February 2008 Archives

As many of you know, Texas Parks and Wildlife stocks Rainbow trout in public waters every fall/winter in Texas. One of the locations they stock is their Nature Center in Tyler. Attached is a flier for a free youth fishing event, being offered on 4 different dates that coincide with local school spring breaks.

Texas Parks and Wildlife officials at the Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area near Tennessee Colony are hosting a Wildlife Tax Valuation Workshop on Saturday, March 8, 2008.

Texas Parks and Wildlife biologists, along with Natural Resource Conservation Service personnel will guide landowners through the development of a Wildlife Management Plan for their property at the event which will begin at 8:30 AM and conclude around 3:30 PM following a tour of the WMA. 

The location is the Wildlife Conservation Center at the Gus Engeling WMA, which is located at 16149 N US Hwy 287, Tennessee Colony, Texas (between Palestine and Corsicana).

Cost is $10 per person and includes a barbecue lunch.  Please RSVP by March 6th to Jennifer Ganter at        903-928-2251.  The following is a link to the Gus Engeling WMA on Texas Parks & Widlife's web site.

Have a pond? Want to get more recreational potential out of it?

Pesticide Applicators in Texas who are looking for those 'dreaded' renewal hours for their license have several options for obtaining their credits. 

You can attend on-line courses, at-home courses, and face-to-face courses.  Each one has its own pluses and minuses.  On-line and at-home courses can be completed at your convenience, from the comfort of your own home, but typically cost more than face-to-face courses and can only be used for a certain number of renewal hours depending on your license type.  Face-to-face courses are typically less expensive than the previous two options, but you must attend/participate in these courses when they are offered, which is not necessarily at your convenience.

The Texas Department of Agriculture has issued a Crisis Exemption for Prowl H20 Herbicide (Pendimethalin) for the control of sandbur (grassbur) species in bermduagrass pastures and hay fields in Texas.  Prowl H20 is a BASF product.  The label, attached below, is to be strictly adhered to by the end user.

STRUCTURE OF THE U. S. PEDIGREED CATTLE POPULATION*

1-Horned and polled

2-Includes Simbrah

Angus and Red Angus together had almost 50% of registrations. Breeds with the highest percentage increases from 1987 to 2007 were Angus, Charolais, Gelbvieh, Maine-Anjou, and Red Angus, although the Maines had very low numbers 20 years ago. Breeds with the highest percentage decreases were Beefmaster, Brahman, Hereford, and Santa Gertrudis.

By functional type, the four British breeds made up 62%, the seven Continental breeds 30%, and the four Brahman/American breeds 8%. Those respective figures in 1987 were 53%, 32%, and 15%. The increase in Angus/Red Angus can be at least partly explained by the advent of high-marbling marketing programs, which may also explain some of the decrease in Brahman/American.

Purebred registrations are about two percent of the nation’s beef cow numbers, which has not changed much over the years. According to the Council’s latest report, number of cattle registered per active association member is as low as three. The larger associations generally register more per member. But even the highest figure is 28 registered per member. Most members of registry associations have little impact on the genetic base of their breed. These members are essentially propagators of the genetics created by large, influential breeders.