Why form Wildlife Management Associations?
Because there is a critical problem facing Texas today!
The Problem
The greatest threat to wildlife in Texas today is habitat loss from land development, conversion of habitats to monocultures, and the fragmentation of land tracts resulting from the breakup of larger farms and ranches. The most promising, and possibly the only solution to this problem is the ongoing trend of land owners to work together through wildlife management associations to conserve and enhance their land for the benefit of wildlife.
One catastrophic impact of fragmentation is the increased pressure on the whitetail deer herd. Tracts that once covered many thousands of acres and had little hunting pressure are now being divided into ever smaller parts. Many new land owners, with multiple whitetail deer tags on their licenses, don’t realize that a property of 50, 300, or 1000 or even more acres cannot withstand indiscriminate harvest, especially of bucks. Multiple family members often expect to “kill a deer” (or several) and their friends expect to hunt as well. The result is over harvest where anything with an antler is killed, and age structure and buck-doe ratios are out of whack, the herd suffers, and the hunting (or wildlife observation) experience declines.
Even when landowners have the knowledge and the will to manage their deer herd they can’t do it on small properties. The practices of uninformed neighbors negate even the best practices on small properties. When you factor in the defeatist “I better shoot it ‘cause if I don’t the neighbor will” mentality there is little hope for a decent deer herd in areas of small landowners.
The proliferation of high fenced properties in Texas is a direct result of landowners trying to protect them selves from ignorant and/or uncaring neighbors. While this expensive option is a solution to the landowner doing it, it is not without problems. It also adds to the overall fragmentation issue by further disrupting animal travel routes, and it often further degrades the wildlife situation for the offending neighbors that are locked out. We think there is a better, more win-win solution.
The Solution
Wildlife Management Associations (WMAs) and Co-ops are groups of people formed by landowners to improve wildlife habitats and associated wildlife populations . Over 170 Wildlife Management Associations are operating in Texas today.
Some landowners join WMAs for the benefits of operating under a professional wildlife management plan. Some join because the lease license fee (required in Texas) is nominal when purchased by an association member, and the savings pays for the association dues many times over every year. Some join for enhanced recreation opportunities such as hunting, fishing, and bird watching while others just want to improve the ecosystem in their local area. While reasons vary, it is clear that Texans love the land and wildlife, and they are interested in maintaining and improving habitat for wildlife.
By belonging to a WMA landowners effectively combine many smaller tracts into larger tracts covering thousands of acres. Trust and relationships develop among members and knowledge and resources are shared to effectively manage habitat and wildlife on a scale not possible for individual landowners. Members agree on professional harvest recommendations that, when enacted, result in improved, sustainable, harvestable deer populations with bucks of all ages in the herd.
If you own property, are an area hunter, or appreciate wildlife in Bee County we strongly encourage you to join BCWMA today. Click Here for member information and an application form. If you live in other areas of Texas, contact your local TPWD biologist to locate a Wildlife Association in near you or to see about starting one yourself. You will be glad you did!
If you would like to support BCWMA financially please review our Sponsor information HERE.
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