A History of Wildlife and Wetland Management Ventures on the Upper Texas Coast

Prepared by Charles D. Stutzenbaker, this book is a detailed historical account of Texas Coastal wildlife populations and land management practices that largely govern success or failure in maintaining stable plant and wildlife populations.Stutzenbaker is a professional Wildlife Biologist who graduated from Texas A&M University and enjoyed a 40-year career with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department dealing with migratory game birds and wetland plants. Brief, but important reviews of the geologic past are included along with the history of early American Indian inhabitants. In addition, records from early Spanish and French explorers are included as they searched for non-existent Cities of Gold and introduced a new culture as they constructed Missions and brought in settlers.The narrative follows the early and continuing Anglo settlement and the impact we have all placed on wildlife. The narrative contains approximately 500 black-white and color photos which were chosen for illumination of both negative and positive impacts we have unleashed on the Texas Coast and wildlife populations.This 29 chapter manuscript covers the Gulf Coastal wildlife spectrum and includes the documentation of the last of the Red Wolves, very profitable nutria and muskrat fur trapping, commercial and sport waterfowl hunting, the setting of annual hunting regulations and land management through controlled burning and livestock grazing and fresh and salt water control.With this publication, Stutzenbaker will have completed the fifth wildlife journal including the definitive work on the Mottled Duck, a Wildlife Science Textbook and a highly illustrated identification and management guide for Aquatic and Wetland Plants along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast. Read more