I drove up to the stock pond at my uncle’s place in Lampasas county this last week to see how much water was there and if the Mustang grapes were anywhere close to ripe. The stock pond was little more than a mud hole and it looks as if most of the fish have died. I counted 27 turtles that had congregated in the last muddy waterhole on the place. There were no Mustang grapes to be found and none of the Algerita bushes had berries this year. There is very little green anywhere and I noticed that the deer have already started eating browse that they usually save for the fall and winter. The countryside looks as if it could all burn away in just a flash if a fire started in the area. Most of the crops in the Central Texas area did not make and the corn fields look to be a complete loss. Corn was up to $10.00 for a fifty pound bag Saturday so no telling what it will climb to price wise? This means that a lot of people will be feeding the deer and other wildlife a lot less feed this year just because they can not afford to do so. Not only are livestock and deer suffering but all wildlife is having a hard time making a living right now. Our humming bird feeders at the ranch were empty in just one week and one was full of drowned ants and bees. I have seen a lot fewer birds, squirrels and small game in our area. We are seeing coons, skunks and foxes out hunting in the daylight hours which is a sure sign they are not finding food during their normal nocturnal hunts.
All of this means that if rain does not come very soon it will be too late for a lot of native wildlife. I have already found dead fawns and other signs of distressed wildlife. If you have the means please put out feeders and water for some of these creatures to help them through the hard times. Whether it is just a hummingbird feeder for birds and bees or corn/protein feeders for deer and other game do what you can to help. An old tire with a rubber tub in it with some rocks piled inside filled with water may save a lot of birds and small animals in an area where there is no natural water supply. If you have water troughs make sure they are running and working. I have a feeling it will be a long summer and a hard winter for lots of Texas wildlife this year. Do whatever you can to help, Wild Ed
The entire State of Texas has just been declared a Natural Disaster. Over 1/3 of the crops in the State have failed so far and millions of acres are burned or they are so dried up they might as well have burned. The crop loss will get higher as the season progresses. We are all going to have to chip in and work hard to help our wildlife survive the coming hard times. Please be careful with fire and stay on the alert. We do not need anymore habitat burned away.
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We normally have two little branches that run not far from the house, but both are completely dry. I put out a kids, plastic sandbox and filled it with water. The next day it was nearly empty. At first I thought it had a whole, but when I put a game cam I saw that it was just swarmed with thirsty animals.
If you get a chance to email some of the pictures I would be happy to post them up on the blog. Game camera pictures have become an addiction of mine. Ed
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