Biologists Wildlife Report

Wildlife Overview

The state of wildlife and wildlife habitat on Highveld Ranch is excellent. The Texas Hill Country is legendary for its whitetails. Nowadays whitetails on Highveld share the landscape with hundreds of exotics.

Highveld Whitetails

Prior to 2021, Highveld had only been lightly hunted in the previous 3 years, as evidenced by the relatively high number of older age whitetails on the ranch. Strong immature and intermediate buck age classes indicate good recruitment over the last few years, especially in 2021 when data indicate a 65% recruitment rate. Based on extensive game surveys/censuses, we can safely say Highveld has around 1,000 whitetails.

With all the exotics on Highveld, we expected whitetails to be small, even by Hill Country standards, but that was NOT what we found. As that first fall approached, we were shocked by the size of whitetails. At first, we were impressed to see a few 130 and 140-class bucks. We were really wowed when he saw a couple of 150s. We were outright bug-eyed when we got a quick look at a giant drop-tined buck with points going everywhere. We dared not think he could break 200, but he sure looked the part. Only when a game camera captured a picture of the monster drop-tined buck…with another giant of almost equal size...did we realize the full potential of Highveld whitetails! We were flabbergasted that the ranch could produce such animals with so many exotics and were anxious to see what would be possible under intensive Tecomate nutritional management!

TP harvested 22 whitetail does and 22 bucks in 2021-22 season. Most bucks were culls and management bucks, but a few were quality post-prime bucks, including 2 over 170, one of which topped 200 inches and netted 197 5/8 B&C as a non-typical! But it’s what didn’t get harvested that’s most impressive! Many 140-160 prime breeders (4½-6½ years old) were carried over plus a handful even bigger, including a giant drop-tined non-typical pushing 215! Highveld has some big whitetails!

Highveld Exotics

We at TP and our guests have immensely enjoyed seeing and hunting exotics. Late afternoon game drives have become a regular year-round activity, reminiscence of cruising about in Africa. Hunting red stags during the early fall “roar” is as fun as hunting gets. Big axis bucks with their towering antlers and spotted red coat are spectacular sights for any hunter. Watching dandy little blackbucks strutting their stuff during the rut is a blast. Rounding a corner to find a herd of scimitar oryx or wildebeest standing in the oak savannas is a stunning sight. And laying eyes on an old “chap-cladded” aoudad sure gets the adrenaline flowing. And there’s a lot to be said about being able to hunt big game year-round…and sitting down to a fine meal of axis or fallow deer venison! So, the new Highveld owner will have management options, though settling on one may not be easy!

Exotic population densities vary by species, but collectively, they total well over 1,000! Axis deer and blackbuck are the most abundant species. Red deer, Aoudad, and Fallow Deer are present in moderate numbers. Hybrid Mouflon/Red Sheep, Sika Deer, Oryx, and Wildebeest number less than 50 each. A handful of Barasingha roam the ranch. Blackbuck, especially mature males, Wildebeest, and to a lesser degree, Axis Deer suffered significant mortality during the 2021 “Big Freeze.” Historically, Axis Deer on Highveld are among the biggest in Texas! In 2021-22, we put more effort into trying to get a handle on the various species of exotics than we did in trying to harvest them, but we did take several – 5 Red Stags, 7 Axis Bucks, 5 Blackbucks, 2 Aoudad, and one each of Fallow, Scimitar Oryx, Wildebeest, and Red/Mouflon Sheep.

Highveld Turkeys

The Hill Country is the “Promised Land” for Rio Grande wild turkeys, and HIGHVELD has an exceptional turkey population numbering in the hundreds, thanks in part to big trees, tons of acorns, abundant water, and open woodlands. We estimate that Highveld can sustain an annual harvest of around 25-30 adult gobblers, offering tremendous recreational opportunity. And imagine hunting both turkeys and axis deer in the spring, when most axis bucks are coming into “hard horn!” Happily, Highveld’s huge turkey population will thrive under just about any of the big game management options being considered as long as quality native habitat is preserved.

Wildlife Population Data

After a 6-month camera survey using 20+ Reconyx Cameras (yielding both still pics and videos) at multiple locations, 2 helicopter surveys, and weeks of field observations, we have a very good handle on the big game on Highveld. We were able to individually identify a high percentage of the antlered Whitetails and accurately determine buck/doe and fawn recruitment ratios, allowing us to make a solid estimate of the total number and composition of Highveld’s whitetail herd. Though less precise, a huge data base on exotics gave us a high degree of confidence in our exotic population estimates as well.

