The Big Lake Wildcat (Big Lake, Tex.), Vol. 68, No. 43, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 28, 1993 Page: 6 of 23
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Page 6
®hc 3is & iOilfkcai
October 28,1993
Don't bag it!
During the year, at least 20 per-
cent of the solid waste generated by
Texans comes from grass clippings,
tree leaves and other landscape
wastes.
The tree leaves that accumulate
in and around your landscape rep-
resent a valuable natural resource
that can be used to provide a good
source of organic matter and nutri-
ents for use in your landscape.
Leaves contain 50 to 80 percent
of the nutrients a plant extracts from
the soil and air during the season.
Therefore, leaves should be man-
aged and used rather than bagged
for a landfill and there are four basic
ways leaves can be managed and
used in the landscape.
1. MOWING: A light covering
of leaves can be mowed, simply
leaving the shredded leaves in place
on the lawn. This technique is most
effective when a mulching mower is
used. In time of light leaf dropping
with few small trees this is the most
efficient and easiest.
2. MULCHING: Mulching is a
simple and effective way to recycle
leaves and improve your landscape.
As organic mulches decompose,
they release valuable nutrients for
use by your landscape plants.
Leaves that have been mowed with
a bagging attachment or shredded
will decompose faster and are much
more likely to remain in place than
unshredded leaves.
Apply a 3 to 6 inch layer of
shredded leaves around the base of
trees and shrubs, 2 to 3 inch layers in
flower beds and a thick layer down
the middle row of vegetable gar-
dens.
3. SOIL IMPROVEMENT:
Leaves may be collected and
worked directly into garden and
flower bed soils. A 6 to 8 inch layer
of leaves tilled into the soil will
improve aeration and drainage and
or will improve water and nutrient
holding capacity.
The recommended use of leaves
in vegetable gardens and flower
beds is to work them into the soil
during the fall. This allows suffi-
cient lime for leaves to decompose
prior to spring planting. Adding a
little fertilizer to the soil after
working in the leaves will hasten
their decomposition.
4. COMPOSTING: In addition
to leaves, other yard wastes such as
grass clippings, pine needles,
weeds, small or chipped prunings
and spent garden plants can be
composted. Avoid composting dis-
eased or insect infested plant mate-
rials.
Concho Valley deer numbers down
Wildlife Biologists with the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Depart-
ment have recently completed their
annual deer surveys in the Concho
Valley and despite a decrease in the
total number of deer observed this
year, a good hunting season is ex-
pected.
Wildlife Branch Personnel flew
over 1,500 miles of aerial transects
surveying almost 110,000 acres of
deer range in Glasscock, Howard,
Irion, Mitchell, Reagan, Sterling,
and Tom Green Counties. A total of
2,330 deer were observed from the
air this year. Overall deer densities
were down 18% in the area. Identi-
fied deer indicated ratios of one
buck per 2.1 docs and .50 fawns per
doe.
This year’s fawn crop is signifi-
cantly lower than the .90 fawns per
doc ratio observed last year in the
same area. This lower fawn crop is a
reflection of the dry range condi-
tions experienced in most of the
Concho Valley last Winter and
Spring. Also as a result of the
drought experienced last year, some
deer were lost due to malnutrition
and disease; primarily in areas
where deer numbers exceeded the
habitat's ability to produce an ad-
equate supply of forage. This loss of
deer is a fresh reminder that regu-
lated hunting is an important tool in
preventing the waste of this valu-
able renewable resource during
times of stress. In this area of the
state, the landmanagcr must con-
stantly be prepared for drought by
keeping deer numbers in line with
the carrying capacity of the habitat.
The most practical and effective
method for keeping deer numbers
at, or below the carrying capacity is
with the legal harvest of anllcrlcss
deer during the hunting season.
Some landmanagers may be reluc-
tant to allow the harvest of female
deer in light of the harsh conditions
experienced last year, however an
adequate anllcrlcss deer harvest is
still very important to keep buck to
doe ratios in balance and to be pre-
pared for a high fawn crop next
Spring if adequate Winter moisture
is received.
