September 2010 Newsletter

September 2010
Newsletter
Organized March 1961
Volume 6, Issue 9
Monthly Meeting
Thursday, September 9, 2010
6:30 p.m.
Mike Ford
Owner of Rio Rojo Rancho
Speaking On:
White Tail Deer Hunting
And Aging
Mike Ford was born in Clarksville, Texas, in Red River County. His family landed in Red River County in the
mid 1850's. A small part of their ranch today was first leased in 1880, and bought in 1910. He turned 50, 10
days after the 100 year anniversary. Mike grew up in Mesquite, Texas, not throwing a rope, but instead a football — some thought well enough to play college football. With Darrell Royal retiring from the University of
Texas, Mike‘s senior year, he eventually chose to stay close to his roots, and picked Southern Methodist University to continue his education and play football. They had a pretty good run for awhile and some guy's named
Dickerson and James showed up, and well, as they say, the rest is history. Mike eventually played in the NFL
and the spring league, the USFL for the San Antonio Gunslingers. The first game he started, he tore his knee up
for the second time, once at SMU as well, and that was the end of his ride of Professional Football.
Moving back to Dallas to complete his degree, Mike eventually ended up in the Produce Business in Dallas
where he met his wife, Lori. They purchased some property that bordered his family's small ranch in Red River
County. With a couple of more small purchases of land, they finally high fenced about 500 acres of their ranch,
and started a breeding program for Whitetail Deer, licensed with TPWD. The Fords have a small hunting operation on their ranch, as well as sell surplus animals to other ranches, to stock and influence genetics on their own
ranches. They have spent the last 25+ years fascinated with the whole deer thing, having traveled all over North
America, from Northern Alberta, all the way through the U. S. to Mexico, in pursuit of these majestic animals.
Mike harvested his best Whitetail Buck ever on his own ranch this past fall, scoring 181 7/8th, with a
bow. Mike‘s most recent accomplishment in the great outdoors was catching a 14#+, 32 " rainbow Trout in
Wyoming just a month ago.
PAGE 2
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
PRESIDENT‘S CORNER
As some of the more observant members have
noticed in the latest directory, Peggy Epley has taken
over the job of Executive Secretary and Annette
Stone has agreed to focus her time on the annual banquet, with the title of Ambassador/Banquet Coordinator. The official date for the change was to be September 1, 2010, but for all intents and purposes it was
in place around the first of August. Annette has done
an admirable job for the club for over ten years. It
became apparent that the job was too much for one
person. Peggy came to the club with ten years office experience and has
worked with Annette for over a year. The new split of duties between the
office and the banquet should work out well. Annette knows all of the details of putting on the annual fund-raiser. A heartfelt thanks to Annette for
handling both jobs for so successfully for so long. Peggy has really taken
to the job of executive secretary and should do an outstanding job.
Subject to formal board approval in September, the by-laws have
been changed to provide that existing board members will serve through
April, 2011. Election of board members and officers will take place in
April of each year, with terms starting in May. This way, the board and
officers will not change in January, just before the fund-raiser in March.
Another change is that the Treasurer will not be required to be a director.
In the mean while, significant changes have occurred to the makeup of the board of directors. Michael Boyce, who has been a terrific help is
setting up computer programs to assist in the organization of the banquet,
has resigned to serve a president of an RV club. John Laverty and Dennis
Connally have resigned to create space for new directors. Joe Chenoweth
has joined the board as a director and Vice President - Special Events (ie.,
the banquet). Joe has a team in place, has had two meetings, and has banquet planning well in hand. Henry Christy has joined the board as a director and Vice President - Programs and will serve as Don Grogan phases out
after more years than anyone can remember. Colin Martin has agreed to
serve as Vice President - Activities, replacing Curt Frisbie, Jr. Jeff Dargatz
is the new Vice President - Communications.
A special thanks to Curt Frisbie, Jr., for all of his work in drafting
the by-law changes and heading the search committee to find new officers
and directors. Curt does so much for the club that is behind the scenes.
All in all, things are going well with new people, including some
younger members, getting involved. Hopefully there will be lots of new
ideas to keep the club successful for years to come.
Henry Seeligson,
President
Dallas Woods & Waters
2010 Officers
PRESIDENT
Henry Seeligson ............................ ….972-392-3332
PAST PRESIDENT
John Laverty ………………………...972-386-8659
VP MEMBERSHIP
Curt Frisbie, III……………………....972-670-0856
VP PROGRAMS
Don Grogan .................................. ….972-774-2059
VP ACTIVITIES
Colin Martin.... ............................. ….214-727-3736
VP SPECIAL EVENTS
John Laverty……………………...…..972-386-8659
VP COMMUNICATIONS
Open
VP SHOWS
Julio Morales ................................. ….214-557-3839
SECRETARY
Charles Shelton ............................ ….214-827-4823
TREASURER
Dennis Connally ............................ ….972-732-8736
-
Directors
Beverly Bell ………………….December 31, 2010
Michael Boyce………………..December 31, 2010
Andy Clements ………………December 31, 2010
Bob Evans ……………………December 31, 2010
Phil Cutts……………………. December 31, 2010
Julio Morales…………………December 31, 2010
Henry Seeligson………………December 31, 2010
Charles Shelton……………….December 31, 2010
Charles Vessel……….……….December 31, 2010
Dennis Connally…………….. December 31, 2011
Curt Frisbie , Jr……………….December 31, 2011
Curt Frisbie, III…………….....December 31, 2011
John Laverty………………….December 31, 2011
Colin Martin ………………….December 31, 2011
Warren Petersen…… ..……….December 31, 2011
Directors Emeritus
Charles Oliver .............................. 972-938-9612
Don Grogan .................................... 972-774-2059
Jack Davis………………………….214-412-0300
David Chaney……………………...214-384-2424
*Edwin Davis, *Bob De Priest,
*Roger Godwin, and *Bill Hagen
*Winifred Wright *Mike O‘Neal
*Deceased
Office Staff
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Annette Stone (Office) ...................... 214-570-8700
(Cell) ........................ 214-538-3717
(Fax)…...………… 214-570-8702
OFFICE ASSISTANT
Peggy Epley (Cell)………………..214-538-3918
~~~~~~~
Woods & Waters Foundation
Officers & Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
John Laverty.................................. December 31, 2011
SECRETARY
Rod Zielke…………………………December 31,2010
TREASURER
Dennis Connally ............................ December 31, 2010
MEMBER
Henry Seeligson………………......December 31, 2010
Bob Evans…………………..…….December 31, 2010
Jeff Dargatz……………………….December 31, 2011
Jeff Parker………………………..December 31, 2011
1221 W. Campbell Road, Suite 215
Richardson, Texas 75080
214-570-8700
E-Mail: info @dwwcc.org
Website: www.dwwcc.org
Dallas Woods and Waters Club is a non– profit outdoor sporting organization dedicated to preserving and restoring
wildlife, its habitats and educating youth
in the outdoor disciplines and the wise use of natural resources.
