texas par ks and wildlife depar tment fall 2017€¦ · mule deer qualifying for the texas big game...

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Larry Jones

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Jordan McCown

Wildlife Technician

Diana Mayo

Administrative Assistant

Phone: (806)492-3405

Fax: (806)492-3230

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White tailed deer buck harvested on the Mata-dor WMA by Tim Ramsey during the 2016-17 season; Non-typical 171 3/8 Gross B&C, 164 4/8 Net.

Hello Everyone! Welcome to the Matador Wildlife Management Area.

We hope you enjoy your stay and that you find some items of interest in this newsletter. Our newsletter will

come out in the fall of each year prior to the hunting season. Look for various wildlife management issues and

research updates in future newsletters. You can also follow us on Facebook at; https://www.facebook.com/pages/Matador-Wildlife-Management-Area-Texas-Parks-and-Wildlife

Have a great fall and winter and thank you for visiting the Matador WMA.

A Look Back at Last Season and a Look

Forward to the 2017-18 Season by Chip Ruthven

Texas Par ks and Wildl i fe Depar tment Fal l 2017

THE MATADOR WMA NEWS

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT IN THE ROLLING PLAINS

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The 2016-17 quail season was the best

on record with quail hunters harvesting

10,555 quail (3.91 birds per hunter day).

We continued with well above normal

rainfall in 2016 with 28.14 inches of

precipitation. With well above average

rainfall we had another excellent growing

season in 2016. Dove hunters fared well

hunting over water with about 5 birds

harvested per hunter day in 2016. Antler

quality was up and our buck hunters har-

vested five white-tailed deer and one

mule deer qualifying for the Texas Big

Game Awards. Those bucks included, to

our knowledge, the largest (gross B&C

score) typical white-tail (172 4/8 gross,

161 2/8 net) and non-typical white-tail

(171 3/8 gross, 164 4/8 net) to ever be

taken off the WMA.

Above average rainfall continued into the past 13 seasons. Despite a generally hot and

early 2017. However, most of May, June, dry late-spring and early-summer, range conditions

and July were hot and dry. Although our remained fair to good. August brought in cooler

spring quail surveys suggested good than normal temperatures and we received 5+ inch-

es of rain in mid-August. A little too late to help numbers of breeding birds in the popula-

tion and we had high hopes for another much with quail reproduction; however, range condi-

banner quail year at the end of April, the tions are currently rated as good to excellent. The

hot and dry conditions during the primary yearly rainfall total through August stands at 16.99

inches, which is slightly above average. Turkey re-nesting and brood rearing season did not

bode well for quail reproduction. Our production looks to be fair. Deer appear to be in

roadside quail counts have averaged good shape, fawn crops appear to be fair, and antler

3.13 birds per mile, which is a far cry production should again be above average. We are

from the record of 12.4 birds per mile hoping for another productive hunting season.

observed in 2016. Yet, the 2017 num-

bers still rank as the fourth highest over

The Matador WM A News Wildl i f e Management in the Rol l ing Pla ins

We continued our habitat enhancement activities in 2017 including

the prescribed burning of over 5,500 acres. Our burning operations

weaken and exposed dense stands of prickly pear and we took ad-

vantage of this by spraying over 1,000 acres of prickly pear. I am

sure many a bird dog and hunter who have had to gingerly navigate

our prickly pear patches will appreciate these efforts. We grubbed

approximately 185 acres of redberry juniper and salt cedar along the

Middle Pease River floodplain. We also sprayed about 4,400 acres

of mesquite. Much of these habitat management efforts have been

supported by hunter’s purchase of Upland and Migratory Game Bird Stamps and funds derived from TPWD’s Big Time Texas Hunts pro-

gram, as well as donations from conservation organizations such as

the National Wild Turkey Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation, and

Quail Forever. Many state and private funds are leveraged in a 3:1

match with Pittman-Roberston funds to increase the magnitude of

these habitat enhancement projects. These management activities

are designed to reduce woody plant cover and enhance herbaceous

vegetation. Managing the entire ecosystem is our goal at the Mata-

dor WMA and we will continue to use tools such as prescribed fire,

rotational livestock grazing, and chemical and mechanical treat-

ments to enhance the plant and wildlife resources on the Matador

WMA.

When afield, hunters may notice recently burned country, which was

a result of a lightning strike wildfire in late July that burned approxi-

mately 4,200 acres in East Aermotor and South Middle Pastures.