The 1993 Antlerless Deer Har-
vest Recommendation Map can be
used as a general guideline for this
hunting season's harvest strategy,
however deer numbers can vary
from area to area and sometimes
even ranch to ranch. A proper and
controlled harvest of the buck seg-
ment is important if the manage-
ment goal is to allow bucks to grow
to maturity and reach their genetic
potential.
Aerial observations showed a
good age class distribution among
bucks again this year and although
the dry Spring probably affected
antler growth somewhat, there arc
still a number of quality bucks
present throughout the Concho
Valley.
Turkey and quail production last
Spring was also very low in most
areas just west of San Angelo, but
due to very good reproduction in
1992 bird hunters should have some
success with these carry-over
populations.
Hunters arc reminded that the
Texas Big Game Awards Program
enters it's third successful year this
hunting season. The program's ob-
jectives are:
* To recognize the importance of
quality habitat and population
management to the wildlife re-
sources of Texas.
* To recognize hunters who
harvest Texas' finest white-tailed
deer, mule deer, and pronghorn; and
the efforts of landowners and man-
agers who produce them.
* To recognize the importance of
hunting as a population manage-
ment tool.
* To encourage participation by
young and new hunters. During the
first two years of the awards,
Concho Valley hunters harvested
numerous deer and pronghorns
which were recognized in the state-
wide program which is sponsored
by the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department and the Texas Wildlife
Association.
For more information about the
Texas Big Game Awards Program
or deer numbers in your area you
can contact your local Wildlife Bi-
ologist or call toll free 1-800-792-
1112.
DANCE
VFW Hall
9:00 -1:00 October 30th
Dee Jay Dan Meacham j
Vv^BYOB^/
Standing L-R: Ryan Parker, Corey Owens, Kathryn Phillips, Kimberly
Turner, Heather Holt, Emily Vinson, Kaylee Drennan, and Lyndsay Raney.
Kneeling L-R: John Gay, Jerrod Holt, Ross Parker, Heath Holt, Scott Moon,
and Brianne Lee.
Big Lake men enjoy
annual camping trip
By Mary K. Earney
Marfa, Texas, October 18- Five
dune buggies cruised the Marfa
streets Friday, October 16, loaded
with camping equipment, a wok,
and a dog, a Texas heeler named
Mickey.
On their fifth annual camping
trip, they were headed for west of
Valentine to stop for a camp lunch
and would turn south to drive down
the river road.
"We stay on the roads," Judge
Mike Elkins, Reagan County judge,
stated. A rancher himself he would
keep the land foremost in his mind.
"We are not hunting or fishing. We
are here for viewing."
There were two men to a buggy.
and included Neil Beam, electrician
for Exxon; Johnnie Gay, owner of 4
Gay and Young Motor; James
Kessler, rancher; Jerry Burleson,
educator; Jimmy Baker, Reagan
County road supervisor; Steve
Lawler, employee of a feed store;
Scot Cuba and Mark Elkins, stu-
dents at ASU; and Judge Elkins, all
from Big Lake; and Steve Elkins,
Irion County Commissioner.
Relaxed, happy, and joking, they
looked for the railroad and drove
away with waves and smiles.
Several Marfa men watched as
they left and unanimously agreed $
wistfully that they were going, too.
Reagan County food show results
-9
•
£
Congressman |
Henry Bonilla ^ \
23rd District. Texas -I
1529 Longworth House Office Building Woshington, D C 20515 202/225-4511
STOP THE MANDATE MONSTER
Sixteen youth participated in this
years county food show, with a total
of thirty one attending project group
meetings. The winners in each cat-
egory are eligible to participate in
the District VI Food Show to be held
in Fort Stockton on December 4th.
Bread & Cereal-Jr.-1st Ross
Parker; Int. 1st Heather Holt, 2nd
Lesley Wilburn.
