Kinney County Ag/ Wildlife Newsletter

Transcription

1 TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE EXTENSION December 11, 2013 Kinney County Ag/ Wildlife Newsletter Kinney Co. Jr. Livestock Show Set for Jan , 2014 Stock Show Season is Almost Upon Us Volunteers, Support and Dona ons Needed The 59th Annual Kinney Co. Jr. Livestock Show is Set for Jan. 10th & 11th at the Kinney Co. Civic Center. We have 53 4-H & FFA youth with livestock projects this year. Some will only compete here at the County level while others will go on to represent Kinney Co. at Odessa, Kerrville, Ft. Worth, San Antonio, San Angelo, Houston & Austin. These projects require an enormous amount of money, time, feed, responsibility, hard work & dedication to complete. Please make plans to join us on the to watch the show & demonstrate our support for these youth & celebrate in their accomplishments. Following the completion of the show there will be a BBQ, Awards Ceremony, and The Premium Sale where both private and commercial donations help reward these kids for their efforts. Many of the youth will use these donations to fund their future projects or even help pay for college. In a small community like Brackettville & Ft. Clark Springs every donation counts. I also believe that those of us in the Agricultural community have a responsibility to support our youth in their 4-H & FFA endeavors to encourage the pursuit of careers in Agriculture. Agriculture is what helped build this great nation and the demands upon its resources are going to weigh heavily upon our future crop and livestock producers. If you would like to make a donation please contact the local Extension or drop by the Premium Sale on the 11th to bid yourself. We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at the show!

2 Page 2 Last Years Success at the Major Livestock Shows Kaili Price 6th FX Jeyson Price 8th Place FX Cooper Newsom 8th McKenzie Castillo 1st FX Jeyson Price 3rd MW Kaili Price 3rd Place FW Reserve Champion Carcass Lamb San Antonio Jeyson Price 3rd Class 2 FW Jeyson Price 1st Class 2 MW Cooper Newsom 1at Class 3 MW There were many other placing animals 1st Place MW at Kerrville, 2nd Place Goat-SA & FW, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th &10th place sheep and goats at San Angelo and Austin.

3 Page 3 NEW AG MECHANICS CONTEST Kinney Co. Jr. Livestock Show for 2014 This year will be the first year for our Ag Mechanics Contest. We have 11 entries, some individual and some team entries. Champion and Reserve will be able participate in the Premium Sale. There are some good projects this year and we hope that this will be the beginning of a successful program to encourage youth to learn skills in welding and woodworking. Please come on out and show your support for our youth. Contest will be on Friday Jan. 10th. It will be in the afternoon, exact time has not been determined. We are in need of support for both prize money and prizes for the winners if anyone is interested please contact the Extension or mobile. Many of these projects are being sponsored by someone. If there is something that you would like to have built for 2015, contact either David Edwards BISD Ag Science Teacher or David Price Kinney CEA and we might be able to assist you. ABOVE 2 BISD students working on a lamb and goat training crate. This piece of equipment is designed to train market lambs and goats to stand correctly Some EXAMPLES of some of the other projects that are being constructed this year are: 1. Large BBQ pit and smoker 8. Rocking Horse 2. Steak Cooker 9. Ornamental Roping Cowboy 3. Round Hay Bale Feeder 10. Ornamental Cross 4. Sheep and Goat Loading Chute 11. Lamb & Goat Crate 5. Raised Dog Kennel 6. Pipe Working Tool 7. Poultry Cage

