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Travels to the Top of Texas
By Russell Graves
By most standards, the Guadalupe Mountain range doesn’t fit the conventional idea of a mountainous country. Instead of a collection of individual mountains rising from the surrounding plains, the mountain range is a collection of peaks that rise from an immense and ancient reef that was once part of a prehistoric Pangeatic sea. From Texas the immense ridge runs north into New Mexico. When the ridge plays out in Texas, mountain peaks rise from the stone comprised of fossilized algae and fungi.
Approaching the range from the south, travelers see the same cragged peaks jutting out as they have for centuries. The state’s signature peak, El Capitan, stands like a sentinel over the West Texas desert while behind it, Guadalupe Peak rises to the highest point in the state.
Like any good story, a good adventure tale is made of three acts. This one is no different.
On a warm March morning, my brother Bubba and I, along with my eleven year old son, Ryan, arrive at the Guadalupe Mountain National Park. For the past three days, we’ve been planning and smartly packing for the adventure. I’ve done the hike before but never an overnight stay. Day trips up to the peak are one thing, but to spend the night is quite another. Therefore, we’ve done our best to pack the necessary gear in order to make the ascent safe and comfortable.
To read more pick up a copy of the December 2016 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
One of my professors out at Texas Tech University always told us that we aren’t just raising cattle, we’re raising grass, because without grass there is no cattle business. The same applies to most livestock species and crops we seek to raise- without good land management, no good yield can grow.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Tony Dean
There are a handful of grasses on North Texas grazing lands ranchers need to know, not because they are highly desirable, but rather because they are not of much value. I call them “decom” plants, which is am acronym for “Don’t Ever Count On Me.” Silver bluestem is a “decom” grass.
Silver bluestem is a perennial which grows in all areas of Texas. It can survive in almost all soil types, and in full sun conditions or in semi shade. It grows up to three feet tall and is easily recognized with the presence of the white fuzzy seed head. Also, one of the identifying characteristics of Silver bluestem is a bend in the stems at each node, causing the plants to take on a rounded shape as they mature.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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