These same areas were scheduled for a prescribed fire later this

winter but Mother Nature beat us to the punch. However, the wildfire

did meet many of our management objectives and has begun to

green-up following the abundant rainfall in mid-August. White tailed deer buck harvested by Randall Stahl on the Matador WMA during the 2016-2017 season; 172 4/8 Gross

We hope you have a positive outdoor experience on the Matador B&C, 161 2/8 Net.

WMA, and please remember to Hunt Safe and Hunt Responsibly.

M A TA D O R W MA R A I N FA L L R E C O R D ( I N C H E S )

YEAR JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC TO-

TAL

2010 1.49 1.72 1.04 6.77 3.19 2.33 6.75 1.63 1.91 2 0.82 0.02 29.67

2011 0.06 0.76 0.11 0.13 1.45 0.34 0.4 0.38 1.08 3.24 1.09 0.94 9.98

2012 0.05 0.73 2.13 0.5 0.77 1.86 1.58 4.56 3.68 0.16 0.25 0.42 16.69

2013 1.65 2.06 0.05 2.15 0.25 3.86 1.72 2.61 0.82 0.14 1.22 1.82 18.35

2014 0 0.48 0.73 0.33 4.1 2.91 2.92 2.85 2.33 0.2 0.92 0.21 17.98

2015 1.75 0.18 0.54 4.9 8.61 2.43 4.07 0.5 0.25 2.81 3.04 1.91 30.99

2016 0.6 1.09 0.93 2.57 7.01 2.94 3.81 3.52 2.03 1.12 1.26 1.26 28.14

2017 1.21 1.92 1.49 4.24 0.26 1.43 1.17 5.27 16.99

Average 0.71 0.90 1.17 2.03 3.48 3.09 1.90 2.35 2.47 2.27 1.03 0.94 22.33

**Average Accumulations 0.71 1.61 2.78 4.81 8.29 11.37 13.28 15.63 18.10 20.37 21.39 22.33

* Monthly Averages (1914 to Aug 2017) ** Average Accumulations (1914 to Aug 2017)

2017 Rainfall year-to-date (Jan-Sept 13th) =16.99 inches


2017-2018 MA TA D O R WMA PU B L I C HU N T S

HUNT TYPE PERMIT TYPE HUNT DATES

Dove APH 9/1/17-10/8/17, 10/12/17-10/15/17, 10/28/17-11/2/17,

12/21/17-12/31/17

Bobwhite Quail APH 10/28/17-11/2/17, 11/16/17-12/5/17, 12/21/17-

1/31/18

Waterfowl (early teal) APH Each day of season except when area is closed to

hunting.

Youth/Adult Dove and Quail

APH 10/21/17-10/22/17 (Sat.-Sun.)

ADE – Archery Deer Special 10/16/17-10/20/17 (Mon.-Fri.)

AMD - Archery Mule

Deer Special 10/23/17-11/27/17(Mon.-Fri.)

GMD - Gun Mule

Deer Special 12/11/17-12/15/17(Mon.-Fri.)

GDE – Gun Deer Either Sex

Special 11/6/17-11/10/17 (Mon.-Fri.)

11/11/17-11/15/17 (Sat.-Wed.)

GDA – Gun Deer Antlerless

Special 12/6/17-12/10/17 (Wed.-Sun.)

12/16/17/-12/20/17 (Sat.-Wed.)

Archery Feral Hog APH 4/2/18-4/15/18

GFH – Gun Feral

Hog Special 2/2/18-2/6/18 (Fri.–Tues.)

YFH – Youth Feral

Hog Special 2/17/18-2/18/17 (Sat.-Sun.)

GTS – Spring Turkey Special 4/17/18-4/19/18, 4/24/18-4/26/18 (Tues.-Thurs.)

5/4/18-5/6/18 (Fri.-Sun.)

YTS – Youth Spring

Turkey Special 4/28/18-4/29/18 (Sat.-Sun.)

Fishing APH or LUP Year round except during Special Permit hunts.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) offers a variety of hunting opportunities through two public

hunting systems. The $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit (APH) provides nearly year-round hunting on approxi-

mately 1.2 million acres of land. The Public Hunt Drawing System Permit (Special) provides opportunities to

apply for a wide variety of supervised, drawn hunts including special drawings for both adults and youth hunt-

ers. In addition, TPWD offers special hunt package drawings for exotic wildlife and quality native animals on TPWD managed lands as well as specially leased private properties.

