Articles

All our thoughts, opinions and discussions.

coral reefs

When Far-West Texas Was at the Bottom of the Sea

Circle Ranch is at upper-right in this photo taken from Guadalupe National Park.   A hike to the “top of Texas,” the world’s most famous fossil reef, leads to a new sense of the sublime.   It’s 12:30 on a November afternoon, and I’m sitting on top of

"Invasion Biology"

Restoring Desert Grasslands or Creating Desert Badlands?

For 60 years, this National Park Service land has been “protected” from cattle, unintentionally accelerating its desertification. Here is a typical Big Wildlife program being pursued at Big Bend National Park to “protect” degrading habitat.   (ABOVE PDF can be viewed here -> ) I don’t doubt the sincerity or

Bio-Diversity

New Year's Greetings from Far-West Texas

A 1-week family gathering in far-West Texas between Christmas and New Year’s is a family tradition. New Year weather can be fair, or brutal. Our best 2014 ranch investment was our standby generator system: We were snug in a weeklong storm.     New Year 2015 from Christopher Gill on Vimeo.

Conservation

Desert Grasslands Restoration: Time Can Be a Grazier's Best Friend or Worst Enemy

Whether cattle are good or bad for grasslands depends on TIME    By Robert L. Kinkead, DVM, retired Originally published in Stockman Grass Farmer Photos and Video from Circle Ranch, Hudspeth County, far-West Texas   HARRISBURG, Missouri: In the 1950s, a French biochemist André Voisin observed how his pastured cows grazed. He

"Invasion Biology"

Restoring Desert Grasslands: Circle Ranch Jardineros

When we use our Yeomans Keyline plow to subsoil and stimulate desert ranges and plants, we take pains not to plow through cholla cactus, armadillo bush, allthorn, sumac, mesquite, and other trees and shrubs. This often leaves untreated spots. These we address with animal impact from cattle, which we move

"Invasion Biology"

Restoring Desert Grasslands: Thistle and the Yeomans Keyline Plow

Thistle, also known as the “Tumbling Tumbleweed” is an iconic Western plant.  Even though it is despised by many as an “invasive” “exotic”, it is probably the single best rescue plant for our declining desert grasslands.  Better still, its seeds are provided for free by Mother Nature. Here is an

circle-ranch-about

Thanksgiving Greetings from Circle Ranch

Circle Ranch and the Gill family extend our best wishes to you and yours this holiday season. Here is a short video that captures highlights of our Thanksgiving week.       Holiday Greetings from Circle Ranch from Christopher Gill on Vimeo.

Bio-Diversity

Amish Farmers Point the Way for Desert Grasslands Restoration

These lessons, from  organic farming, are completely portable to desert grasslands restoration.   NOTE: originally published by The Atlantic October 6, 2014   By studying the immune systems of plants, they’ve developed a technique that eliminates the need for chemicals.   “In the Second World War,” Samuel Zook began, “my ancestors were

Bio-Diversity

Australia: Restoring Desert Grasslands with Holistic Planned Grazing

Here is a major cattle venture funded by European institutional investors in the Australian outback.   From the company website: Founded in 2009, SLM Partners was established to channel investment capital towards land management systems that are profitable and sustainable. Our first project focuses on beef cattle production on grazing land

"Invasion Biology"

Restoring Desert Grasslands: A Video Comparison of Cattle, Water Harvesting and Keyline as a Safer, Cheaper and Faster Alternative to Spike

Here is a well-intentioned but ill-advised project for “restoration” of desert grasslands.   The Rest of The Story…   BLM is spending $30 million on 500,000 acres: $60 an acre.  The objective is to kill all creosote and mesquite; thereafter, the staffers propose to use fire to “maintain the landscape.” Bad

"Invasion Biology"

The Role of Aoudad in Restoration of High-Desert Mountain Wildlife and Habitat

At Circle Ranch we understand that biodiversity is good, not bad, and act accordingly.  In that context, here is common sense on aoudad.   The Ammotragus Advantage …by Brandt Buchanan   To begin, I would like to declare that the following theories have not been proven by any specific study pertaining to

"Invasion Biology"

Cows and Keyline: Restoring Desert Grasslands

This 17-minute video, “Cows and Keyline” discusses the use of cattle and the Yeomans Keyline plow as the quickest, cheapest, and safest way to restore desert grasslands. It also documents a project to repair a gully formed by an old road. Aerial photography provides graphic comparisons of the result of

Aoudad

Out Here in The Middle

Out Here in The Middle is a short video about summer at the Circle Ranch, in the high-desert mountains of far-West Texas.