Whitetails

Whitetail Population Estimate Methodology (Assumes near-100% whitetail buck count):

Data gathered

1) Unique bucks identified – 260 (no. of antlered bucks individually identified)

2) Buck/doe ratio – 1:1.65 (ratio of antlered bucks/adult does)

3) Fawn recruitment rate – 65% (fawns entering fall expressed as percentage of adult does)

Formula

260 unique bucks x 1.65 does = 429 does x 65% = 279 fawns = 968 total whitetail population

Estimated Whitetail Population Profile:

Bucks: 260 / Does: 429 / Fawns: 279 / Total: 968

Buck/doe ratio: 1/1.65 / Fawn recruitment: 65%

Total deer/acres: 1/4.5 / Total adult deer/acres: 1/6.4

Exotics

Estimated Exotic Population by Species:

Axis deer: 500-600 / Blackbuck: 250-300 / Fallow deer: 150-175

Red stag: 125-150 / Aoudad: 60-70 / Red/mouflon sheep: 30-35

Oryx: 25-30 / Wildebeest: 23 / Sika: 10-15 / Barasingha deer: 6

Total Estimated Exotic Population: 1,250 / Exotics /acres ratio: 1/3.5

Estimated Other Species:

350-400 Rio Grande turkeys, 200 hogs, and 20 bobwhite quail coveys. Doves are seasonably abundant. Cottontail rabbits are common. Fair number of black-tailed jackrabbits, coyotes, and bobcats.

“Tecomate is all about whitetails so you can see why we were a bit concerned about all the exotics we inherited on Highveld, but we quickly saw the whitetails were healthy and big, easing our concerns. Before long, riding around looking for exotics became “a thing,” and they won their place as a valuable part of Highveld.”

— - David Morris, owner Tecomate Properties

Future Management Options

The new owner will determine the long-term management strategy, which will likely revolve around whitetails. If big whitetails are top priority, exotics will likely need to be reduced in number and/or species, or at the extreme, eliminated altogether. If the new owner likes exotics and is willing to accept reduced whitetail size (relative to potential), high numbers of exotics can be maintained and whitetails will be what they will be. A way to prioritize both whitetails and exotics would be to capitalize on Highveld’s exceptional size and fence the ranch into 2 large pastures, one managed for whitetails, the other for exotics.

And there may be yet another option. TP is working on a management strategy that may make it possible to grow big whitetails while supporting a substantial multi-species exotic population. How? Through supplemental feed pens that restrict access by exotics but allows whitetails access by taking advantage of their extraordinary ability to go under fences with very little “crawl space.” TP is experimenting on various feeder-pen heights and crawl spaces to see what configuration allows whitetails reasonable access but limits access by most exotic species (unlikely to keep all out). Early results are promising. Getting high-protein food to whitetails during the critical antler-growing time with minimum competition from exotics would indeed be a game-changer!

Current Management Strategy

To keep all options open, our current strategy might be called an “enhanced status quo,” i.e., produce the best whitetails possible while supporting a large, diverse exotic population. The plan to accomplish this is:
1) improve native habitat ranch-wide, mainly through cedar eradication in select areas while leaving enough “thick” areas for escape cover and sanctuaries;
2) improve the number and quality of waterpoints so no place on the ranch is more than a half-mile from permanent water;
3) implement a cottonseed supplemental feeding program, with at least one feeding site/360 acres;
4) plant 40 or more acres of food plots;
5) manage numbers and composition through a discipled, targeted harvest;
6) stock no livestock for the foreseeable future; and
7) continue game camera surveys August-November to provide data on numbers, health, age structure, size, sex ratio, recruitment rate, and distribution of whitetails and exotics.

Specific whitetail goals:
1) maintain a density of 1 adult/6.5 acres;
2) focus the buck harvest on the poorer quality in each age class over 1½, i.e., 2½-year-old and older “culls” and 4½ and older “management” bucks, mostly 8-pointers;
3) target only 6½ (preferably 7½) and older “quality/trophy” bucks;
4) enter fall with at least 40% mature bucks in the buck segment;
5) produce multiple 150s, a handful of 160s, and a sprinkling of 170s or better each year; and
6) once the desired deer density and buck/doe ratio of 1/1.25 are achieved and a safe “average” recruitment rate is established, harvest enough does to replace the annual natural and hunter mortality.

We plan to maintain the exotic population in relative balance with the habitat and whitetail population. Our exotic priority is on axis deer, blackbuck, aoudad, fallow deer, red deer, and oryx, in that order. Severe cold weather in February 2021 caused considerable blackbuck, axis, and wildebeest mortality. Other species suffered less mortality. A high percentage of mature blackbucks died in the freeze. Approximately two-thirds of the pre-freeze 40-plus adult wildebeest died during the freeze, leaving 13 adults, which have since given birth to 10 calves. The 2021 freeze not only killed a few axis, the survivors that were in velvet during the freeze suffered severe antler damage. Blacken, brittle, stunted antlers were the result, leaving very few mature bucks in 2021 with intact antlers. But what a difference a year makes! In 2022, the axis have recovered, and the ranch is once again home to some of the biggest axis deer in the Hill Country!

2022-2023 Harvest Recommendation:

Below harvest numbers are modest and subject to change once a long-term management strategy is established.

Whitetails: 40-50 does and 25-30 bucks, primarily cull and management bucks, with 6 to 10 older quality/trophy bucks (at least 6½ and preferably 7½ and older).

