navarro and Lori Massey

Registration is required.

Wildlife Viewing

Wildlife Viewing Permitted

Viewing wildlife is an enjoyable activity that is available in many of the Wildlife Management Areas of Texas.

The nature trails offer the visitor access to 1,200 acres to visit by car, foot or bike. A wheelchair-accessible wildlife viewing tower is located at the waterhole on a stop on the nature tour. Brochures for the driving tour and the nature trails are available at the information kiosks at the area office and campground. Visitors are asked to register at the kiosks before starting on the trails. The trails have numbered stops and detailed descriptions of the surrounding habitat, wildlife and conservation management techniques used to maintain the ecosystem.

Predominant birds seen at the Chaparral are Cactus wrens, ground doves, pyrrhuloxias and roadrunners. The area is visited by a variety of migrating birds during the spring. Other species of birds identified visiting the Area are cardinals, red-winged blackbirds, Cassin's sparrow, Audubon's orioles, vermilion flycatchers, American kestrels, owls and greenjays.

Wild game native to the Chaparral WMA include white-tailed deer, javelina, feral hogs, coyotes, badgers, bobcats, doves, bobwhite and blue quail, jackrabbits and cottontail rabbits and can be observed during the non hunting season.

Four species on the Texas threatened list include the Texas tortoise, the Texas horned lizard, the reticulated collared lizard and the Texas indigo snake. Rattlesnakes are also native to this part of Texas and are usually active in late spring and early summer. Checklists for birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians are available at the headquarters office and at the kiosks.