EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Got this in an email. 
 DROUGHT CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO LINGER

Lubbock, July 8, 2011 by Mary Jane Buerkle

Thanks mostly to La Niña, the last nine months have been the driest

ever in the southern central United States since records began in 1895,

according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and the

National Weather Service.

And unfortunately, NOAA/NWS experts said at a Thursday workshop in

Austin, these conditions are not likely to improve drastically anytime

soon, although some alleviation is forecasted.

In many locations, including West Texas, it would take 1.5 times to

twice the average seasonal precipitation needed over the next three months

to end the drought, NOAA/NWS Meteorologist Dan Collins said, and there is a

five percent or less chance of the drought ending in three or even six

months in West Texas.

Ninety-one percent of Texas is in extreme to exceptional drought,

NOAA/NWS said, and the Climate Forecast System indicates that there is a

chance that La Niña could even re-emerge and extend the drought. NOAA's

Klaus Wolter said that this winter could be dry with a La Niña rebound,

which is more likely than not.

The drought has brought unprecedented consequences to the cotton crop.

For the first time ever, the High Plains is looking at a near 100 percent

abandonment rate on dryland cotton. Some producers are shifting water from

other crops to cotton, trying to salvage what they can of the 2011

irrigated crop, and making decisions that previous generations have not

faced. The overall impact of the drought undoubtedly will be staggering

across the agricultural industry, experts say.

Bob Rose with the Lower Colorado River Authority, which covers an area

of Central Texas, said that if the drought continues through the winter,

that they could begin curtailing agricultural use in Spring 2012 for the

first time in their 77-year history

(http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af330/RockinPRanch/Water%20hunt/ronnieon4wheeler.jpg)

Thought I put this up so we dont forget what it is supose to look like

 PBC,
      Was told yesterday, Dublin ran 4600 head Friday, 1600 in cows. Don't know the numbers but Gatesville had a big run also. Good indication of the trouble we're in. As soon as I cool off I'm leaving with my second load this weekend. Two stock ponds already dry, two getting extremely low, and a well stuggling.

the price of beef is probably going to drop with everyone selling off.

Whoever can hang on and make it without out selling might be able to make money later with a shortage of cattle.

I passed by my old home town and someone had plowed in their field and the corn crop looked real bad. Price of deer corn, dog food, and grain in general will probably go up for a while.

Yeah mason and fredericksburg been having big sales dad sold a few last couple weeks and was well happy with prices but it is going to fall off.  Know most around here have all ready started haying and that is scary.   

I listen to the reports on KKYX here in SA every day at lunch. Fredericksburgs has been running 3000 plus sheep and goats and pushing 2000 head of cattle weekly. Uvalde 1500-2000 sheep and goats and 1000 plus cattle. here in Hiondo where a big sale is maybe 400 plus, they have been having 800 plus, same in Pearsall, Alice, Pleasanton and every where.

Sad part is pairs and bred cows are cheap cuz nobody has the grass to put 'em on and packers are bringing a premium .

And I heard last week 7 to 8 weight steers are bringing a buck or better, I just cant hardly wrap my mind around that.

Cleburne had a little over 1400 hd Saturday and it don't look good around here no hay is being cut this year

I planted a food plot on sept 24 2010 and that wAs the last day it has rained here. Midland is on water restriction right now if they catch you breaking it they are handing out 500 dollar tickets. I'm glad I don't have city water now.

That is wild, in those pics smith puts up it looks like your hunting on the beach with mesquite trees.  I can imagine all the deer and hogs and everything else are hurting for food and water.

yall should look into gettin hay from central/north florida.  Aint been up in a while but with all the rain we been gettin there may be some there..  just a sugestion

I just made a round trip to Hammond, Louisiana and back to Freeport and all along I-10 and I-12 the grass is dark green and it looks great. Once I got on this side of Vidor it progressively got worse.