Bowhunting seeing boom - Lone Star Outdoor News

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Hunting Texas
Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper
August 10, 2007
Volume 3, Issue 24
w w w. l o n e s t a r o u t d o o r n e w s . c o m
Special section
inside
Hunting Annual
2007
Bowhunting seeing boom
INSIDE
FISHING
Archers up to more
than 80,000
By Hal Brown
Tim Young of Baytown and
Jason Catchings of Liberty
walked away with the Oh Boy!
Oberto Redfish Cup Western
Division tournament.
Page 8
HUNTING
It’s getting a little more crowded at the deer lease these
days. Come October there may be more than half again
as many hunters on their stands as there were in 2000.
Bowhunting has undergone a quiet boom as more
hunters adopt archery equipment into their arsenals and
take advantage of the longer bowhunting season.
Continually refined equipment also has made archers
more accurate and
archery much easier for
less-brawny hunters
than ever before.
Hard numbers are difficult to come by. Texas
sells an archery stamp,
but archery stamp privileges are also included
in the Parks and Wildlife
Department SuperCombo license.
Extrapolating from
license data, Tom
Newton, head of TPW’s
— RONALD COLLIER
license section, estimates there are more
than 80,000 hunters
wielding bows on Texas hunts this year. That’s up from
about 50,000 in 2000.
Archery stamp sales, Newton said, are fairly static. This
year there have been 26,608 stamps sold, roughly the
same as 2005 when 300 less were sold. There were
345,871 combo licenses sold.
“It looks like the stamp sales are flat,” Newton said.
“Where we’re picking up the hunters is in the Super
Combo. Guys that were rifle hunters but have taken up
bowhunting, too. I know a couple of those personally.
They’ve said, ‘I’ve killed everything I want to kill with a
rifle, I’m going to buy me a bow.’”
“The biggest
reason that
people get into
bowhunting is to
challenge
themselves.”
Whitewing season is open in
the coastal Mexican state of
Tamaulipas, which sits just
below southeastern Texas.
Officials estimate almost 25
million whitewings are in the
state.
Page 6
CONSERVATION
Clayton Bowen’s watercolor of
a Guadalupe bass diving into
the water will be reproduced as
a stamp for sale to collectors.
He won the Art of Conservation
Award in Wildlife Forever’s
2007 State-Fish Art Contest.
Page 5
NATIONAL
CAREFUL AIM: Deer hunter Perry Lowery of Dallas takes aim with his Hoyt compound bow. Photo by
David J. Sams.
SHOW SEASON
Classifieds
Page 24
Crossword
Page 20
Game Warden Blotter
Page 10
Fishing Report
Page 16
Outdoor Datebook
Page 15
Product Picks
Page 21
Heroes
Page 14
Weather
Page 20
Wild in the Kitchen
Page 20
Angler wins
$1 million in
FLW tourney
The toughest competitor at
FLW’s Forrest Wood Cup presented by Castrol may have been the
host lake, Arkansas’ Lake
Ouachita.
On day one, 81 pros managed
just 18 5-bass limits. Tough summertime conditions and the lack
of lunkers stumped many anglers,
enhancing the chances of the
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service released its Final
Environmental Impact
Statement that examined
alternatives for managing light
goose populations.
Page 19
INDEX
See BOWHUNTERS, Page 12
See FLW, Page 22
RATTLIN’ AWAY: Joe Martin shows a rattlesnake to the crowd at the 31st
annual Hunters Extravaganza in Houston. Photo by David J. Sams.
Hunters feel the fever
By Craig Nyhus
The enticing aroma of cinnamon-sugared pecans struck customers in the nose as they
entered the 31st Annual Hunters
Extravaganza in Houston. The
embarrassing squawking of duck
calls caused many to plug their
ears and the countless amount
of hunting equipment overwhelmed a few.
As part of the pre-season ritual
of thousands of Texas hunters,
See SHOWS, Page 12
IN THE MONEY: Scott Suggs of Bryant, Ark.
celebrates his big win at the FLW Forest
Wood Cup. Photo by David J. Sams.
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
PLANO, TX
PERMIT 210
Page 2 August 10, 2007
August 10, 2007 Page 3
CONSERVATION
Texas youth takes top honors
in national fish art contest
Clayton Bowen of Eagle Lake won
the Art of Conservation Award in
Wildlife Forever’s 2007 State-Fish Art
Contest. Bowen’s watercolor on canvas paper of a Guadalupe bass diving
into the water will be reproduced as a
stamp for sale to collectors; proceeds
will be used to fund conservation education and aquatic restoration projects
across America.
Two other Texas students also
placed in the national competition.
Third place in the grades 4-6 category went to Stanislav Nedzelskyi of
Keller, a home-schooled sixth grader.
His acrylic drawing of two Guadalupe
bass is titled “The Underwater
Meeting.”
Nikita Samarin of Victoria placed
third in the grades 7-9 category with
“Down in the Blue,” a black-and-white
pencil drawing of a catfish. Samarin
attends Profit Magnet High School in
Victoria. His art teacher is Melanie
Burns.
Bowen is a 2007 graduate of Rice
High School in Altair, where his art
instructor was Debbie Christ.
“I read about the contest in the
Houston Chronicle,” Bowen said. “I’d
never done a wildlife picture before, so
I researched the fish and put a lot of
information together. I had seen pictures of fish underwater, and I wanted
to do something different, so my drawing has the fish jumping into the
water.”
Bowen will enter the University of
Texas at Austin this fall, where he will
major in fine arts.
The Texas division of the national
A WORK OF ART: Clayton Bowen, left, of Eagle Lake won top honors in the Wildlife
Forever State-Fish Art Contest in Minneapolis, Minn. Awarding the prize were Zoe
Ann Stinchcomb of the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens and Douglas H.
Grann, president and CEO of Wildlife Forever. Photo by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
contest is headquartered at the Texas
Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in
Athens. Initial judging took place at
TFFC, and winning entries were sent
to Wildlife Forever headquarters in
Brooklyn Center, Minn., for judging at
the national level.
Educators and students in Texas
embraced the State-Fish Art Contest so
enthusiastically that the number of
entries from Texas alone, 580,
amounted to one-fourth of the entries
for the entire country. “The large number of entries from Texas meant that
many pieces of art of very high quality
did not advance to the next round of
judging,” said Zoe Ann Stinchcomb,
education team leader at TFFC and
Texas coordinator of the contest.
A Texas Parks and Wildlife report.
CCA to fund red snapper recovery study
Enough to ruin
a baggage
handler’s day.
Most gun cases come home
from a trip with souvenirs. Like
torn-off handles, missing feet
and mangled latches. Not the
Tuffpak. It’s as close to indestructible as a manmade object can be. So
indestructible, in fact,
it’s guaranteed for
life. It takes all the
fun out of being a
baggage handler.
The world’s most versatile rifle (or bow, or
shotgun, or boot, or sleeping bag, or…) case.
The
Coastal
Conservation
Association announced it will fund
a study at the University of Texas
Marine Science Institute to assess
the catch-and-release mortality of
recreationally caught red snapper
and develop the best practices for
handling and proper release.
“The only way to address a complicated fishery issue like red snapper is with a methodical, systematic
approach,” said Mark Ray, chairman
of CCA Texas. “We believe our lawsuit and the Gulf Council’s subsequent decision earlier this month to
reduce shrimp trawl bycatch by 74
percent from 2001-2003 levels laid
the foundation for red snapper
recovery. Now we are prepared to
move to other factors, including
reducing recreational bycatch.”
The CCA Texas’ board of directors
voted to fund $37,000 for a catchand-release study to be conducted
by Dr. Scott Holt and Dr. Joan Holt
of UTMSI in Port Aransas. The study
will involve catching undersized red
snapper from depths of 50 to 300
feet at different times of the year.
Researchers will retain a number of
fish in various stages of health for
observation, and experiments will
be developed to evaluate the influence of seasons, depth, initial condition after capture and venting on
the overall survival of released red
snapper.
“There is a lot of contention out
there among anglers about how
effective catch-and-release is for
deep-dwelling fish, and there are a
lot of different opinions floating
around. We feel we need to put our
money where our mouth is and get
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the science that will help us make
the best decisions for this fishery,”
said Robby Byers, executive director
of CCA Texas. “There is no question
recreational anglers have a role to
play in the future of red snapper,
and we want to make sure we have
the best information available to do
our part.”
“It is going to take a holistic
approach and a long-term commitment to find solutions to all the
challenges facing red snapper,” said
Pat Murray, CCA director of conservation. “No single thing is going to
fix this fishery, but we are steadily
putting the pieces together. From
improving catch-and-release practices to enhancing habitat, CCA is
committed to the recovery of this
important species.”
A CCA Texas report.
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TODD NAFE
DAVID SIKES
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Lone Star Outdoor News, a publication of Lone
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Copyright 2007 with all rights reserved.
Reproduction and/or use of any photographic
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HUNTING
Doves fill the skies in Mexico
Whitewing numbers
estimated to be
around 25 million
By Mary Helen Aguirre
Dove season opened Thursday in Mexico.
And visitors who head to the winged hunter’s paradise of Tamaulipas will be rewarded with skies filled
with white-winged doves.
Plentiful food — in the form of grain fields — plus
water and moderate temperatures attract the migrating birds, which arrive around April to breed in this
coastal Mexican state, which sits just below eastern
Texas.
This year, the white-winged dove population in
Tamaulipas is estimated to be slightly lower than last
year’s population of about 25 million. The Comisión
Estatal de Vida Silvestre, Tamaulipas' state wildlife
agency, has not released dove count estimates for
this year, which will be completed at the end of
August.
In a Dallas Morning News interview, retired Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department biologist Gary
Waggerman, who has studied the white-winged dove,
explained that in the early 1970s thousands of acres of
brush were razed to plant grain fields.
IN HIS SIGHTS: A hunter takes aim at a white-winged dove near Lake Guerrero in Mexico. Photos by David J. Sams.
See MEXICO, Page 23
Waterfowl ways
Report shows hunter activity,
harvest for 2006 season
HEADED HOME: Duck hunters harvested more than 13.8 million ducks last season.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
issued its report summarizing hunter
activity and harvest for the 2006 waterfowl season.
The reports shows more than 13.8 million ducks were harvested, up more than
a million ducks from the previous season.
Hunters also harvested nearly 3.6 million
geese, down slightly from the previous
season.
The Service generates the estimates
contained in the report based on hunting
diary surveys of selected waterfowl
hunters, through the cooperative StateFederal Harvest Information Program and
the Waterfowl Parts Collection Survey.
These surveys provide important infor-
mation used by state wildlife agencies and
the Service to establish the next hunting
season and maintain healthy waterfowl
populations.
Nationally, duck hunters spent about
6.8 million days in the field, compared
with 6.5 million days of duck hunting the
previous season. Hunters spent more
than 4 million days hunting geese, which
is similar to the previous season.
Mallards were the most prevalent duck
in the bag for hunters in the United
States, with nearly 4.7 million birds harvested last season.
Other species popular among waterfowlers were green-winged teal with nearSee WATERFOWL, Page 25
FENCED OUT
Border security plan stirs wildlife issues
By Mark England
If the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security makes good
on its promise to build hundreds
of miles of fence along the
Texas-Mexico border, illegal
immigrants may not be the only
ones shut out.
Wildlife — particularly the
endangered ocelot — could also
be left on the outside looking in.
“Anything that dissects habitat
creates problems for animals,”
said Nancy Brown, a spokeswoman for the South Texas
Refuge Complex, a string of
three federal refuges along the
border run by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
The problems could be
numerous for animals, Brown
said.
“If it has a walling effect, it can
impact their ability to migrate,
their access to water and, in
some instances, it could divide a
species’ population — which
reduces its genetic viability,” she
said. “From a biological standpoint, a fence would not be
good news for animals.”
At this point, there are still
many unknowns.
Where the fence will go or
even its design still hasn’t been
decided, although Homeland
Security officials expect to put
up more than 150 miles of border fence in Texas before 2009.
The rapid pace of the project
has raised concerns.
Federal officials, under pressure from senators Kay Bailey
Hutchinson and John Cornyn,
are promising to consult with
state and local officials as well as
property owners, many of
whom worry a fence could pose
problems for their farm and
ranch animals.
“Our commitment is to
receive their input and use it as
part of our decision-making
process,” said Mike Friel, a
spokesman for U.S. Customs
and Border Patrol.
Other factors taken into conSee FENCE, Page 23
Land available for public
hunting in 66 counties
Each year, Texas Parks and
Wildlife publishes maps of
land open for public hunting.
Approximately 1,135,245
acres of public hunting lands
contained within 78 units in
66 counties will be available
for public hunting. Access is
provided by either of two
types of annual permits: the
Annual Public Hunting (APH)
Permit which allows full privileges including hunting and
fishing, and the Limited
Public Use (LPU) Permit that
also provides access for nonconsumptive uses.
The Annual Public Hunting
Permit is valid from Sept. 1
through Aug. 31 of the following year. The APH Permit
allows an adult access to designated public hunting lands
and in the public dove hunting areas. Hunting is allowed
for small game, turkey, whitetailed deer, exotics, predators,
furbearers and, in most
instances, without having to
be selected in a drawing, and
fishing without daily permit
fees.
Having purchased the
appropriate Texas hunting
licenses and stamps, holders
of an APH Permit may take
children under age 17 hunting free of charge on these
lands.
Youth (under age 17) are
required to have a Texas hunting license but are not
required to possess their own
permit to hunt or fish; however, they must hunt under
the supervision of an authorized supervising adult (age 18
or older) who possesses the
required permit.
Maps will be available after
Aug. 15 at www.tpwd.state.tx.
us.
A Texas Parks and Wildlife
report.
MORE THAN A MILLION: Approximately 1,135,245 acres of public hunting lands contained within 78
units in 66 counties will be available for public hunting.
Large turnouts expected for dove, teal seasons
Early season reminders offered for hunters
A SEASON APPROACHES: Dove and teal season are nearing and it’s time for hunters to brush up on dates and limits.
Season dates for dove and teal have been set,
and Texas Parks and Wildlife has offered several
reminders for hunters headed to the field in
September.
Dove season in the North Zone is set for Sept.
1-Oct. 30, with a 15-bird bag and not more than
two white-tipped doves; the Central Zone runs
Sept. 1-Oct. 30 and reopens Dec. 26-Jan. 4, with
a 12-bird bag and not more than two whitetipped doves; and the South Zone is set for Sept.
21-Nov. 11, reopening Dec. 26-Jan. 12 with a 12bird bag and not more than two white-tipped
doves. The possession limit is twice the daily bag.
The Special South Texas Whitewing Zone,
which now encompasses land west of I-35 and
south of U. S. Highway 90, is open to whitewinged dove afternoon-only (noon to sunset)
hunting the first two Saturdays and Sundays in
September.
The daily bag limit is 12 birds, not more than
four (4) mourning doves and two (2) white-
tipped doves.
Because hunting conditions are so good, Texas
Parks and Wildlife is expecting a large turnout
for the dove season opener in the North and
Central Zones and is encouraging hunters to
purchase their hunting licenses early to avoid
last-minute delays.
Last year, nearly 350,000 licenses were sold
over the Labor Day holiday weekend. Licenses go
on sale Aug. 15 and can be purchased at all TPW
law enforcement offices and from more than
1,200 retail outlets statewide.
The early teal season runs Sept. 15-23 in the
High Plains Mallard Management Unit and Sept.
15-30 in all other Texas counties. The daily bag
limit for teal is four.
A state migratory game bird stamp is required
for doves, waterfowl and sandhill cranes and, in
addition, a Federal Duck Stamp is needed to
hunt teal.
See SEASONS, Page 23
TexasTexas
East East
TexasTexas Central Texas WestWest
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FISHING
Texas duo claims Redfish Cup title
Young, Catchings walk
away with final Western
Division event of year
Tim Young of Baytown and Jason Catchings of
Liberty brought in two redfish weighing 15.84 pounds
on the final day to win the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup
Western Division tournament in Port Arthur. With
bonus sponsor money, the two veteran coastal fishing
guides netted $70,000 in winnings.
The father/son team of Keith and John Hartsell of
Corpus Christi and Pearland finished second with
13.06 pounds, and Charlie Barton of Port Lavaca and
his brother Jack of Port Isabel finished third with 11.77
pounds. Fourth place went to David Christian and
Charlie Paranoski of Spring with 7.73 pounds, while
the team of Robert Scherer of Houston and Blaien
Friermood of Baytown finished fifth with 4.25 pounds.
“We felt confident all week,” said Catchings,
“because our area actually seemed to replenish itself
and get better each day.”
The other four teams fishing the final round reported much slower action. Scherer and Friermood, leaders
going in to the final day, managed only one fish, and
Christian and Paranoski had only five bites all day,
none after 10 a.m.
Water and weather conditions may have been the
culprit, especially in Sabine Lake and the areas to the
south. With calm water, less tidal movement, and
hot, bright skies, anglers could not rely on jumping
baitfish or diving birds to help them find fish.
Young and Catchings concentrated on small lakes in
the Louisiana marshes approximately 25 miles from
the Pleasure Point Marina launch site. There, in water
less than three feet deep, they found all the redfish they
could handle — Catchings’ third cast produced an
eight-pound red — and it got better from there. “The
fact we were in such protected water with very few
other anglers around probably kept us from experiencing some of the problems the other teams did,”
Catchings said.
The winners used Johnson and Hopkins spoons to
catch most of their fish. Catchings also used a Texasrigged Stanley Wedge Tail plastic shrimp with a 1/16ounce slip-sinker.
Many of the fish were sunning themselves in the
marsh grass, Young said, and all they had to do was
drop a lure in front of the fish and it would usually hit.
After getting their two best fish into the live well,
Catchings and Young returned to the dock about 11:30
a.m.
“I was actually pretty nervous at first,” Catchings
said. “Because we were catching a lot of fish over the
slot limit. It’s a nice problem to have, but not in a
Redfish Cup event.”
A Redfish Cup report.
Oh
Boy!
Above, Tim Young,
left, and Jason
Catchings took top
honors at the Oh Boy!
Oberto Redfish Cup
event in Port Arthur.
At right, Keith
Hartsell hooks up with
a 7-plus pound red
drum. Hartsell and his
father John teamed
up for second place.
Photos by Mark
Stallings.
Filleting fish on barge reels in concerns
Some anglers say
regulation not clear
By Craig Nyhus
A regulation dealing with the
filleting of fish has caused some
confusion on Texas waters.
Fishermen on the Lewisville
Fishing Barge were warned, but
not cited, for cleaning their
catch on the barge. “The regulations are confusing to me,” said
Harold McIntosh, who works at
the barge. “I’ve read them time
and time again, and I’m still not
exactly sure what they mean.”
The regulation reads:
“It is unlawful to possess a finfish of any species taken from
public water, except broadbill
swordfish, shark, or king mackerel that has the head or tail
removed until such person
finally lands the catch on the
mainland, a peninsula, or barrier island not including jetties or
piers and does not transport the
catch by boat.
“Broadbill swordfish, shark,
and king mackerel may have the
head or tail removed but the carcass must remain intact — the
fish may not be filleted.”
Some fishermen believe this is
a saltwater-only provision, but it
applies to all Texas waters, said
Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Chief
of Fisheries Enforcement, Maj.
Bill Robinson, who was familiar
with the Lewisville situation
and had spoken to the game
wardens involved and the barge
owner.
Robinson described the provision from an enforcement
standpoint. “You can’t fillet fish
until you are on the mainland,”
he said. “The problem is when
people clean fish and keep fishing. We can’t measure their fish
— we can’t determine size and
bag limits while they are still
fishing.”
“It needs to be clear the fishermen aren’t going to fish any
BAFFLED ANGLERS: Some anglers are confused by regulations for cleaning fish on a fishing barge or other floating
structure. Photo by Lewisville Fishing Barge.
longer that day if they are filleting fish,” Robinson said. “If the
people on the barge are cleaning
their fish and still have their
poles out, they are in violation.”
The regulations aren’t overly
strict, according to Robinson.
“You just can’t fillet fish while
you are fishing,” he said. “If you
put your gear up, you can fillet
fish at cleaning stations on the
pier, jetty, or at a marina, as long
as you aren’t going to transport
them by boat.”
The regulations are clear that
filleted fish can’t be transported
by boat. “Fishermen can’t go to
a cleaning station at a marina or
pier, use the station to clean the
fish, and then head back out in
the boat, that’s a violation,”
Robinson said. “We have no
way of knowing whether they
See FILLET, Page 25
Getting down and dirty ‘farming’ for bass
By John N. Felsher
One angler looked at the water and headed
off without even launching the boat, muttering something about needing a plow instead
of a bass rod.
Another angler followed, stopped and readied his boat. He glanced at the roily river and
hurriedly launched his boat with anticipation of making a great catch.
Muddy water affects people in different
ways. Sparkling water in a pristine clear lake
certainly looks more appealing, but anglers
can still find bass in a “flowing liquid field.”
Bass thrive in stable, muddy water. Bass
that live in silty river systems grow up in a
swirling cauldron of dirt and water. That’s all
they know. They must live, feed, breed and
die in these off-color waters.
“A lot of people turn away when water gets
muddy because they haven’t had any luck in
it,” said George Cochran, two-time
Bassmaster Classic champion. “I’ve had some
of the best bass fishing in really muddy
water.”
Muddy water causes two reactions that may
help people locate bass more easily. It concentrates them in shallow water and forces
them to stick tight, very tight, to structure.
“Muddy water makes it easier to catch
bass,” said Tommy Biffle, a perennial
Bassmaster Classic competitor. “In muddy
water, fish are not as spooky; we can get closer to them in shallow water.”
As water becomes more dingy, bass head
shallow. Muddy water curtails their ability to
see prey and other predators. Without knowing what lurks around them, they move shallow and tight on reassuring structure and
don’t move.
To pull bass off these structures, anglers
must keep two elements in mind — size and
noise. When bass cannot see, they must
depend on other senses, such as hearing or
feeling. Experienced anglers give bass something they can easily find in poor visibility,
like a big, noisy, slow bait.
Three effective lure types lead to muddy
water success — rattling bottom-scraping jigs,
annoying spinnerbaits and rattling, wobbling
crankbaits.
“If I’m fishing a river with high, muddy
water, I’m probably going to be flipping a rattling jig and putting it tight to cover,” Biffle
said. “I like to put the bait in a fish’s face. My
favorite colors for muddy water are black and
yellow.”
With jigs, Biffle doesn’t tout the fish-catching properties of scents. He’s more concerned
with rattles and noise than taste. Others rely
more heavily upon scents.
“Bass have a keen sense of smell,” said Kevin
VanDam, the 2001 and 2005 Bassmaster
Classic champion and three-time BASS Angler
of the Year. “If I’m fishing a lure like a plastic
worm or jig that a fish has a lot of time to
potentially smell, I think it makes a big difference.”
VanDam prefers crawfish-flavored attractant, even in fishing water dominated by shad
as the primary forage. This scent works well
with a crawfish-looking jig bouncing around
a tree blowdown where crawfish hide from
bass.
“A crawfish-based scent is a little stronger,”
he explained. “Even if bass are feeding on
shad, they are opportunistic. If a crawfish
swims out in front of it, it will swallow it.”
Cochran, on the other hand, prefers spinnerbaits for pulling lunkers from the muck.
He eases a spinnerbait into thick cover and
cranks it with a slow, steady retrieve.
Whenever possible, he bumps the cover or
bottom to stir things up even more. Even in
dirty water, fish can follow a mud trail.
“I like 1/2-ounce to 3/8-ounce spinnerbaits
with fluorescent blades because bass can really see fluorescent lures in muddy water,”
Cochran said. “I’ll use chartreuse fluorescent
blades with a chartreuse skirt and a chartreuse curly tail worm on the back. The
worm on the end slows it down. Early in the
year, I like orange. It looks a little like a crawfish, and it really stands out in muddy water.”
After a heavy rain, when normally
sparkling water goes foul, most anglers find
somewhere else to fish. However, where mud
stays in the water for a long time, top anglers
succeed by getting “down and dirty.”
We Deliver To You !!!
MUD FISHING: Two-time Bassmaster Classic champion George Cochran advises anglers not to shy away
from muddy waters. Photo by David J. Sams.
INSPECTION DISCOVERS
LIVE PROHIBITED FISH
•Harris County Game Warden
John Rao conducted point of
entry inspections at local
importers. During the inspection of one importer, four live
prohibited fish were discovered.
These primitive fish are aggressive South American species that
have the potential of becoming
established if released into state
waters. These fish are sold under
many common names, such as
South American Tiger Fish or
Wolf Fish. The fish were seized
and Class B misdemeanor individual and corporate charges
were filed.
MAN HUNTS DEER
EATING ON HIS PEACH TREES
•Gillespie County Warden Scott
Krueger filed on a man for hunting deer in closed season. The
man was upset that deer were
getting in his 60-acre peach
orchard and nibbling on his
peach trees. He considered deer
a scourge and saw no harm in
thinning the herd since there
were so many. Case pending.
SEARCH AND RESCUE
FINDS BOYS SAFE
•Freestone
County
Game
Warden John Thorne assisted
local law enforcement in a
search and rescue operation
after three boys became lost and
were feared drowned in a creek
bottom. The boys were found
safe and returned to their parents.
ANGLERS CAUGHT WITH
48 CRAPPIE OVER LIMIT
•Bowie County Game Warden
Shawn Hervey was working the
Sulphur River when he observed
a vessel being loaded at a ramp.
Hervey made contact, and at
GAME WARDEN BLOTTER
80 BEERS, EMPTY CANS FOUND ON VESSEL
•Chambers County Game
Wardens Shane Detwiler, John
Feist and intern Summer Jenkins
arrested a 20-year-old on Clear
first the trio said they did not
have that good of a fishing trip.
Hervey asked to see the fish and
was shown a five-gallon bucket
full of crappie. There were also
three large ice chests containing
cleaned crappie. In all, the trio
had 123 crappie, 48 over their
limit. There were no small fish,
all very large crappie. Citations
were issued.
FISHERMEN FILLETING
ONE REDFISH TOO MANY
•Game Warden Santana Torres
noticed some fishermen at a
boat ramp. The fishermen were
trying to fillet redfish at a fast
pace. After counting the total
number of redfish at the location, the fishermen were in possession of one too many. A closer look resulted in more redfish
located in some wading boots.
The result was five redfish being
seized and numerous citations
issued.
SEARCH RECOVERS
DROWNING VICTIM
•Tom Green County Game
Warden Cynde Aguilar received
a call of a drowning on Twin
Buttes. Aguilar and Lake Patrol
officers searched the area until
late that night when the search
was called off until the next
morning. Irion County Warden
Shane Lewis assisted as a member of a local dive team and
located the victim in 12 feet of
water, approximately 15 yards
Lake for BWI. Four other persons
were onboard the vessel, all
under
the
age
of
21.
Approximately 80 beers and
from shore. The victim had
turned his 10-foot boat over
while trotline fishing and was
not wearing a life jacket.
BOATER PHOTOGRAPHING
CHILDREN AT CITY PARK
•Parker County Game Warden
Randall
Hayes
assisted
Weatherford Police Department with an investigation
involving a man who was
reported photographing children from a boat at a local city
park. The boat operator was
photographing children along
the shoreline when concerned
parents contacted the local
police department regarding the
suspicious activity. Police questioned the man about the suspicious activity, but he was not
cited because he had deleted all
of the pictures from his digital
camera. Hayes assisted with a
water safety follow-up and cited
the operator of the boat for no
life jackets. Case pending.
TWO FILED ON FOR FISHING
BY ILLEGAL MEANS
•Val Verde County Game
Wardens Jason Huebner and
Michael Durand filed on two
people for taking fish by illegal
means (grabbling). The men
were caught in the clear waters
of the Devils River portion of
Lake Amistad. One 42-pound
flathead catfish was confiscated
along with some pictures. Cases
and restitution are pending.
empty cans were found on the
vessel. The individual arrested
refused to provide a breath sample. Cases pending.
MAN EMPTIES ICE CHEST,
BUT EVIDENCE IS FOUND
•Grayson
County
Game
Wardens Dale Moses and Jim
Ballard, while patrolling the Red
River below the Denison dam,
observed a man walking toward
them with a small ice chest.
When he saw the wardens, the
man turned around and began
walking in the opposite direction. When Moses asked him to
stop, the man turned down a
stairway, which had high grass
on both sides. Upon contact, the
man’s ice chest was empty. After
a brief search of the area, Moses
located 17 small stripers the man
had dumped into the grass next
to the stairway. Cases pending.
ILLEGAL ANGLING ACTIVITY
TURNS UP 97 FISH
•Hutchinson County Game
Warden Gary Barnes and
Oldham County Game Warden
Matt Marshall received an
anonymous tip of illegal fishing
activity on Lake Meredith.
Contact was made with the boat
operator and approximately 97
fish, 12 being undersized, were
discoved. Cases pending.
MAN PURCHASES LICENSES
USING FOUR IDENTITIES
•Brown County Game Warden
Travis Allen was working fishing
violations when he came across
a man who had an active military Super Combo license. The
man could not produce any
form of military identification
except a broken USMC card with
no name or photo, and said he
used this card to purchase the
license. A buck tag was missing
from the license with the hunter
log filled out properly, and the
man said he shot a six-point
buck last year. The investigation
revealed the man was not in the
military and obtained his Super
Combo licenses the past two
years for free. The man has used
four different identities to
obtain licenses in the past, and
has previous felony convictions.
Felony cases are pending.
TEEN FALLING OFF PONTOON
INJURED BY PROPS
•Game Warden William Heath
investigated a boating accident
that happened on Hords Creek
Lake. A 17-year-old male was
riding on the bow of a pontoon
boat going across the lake. The
operator of the boat put the boat
into neutral tossing the male off
the bow of the boat. He then
went under the boat and was hit
by the prop. He received cuts to
the head, left shoulder and
upper arm, exposing the skull
bone and the upper arm bone.
He was transported to the hospital and received multiple staples
to close the wounds.
FISHERMEN CAUGHT WITH
14 UNDERSIZED CATFISH
•Bell County Warden Ronnie
Langford was checking fishermen on the Leon River when he
checked two individuals fishing.
They were in possession of 14
undersized catfish, and neither
of the fishermen had a fishing
license. Cases pending.
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You won’t want to miss
a single issue
Shows
Continued from Page 1
they flocked to the Reliant Center
to get a glimpse at the products of
hundreds of vendors, attend a seminar, check out the outfitters and
catch up with old friends.
Surrounded by the noises of the
outdoors, customers roamed up
and down the aisles and parted
with their cash while viewing the
new as well as the old reliable deer
blinds and feeders, archery equipment, ATVs and UTVs, game calls,
knives and other products and supplies.
Activities for the youngsters took
center stage. Brody the Bear, a live
1300-pound Grizzly, and Joe
Martin’s Snakes of Texas captured
the kid’s attention, and more than
1,000 young shooters took aim at
the Lone Star Bowhunters
Association archery range.
Attendees witnessed some
unusual items. A pink camoflauged
deer blind drew stares, and goose
Bowhunters
Newton said surveys show
almost 14 percent of combo
license holders use their archery
stamp privileges. That’s up from
about 10 percent in the early
2000s.
Better equipment is one reason
thought to be behind the sport’s
increasing popularity.
Also, bowmen get to hunt more
than their rifle-toting compadres.
“You have the extra month of
hunting added on to your regular
season,” said Cooper Knight, an
archery technician at Cabela’s in
Buda. “That’s a big draw for people, to come in earlier and have an
extra month added to their season.
Archery is a pretty difficult sport
callers blew pink calls. Food items
included candied jalapenos, all
types of jerky and sausage, and the
aromatic nuts.
Jewelry, clothing and furniture
vendors helped soothe the nonhunting women in the crowd.
Occasionally the odd product
would catch the customer’s eye,
from mystical salt lamps that promise to help heal allergies to environmentally friendly aloe lotion.
The crowd covered all ages,
shapes and sizes, and covered the
economic scale from the superwealthy to the free-sample seekers.
From thousand-dollar cowboy
boots to thongs, there was something for everyone who wanted to
share the excitement and anticipation of the approaching season
openers.
One young woman even tried to
outdo her boyfriend, as evidenced
by the size of the dip of tobacco in
her mouth.
Most vendors were happy with
the show. “It was great. We did better here than we did at all three
shows last year,” one vendor said,
while others described sales as
about the same as 2006.
The Texas Trophy Hunters
Association, host of the shows, was
very pleased, said Owen Young
with TTHA. “Our crowds are up, it
was easy for everyone to get in and
out, and our Friday attendance was
way up,” he said.
Most customers preferred the
new location. “It’s so much easier
than going downtown,” one
hunter said. “And the parking isn’t
a nightmare.”
TAKING AIM: Jack Jetton of Pearland, education chairman for the Lone Star
Bowhunters Association, helps 5-year-old Jaden Reuter of Crosby launch an arrow.
and it adds more time to hunt.
Everybody likes that.”
Continual refinements in the
technological aspect of the sport
also draw new shooters in, he said.
Parallel limb designs, single cam
bows and refinements in accessories are making it easier for
women and younger archers to
participate now, too.
Technological advances, Knight
said, “made it easier for people
who aren’t as strong or aren’t as
able to pull bows. Those guys can
pull a poundage now that is legal
to hunt, which is 40 pounds in
Texas. People who were unable to
pull it in the past are starting to
find it a little easier due to the
smoother draw and more let-off.”
Let-off, a feature of compound
bows since they appeared on the
scene in the ’60s, is up in the 75 to
80 percent range now, he said.
Let-off, said Jonathan Besier of
Bass Pro Shops in San Antonio,
was designed for hunting.
“ If you have a deer come along,
you want to draw on him early. So
you’re not sitting there holding
the bow back,” he said.
Besier said bowhunting with the
new equipment has similarities
with shooting a rifle.
“There is more form involved in
shooting it, in how you hold the
bow,” he said. “Everything else on
the bow is tools and instruments
you use to sight in, and all you’re
doing is just holding it back.
Everything you see on that bow,
sights — you have a peep sight
right in front of your eye, then you
have your front sight.
“Then you line the two up
together and put that on your tar-
get, just like a rifle. Your accuracy is
a lot better.”
New archery equipment has
become so sophisticated, there’s
even a backlash on it—in the form
of increased interest in “traditional” bowhunting.
“The biggest reason that a person gets into bowhunting is to
challenge themselves,” said
Ronald Collier, records chairman
of the Lone Star Bowhunting
Association, and a member of the
Texas Bowhunting Hall of Fame.
“A big percentage, I’d say anywhere from 33 to 50 percent of the
people, are shooting recurves and
longbows,” Collier said. “A person
goes into bowhunting because he
enjoys hunting, not because he
wants to kill something.”
Skill is still needed, though.
“If a person does not have the
The San Antonio Hunters
Extravaganza will be held at
Freeman Coliseum on Aug. 1012.
The Fort Worth Hunters
Extravaganza will be held at
Will Rogers Coliseum on Aug.
17-19.
For information, call (800)
800-3207.
Be sure to stop by the Lone
Star Outdoor News booth.
skills to put himself in the window
of opportunity and complete the
task, it doesn’t make any difference
what he’s using,” he said. “Sights
are wonderful, but early morning
and late evening they’re not worth
a damn.
“Granted, a compound bow is
faster, per se, but it’s still not as fast
as a whitetail deer. I don’t think it’s
a matter of the equipment.”
Collier said the challenge is
what draws archers into hunting.
“A person that bowhunts seriously for two or three years, a big
majority of them will go hardcore
and bowhunt only,” he said. “I just
truly believe the popularity of the
sport is such because people look
for more of a challenge. They look
for a different way to do it. They
look for a way to extend their season.”
HEROES
ERIN NAUKAM, 3, of Fort Worth, with the 8-pound bass she caught under the dock
at Camp Allen at Navasota on a princess rod. Erin was fishing as part of a Joni and
Friends Fishing and Friends event.
JERRY BAKER shot this bighorn sheep hunting outside of Van Horn. An
official measurement showed a green B&C score of 175 5/8 net.
PATRICK MURPHY of Gainesville, Fla., with a
dorado caught while fishing on the party boat
Capt. John.
SHARE
AN
ADVENTURE
Want to share your great
hunting or fishing photos
with the Lone Star Outdoor
News family? E-mail your
photo, phone and caption
information to editor@
lonestaroutdoornews.com,
or mail to: Heroes, Lone
Star Outdoor News, 9304
Forest Lane, Suite 114
South, Dallas, TX, 75243.
HOLLY SCROTHER of Arlington, a camp leader with Joni and Friends, shows her firstever fish, a bluegill caught at Lake Conroe.
RONALD KIFFE holds a speckled trout caught off South Padre Island.
OUTDOOR DATEBOOK
HAVE AN EVENT?
E-mail it to
[email protected]
May 26-Sept. 3: The CCA Texas STAR
tournament will
take place along
the Texas coast.
Twelve divisions
with $1 million
in scholarships
and prizes.
Register online
at ccatexas.org
or call (800) 626-4222 for
information.
Aug. 11-12: Tailwaters Fly Fishing
Company in Dallas will host Lefty Kreh,
the Grand Master of Fly-Fishing, for
half-day fly-fishing schools from 8 a.m.
to noon, and he will sign books after
lunch each day. To sign up, call the
store at (214) 219-2500.
Aug. 14-16: A hunter’s safety
education class will be offered at the
Corsicana Gander Mountain store. For
information, call the store at (903)
874-2500 or visit
www.gandermountain.com.
Aug. 16: The Frisco DU banquet will be
held at the Embassy Suites Conference
Center in Frisco. For information,
contact Ron Geels at (972) 743-5230
or [email protected].
Aug. 17-19: The Texas Trophy Hunters
Hunter’s Extravaganza will be held at
Will Rogers Center in Fort Worth. For
information, call (800) 800-3207 or
visit www.ttha.com.
Aug. 17: The
Mesquite Delta
Waterfowl dinner will
be held at the
Double D Ranch. For
information, call
Steve Barrett at
(972-475-1080.
Aug. 17: The Brazos Basin Beardraggers
NWTF dinner will be held at The
Palladium in Waco. For information,
contact James Brooks at (254) 3997266 or [email protected].
Aug. 17-18: Hunter’s education classes
will be offered
at the Gander
Mountain stores
in Houston and
Beaumont. For
information,
contact the
store or visit
www.gandermountain.com.
Pro Shops in Katy. Call (281) 644-2200
or visit www.basspro.com for
information.
Aug. 18: The Longview Delta Waterfowl
dinner will be held at the Maude Cobb
Activity Center. Contact Billy Miller at
(903) 746-5644 for information.
Aug. 18: The
Pineywoods Local
NWTF dinner will be
held at St. Cyprians
Gym in Lufkin. Call
Louie Short at (936)
422-5071 for
information.
Aug. 18: Cabela’s in Fort Worth and
Buda will host Kid’s Fishing Day. And its
first annual Scout Challenge. For
information, visit www.cabelas.com.
Aug. 23-25: The Texas Deer Association
Convention & Trade Show will be held at
the West La Cantera Resort & Hotel in
San Antonio. For information, visit
www.texasdeerassociation.com or call
(210) 767-8300.
www.biggame.org.
Aug. 23: The
Fort Bend County
DU dinner will be
held at the
Rosenberg
American Legion
Hall. For
information,
contact Theresa or Mike Hruby at (281)
344-8151 or
[email protected].
Aug. 23: The Lake Ray Hubbard DU
banquet will be held at Islamorada
Restaurant at Bass Pro Shops in
Garland. Contact Scott Hooper at (972)
771-0222 or [email protected] for
information.
Aug. 24: The Greater Fort Worth Delta
Waterfowl dinner will be held at the
Colleyville Center in Colleyville. Call Darryl
Cash at (817) 366-7001 for information.
Aug. 24: The 2nd Annual AMX Companies
Sporting Clay Shoot benefiting the Big
Brothers and Big Sisters Outdoor Mentoring
Program will be held at Elm Fork Shooting
Range in Dallas. For information, visit
www.bbbs.org or call (214) 887-BIGS.
Academy in Hutto. Call Bob Niepert at
(512) 695-1565 for information.
Aug. 25-26: Cabela’s in Buda will hold
Hunting Outfitter weekend as part of its
Fall Great Outdoor
Days. Hunting
oufitters will be on
hand and
conducting
seminars all
weekend. For
information, call
the store at (512) 295-1100 or visit
www.cabelas.com.
Aug. 25: The 15th Annual Big Brothers
Big Sisters Clay Shoot will be held at the
Alpine Gun Range in Fort Worth.
Proceeds benefit the Pass It On
Outdoors Mentors program. To register or
for information, call (817) 277-1148 or
visit www.bbbs.org/clayshoot.
Aug. 25: The Coastal Prairies Big Game
Awards will be held at the El Campo
Civic Center. For information, visit
www.texasbiggameawards.com or call
(800) 839-9453.
Aug. 25: The Mill Creek Delta Waterfowl
chapter will hold a sporting clays shoot
at On Target Archery in Canton. For
information, call Robert Thornton at
(903) 896-4852.
Aug. 18-19 and 26-26: The 8th Annual
Fall Hunting Classic will be held at Bass
Aug. 23: The Dallas Safari Club monthly
meeting featuring
Hunting North
Mexico will be held
at Glen Eagles
Country Club in
Plano. For
information, call
(972) 980-9800
or visit
CCA State of Texas
Angler’s Rodeo
(STAR)
Dorado
Alan Latham of Rockport
46 lbs. 10 ozs.
Gafftop
Micahel Ray Darder of Beaumont
8 lbs. 8 ozs.
STARTEENS TROUT & INSHORE
DIVISIONS
(AGES 11-17)
Flounder
Cory Gagliano, 11, of Portland
6 lbs. 5 ozs.
LEADERS AS OF: 8-7-07
Ling (Cobia)
Chris Jacobs of Sweeney
75 lbs. 3 ozs.
STARKIDS DIVISION
(AGES 6-10)
Upper Coat Speckled Trout
Britney Halewyn, 17, of Alvin
7 lbs. 3 ozs.
Sheepshead
Jordan Ward, 15, of Santa Fe
7 lbs. 4 ozs.
Aug. 14: The Austin DU chapter will
hold a recruiting event at El Mercado at
1702 Lavaca. For details, call Mike
Hoover at (512) 370-3237.
Middle Coast Speckled Trout
Norman Frankum of Sweeney
9 lbs.
Lower Coast Speckled Trout
Bryan R. Tucker II of Corpus Christi
8 lbs. 14 ozs.
OFFSHORE DIVISION
Kingfish
Rodney McWhorter of Angleton
55 lbs. 9 ozs.
INSHORE DIVISION
Flounder
Jason Wardrup of LaMarque
7 lbs. 14 ozs.
Sheepshead
Jeff Nouis of Deer Park
8 lbs. 3 ozs.
Flounder
Sam Wittman, 7, of Houston
3 lbs. 14 ozs.
Sheepshead
Forrest Karl, 6, of Edna
7 lbs. 7 ozs.
Gafftop
Jarren Mahon, 8, of Winnie
7 lbs. 6 ozs.
Aug. 24: The Brazoria County DU dinner
will be held at the Lake Jackson Civic
Center. For information, call Jason Luker at
(979) 265-8141.
Aug. 25: Waterloo Amateur Retriever Club
is holding it's Snake Avoidance Clinic on
Saturday, August 25th at Triple Crown Dog
Middle Coast Speckled Trout
Kenneth Hensley, 11, of Cypress
7 lbs. 8 ozs.
Lower Coast Speckled Trout
Nicholas Joiner, 17, of Robstown
8 lbs. 3 ozs.
Aug. 25: The Dripping Springs Roost
NWTF dinner will be held at the Lazy
Fork Restaurant in Austin. Contact
Heather Ruiz at (512) 787-5192 or
[email protected] for information.
Gafftop
Lance Knox, 11, of Rosenberg
7 lbs. 11 ozs.
TEXAS FORD DEALERS REDFISH
DIVISION
Deborah Alston of Crystal Beach
Orlando Perez of LaPorte
FISHING REPORT
HOT BITES
LARGEMOUTH
BASS
CHOKE CANYON: Black bass are good
on chartreuse/white spinnerbaits and
large soft plastics.
O.H. IVIE: Black bass are good on topwater lures at dawn and dusk, and fair
on shad-colored spinnerbaits and soft
jerk baits along brush and timber.
TOLEDO BEND: Black bass are good on
black/blue flake and black/red flake
Gene Larew craw worms early and late.
WHITE/
HYBRID/STRIPER
RAY HUBBARD: White bass are good to
excellent on topwaters and slabs.
Hybrid striper are good on 2 oz. slabs.
NAVARRO MILLS: White bass are very
good on chartreuse Silver Dollars and
Rat-L-Traps, and on white marble spinnerbaits.
HUBBARD CREEK: White bass and
hybrid striper are good on live baits.
CATFISH
LBJ: Channel catfish are very good on
worms, liver, and dip bait. Yellow and
blue catfish are very good on trotlines
baited with goldfish and perch.
BRAUNIG: Channel catfish are excellent on liver, shrimp, cut bait, and
cheesebait near the dam.
BUCHANAN: Channel catfish are good
on liver, minnows, and dip bait. Yellow
and blue catfish are very good on goldfish and perch upriver.
CRAPPIE
COLEMAN: Crappie are good on minnows.
RAY ROBERTS: Crappie are excellent
on minnows over Corps of Engineers
brush piles.
BREAM
CADDO: Bream are good on worms
under a floater fished along the edge of
lily pads.
STILLHOUSE: Bluegill are good on
nightcrawlers.
HOUSTON COUNTY: Bream are very
good on live worms over grass beds and
off piers.
shad-colored crankbaits along riprap. Catfish are good on minnows and
ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 83 degrees. Crappie are good on
prepared baits.
minnows and jigs.
HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 88 degrees; 0.60' high. Black bass to
AMISTAD: Water fairly clear; 81 degrees; 6.98' low. Black bass are fair
3 pounds are very good on 1/8 oz. black/chrome Rat-L-Traps, and on shad
on watermelon topwaters, crankbaits, soft plastics, and jigs. White bass
crankbaits and topwaters, and on tequila shad and June bug soft plastic
are slow. Catfish are good on cheesebait, and over baited holes in 30worms near drop offs along the dam in 8-14 feet. Channel and blue cat40 feet. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch.
fish are good on trotlines baited with shad.
ARROWHEAD: Water lightly stained; 83 degrees; .25" low. Black bass
HUBBARD CREEK: Water lightly stained; 83 degrees; .82' low. Black
are good on topwater lures and spinnerbaits near shallow vegetation and
bass are good on shad-colored spinnerbaits and crankbaits, pumpkin soft
in front of the spillway. White bass are good trolling, on flats near dam
plastics and live baits. Catfish are fair on cut shad.
with some surface action. Catfish are good in upper end on punchbait
or juglines baited with cut shad or carp.
JOE POOL: Water off color; 83-87 degrees; 2.06' high. Black bass are fair
on spinnerbaits over hydrilla.
ATHENS: Water off color, 82-86 degrees; 0.38' high. Black bass are
fair to good on topwaters and spinnerbaits. Crappie are good on live
LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 82-87 degrees; 9.19’ high. All ramps
minnows over brush piles.
closed. White bass are good on topwaters.
BASTROP: Water stained. Channel and blue catfish are good on shrimp
LBJ: Water stained to murky; 84 degrees; 0.38' low. Striped bass are
and stinkbait.
good on Creme Lure's 2" Spoiler Shads and Li'l Fishies at night. White
bass are fair to good on Li'l Fishies at night.
BELTON: Water murky; 77 degrees; 34.86' high. Hybrid striper are
good on white soft plastic Riverside minnows at night. Channel and
LIVINGSTON: Water murky; 74 degrees; 0.10' high. Striped bass are
blue catfish are good on nightcrawlers, shrimp, and live bait in 3-4 feet.
good on Rat-L-Traps and large crankbaits. White bass are good on pet
Yellow catfish are good on
spoons, Charlie slabs, and
live bait and chartreuse
hellbenders. Blue catfish are
nightcrawlers (use Wormgood on shad.
Glo).
MACKENZIE: Water lightly
BOB SANDLIN: Water
stained; 82degrees; 1' low.
stained; 81-87 degrees; 0.1'
Crappie are good on minhigh. White bass are good on
nows and jigs. Catfish are
slabs in 15-20 feet around
good on live and prepared
steep ledges and humps.
baits.
BRAUNIG: Water stained; 88
MEREDITH: Water lightly
degrees. Striped bass are
stained; 82 degrees; 31.85'
excellent on liver and shad
low. Crappie are good on jigs
off points, and down rigging
and minnows. White bass
silver and gold spoons near
are good on live bait and
the jetty and dam. Redfish
topwater lures. Walleye are
are excellent on perch, shad,
good on shad-colored soft
and silver spoons, and down
plastic grubs around rocky
rigging spoons near the jetty
points. Channel catfish are
and dam.
good on live baits.
BRIDGEPORT: Water off
NAVARRO MILLS: Water
color; 81-86 degrees; 0.38'
fairly clear; 92 degrees;
high. White bass are good on
4.06' high. Crappie are good
slabs and live shad in 12-15
on minnows near Wolf Park.
feet. Catfish are good in 10Channel and blue catfish are
15 feet on fresh shad and
very good on stinkbait and
punch bait.
cut shad.
BROWNWOOD: Water
O.H. IVIE: Water lightly
low. Black bass are good on
low. Crappie are good on
watermelon red spinnerbaits
minnows and jigs. White
near the docks, and on June
bass are good on live baits
bug soft plastic worms over
and topwater lures.
brush piles in 15-20 feet.
Smallmouth bass are good
White bass are good on Li'l
on live baits and shad-colFishies and Persuader
ored soft jerkbaits. Channel
Trout are good off the spoil banks in the Ship Channel on croaker. Trout and redcrankbaits off lighted docks
catfish are good on cut shad.
fish are good on the south shoreline on Bass Assassins, Sand Eels, Trout Killers
at night. Channel catfish are
PALO DURO: Water lightly
and Corkies. Trout are good on topwaters on the shoreline. Trout are good on live
good on trotlines baited with
shrimp at the wells.
cut bait and chicken livers in
low. Crappie are good on jigs
10-25 feet. Yellow catfish
and minnows. Channel catare good on trotlines baited with cut bait and chicken livers.
fish are good on live baits.
BUCHANAN: Water: stained to clear; 80 degrees; 2.16' low. Striped
POSSUM KINGDOM: Water stained; 84 degrees; 2' low. Black bass are
bass are good on Spoiler Shads plastic swim baits and drifting live bait
fair in clear waters at backs of creeks. White bass are good just off river
around Lighthouse Point at first light on the surface.
channel north of Costello Island with some surface action. Catfish are fair
CADDO: Water stained; 82-87 degrees; 1.33' high. Crappie are good on
on set lines baited with shad in upper end of reservoir.
live minnows around brush. Channel catfish are good on small live
PROCTOR: Water murky; 74 degrees; 18.99' high. The boat ramps are
bream and punch bait.
closed. Black bass are good on white spinnerbaits. Channel and blue catCALAVERAS: Water stained; 88 degrees. Black bass are good on dark
fish are good on shrimp and shad. Yellow catfish are good on shrimp and
soft plastic worms, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits over reed beds and
shad.
near the dam. Striped bass are good on spoons and striper jigs near the
RAY HUBBARD: Water stained; 81-87 degrees; 0.14' high. Catfish are
dam and the crappie wall in 15-20 feet, and on chicken livers and shad
good on prepared bait.
along the shoreline. Redfish are excellent down rigging silver and gold
RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 82-87 degrees; 6.5' high. Black bass are
spoons and live bait along the crappie wall and the dam in 10-20 feet,
good on Zell Pops and Houdini Shad. White bass are good on clear Baby
on crawfish and tilapia along the shoreline, and on live bait along the
Torpedoes. All boat ramps remain closed.
crappie wall. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on liver, cheesebait, shrimp, and shad near the railroad trestle and 181 Cove.
RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water off color; 81-86 degrees; 0.41' high.
Black bass are fair to good on topwaters and spinnerbaits early, midday
CANYON LAKE: Water murky to clear; 83 degrees; 13.52' high. Striped
switching to Carolina rigs and drop shot rigs. Catfish are good on prepared
bass are fair trolling crankbaits over and around humps and jigging 1
baits and cut shad.
oz. Pirk Minnows at daylight. Yellow and blue catfish are good on live
bait.
SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 81 degrees; 2.35' high. Black bass are
good on black/blue flake soft plastic worms. Catfish are good on trotlines
CEDAR CREEK: White bass are good on TNT Lures (slabs) early, switchbaited with live bait and cut bait.
ing to trolling Hellbenders with Pet Spoon rigs midday. Catfish are good
on prepared bait and chartreuse nightcrawlers (use Worm-Glo).
STILLHOUSE: Water murky; 85 degrees; 40.52' high. Channel and blue
catfish are good on minnows and shrimp.
CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 86 degrees; 0.36' high. Channel and
blue catfish are good on punchbait. Yellow catfish are good on live perch
TAWAKONI: Water stained; 82-87 degrees; 0.35' high. Catfish are good
and goldfish.
on nightcrawlers and prepared bait. White bass are good on Humdingers
and topwaters.
COLEMAN: Water clear; 80 degrees; 0.28' low. Black bass are good on
watermelon red and watermelon seed soft plastic worms and lizards.
TOLEDO BEND: Water lightly stained; 83 degrees; 0.18' high. Bream are
Channel and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch and
good on crickets and nightcrawlers off docks in 4-5 feet. Channel and
liver.
blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait, livers, and hearts.
COLORADO RIVER: (At Colorado Bend State Park) Catfish are very good
TRAVIS: Water fairly clear; 84 degrees; 2.57' high. Black bass are good
on trotlines baited with perch, and from the bank on rod and reel baited
on chrome topwaters, watermelon soft plastic worms, and small
with perch.
crankbaits in 5-20 feet. Channel and blue catfish are good on nightCONROE: Water lightly stained; 0.03' low. Black bass are good on pumpcrawlers, bait shrimp and cut bait in 22-35 pounds.
kinseed and watermelon red Carolina rigged soft plastics. Catfish are good
WEATHERFORD: Water stained; 82-85 degrees; 0.17' low. Black bass are
on stinkbait, nightcrawlers, and shrimp.
good on crankbaits and soft plastics around docks and on rocky points.
FALCON: Water clear from Marker 9 south, stained north; 82 degrees.
Crappie are good on minnows and jigs in the crappie house and over
Channel and blue catfish are excellent on shrimp and cut bait.
brush piles. Channel catfish are good on worms, liver and dough bait.
Bream are good on worms.
FORK: Water off color; 81-87 degrees; 0.56' high. Black bass are good
early on topwaters, midday switching to Carolina rigs and DD22s. Night
WHITNEY: Water murky; 3.84' high. Catfish are good on shrimp and
fishing is good on black spinnerbaits and 10" black worms around shallow
stinkbait.
grass beds. Channel catfish are good on punch bait and cut shad.
WICHITA: Water stained and clearing; 85 degrees; full at spillway.
GRANBURY: Water murky; 0.50' low. Catfish are good on stinkbait, nightWhite bass and hybrid striped bass are good on minnows or live shad in
crawlers, and frozen shrimp.
front of spillway. Channel catfish are good drift fishing with shrimp or
punchbait.
GRANGER: Water clear; 84 degrees; 19.02' high. Blue catfish are very
good on Zote soap.
WRIGHT PATMAN: Water off color; 81-86 degrees; 11.08' high. Catfish
GREENBELT: Water lightly stained; 81 degrees; 18.42' low. Crappie are
are good on trotlines with small perch and on rod & reel with live mingood on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on live bait and shallow
nows and punchbait.
HOT SPOT
East Galveston Bay
Serving a quarter-million people
Bring the best of the
outdoors indoors.
SALTWATER
SCENE
NORTH SABINE: Trout and redfish
are fair to good in the middle of the
lake under birds in the afternoon on
soft plastics.
SOUTH SABINE: Trout and redfish
are good on topwaters around the
jetty. Trout are fair to good in the
surf on topwaters and shad.
BOLIVAR: Trout are fair to good in
the surf on
live shrimp.
Redfish and
flounder are
fair to good
around the
cuts and
drains to the marsh on live shrimp.
TRINITY BAY: Runoff from the
Trinity River has made most of the
bay fresh. Some trout coming on soft
plastics around the channel.
WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout, redfish, sand trout, croaker, gafftop and
sheepshead are fair to good at the
causeway and railroad bridge on live
shrimp under a popping cork. Trout
and redfish are fair to good over
deep reefs on live shrimp.
TEXAS CITY: Trout and sand trout
are good on live shrimp under a popping cork and DOA Shrimp at the
end of the
Dike at
night
under the
lights.
Trout and reds are good around the
wells on croakers.
FREEPORT: Trout and redfish are
fair to good at San Luis Pass and in
the surf on live shrimp, finger mullet
and MirrOlures. Kingfish, ling, red
snapper and dolphin are good offshore.
EAST MATAGORDA: Trout are fair on
live shrimp while drifting deeper
shell reefs. Some trout have come
under birds.
MATAGORDA: Trout are fair on the
grass beds on the south shoreline on
topwaters and red shad, black and
pepper/chartreuse plastics. Redfish
are good tight to the shoreline on
Gulps!
PORT O'CONNOR: Trout are fair to
good over sand and grass around the
jetty on topwaters and croakers.
Redfish are good along the Pringle
shoreline on Bass Assassin Blurps
and live shrimp.
ROCKPORT: Trout are fair to good
around Long Reef on croaker and
piggy perch. Trout are good at Mud
Island on croaker, live shrimp, plastics and topwaters.
PORT ARANSAS: Trout, sheepshead,
sand trout and redfish are fair to
good on the North Jetty on live
shrimp and finger mullet. Kingfish,
dolphin, ling, amberjack and shark
are good offshore.
CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout and redfish
are fair to good on free-lined shrimp
and croaker on the flats.
BAFFIN BAY: Trout, redfish and
flounder are fair to good in the Land
Cut on live shrimp and glow Sand
Eels, Trout Killers and Bass
Assassins. Trout are good on the
deeper rocks on croakers and soft
plastics.
PORT MANSFIELD: Redfish are fair
to good while
wading the
sand flats on
finger mullet,
live shrimp
and She Dogs. Kingfish and red
snapper are good offshore.
SOUTH PADRE: Trout and redfish
are fair to good at the jetty live bait.
Trout and snook are fair to good in
the Ship Channel on live shrimp.
Snook and Spanish mackerel have
been taken at the jetty.
PORT ISABEL: Trout are fair to good
on the edges of the channel on
Stanley Wedgetails and Gulps!
NATIONAL
Service views
light goose
management
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
released its Final Environmental
Impact Statement that examined
five alternatives for managing light
goose populations. The preferred
management alternative would
allow the use of expanded hunting
methods and implementation of a
conservation order already allowed
by some state wildlife agencies,
including Texas, in the Central and
Mississippi Flyways.
During the last few decades, populations of greater and lesser snow
geese and Ross’ geese have grown to
historic highs. Collectively called
“light geese,” they have denuded
their fragile arctic tundra breeding
habitat to a point that many areas
will take decades to recover. Birds
are showing lower-than-normal
body size and suffering a decrease
in gosling survival due to habitat
degradation. Populations of other
arctic species, such as the stilt sandpiper and yellow rail, are also
declining due to the damage to
Legends Of The
Outdoors
National Hall Of Fame
Event set to honor inductees
IN THE MILLIONS: The current breeding population of mid-continent light geese
exceeds 5 million birds.
their breeding habitat caused by
overabundant light geese.
In 24 southern and midwestern
states, legislation permitted the use
of “unplugged” shotguns, electronic calls and expansion of shooting
hours to one-half hour after sunset
while all other waterfowl and crane
hunting seasons are closed. In addition, a conservation order was created expanding the traditional seasons for light geese.
The current breeding population
of mid-continent light geese
exceeds 5 million birds. This is an
increase of more than 300 percent
since the mid-1970s and more than
5 percent per year. The management goal for mid-continent light
geese is to reduce the population by
50 percent. Since implementation
of the conservation order in 1999,
the harvest of light geese has more
than doubled, but the population
goal has yet to be attained.
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife report.
Gas prices will impact fishing and hunting
According to a poll of 2,481
sportsmen and women conducted
by AnglerSurvey.com and Hunter
Survey.com in June, 2007, more
than half of all anglers and 40 percent of hunters indicated rising
gas prices will cause them to
reduce their outdoor activities or
reduce their travel distance and
boat use.
The rest indicated that rising
fuel prices would not hinder their
outdoor activity, or were not sure
of the impacts.
Rob Southwick, an economist
and president of AnglerSurvey.
com and Hunter Survey.com,
said, “We’ve seen in past research
that rising gasoline prices depress
fishing license sales in many
areas, but the recent increases in
fuel prices are unprecedented.
Many anglers and hunters gradually accept higher prices, and they
will return and participate as they
have before. However, until the
effects of higher fuel prices can be
moderated via higher efficiency
engines and other solutions, we
may lose some hunters and
anglers completely.”
An AnglerSurvey.com report.
Garry Mason, founder and
CEO of the Legends of the
Outdoors National Hall of
Fame, announced that Alex
Rutledge
of
Hunter’s
Specialties; Larry Weishuhn of
Thompson
Center
Arms;
Tommy Akin, public relations
director for Avery and Strike
King; Pamela Martin-Wells,
leading money winner of the
Women’s BASS Tour; Larry
Nixon, 1983 Bassmaster Classic
winner; Steve McCadams, outdoor writer/professional hunting and fishing guide; and
Marion McCollum, owner of
Macks Prairie Wings, will be
inducted into the Legends of
the Outdoors National Hall of
Fame during the annual induction ceremony to be held on
Aug. 17 in Nashville, Tenn.
The ceremony will be the
sixth annual event honoring
men and women who have
made an impact and considerable contributions to the outdoors and the outdoor industry. The Legends of the
Outdoors National Hall of
Fame was established to recognize those outdoor sportsmen
and
sportswomen
who,
through countless hours of
hard work and devotion to the
outdoors, in both hunting and
fishing, have played an integral
part in setting the standards
and guidelines for the rest of the
outdoor world to follow.
Legends Inductee from 2006
fishing legend Hank Parker will
be the guest speaker at this
year’s event.
A Legends of the Outdoors report.
New & Used
STORAGE CONTAINERS
LARRY SINGLEY
817-992-9122
866-992-9122
TOLL FREE
OCEAN FREIGHT CONTAINERS, INC. ARLINGTON, TX
WEATHER
OUTDOOR PUZZLER
For crossword puzzle solution, see Page 23
ACROSS
1. Anything that attracts game,
fish, fowl
3. Fishing and hunting
equipment
5. Used to propel canoe, kayak
9. A popular pan fish
10. A species of trout
11. A type of gun sight
12. The body of an arrow
14. A small catch of fish
15. The female deer
17. A species of geese
19. Method of fishing
20. The _____ Walton League
21. Female bears
22. A source of deer food
23. A species of duck
26. Trapper seeks game for this
28. Fish deep for crappie when
____ fishing
30. Code for muzzle velocity
31. The area for wingshooting
32. Game having young
33. Large appendages on the
muley
34. To construct a fly lure
35. A group of decoys
37. Part of a fishline
39. Code for a type bullet
43. The wolf
44. A male pheasant
45. These are covered with velvet
DOWN
1. A very good gundog
2. To prepare for another shot
3. Term for deer scouting
method
4. A small game
5. An antelope
6. Term for an in-hole fireplace
WILD IN THE KITCHEN
Grilled Shark Brochettes with
Peppers & Mushrooms and Rice Gohan
Makes 6 servings
1 Pound shark, cut into
1-inch cubes
1 Red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch
square pieces
1 Green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch
square pieces
1 Pound whole, fresh button
mushrooms
1/2 Cup light soy sauce
2 Tablespoons finely chopped
green onions
1 1/2 Tablespoons grated fresh
ginger
3-4 Tablespoons sugar
6 12-inch metal skewers
Rice Gohan
2 Cups uncooked short-grain
white rice
3 1/2 Cups water
1/2 Teaspoons salt
1 Cup frozen peas
7. Some old gobblers are
classed as this
8. The ermine is a _____ weasel
12. Action of a fish hitting the
bait
13. The act of a game seeking
food
16. The oxidation on gun parts
18. A tree-living duck
21. An icefishing lure
24. This action herds game
toward hunters
25. The hunting and fishing
regulations
27.
29.
31.
36.
37.
38.
40.
41.
42.
A species of the deer
Cloth used to sharpen hooks
A deer’s rack
Field habitat preferred by
quail
A game hideaway
Shoveler is one
A bowhunting organization
Packs of these kill many deer
A camper’s foldup bed
Outdoor Puzzler,
Wilbur "Wib" Lundeen
In a glass measuring pitcher,
combine soy sauce, onions, ginger
and sugar, stirring to dissolve
sugar. Alternate shark, peppers
and mushrooms on skewers. Thin
cubes of shark can be folded in
half, and then speared. Place skewers in glass or plastic pan. Pour
marinade over skewers, reserving
1/3 cup. Marinate skewers in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
While skewers are marinating,
prepare grill. Remove skewers
from marinade, grill 6-10 minutes, turning once or twice to
brown evenly. Baste, if necessary,
with reserved marinade. If
desired, remaining marinade may
be simmered for 5 minutes (or
heated in microwave for 2 minutes on High) and serve as a sauce
with brochettes and rice.
Rice Gohan
About 30 minutes before meal is
served, combine rice, salt and
water in large saucepan. Bring to
boil, and then simmer, covered for
15 minutes until water is absorbed.
Turn heat off, stir in peas, cover for
5-10 minutes. To mold, press hot
rice into round or oval container,
invert on plate, and tap to loosen
mold. Garnish plate with reserved
pepper “confetti.”
Recipe from The National Fisheries
Institute, www.aboutseafood.com.
Want to share your recipes?
E-mail them to [email protected]
PRODUCTS
SOUNDS OF SUCCESS: These Big Buck Rattling Antlers
were designed to emulate two bucks fighting. When
a territorial buck comes to check out the
rattling, he’ll find a hunter ready to take his
shot instead. The man-made rack contains
two sets of antlers on each side. They
were designed in South Texas with the
whitetail deer hunter in mind.
For more information, call (800)
741-7155. Or, order the antlers
for $59.95 (plus shipping) at
www.bigbuckrattlingantlers.com.
PLAY IN THE MUD: Georgia Boot Sport & Trail’s new Dirt
Hog series was designed to perform in the nastiest,
muddiest conditions. Waterproof construction
ensures that water will not penetrate the boot while
still allowing feet to breathe and stay dry. The
boot’s outsole has a self-cleaning tractor-tread
design to keep mud from accumulating,
which translates into lighter boots that retain
their traction in muddy, slippery conditions.
The 8-inch boot offers Thinsulate Insulation;
an all-leather or leather/nylon combination
featuring Mossy Oak BreakUp camo; and a
cushioned footbed. The Dirt Hogs sell for
about $90 to $110. For retailers, visit
www.georgiaboot.com.
WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD: Smith and Wesson’s Elite Gold
Series side-by-side 20-gauge shotguns combine traditional
craftsmanship with the latest advancements in a classic field shotgun.
Available with a 28-inch or a 26-inch barrel, the shotgun features a rounded and
sculptured receiver. The shotgun comes standard with rust-blued, chopper-lump barrels,
hand-cut checkering and Turkish walnut stock. Features include a five-pound trigger pull, a nonautomatic safety, and a 14 1/2-inch length-of-pull. The shotgun comes with a Prince of Wales pistol grip or a straight English
style grip. It sells for about $2,350. For additional features or for dealers, visit www.smith-wesson.com or call (800) 331-0852.
FIERCE SHADES: Costa del Mar’s Man-O’-War sunglasses are
made for big adventures and big faces — the
sunglasses feature a slightly larger frame than the
Frigate and Osprey sunglasses that were earlier
introduced to the company’s Core collection.
The Man-O’-War sunglasses were
named “Best Eyewear” at the 2007
ICAST Show. They feature removable
protective side shields that block dust, spray
and glare. The sunglasses are available with
the 400 or 580 lenses or the optical-grade CR
39 polarized lenses in a variety of hues; the
frames come in Matte Black, Shiny Tortoise and
Silver (shown). They cost about $130 to $230, depending on
lenses. For more information, visit www.costadelmar.com.
MARINE ENGINE OIL: Honda Marine now
offers a new four-stroke cycle, watercooled gasoline engine lubricantapproved 10W-30 motor oil. Certified
for use in all Honda Marine
engines, the oil contains
increased rust and oxidation
inhibitors to fight corrosion in
the marine environment. It also has
shear-stable polymers to resist
viscosity breakdown under high rpm
and high-load conditions. A quart
costs about $5. For dealers, visit
www.honda.com or call (800) 4267701.
COME IN OUT OF THE COLD: Trophy Blinds by Texas Hunter
Products will protect hunters from the rain, snow and cold
winds. The blinds, which have 6 feet 3 inches of
headroom, are available in two sizes: the 4-foot by 4-foot
single blind and the 4-foot by 8-foot blind that’ll
accommodate up to three adults. The blinds come in four
different height options, including 18-inch ground legs or
a 5-foot, 10-foot and 15-foot powder-coated steel tower. A
“Hide-A-Way” window system conceals a hunter’s
silhouette while providing a 360-degree view out of the
11.5-inch high by 4-foot-wide windows. The blinds and
towers pack flat for easy transport in the back of a pickup
truck. They cost from $629 to $1,499, plus accessories.
(Shown is a double blind on a 15-foot tower, $1,499.)
For a catalog, call (800) 969-3337 or visit
www.TexasHunterProducts.com for more information.
AWARD-WINNING FISH FINDER: Lowrance’s LCX-38C
HD Sonar/GPS chartplotter
combination is for anglers who
want advanced navigation plus
fish-finding features in one
package. The device was the
“Best Electronics” winner at
the 2007 ICAST Show. It
features an easy-to-read
8.4-inch color screen
and comes loaded with
a wealth of high-detail
charts for coastal and
inland navigation. It
features LowranceNET
networking, ethernet
connectivity as well as radar
compatibility. Its MSRP is
$1,899. For more
information, call (800) 3241356 or visit
www.lowrance.com.
DOWNSIZED BAIT: The 3/16ounce Premier Plus Spinnerbait
by Strike King offers a smaller
profile with a downsized
“Perfect Skirt with Magic
Tails.” It is pre-rigged with a
sabre point trailer hook.
Available in nine color
combinations, it sells for
about $5. For information,
visit www.strikeking.com.
A BETTER BAG: The OPSAK is a resealable
and reusable bag that offers 100-percent
protection against water, air, sand and
humidity. It also has an odor barrier. Once
closed, the bags are hermetically sealed and
are liquid and airtight. Use the bags to store
food (those bears won’t have a clue),
clothing, maps, electronics, medical
supplies, even guns and ammunition.
FDA- and NSF- approved, the OPSAK is
flexible, shatterproof and easy to stow.
The durable bags come in various sizes and
prices range from about $7.80 for a threepack of the 9- by 10-inch bags to about
$13.30 for a two-pack of the 28x20-inch
bags. For retailers, visit www.Watchful
EyeDesigns.com or call (800) 355-1126.
FLW
local favorites. “For anyone to
constantly catch fish this week,
the good lord is looking out for
them,” said second place finisher
Darrel Robertson of Jay, Okla.
Hometown angler Scott Suggs
of Bryant, Ark. caught a two-day
total of seven bass weighing 17
pounds, 1 ounce to capture the
victory. Suggs topped Robertson
by more than 4 pounds to
become the first bass angler in
history to pocket $1 million in a
single tournament.
Robertson caught a two-day
total of six bass weighing 12
pounds, 8 ounces, winning
$100,000. Suggs was the lone
angler of the 10 making the cut to
bag a limit on day three, and followed with two bass on the final
day.
“I’ve been so close so many
times, but I’ve never been able to
close it,” said Suggs, who was
trailed by more than 50 boats at
the morning takeoff and cheered
by an overflow crowd Sunday
afternoon at Summit Arena in
Hot Springs. “It’s been a long road
since the last time I won, but it’s
great to do it here on my home
water. Winning a million dollars
hasn’t quite sunk in yet.
“The more I think about it, the
better it gets. It’s just great that
my name will be up there as the
first million dollar winner.”
Suggs targeted big fish using a
10-inch Berkley PowerWorm and
a spinnerbait. His efforts yielded
just two bass weighing 6 pounds,
1 ounce on the final day. But
when it was added to his catch of
five bass weighing 11 pounds
from Saturday, the total was
enough to claim the title.
“I focused on suspending fish
around submerged trees in 30 to
40 feet of water with the fish sitting in 20 to 25 feet near main-
lake breaks,” Suggs said. “I was
fishing an absolutely perfect tournament with five fish per day
until the final day, but thankfully
I held on.”
Former two-time FLW Angler of
the Year Clark Wendlandt of
Leander finished third with four
bass totaling 10 pounds, 1 ounce.
The top news of the Co-angler
Division wasn’t its winner, Pete
Bridges of Tallapoosa, Ga., but
rather was the first-ever female
angler, Karyn Sanchez of
Midlothian, to advance to the
final round. Sanchez was in third
place going in to the final day, but
fell to ninth with one 1 pound, 8
ounce bass.
Suggs already has plans for his
$1 million, $500,000 of which
was a Ranger Boat bonus.
“My daughters are 4 and 10
years old, and I promised them
and my wife a pool if I won. This
is a dream come true for all of us.”
A FLW report.
South Texas Wildlife
Conference Aug. 29-30
The 11th South Texas Wildlife
Conference will be held at the
A.B. Alexander Convention
Center in Cotulla on Aug. 29-30.
Sportsmen, landowners and
wildlife managers will hear from
a wide range of authorities in
wildlife research and management.
Conference highlights include presentations and a panel
discussion on wildlife policy
affecting landowners, including
issues such as land trusts and
conservation easements, oil and
gas surface rights and a preview
of the next legislative session.
The second day will feature
segments focusing on wildlife
topics relating to quail, white-
tailed deer and habitat management. Presentations and panel
discussions will offer attendees a
chance to gain insights from distinguished experts on policies
and emerging issues that impact
Texas habitat resources.
Early registration is $25 before
Aug. 15 and $40 thereafter and
forms are available online at
www.texas-wildlife.org.
For
more information contact Jenny
Sanders at 361-279-7287 or
email [email protected].
The conference is sponsored
by the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department,
the
Caesar
Kleberg Wildlife Research
Institute and the Texas Wildlife
Association.
OUTFITTERS
Advertisement
Gasper Farms — Escape to a hunting adventure
It’s a quiet, rural, secluded country
lodge where the hunter “basically has
the run of the place.”
Gasper Farms Hunting and
Country Lodge, located in Kansas’
Osborne County, opened its doors
four years ago — primarily specializing in pheasant and quail.
“It seemed like there were more
hunters than available land, so we
thought this would be good,” John
Gasper said. “We’re just getting
ramped up on the thing.”
The lodge — “a work in progress” —
offers the hunter an escape from the
concrete jungle of the hectic business
world and the fast-paced lifestyles of
today. It is located 10 miles off the
nearest highway. “You’re very seldom
going to hear and traffic go by unless
it’s another hunter,” Gasper said.
“Lodge guests can just walk out the
door and go hunting. It’s for those
who prefer to be out in the country.”
It’s a place where hunters hunt
when they are ready. There’s no earlymorning wake-up call to be at a certain location at a certain time. “We’re
not on a schedule,” Gasper said. “If
they don’t want to go out at the break
of dawn, they can loaf around all they
want.”
When it’s time to hunt, there’s
approximately
920
acres
of
Controlled Shooting Area “with a
plentiful number of birds.” There’s
also approximately 700 additional
acres of private hunting available during regular seasons.
The lodge is a two-story, four-bedroom, old-style farm house that sits
not far from a log cabin that was the
first building built in the county,
Gasper said, explaining the cabin settlers built bigger quarters that now
house his business. The lodge is furnished, has 10 sleeping beds with
room for others or cots, making the
hunting groups small.
“There’s four or five to a group,”
Gasper said. “You’re not going to see
30 or 40 people.”
The lodge is a great place to explore
the prairie. Take the camera and
binoculars. There’s a variety of birds
and animals.
Gasper also guides for hunters who
request his services. “I’m always
available around here too,” said
Gasper, who lives on the site close to
the lodge. “Some know the boundaries and prefer to go out on their
own.”
Gasper is spreading news about his
new venture “by word of mouth” and
it’s traveling fast. “We’ve had people
from Texas, the Carolinas, Florida
and Michigan,” he said. “It’s interesting, the people you meet.”
The traffic down the stretch of
rocky road to a new hunting adventure is growing.
A HUNTING ESCAPE IN COMFORT: At
left, the lodge offers the hunter an
escape from the concrete jungle of the
hectic business world and the fastpaced lifestyles of today. They can
walk out the door whenever they are
ready to hunt and return later that day
after a successful hunting adventure.
OUTFITTERS
Vinegarroon Wildlife
www.texaswhitetailhunts.com
[email protected]
830-313-0607-cell • 210-695-4855-office
•Guided Trophy Hunts •Full-Service Hunts •Total Acres-38,000
Del Rio & Alpine, Tx.
Real County
NATIVE
EXOTICS
Fallow
Whitetail Spring Turkey Aoudad
Sika
Mule Deer Dove & Quail
Axis
Mouflan
Pronghorn
Black Buck
Others
Duck, Goose and
Dove Hunting
40,000 Acres
Offshore and Bay fishing
30' Stamas
21' Shallowsport
South Texas
Deer and Turkey
Hunting
10,000 Acres
Capt. Scott Hickman
3218 Coral Ridge Ct.
League City, TX 77573
(281) 535-1930
Fax: (281) 535-1935
www.circleh.org
Pheasants
Quail
Deer
Excellent
season-long
pheasant and quail
hunting
JOHN GASPER 785-346-2697
OSBORNE, KS 785-346-6342
You-make-the-call hunting lodge • You decide what happens when!
www.gasperfarmshunting.com
PROFILE YOUR BUSINESS
It’s easy to advertise on this page — just send us your business card, and let us know how many weeks you want your ad to run. Purchase 12
issues of advertising and your business will be profiled with a photo in this section. Outfitter Listings: $40 each issue. Please include either a
check or credit card billing information with your order. Mail to: Lone Star Outdoor News, 9304 Forest Lane, Suite 114 South, Dallas, TX 75243
or call (214) 361-2276.
Mexico
“There was plenty of brush left for
nesting and roosting, and the grain
crops increased the amount of food
available to birds. There may have
only been 5 or 6 million whitewings
in Tamaulipas in the 1950s. We don’t
know how many are there today, but
it could be 15 to 18 million. Some of
the nesting colonies have 5 million
birds,” he was quoted as saying.
Most white-winged dove colonies
— there are about 20 in the state —
are found around San Fernando
(about 100 miles south of
Brownsville), east toward the coast
(around Soto la Marina and Abasolo)
and south toward Lake Guerrero.
Hunters are allowed a bag limit of
105, according to the state wildlife
agency. The season continues
Outfitters in Tamaulipas include:
•Rancho Ala Blanca, near Abasolo.
Visit www.ranchoalablanca.com or call
(866) 694-0454.
•Lago Vista Lodge, near Lake
Guerrero. Visit www.lagovistalodge.com
or call (281) 495-9296.
•Rancho Caracol, atop Mesa Las
Alazanas. Visit www.ranchocaracol.com
or call (888) 246-3164.
For more information about hunting in
Mexico: www.mexonline.com
www.cevstam.gob.mx
through Oct. 21.
Tamualipas attracts about 20
thousand tourists annually to its
numerous hunting ranches and
wildlife management areas, according to the state’s tourism department. These visitors, many from the
U.S., flock to the area to hunt not
Fence
sideration will be the land’s topography, engineering limitations (whether
a fence can be built in a particular location) and environmental considerations, including a fence’s impact on
wildlife, according to Friel.
Despite that pledge, several prominent wildlife organizations in Texas
told LSON they haven’t been consulted
by federal officials.
“To my knowledge, we have not been
contacted,” said Tom Harvey, a
spokesman for Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Officials at Caesar Kleberg Wildlife
Research Institute, which is in
Kingsville, also said they’ve not been
approached.
“That tells me they’re more worried
about human migration than wildlife
migration,” said director Fred Bryant.
Bryant said a “solid” fence could
potentially harm wide-ranging wildlife
such as ocelots, jaguarondi, bobcats
and cougars. Deer, well represented on
both sides of the Texas-Mexico border,
would not be impacted.
The material used for the fence, its
height and location will ultimately
determine its impact on wildlife, Bryant
said.
“Without knowing that kind of information, it’s hard to predict what its
impact will be.”
Seasons
Dove and teal hunters should take note they
may only use “plugged” shotguns capable of
holding no more than three shotshells. If you
are hunting teal be sure to carry only approved
nontoxic shotshells into the field as lead shot
is prohibited.
If you don’t have a place to hunt, TPW offers
opportunities for both dove and teal on managed public lands and leased private land. For
$48, the price of an Annual Public Hunting
only doves, but also quail, duck,
geese and whitetail deer. The coastal
state also attracts anglers.
Tamaulipas’ governor Eugenio
Hernández Flores, an advocate of
hunting in his state, is aware of the
economic benefits derived from the
hunting industry. At a recent conference, the governor pushed for support of proposed federal firearm legislation that would make it easier for
international hunters wanting to
import their own firearms to receive
gun permits.
But, for now, it may be wiser to
bypass hassles by relying on outfitters to supply the firearms.
In addition to accommodations
and food, good outfitters will stock
plenty of ammunition and firearms.
A knowledgeable outfitter will also
make all the arrangements necessary
to make hunting south of the border
a pleasant and productive experience.
Ocelots are the “poster child” for
many people opposed to the fence,
Brown said. There are believed to be
only 80-100 of the animals, sometimes
called a painted leopard, remaining in
Texas. A larger population of ocelots is
at home in Mexico — leading the cats
to go back and forth across the Rio
Grande River.
“Animals don’t recognize borders,”
Brown said.
Brown said many people along the
border would prefer to see federal
authorities erect a “virtual fence.”
“We recognize it’s a national issue,”
she said. “A virtual fence, one with
radar and sensors, would be a lot friendlier to animals, however. Even our local
border patrol has expressed concerns
over a physical structure.
They believe a virtual fence would
keep agents safer: allowing them to see
people coming long before they get
there, giving them time to process how
many people there are and what they’re
carrying, instead of walking along a
fence and, boom, running into someone.”
Friel said the approach to building a
border fence could vary.
“It’s a very diverse environment,” he
said. “There’s urban and rural areas,
remote areas. We’re looking to employ
technology and infrastructure where
they make the most sense.”
He added, however, “Our primary
intent is to meet our border security
goals.”
Permit from TPW, hunters can access more
than a million acres of public hunting lands,
including 155 units covering more than
56,000 acres leased primarily for hunting dove
and other small game.
TPW’s public hunting program leased the
land using money generated by permit sales.
While public hunting lands can be found
throughout the state, most of the dove and
small game leases occur along the I-35 and I-10
corridors within easy driving distance of
major metropolitan areas. Some areas offer
special hunting opportunity for youth.
A Texas Parks and Wildlife Report.
CROSSWORD
PUZZLE
SOLUTION
FROM
PAGE 20
LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS REACHES A
QUARTER-MILLION READERS ACROSS TEXAS.
SHOW THEM YOUR ADVERTISEMENT.
Call (866) 361-2276
or e-mail: [email protected]
Duck hunter opportunities wide
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service proposed continuation of
liberal hunting regulations for the
upcoming 2007-2008 late waterfow seasons due to improved habitat conditions and waterfowl population estimates. Duck hunting
season lengths will be 60 days in
both the Atlantic and Mississippi
Flyways, 74 days in the Central
Flyway, and 107 days in the Pacific
Flyway.
“Based on spring duck numbers,
improved breeding habitat conditions and an improved outlook for
production in many breeding
areas, we propose to give hunters a
wide range of hunting opportunities,” said Service Director H. Dale
Hall. “We have five species that
are at record or near-record highs,
including canvasbacks, and there
are good breeding conditions on
the prairies. However, we remain
concerned that pintails and scaup
have not yet responded to the
improved habitat conditions and
remain well below long-term averages.” The Central Flyway will
continue into a second year of its
three-year evaluation of the
Hunter’s Choice duck bag limit on
hen mallards, canvasbacks, pintails and mottled ducks.
The Texas season dates are pending commission approval. “They
will be very similar to last season,”
said Vernon Bevill, program director with Texas Parks and Wildlife.
“And we will have the Hunter’s
Choice package for two more years
as part of the ongoing research.”
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
report.
CLASSIFIEDS
Comanche County, Kansas
720 acres +/Farm and hunting combo in
south central Kansas.
Big whitetails!
Chautauqua County, Kansas
240 acres +/Prime deer & turkey hunting
w/ponds, house, & cabin.
Heavily timbered.
Franklin Parish, LA
353 acres +/Borders over 100,000 acres
of WMA & NWR.
Good whitetail genetics!
1050 acres +/Prime trophy whitetail and
turkey hunting.
Live water!
1600 acres +/4 Boone & Crockett bucks in
the last 5 years!
http://www.brownrealtyco.com
Jerry Brown, Broker 318-728-9544
Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kansas, Oklahoma
Wildlife Managed Ranch
CHAMPIONSHIP
LABS
Condo Rental
2BR, 2 bath condo on
S. Padre Island.
Pool, spa, 1/2 block to
beach, walk to restaurants.
Rent by day week or month.
(956) 832-3111 or
(956) 772-1843
1.1 ACRE WATERFRONT
LOT FOR SALE
Young County 433 acres
2 hours from DFW
Professionally managed 5 years,
7 ponds, 2-Bdrm. cabin and
storage unit, big deer, tons of
turkey, hogs, dove, fishing.
$2,200 per acre
Bryan Moore (214) 808-5055
120’ WIDE X 440’ DEEP, RESTRICTED
WATER FRONT LOT IN THE BAY POINT
SUBDIVISION ON CHOCOLATE BAY IN
PORT LAVACA. CUL-DE-SAC LOT
WITH PAVED ROADS & UTILITIES, 13’
ABOVE SEA LEVEL & READY TO BUILD.
COMMUNITY FISHING PIER & BOAT
DOCK. EXCELLENT FISHING & GREAT
VIEW OF BAY. 713-303-8175
Due on July 11, these pups are out of Shotgun Simba
and Shotgun Sassy. (The labs that Jerry Wood uses
for Seminars in the Cabela Stores). These parents
are not only good hunting and retrieving dogs, but
also Field Trial and Handicap Service Dogs. Sassy is
a Certified Intermediate Pointing Retriever. There
are 47 titles in their past four generation pedigree.
Visit this website for pictures and more info:
www.diamondwkennels.com . $300 deposits
being taken. 830-833-1291 or 210-259-1454.
Pratt County, Kansas
760 acres +/Hunting with farm and mineral income. Has producing oil
Tensas Parish, LA
1292 acres +/Excellent deer & duck
hunting w/camp.
Morehouse Parish, LA
302 acres +/Rice Farm with excellent duck
hunting.
Has 3 pit blinds!
Madison Parish, LA
464 acres +/Good deer & duck hunting
near Tensas NWR!
Richland Parish, LA
1366 acres +/World class duck hunting!
Farm / hunting combo
Immaculate Intracoastal
waterfront property with
Nice 3/2 with 100 ft.
of canal waterfrontage in
awesome views of Beachfront
and Gulf of Mexico!!! New
construction 3/2.5 1895 sq.
ft. Sargent, Texas.
Sargent, Texas. Awesome
access to East Matagorda Bay.
Best buy on the Gulf Coast of
Texas!!
FullStringerRealty.com
979-863-1143
979-863-1143
979-863-1143
THE FULL STRINGER LODGE
IN MATAGORDA, TEXAS!!
EXECUTIVE OR CORPORATE HOME with
EACEFUL SUBDIVISION in
Matagorda that has 250 feet of
prime Intracoastal property. Build
two spectacular homes and
reclaim .4+ acres in the water.
Bargain price for Intracoastal
property in Matagorda!!!! Total size
of tract is 1.40 acres and is the
quietest subdivision in
Matagorda!!
Outstanding premiere location
on the Colorado River!!
150 ft. of total waterfront, 3,400 sq.foot lodge, 1,400 sq. ft
additional house, 45.5 ft. lot on the
Colorado River that is vacant
and build what you want.
7 mm Ultra
Sendero
Fluted, stainless,
bull barrel w/Nikon scope.
$795
Bryan Moore
(214) 808-5055
POLK COUNTY, TEXAS
www.goldmedalwildlife.com
Joe Wolda
GOLD MEDAL WILDLIFE
Over 30 species available
po box 879 hewitt, tx 76643
(254) 722-3140
[email protected]
HALE COUNTY, TX
177 in CRP, 80 pasture. 1
mile from I-27. Pheasant,
quail, dove and more.
$1,000/ac. Close in August
for 2007’s CRP payment.
800-288-2865
806-983-2548
OR
128.66 frontage and 80-foot
depth. New vinyl bulkhead to
be installed.
P
979-863-1143 Owner/Agents
Exotics, whitetails
and Alligators
1-4 — $750 EA.
5 & Up — $650 EA.
BILL WHITFIELD
210-494-6421
WWW .BILLWHITFIELD .COM
257 AC
Friday Noon - Sunday Noon
FULL STRINGER REALTY, MATAGORDA COUNTY
PALACIOS, MATAGORDA, SARGENT AND
MOST OF THE TEXAS COAST. WE SPECIALIZE IN
COASTAL PROPERTIES ESPECIALLY COMMERCIAL,
DEVELOPMENT, AND RESORT PROPERTIES!!!!!
SERVING
BASS FISHING
9 Ponds • Room & Board
Boats & Motors
Catch 50-100 Fish/Day
112 feet of pristine Colorado River
frontage just a few miles from the Gulf!!
Riverfront 4/4 that is immaculate!! Built
in 2005 and loaded with amenities!!!!
Double Boatlifts!!
Gorgeous Waterfront
property on the Colorado
River in Matagorda, Texas.
Lake Livingston’s
Premier Bait & Tackle
Store is for sale!
Kickapoo Bait & Tackle fronts on
Highway 190 next to Kickapoo Bridge.
140 ft. of protected waterfront.
936-646-4478
[email protected]
NEW LOOK, BETTER RESULTS
Place your classified advertising in the Lone Star Outdoor
News — reaching more than a quarter-million readers
monthly — and experience the results of a new look. The
2”x 2” classified will get the attention necessary to say
SOLD! $30 for two
editions. Call (214) 361-2276.
FOR SALE
Carta Valley, Texas
200 acres, first-time offering —
deep within fourth-generation
family ranch. Electricity available,
1,300-1,900 feet elevation.
Exotics and whitetail. No minerals
convey. Asking $1,325 per acre.
Contact (936) 661-8766.
Perch Traps
Turtle Traps
Fish Traps
Hog Traps
156 SE County Road 3144
Corsicana, TX 75109 (903) 229-2342
Visit Web site
The NEW and PATENTED split ring pliers
that thousands of users say “the best
EVER in split ring history”.
Available at your tackle dealer, Cabela’s,
Amazon.com, TackleWarehouse.com.
Waterfowl
ly 1.7 million birds harvested; gadwall with more than
1.5 million harvested;
wood duck, at more than 1
million harvested; and
blue-winged teal, with
more than 940,000 harvested.
Canada geese were the
most prevalent goose in the
bag by hunters in the
United States, with more
than 2.6 million birds harvested last season.
GO GET IT: Rogers
Hoyt sends his
dog “Demon” to
retrieve a teal
harvested on the
Pierce Ranch last
year.
Fillet
are going back out to fish, and sometimes people change
their minds and stop to fish some more.”
Floating cabins along the Texas coast present another set
of problems. “We have to have a way to measure the fish,”
Robinson said. “You can’t fillet fish while staying at a floating cabin, because you can’t take the head or the tail off of
the fish until you reach the mainland.”
Robinson hopes his elaboration will improve the understanding of this provision, and its enforcement, with Texas
fishermen and women.
“I just wish it was more clear in the handbook,”
McIntosh said.
Official truck
of the
In the Mississippi Flyway,
nearly 6.3 million ducks
were harvested, an increase
from the nearly 5.3 million
harvested in the previous
season. More than 1.4 million geese were harvested,
up from nearly 1.3 million.
In the Central Flyway,
hunters bagged nearly 2.5
million ducks last season,
down from more than 2.7
million in the previous season. The harvest of 941,000
geese was down from more
than a million the previous
season.
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife report.

Bowhunting seeing boom - Lone Star Outdoor News

Transcription

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