After spending much of yesterday outside, soaking up all the 103 degree sunshine I could stand, I was reminded of a remark my Dad made a few hot summers ago. He relayed a story about the great flood that washed over the Earth. The story ended with something like...when the good Lord sent 40 days and nights of constant rain to flood the Earth, Falls County and specifically Marlin, TX received only a quarter of an inch!
Now, I understand that some of my readers are not from Texas, but I assure you that Dad was not too far off base! Texas can be one HOT and dry piece of country. Then again, rainfall broke that drought and my bet is that it will rain again sometime soon...maybe. My advice is to straighten up your ways and manage for the next drought to come.
With that though in mind, I am reminded of another saying that I have heard from Billy Kniffen, who started the Rainwater Harvesting Task Force within Texas AgriLife Extension Service. He would say, "don't pray for rain, unless you can take care of it when it comes". Having caught more than a couple of raindrops in his time, Billy's message conveys a sense of responsibility. That is good land stewardship creates a rangeland sponge ready to slow runoff and soak up precipitation. Poor land stewardship creates the opposite condition, where rainfall runoff leaves the property in a hurry with little benefit to the pasture or landscape.
In the last couple of weeks, I traveled in far western Texas and the Hillcountry. Range conditions are generally poor (except for some well managed properties). Body conditions of white-tailed deer are alarmingly poor and I saw few fawns at the heels of does.
Late summer is often a time of hardship for wildlife. Generally speaking, many of the food items produced by earlier rains have played out and acorns or mast from other sources have not matured, or did not produce at all. Currently, forbes are scarce and the mast producing oaks have few acorns. The current conditions are some of the worst that I have seen and some wildlife species are having trouble gaining adequate nutrition.
When thinking of white-tailed deer, a common reaction is to provide supplemental feed to ward off starvation. I will tell you that I have teetered on the edge of this very decision. Deer in poor condition show their ribs, spine and pelvis. This sight will no doubt pull at your heart strings.
If a person feeds, it comes with a mounting financial burden and not all of the deer will benefit. Behaviorally dominant deer will likely feed, while preventing others from doing so. We may feel good about feeding in times of stress, but I'm not sure if much is gained by the action.
A friend of mine reminded me that deer who survived this drought, were genetically prepared to do so. They were hustlers during tough times. That seems like an important trait to pass on to the next generation. Those that did not survive were either not as lucky or not genetically prepared. Mother Nature is harsh and very different than how she is portrayed on TV. Droughts and die-offs go hand-in-hand. The population correction factor is being put into play.
So, here is what I would do, if I could see beyond this drought...
- recognize that the plant community must be at the forefront of concern all the time and understand that animals are a by-product of this community
- manage rangeland in good condition and have it prepared to soak up rain when it does fall
- make sure to balance my herbivores (deer and livestock) and plant resources through population management. This means harvesting excess deer or taking livestock to the sale barn well before the next pressure point.