Back to School Part 2

Yesterday, I posted a video about the wildlife management program at Southwest Texas Junior College. Well, today I am proud to share this video with you about my program at Childress High School.

You see, when I am not thinking and blogging whitetails, I teach agricultural science at Childress High School in Childress, Texas. At the high school ,we have our own wildlife management area complete with a 20-acre high fenced area and our own deer herd. That's right, we have our own deer herd.

Originally, this article ran on Realtree.com but I thought it'd be cool to show it again.



Deer School is in Session in the Texas Panhandle

While high school students everywhere learn about the traditional three "R's" of education, students enrolled in Childress High School's wildlife management program study the three R's of a different kind - racks, rubs, and resource management. This past academic year, the first class of Deer School mustered in the tiny Texas Panhandle town and was an instant hit with students.

"We're really lucky to have these deer and all of the opportunities we have available to us," says senior Stormy Teichelman. "I'd be willing to bet that we're the only school in the country who has all of this available for the students."

Since whitetail deer are the most economically important species of wildlife in the area and arguably Childress' number one tourist attraction, the idea to teach wildlife and natural resource management and use whitetail deer as a vehicle was a natural one. With a couple of grants and some generous donations from local businesses, the concept of Deer School was set in motion.

At the heart of Deer School is a 22-acre enclosure that is currently home to two bucks and four does. Adjacent to the enclosure, the school also owns an additional 66 acres of rangelands that is home to both free ranging whitetail and mule deer and is also under management by the Childress High School students. Food plot plantings, soil management, plant identification, forage management, and hunter education and safety make up parts of the curriculum, but a healthy dose of deer biology is thrown into the mix as well.

Whats cool about the class is that instead of reading about age and nutrition's effects on antler growth, students can go into the field and see the effects for themselves. Students get to chart antler growth, reproductive rates, and body growth by traveling just two miles from the main high school campus.

"I love the fact that everything is so hands-on," says junior Creede Breeding. "In most classes, you may do a worksheet or watch a video or do some internet research, but you don't get to actually go out and get your hands on stuff."

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Labels: Texas, Videos