Dateline: August 19, 2004

Workshop focuses on combining ranching, tourism

FORT WORTH – Wildlife, beef cows, and eco-tourists can all safely cohabit the same farm or ranch, and often to the advantage of the landowner’s wallet, said a Texas Cooperative Extension agent.

“It’s possible, for example, to set aside small cover strips for bobwhite quail in a pasture. They may lose a little in pasture production, but in the long run, they’ll be dollars ahead,” said Ken Johnson, Extension agent in Tarrant County.

Johnson is one of the speakers at an upcoming wildlife management workshop set Sept. 8-9 at the Tarrant County Extension Office, 401 E. Eighth Street, Fort Worth.

The workshop was originally designed for absentee landowners – those living in the Fort Worth-Dallas area but retreating to rural land on the weekends. But the workshops have a lot to offer full-time farmers too.

Agricultural producers are aware of the benefits of wildlife management, whether for enjoyment or to reap extra income from hunting leases or eco-tourism. It’s Johnson’s observation, however, that many don’t know where to start.

Most of the program presentations will not only show how to put existing pieces together, but also how to start a wildlife management program from scratch.

The workshop will start at 5 p.m. both days. The first evening’s program will include presentations on managing for quail, waterfowl, dove, and feral hogs. Understanding and planning for the wildlife tax valuation will also be presented.

Wildlife tax valuation is important for absentee landowners who have recently bought agricultural land but have neither the time nor the inclination to raise cattle or crops, said Dr. Billy Higginbotham, one of those giving presentations. The wildlife tax valuation allows landowners whose property is already listed as agricultural tax valuation to maintain the same tax rate, said Higginbotham, an Extension wildlife and fisheries specialist. Land appraised as agricultural land will have substantially reduced property taxes.

The second evening will include presentations on managing for large mouth bass and white-tailed deer. Other programs will go into detail on growing supplemental forage for deer and using remote sensing cameras for taking a deer census.

Those with a private pesticide applicator’s licenses will earn two continuing education units.

Pre-registration is $50 and must be received by Aug. 31. Registration after the deadline and at the door will be $75 per person. The fee includes break refreshments and a handbook.

Send registration to Jacque Hand, Conference Registration, Drawer H-1, College Station, TX 77844. Make the check to “Wildlife Management Workshop.” Include the attendee’s name, address and phone number and specify that the fee is for the “Wildlife Management Workshop for Absentee Landowners at Fort Worth.”

For more information, contact Johnson at (817) 884-1946.