N RANCHING
atural Resources
the benefi ts of stalled low pressure systems. This moisture aided in the growth of some grass and the timing will allow for benefi cial winter forbs to grow. With the return of a favorable weather pattern
and the abundance of grass in some areas, the main concern on the minds of most landowners will be fi re. With the presence of winter moisture through January, an opportune month for prescribed fi re is February. However, a dry December and January will make fi res risky. With or without winter moisture, the chance of
spring wildfi res is high due to the amount of dry fuel that will be available.
Concho Valley area Grant Teplicek, rangeland management specialist, USDA-NRCS The pastures in the Concho Valley area were in
fair condition as we went into November 2014. Not many producers planted small grains, but during the fi rst week of November the area received benefi - cial rainfall. This rain helped the winter grass and cool-season grasses to green-up in the pastures and producers started to plant small grains for grazing.
Edwards region Kason Haby, rangeland management specialist, USDA-NRCS In Bandera, Bexar, Blanco, Comal, Edwards, Gil-
lespie, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Maver- ick, Medina, Real, Uvalde and Val Verde counties, pasture conditions in late 2014 were variable due to inconsistent rainfall. Most of the region received between 75 to 90
percent of their normal rainfall by early November. Some isolated areas received only 50 percent while others received more than 100 percent of their nor- mal rainfall. Most of the spring rains fell in May in the eastern
counties, and June in the western counties. Many of these rains were heavy and fast with much of the precipitation running off. An August rain greened things up in parts of the region. The most consistent and widespread rain this year
fell the fi rst week in November, with most of the re- gion receiving at least 2 inches. Before this rain, the US Drought Monitor had most of the region listed in moderate to extreme drought. Due to persistent drought conditions over the past several years, many producers are now stocked for
52 The Cattleman January 2015
Key points to keep in mind to help our range recover: • Match stock numbers to forage production
• Adjust stock numbers quickly when conditions degrade
• Rotate pastures to allow grasses to recover between grazing periods
severe drought conditions. In some areas with more favorable rainfall this has allowed some forage to ac- cumulate this year. Forage accumulation can also be noticed in pre-
dominantly wildlife operations. Operations that run a continuous grazing system and are stocked moderately or heavier are still pictured by range that is dominated by annuals, short grasses and bare ground. Some ranches were overgrazed in the 2011 drought
and those landowners have since adjusted their stock- ing rate appropriately, but recovery has been slow or non-existent with the mostly below normal rainfall we have had since then. Even many ranches that do not run livestock, or
that are properly stocked, have areas of bare ground and annuals that started in 2011 or before. Keep in mind that 7 of the past 10 years have been below normal rainfall in the area. These bare areas have been slow to heal over with
perennials due to lack of suffi cient rains for seed germination. Some of the bare areas were caused by grazing, while others were caused by termites, or poor soils in combination with drought. Key points to keep in mind to help our range recover: • Match stock numbers to forage production • Adjust stock numbers quickly when conditions degrade
• Rotate pastures to allow grasses to recover between grazing periods The National Weather Service is predicting a cold
and wet winter with above normal chances of precipi- tation through April. If we can keep stock numbers low this spring, that may lend an opportunity to grow some forage early or plant an adapted seed mix. Planting may speed up recovery in bare areas;
just make sure the planting is deferred from graz- ing until plants are well established (usually a full growing season).
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