Bio-Diversity Unsealed Documents Raise Questions on Monsanto Weed Killer Big Tobacco and its cronies manipulated public opinion for decades after they knew that smoking causes cancer. Monsanto is doing the same with respect to glyphosate (Roundup). NOTE: article initially appeared on NYTimes.com on March 14, 2017 A lawsuit contends that the main ingredient in Roundup, the world’s
Chronic Wasting Disease Chronic Wasting Disease Spreads “Feeding can cause deer to gather in a certain place and spread the disease more rapidly. “We would discourage any artificial supplemental feeding,” Lightfoot said. “It does congregate deer and have potential for additional risk.” NOTE: This post initially appeared on SAExpressNews.com on January 26, 2017 State wildlife officials
Bighorn Lacey and Lizzie at Circle Ranch The art scene has made Marfa a magnet for film makers, fashionistas, artists and art followers. Their addition to the ranchers, hunters, mexicanos and eccentrics makes far-West Texas even more interesting. Lacey and Lizzie at Circle Ranch from Christopher Gill on Vimeo.
"Invasion Biology" The Ultimate Pursuit in Hunting: Sheep Desert Bighorn Sheep are one of four wild sheep found in North America. All four are incredible animals. Few private landowners in far-West Texas have as much experience or success with Desert Bighorn Sheep as ourselves. Our experience is that sheep are easy to raise: Add lots of free water
"Invasion Biology" Rattlesnakes and Yucca Bucks Great thoughts on mule deer and ‘paradigms’, by Steve Nelle. NOTE: the following article was originally published in Texas Wildlife Magazine, November 2015. The article was provided by the publisher directly and permission for it’s use in this post has been granted. Document (PDF) can be viewed here
"Invasion Biology" Wild Boar Trappers Fear Hog Poison’s Effect on EU Wild Meat Market The feral pig ‘problem’ is a regulatory issue. The one bright spot is that the Europeans – whose food safety standards far exceed our own – love our free range pork. The brilliant idea to use Warfarin to control pigs will destroy that market, and produce unknown and unintended consequences to other
Animal Development Bison: At Home, On the Range Raising bison commercially on open ranges. NOTE: This post initially appeared on ModernFarmer.com on September 12, 2016 In 1994, when Mary and Lee Graese bought their first two bison, beef was what’s for dinner, as Robert Mitchum’s voice intoned on the omnipresent television ads. We’re talking
Conservation Federal Lands: A 660 Million-Acre Mess There is general consensus that Federal lands are mismanaged, but no agreement on how to fix the problem. Should ownership and management: (1) remain as is? Or, should some federal lands (2) be transferred to the states, and/or (3) sold to the public? NOTE: this post initially appeared on
west texas Between Heaven and Texas Another great video by Wyman Meizner. Wyman Meinzer – Between Heaven And Texas Short from Wyman Meinzer on Vimeo.
