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By Colleen Schreiber ENCINO, Texas — Brush management is a critical part of any good livestock and wildlife management program. That’s nowhere more evident than on the 825,000-acre King Ranch. Brush management is so important, in fact, that the ranch spends about a million dollars annually on brush management alone. Those attending a recent quail short course had a chance to see first-hand how brush management is being used to enhance wildlife habitat while improving livestock production on the Encino Division of the King Ranch. The event was sponsored by the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, the Richard M. Kleberg Jr. Center for Quail Research, and the International Aridlands Consortium. Verl Cash is in charge of the ranch’s brush control program. "We try to maximize revenue from livestock and wildlife while maintaining viable wildlife populations and also maintaining or improving range condition," Cash told field day participants. Cattle and wildlife are treated equally on the ranch, though that seemingly proper balance doesn’t come easily or without conflicts. "My job in a nutshell is to provide the best habitat for wildlife and livestock while trying to maintain neutral ground between the two departments," Cash admitted. "If a lease has concerns about grazing, we will set up a meeting to discuss possible options. We try to solve the problem by adjusting stocking rates and grazing systems in the area of interest. "Quail need last year’s old growth to nest in, therefore, leaving adequate nesting cover is critical for nest success. If the lease is being grazed by cows, we might consider changing to stockers," he continued. "Or, if there are stockers on that unit, we might move them or sell them." Cash offered some specifics about the Encino Division, which is located about an hour south of Kingsville. Annual rainfall here averages 25 inches, though last year the area received anywhere from 41 to 49 inches. The 105,000-acre Encino Division carries approximately 3000 animal units. That figures out to about one AU to 35 acres, though because of special deferments on some of the hunting lease country, the stocking rate is closer to one AU for every 40 to 42 acres. "A few of our lessees wanted to reduce the stocking rate, so we negotiated the lease rate to reflect the loss of livestock revenue for that lease," Cash explained. It’s a considerably more moderate rate when compared to the ranch as a whole. The stocking rate across the entire ranch averages about an animal unit to 25 acres. Cows and calves account for about two-thirds of the animal units, while stockers make up the other third. Stockers, in and of themselves, are a form of management tool in that they offer more flexibility during drouth as well as flexibility for brush control work. Most of the livestock on the Encino Division, however, are Santa Cruz cattle. "Due to high livestock prices, we have not purchased many stockers this year. When purchasing stockers we target a certain rate of return on investment," he noted. Seacoast bluestem, a variety of little bluestem, is one of the most common native warm season perennial bunchgrasses in this area. It’s fair to good for livestock, but it’s particularly important as nesting habitat for quail, Cash noted. Gulf cordgrass is another native perennial, and when managed with fire it is good for livestock as well. It’s particularly high in energy for about two months following a burn. One of the many valuable shrub species particularly important for wildlife is granjeno or spiny hackberry. Mesquite, which is commonly overlooked, also has many values, with bean production being one of the most important, Cash said. The Encino Division uses a combination of switchback and Merrill three-herd, four-pasture grazing systems. A few pastures are continuously grazed as well. Switchback grazing systems are grazed for six months and rested for six months. The Merrill system was only implemented four or five years ago. One herd is a fall calving herd, another a spring calving herd, and the third herd is made up of stockers. "The cow-calf herds are split so that only one is under
nutritional stress at a time," Cash explained. "The stockers
give us flexibility during a drouth and also flexibility with our
brush control program." As on any division on the King Ranch, wildlife are just as important here as the livestock. Most of the Encino is leased out by commercial lessees. Two of the lessees have been there since the late 1970s and another since the early 1990s. It’s no surprise that there is a waiting list for hunting leases. Leasing is done through competitive bidding. Lease sizes across the entire ranch range from 1600 acres up to 40,000 acres. Once approved, a lessee must have a brush management commitment and/or a resource improvement commitment if they wish to be considered for a three-year contract. Otherwise, the lessee is only eligible for a one-year lease. Each lease is different in its management practices, Cash said. Some are more intense than others. Under King Ranch guidance and parameters, the lessees are left to decide on the intensity of their management practices. For example, lessees are allowed to disk between two and four percent of the lease to promote broad-leafed plants for wildlife. Lessees may or may not wish to supplemental feed, though many do. Several of the leases, Cash said, have a feeder every 500 acres and feed year-round. Some leases are more intense about predator control. Some put out M-44s and others might hire a helicopter just prior to fawning season. These management decisions are left up to the leaseholder. Specifics of the Encino Division brush management program were provided during a stop at the South Viboras pasture, one of the pastures included in last year’s brush management treatment plan. Typically, King Ranch tries to treat about 10 pastures a year, spending on average about $100,000 per pasture, though that varies depending on the treatment and pasture size. Brush control work is done year-round, though they try to avoid chaining during May and June, which is typically the peak of quail nesting season. Most of the rootplowing is done in-house, but chaining is contracted out. Every management project conducted on the King Ranch is detailed, well thought-out and carefully constructed with goals in mind. Brush management is no different. In fact, it’s a year-long process, Cash said, that begins with the development of a brush management plan for that year’s work. "We get input from the livestock, wildlife and range departments," Cash told listeners. "The cattle department may want to clear some thick pastures to increase the gather. The wildlife department may need an area cleared to increase huntability, and the range department may have inputs from either one of those aspects or a combination of both." Management plans must be signed off by four levels of management — the vice president, the livestock department, the range department and the wildlife department — before any brush work begins. Each pasture or area being considered for treatment goes through a pasture selection process. "We try to select the more productive sites," Cash explained, "sites where we’re more likely to get a higher rate of return." Rootplowing is generally done on the heavier soils where there is a
