Bio-Diversity Gulleys for Grassland Restoration #9: Harvesting Water in Steep Canyons Restoring the Southwest’s desert grasslands takes water. Most ranches treat eroding gulleys and roads – and their stormwater runoffs – as liabilities. In fact these are potential water assets on every ranch. This little diversion dam harvests water from a steep desert canyon and returns it to water-starved meadows, restoring upstream
Newsletter Restoring Biodiversity - 2/15/2022 Articles Quoting the article above, “Buying a house in cattle country and complaining about cattle is like buying a house in a nudist colony and complaining that people don’t wear clothes.” After a decade, scientists are getting close to bringing back the massive wild cattle. Videos Young fox kits
Cattle ‘Oh, I’ll Keep ‘em Out’ Quoting the article below, “Buying a house in cattle country and complaining about cattle is like buying a house in a nudist colony and complaining that people don’t wear clothes.” NOTE: this article was originally published to PERC.com’s Winter 2021 Newsletter (Volume 40). It was written by
"Invasion Biology" The Once-Extinct Aurochs May Soon Roam Europe Again According to the article below, restoring large wild grazers like bison and aurochs (wild giant cattle) will enhance the health of European forests. Quoting the authors, “By disrupting forest growth, these mammals created varied terrain, all the while fertilizing the ground and distributing seeds with their droppings. The natural disturbance
"Invasion Biology" Gulleys for Grassland Restoration #5: Upper Pennel Canyon at Circle Ranch Using a mountain gulley for erosion control and desert grassland restoration at Circle Ranch in far-West Texas. NOTE: this post was originally published to this site on August 14, 2017. This little dam took 45-minutes to build.
Newsletter Restoring Biodiversity - 2/8/2022 Articles “The more elk that live on private land, the more their populations grow.” Montana’s Paradise Valley is known to many as the home of rancher John Dutton in the hit television series “Yellowstone.” But for those of us who live in southwestern Montana, Paradise Valley is known for
food safety Shane Mahoney Speech on the Wild Harvest Initiative Shane Mahoney discusses the Wild Harvest Initiative, a landmark study to compile and analyze data relating to the significant amount of food that comes from non-commercial fishing and hunting in North America. It additionally, considers the resources that would be required to replace this wild harvest.
Bio-Diversity Giving Greater Yellowstone’s Elk More Room to Roam Quoting the article below, “The more elk that live on private land, the more their populations grow.” NOTE: this article was originally published to PERC.org on December 6, 2021. It was written by Shawn Regan. This special edition of PERC Reports uses the hit television show “Yellowstone’s” portrayals
Bio-Diversity Using an Eroded Gulley to Recreate a Wet Meadow This video, #8, is a companion piece to #3 in the series. It shows how Fred’s Dam works during a rain, how the redirected water has created a seasonal wet meadow, what is happening to the water as it exits the wet meadow, and how that water might be
Newsletter Restoring Biodiversity - 2/1/2022 Articles As reported below, 98% of the animals in one of Wyoming’s deer herds have Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Infection rates like these will soon make Wyoming, Montana and Idaho the national leaders of the epidemic. Obvious ways to control CWD include stopping practices such as winter feeding that
Chronic Wasting Disease Scientists to Study ‘Walking-Dead’ Deer in Wyoming’s Most CWD-Infected Herd As reported below, 98% of the animals in one of Wyoming’s deer herds have Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Infection rates like these will soon make Wyoming, Montana and Idaho the national leaders of the epidemic. Obvious ways to control CWD include stopping practices such as winter feeding that everyone
"Invasion Biology" The Real-World Conflicts in Yellowstone Can Be Solved by Markets, Not Drama “Founded in 1980 by a handful of outdoor-oriented economists in Bozeman, Montana, PERC—the Property and Environment Research Center—is a conservation and research institute dedicated to free market environmentalism NOTE: this PERC article was originally published to Reason.com on January 22, 2022. It was written by Shawn Regan