PAGE 3
First Name
Joe O.
Jeff
Michael
Don
David W.
Jason
Bob
Scott
Robert
Tommy
Mark
Don
William
John
Kevin
Bill
Curt
Brian
Sonya
Jack
Kristy
Ian
Brandon
Christopher
Jason
Bill
James
William Ray
Russ
Mike
Jeff
James
Tom
Rick
Chris
Trent
Jeff
David
Chuck
Hoyt
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
Last Name
Luby
Johnstone
Addison
Mills
Dees
Smuland
Worthy
Moize
Gould
Park
Miller
Hall
Peeler
Gali, Jr.
Grimes
Paschall
Weimer
Romike
Hutchason
Gonz
Piazza
Harrison
Mankin
Warnick
Blair
Roll
Madden
Everitt
Young
Ford
Leary
Florez
Doell
Musil
Bryant
Ware
Jacoby
Galvin
Hoffmann
Utay
Sponsor Member
LVWWC
Curt Frisbie III
Bedford Wynne
Laverty
Bedford Wynne
Bedford Wynne
Jim Breaux
Bedford Wynne
Curt Frisbie III
Office
Newspaper
Ron Gard
John Laverty
Jack Davis/David Chaney
David Ross
Office
David Ross
David Ross
David Ross
Dick Foster
Frank Blanchard
Curt Frisbie III
Curt Frisbie III
Bill Everitt
David Ross
David Ross
Curt Frisbie III
Bill Everitt
Jim Breaux
Don Grogan
David Chaney
Curt Frisbie Jr
Curt Frisbie Jr
Rick Fielding
John Ackley
John Ackley
John Ackley
John Ackley
Kirk Hodgson
Kirk Hodgson
WELCOM NEW
MEMBERS 2010
GOAL: 100
New Members
Deadlines for Articles in Newsletters
Newsletters
October
November
Deadline for Information
September 17
October 15
Proofing Date
September 24
October 27
Printing Date
September 30
October 29
Mailing Date
October 4
November 1
PAGE 4
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
HOT STRIPERS
By Jeff Rogers
Six a.m. on a mid-July
‗immaculate‘ are rarely used in the
than my kitchen on an off day.
morning and you could already tell
same sentence but it was true in this Twelve identical rigs stood ready
it was going to be a scorcher. As
case--no old hooks stuck in the
for instant use along the rear engine
we filed out towards the dock, I felt transom, no empty Off cans, no
compartment; even if we did not
the same old fear rising--I was the
piles of fish scales shoved in the
find fish, this guy knew his busionly person on the planet to have
corners--nothing. It was cleaner
ness. And, boy, did he know how
never caught a
to find fish.
decent striper on
As a flotilla of
Lake Texoma.
boats congregated
Jim Breaux, his
over a particular
ever-patient wife,
stretch of water,
Debbie and my
Mr. Bridges
wife, Audrey, all
moved further to
hurried to the enthe south using
closed dock of
local landmarks
Rex Bridges Fishand depth finder
ing and Hunting,
as his only guides.
located at the
He anchored us in
Lighthouse Masixty feet of water
rina on Texoma‘s
some two hundred
southern shore.
yards away from
We bought the
the rest of the
trip at the most
fleet, hooked us
recent Woods and
up with gizzard
Waters banquet
shad and, with
despite my multione last glance at
ple dry runs to
the fish finder,
Debbie Breaux, Audrey and Jeff Rogers, Jim Breaux at Lake gave the comTexoma in the
Texoma with their take.
past. Never let
mand ―fifteen
one of the club‘s
pulls.‖ For the
Executive Board press more free
uninitiated, a pull is the distance
drink tickets into your hand prior to
between the reel and the first eyelet
the live auction. Trust me on this
of the rod so a certain number of
one.
pulls will put your bait at a specific
Rex Bridges, our host and
depth where a school of stripers is
guide on the half-day trip was alcruising; sounds great in theory but
ready tapping his foot at our 6:04
I had drowned whole populations of
arrival--he had made it very clear
minnows in the past without much
that we needed to beat the Saturday
luck. That was about to change.
morning fishing armada out in orDebbie was the first to boat
der to reach his favorite spots. Rex
a fish; at fourteen inches, it was
transferred our gear onto his custom
keepable as a ―small one,‖ but Rex
-built 28-foot boat and we were off.
tossed it back anyway. And he did
The boat, designed along the lines
the same with the next five fish that
of a Boston whaler, was immacuContinued on Page 5
late. The terms ‗fishing boat‘ and
“Over the next
four hours,
we threw back
as many fish
as we kept,
most well over
twenty inches
in length.”