The nest of hen 932, situated under a sand

sagebrush

Matador WMA Happenings, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department


Over the past two years Tex-

as Parks and Wildlife De-

partment (TPWD) has start-

ed banding Rio Grande Wild

Turkeys (RGWT) all across

Texas in an effort to deter-

mine survival and hunter

harvest effects on these

valuable game spe-

cies. Each bird captured is

equipped with a leg band

labeled with a unique identi-

fication number. Think of it

as a social security number

for that bird. This way, if a

bird is captured again, we

will have records for each

time that bird was captured

by looking up its band num-

ber. However, if a bird is

harvested by a hunter, they

can call the phone number

listed on the band and re-

port where the bird was har-

vested. This will give TPWD

valuable information about

movements of birds within a

given area. The daily locations of wild turkey hen 940 from April-Aug 2017. Each green dot represents a location.

The staff at Matador WMA have been assisting with this effort by banding local birds on and off the WMA. This past year,

with assistance from Louisiana State University, we put out 7 GPS backpack transmitters on RGWT hens. Each transmit-

ter records a GPS location every hour from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and then once again at midnight. This gives us daily

movement data and roost site data. Unlike traditional radio telemetry projects,

these data can be downloaded anytime we go out into the field by using a re-

mote handheld GPS device that links to each transmitter and stores it on the

handheld device, which then can be uploaded to a computer when we return to

the office. Using an antenna and receiver we keep tabs on birds throughout the

week to check for mortalities (if a bird dies, the transmitter will transmit rapid

beeps to indicate the bird

is dead vs. a slow beep for

normal activity). At the

end of each week we go

out and download data

from each bird. We return

to the office, upload the

data to our computer and

look at their movements

and determine if any of

A hen with a newly attached GPS transmitter on her back

these birds are selecting certain areas over others, or if a hen is sit-

ting on a nest, etc.

These data will provide a unique opportunity to better understand

movements of these birds and their responses to our habitat en-

hancement activities on the WMA.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department maintains a 525 acre Unit of the Playa Lakes Wildlife

Management Area just west of Lelia Lake, Texas in Donley County. It features 4 perched

water table lakes and 2 moist soil units. As land use practices in the area have changed from dry land farming to irrigated farm land, the depth of the water table has fallen and has result-

ed in the water features on the area not filling naturally. To remedy this, we installed a new

pump to supply water to Taylor Lakes 1 and trenched an additional pipeline to Cattail Lake.

Taylor Lakes had an average summer for precipitation so most of the units were dry. To off-

set this, we periodically pumped water to all units this summer to stimulate native wetland

vegetation to provide food and cover for migratory game and nongame birds this coming fall and winter. Waterfowl regularly use this area annually during winter and migration. Taylor Lakes also has a healthy white-tailed deer population and several Northern Bobwhites were

observed this past summer. Several Rio Grande Wild Turkey nests were found across the

unit this summer. To our knowledge, this was the first time turkeys have nested on Taylor Lakes. On another positive note feral hog sightings are becoming increasingly rare.

With assistance from Ducks Unlimited and National Wild Turkey Federation we were able to finish our dredging ef-

forts of Cattail Lake and Moist Soil Unit 1. Dredged materials were deposited in the uplands and reseeded with a native

seed mixture, whereas, Barnyard grass and pink smart weed were planted in the dredged basins. These plantings should

provide needed cover and food for both game and nongame wildlife.

Future plans for the Taylor Lakes Unit include continuation of dove, early teal, archery feral hog, archery deer, youth

deer, and youth/adult waterfowl hunts, continuation of pre-

scribed grazing and invasive

brush control, regular pre-

scribed burning, and periodic

flooding of the lakes to attract waterfowl during migration and

winter. For more information

on the Taylor Lakes Unit,

please contact Matthew Poole

at 806-492-3405.


TA Y L O R LA K E S UP DA T E

HUNT TYPE PERMIT TYPE HUNT DATES Dove APH

Waterfowl (early teal) APH

Rabbits and Hares (shotgun only)

APH

Archery Deer Special

Youth Only Spring

Turkey Special

Youth/Adult Waterfowl APH - E-Postcard

Youth Only Deer Either

Sex Special

Archery Feral Hog APH

A public hunter on Taylor Lakes 1

A youth hunter with his first

waterfowl harvest

9/1/17-11/12/17

Each day of established early teal season, except during

special hunt periods

9/1/17-11/12/17

11/13/17-11/17/217

4/14/18-4/15/17

12/16/17-12/17/17, 12/30/17-12/31/17

11/24/17-11/26/17

2/1/18-4/13/18, 4/16/18-8/31/18


Greater Roadrunner by Dana Wright Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

Beep, Beep! Contrary to the cartoon, roadrunners don’t actually talk by beeping, they actually visit us-

ing a series of cooing noises similar to that of a dove.