Main Dish-Jr. 1st Emily Vinson
Fruits 7 Vegetables -Jr. 1st
Kaylee Drennan, 2nd Jerrod Holt,
3rd Brianne Lee; Participant -
Kendra Wilburn.
Nutritious Snacks & Dcsscrts-
Jr. 1st Ryan Parker, 2nd Corey
Owens, 3rd Kimberly Turner, Int.
1st Kathryn Phillips; Participants -
Lyndscy Raney, John Gay, Heath
Holt and Scott Moon.
Educational programs con-
ducted by the Texas Agricultural
Extension Service serve people of
all ages regardless of socioeco-
nomic level, race, color, sex, reli-
gion, handicap or national origin.
It's Halloween and kids across
the country arc dressing upas ghosts
and goblins, monsters and ghouls.
And it just so happens that during
this time of the year there is another
chilling day to recognize: Govern-
ment Unfunded Mandates Day. As
we prepare to celebrate this Hal-
loween season, let's take a minute to
look at a real terror in our lives: the
growing government bureaucracy.
Despite our best efforts to rein it
in, the federal government contin-
ues to expand, its tentacles slither-
ing into every area of our lives.
When public sentiment prevents
Congress from raising taxes to pay
for its schemes, Congress masks
those taxes in the form of mandates
on state and local governments.
Those hidden taxes arc then passed
on to you. This year government
mandates will cost the average
family $6,260, according to the
Rochester Institute of Technology.
Just look at a few of the ways the
government monster is sinking its
claws into our lives:
In many of the small towns
across the 23rd District, local offi-
cials have been struggling with EPA
landfill regulations that require wa-
ter testing. These onc-sizc-fiLs-all
regulations require every town to
drill until they hit water, without
considering how difficult and ex-
pensive it is to find water in arid
parts of the country. The govern-
ment can be vicious.
And in some of the larger cities,
stormwater fees are causing night-
mares for taxpayers. In San Anto-
nio, for example, to help offset the
staggeringSl 1.3 million price tag of
a federal law that forces cities to
monitor storm drainage and water
quality, San Antonians arc paying
high stormwater fees. Some small »
business owners arc being forced to
pay a frightening $1900 a year for
stormwater fees.
You may not have heard about
this yet, but Congress is considering
legislation that would enable the
federal government to come onto
your property and study the plants
and animals that share it with you. If
the Biological Survey Act of 1993
passes, we will face yet another fed-
eral bureaucracy whose powerful
fingers will reach deeper into our g
pockets and personal lives.
This Halloween, remember it
isn't just our kids out there spooking
the neighbors. The federal govern-
ment is acting out iLs own version of
trick-or-lrcal-tricking the Ameri-
can taxpayer and stealing the treats
from your pockclbook.
1993 Antlerless Deer
Harvest Recommendations
Antlerless deer may be harvested in these counties without an antlerless deer
permit. Antlerless deer taken during the season need only be tagged with an
antlerless deer tag from the Texas Hunting License. The map illustrates the
recommended harvest rates for each compartment boundaried by the roads
shown. The number in each compartment is the recommended number of
acres for each antlerless deer harvested
Letters to the editor
Write him and express your opinion
P.O Box 946
Big Lake, TX 76932
The only person ever recorded as having been hit by a mete-
orite was Mrs. Ann Hodges of Alabama in 1954. She was slightly
bruised.
Fuel efficient cars save
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environment.
Say hello to the fuel
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Don't settle for an enerey guzzler.
Consider energy-saving Good Cents
instead
Good Cents homes need less energy
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money on utility bills year-round. You
stay comfortable Ana you help the
environment, too.
Find out more. Call WTU today
West Texas Uthjtik
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Werst, David. The Big Lake Wildcat (Big Lake, Tex.), Vol. 68, No. 43, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 28, 1993, newspaper, October 28, 1993; Big Lake, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth656281/m1/6/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Reagan County Library.