Multi-county event set for Oct. 28 in Sonora
Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu
Contact: Pascual Hernandez, 325-387-3101, p-hernandez@tamu.edu
SONORA – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will conduct Wildlife Ranches: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly on Oct. 28 at the Sutton County Civic Center in Sonora.
Registration starts at 8:30 a.m., and the program begins at 9 a.m., said Pascual Hernandez AgriLife Extension agent in Sutton County.
“With recreational ranches becoming more and more the norm rather than the exception in our region, many questions arise,” Hernandez said. “There’s white-tailed deer, turkey, quail, exotics and now, even hogs. Questions arise about nutrition, management, interaction between wildlife species or wildlife with livestock and so much more. Some ranches manage for exotics, while others don’t want them-the list goes on.”
To that end, Hernandez said he and his AgriLife Extension counterparts in Crockett, Edwards and Val Verde counties have tapped some of the area’s top professionals to answer some of the questions most frequently asked by game and wildlife managers, and those seeking information on feral hog biology and control.
The program’s morning topics and speakers will include: White-tailed Deer Research, Ryan Reitz, Kerr Wildlife Management Area biologist, Kerrville; Basic Biology of Texas’ Main Exotics, Mark Mitchell, Mason Mountain Management Area, Mason; and Managing Habitat for Multiple Species, Dr. Charles “Butch” Taylor, superintendent of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Station at Sonora.
Following a catered lunch, the program will resume with presentations on feral swine research by John Kinsey, Kerr Wildlife Management Area research biologist, and conclude with a hunting season forecast by Mary Humphrey, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game biologist at Sonora.
Three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be offered, one integrated pest management and two general.
Individual registration is $20 by Oct. 23 and $25 thereafter and includes lunch.
For more information and to preregister, call the AgriLife Extension office in Sutton County at 325-387-3101.
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