Invasives Control at Wexford

Steele, Kai, Christian, and Miles

It's Cowboy Camp at Wexford.  For two weeks every summer, the grandchildren come to the ranch to learn about ranching and conservation.  They also spend time in the offices too, learning about finances and the oil industry.  It's a great way to give the kids a taste of what's to come.  It's not all work at Cowboy Camp, though.  The kids made a little dent in the pig population this week.

Miles, Christian, and Kai

Feral hogs cause over $400 million dollars in damage to farms and ranches in Texas yearly.  It's a good thing they're so delicious!

Aoudad on the Lado

Aoudad are sheep that are native to the mountains of Northern Africa.  They were introduced some years ago in West Texas and reproduced rapidly.  They also prevented Desert Bighorns from reproducing, therefore, they are a nuisance and have mostly been eradicated on the Lado Ranch.

Last month, Quint and Byron Burris, of Victoria, Texas, shot this aoudad on the Lado, a treat for a non-native species.

2012 Lone Star Land Steward

Wexford Ranches was recently honored at a banquet by Texas Parks and Wildlife as a 2012 Lone Star Land Steward for the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes Region.

Improving the Wildlife Habitat

A corner of the electric fence to keep the cattle out.

Last week at Wexford, a lot of brush was removed to improve the wildlife habitat.  The disturbed area has now been fenced off with electric fencing to keep the cows out and promote the growth of native vegetation.  Native browse will be great for the deer and other wildlife--I'm sure it tastes better than Huisache too.

Hopefully, the heavy duty electric fence will keep the crazy South Texas cattle out.

In August, the fenced off area will be burned to complete the brush removal.  The hot air temperature will create a hotter fired, making is easier to burn stumps and tall branches.  I love a good fire on the ranch, but I think I'll pass on helping out in August.

The newly brush free area is surrounded by a fire guard in preparation of the August fire.

Wexford Ranches has been using prescribed burns to promote native vegetation growth for decades.  That was always my favorite day to go to work!

Spring Colts at Wexford

The favorite colt of the season at Wexford.

Wexford is full of new life right now with 12 colts on the ground and three more are expected any day now.  Wexford has 18 brood mares and two studs in their breeding stock.  The O'Connor family has been breeding horses for about 75 years in South Texas.  The photos are of the favorite colt this year, a sorrel filly.

The colt and her mom.

Just another shot of a pretty horse.

Spring Lambs at the Lado

Two lambs and their moms getting a drink.

The 2012 Desert Bighorn Sheep hunting season is about to start at the Lado Ranch in West Texas.  There are seven free-ranging sheep populations in West Texas.  Sheep were reintroduced on the Lado in the early 1980s.  You can read more about Desert Bighorn Sheep at Texas Parks and Wildlife.

In 2011, there was a 41% lamb survival rate in Texas.  Lambing normally occurs in the early spring.  In 2012, most of the lambs were born in mid-February, which is a little earlier than normal.  The severe drought has been detrimental to sheep populations; in 2011, there was only 5-7 inches of rain on the Lado and the average precipitation is about 12 inches.  In 2012, only 3/4" of rain has fallen on the Lado and no significant rainfall is expected until the monsoon season in the late summer.

Shade is hard to find in the desert.

The Lado Ranch has cooperated with the Texas Bighorn Society to create guzzlers throughout the ranch.  The guzzlers collect natural rainfall and provide new sources of water to the sheep.  This has helped lamb survival on the ranch.  These photos were taken from a guzzler on the ranch. 

The Lado Ranch is starting their hunt for their second permit issued by Texas Parks and Wildlife.  Yearly, in August, TPWD biologists count sheep throughout West Texas aerially.  Permits are issued after the counts--usually between 10-15 for Class Four rams.   

Spring 2012 lambs at the Lado.

Bundick Lake Archeological Dig

The marker has found a home at the Fannin Ranch hunting lodge.

Louise S. O'Connor and Kai Buckert were recently awarded a marker from the Texas Historical Commission for archeological preservation.  The Museum of the Coastal Bend awarded the marker for allowing archeologists to dig at Bundick Lake, which is part of the Duke Ranch, located in Goliad and Refugio Counties.  A vast number of points have been found at Bundick over the years, especially after a heavy rain.  The really exciting part about this dig was that most of the artifacts that were found date between 8000 and 10,000 years old, with some dating back to 12,000 years old.  The found artifacts are on display at the Museum of the Coastal Bend in Victoria.