Drought Effects May Last Years
We all know what the intense heat and drought have done to us. Just look at the majority of lawns around the area. Or look at the dwindling cattle herds. It's awfully tough to maintain a herd with no grass and dry tanks, so area ranchers have sold them off in record numbers.
But as we approach dove season (Sept. 1) and deer season later on, what is the effect on our wildlife? Hunting leases have, in recent years, become a true cash crop for many Texas landowners. But the drought may put the squeeze on this revenue stream for quite some time.
With deer, the true impact may not be revealed for six years when the low reproduction rates caused by the drought will leave an age gap between older bucks and younger deer.
Here's an Associated Press article that addresses that very issue.