4 Page 4 Quail Decline research awards announced Other state Initiative-funded activities are also ramping up Writer: Steve Byrns, , s-byrns@tamu.edu Contact: Dr. Jim Cathey, , jccathey@ag.tamu.edu COLLEGE STATION Texas A&M AgriLife is wasting no time in putting legislatively mandated dollars to work to find the cause of the widespread loss of wild quail across Texas, officials said. Quail research awards have been made and instructions given to the investigators, said Dr. Jim Cathey, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist and project leader for the Reversing the Quail Decline Initiative. Applied research proposals were submitted on Nov. 11, and award notifications made Dec. 2. Work on funded projects will be starting soon. The $2 million initiative over two years includes dedicated research efforts as well as targeted education for landowners. Cathey serves as the initiative lead and works closely with Dr. Dale Rollins, the statewide coordinator for all efforts related to addressing quail decline in Texas. Of the 13 projects funded, those involved represent elements of Texas A&M University System, as well as the University of North Texas, Texas Tech University and the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch. The bobwhite is an iconic game bird across much of the southeastern U.S., but populations have declined to record lows in most areas, even in the historical hot-spots like Texas. The Reversing the Quail Decline Initiative will deliver research and outreach to address the quails prospects in Texas. (Photo by R. D. Wilberforce). The funded projects include: work on fire ant control; a statewide Geographic Information Systems quail decline landscape model; works on aflatoxins relating to chronic low-level exposure, development of an easy to use aflatoxin detection method and control of aflatoxins; parasite treatments; soft-release of wild quail into new habitat; feral hog ramifications; quail genomics; insecticide impacts; and measuring the success of translocating bobwhites and scaled quail into their former ranges. We are also pleased that a statewide advisory committee for the quail initiative has been formed to provide leadership and coordination of educational outreach efforts and will hold their first face-to-face meeting at 10 a.m. Dec. 17 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in San Angelo, Cathey said. This committee is comprised of landowners, outfitters, AgriLife Extension agents, biologists and others with a keen awareness and concern relating to the quail decline issue. Cathey said their specific charges include organizing a statewide quail symposium in 2014, assisting in implementing Texas Quail Index demonstrations statewide, identifying desirable locations to host upcoming Quail Appreciation Days and providing ideas for research to enhance quail abundance. Several of AgriLife Extension s county agents across the state will be working to develop the Appreciation Days with Rollins and others, and will be participating in boots-on-the-ground quail demonstration work with local landowners. Also slated is the fifth annual Distinguished Lectureship in Quail Management, set for 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Jan. 10 at the Dallas Convention Center. The lectureship, which is free and open to the public, is being funded in part through the initiative. It is being held in conjunction with the Dallas Safari Club s annual convention. For more information on the lectureship, contact Rollins at d-rollins@tamu.edu or call Contact your local Extension Office if you are interested in the Quail Initiative or Hosting a Quail Appreciation

5 Page 5 Swift to join Texas A&M AgriLife center in Uvalde as regional program leader Posted: 14 Nov :09 AM PST UVALDE Todd Swift has been appointed the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service regional program leader for the agency s South Region. His responsibilities will include agriculture, natural resources and 4-H. Swift, who will begin his position Jan. 1, will be located at the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center in Uvalde, 1619 Garner Field Road. Todd Swift will be the new AgriLife Extension regional program leader for the agency s South Region. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo) He was previously AgriLife Extension county agent for agriculture and natural resources and the county coordinator for Blanco County, working from the AgriLife Extension office in Johnson City. He also served as an AgriLife Extension county agent for agriculture and 4-H in Llano and Runnels counties and was owner of The Planter Box Nursery, a retail nursery and lawn/landscaping business in Marble Falls. Swift has a bachelor s degree in animal science and master s degree in animal reproduction, both from Angelo State University in San Angelo. As regional program leader, Todd will provide leadership, support, and direction to AgriLife Extension agents in 41 counties in Districts 10 and 12, which cover southwestern and southern Texas, said Dr. Susan Ballabina, AgriLife Extension associate director for program development, College Station. He will also be responsible for acquiring resources and building partnerships to support program priorities. Ballabina added that Swift has continually demonstrated program excellence and has used the agency s program development process very effectively, resulting in high-impact programs in the counties where he has served. Todd is also known as someone with a strong work ethic and as a team player, she noted. In his AgriLife Extension career, Swift has developed numerous exhibits, written dozens of news releases and articles, composed or adapted various instructional program guides, given hundreds of agriculture and 4-H-related presentations, and has secured many grants and donations. He is a member of the Animal Industries state committee, serves on the AgriLife Extension District 10 Emeritus Committee, and served on AgriLife Extension s West Region Agriculture and Natural Resources Wildlife Program Team. He also has completed the Natural Resource Leadership Course and has won distinguished service awards from state and national agriculture associations. I hope my 20-plus years of programming expertise will benefit the agents and specialists in Districts 10 and 12, Swift said. I m looking forward to working with them and also working with the newly assembled AgriLife Extension leadership team for the South Region. -

