Economics | Forage | Horticulture | Livestock | Soils | Wildlife

What is this plant?
Many people are interested in identifying plants and rightfully so, as plant identification is one of the major keys to managing wildlife habitat or grazing livestock. Knowing which plants dominate the landscape can also tell the manager a lot about nutrient cycling, energy flow, water cycle and succession, all of which need to be functioning properly for a healthy, productive system.

There are many sources available to managers for plant identification. They range from technical plant keys to fact sheets and Web sites. Our own Plant Image Gallery www.noble.org/WebApps/PlantImageGallery/Index.aspx is a very popular online guide.

If there is a plant you plan to send to someone for identification, be sure to include as many parts of the plant as possible. The fruit, flower, leaf and stem (twig) should be sufficient for most plants. Perhaps an easier method is to take digital photographs. Many photographs can be taken of different plant parts and from different angles and emailed at little cost. Good quality photographs are a must.

How many fish can I stock in my pond?
Determining how many fish to stock in a pond depends on many variables, pond size (surface acres), goals and water quality generally being the most critical. For instance, ponds smaller than 0.5 surface acre or ponds that are muddy due to suspended clay particles are commonly stocked only with channel catfish (100 if unfed or 100 to 1,000 if fed/surface acre) and largemouth bass ( 40 to 50/surface acre). In ponds larger than one surface acre with adequate water quality, preferably a phytoplankton (microscopic plants) bloom that limits visibility between 12 and 30 inches deep, a good stocking plan using largemouth bass and bluegill and possibly some combination of channel catfish, redear sunfish, threadfin shad and golden shiner works well. The combination of largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish are most commonly stocked in Oklahoma and Texas using one-to three-inch fingerlings on a per acre basis as follows: 50-100 largemouth bass, 500 bluegill and 100 channel catfish. Stock bluegill and channel catfish in the fall and follow with stocking largemouth bass in the spring. Proper harvest management is required to maintain a quality fishery. Ponds with existing fish populations need to be carefully analyzed before adding additional fish.

What happened to the flock of turkeys I've been seeing?
During late winter and early spring each year we receive calls from wildlife enthusiasts wondering what happened to the flock of turkeys they were seeing during the fall and winter. They wonder if their management practices caused the flock to leave. The most common cause of the disappearance of fall and winter flocks is inherent to their reproductive habits and the related use of somewhat different winter versus summer habitats. There can sometimes be external causes for the disappearance, such as complete loss of habitat, but the usual annual pattern exhibited by turkey is usually the culprit. Typically, the entire flock does not disappear, there are just fewer using the area during the summer. Turkey flocks begin to break up and disperse in late winter for breeding purposes. A hen only needs to be bred once in order to lay a clutch of fertile eggs. Once bred, the hen then lays, hatches and raises her offspring in solitude during late spring and early summer, sometimes miles away from where she spent the winter. During summer and early fall, individual hens and their poults begin to coalesce into the more noticeable fall and winter flocks. As late winter and early spring roll around the next year, the cycle repeats itself.

Does Doe Harvest Kill the Factory?
Some deer enthusiasts think harvesting does will "kill the factory," eventually eliminating the deer population in an area. In order to provide some insight on this issue, let's look at doe harvest information from the Walnut Bayou Deer Management Association (WBDMA). The WBDMA consists of 10 landowners sharing a common resource (deer) on 12,600 acres with similar deer population management goals. Since the formation of the WBDMA in 1996, the results have been very rewarding and have only been achieved by collaborative effort among landowners. It is a great example of how landowners with small acreages can join together and achieve otherwise unattainable deer management goals. It is also an example of how relatively intense doe harvest does not "kill the factory."
Since 1998 (the last year WBDMA added significant acreage), an average of 58 does (one per 217 acres) have been harvested each year on the WBDMA. During that same time, an average of 225 does were harvested and legally checked in by hunters in Love County, Okla. To put these numbers in perspective, an average of 26 percent of the total does harvested in Love County occurred on WBDMA property, which comprises about 4 percent of the total land area in the county. By Love County standards, that is intense doe harvest. So what's happening to our total estimated number of deer (bucks, does and fawns) on the WBDMA? It has averaged about 768 deer, or about 16 deer per square mile with a low of 625 in 2004 and a high of 887 in 2006. Granted, these numbers are based on spotlight surveys and are only rough estimates, but the point is, we still have deer despite a relatively intense doe harvest effort. Thus, doe harvest at this level definitely does not "kill the factory."

How do I clear muddy water in my pond?
There are several types of water turbidity in ponds. Soil turbidity (suspended clay particles) is probably the most common. Soil turbidity can be temporary or last for years. To correct the problem, a proper diagnosis needs to be made before treatments can be effective. Soil particles are negatively charged and can cause long-term water turbidity if other variables in the water aren't sufficient to cause them to bind together and settle to the bottom.

A good way to determine the persistence of turbidity is to collect a water sample in a jar and let it sit for several hours. If the soil particles settle, then the problem is probably physical, and the pond and watershed should be examined to determine the presence or absence of bare soil in and around the pond, animal disturbances (including livestock and fish such as common carp or black bullhead) or disturbance caused by wind. If soil particles do not settle, water analysis is needed to determine the proper treatment such as amendments (alum, gypsum, hay, manure, etc.) or plant establishment. When the cause is addressed, the symptom of muddy water is generally solved.

