Land's End Homeowner Association

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Land's End is blessed with both a natural and an improved habitat that is home to a wide variety wildlife.  We work hard to be good stewards of nature so that residents, visitors and golfers can all enjoy watching God's creatures.  We won't bore you by trying to publish a list of all the wildlife seen here, but we will try to keep you up-to-date with interesting SIGHTINGS, current HAPPENINGS, and reference information about our DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. 

SIGHTINGS                                                      

5/13/10:  Lots of new fawns are being seen throughout the neighborhood, mostly in tall grassy areas closely guarded by mom.  This pair has been hanging around on the vacant lot across from the clubhouse, and this fawn was found sleeping right behind my garden.  Barb and I were able to get close enough to touch it - though we did not. 

2/1/10:  TJ & Mike Page (L9) were enjoying the sunshine in Mike's yard when they spotted a beautiful male bald eagle circling directly overhead, and only about 200 feet high.  A second male shortly appeared and they both just leisurely circled around, enjoying the currents and slowly moving out over the fairway on hole # 18.  Both had full white heads and tails and white mottling beneath their wings.

11/2/09:  Check out this nice 10 point buck photographed last Saturday in her back yard by Brenda Davis (L24).

11/2/09:  Here's a nice pair of bucks - a 10 pt. & 8 pt. photographed over the weekend by Kathy Scheumack (L57).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10/17/09:  On two separate occasions both Woosley (L26) and Cada (L27) have spotted a fairly large bobcat near the lakeshore behind their homes.  It's believed the cat has taken at least one fawn and may be residing in the densely wooded vacant lots nearby.  The cat was sighted again on 10/25 by Jan Greeson (L43). 

HAPPENINGS  

11/23/09:  Deer harvest ends without incident.  A total of 16 does and 2 spike bucks were harvested during the four days that were designated for removing deer. 

11/19/09:  Mickey Gaby of Rains County Good Samaritans accepts the first donation of deer meat from Land's End HOA President, TJ Henshaw.  Approximately 300 pounds were delivered on this date with another 100 pounds to follow soon.  The Good Samaritans feed hundreds of needy families around this area, and is one of only a few organizations that provide meat and frozen foods.

11/3/09:    Harvested deer are being donated to Good Samaritans of Rains County for distribution to area needy families.  Special thanks to the Land's End residents who are sponsoring this donation by paying the processing fee:  TJ & Barb Henshaw, Chuck & Brenda Davis, Bob & Marla Golden, Bill & Carolyn Musgrave, Thom & Barbara Woosley, John & Karen Hodnett, Jerry & Sharon Brooks, Jerry & Marti Busbee, Sim & Jill Barclay, Jan & Vickie Bass, Gordon & Jan Greeson

10/22/09:  Deer harvest set to begin on November 7th.

10/21/09:  Planting completed on winter forage deer plots.

10/15/09:  Now accepting applications from Land's End homeowners for Deer Harvesting Permits.

 

DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

In conjunction with Texas Parks and Wildlife, we have adopted a Deer Management Program with the stated objective of maintaining the largest possible healthy herd that our habitat can support.  The program consists of five key components:

  1. Protect Your Landscape.  When deer are hungry, they will eat almost any kind of plant, but they do have preferences.  A great many flowering plants and shrubs are high on their list of favorites and should be avoided, however, there are quite a few landscape plants commonly used in Land's End that the deer really don't bother.  Check out these articles on less preferred plants and deer-resistant plants. 

  2. Improve the natural habitat.  We will continue requiring the front portion of vacant lots be mowed at least annually.  This promotes the growth of forbs and natural grasses essential for food and fawn cover.  With owner permission, we will conduct controlled burning of thick undergrowth on vacant lots (on a rotating basis).  This will allow more light and make room for growth of forbs.

  3. Plant winter food plots.  Most damage is done to landscape plants during winter months, after the acorns are gone and there's no green vegetation for the deer to eat.  Planting forage crops in several small plots throughout the neighborhood will provide natural food when it's needed the most.  The HOA has agreed to plant supplemental food crops in suitable areas.

  4. Supplemental Feeding.  We do not encourage supplemental feeding because the deer can become dependant on it and it does not provide all the essential minerals and nutrients deer need to be healthy.  If you do choose to feed the deer, we ask you to feed mostly with 16% protein pellets, instead of corn which has only 6-8% protein.  Corn is like candy to deer - a little won't hurt them, but too much will.

  5. Prevent Overpopulation.  Like everything in life, there can be too much of even a good thing.  In this great habitat of ours there are no predators and the deer are thriving and reproducing rapidly.  Without proper herd management, they will virtually "eat themselves out of house and home" by destroying the natural habitat and everything else that's edible.  Each year we conduct a thorough survey to determine overall herd size along with doe/buck and fawn/doe ratios.  A wildlife biologist from Texas Parks and Wildlife reviews our population data along with harvest data from prior years and tours the neighborhood to assess the natural habitat.  He establishes a harvest goal for the current season to help us maintain a well balanced herd as large as the habitat can support.  We are then responsible for implementing and reporting his recommendations, with the objective of doing so as quickly and efficiently as possible, and in the safest and least disruptive manner.  Here is the selected harvest method and restrictions for 2009. 

Send mail to webmaster@landsendhoa.org with questions or comments about this web site.  Last modified: 02/04/10