PAGE 5
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
Continued from Page 4
swung into the boat. But none of
them was on my hook. Jim Breaux
and Audrey then landed good fish
back to back in the twenty-four to
twenty-seven inch range; these went
into the cooler, new minnows were
sacrificed and both anglers were
back in the water in less than two
minutes. I checked my bait frequently to see if I was fishing ―on
credit.‖ Then it happened--my rod
bent, my drag sang, my twenty-six
incher disappeared into the cooler.
The drought had lifted. And now
the heavens poured.
Over the next four hours, we
threw back as many fish as we kept,
most well over twenty inches in
length. We moved the boat exactly
once the entire time. ―It took me
almost two years to stop driving the
boat all the time and just start fishing,‖ the captain told us. And
twenty successful years have not
proven him wrong. Rex would
change baits on demand, net and
judge the fish and keep up a steady
line of…commentary…throughout
the entire trip. The only downside
of the trip was throwing big fish
back and keeping smaller ones because of Texoma‘s interesting rules
(ten fish per angler, only two to exceed twenty inches). It took close to
eighty boated fish to fill four limits.
What a problem to have.
Rex cleaned, washed and
bagged all of our fish; we were off
the water and out of the sun before
10:30 in the morning. It certainly
turned out to be a scorcher that day.
And the temperature was hot as
well.
Rex Bridges can be reached
at 1-800-211-7808, 903-814-8400
(mobile) or www.rexbridges.com.
Weekends are booked out up to
three months in advance; weekdays
are easier to book.
Jeff Rogers,MD is a retired
pediatrician who owes his relaxed
lifestyle to his ever-enduring wife
and fishing partner, Audrey. All of
his tips and secrets on successful
striper fishing can be found at the
above numbers. Please direct any
comments, derogatory or not, to [email protected].
ADVERTISING SPECIAL
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Send in your Business
Cards TODAY!
Advertise in the Newsletter
for one year
Monthly Rates
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If sent electronically, please save in a jpg, tiff or
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Photos need to be a minimum of 300 pixels/inch.
[email protected]
PAGE 6
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
Activities Calendar
Want to go on one of these trips? Follow these easy steps:
1. Call the Trip Chair to see if there is still space available and to get your trip questions answered.
2. If space is available, send your deposit to DWWC, 1221 W. Campbell Road, Suite 215, Richardson, TX 75080
3. Non-members who are not guests of a DWWC member will be charged an additional $75, which will
include a 1-year DWWC membership
4 All persons participating in any activities MUST sign a Club Release Form and agree to the terms
before going on trip.
~ SEPTEMBER ~
Sept 1st—Deadline for Deposit for Oct 16 Pheasant Hunt
September 1-2, 2010
39th Annual DWWC Throckmorton Dove Hunt at
Hartsell Ash Ranch
Hartsell Ash Ranch at Throckmorton, Texas (3.5 hours from Dallas).
Wednesday and Thursday, September 1&2. Steak dinner on Wednesday
evening. $175 per person for the 2-day hunt. Your reservation and
money must be in the club office by Monday, August 9, 2010 or your
cost will be $200 at the ranch.
Trip Chair: Tom Stone 972-941-8555
September — Any Day During the Month
Alligator Hunting
Mark Malfa is offering a special guaranteed trip the entire month of September near Victoria. He says he can
just about guarantee a 10 foot gator. Trip is ―guaranteed‖ in the sense of no payment if no gator. www.bigfishbowfishingtexas.com www.realfishingguide.com
Price: $1,500 to 10‘6‖
$1,800 for 10‘7‖ to 11.5‘
$2,000 for 11.5‘ to 12‘
$2,400 over 12‘
Curt Frisbie, Jr. went bow-fishing with Mark a few years ago and enjoyed it.
Deposit of $500 by August 25th.
Trip Chairs: Curt Frisbie, Jr. 214-999-4757 and Colin Martin 214-999-4227
PAGE 7
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
~ SEPTEMBER continued ~
September 18, 2010 Saturday
Catfish Trip Brought to you by Guaranteed Guide Service
Come fish for trophy catfish with fellow DWWC members and the experts at Guaranteed Guide Service at Richland Chambers Lake. GGS strives to make each trip a FISH catching experience of a lifetime. RichlandChambers Reservoir is located outside of Corsicana, TX.
The trip departs around 7AM from the dock and returns around 12PM. All bait and tackle will be provided. After taking a stringer picture, your boat full of fish will be filleted and bagged. All you need to bring is a valid
Texas Fishing License, snacks and drinks, a cooler to transport your catch home, and a desire to battle some big
hard fighting fish.
GGS has a full service marina with restaurant, bar and plenty of additional opportunities to fish from their crappie barge or jetty. Optional overnight stay: Nightly rate is $100.00 per cabin per night for three guests with an
additional $25.00 per guest per night up to six. Cost: $350/boat up to 3 ppl. Additional cost of $100/pp up to 5
people per boat.
Deposit of $50/pp due at the DWWC office by August 15.
Trip Chair: Aaron Wallick 972-814-5307 Cell [email protected]
~ OCTOBER ~
Oct 13th—Deadline for Deposit for Nov 13 Tower Shoot
Oct 15th—Deadline for Deposit for Nov 21 Cooking Seminar
October 9-10, 2010
Prairie Dog Hunt
Hunt will be close to Anadarko, Oklahoma, 1 hr southwest of Oklahoma City with No Mercy Hunting Services.
www.nomercyhunting.com. Cost will be $100 per day per person plus you must purchase an Oklahoma 5-day
non-resident hunting license. We will be driving up Friday afternoon, staying in a Chickasha, OK motel and
hunting Saturday and/or Sunday 30 minutes away. Tune-up your favorite varmint rifle and bring plenty of
shells. Shots range from 100-300 yards from portable shooting benches. Each person responsible for their own
food, snacks and drinks.
