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Matador WMA #8490865 12/30/21 07:23 PM
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gspbrad Offline OP
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Spent a few days at the Matador. I haven't hunted it in 11 years, but am very familiar with it as I've hunted it a ton in the past.

One big change I noticed was all the dead mesquite trees. I know there was a fire there several years ago. Are the trees dead from the fire or from being poisoned? There are Restricted Areas where the mesquite trees are fine - very close to areas with dead trees.

There no where near enough canopy cover on the WMA now. Not for quail, deer or wildlife in general. Saw plenty of cows though. EVERY pasture had cattle in it. Nothing overgrazed .... yet.

Re: Matador WMA [Re: gspbrad] #8490881 12/30/21 07:57 PM
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68rustbucket Offline
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Find any birds?



Re: Matador WMA [Re: 68rustbucket] #8490907 12/30/21 08:28 PM
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bill oxner Offline
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Originally Posted by 68rustbucket
Find any birds?


Quail hunting is like walking into, and out of a beautiful painting all day long. Gene Hill


[Linked Image]




Re: Matador WMA [Re: gspbrad] #8491066 12/31/21 12:30 AM
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stinkbelly Offline
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It is getting worse every year. Last year they bulldozed the area I hunted. This year they bulldozed and burned everything else. They are cutting burn lanes everywhere. Whoever is in charge needs to be fired.

Cows destroy what the managers don't destroy.

Re: Matador WMA [Re: stinkbelly] #8491098 12/31/21 01:07 AM
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They had some big fires in the past. Believe a lighting strike burned a large section of the western end of the WMA. It burned pretty hot. Many of those mesquites were killed by that and just haven’t fallen down yet. I don’t believe they spray poison. They usually do prescribed burns every year when conditions are right…

Theyve also been “grubbing” the mesquites in certain pastures. Some parts of certain pastures are near cleared off of mesquite trees and only originally native trees (hackberry, western soapberry, etc) were left. The native grasses took off and actually We had more success finding coveys of birds in those areas than I had anywhere else. (Haven’t bird hunted it at least past two years though)
As to no deer or wildlife in those areas…I’ve watched deer all of a sudden stand up in the middle of the native grass and have run up a few out of nowhere out of the grass. If there’s enough grass to lay down in, it’ll hold wildlife.
However, all of what I mention was when the grass was not overgrazed and was almost thigh high or higher. I can see it being vacant of life if it’s been grazed to the ground….

Hope they get some rain soon. Getting awful dry out that way.

Re: Matador WMA [Re: 68rustbucket] #8491144 12/31/21 01:59 AM
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gspbrad Offline OP
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Originally Posted by 68rustbucket
Find any birds?



3 covey per day avg.

Re: Matador WMA [Re: gspbrad] #8491165 12/31/21 02:21 AM
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Originally Posted by gspbrad
Originally Posted by 68rustbucket
Find any birds?



3 covey per day avg.

That’s a good day on Texas public land.



Re: Matador WMA [Re: 68rustbucket] #8491211 12/31/21 02:54 AM
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Originally Posted by 68rustbucket
Originally Posted by gspbrad
Originally Posted by 68rustbucket
Find any birds?



3 covey per day avg.

That’s a good day on Texas public land.


Agreed. Saw something I hadn't seen before .... juvenile birds this time of year. Encouraging for sure. Grass cover across the entire WMA was exceptional. If they can keep the cows from grazing it down, should be great nesting cover come spring. Lot of calving going on right now. Lots of little ones running around.

Last edited by gspbrad; 12/31/21 02:56 AM.
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