[texbirds] property rights, access and trespass in the Guadalupe Delta - please read if you want to bird there

From: Petra Hockey <phockey@xxxxxxxx>
To: TexBirds <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 09:50:21 -0600
TexBirders,

About a week ago a report was posted here about a birding day in the Guadalupe 
Delta ("Guadalupe Delta and Goose Island--what a day!"). It was followed the 
next day by a link to Flickr showing a series of photos taken that day. I 
checked through the photos wanting to help out with the unidentified kingbird 
ID (I saw 6 Couch's on River Road a few days ago) and to search for 
identifiable photos of the reported 7 Glossy Ibis (photos were not good enough 
for specific ID but dark ibis in this area are White-faced with very rarely a 
Glossy thrown into the mix). 

To my great surprise the photo series showed several photos, some with the 
reporter on them, that were clearly taken on private property on a ranch that 
is fenced and gated although one gate has been left open on occasion. This 
ranch is 2 miles away by road from the southernmost boundary of the Guadalupe 
Delta WMA - River Road unit. I don't want to assume the trespass was 
intentional but it is hard to believe that all the maps and signs specifying 
the boundaries and property situation were overlooked. Many ranch owners and 
managers in this area are friendly but very private and trespass is not only 
not tolerated but will have serious consequences. It also gives birders in 
general a bad reputation and will have repercussions for access in the future. 
I know because this area is Brush Freeman's and my section of the Guadalupe 
Delta CBC and it took us many years to build up a good relationship with the 
landowners. 

So, if you want to bird River Road - along which the Guadalupe Delta WMA River 
Rd. unit is located - please keep the following in mind:
Once you turn off HW 35 and onto River Road on the west side of the Guadalupe 
River (Refugio Co.) the property on the right and left side of the road is 
private for about 2 miles. You can only bird from the road and need to pull 
your car off to the side to not block it. 
A cattle guard and a big wooden sign on the right announces the beginning of 
the WMA. If you bird just from the road here you do not need any special permit 
but if you want to walk and bird in the riparian stretch between the river and 
River Rd. (which is permitted year round) you need a TPWD multiple use permit 
that costs $12. About half way down the 2 mile stretch of WMA is a nice big 
parking area that gets used by hunters in season. You don't want to block the 
numbered parking slots when hunts are going on but there is extra unmarked 
space also. A nice big map is posted right at the entrance to the parking area 
that outlines the property clearly. Please do take a look. A cattle guard and 
fence line further down the road demarcate the end of the public WMA. There are 
3! signs here that would take a real effort to overlook: "Boundary Marker" (on 
left side of fence), "Cattle on Road" (on right side of fence) and just outside 
the fence "all property beyond this point is privately owned and posted". This 
last big sign is a bit faded but nevertheless readable.

From here on you can continue for 2 more miles on public road, eventually 
taking a left turn over a bridge crossing one arm of the Guadalupe River and 
entering Calhoun Co.. You can only bird from the road here and regardless if 
gates are open or closed and how tempting it is, do not enter any ranches. I 
might mention that the last mile of the road, the stretch after the bridge, is 
not graveled and very treacherous when wet.

The Guadalupe Delta is a great birding location. Please let's respect private 
property and enjoy it responsibly.

Petra Hockey
Port O'Connor, Calhoun Co.


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[texbirds] property rights, access and trespass in the Guadalupe Delta - please read if you want to bird there

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