"Invasion Biology" Bad News for Range and Wildlife Science: An “F” Grade for America’s Elite Colleges American Council of Trustees and Alumni vice president of policy Michael Poliakoff on the state of the country’s most prestigious liberal arts colleges. NOTE: this originally appeared on WSJ Live Online on 1/28/2014 America’s Colleges Flunk Out If we wonder why our wildlife management practices have
"Invasion Biology" Petition Targets ‘Rogue’ Killings by Wildlife Services NOTE: Article initially appeared in the Washington Post on December 15th, 2013. Darryl Fears They say U.S. critter assassins work in secret, quietly laying traps, lacing food with poison, sniping at targets from helicopters. Few people know exactly how the hits go down; the methods are largely hidden. What’
"Invasion Biology" Aoudad, The Bogus Boogeyman Eradication Science or Eradication Snake Oil? This piece asks common sense questions about the increasing use of wild animal eradication as a primary conservation tool, and about the foundations on which these practices rest: Why have eradications become so prevalent? Do eradications advance conservation? Are eradications based on science or
"Invasion Biology" Creosote Bush: An Unassuming But Ancient Form of Life All Around Us Though sometimes regarded as a nuisance by residents of the arid Southwest, the creosote bush is a complex and fascinating plant – and creosote colonies constitute some of the oldest organisms known to inhabit the planet. The shrub-like plant’s scientific name is Larrea tridentata, and it is known by many
Animal Development Planned Grazing and Keyline-Contour Subsoiling Restores Damaged Land at Circle Ranch, March 2009 – September 2013 In the southwest corner of Circle Ranch in the deep, steppe-shrub desert, we have a stock tank which we call “Lobo” because it was the last place that the Mexican wolf was seen in Hudspeth County before being hunted out. When we bought the ranch, it was grazed around a
Bio-Diversity Trans-Pecos Mule Deer Population Declines 40 Percent - Mule Deer Hunting Season is Lengthened Far-West Texas: The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has extended the mule deer season through the last Sunday in January for those properties operating under Managed Land Deer Permits (MLDP). West Texas mule deer population trends remain alarming. According to the report posted above, the TPWD count “raw data” of
Animal Development Regarding Holechek and Briske, and Rebuttals by Teague, Gill & Savory Correcting Misconceptions about the Supposed Discrediting of Savory’s Approach By Seth J. Itzkan Planet-TECH Associates Somerville, MA. 02144 www.planet-tech.com seth.@planet-tech.com June 2011. Updated May, 2013 Abstract This paper investigates the grazing management assessment reports authored by Briske (2008), and Holechek (2000) in light of their
Bio-Diversity Savory Institute: Holistic Management Research Portfolio Allan Savory at Circle Ranch, June 2009 Almost every American wildlife agency, conservation organization, university, wildlife and range scientist is pledged to the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. The Model lists its Core Principal #6 as: “6. Science Is the Proper Tool to Discharge Wildlife Policy In his classic
Conservation Genuine Land Stewardship Reprinted in its entirety below is an excellent article by our friend, Steve Nelle, entitled Genuine Land Stewardship. Steve is a range and wildlife scientist who has enjoyed a long and successful career in the National Resources Conservation Service. Steve Nelle on Genuine Land Stewardship In this article Steve quotes
Bighorn Mountain Lion in Red Mountain Pasture, June 20, 2010 “The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant, “What good is it?” If the land mechanism as a whole is good, then every part is good, whether we understand it or not. If the biota, in the course of aeons, has built something
Mule Deer Ruben Cantu on Predator Control Ruben is the West Texas TPWD Regional Director . He offered his personal opinion on predator control
Predator Removals John Sherman on Predator Trapping to Help Turkey John Sherman is a senior wildlife biologist with the New Mexico BLM. John helped us set up our quail waterers and feeding program. He was kind enough to offer these thoughts on predator trapping around our turkey nesting sites: “Chris, just got back into the office and saw your series
Predator Removals Golden Eagle These amazing birds would be shot by many landowners in our area, were they not protected.
Mule Deer Misty Sumner on Predator Management For Mule Deer Here I am with Misty Sumner, our TPWD field biologist. She gave us these thoughts on predator management.
Richard Gill on Predator Control Richard Gill on Predator Control Our youngest son Richard is in the real estate business in San Antonio. He is a Circle owner.
Bighorn Chris Gill on Predator Removals Dear Family and Friends, as Savory says, we almost always achieve our short-term goals but often at terrible unintended long-term cost.
Mule Deer Steve Nelle on Predator Removals Steve Nelle is a wildlife biologist with the NRCS. He is one of the most respected range and wildlife scientists in West Texas.
circle ranch Don Frantzen on Predator Removals Don Frantzen is a highly-experienced manager of deer herds. We have been friends for twenty-five years.
Predator Removals Cougar at Two Section, July 2009 The policy to treat these as vermin is a huge mistake.
Predator Removals Eagle at Two Section, July, 2009 This immature Golden Eagle was flying along the east escarpment.
Grazing Steve Nelle to Mule Deer Working Group June 2009 Steve Nelle is one of the leading NRCS scientists practicing today.
Predator Removals Predator Grand Slam, October 2008 Coyote, fox, bobcat and cougar. Middle Well. These look really cool, but guess what was nesting in the trees directly above
