This question developed during a farm visit while discussing fence line contrast of rangeland between a property that had been well managed for years and a neighboring property. Our objective was to evaluate rangeland health of forage for cattle and sheep, and wildlife habitat following the impacts of 2011 - drought and wildfire.

During the long, hot days of summer, interest in deer management often takes a back seat to fishing, boating, vacations, etc. However, people interested in deer need to keep in mind that deer management is a year-round process.

If you have bobwhites calling your native pastures home, you probably have more grass than the neighbors. Bobwhites can be a good indicator of grazing management on native pastures.

Mycotoxins, toxins produced by fungi, are known to negatively affect mammals, birds, and fish. Some of the grain produced this year might have higher levels of mycotoxins due to drought related stresses during seed production.

Pond fencing helps reduce erosion and improve water quality where livestock create bare banks and trails along a pond. A pond fence should protect all of a dam, the initial portion of a spillway, a portion of the incoming waterway(s), and most if not all of the shoreline.

A fish kill caused by dissolved oxygen (DO) depletion can be a catastrophe for pond managers. Fish kills can occur any time the DO demand is greater than the water can supply - but managers can take steps to avoid such an event in their ponds.

Landowners are often tempted to take advantage of droughts by deepening or enlarging existing ponds when water levels drop low enough or when ponds dry up completely. This can be an opportunity to increase water supply for fisheries and livestock, but certain factors should be considered before spending money and time deepening or enlarging a pond.

Fire can be a wonderfully useful and flexible land management tool, but its positive or negative impacts depend upon how it is implemented.

Humans have been using rotenone for centuries to harvest fish and manipulate fish communities.

The drought and excessive heat has had a significant impact on Rio Grande turkey recruitment. Many landowners who saw fewer turkeys during the fall and winter are convinced that the impact was negative.

Most enthusiasts might not think about the summer months posing a nutritional hardship to deer. Sure, the lush months of April, May and June can provide more nutrition than deer need under good habitat conditions. But what about July and August?

Many landowners are building and stocking new ponds, as well as re-stocking old ponds that dried up, with fish to increase water reserves and provide fisheries for family enjoyment or income. It's good to take time to consider all of the values that ponds have to offer before actually beginning the dirt work.

Mourning dove must drink water on a regular basis – during mild weather, they don't have to drink every day, but they can't live longer than seven to 11 days without water.

The bottom line is that this drought will probably not have a long-term effect on deer populations, but it certainly has the potential to have some short-term effects.