monoculture of brush, mesquite for example. The ranch also uses
two-way chaining. Chaining, however, requires a follow-up treatment. Ideally, that treatment is a summer or winter burn. Burning, he pointed out, increases species diversity, sets brush back and opens up the country, which is generally good for all parties involved. It’s also the least expensive management tool available, with an average cost of $2 to $4 an acre depending on the size of the burn. There is opportunity cost, however, in that the pasture must be deferred from livestock for a period of time to build the necessary fuel loads. "It can be very hard to keep the livestock out of a pasture," Cash admitted, "particularly when we’re in a drouth situation." And following the burn, depending on moisture and timing of the burn, deferment will likely continue until the pasture has had time to recover sufficiently. "In South Texas, when you get a window to burn with adequate fuel loads you should take advantage of those opportunities," Cash told listeners. "The last three winters have been difficult to burn in due to mild temperatures, green vegetation, and high soil moisture content." A summer burn tends to set the brush back better than a winter burn, and for that reason, Cash said, he often prefers a summer burn. "Some of the factors we have to consider with a summer burn include fawning and nesting periods," he told listeners. "Many people oppose summer fires for these reasons, but this country evolved under summer fire." To make a burn more wildlife-friendly, the goal is to burn several 400 to 600-acre blocks rather than the entire pasture. On occasion, an aerial herbicide treatment may be used as a follow-up treatment if a burn is not accomplished. When targeting mesquite and depending upon location, rather than use Reclaim exclusively, the ranch uses a combination of Remedy and Reclaim, which helps lower the cost. If mesquite is the only target, aerial treatment averages about $30 per acre. If the goal is to target mesquite and mixed brush species, Cash said, the cost is closer to $50 per acre. Each specific pasture selected for that year’s plan has a set of pasture guidelines or goals. Global information systems, a computer application, are used to lay out the design for the treatment area. GIS is then used in conjunction with global positioning systems, the field application hardware used in the brush control equipment, to carry out the design of the plan. The patterns and designs, Cash said, are carefully thought out. Specific livestock and wildlife production factors influence the design of the plan. For example, strips tend to run to the point of gather. That decision, however, must also be compatible with the hunting lease. "Sometimes we have to meet halfway," the speaker commented. "Quail hunters and dog handlers like to hunt into prevailing winds, so in many cases we will set up strips to the northwest and southeast if it aids in gathering cattle as well." Cash warned that the kind of treatment and pattern type all influence cost per acre. "The more mottes you leave, the more it’s going to cost per acre, especially on rootplowing and roller chopping treatments," he said. "It costs about $6 per acre to mark the areas that you want to leave. Then there’s a loss in production factor when it comes time to implement the treatment. That is another cost." One of the last things done in every pasture that is treated is to establish permanent fire breaks. "Typically, we’ll rootplow down the side of the brush strips and follow that up with roller chopping and disking. This expedites establishing the fire breaks just prior to the prescribed burns," Cash explained. The west side of the South Viboras pasture hadn’t been treated since 1969, but the east side was chained in 1993. Thus the plan called for two-way chaining using two D-8 dozers and a 400-foot anchor chain on the west side. On the east side some spot grubbing was done. The pasture was treated in March 2003. What those on the tour saw was the product of one year’s regrowth and 42 inches of rain. "You can bank on about three feet of regrowth per year on the mesquite," Cash said. The goal for this particular pasture was to have 65 percent open areas to 35 percent brush cover. "We accomplished our goal by clearing 200 yards of brush followed by 100 yards of brush strips," Cash explained. "In each of the brush strips, we blew two openings every mile so we could gather cattle out of these areas, either horseback or with a helicopter. We also always clear 50 yards off the fenceline so the cowboys can use the fences to push the cattle to a gathering point." The plan also called for five percent mottes to remain in the cleared strips as additional cover for deer and quail. "The mottes should be close enough so quail would be within 50 to 60 yards from brush at any one time," he explained. "Motte size ranged from one-quarter to one-half acre in size and spaced about 100 to 125 yards apart." Cash was asked whether they’ve been able to determine if a detailed brush design versus a simpler strip and motte plan enabled them to grow more quail. "I would think that the more edge created, the more successful the quail population can be," he opined, "but I’m not sure if a more detailed pattern would produce more quail over a simpler pattern. I do know that maintenance and follow-up treatments are even harder to do when the plan is more detailed." The plan also takes into consideration sensitive wildlife habitats. "This particular pasture had some oak mottes, which are good turkey roosts," Cash told listeners. "We’ve also buffered dove roosts before, and we always buffer drainages, because they are about the best wildlife corridors we can have." The follow-up plan for the South Viboras pasture calls for a prescribed fire, hopefully in the next two years. "We’ll likely push for a summer fire in order to clean up the large debris that’s in the pasture," Cash said. "After that, the goal would be to get on a three to five-year burning rotation." The cost of two-way chaining for this particular pasture, Cash said, was about $13 per acre. While treatment cost on a pasture by pasture basis may not always be economically feasible, King Ranch management believes brush management more than pays for itself when figured out on a ranch-wide basis. Treatment success is evaluated in a variety of ways. One way is to look at quail harvest data a year following treatment and compare that to harvest data prior to treatment. "Quail harvest in this pasture in 2003 was excellent," Cash told listeners. "There was an extremely high juvenile to adult ratio of 7.3 juveniles to adult. The number of coveys was 4.3 coveys per hour flushed. That’s some great quail hunting. That tells us that the brush work was complementary to high quail production, though with 42 inches of rain, there is no wrong." Post-treatment debris somewhat limited access this year, but lessees were able to increase the number of average outings from 20 to about 30 per year. |
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