6 Game Cameras Great for Multiple Uses Page 6 By David W. Price Kinney CEA/Ag-NR Typically when we think of game cameras, we think about getting a rare picture of that deer of a lifetime, that mature allusive white-tailed buck with points everywhere and moss growing on his antlers! And true, that is my primary purpose for any of my cameras but they are a valuable tool that can be used for so much more. Now when it comes to deer, cameras allow us to study a buck through the different stages of antler and body development and from different views and angles so that we can get a better handle on how mature he is before we pull the trigger. For Example: A vast majority of the hunters out there would grab their rifle and start blasting at this native 19 point buck but after close examination one can determine that he is at least 3.5 years of age and 4.5 years of age at the oldest. Also I know through 3 years of photo records that this is correct. This deer is incredible, but he needs at least a year or two more to mature and spread his genetics. There are a lot of things that can happen in the next year or two but if everything comes together right with maturity and nutrition this buck could be the new ranch record not to mention the genetic improvement to the herd. Another good use of a game camera is for locating predators (hogs, bobcats, coyotes, mountain-lions and in some parts of Kinney Co. even an occasional bear). Just the other day I was talking to someone about how I did not have hogs on our ranch and guess what the second picture on my game camera was? A hog bathing in the water trough. At another water trough I got a couple of pictures of what looks to be a young bobcat or a feral cross between a domestic cat and a bobcat. I don t have any hogs! Think again! I don t have any predators! Think Again!

7 Page 7 Cameras are also good for locating problem or missing livestock. That s a BIG spike eating my deer feed! There s that ram that I ve been missing! One of the best things that I ever put a game camera to use for was trying to catch a 2 legged VARMINT! You can use cameras for surveillance on roadways, entrances, deer feeders and blinds. Be sure to conceal them or the thief or poacher will just take your camera too or erase the picture that it took of him. A few years ago we had one of our hunters shooting deer illegally and doing so from other people s blinds. I set up a camera on the road going to a feeder where there was another big deer and 2 days later I got the individual on camera sneaking in there and we were able to remove him from the ranch and get all of the deer that were harvested illegally returned back to the ranch. This particular picture is just an example. Some other neat things about cameras are that they can help you do census counts, buck to doe ratios, fawn crop percentages or just catch some unique photos. Cisco dreaming of gathering! Turkeys! A doe & her twin fawns!

8 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Presentation on Aging & Managing Whitetails on the Hoof & The Effects of Predation by David W. Price Kinney CEA/Ag-NR Page 8 Would you shoot this 4.5 yr-9point? If Yes, You would have missed this Trophy 10 point I have been putting the final touches on a power point presentation based off deer management on our ranch here in Kinney Co. over the past 15 years. Hopefully I will have this available later. Currently I am able to give the presentation personally or to groups if anyone is interested. I gave the presentation to a group of hunters at a deer camp over Thanksgiving on Sat. evening outdoors on a big screen and they thought that it was very helpful in their decision making and educational to the young hunters. Although this season is coming to a close fairly soon, this presentation is still very helpful in making your management plans for the upcoming year and things that you need to consider going into January. I would be glad to come and give the presentation to any ranches or deer camps. *********************************************************** CEU s For those of you needing, CEU s (Continuing Education Units) for your pesticide applicators licenses, I want to APOLOGIZE because I have failed you in that regard. Partially because of lack of training and availability. We do have the option of providing some CEU s through online trainings here at the office but for lack of an available computer it is difficult. We are working to fix that so that there will be an opportunity for CEU s online and we will try to keep you informed of local opportunities as well as those in adjacent counties.

9 Page 9 FUTURE LEADERS LIVESTOCK LIVESTOCKMANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT HORTICULTURE WILDLIGE MANAGEMENT NATURAL RESOURCE MGT. Give us a call if we can be of service to you or if you d like to see any topics of particular interest included in the newsletter. WE WOULD LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE A MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! David W. Price Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent-Kinney Co. Phone: Fax: Mobile: David.Price@agnet.tamu.edu Kathryn Letsinger Administrative Assistant Phone: kcletsinger@ag.tamu.edu Come See Us! Check us out on the web Educational Programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension For More Up to Date Information and ImService are open to all people without regard to race, color, portant Upcoming Workshops and Projects, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin. LIKE us on Facebook at Kinney AgriLife Exten-