Roadrunners belong to the Family Cuculidae (Cuckoos and Anis), birds that are described as having a

slender body, long tail and two toes pointing forward and two pointing back (track resembles an

“X”). The latin scientific name for the Greater Roadrunner is Geococcyx californianus, which means

“the cuckoo that runs”. Roadrunners are not well adapted for flying, they can glide for short distances,

but spend most of their time traveling on foot. Their long tail is actually used as a rudder and helps

steer them in the right direction and also to make quick stops.

Roadrunners have a diverse diet that includes

insects, seeds, fruits, small mammals, birds,

lizards and snakes. This bird is very adept at

killing and eating rattlesnakes. They use their

long pointed beak to hit the snake with repeat-

ed blows and then will slam their prey against

the ground or rock until it’s dead.

Baby roadrunners seem to be rarely

seen. Nests are built in low trees, bushes or

clumps of cactus. The nest is no architectural

masterpiece, instead it is a mass of disor-

ganized sticks, feathers and other rubble. The

hen will then trample a slight hollow in the cen-

ter and lay 3 to 8 eggs. Incubation lasts about

20 days and then both parents will help with

the care and feeding of the young. The young

are able to leave the nest at about three weeks

of age, but stay close to mom and dad for some

additional training.

There are many myths and legends surround-

ing the roadrunner. If a roadrunner lives near a

home it was sure to bring the residents good

fortune. One crossing the road from left to right

brought good luck, but one crossing in the op-A greater roadrunner perched in a burnt redberry juniper.

posite direction brought bad luck. The Pueblo

Indians of New Mexico drew the bird’s track on the ground near the tent of their dead to mislead evil sprits trying to follow the departed soul. The

Tarahumare Indians claimed their running skill was a result of eating meals that included roadrunner

meat. Whatever your belief is, anything that eats scorpions and rattlesnakes is welcomed at my

house.


Summer Internship and Thesis research by Steve Romo West Texas A&M University

bling me to set up transects in advance. I must specifically mention a fellow WTAMU student, Joselyn Gutierrez, who all summer long scheduled her days off from work in the middle of the week to volunteer at Matador WMA. With the help of vol-

unteers, I completed my goal of 60 transects. By the end of the

summer I recorded 1686 individual birds representing 50 differ-

ent species perched along the transects within recording dis-

tance. Some of my favorite species detected included Green

Heron, Field Sparrow, Eastern Kingbird, and Vermilion Fly-

catcher. Some uncommon sightings included one Lesser Gold-

finch, one Canyon Wren, one Great-Horned Owl and Burrow-

ing Owls. I am most proud of transect number 46 in the western

portion of the property where I detected all 4 of the commonly seen woodpeckers: Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Golden-

Fronted Woodpeckers, Red-Headed Woodpeckers, and North-

ern Flickers. Another mentionable highlight was watching

American Kestrels chase Mississippi Kites which were in the

process of dive-bombing a perched Cooper’s Hawk.

During the afternoons, I worked as a volunteer intern for the

WMA where my only job was to help with biological data col-

lection. I was quickly given the responsibility of monitoring

radio collared Wild Turkeys on the WMA. It was very interest-Steve Romo banding a Vermillion Flycatcher at the ing to see how the Turkeys utilized different areas of the WMA MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivor-

as the summer progressed. I noticed that July’s wildfire initially ship) bird-banding station on the Matador WMA.

pushed the turkeys away into unusual places until the birds

were seemingly sucked back in to some of the partially burnt My name is Steven Romo and I am a graduate stu- areas weeks later. Occasionally, I was invited by Matador dent working on my master’s degree in biology at WMA Biologists Matt Poole and Caroline Ellison, to assist West Texas A&M University in Canyon Texas. For with running their MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and my thesis project, I am investigating how different Survivorship) bird-banding station. I loved these mornings as habitat management practices might affect bird they gave me a chance to get up close and personal with the community structure. birds I commonly see on my transects.