"Invasion Biology" Meat Production Helps Offset Wild Pig Problem When properly prepared, the taste of free-range pork is the same as factory pork. NOTE: article initially appeared on SAExpressNews.com on November 6, 2016 SNYDER, Texas (AP) — Sure, feral hogs cause their share of trouble. But if you like bacon and pork chops, Texas’ pig problem has a swine
"Invasion Biology" America’s Wildlife Body Count Wild animal eradications directly attack biodiversity thereby harming all wildlife and habitat. The methods by which these eradications are accomplished pose huge ethical questions. NOTE: This post initially appeared on NYTimes.com on September 17, 2016 Until recently, I had never had any dealings with Wildlife Services, a century-old agency
Algae Blooms Parts of Florida Are In a State of Emergency Over a Toxic Algae Bloom That Can Be Seen From Space The ubiquitous use of agricultural chemicals is poisoning our ranges, farmlands, estuaries and oceans, posing huge risks to our civilization. NOTE: This post initially appeared on Quartz (QZ.com) Some Florida coasts look like scenes from a horror film. The green goo is everywhere, it’s scaring people and causing
"Invasion Biology" Study Shows Mountain Lions Pose no Human Threat in Big Bend National Park Studies at Big Bend National Park show that mountain lions avoid humans, are most active early and late in the day, and that female lions are more active than males. This is consistent with our experience and observations at Circle Ranch, where we protect our lions because they and all
Quail Montezuma’s Reward: The Rarest Quail in Texas Mearns or Montezuma, the largest and rarest of our four Texas quails, is found throughout the mountains of far-West Texas. We have this quail in small numbers at Circle Ranch. Blues and Gambels are runners. Mearns hold even more tightly than bobwhite. What a shock when they flush—literally—from
Bio-Diversity Antibiotic Use on Farms Helps Fuel Antibiotic-Resistant Diseases Feral pigs, according to our wildlife and food quality experts, are unfit to eat because they carry diseases. But do they? Over the last 30 years, the two largest processors of wild pigs in Texas have slaughtered and tested tens of thousands of animals. They have never found a diseased
Animal Development 5 Rules for Bigger, Better and More Mulies A great article by Steve Nelle that outlines how to have more and healthier mule deer, quail and pronghorn. 1. Grazing management is the single most important way to affect mule deer food supply. When grass conditions permit, practice light-to-moderate seasonal grazing, in some rotational form (examples include “holistic planned
Conservation National Parks: Lost and Neglected Considering the Federal record in financial regulation, education, healthcare and a host of other arenas, is it news that their management of public lands is a mess? Why should the Federal government own 640-million acres? Texas, as a private lands state, doesn’t have this problem on a large scale,
Bio-Diversity Princeton University: Wildlife and Cows Can Be Partners Not Competitors in Food Search Cattle and horses closely resemble native animals that would be the dominant large grazers in North America, but for human impact. Horses – these include donkeys or burros – and their ancestors were in our deserts for 50 million years. They disappeared 5,000 years ago and have been back for 500
Bio-Diversity Dirt First Agricultural practices are generally viewed as different from wildlife and habitat practices, whereas both should rest on the long-term objective of increasing soil fertility. The practices described below are similar to ours at Circle Ranch, as the photos illustrate. NOTE: This article was originally published by TheFern.org on April
"Invasion Biology" Slideshow: Circle Ranch Wildlife, December 2016 There is not a federal or state park in far-West Texas where one can see free ranging elk, sheep, pronghorn and mule deer together. These animals and many others are found in abundance at Circle Ranch, because of our (1) water system, (2) periodic planned cattle grazing, (3) protection of
Bio-Diversity If Monsanto Loses Its Name, What Will Opponents Oppose? The Wall Street Journal remains in the hip pocket of the agrochemical giants. In the story below, the supposedly conservative news organization makes fun of those who worry about the poisons being poured on our farmland, because thanks to genetic modification, many of our crops are immune to the poisons
Conservation Curbs Are Sought for Livestock Antibiotics More on the damage being done to public health by the confinement livestock industry. NOTE: This post initially appeared on WSJ.com on October 4, 2016 U.S. food regulators need to take further steps to curb antibiotics use in livestock to maintain the drugs’ ability to defend human health,
"Invasion Biology" Building Soil Fertility by Peter Byck Physiologically there is no difference between public land and private land. What hurts or benefits one has the same effect on the other. Wildlife managers, whether we work on public or private land, must adopt restoration ecology if we hope to reverse the desertification of American Southwest’s grasslands. This
"Invasion Biology" A Poison for Every Plant Texas and Southwest Cattle Raisers Association is an outstanding organization. Annually, TSCRA circulates to its members a calendar like this one, compliments of Bayer-Monsanto Chemical. The fact that this leading, respected cattle organization is promoting the ubiquitous use of rangeland pesticides demonstrates the extent to which ranchers, farmers and wildlife
Bighorn Circle Ranch High Country Pronghorn, Desert Bighorn Sheep and Golden Eagles in the high-desert mountains of far-West Texas. Circle Ranch High Country from Christopher Gill on Vimeo. This video was shot, edited and scored by Jared and Tawny Zachary. They maintain our game cameras and guide. Jerad’s day job finds him in the