Reservations and trip deposits $100 need to be in by August 1st.
If you have questions or need any additional information, please give me a call.
Trip Chair – Terry Beaver 972-377-7592
October 16, 17, 2010
Pheasant Hunt
Golden Prairie Hunting Service
Sublette, Kansas
Hunt with owners Jeff & Debbie White, for two days. Includes breakfast and lunch
for two days, lodging, guides, dogs and bird processing. Bring shotgun, shells.
Buy $20 license. This will be our 20th trip with Golden Prairie.
Member Cost: $550.
50% deposit due September 1, 2010.
Trip Chair: Henry Seeligson 972-392-3332
PAGE 8
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
~NOVEMBER ~
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Private Tower Shoot — Upland Bird Country
Corsicana, Texas
DWWC is having a private Tower Shoot at Upland Bird Country in Corsicana on Saturday, November 13. If
you have never been to a Tower Shoot before, go to www.upland.bird.com and then hit Tower Shoot for a
detailed explanation. It is sort-of like shooting on a high, European style driven shoot. Lot of fun.
You must be there by 8:30 AM to register and be driven to the field. We will take a break for refreshments
half-way through. Lunch is provided at the end of the shoot—BBQ beef, ribs and sausage. Birds are cleaned
for us and divided equally among all shooters. You should be back home by 3 PM (plenty of time for a
round of golf or sporting clays).
Regular cost is $249 pp. If we get 20 people to participate the cost drops to $225 pp.
Deposit of $150 per person due to DWWC Office by October 13th..
Trip Chair: Matt Mankin 214-293-3330 and Newman Richards 254-855-6999
Outdoor Cooking Seminar
November 21, 2010 (Sunday)
5:00 to 8: 00 PM
Eagles Lodge – Dallas TX
One of Matt Martinez‘ sons will be showing us the pleasure of outdoor cooking at the country-type setting of the Eagles Lodge, just east
of White Rock Lake. And, then, we get to eat it all--main course,
sides, and dessert. This will be a wonderful family event. The Lodge also has available horse shoe pits, children‘s play house, darts, shuffleboard, pool table and an internet juke box. Cost is $20 per adult and $10 for children 12 and under, and includes all food and soft drinks. Adult beverages are available at the Eagles bar at reasonable prices. Availability may be limited so get your reservation in early, put on your shorts or jeans, and set
your GPS for 8500 Arturo Drive in Dallas. For more information as to the facilities at the Eagles Lodge go to
www.3108.foe.com
Send deposit of $10 per person to the DWWC office by October 15, 2010. Bring the whole family!
Event Coordinator: Andy French 214-734-7717
~ DECEMBER ~
December 10-12, 2010.
Shoot Sandhill Cranes and Geese with Mark Meissenburg.
Amarillo, Texas
Let‘s go shoot sandhill cranes and geese near Amarillo, Texas, with the most well-known crane guide in the
country, Mark Meissenburg. We will travel on Dec. 10, shoot geese in the morning and cranes in the afternoon on
the 11th, and cranes in the morning on the 12th, and then head for home on the 12th. Cost is $250 pp/day with a
3-person minimum for the morning hunt (either bird); $225 pp/day with 5 shooters. An additional $175 covers
the afternoon hunt for cranes on the 11th. So, total is $675 for 3 people and $625 for 5. I have done this hunt
twice and highly recommend it. The price covers breakfast, lunch, soft beverages and bird cleaning. Extra costs
are the licenses, 2-nights motel and supper. Check out www.panhandlesbest.com
Trip Chairs: Curt Frisbie 214-999-4757 and Kirk Hodgson 214-755-4551
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
PAGE 9
Good Times, Good Memories, and Good Friends
By Darrell Jackson / D’Jack’s Adventures Guide Service
When you start to plan
a fishing trip you can‘t help
but wonder if everyone is going to get along, if the accommodations are going to be livable, and if the fishing is going
to be worth a plug nickel. Well
we hit the jack pot on this trip;
all three were off the charts
leaving many memories worth
Battling the deeper water was tiring
sharing for years.
but felt good in the hot sun.
As we planned the excursion, the final list of attendees ended up with all members of DWWC; Bill Thompson, Charles Vessel, Gene
Jackson and Darrell Jackson.
To total the years of our
friendships would be more
than any of us would want to
admit with them ranging from
12 to 35 or more years each.
As you can imagine the road
trip down to Port Mansfield
was filled with memories and
stories being told, all of which
had to do with hunting or fishing. We had many laughs even
at tales of falling in the lake
twice in one day in the middle of
Texas Gulf Coast Seafood. New
winter.
memories were made each day
Once we got to Kingsville along with new and old friends.
we made the short drive off 77 to
Captain Tricia and Mike McBride
the King‘s Inn Restaurant for some are rated very high on the list of
friends, it seemed like we knew
them all our life.
The house provided for the
trip was about as nice as you can
get for a fishing trip. It sleeps 8
people and is furnished as nice as
home, which makes it feel just like
home. Whitetail deer are everywhere in Port Mansfield. One evening we had 40 deer in the backyard at one time, one buck that
would eat out of your hand and a
Darrell Jackson feeds a 13 point Buck
“Due to hard
work by
Capt. Tricia,
we got some
nice fish,
both
Speckled Trout
and Redfish.”
doe that would follow you around
with her lips curled back, like a
smiling dog, begging for corn.
