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The Delight of Small Game
By Russell A. Graves
Gripping the gun and slipping from my truck to the edge of the tangled underbrush was as close as I could come to time travel. My nephew at my side, we walked the edge of the brush trying to jump a fat cottontail from its hidden haunts. The walk was the same as it was the first time I traipsed the trail back when I was 12 or so, my slice of northeast Texas heaven.
From an agricultural standpoint, this land is marginal. Thin topsoils underlain by thick, black clay does its best to grow threeawn and blueberry juniper but isn’t much for growing forage for livestock.
Therefore, the worn out cotton farm that Bo and I explore isn’t used that much at all. Instead it is a patchwork of wildrose and briar thickets, pecan lined creek bottoms, old farm buildings and knee high grasslands. In other words, it is small game heaven.
Technically, small game refers to refers to ducks, quail, doves, and in some circles, coyotes and bobcats. But upland small game like rabbits and squirrels is what many think of when the subject arises. And small game is what introduced me to hunting.
For much of my boyhood and even into adulthood, I’ve wandered the pasture in search of cottontails and sat in solitude and watched for squirrels in the pecan trees. Now that I have my nephew at my side, it feels right to reintroduce someone to the delights of small game on our inaugural foray after the season’s first frost.
I know: big game hunting is king in Texas and always will be. People (including me) like antlers, and there is no changing that. However, there is something magical about a day spent walking through grasslands or sitting quietly amongst hardwood trees waiting for a chirpy squirrel to appear. If you are like me, it is a magic that transports you back to your childhood.
To read more pick up a copy of the October 2018 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By Hannah Claxton | Editor
The North Texas area is located within USDA Hardiness zones seven and eight. The zones are categorized by predicted low temperatures for winter and timing of the first and last frosts.
Zone seven usually has winter low temps between 0 and 10 degrees F with the average date of the first frost falling between Oct. 29 and Nov. 15 and the average date of the last frost falling between March 22 and April 3.
Overall, these two zones have similar climates and growing conditions, making the options for timing and variety within a garden very similar.
In these zones, cool-season crops should go in the ground in March, meaning that soil preparation should start now.
To read more, pick up a copy of the January edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Heather Lloyd
Vaccinations are a critical component of maintaining the health and well-being of horses, especially in environments where they are exposed to other animals, such as in the sport, show and performance arenas. Horses, like all animals, are susceptible to various infectious diseases that can spread quickly and cause serious harm.
A routine vaccination schedule helps prevent the spread of these diseases by preparing the horse’s immune system.
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.
Having herds on a controlled breeding schedule means that we have a predictable calving schedule, and while it’s only over a couple of months, for us it does fall right after the start of the year. I lobby annually to call ours the “Winter calving season”, but I am outvoted and my husband still refers to it as Spring. Unlike producers in our Northern States, we don’t have to contend with brutally harsh winter weather, and on those rare times we do, thankfully it is not for extended periods. Regardless of whether you have a Spring or a Fall calving schedule, the health of a newborn calf begins with the mother’s health, and the mother’s health is largely dependent on the producer.
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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