Predominant birds seen at the Chaparral are Cactus wrens, ground doves, pyrrhuloxias and roadrunners. The area is visited by a variety of migrating birds during the spring. Other species of birds identified visiting the Area are cardinals, red-winged blackbirds, Cassin's sparrow, Audubon's orioles, vermilion flycatchers, American kestrels, owls and greenjays.

General Public Use is allowed uninterrupted from April 1 through August 31 each spring and summer. Contact area manager for additional dates or special events. Public Hunts are available annually by special permit and annual permit.

The Chaparral Wildlife Management Area (CWMA) was purchased in 1969 with Pittman - Robertson funds to serve as a research and demonstration area for the Rio Grande Plains ecological area. The Area was part of a historic south Texas cattle ranch owned by the Light family since the early 1900's. The Area typifies the majority of south Texas with approximately 65 percent of the CWMA having been historically (pre-1960's) subjected to mechanical treatments to reduce brush. Previous and present mineral exploration have resulted in several oil/natural gas well sites, as well as numerous seismic and pipeline right of ways.

Since Parks and Wildlife purchased the "Chap", it has provided a site for conducting numerous research studies involving, but not limited to, white-tailed deer, feral hog, javelina, bobwhite quail, Texas tortoise, Texas horned lizard, and their habitats. Vegetative communities have also been monitored intensively to assess the effects of various management practices. Baseline inventories are regularly conducted to determine the composition and population fluctuations of the Area's flora and fauna. Research on vegetative response to habitat treatments provides management information to private landowners.

The CWMA is managed from an ecosystem management approach with particular emphasis on management for diversity of habitats and resultant diversity of plants and wildlife. Public hunting to meet research, management, and recreational goals has been an integral part of the CWMA program since it's purchase, providing approximately 103,377 hunter days of recreation (1969 - 1997). Public hunts have been conducted for mourning dove, scaled quail, bobwhite quail, white-tailed deer, feral hogs, javelina, and coyotes. The CWMA has become a favorite location for primary and secondary school field trips, college field trips, wildlife management field days, workshops, and nature tours.

Chaparral Wildlife Management Area encompasses 15,200 acres of South Texas brush country in La Salle and Dimmit Counties approximately 100 miles southwest of San Antonio. The area is located eight miles west of Artesia Wells on FM 133.

A wheelchair-accessible restroom at the main campsite is available except during hunts when the facilities are reserved for hunters.

Checklists for birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians are available at the headquarters office and at the kiosks.

A wheelchair-accessible half-mile nature trail, Arena Rojo, circles around the headquarters office.

The nature trails offer the visitor access to 1,200 acres to visit by car, foot or bike. A wheelchair-accessible wildlife viewing tower is located at the waterhole on a stop on the nature tour. Brochures for the driving tour and the nature trails are available at the information kiosks at the area office and campground. Visitors are asked to register at the kiosks before starting on the trails. The trails have numbered stops and detailed descriptions of the surrounding habitat, wildlife and conservation management techniques used to maintain the ecosystem.