As far as fishing goes,
Skinny Water Adventures knows
their stuff. The week before we
were there, Mexico had been hit by
a Tropical Storm flooding the surrounding area and causing the waters of Laguna Madre to rise 2 to 3
foot. The fresh water pushed out
into the bays fouling the water
somewhat. But due to hard work
by Capt. Tricia, we got on some
nice fish, both Speckled Trout and
Redfish. We hit many different locations catching fish nearly every
spot. Battling the deeper water was
a little more tiring but felt good in
the hot south Texas sun. Storms
lurked out in the Gulf so we kept
one eye on the storms and the other
on the fish. We all caught fish both
days and left with many new
memories, and two new friends for
life. I think I can safely say that we
all four will make it back for another trip with Captain Tricia to
catch more fish and make many
more memories much like the ones
we made July 2010.
Bill Thompson and his 23‖ Redfish
PAGE 10
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
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OWL PELLETS
“Turn that mess in your
blind into money”
BRET GAUSSION
President
PELLETS, Inc.
1481 Island View Dr.
Bellingham, WA 98227
Toll Free (888) 466-6957
MAKE YOUR
SETPTEMBER 9TH
MEETING
RESERVATION TODAY!
Call 214-570-8700
by Tuesday, September 7th
to RSVP for the $25
Dinner/Program
No-Shows will be billed
Walk-ins welcome, but are subject to
food and space availability.
Sheraton North Dallas Hotel
4801 LBJ Freeway @
N. Dallas Toll Road
Dallas, TX 75244
6:30 Cocktails and
Greeting
7:00 Dinner and Speaker
Dress Attire:
Business Casual
In Memory. . . . .
John Houston Sample passed away recently. His family is in our thoughts and prayers.
PAGE 11
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
Going for Gator Gar
By: Curt Frisbie
The family Lepisosteidae is,
I am sure, one that you know well.
What, you say, the name rings a bell
but your brain is having a momentary lapse resembling amnesia?
What we are talking about is the gar
family, a prehistoric-looking family
of fish that has seven living species.
Most of us have seen, or even accidentally caught, a Longnose or a
Spotted or a Shortnose Gar in virtually any of the local waters from
Lake Fairfield to Cedar Creek Lake,
and all other lakes in-between, and
including most of our rivers, most
notably the Trinity River. You will
also see some in marine waters in
the Gulf of Mexico, and they are
generally common in eastern North
America, Central America and the
Caribbean islands. But, more rarely
seen, are the largest members of the
family, the genus Atractosteus spatula, more commonly known as the
Alligator Gar. The name comes
from the Greek, atraktos, meaning
―arrow‖ and that provides the perfect segue for the rest of this story.
“We heard
“shoot” and I
promptly put
an arrow in the
first one below me
while John Hattner
put an arrow in
another. Then the
fight was on. Or, I
should say, the
melee started.”
Five of us left our homes in
Dallas on May 21, 2010, and trav-
Curt Frisbie Jr., Mark Malfa and
Harrison Rhodes heading toward a
distant shore
elled to George West, Texas, to
spend the night before meeting our
guide, Mark Malfa, for an alligator
gar bowfishing trip. John and
Johnny Hattner, Judy Rhodes and
her recent college graduate son,
Judy Rhodes, Harrison Rhodes,
Mark Malfa, John Hattner, Johnny
Hattner
Harrison Rhodes, and I, were looking forward to this unique experience. We met the guide the next
morning at the reasonable hour of
9:00 AM and followed him to
Choke Canyon Lake, a 26,000 acre
reservoir and water supply for Corpus Christi, near Three Rivers,
Texas. Mark has a 20 foot customized flat bottom boat with a high
rear deck that will hold six standing
people plus himself operating the
trolling motor.
Mark got the boat launched
and we headed toward a distant
shore with lots of bare trees that had
long ago died from being in so much
water, their skeletons continuing to
stick out of the water as they provided minimal shade and cover for
fish and other aquatic life. All five
of us got on the top deck while
Mark maneuvered the boat around
the trees and through the weeds.
Our polarized glasses scanned the
water for the gator gar and other fish
legal to shoot. Even with polarized
glasses it was not easy to see underwater. The sun would create an
enormous glare that prevented penetration by our untutored eyes, but
when the sun‘s rays were hidden by
a cloud the waters suddenly appeared clear, and seeing to the bottom was easy.
The first trick, of course, is
to find the monster gar. The best
places to look are relatively shallow
waters—two to six feet deep--with
weeds and green growth, where they
like to hang out and ambush passing
meals. You also look on the surface
to see if you can spot them rolling
on the top. Gar have swim bladders
that function as lungs so they surface on occasion to take in some air.
These surfacings are measured in
seconds as they immediately dive
again once the air has been ingested.
These are the critical few seconds as
that is all the time that you usually
get to spot them, get an arrow ready,
aim and fire, before they disappear
again without a trace or a bubble.
The first victim for our
Continued on Page 14
PAGE 12
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
Dallas Woods and Waters Helps with Special Needs
Fishing Day
By Jeff Parker
For the past 6+ years, I‘ve
run a YMCA program called Adventure Guides (old Indian Guides
program). A little over a year and
a half ago, one of my program participants inquired about starting up
an Adventure Guides program for
special needs children. His
daughter had been involved the
program for quite some time, but
his son who was special needs
could not attend due to his handicap. We put our heads together
along with a few fellow dads who
also had special needs children,
and came up with the Adventure
Guides ―Eagles‖ Program.
The Eagles program is
designed specifically for parents of
children with special needs ages 4
years and older. These children
participate in most of the same
events as the Adventure Guides
program including fall and spring
campouts, pinewood derby races,
rocket launches, parades, and parties, but will also have opportunities to attend specific events that
are adapted to fit their needs and
abilities.
The goal of this program is
to introduce children with mental
or physical handicaps to the great
outdoors. Throughout the past
couple of years, our Eagles program has grown to around 30 children and their parents. The Eagles
have participated in campouts,
pinewood derby racing, numerous
parties, and general get-togethers
at local elementary school playgrounds for a quick game of soccer.
