GAIL – The Texas AgriLife Extension Service will conduct a multi-county Deer Appreciation Day from 7:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. in the Borden County Event Center in Gail.
The program is a joint effort among the AgriLife Extension offices in Borden, Dawson, Garza, Lynn, Mitchell and Scurry counties.
“As the drought hangs on causing crops to fail and livestock to be sold, deer and the potential revenue they can generate are definitely becoming more and more ‘dear’ to the producers in our area,” said Cody Hill, AgriLife Extension agent in Borden County. “The whole idea for having this program is to help our producers understand the management needed to optimize this valuable natural resource in the most responsible way possible.”
Ken Cearley, AgriLife Extension wildlife program specialist at Amarillo, will be the keynote speaker.
The morning program will include an overview of deer biology by Cearley, followed by a necropsy of a deer that will highlight the animals’ basic anatomy and how it dictates what management is needed. Hill will then speak on the economics of deer hunting. Next, Cearley will address supplemental feeding, Brush Sculpting techniques, using livestock to manage wildlife habitat and deer population management. The morning session will close with local game warden Brent Tucker speaking on game-law considerations.
Following a catered lunch, the program will resume with presentations by a Buckskin Brigade youth camp cadet and a talk on government programs available to producers by Kevin Wright with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Snyder.
Individual registration is $20 at the door. The fee includes lunch and refreshments.
For more information, contact Hill at 806-756-4336 or the AgriLife Extension offices in any of the participating counties.
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