National Park Service Evaluation of the Christmas Mountains tract for Hunting Potential
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February 4, 2008 12:49 AM
[#1]
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Jason Parrish
Points:
Y (2)
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M (2)
Travis county
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Evaluation of the Christmas Mountains tract for Hunting Potential Background The Christmas Mountains tract comprises approximately 9,263 acres of land located on the northwestern boundary of Big Bend National Park. The land ranges in elevation from 3,400 feet to over 5,700 feet and is comprised largely of extremely mountainous terrain with a sparse cover of Chihuahuan Desert vegetation. Water is extremely scarce or absent most of the year with the exception of one small lake located in the northwest corner of the property. This tract has a one mile contiguous boundary with Big Bend National Park with no road or trail access from the park. The land is otherwise landlocked by surrounding private property on the Terlingua Ranch. There is no public road access to the tract. The tract comprises approximately one percent of the total acreage of the park. Opportunity for Hunting • The Christmas Mountains offers extremely limited opportunity for hunting due to lack of reliable water sources and limited numbers of desired game species. • The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) estimates current deer populations hunted on lands managed by the agency in Brewster County, TX at 1 deer per 150-200 acres. Christmas Mountains is about 9,200 acres which would yield approximately 46-61 deer and only a portion of these would be harvestable bucks. Without adequate research, it is unknown how many deer could be taken while maintaining a sustainable population on the tract. For example: if research showed and estimated 50 deer and that the herd could sustain at 10% harvest, and that hunter success was expected to be 75%, then 7 permits could be issued that year. (note: TPWD considers only 60% of the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area "huntable acres". In the much more rugged Christmas "huntable acres would probably be a smaller percentage, but certainly no more than 5,500 acres.) • Javelina are also a game animal in the region. According to TPWD biologists, an accurate population estimation and sustainable harvest calculation method for javelina does not exist. TPWD has strict limits on the numbers of javelina taken on state lands because they are highly social herd animals and removal of one or two individuals from a herd can create significant inter- and intra-herd territory disruption and conflict. Additionally, it is possible to encounter and kill entire herds without strict and intensive limit enforcement. Brewster County has no season but a bag limit of 2 animals per licensed hunter. • The largest potential hunting opportunity would be for birds – both quail and dove. Hunting opportunities are dependant of drought, feed and other variable factors. • The remaining hunting opportunities are for non-game species such as rabbits and exotic species – specifically wild hogs. Again these species are heavily influenced by drought and available foods. Problems with Implementing a Hunting Program • Hunting would require special legislation to establish the Christmas Mountains as a preserve.• Access for hunting is problematic. There is no public road access to the Christmas Mountains tract (all roads near the Christmas Mountains are owned and maintained by Terlingua Ranch). It can be accessed by hiking approximately 5 miles from Route 13 in Big Bend NP. • Deer populations are significantly influenced by the proximity to Terlingua Ranch (a ranchette subdivision) and hunting pressure on those adjacent lands. There are as many as sixty separate owners of small tracts around the Christmas Mountains boundary. Legal hunting and illegal poaching on adjacent lands likely has negative impacts on game populations within the Christmas Mountains tract. • Language in the deed covenants restrict hunting activities to a management action related to maintaining wildlife populations. Given the hunting pressure surrounding the relatively small Christmas Mountains block, it is quite possible that excess populations of huntable species may never occur and it is unlikely that hunting would ever be needed for wildlife management purposes. • Except the one mile joint boundary with Big Bend National Park, the Christmas Mountains tract is totally surrounded by the Terlingua Ranch subdivision. Approximately 80 lots actually adjoin the tract. Hunting, particularly with high power rifles would pose a serious safety threat to neighboring homeowners. • An NPS managed hunting program on Christmas Mountains would require some initial investments for planning and staffing in support of a managed hunting program. Costs are estimates based upon comparables in west Texas and other NPS areas with hunting programs. Environmental assessment process - $50,000 Initial survey and boundary posting of approximately 19 miles of boundary @ $5,000/mile – $95,000 Biological surveys of game populations (annual assessments also required) - $50,000 Annual posting of boundary signs (labor and supplies) – $3,000 Personnel required (annual costs): 5 @ 0.20 GL-9 & 12 Ranger/Ranger Pilot - $ 100,000 0.25 Wildlife Biologist/Technician – $20,000 Game Check Station/Hunting permit management - $15,000 Aviation costs for patrol – 160 hours at $ 150/hr - $13,650 Equipment/vehicles - $ 7,000 per vehicle per year. Total: $195,000 initial costs, reoccurring annual costs $138,650 Although public hunting lands are very limited in the State of Texas, Brewster County, Texas has three state public hunting areas. Elephant Mountain WMA offers 23,147 acres. Black Gap WMA offers 103,000 acres. A large portion of the 300,000 acre Big Bend Ranch State Park is within Brewster County and public hunting is allowed on the State Park. Conclusion Pros: • Provide an additional hunting opportunity in Texas • Provide a potential wildlife management tool in the event overpopulations of huntable species should occur Cons: • Limited opportunity for hunting: only 5,500 huntable acres and current population numbers would support few, if any permits.
• Would require special legislation
• Safety issues the Terlingua Ranch development
• Expensive: $200,000 initial costs, $140,000 annual costs
• No public road access to the Christmas Mountains
• Brewster County has several better public hunting opportunities In summary, while it would be technically possible to provide a hunting opportunity in the Christmas Mountains, it would be extremely expensive and of limited benefit to the public. Hunting . We would not support hunting in the Christmas Mountains if the NPS acquires the property. TO READ THE COMPLETE PROPOSAL BY THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM TO MANAGE THE CHRISTMAS MOUNTAINS, CLICK HERE
Hunt Hard. Fish Smart. Explore Texas.
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