In early June, I met with
fellow DWWC Foundation officers
and threw out the idea of hosting a
free fishing day for this program.
Every officer was on board from
the start, so I began putting the
word out the Eagles participants.
One of the great things I‘ve learned
about the special needs community
as snacks, and even a few toys
were provided to the children courtesy of the Coppell YMCA. Even
though the fishing day was scheduled at the end of July, we ―lucked
out‖ and had plenty of cloud cover,
and even a good rain shower after
the event was finished.
In all, around 30 participants attended. Most of those people had never fished before, so this
being their first time was all the
more meaningful to both the volunteers and attendees alike. Just
about everyone that participated
ended up catching at least one fish.
Most of what was caught were
palm-sized perch, and channel cats,
is their commitment to pass along but that didn‘t matter to the kids or
information about new special
their parents. Despite some of the
needs programming. Even though children‘s inability to verbally exthe Eagles is run from the Coppell press their feelings, it was easy to
YMCA, I had people contacting
tell that everyone had a fantastic
me from all over the North Texas time. Those children that grew
area telling me they‘d seen my
tired of fishing (and not catching)
flyer at local hospitals, equestrian were able to feed bread to some of
clinics, and so forth.
the many ducks that had gathered
Typically a late July after- at our end of the lake.
noon in Texas isn‘t the ideal date
Many thanks to all of the
for a fishing day, nevertheless, that DWWC volunteers that helped out
was the day we chose. Friday af- at this very special event. I feel
ternoon July 23rd Foundation
truly blessed to be a part of two
members John Laverty, Jeff Dargreat organizations that were able
gatz, and Rod Zielke, along with
to come together and provide such
Club members Tom and Annette
a wonderful experience to families
Stone, David Blanchard, Jim
in the special needs community.
Breaux, Jackson Casey and his
If you or someone you
son, Spencer, showed up at Cop- know would like more information
pell‘s Andy Brown Park in addiabout the Eagles program, please
tion to several other volunteers.
check out our webpage at
The club provided all fishing
www.coppellymcaAG.org or conequipment, as well as 4 canopies
tact Jeff Parker at
for some much needed temporary [email protected]
shade from the brutal Texas heat.
Ice cold water was on hand, as well
Continued on Page 13
PAGE 13
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
PAGE 14
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
Continued from Page 10
group of beginner Robin Hoods was
a shiny, white buffalo fish that Mark
spotted and pointed out to John
Hattner. The flight of John‘s arrow
was true, penetrating the fish but
held in place by the fish arrow
points. The buffalo swam in circles
and fought to get away, but that was
lodged itself from John‘s target and
the gator gar swam off, seemingly
unperturbed by all the commotion.
My fish swam from the left side to
the right and then behind the stern of
the boat. It reminded me of catching a halibut---not a huge fight, just
a lot of weight moving around, like
pulling a barn door off the floor of
the ocean. The gar finally wore itself out and allowed us to pull him
alongside where Mark put a loop
around the body behind the head,
and with a hearty heave-ho pulled it
on board our boat. It was a medium
sized gar weighing in at about 65 lbs
and just under five feet long. Lots
of sharp teeth. I was glad that they
not to be. Hauling on the bowline, did not have inclinations toward
John pulled in our first catch, a 35
homo sapiens meat.
pounder that felt even heavier than it
The morning wore on with
was. Someone then pointed off to
the sun intermittently hiding behind
the right front of the boat where
the clouds. There was a slight
there was water splashing. Mark
breeze, but it was still hot. We were
just said to get ready as there were
getting better at seeing through the
several gator gar together in one
water and picking up fish with our
group, likely spawning. We trolled eyes without Mark having to tell us
closer and the fish roiled in the shal- each time. Arrows whizzed out,
low water apparently oblivious to
most of the time just creating holes
our presence. We heard ―shoot‖ and
I promptly put an arrow in the first
“Mark was muttering
one below me while John Hattner
under his breath
put an arrow in another. Then the
fight was on. Or, I should say, the
something about
melee started.
never shooting two
My fish went to the port side
of the boat while John‘s went to the
fish at the same time
starboard. The bowline from my
when the arrow
bow was taut and speeding quickly
to the left making everyone on that
dislodged itself from
side duck or get out of the way.
John’s target and the
John was getting the same action on
his side as the line started mowing
gator gar swam off,
people down while others tried to
seemingly
get out of the way by moving to the
lower part of the boat. Mark was
unperturbed by all
muttering under his breath somethe commotion.”
thing about never shooting two fish
at the same time when the arrow dis-
in the water. Then a Longnose Gar
became the unlucky fish of the day,
and then another Buffalo fish—this
one around 30 lbs—succumbed to
our mounting prowess with the
bows.
Someone pointed off to our
right front where the weeds seemed
to be moving in a constant boil. At
least two gar were together, one
very big. We trolled as close as possible and young, 15-year old Johnny
Hattner let his shaft fly and immediately he had a monster on his hands.
The fish rolled and turned, dove
down and then back to the surface,
changed directions and charged toward the boat. Another arrow and
attached bowline were put in the
fish and now two people were workContinued on Page 15
PAGE 15
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
Continued from page 14
ing and pulling the big guy toward
the boat. It was work. When it got
close to the boat it seemed to get
renewed energy and swam away.
But, resistance was futile and finally the alligator gar was pulled
inside the boat. We knew it was
big because the boat was six feet
wide at that point and the fish took
up every bit of that space and
more, too. We later measured it at
seven feet one inch and it weighed
in at 155 lbs. A true Big Boy!
Johnny decided that he wanted the
whole thing stuffed and hung on
his wall, and his Dad—
amazingly—said yes.
