Fall 2015 A publication of the Wildlife Diversity Program—Getting Texans Involved
Habitips
In General
- Monitor grazing pressure on rangeland and move livestock accordingly
- Continue controlling feral hogs
- Preserve brushy fencerows, shelterbelts and critical wildlife habitat by fencing
- Order survey kits for Texas Nature Trackers programs such as the Texas Hummingbird Roundup
- Report observations using Texas Nature Trackers or iNaturalist smart phone apps.
November
- Monitor use and condition of key vegetation going into the winter
- Move livestock off of fall food plots for wildlife
- Order spring planted annual seedlings
- Construct brush piles needed for winter shelter
- Begin developing winter prescribed burn plans
- Disk fire lanes as needed
- Clean up leaf litter within your firewise defensible zone
December and January
- Prepare fire guards for prescribed burning program
- Disk in proximity to woody cover to provide habitat interspersion for birds
- Get prescribed burn equipment ready
- Strip disk to encourage native food resources
- Focus on providing travel lanes and cover for birds
Mid December to Early January
- Conduct winter bird surveys
February
- Conduct prescribed burns according to prescription
- Begin planting annual seedlings—perennials should be planted in the fall
- Monitor turkey flocks
- Control brush manually as needed
- Disk wetland areas to encourage moist soil plants as needed
- Look for early blooming wildflowers—mostly gold colored blooms
- Hummingbird migration begins
- Repair and install nest boxes for the nesting season
March
- Plant native grasses, forbs and legumes
- Conduct prescribed burns according to prescription
- Watch for developing wildflower blooms
- De-water flooded areas to encourage wetland vegetation
April
- Monitor grazing to provide cover and encourage plant diversity
- Clean and store prescribed burn equipment
- Develop a checklist of birds you see in various locations—note habitat use
- Continue trapping Brown-headed Cowbirds
- Protect turkey roosts in areas with limited numbers of tall trees
- Continue monitoring wildflower blooms
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744
