Fall 2013 A publication of the Wildlife Diversity Program—Getting Texans Involved
Habitips
In General
- Monitor grazing pressure on rangelands and move livestock accordingly
- Continue controlling feral hogs
- Preserve brushy fence rows, shelterbelts and critical wildlife cover by fencing
- Order survey kits for Texas Nature Tracker programs such as Hummingbird Roundup and Texas Horned Lizard Watch
November
- Monitor use and condition of key vegetation going into winter
- Move livestock off of fall food plots for wildlife
- Order spring-planted annual seedlings
- Construct brush piles needed for winter cover
- Begin developing winter prescribed burn plans
- Disk fire lanes as needed
- Clean up leaf litter within your firewise defensive zone
December
- Prepare fireguards for prescribed burning program
- Disk in proximity to woody cover to provide habitat interspersion for game birds
- Get prescribed burn equipment ready
- Strip disk to encourage native food resources
- Focus on providing travel lanes and cover for birds
January
- Prepare fireguards for prescribed burning program
- Disk in proximity to woody cover to provide habitat interspersion for game birds
- Get prescribed burn equipment ready
- Strip disk to encourage native food resources
- Focus on providing travel lanes and cover for birds
February
- Conduct prescribed burns as needed
- Begin planting annual seedlings-perennials should be planted in fall
- Monitor turkey flocks
- Conduct mechanical brush control as needed
- Disk wetland areas to encourage moist soil plants as needed
- Look for early spring wildflower blooms-mostly gold colored flowers
- Hummingbird migration begins
- Repair and install nestboxes for the nesting season
March
- If trained begin trapping brown-headed cowbirds
- Plant native grasses, forbs and legumes
- Conduct prescribed burns as needed
- Watch for developing wildflower blooms
- De-water flooded areas to encourage wetland vegetation
April
- Monitor grazing to provide nesting cover and plant diversity
- Clean and store prescribed burn equipment
- Develop a checklist of birds you see in various locations-note habitat use
- Continue trapping brownheaded cowbirds if trained
- Protect turkey roosts in areas with limited numbers of large trees
- Continue monitoring wildflower blooms
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744
