Ranchers can count on profits from cattle, and wildlife

By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition

TDA's Mike McMurry (left) explains landowners can profit from the wildlife on their ranch; something evident in the early '70s when ranchers saw calves bringing 60 cents per pound and deer leases bringing 50 cents per acre. -Staff photo by Taylor

December 5, 2002 -- For as far back as historians can trace, animals have played a large part in the history of man. Movies and books depict a nation filled with deer and buffalo roaming aimlessly among the high grass, and later, cattle in pastures that seem to extend as far as the eye can see.

In the past number of years, agricultural specialists and scientists have been pursuing the interaction between livestock ... cattle, in general ... and wildlife, and how they might benefit each other as well as producers.

At the recent South Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic held in Brenham, Mike McMurry of the Texas Department of Agriculture presented a good case for rotating the two on pasture lands.

"Wildlife was a significant part of the income on the ranch, and it's even more so, today," said McMurry.

He said back in the '60s and '70s, producers thought that to be successful, they needed to plow down the natural brush and plants to make the land ready for the plows and planted crops.

"In '72, we were looking at 60-cent calves in South Texas. We were looking at 50-cent deer leases per acre. The root plows were running night and day ... these guys had never seen a 60-cent calf, before, and they were fixing to take advantage of it," explained McMurphy.

Landowners had been told by "professionals" there would be a day when deer leases could end up being worth more than the livestock they raised, but some producers were still skeptical.

"Some of those who left some brush are glad they did, today, because once you run that root plow, you change the soil structure and you change the diversity of the plants out there to where you decrease what really gives you a lot of deer and a lot of other kind of stuff that offers a lot of diversity," he said.

One insect McMurry talked a lot about was the "tumblebug," as it has been called for years.

"These little critters convert nutrients and move nutrients into the soil at a high rate of speed, and they can be particularly valuable in the rotation of grazing systems," said McMurphy.

A strong supporter of having a grazing system plan in place, he explained the value of cycling nitrogen back in the ground, and the importance of considering the stocking rate versus the density of a pasture.

McMurry said pastures that are undisturbed over a long period of time will develop algae, and that is not healthy for wildlife or livestock.

He said there is little, physical differences in a female, crossbred cow and a wild, female buffalo, but how the producer manages the land is what makes a difference.

An advocate of rotating pasture land between livestock and wildlife, McMurry said animal impact is very important, as long as they (animals) don't stay around too long. The tracks made by animal hooves prepare the soil to accept water, and any extra water can usually benefit a pasture. Grass growing in tracks will survive, he added.

He recommended having cattle "open up areas" so grass growth can attract wildlife. He also told producers that planting grass seed, having a heavy animal impact, and then moving the animals on to allow for good growth in pastures is a good idea. The wait time would depend on the animals and the grass.

Once cattle open up the land, deer tend to follow close behind, said McMurry, and quail, turkeys and doves will move it to lay their eggs, too.

Another tidbit offered by the specialist is that oil pump-jacks are a big attraction for wild turkeys.

In closing his presentation, McMurry summarized, "Keep in mind that cattle are a very powerful tool. They're the beginning of production and they are what we sell to get money. But, in the process of managing them, we can, also, use them as a very powerful, powerful tool in land management."

People are the stewards of land and must protect and manage it for the future use of our children, as well as the future of wildlife and cattle, he added.

"Think production. Think inputs. Think profit. Sometimes, you have to balance those inputs to make sure you're making a profit on the right side," he concluded.