Dr. Hoof Stock

Adam wrote: "One other thing that I will make it a point to do is give you all the names
of places, sheds, facilities, pastures, etc. whenever possible.  I saw
sombrero hill which I'm sure is all good with your group, unfortunately
nobody at Fossil Rim will know what that is.  I am guessing based on the
context of that paragraph this is the first hill to your left as you come
into the Main Pasture.  That is Montana Mountain (named after Rodney Marsh,
whose wife called him Montana).  If that's not where you were, we'll
figure it out later.  Also, some things don't have names and in those cases we
can come up with something together."

We noticed that the waterbuck seem to be located more in the same than other species. For example, they seem to be foraging on the northwest side of the Lodge creek after the shadows have lengthened in the evening and the meadow is shaded. We are wondering if this might be part of why they seem to be bedding near where the creek crosses into the IMA. This is where the calf was born last month, and hid for several weeks. They seem to move after the hills cast shadows across the pastures in the evening and to be visible in the morning until the sun gets hot. The group of females with the calf seem to be spending the day in the draws near the Juniper Hill west of the clinic, moving out to graze near the clinic pasture. The group of older females seems to be more in the shade near Safari Camp and the shed on the west end of the juniper loop.

The addax seemed to be most active in approaching our vehicle for pellets, compared to the other species, even during the day. Early in the morning, the gemsbock appeared where we had not been seeing them during the day. They were near the entrance to the pasture, and seemed to have moved out of the juniper canopy on the slopes of sombrero hill. A batchelor group of fallow deer seemed to be also lying up in the shade in the junipers on sombrero hill during the day, emerging in the cool of the morning to forage for pellets from the first visitor vehicles to arrive in the morning.

Lets dialogue more about how access to shade may be influencing each of the species differently, and how this might interact with where they are foraging.

The locations of the hay bales are different each time we observe. 

2/17/2008 - NW of Juniper Loop at the “rainbow” pullout; and at the intersection of the Safari Camp road

3/1/2008 - in front of the shed on the cut through dirt road in the Juniper Loop

We noticed green grass sprouting on Feb. 16-17.  By March 1-2, it was showing more and the calves were feeding on the green grass.  

The grass was most visible within the shade and drip line of the liveoaks.  It was also in the draws where there appeared to be silty soils and some drainage.

We met with Kelly F. and brainstormed ideas for students and other Citizen Scientists to contribute photo data when they come to Fossil Rim.  Lets dialogue here, and look on the top menu bar for the tab [ACTION!] for the activity info.

Lets keep track here of when and where we observe females nursing (ACTION ITEM).

1/4-11, 2008: Slit ear (F61Y), No tag (ribs showing), Natural notch.

1/26/2008: Slit ear (F61Y)

3/1/2008: Slit ear (F61Y) and F58Y

5//2008:  untagged female with new calf

8/23/08: F545B with new calf (left light eye)

The hay bales are placed in different locations, so we need to keep track of where there are hay pile, each time we make observations.   Renee got waypoints on the hay that was used by the waterbuck on the weekend of 1/26-27/2008.  We need to upload here the waypoints from the observations during the first week of January 2008, as well as the more recent waypoints (ACTION ITEM).

Lets keep notes on how, when and where the pellets are distributed for species in the main pasture.

Lets keep notes here on the natural vegetation that is available to the waterbuck as food.  We will welcome photos of the waterbuck, with dates, so we can measure the height of the vegetation (from the photo).  For example, on 1/27/08 Renee took snapshots and video of Crooked tail grazing.  Jane noted there was green grass less than 3 cm tall, but Crooked tail was selecting the dried blades of a curly grass.  The green grass seemed to be more visible in the area shaded by a tree, rather than out in the open where there might have been more water evaporation from the soil.

For info on the rainfall in central TX, see:  http://doublehelixranch.com/FlyGapRainTrends.html