Exotics: Axis deer: 15-20 bucks / 20-30 does (lots of mature bucks present)

Blackbucks: 2-4 bucks / 6-8 does ok but not required (limited number of mature bucks)

Fallow deer: 2-4 bucks / 6-8 does

Red Deer: 4-6 stags / 8-10 hinds

Aoudad: 3-5 rams / 6-8 ewes

Red/Mouflon Sheep: 1-2 rams / 3-6 ewes

Simitar Oryx/Gemsbok: 2-3 bulls / 2-3 cows (not required, herd rebuilding)

Sika deer: Harvest bucks and/or does as opportunity presents

Wildebeest: No harvest planned (herd rebuilding)

Barasingha Deer: No harvest allowed (regulations prohibit)

Hogs: Remove as many as possible

Summary

Highveld is a phenomenal ranch and carries an amazing number of healthy animals. Thanks to hundreds of acres of cedar removal, removing all livestock, and supplemental feeding, the quality of the native habitat (assuming good rains) and the nutritional plane will be much better in 2022 than in prior years, which will result in healthier, better-quality animals. TP will continue efforts to improve the ranch, the native habitat, and the wildlife. But as is, Highveld is one awesome Hill Country Texas ranch!

Make it stand out.

Wildlife Overview

The state of wildlife and wildlife habitat on Highveld Ranch is excellent. The Texas Hill Country is legendary for its whitetails. Nowadays whitetails on Highveld share the landscape with hundreds of exotics.
Highveld Whitetails:
Prior to 2021, Highveld had only been lightly hunted in the previous 3 years, as evidenced by the relatively high number of older age whitetails on the ranch. Strong immature and intermediate buck age classes indicate good recruitment over the last few years, especially in 2021 when data indicate a 65% recruitment rate. Based on extensive game surveys/censuses, we can safely say Highveld has around 1,000 whitetails.

With all the exotics on Highveld, we expected whitetails to be small, even by Hill Country standards, but that was NOT what we found. As that first fall approached, we were shocked by the size of whitetails. At first, we were impressed to see a few 130 and 140-class bucks. We were really wowed when he saw a couple of 150s. We were outright bug-eyed when we got a quick look at a giant drop-tined buck with points going everywhere. We dared not think he could break 200, but he sure looked the part. Only when a game camera captured a picture of the monster drop-tined buck…with another giant of almost equal size...did we realize the full potential of Highveld whitetails! We were flabbergasted that the ranch could produce such animals with so many exotics and were anxious to see what would be possible under intensive Tecomate nutritional management!

TP harvested 22 whitetail does and 22 bucks in 2021-22 season. Most bucks were culls and management bucks, but a few were quality post-prime bucks, including 2 over 170, one of which topped 200 inches and netted 197 5/8 B&C as a non-typical! But it’s what didn’t get harvested that’s most impressive! Many 140-160 prime breeders (4½-6½ years old) were carried over plus a handful even bigger, including a giant drop-tined non-typical pushing 215! Highveld has some big whitetails!

Highveld Exotics:
We at TP and our guests have immensely enjoyed seeing and hunting exotics. Late afternoon game drives have become a regular year-round activity, reminiscence of cruising about in Africa. Hunting red stags during the early fall “roar” is as fun as hunting gets. Big axis bucks with their towering antlers and spotted red coat are spectacular sights for any hunter. Watching dandy little blackbucks strutting their stuff during the rut is a blast. Rounding a corner to find a herd of scimitar oryx or wildebeest standing in the oak savannas is a stunning sight. And laying eyes on an old “chap-cladded” aoudad sure gets the adrenaline flowing. And there’s a lot to be said about being able to hunt big game year-round…and sitting down to a fine meal of axis or fallow deer venison! So, the new Highveld owner will have management options, though settling on one may not be easy!

Exotic population densities vary by species, but collectively, they total well over 1,000! Axis deer and blackbuck are the most abundant species. Red deer, aoudad, and fallow deer are present in moderate numbers. Hybrid mouflon/red sheep, sika deer, oryx, and wildebeest number less than 50 each. A handful of barasingha roam the ranch. Blackbuck, especially mature males, wildebeest, and to a lesser degree, axis deer suffered significant mortality during the 2021 “Big Freeze.” Historically, axis deer on Highveld are among the biggest in Texas! In 2021-22, we put more effort into trying to get a handle on the various species of exotics than we did in trying to harvest them, but we did take several – 5 red stags, 7 axis bucks, 5 blackbucks, 2 aoudad, and one each of fallow, scimitar oryx, wildebeest, and red/mouflon sheep.

Highveld Turkeys:
The Hill Country is the “Promised Land” for Rio Grande wild turkeys, and HIGHVELD has an exceptional turkey population numbering in the hundreds, thanks in part to big trees, tons of acorns, abundant water, and open woodlands. We estimate that Highveld can sustain an annual harvest of around 25-30 adult gobblers, offering tremendous recreational opportunity. And imagine hunting both turkeys and axis deer in the spring, when most axis bucks are coming into “hard horn!” Happily, Highveld’s huge turkey population will thrive under just about any of the big game management options being considered as long as quality native habitat is preserved.

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