Agriculture and Outdoor
Texas turkey hunters should see more toms this spring
Special to The Hesperian-Beacon— AUSTIN – A great 2019 nesting season for wild turkeys means more young toms (or jakes) will be seen by hunters this spring. Jakes are typically more forgiving than older toms and create a prime opportunity for new turkey hunters to bag their first bird. The spring season for Rio Grande…
Read MoreUSDA to better serve beginning farmers and ranchers
WASHINGTON ─The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is standing up a new team of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) staff that will lead a department-wide effort focused on serving beginning farmers and ranchers. “More than a quarter of producers are beginning farmers,” said USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky. “We need to support the next generation of…
Read MoreRattlesnakes are on the move
By Teresa Bigham/The Hesperian-Beacon— LOCKNEY – The chances of actually dying from a rattlesnake’s venomous bite are very slim, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. About 7,000 people are bitten by some type of rattle snake in Texas every year. Only .2 percent of these bites are fatal. On average in Texas one to two…
Read MoreEarly cotton seed
It’s getting to be that time of year! Joe Starkey, an employee with CHS, is seen here unloading cottonseed that is just starting to arrive. (The Hesperian-Beacon/Teresa Bigham)
Read MoreFSA Makes Changes for farm customers to conduct business
Special to The Hesperian-Beacon COLLEGE STATION – USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) county offices are open in Texas by phone appointment only until further notice, and FSA staff are available to continue helping agricultural producers with program signups, loan servicing and other important actions. Additionally, FSA is relaxing the loan-making process and adding flexibilities for…
Read MoreCaprock Beef Cattle Conference set
By Mark Carroll/Special to The Hesperian-Beacon— The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will be holding the Caprock Beef Cattle Conference on March 26 in Muncy. The event is presented by the AgriLife Extension offices of Floyd and Hale counties. The cost is $25, which includes a lunch of New York steak and homemade cheesecake. The…
Read MoreNatural way to repel those annoying mosquitoes this summer
By Teresa Bigham/The Hesperian-Beacon— FLOYD COUNTY – With spring just around the corner so is the annoying buzzing of mosquitoes and the itchy bites that turn into irritating bump or worse. Yeap, mosquito season. Mosquitoes can cause allergic reactions in many people and they also carry West Nile Fever. The risk of disease leaves many…
Read MoreMore Hunters Wanted: Texas is Losing the Fight Against Feral Hogs
By John McAdams Special to The Hesperian-Beacon— Despite years of intense hunting and trapping, Texas is losing the war on feral hogs. Since the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) first began removing feral hogs in 1982, the hog population in the Lone Star State has dramatically increased and there are now more than ten times as…
Read MoreRabid Cow at San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Prompts Warning
Special to The Hesperian-Beacon The Texas Department of State Health Services is notifying people who visited the cattle barn at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 11-14 that they may need to be assessed for a possible rabies exposure. A cow in the cattle barn developed rabies and was capable of spreading the…
Read MoreThe Bug Lady by Dagan Teague
Army Cutworms cause damage Hello everybody, I had received word earlier this week from the Lubbock Entomology Department about Army Cutworms in Lubbock near new deal in ryegrass and wheat fields. I found a field between Petersburg and Estacado that had 10 or more Army Cutworms in just 1 sq. ft. varying in larvae size.…
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