How do I control vegetation in my pond?
Like many questions, this one is loaded. The first response one will likely hear from a pond management professional is "it depends." This is because ponds serve many purposes. Fisheries management is usually the obvious one, but waterfowl, livestock water, aesthetics/landscaping and erosion control are among other uses ponds serve. Also, the species (type) of vegetation and the amount are two important variables when considering control. Proper identification of the plant(s) in the pond is critical to evaluating the need or type of control. Some plants are beneficial to waterfowl and fisheries and some are not. Proper plant identification enables a manager to decide what type of control to use, e.g., mechanical, chemical or biological. Understanding the benefits of aquatic plants helps the manager determine an acceptable amount of vegetation in a pond. For example, a manager wanting waterfowl would want an abundance of vegetation, but a fisheries manager would probably want no more than about 25 percent of the pond vegetated. Lastly, the design of the pond can influence the species and amount of vegetation present. Shallow water usually grows more vegetation than deep water. With this in mind, a pond can be constructed (slopes, etc.) to manage the amount of vegetation.

Do deer eat bermudagrass?
No. Deer prefer to eat forbs (broadleaved herbaceous plants, many species are commonly called weeds) and browse (woody plants, including mast such as acorns). In our area, more than 76 percent of a deer's diet is comprised of forbs and woody plants. In general, the majority of a deer's diet during the spring and summer is comprised of forbs. During the fall and winter, browse makes up the majority of the diet. Grasses make up a small component of the diet in free-ranging deer. Generally, grasses are more important in deer diets during late fall, winter and early spring when deer consume forage from ryegrass, cereal grains such as wheat, oats and rye and native cool-season and naturalized grasses such as Texas wintergrass, bromes, etc. Often, deer will be seen feeding in bermudagrass pastures but they are actually consuming forbs or cool-season grasses.

For further reading, see:
White-tailed Deer: Their Foods and Management in the Cross Timbers
Native Plant Communities are Very Important for Wildlife
What Is White-Tailed Deer Habitat?

How can I manage for trophy bucks?
First, realize that the definition of a trophy buck can be different for many hunters, and it's OK to have differing definitions. Many variables influence any particular hunter's idea of a trophy buck. Some hunters may not have their definition set as high as others, simply due to the fact that they have yet to kill a buck. Other hunters may have different definitions depending on the season they are hunting, i.e. archery, black powder or modern rifle. It is wise to define your standards for yourself, your family or your customers in order to develop a consistent harvest management strategy.

Nutrition, age and genetics are the three building blocks for producing trophy bucks. In a wild, free-ranging deer herd, a manager can have some control over nutrition and age, but not genetics.

Nutrition can be influenced through extensive habitat management techniques such as controlling deer numbers, prescribed fire, brush or timber management and livestock stocking rates and grazing management. It can be affected intensively by the use of feeders and food plots. Simply stated, if bucks are not receiving adequate nutrition, they will never express their full potential for antler growth.

Most bucks will grow larger antlers with age. Therefore, if you want trophies, don't shoot bucks at a young age. A good buck age structure can be created by regulating the number of bucks shot on a relatively large parcel of land. The land area will need to be large enough to encompass the home range of the majority of the bucks. Most biologists agree that for trophy deer management, no more than 20 percent of the estimated number of bucks present should be killed in that year. With adequate nutrition, most bucks should express trophy antler potential within 4.5 to 7.5 years of age.

Unlike pen-reared deer or beef cattle management, managing genetics in a wild, free-ranging deer herd is extremely difficult. Many people forget that the doe contributes 50 percent of her genetics to her offspring and there is no way to determine an individual doe's contribution to antler quality. Additionally, the biggest buck does not breed many of the does in a herd, and if the buck:doe ratio is balanced, the biggest buck can't possibly breed very many of the does. This is due to many does becoming receptive during the same time period and numerous other bucks competing for breeding. Providing proper nutrition to the deer herd and allowing bucks to physically mature is the best way to allow bucks to express their full genetic potential.

In Oklahoma, feral hogs are defined as any hogs, including Russian and European wild boar, which are running at large and whose owners are unknown. In the case where the hog's owner is known, it will be defined as feral five days after escaping confinement. If notice is provided to adjacent landowners within those five days, the hog shall not be considered feral for an additional 10 days. A valid hunting license is required only if you are hunting feral hog during deer or elk season or hunting on public land (where permissible). There are no state bag or possession limits or closed seasons on feral hog in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture can assist landowners or landowner groups by shooting feral hogs from a helicopter (landowners are responsible for paying flight time).

In Texas, feral hog is classified as an exotic animal and a valid hunting license is required to hunt them. There are no state bag or possession limits or closed seasons on exotic animals in Texas.

Other than providing a site for hunting and recreational lease listings, the Noble Foundation does not maintain a listing of landowner contacts for hunters pursuing feral hog. For trap designs and other information regarding feral hog, see "The Feral Hog in Oklahoma," Noble Foundation publication NF-WL-96-01.

How do I create more food for quail?
Disking and food plot establishment are two management practices commonly used to improve/increase food abundance for Northern bobwhite, Colinus virginianus. When properly implemented, these practices can enhance bobwhite food abundance by increasing greens, seeds and invertebrates (e.g., insects) through soil disturbance and planting. Disking and food plots are classified as "intensive" management practices and should only be considered for implementation after successful "extensive" management practices (i.e., proper grazing, prescribed fire, brush sculpting) are in place and it has been determined that food supply is limited. Proper timing is essential for successful disking and food plot management and is dependent upon the species present or the species to be established. January and February are generally the best months for disking if the area already has some desirable food plants present. Food plots can be established in the spring for seed, green vegetation and invertebrate production, or in the fall for seed production. Collect and test soil samples and apply fertilizer according to test results to enhance the success of disked areas and food plots. The application of disking and food plots in marginal habitat (e.g., bermudagrass-dominated landscape) will likely provide unsatisfactory results due to other limiting habitat factors (i.e., cover, plant diversity). Ultimately, Mother Nature (i.e., rainfall or no rainfall) has the last word on the success of disked areas or food plots.