"We hope that range managers reading this book will realize that 
they are also wildlife managers, and that wildlife managers 
reading this book will realize that they are also habitat managers; 
in the region this book covers, rangeland and habitat are 
synonyms."—from the Preface


For most of the last century, range management meant managing 
land for livestock. The best measure of success was how well a 
landowner grew the grass that cattle ate. In this century, 
landowners look to hunting and wildlife viewing for income; 
rangeland is now also wildlife habitat, and landowners are 
managing their land not just for cattle but also for wildlife, most 
notably deer and quail.

    Unlike other books on white-tailed deer in places where rainfall 
is relatively high and the environment stable, this book takes an 
ecological approach to deer management in the semiarid lands of 
Oklahoma, Texas, and northern Mexico. These are the least 
productive of white-tail habitats, where periodic drought punctuates 
long-term weather patterns. The book's focus on this landscape 
across political borders is one of its original and lasting 
contributions. Another is its contention that good management is 
based on ecological principles that guide the manager's thinking 
about:

    •  Habitat Requirements of White-Tailed Deer 
    •  White-Tailed Deer Nutrition 
    •  Carrying Capacity
    •  Habitat Manipulation
    •  Predators
    •  Hunting

_________________________________________________________

TIMOTHY EDWARD FULBRIGHT is a Regents Professor and the 
Meadows Professor in Semiarid Land Ecology at the Caesar Kleberg 
Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Kingsville. 
J. ALFONSO ORTEGA-S., a former researcher at the National 
Research Institute of Forestry, Crops, and Livestock in northern 
Mexico, is now an assistant professor at Texas A&M University–
Kingsville.


Perspectives on South Texas, sponsored by Texas A&M University–
Kingsville


What people are saying about this book

"There is no other text that addresses the management of the white-
tailed deer in a semi-arid environment."—D. Lynn Drawe, Rob and 
Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation

"Finally, we have a carefully written book on the fundamentals of 
white-tailed deer management. Of the many books on deer biology 
produced in the recent years, most have emphasized population 
ecology. Tim Fulbright and Jose Ortega-Santos have addressed 
habitat management and merged ecological principals and best 
management practices for producing deer in the drylands of Texas, 
Oklahoma, and Mexico. They explain ecological concepts such as 
density-dependent mortality, the  role of various cultivars and crops 
in food plots and management of native rangeland vegetation for 
wild and domestic animals. The book is a a splendid reference for 
the classroom and those who make their living from wildlife and the 
land. It will hold a prominent place in the libraries of wildlife and 
range scientists, students, and landowners for many years."
—James G. Teer, Professor Emeritus, Wildlife and Fisheries 
Sciences, Texas A&M University