This summer was a birder’s dream. I used every Because I was working as a volunteer for the Matador WMA, I morning possible to go birdwatching out on beauti- was granted use of a WMA vehicle. I cannot thank Chip Ruth-ful Matador WMA. To record birds seen, I used dis- ven and all Matador Staff enough for letting me do this, I tance sampling techniques along straight transects. couldn’t have afforded to provide my own transportation Each transect was 300 meters (0.19 miles) long, and throughout the 28,000-acre property all summer long. included 10 points where I would collect data on

different habitat variables. These habitat variables I had an incredible summer at Matador Wildlife Management

included measurements of visual obstruction, herba-Area and I will never forget the experience. I hope that my pro-

ceous cover, plant species richness, insect abun-ject will be of interest to professional wildlife managers in the

dance and diversity, and temperature measurements. Texas rolling plains ecoregion, and that conclusions drawn With all these measurements to collect at each tran-from the project can be used to benefit wild birds. Thank you to sect I was often overwhelmed when working alone. Matador staff, volunteers, friends, family, and to God for seeing I was incredibly thankful for student volunteers who

would come to help me with data collection, ena- me through this difficult yet rewarding summer.


Kid’s Fun Page, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

Wildlife Word Search BOBWHITE

CONSERVATION

DEER

DOVE

PLAYA

SHOTGUN

STEWARDSHIP

WATERFOWL

Crossword Puzzle

Across

6. Hunters are the largest financial supporters of

_________.

8. An Annual ________ Hunting Permit is needed to hunt

on WMAs

Down

1. Leaving spent shotgun shells in the field is

_____________.

2. Feathers and bird parts should never be disposed of

in livestock _________ facilities.

3. A __________ license is required to fish on WMAs.

4. The Middle __________ River runs through the Mata-

dor WMA.

5. Off road vehicles are only allowed on ______________

on the WMA.

7. The process of returning animal populations to

healthy numbers is called __________.

The Matador WMA New s Wildl i f e Management in the Rol l ing Pla ins

LO C A L BU S I N E S S DI R E C TO RY

Lodging and R.V’s Brooks R.V 806-492-3358 Hwy 83 and Goober, Paducah

Hunter’s Lodge 806-492-2167 902 11th St., Paducah (1 blk N of of Double G’s)

Restaurants Double G’s 806-492-3171 1112 Easly, Paducah (US70 W)

Dixie Maid 806-492-3460 1618 Easly, Paducah (US70 W)

Nana’s Café 806-492-2787 1319 9th Street, Paducah (US83 S)

Jack and Jill Donuts (coming soon) Easly, Paducah (US70 W)

Meat Processing A&K Meat Processing Wellington 806-447-5660

Raggedy Creek Processing Crowell 940-684-1744

Wild West Meat Processing Matador 806-470-9995

Hunting Supplies Jones’ Sporting Goods 806-492-3373 1406 9th St., Paducah (US83 S)

Wal-Mart 940-937-6166 2801 Avenue F NW, Childress (US287 N)

Grocery Stores Moore Thriftway 806-492-3616 1113 9th St., Paducah

United Supermarket 940-937-3631 2105 Avenue F NW, Childress

Convenience Stores Allsup’s 806-492-3947 1602 Easly St., Paducah (US70 W)

The Store 806-492-3326 1001 9th St., Paducah (US 83 & US70)

Family Dollar (coming soon) Easly, Paducah (US70 W)

Veterinary Services Childress Veterinary Hospital 940-937-2558 109 Industrial Circle, Childress (US287 N)

Critter Care 940-937-6065 406 19th Street NW, Childress (US83 S)

Emergency Services – Dial 911 Sheriff, 806-492-3131 Ambulance, 806-492-2336 Fire Station, 806-492-3131

Pina’s Tire & Towing 806-492-2011

Outdoor Responsibilities

R = Rules and Regulations, E = Ethics, S = Sportsmanship, P = Patience and Professionalism, E = Education, C = Conservation, T = Truth

As hunters, we are ultimately responsible for ourselves as individuals. And as individuals, hunters can constantly remind

themselves of their responsibilities by following this simple formula—R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

The Matador WMA News Wildl i fe Management in the Rol l ing Pla ins

Kid’s Fun Page Answers by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

Wildlife Word Search BOBWHITE

CONSERVATION

DEER

DOVE

PLAYA

SHOTGUN

STEWARDSHIP

WATERFOWL

Crossword Puzzle Across

6. Hunters are the largest financial supporters of

_________.

8. An Annual ________ Hunting Permit is needed to hunt

on WMAs

Down

1. Leaving spent shotgun shells in the field is

_____________.

2. Feathers and bird parts should never be disposed of

in livestock _________ facilities.

3. A __________ license is required to fish on WMAs.

4. The Middle __________ River runs through the Mata-

dor WMA.

5. Off road vehicles are only allowed on ______________

on the WMA.

7. The process of returning animal populations to

healthy numbers is called __________.

texas par ks and wildlife depar tment fall 2017€¦ · mule deer qualifying for the texas big game...

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