"Invasion Biology" Supplemental Water and Feed for Desert Bighorn Sheep Years ago I read an article by a man in the Sierra Nevada of California whose mine was being closed by the feds. They said his mining operation was harming sheep populations. He said, no, he had operated for many years with no problem to sheep: the problem was increased
"Invasion Biology" Elk Country Chronicles - The Sounds of Elk Country Volume 7 Take a minute to enjoy the peaceful sounds of elk country. With good game management policies, this could be anywhere in far-West Texas. Instead these animals are shot out on all state-managed lands under the scientifically bogus belief that they are non-native ‘invasive’ species that harm bighorn, mule deer and
"Invasion Biology" The Last Cowboy at Pine Creek Ranch Since its conquest during the Mexican War, more than 50% of the West has belonged to the government, and ranching has been an integral part of Western settlement. The number of ranchers on public lands has fallen by one-fourth since 1970, as agencies, allied with “conservationists” steadily force ranchers off
"Invasion Biology" Shy Elk and Bold Birds Become Partners in the Wilderness Complex relationships between species such as birds and grazers are common, but often unrecognized by over-simplified wildlife management theories. As a result, wildlife managers routinely attack species whose interdependence we do not understand. For example, in Texas, tax policy rewards landowners who attempt to eradicate brown-headed cowbirds, a species that
"Invasion Biology" Circle Ranch Wildlife Cameras - Summer 2017 Every month we review 5,000 pictures and post a few of the most interesting. What is pictured here is biodiversity. Multiple species are complimentary – not competitive. Ranges need keystone grazers like bison or cattle, lots of predators and lots of prey species. Without all these, the systems come apart.
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
"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
"Invasion Biology" Biodiversity Benefiting Wildlife, Plants on Circle Ranch Wildlife population, habitat flourish in far West Texas Note: This originally appeared in Texas Wildlife Radio Show / Texas Farm Bureau reports Circle Ranch is a 32,000-acre high-desert mountain ranch located in the Sierra Diablo (Devil Mountains) of Hudspeth County in far West Texas. Range and wildlife habitat conditions right
Animal Development Game Cameras - Early Summer 2016 Update and photos from our guide and camera manager, Jerad: Hello Mr. Gill, Quite the lamb crop this year. I don’t remember seeing this many in years past. I have seen a couple of groups with 10 lambs and lots with 4-8 as seen in the pictures! Also thought
"Invasion Biology" Game Cameras - February 2016 In far-West Texas, a coalition of government agencies, agricultural universities and conservation organizations has decreed that on public lands more than half of the species pictured below should be severely reduced or removed altogether to help bighorn, pronghorn and deer. The coalition claims that all “exotics” and many “natives” including
"Invasion Biology" State of Texas - Resolution H.R. No. 2159: Legislation to Change the "Exotic" Classification of Elk Elk are a Texas native which , before Europeans, roamed our state from north to south and east to west. For years a group of us have attempted to remove the “exotic” classification which has led to so much perversity in the treatment of this animal. In the last legislature, despite
"Invasion Biology" Biodiversity Helps High Desert Grasslands: Circle Ranch Game Cameras, Fall 2015. Because plants need animals as much as animals need plants, a biodiverse plant community requires a biodiverse animal community. Conventional wildlife “management” and “conservation” theory is based on invasive species biology, which is an ideology not a science. Invasive species biology maintains that most of the animals, including the predators
"Invasion Biology" Game Videos Fall 2014 These videos were taken at what we call Sheep Tank, a water point that overlooks one of our largest canyons. Many species share this water, with no visible conflict with each other, or harm to habitat. Big Horn: Elk: Mule Deer: Quail: Others: Biodiversity is good, not bad, for our
"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
Aoudad Circle Ranch Game Cameras: March 15, 2014 Here are links to some great pictures of many species sharing water and habitat at the Circle Ranch. Several, like aoudad and bighorn, are thought to be hostile to each other, and incompatible: That belief is wrong, as these photos show. Diablo Peak: Sheep Tank: Tres Papalotes: Bezos Fenceline: Oncie
Big Bend Ranch State Park Cows and Elk How Cows and Elk Improve Wildlife Habitat Elk the Animal: The elk (Cervus canadensis) is one of the largest deer in the world; they are twice as big as mule deer. They are ruminants with four-chambered stomachs that feed early and late in the day. Elk are extremely adaptable, thriving
Burro We and the Burro About a year and a half ago I was contacted by Marjorie Farabee, President of the Burro Protection League. Marjorie hesitantly asked me if I was aware that wild burros were being eradicated down at the Big Bend Ranch State Park: She thought I must support this, like most bighorn
