Eye on Nature - Texas Parks and Wildlife E-Newsletter

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Spring 2009          A publication of the Wildlife Division—Getting Texans Involved

Habitips

April

  • Monitor grazing program to provide nesting cover and plant diversity.
  • Continue controlling feral hogs through hunting or trapping.
  • Clean and store prescribed burning equipment.
  • Develop a checklist of birds you see in various habitats.
  • Clean your hummingbird feeders every three to four days.
  • Continue to trap brown-headed cowbirds.
  • Protection of roost sites is essential in areas with limited numbers of large roost trees. Turkeys like a lot of open space adjacent to roost sites for.
  • March, April and May are prime wildflower blooming

May

  • Leave some unharvested winter crops next to edges of field.
  • Monitor grazing program to provide nesting cover and plant diversity.
  • Prepare ground and plant summer food plots.
  • Clean your hummingbird feeders every three to four days.
  • Monitor wildlife food plots. High-protein foods in May and June are critical to good antler growth.
  • Continue controlling feral hogs through hunting or trapping.
  • Cowbird trapping season ends May 31. Report all trapping data to TPWD.
  • After dispersal of wintering flocks, juniper and mid-story hardwoods should be thinned adjacent to roost sites when they become too dense to provide for open space from the ground to tree branches where turkeys roost.
  • Begin fire ant control as daytime temperatures reach 85 degrees.

June

  • Monitor grazing program to provide nesting cover and plant diversity.
  • Continue to control feral hogs through hunting or trapping.
  • Leave some unharvested winter crops next to edges of field.
  • Before mowing, walk through hay meadows in order to reduce wildlife mortality, and consider leaving unmowed strips.
  • Do not mow wildflowers until the seedpods have matured. Mowing at the proper time will ensure reseeding for a good crop for following years.
  • Make sure summer wildlife water sources are operable.
  • Clean your hummingbird feeders every three to four days.

July

  • Monitor/fluctuate water levels in wetland areas.
  • Monitor grazing program to provide nesting cover and plant diversity.
  • Continue to control feral hogs through hunting or trapping.
  • Provide supplemental water for wildlife as necessary.
  • Complete wetland dike repairs as needed.
  • Defer grazing in some pastures to ensure ade­quate nesting cover for ground-nesting birds next spring.
  • Start planning for fall youth hunts to assist in reaching wildlife management population goals.
  • Clean your hummingbird feeders every three to four days


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