This week we continued mesomammal trapping at the farm. The recent wet weather has made it difficult for us to put leghold traps in the ground. However, we were able to put out a few box traps this week. Box traps are placed adjacent to game trails much like leghold traps and work similarly to Sherman traps but on a larger scale. On the second night of trapping this week, I caught a striped skunk. Due to the nature of dealing with skunks, we aren’t planning to do much handling with this species. In order to release the skunk without getting sprayed, I slowly approached the trap and remained watchful of any warning signs that the skunk was preparing to spray such as stomping or raising its tail. Once I was next to the trap, I covered it with a tarp and slowly opened the door to release the skunk as shown below in the video. This week I also constructed grazing excluders to put out in the LIP project area. Each excluder fences off a 1-meter area and is constructed of cattle panel and t-posts. By excluding cattle from grazing in these areas, we will be able to accurately monitor grass and forb growth throughout the duration of the project.

Wildlife Inter AnMari Ulery

                                                                      Skunk video

 

Some field work was begun this week, so I got to see more of the equipment in action and learn how to operate some of it. And working late is often rewarded with an amazing sunset!

The chicks are growing quickly and are settled in a shed at headquarters. The two groups each have their own run. They seem to be staying cozy enough – today is pretty cold and windy!

As is typical, some fence repair was needed the other day. While others were busy in the fields, I was sent out to push cows out of a field and fix the fence in the attempt to keep them out. We’ll see how long it takes before they test my repair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first two weeks of my internship have gone by quickly as I get accustomed to the tasks and equipment here on the farm. I’m still learning my way around and the names of the fields. Since it wasn’t my first time on a tractor, it hasn’t been too difficult to get the hang of using the one here to put out hay for the cows, though it’s bigger than what I’d been on before.

 

 

 

 

There are new calves each time we go feed, and it’s fun to watch them running around and kicking up their heels. Stay tuned for other projects that are in the works!

This week was our first week of mesomammal trapping here at the farm. The first night that our traps were set, we caught a Virginia opossum. After releasing it from the trap, we evaluated its body condition, determined sex, and administered a microchip. By tagging all of the animals that we capture with a microchip, we are able to document if we catch the same animal multiple times. The rest of the traps that were out that night were dug up by various critters. Our goal is to make the traps, and the area around the traps, as inconspicuous as possible. However, things like rubber jaws on a trap or pieces of denim used under the pan can absorb scents and tip off the animals to the trap’s presence. Over the course of trapping, I will need to determine which variables are causing traps to get dug up and adjust the way I am setting my traps accordingly. This week I also came across this Eastern Hognose snake at headquarters that got stirred up while Megan was mowing. I was able to relocate it out of the way of the lawnmower to a spot with lots of cover.

 

Stiles Farm would like to welcome Megan Finley to the farm as our Spring intern, see her bio below.

Howdy! My name is Megan Finley and I am the new Animal Science intern at Stiles Farm. A native of Ft. Worth, I recent graduated from Texas A&M with a bachelors degree in Animal Science, where I focused my studies on beef cattle production and meat science. In the past, I have raised rabbits, dairy goats, and a few beef calves. I am looking forward to this internship at the Stiles Farm Foundation as an opportunity to put into practice what I learned and gain more hands-on experience in farming practices and managing a herd of beef cows.

 

Today is my last day at the Stiles Farm, while bittersweet I get a chance to reflect on where I started and what I’ve accomplished during my time here. Starting here back in August I did not know how to drive a tractor, had not applied the concepts of cattle management I learned in school to actual producing herds, and did not know how satisfying being in production agriculture is. Now five months later I’m comfortable driving a tractor and feeding hay on my own which is satisfying knowing the amount of hours Ryan, Bobby, and Jimmy spent training me was worth it. Applying the concepts I learned in school to our cow-calf herds was interesting and had me thinking creatively on how to get the proper nutrition to our cows at the right time. Now that calves are dropping with ease, and cows are holding their condition until calving, I know we made some right decisions there. It’s bittersweet leaving the Stiles Farm and all of our wonderful employees but I’m thankful for my experience here and excited to get started on a new chapter.

-Georgina Macias Fall 2018 Farm Intern

Over the past few months, we have seen significant damage to the crop fields at our Granger location resulting from feral hog traffic and rooting. This week we continued the process of baiting and setting up a trap at Granger to prepare for the trapping and removal of the feral hogs. We began the trapping process by using sour corn to bait a location with significant hog traffic and by setting out a game camera to monitor the area. Once we could confirm that groups of hogs were visiting the bait regularly, we began gradually setting up individual panels of our hog trap. By gradually setting up the panels, we hoped to avoid spooking the hogs away from the bait. Once the entire trap was assembled and the hogs were comfortable with walking in and out of the headgate, we used a remote trigger to drop the gate and trap a group of hogs that had been continually using the bait. After trapping the hogs, we lethally removed them and reset the trap in hopes of removing any other groups of hogs that may visit the area.

Wildlife Intern AnMarie Ulery

 

Blackland Farmer Episode 05: Soil pH and Compaction Problems

Dr. Tony Provin – Professor, Extension Specialist and Director of the Soil, Water, and Forage Testing Laboratory at Texas A&M University – join Tyler and Ryan in the studio for an intro on soil pH and compaction problems in the Blacklands.

 

http://blacklandfarmer.libsyn.com/