Going to Texas was a blast. I had a lot of fun and was very glad I could go on this Texas trip. I enjoyed my time everywhere we went. I may not have been able to catch a fish, but I did enjoy birding, taking photographs, herping and looking at some of the plants on Matagorda Island and Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area. On the island, I had a good time out there going on an airboat and having a shrimp boil one night as well which was delicious. Matagorda Island was fun, but my favorite part was Mason Mountain WMA.
We got to Mason Mountain WMA late in the afternoon. Since we got there late, we made the most of our night by going herping with Austin Knight. We were able to catch a bullfrog from the pond and later a rattlesnake that wouldn’t rattle to hopefully stay hidden. Our first day at Mason Mountain WMA was awesome. Mark showed us the brown-headed cowbird trap and explained the reason for trapping and dispatching them, specifically the females. The reason cowbirds are a problem is due to the black-capped vireo, which were depleted to only about 355 breeding pairs left in Texas. Now, Mason Mountain WMA has over 355 breeding pairs alone. The black-capped vireo is now under consideration to be taken off the endangered species list. I also got the chance to ride in a buggy with Mark who was very knowledgeable about Mason Mountain and the surrounding area. He took us to a section in Mason Mountain where we got to see the Black-capped vireo and a rattlesnake with 14 rattles. We also got to track some of the horned lizards that were released in the area. We were able to find one adult and one baby in the area. By the end of that day, we dispatched 2 rattlesnakes, and we were able to eat them. I was able to have a good conversation with Austin Knight about doing a herpetology study in North Dakota and he helped me come up with a few ideas and showed me what a herp array was.
Brown Anole Lizard Mason Mountain WMA
This was one of the best experiences I have had, and I would strongly suggest this to anybody who would be interested or looking to try something new. There is something for everyone whether it is fishing, birding, herping or even looking at the plants in the area. Getting the chance to look at a new ecosystem is always a good learning experience and can be applied to other ecosystem functions.