Mark decided to call it a
day at about 1:00 PM and suggested we come out again at night,
after dark. It seemed like a good
plan to get something to eat and
take a nap, and we met Mark
again at 8:30 PM on the same
lake. The boat had about six
strong electric lights on it shining
out from under the top deck at the
rear of the boat. Without the
glare of the sun, visibility was
good under the bright lights for a
depth of several feet. It was not
long before a big Sand Carp
swam by and was surprised by
one of our arrows. We were in an
area where there were dead trees
all around us, 30-40 yards apart,
leafless since the reservoir filled
and drowned them. Now, in the
soft glare of the boat lights, they
looked like old, whitened treeskeletons with their branches
reaching out aimlessly in every direction. Longnose Gar and Spotted
Gar were so prevalent we shot very
seldom, as it became sort of hohum to see another one. Other
Sand Carp, Buffalo Fish, and Tilapia scooted by but we often were
not quick enough to shoot. Small
catfish were abundant, but we did
not shoot at them since it would
have been illegal to do so.
Then the second Big Boy
appeared and Harrison Rhodes‘
arrow found the mark in the dark.
―Put another arrow in it,‖ was
heard, and swish, swish, thunk,
thunk came the sound of two more
arrows cutting through the air and
impaling the gar. This one was not
getting away. Harrison was already thinking of how this one
would look on his bedroom wall.
After the short fight we had the
second sharp-toothed gator gar
protesting and flopping around the
boat. This one again exceeded the
width of the boat. Later measurements showed it also to be seven
feet one inch, and weighed in at a
“Put another
arrow in it”
was heard, and
swish, swish,
thunk, thunk, came the
sound of two more
arrows cutting
through the air
and impaling the gar.
This one was not
getting away.”
slightly higher 165 lbs. Some of us
were thinking that we were lucky
to have brought the youngsters
with us, the ones with good eyes
and quick reflexes, or we might
never have seen the Big Boys up
close. (Actually, it is a misnomer
to refer to them as Big Boys since
the really big ones are always females; but, this is my story.)
This is a trip that you
should try – it is high adventure. I
highly recommend Mark Malfa of
Big Fish Bowfishing Texas as he is
THE pro. Mark has 30 Texas water body records and 8 Texas state
records so why would you want to
fish with anyone else? Go to
www.bigfishbowfishingtexas.com
and watch any of the videos there
to get a good idea of what a gator
gar bow fishing trip would be like.
The pricing varies depending upon
the time of year. When we went
we paid $550 for two shooters and
$150 for each additional shooter.
Mark supplies the boat, the bows
(right- and left-handed) and everything you need except a fishing
license, sunscreen and polarized
glasses. This is truly a trip of your
lifetime.
PAGE 16
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
August Monthly Meeting
August 12, 2010
Our last monthly meeting was graciously hosted by Beretta Gallery in Highland Park Village.
They generously offered their store facility, drinks and hors‘ d oeuvres for our enjoyment.
PAGE 17
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
Hosted By:
Beretta Gallery
Everyone had fun and did some shopping.
Big thanks to Dianne, Seth, Chris and Ron for their outstanding hospitality!
PAGE 18
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
Joe Riekers Odyssey — The End!
I'm home! I took a while to
unpack and then handed out a
bucket full of goodies to my boys
and my wife. Surprisingly, the
Tuffpak with rifles enclosed arrived at my house before I did! I
cers. For the most part, I was an
inconvenience and a responsibility. Those of you who know me
personally can probably figure out
the "hook" that got me a free trip
over there and arranged the privi-
those interested:
Punch 405 = 402.4
Nosler Partition 300 = 295.4
Kodiak Solid 450 = 448.8 even
though it mushroomed
Kodiak 405 Bonded Core = 402.4
dropped the Alligator head off at a
freeze-dry taxidermist in St. Aug,
FL. He had a batch of stuff ready
to go in the deep freeze so he got
my head ready very quickly. It too
was waiting for me when I got
home. The 'gator meat and boar
meat made it home too.
lege of participating this the
GCO's.
When you are a hunting
client in Africa, you are treated
like royalty. Daily laundry, cleaning, cooking - just the way you
like it, anything you need shows
up instantly and it is a great time.
Northfork 450 Solid = 449.2
Hammerhead 540 gr hardcast =
244.4
Thanks for the well
wishes! If anyone has any questions please feel free to e-mail or
PM me.
It's great to be back!
The Dark Continent part of
the trip was NOT a hunting trip. I
accompanied Game Control Offi-
What I did has nothing to do with
a Safari.
I weighed the bullets, for
UPCOMING MEETINGS
October 14, 2010
December 9, 2010
Quail Tech Alliance
Conservation Efforts for
Restoration of Quail in Texas
Holiday Party
Orvis Dallas
November 11, 2010
January 13, 2011
Bill Kinder
Speaking on Entertaining Topics
from his Outdoor Radio Show
Pending
PAGE 19
Woods and Waters Foundation
would like to donate to
Potential Eagle Scouts
We are offering a $100 donation for assistance
on an Eagle Scouts Service Project. We have
notified Circle 10 Boy Scouts of America of this
offer and they will notify all Circle 10 Troops. We
require a written request describing the project
and our board will select one Scout each month
to receive $100 for use on their project. We
only ask that the Scout submit an article and
pictures of the completed project for our use in
upcoming issues of the DWWC monthly .
Request should be sent to:
Woods and Waters Foundation
1221 W. Campbell Rd, #215 Richardson, TX
75080
214-570-8700
www.dwwcc.org
Go to our website to see stories on
past Eagle Projects.
www.Hunt-BC.com
British Columbia Adventure
Moose, Black Bear, Grizzly, Mountain Goat
DWWC Outfitter Member
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
PAGE 20
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
DEADLINE FOR ARTICLES AND
PICTURES FOR THE
OCTOBER NEWSLETTER
IS SEPTEMBER 17TH .