Newsletter Restoring Biodiversity - 1/25/2022 Articles Giant sturgeon, the only source of true caviar, were once abundant in America’s rivers. Two hundred years ago, the Hudson, Delaware and other eastern US rivers were the main suppliers of caviar for Europe. During those years, the Russian Czars maintained agents in New York to buy Hudson
Animal Migration BARRIERS Mule deer, elk and other hooved mammals around the world depend on their ability to migrate between seasonal habitats. Sadly, human activities are impeding migrations and making them harder than ever. Many herds are struggling to migrate in the face of subdivisions, roads, fences, and all kinds of development. Yet,
biologists Culling Bucks for Genetic Improvement: Fact or Fallacy? As explained in the article below, deer culling does not improve deer genetics, therefore, it does not increase the antler size of the remaining bucks in the herd as many people believe—and desire. Stated differently, culling, the most-employed practice of deer “management” for the last 40 years not only
Bio-Diversity Gulleys for Grassland Restoration #4: Los Cuates Canyon at Circle Ranch Gulleys for Grassland Restoration #4: Los Cuates Canyon discusses specific gulley problems and treatments in a mountain canyon at Circle Ranch in far-West Texas. It is one of a series that demonstrates how to remedy eroded roadbeds and gulleys: returning water to grasslands and plants, using natural rainfall to irrigate
Idaho fish Idaho Biologists Catch and Release Three 10-Foot, 500-Plus Pound Sturgeon Giant sturgeon, the only source of true caviar, were once abundant in America’s rivers. Two hundred years ago, the Hudson, Delaware and other eastern US rivers were the main suppliers of caviar for Europe. During those years, the Russian Czars maintained agents in New York to buy Hudson River
Newsletter Restoring Biodiversity - 1/18/2022 Articles Grizzly bears are not “endangered” as that term is defined by the Endangered Species Act. But, because their restoration has been so successful, they are increasingly in danger from poachers and people who are afraid of them. Bears, including grizzlies, are smart. Moderate hunting makes them very wary of
Who’s Killing the Grizzly Bears of Fremont County? Grizzly bears are not “endangered” as that term is defined by the Endangered Species Act. But, because their restoration has been so successful, they are increasingly in danger from poachers and people who are afraid of them. Bears, including grizzlies, are smart. Moderate hunting makes them very wary of humans.
Cattle The Magic of Cow Manure Animal wastes from confinement feed operations, trapped in giant lagoons, are an environmental disaster. The putrid lagoons and manure piles are rightly criticized for pollution and increasing atmospheric methane. They also poison groundwater and streams and are often so fetid they make areas downwind uninhabitable. The dung and urine of
"Invasion Biology" Drought Busters 101 “Drought Busters” is an inexpensive, quick, physiologically and economically sustainable method of habitat and wildlife restoration. We call it Drought Busters because it increases effective rainfall by rebuilding soil fertility and the soil’s ability to absorb and store water. This video explains Drought Busters, and our experience on how
Newsletter Restoring Biodiversity - 1/11/2021 Articles Animals are much smarter than most people realize and they share enormous group knowledge. Ranchers know their old cows teach the youngsters where to find feed, water, shade and shelter from bad weather. This, and much more, is true of wildlife. Wildlife “management” often ignores individual and group intelligence
Hunting A Review of Some Attacks on the Overkill Hypothesis with Special Attention to Misrepresentations and Doubletalk As discussed in the politically-incorrect paper below, the big animal extinctions in North America 10,000-years ago were caused more by human hunting than climate change. NOTE: this paper was originally published to Academia.edu on December 14, 2022. It was written by Gary Haynes. A review of some attacks
Bio-Diversity Gulleys for Grassland Restoration #3 Eroded galleys can be used to restore desertifying grasslands – alongside creosote bush – without chemicals. Third in a series filmed at Circle Ranch in far-West Texas. NOTE: this post was originally published to this site on July 24, 2017.
Newsletter Restoring Biodiversity - 1/4/2021 Here is what we’ve been reading and writing about over the past two weeks.... Articles As reported and discussed below, there is breakthrough new science on the issue of wild horses. This is a big news because the assumption that wild horses and burros are “exotic” or “invasive” species
