Wildlife conservation and management perspectives in northern Mexico have changed dramatically in the last few decades. A long time has passed since white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) almost became extinct because of overhunting and health problems such as screwworms. Currently itis possible to find ranches where white-tailed deer is overabundant. The interest of ranchers for wildlife conservation and management is related to de additional income that may be obtained from sport hunting. Exemplary cases of wildlife restoration can be found across northern Mexico. La Cuenca Palo Blanco located in the state of Nuevo Leon covers an extension of 130,000 ha of natural ecosystems that were repopulated with white-tailed deer in 1994. After the repopulation of white-tailed deer the owners of the 53 management units have changed their attitude towards conservation, the sport hunting is providing additional income to ranches. Other benefits of the wildlife restoration programs include the presence of 145 bird species, 34 species of mammals, over 30 cacti species and over 800 plant species representing 37, 24, 30, an 32% of the fauna and flora of the state of Nuevo Leon, respectively. Some of the species existing at the Cuenca Palo Blanco include black bear (Ursus americanus), vireo gorrinegro (vireo atricapillus), y maguey de hoja ovalada (Agavevictoriae-reginae) among others. In northern Mexico conservation programs need to be tied to an increase in the productivity and profitability of ranches, we must understand that ranchers making a living out of their operations need that kind of incentives to be motivated to establish management and conservation programs.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.