South Texas Plains Habitat Wildlife Management Areas

Roadrunner standing on prickly pear cactus

Roadrunner standing on
prickly pear cactus.

Three state-owned (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department) wildlife management areas in South Texas are under intensive management programs, where natural resource conservation is the focus. These wildlife management areas, Chaparral, James E. Daughtrey and Las Palomas WMA, are used as demonstration sites where the benefits of active management are witnessed, leaving a positive impact on a larger scale.

Results from research conducted on the wildlife management areas, particularly the Chaparral and Daughtrey WMAs, overwhelmingly indicate that a holistic approach to wildlife management is exceedingly beneficial to the ecosystem. These areas implement rotational grazing systems, prescribed burning, mechanical brush treatments, and controlled hunting to develop and maintain healthy ecosystems.

Following are the primary goals of South Texas Management Areas: