Turkeys were all over Texas in the early 1900s. Because they were easy to hunt, the numbers dwindled to the point where there aren't nearly as many in the places that they used to be plentiful. Some people may never see one in the wild.
Texas is currently home to about half a million wild turkeys, allowing for around 100,000 to be harvested every year. These numbers aren't near where a lot of people would like to see them, however, we aren't without options to restore numbers. Many landowners in Cass County are working to make changes to promote our turkey populations through different habitat management techniques. The key to facilitating turkey habitat is realizing that a monoculture won't cut it. When we drive around our county we seem to have two types of habitat; plantation pines or hay pasture where Bermuda or Bahai grasses are grown. These types of habitats just aren't going to work for ground-nesting birds of any kind. When working to promote our wild turkey population, we need to consider what the hens must have to nest. Hens will be looking for an area with screening plants that are going to be around 2 ft tall or a forested area that has been burnt/cleared in the past 3 years. This will camouflage them from predators, as nesting is a huge time of predation for turkey hens. Hens will seek this out in pastures, right of ways, and clearcuts, opting to not nest in low-laying bottomland areas. If you are interested in learning more about what you can do to promote wild turkey habitat, check out the many resources available from the National Wild Turkey Federation or reach out to our office at 903.756.5391.
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There have been many times in the past year where producers have called the office concerned because they are suddenly experiencing loss in their cow-calf herd beyond what is typically expected. The first question I like to ask is "When is the last time you vaccinated your herd?" Surprisingly most people aren't following a vaccination or biosecurity protocol with their cow-calf herds which is placing them at risk of losing calves and cows. This year, I challenge our Cass County producers to adopt a New Year's Resolution of a vaccination protocol.
Always work with your veterinarian to determine which vaccines are necessary for your herd and the frequency at which you need to administer them. If you build a patient relationship with a veterinarian they are far more likely to be available when you need to them come help pull a calf in the middle of the night. If you've never vaccinated your herd before, here are some guidelines that will help you to get started. Calves need to be vaccinated twice, starting at 2 months of age. Bulls and replacement heifers need to be vaccinated 3 to 6 weeks prior to introduction to the herd. Please make sure you are trich testing your bulls in addition to vaccinating them. If you are calving all year long, you need to plan on vaccinating your cow herd every six months. If you have a calving season that is only once a year, then you need to plan to vaccinate them at 7 to 9 months gestation. See the charts below for recommended vaccines and make sure to consult with your veterinarian on the plan that is best for your herd. |
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August 2022
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