Quail & Wildlife Waterers

A collection of 59 posts

Conservation

Desert Permaculture: Gulleys for Grass and Wells

Here is a gulley treatment that restores grassland and recharges aquifers.   Gulleys for Grassland Restoration from Christopher Gill on Vimeo. NOTE: this post was originally published to this site on May 8, 2017, and reposted on October 8, 2021

"Invasion Biology"

Drought Busters 101 : A 21-Minute Video on Desert Grassland Restoration

“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 21-minute video explains Drought Busters, and our experience on

"Invasion Biology"

Drought Busters: Restoring Desertified Desert Grasslands

We call the combination of wild animals, planned grazing, water harvesting, and Keyline subsoiling “Drought Busters”. Drought Busters is cheap, fast, poisons no plants, kills no animals, and increases the numbers and diversity of both. Drought Busters can’t make it rain, but it will make actual rain more and

"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

"Invasion Biology"

Far-West Texas Mountain Wildlife 1

First in a series of game camera photos taken in Winter, 2017.   NOTE: this post was originally published to this site on May 22, 2017

Conservation

A Navy Veteran Went to Prison for Digging Ponds in the Mountains

“Range practices we take for granted in Texas can land you in prison out West.   Notwithstanding the many fine things accomplished by EPA, actions like these really hurt public attitudes about conservation – and harm outcomes by inhibiting private citizens’ conservation efforts. For lots of reasons, these matters are better handled

Bio-Diversity

Hunting Gambel's Quail Through the Lens

The Gambel’s quail (Callipepla gambelii) is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. It inhabits the desert regions of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Sonora; also New Mexico-border Chihuahua and the Colorado River region of Baja California. The Gambel’s quail is

Blue Quail

Scaled Quail Hunting

Scaled quail are notorious for running from dogs on point. After the covey rise, the singles are tired and will usually hold a little better. English Pointers, Labs and English Cockers do a great job finding, flushing and retrieving these cool little birds.

"Invasion Biology"

How Beavers Build Dams

For 20-million years, beavers have been nature’s water engineers. In North America – before Europeans trapped them out – 400-million beavers impounded 50-million surface acres of water. Beaver eradication was a disaster for continental hydrology. Fortunately, they can be restored. Beavers can again work tirelessly, cheaply and effectively to maintain and

Bio-Diversity

Installing Posts for an Artificial Beaver Dam

A simplified version of these artificial beaver dams will work great in a desert gully or runoff channel where a “plug and spread” dam is impractical because there is nowhere to spill the water. Substitute t-posts and use old net wire on the downslope side. Fill with logs, branches and

"Invasion Biology"

Book Review... "Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter"

A reader remarks: “Ben has woven together a holistic picture about beavers, illustrating the remarkably diverse interactions between this species’ biology and the history of the North American landscape, both geologically and culturally.” NOTE: this book, Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter is available for

Beaver

Oregon Beavers Engineer Better Fish Habitat, More Fish

How building artificial beaver dams accelerated stream recovery in Oregon. These ideas will work across Texas. NOTE: this article initially appeared on the Northwest Fisheries Science Center site in July 2016. It was written by Michael Milstein. After four years, scientists recorded a 175 percent increase in juvenile steelhead. An

birds

Arizona's Gambel's Country

Far-West Texas is the Eastern limit of this amazing and beautiful gamebird. Gambel’s Quail need brushy habitat which gets grazed. So landowners considering brush and cattle removals should understand this: No brush, no cows, no Gambel’s. NOTE: this article initially appeared on ShootingSportsman.com It was written by

"Invasion Biology"

The Secret Lives of Well-Digging Burros

“Far-West Texas burros are eradicated by state and federal parks & land managers based on the belief that they “compete” with other wildlife for water. In reality – as this Arizona study explains – “it appears that burros are significantly increasing water availability in the desert.” Be sure and watch the video.

Bio-Diversity

Circle Ranch: A Chihuahuan Desert Sky Island

Laurence Parent’s stunning pictures of the Sierra Diablos in far-West Texas. Renowned Texas author and photographer Laurence Parent has done 44 books. His latest, Colorado: A Photographic Journey was published in 2016. New Mexico: A Photographic Journey was published in 2014. Texas: Portrait of a State, was published in

"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.

Animal Growth

MDF / Lado Ranch Wildlife Water Project

In far-West Texas water additions like these are the very best, cheapest and quickest wildlife practice. Free water hurts nothing and helps everything. VIEW ON FLICKR: April 29th, 2017 – Lado Ranch near Van Horn, Texas Funded by the Mule Deer Foundation On April 29th more than 30 volunteer conservationists from

"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"

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

game cameras

Circle Ranch Game Cameras - Mid Fall 2016

Do most of the species pictured below—and all of the predators—“compete” with each other and harm bighorn, mule deer, pronghorn and ecosystem health as the wildlife agencies say? Or do they complement each other? Is biodiversity good or bad for our deserts? Recent studies of the Serengeti shed

"Invasion Biology"

Public Wildlife on Private Land

The unification of wildlife management and private land management is essential for the wellbeing of both.

game cameras

Circle Ranch Game Cameras - Late Summer 2016

You are looking at the cheapest, fastest and most sustainable way to restore degraded desert grasslands: animal biodiversity. Why is this so? Because to be healthy, desert ranges need three things: (1) large, concentrated migratory bison herds or cattle grazed in a manner that mimics bison’s migratory patterns; (2)

"Invasion Biology"

Plan to Spray Herbicides along the Rio Grande Alarming, Risky

Down river from Big Bend, here is what they think of the plan to spray cane: Following the December 6, 2016 post on this topic, I came across this article from March 2016 dealing with the reaction of communities on the lower Rio Grande to the proposed use of glyphosate,

"Invasion Biology"

U.S. - Mexico Teamwork Where the Rio Grande Is but a Ribbon

The destructive and wasteful application of invasive species biology as promoted by The New York Times. Invasive species biology is based on the assumption that anything done by an “invasive” is by definition bad. According to the invasive species folks, cane is a sneaky invader that has driven out native