Kerr & Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Areas - Texas Parks and Wildlife

09/11/2026

Registration is now open for Plant Party #24 - Sedges Have Edges, Rushes are Round!

It's FREE advanced plant training and FUN! Join us for 5 short presentation from experts in the field and LOTS of door prizes. Wednesday, Sept 30th from 10-11:30 am.

Register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PP24Reg

Plant Party is hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service.

09/11/2026

09/04/2026

Kerr WMA's Annual Fall Seminar is right around the corner! Join us in the afternoon of Friday, October 2nd at our conference center. We will focus on game species and cover several topics that will help guide landowners and game managers make informed choices in habitat management!

09/04/2026

UPDATE: This event is FULL but there is a waitlist! Reminder that this great educational opportunity is quickly approaching! Register today at the link or QR code and we'll see you on September 25th!

Please plan on joining us in September for a day full of learning about prescribed fire! This event is free to the public with lunch provided but you do have to register at the link below! This workshop will be a great resource for both landowners and county officials that want a deeper understanding of fire ecology and use, laws and regulations, and the planning that takes place prior to a prescribed fire!

https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/ereg/newreg.php?eventid=882274&language=eng

08/13/2026

Release the sterile squad 🪰🪰🪰

Over 700,000,000 sterile flies have been released in and around areas infested with New World screwworm, a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on living tissue.

This increases the likelihood that wild females will encounter sterile males, preventing them from producing viable offspring.

The sterile fly larvae are coated with fluorescent nontoxic dye so adult flies will glow under UV light for easy identification.

📍 See where they’re being release at bit.ly/DispersalTracks

Visit screwworm.texas.gov for:
🗺 A map + details on all confirmed cases.
🔎 Tips on identifying infestations in pets, wildlife, and livestock.
📱 Info on where to report suspected cases.

Help us protect Texas animals from this destructive pest.

Our partners:
📷 USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Texas Animal Health Commission
Texas Division of Emergency Management
Texas Department of Agriculture

07/31/2026

Check out this webinar on white-tailed deer survey methods if you are interested in learning more about your deer population and how to track it! Register today!

07/21/2026

After rain ends and flood waters recede, NWS fly activity can increase with warm, moist conditions favorable for fly survival and movement. Standing water and saturated grounds may also create new habitat for NWS flies.

Continue to check animals frequently. NWS flies can lay hundreds of eggs that can hatch within 24 hours. Quick observation and treatment is critical to preventing the spread of NWS.

Learn more about preventing the spread of NWS: bit.ly/TAHCFlyer_NWS_Prevention

07/20/2026

🧐 If you have game cameras, keep an eye out for signs of New World screwworm.

If you see a live animal with maggots, please report it. Watch for:
- Enlarging wounds
- Foul, rotted flesh odor
- Signs of discomfort

🔗 Visit screwworm.texas.gov for reporting details, current cases, and updates.

🪰 The New World screwworm fly lays eggs in live warm-blooded animals, The larvae (maggots) burrow or “screw” into the host’s flesh, causing severe wounds and often death if untreated.

Texas Animal Health Commission Texas Department of Agriculture Texas Division of Emergency Management Office of the Governor Greg Abbott

07/07/2026

It is always surprising when you see something that should be common, but you realize you have never seen before. In my 39 years working for TPWD I have never seen a baby porcupine! Porcupines are common on Mason Mt WMA and I can’t count how many I have seen in the 27 years I have been here. I have seen half grown that look just like adults. But this morning was the first baby I had come upon.

It was by itself, no momma in sight. So maybe they hide out until they are at least half grown. They are interesting animals that lead a solitary and what appears to be an unhappy life. It is one of the few baby animals I have seen that doesn’t look like they are interested in their surroundings.

I often watch white-tail fawns run circles around their mommas in front of our house. I have watched baby raccoons inspecting everything they can find or just roll around tussling with their siblings. I have young squirrels that look like they want to inspect every inch of our place. Even young birds look somewhat excited for the day they can fly.

But this little porcupine just sorta sat there like he had no friends and nothing in this world interested him. The most reaction I could get was to fluff up when he thought I was going to touch him. He looked totally healthy and finally ambled off as any porcupine will do.

Porcupines have a long gestation period for rodents at around 202 days compared to the largest rodent the beaver at 128 days. They give birth to one baby called a porcupette. He will stay with his mother until the fall when she will be bred again.

With a relatively slow reproductive rate for a rodent, it is not surprising they can have a long life with some recorded to live up to thirty years in the wild. I just hope they are enjoying those thirty years more than they look like they are.