Bighorn

Hunting Desert Bighorn Sheep at Circle Ranch, September 2014

In challenging conditions of heavy rain and fog, we successfully hunted this beautiful ram on September 17, 2014. The desert bighorn is the rarest big-game animal in North America. We estimate that there are an average of 100 free-ranging desert bighorn sheep on our ranch at any given time. This

"Invasion Biology"

Restoring Desert Grasslands: A New Book by Allan Savory

It is hard to believe that the common sense contained in this little book has generated such anger and controversy. Holistic planned grazing uses domestic animals as replacements for the great wild herds that once roamed our grasslands. Beginning with a simple explanation of the physiological need of grasslands for

"Invasion Biology"

Desert Restoration: Aoudad, Mule Deer and Summer Rain

These short videos were taken in August 2014 at “Sheep Tank,” which is on the south edge of the Circle Ranch, at an elevation of approximately 5,500 feet. Sheep Tank is in a long, broad valley, which is approximately 1,000 feet higher than our lowest desert, and 1,

"Invasion Biology"

High-Desert Restoration Technicians: June 2014

Bighorn and aoudad play an indispensable role in maintaining healthy habitat in the extreme upper elevations of our far-West Texas mountains. Contrary to game manager ‘urban legend’, these animals are socially compatible, and improve habitat conditions for one another. Here are cool videos of bighorn and aoudad sharing water, taken

Aoudad

Desert Grassland Restoration Crew at Work: June 2014

This blog was established to promote the use of sound science in our wildlife and habitat management practices. We devote a lot of time to talking about the role of cattle delivering the animal impact which grasslands require. In fact, most of our animal impact comes from the wild animals

"Invasion Biology"

Restoring Desert Grasslands: Yeomans Keyline Subsoiling Results at the Circle Ranch, August 2014

Here is a cheap, fast, environmentally-friendly alternative to range poisoning with herbicides. When combined with holistic planned grazing of cattle, and a diverse population of wild animals, this practice leads to rapid conversion of subsoil to topsoil, increases soil fertility,  improves and restores water function, and, is sustainable. Beginning in

"Invasion Biology"

Restoring Desert Grasslands with Livestock

Last week we posted a brief explanation of Keyline theory.  This week, we share a concise explanation of holistic planned grazing, which uses animal impact to restore grasslands.   By Carol Dreibelbis In this series, we interview inspiring people that our readers have nominated. These individuals are working on the front

brush

Keyline Design Restoring Grasslands in High Deserts of Far-West Texas

This concise explanation of Keyline theory and practice was intended for California ranchers and farmers. We have copied it, and illustrated it with photos of Keyline practices that have been used at the Circle Ranch in far-West Texas. NOTE: Originally Published at AGWaterStewards.com  Our thanks to its authors, and

"Invasion Biology"

Virus Plagues the Pork Industry, and Environmentalists

The major killers of humanity throughout our recent history: smallpox, flu, tuberculosis, malaria, plague, measles and cholera, are infectious diseases that evolved from animal diseases. Because humans lived in close proximity to these confined animals, their diseases transferred to humans. Mad Cow Disease probably transferred to humans because cattle offal,

Aoudad

Sunset, Wildlife and Coyote Herding Quail

Here are videos taken in late 2013 at Sheep Tank. The last one shows a coyote trailing a covey of quail.

"Invasion Biology"

Planned Grazing Restoring Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands in Mexico

As you travel south from far West Texas, crossing the Rio Grande, you encounter the huge grasslands of the Northern Mexico area of the Great Chihuahuan Desert. This country is very similar to the Circle Ranch, and has experienced the same degradation from human impact that we see across the

"Invasion Biology"

Bacon Preservative Tested as Feral Hog Poison

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Tests Wild Pig Poison Dispensers at Kerr Wildlife ‘Management’ Area   NOTE: Post Originally appeared in San Antonio Express News on June 21, 2014   NEW ORLEANS — A preservative used to cure bacon is being tested as poison for the nation’s estimated 5 million feral hogs.