Please submit via EMAIL to [email protected]
MEMORIALS to the Woods and Waters Foundation
The following memorials have been made during the past year. You may make a donation to the Woods &
Waters Foundation in Memory of a loved one, simply by sending a check made payable to WWF in
Memory Of (Person‘s Name)
MEMORIAL
DONOR
RECIPIENT
George Halley
Claude Watson, Jr.
Irene Zanni
Jack Sherrard III
Jeff Boruff (TP&W)
Jim Breaux Father
Lamar Roberson
Salvador Torres
Mike O‘Neal
Judge Robert Cole
E.C. White
Steve Stroube
John Houston Sample
Susan Rothrock
Bernard Pell
DWWC
DWWC
John Laverty Friend
John Laverty
DWWC
John Laverty
John Laverty
DWWC
Curtis Frisbie, Jr.
Curtis Frisbie, Jr.
DWWC
DWWC
Curtis Frisbie, Jr.
John Laverty Friend
John Laverty Friend
Foundation
Glaucoma Research
Foundation
Foundation
Foundation
Foundation
Foundation
Foundation
Foundation
Foundation
Foundation
Foundation
Foundation
Foundation
Foundation
PAGE 21
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
Members Bulletin Board
NOTICE
This is service to DWWC members.
Personal ONLY. No commercial advertising. You may submit your ad by email to
[email protected]. Please send in Word format as an attachment. We can post for three months; however, if your item sells prior to
that time, please email or call the office and we will remove the ad.
For Sale:
30-06 Remington Bolt Action Model BDL 700, with Leupold Vari - XIII 3.5 X 10 Gold Scope Ring,
$800. Tom Stone at 214-537-2451
Great rifle to carry around on the lease or anywhere! New Ruger Stainless Steel Ranch Rifle in .223 with
black laminate stock, manual, trigger lock, one 5rd mag, one set of Ruger rings. Asking $750. (Retails for
$799 + $65 tax in Ft. Worth and Grapevine.)
Terry Beaver - 972-377-7592
Hunting Lease:
We have 2 spots available on 2,100 acres. Foard County, Crowell,TX. Quail, dove, turkey, hogs. 3 ½ hr.
easy drive from Metroplex. This will be our 4th year on this lease. $1,800.00 per gun.
Allen Smith 214-766-5914.
Looking for 2 hunters to share 320 acres year round lease at $1,500 per gun. Land is near Aspermont, TX
(approx. 50 miles west of Throckmorton) and is about one-half mile north of Brazos River. Property has not
been hunted on for years and has deer, turkey, quail, hogs and dove. At present no accommodations, but
planning on in near future.
Contact Tom Stone at 972-941-8555 or 214-537-2451.
Professional Shotgun Fitting:
With Try-Gun, ammo included & measurements recorded (Alterations available separately)
$175 at our range 40 miles E. of Dallas or $200 at your facility
Contact Joe Riekers at (469) 338-0071
Stock Work:
Finishing or Refinishing/Repair, Inletting, Glass Bedding, Shaping, Sanded in Oil or Gloss Polyurethane
finish. Very competitive prices.
Jeff Waguespack 214-739-0534
PAGE 22
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
Membership Drive Rules 2010
We are very excited to launch the DWWC Membership Drive for the year
2010. It is our hope that every member of DWWC will sponsor at least one
new member this year. We know that each of you have friends or acquaintances interested in hunting, fishing, clay bird or target shooting, outdoor activities, and conservation and youth programs. Now is the time to approach them
and get them to join DWWC. They will be glad you took the time and interest
to get them to join, and you will be glad to have more of your friends and acquaintances in the organization.
If you get a new member to join during the Membership Drive period, you
could win a great prize. If you get the most new members to join during the
Membership Drive period, you will win an incredible prize.
Here are the rules for the Membership Drive:
1. Each person sponsoring a new, paid member of DWWC during the Membership Drive
period, will receive one entry in a drawing.
2. A "new member" is one who has not been a DWWC member since January 1, 2010.
3. Each person sponsoring a new, paid Life Member will receive five entries for the drawing.
4. Each current member upgrading his or her membership to Life Member will receive
two entries for the drawing.
5. Retroactive credit for new members will be given to January 1, 2010. Thus, the
“Membership Drive period” will be January 1, 2010 through and including December 31,
2010.
6. This Membership Drive is valid only for paid new members; complimentary memberships are not eligible for the drawing.
7. Drawing will be held at the monthly meeting in January 2011. The winner need not be
present to win.
8. Each month, the names of the new members joining the previous month, and the
sponsoring members, will be published in the DWWC newsletter.
9. There will be an additional prize that will be awarded to the DWWC member who
sponsors the most new, paid members during the Membership Drive period. This prize
will also be awarded at the monthly meeting in January 2011.
PAGE 23
V O LU M E 6 , I S S U E 9
Membership Application
Dallas Woods and Waters Club, Inc.
1221 W. Campbell Road, Suite 215
Richardson, TX 75080
Membership Dues
New Member Special Dues:
Jan-June
$75
July-Sept
$100 1 ½ yr.
Oct – Dec.
$75 1 ¼ yr.
All renewals are due Jan. 1st
Name:
Ph. (214) 570-8700
Fax (214) 570-8702
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.dwwcc.org
 Family $75 Annual
 Outfitter $50 Annual
 Corporate $200 Annual for 3 people
 Our Heroes - Comp.
 Life $750
Spouse Name:
(First)
(Initial)
(Last)
Residence Address:
City:
State:
Home Phone:
Cell Phone:
Fax:
E-mail:
Business Name:
Zip:
Job Title/Occupation:
Business Address:
City:
State:
Business Phone:
Fax:
Business E-mail:

Mail Correspondence to:
Zip:
 Residence
 Business

How did you learn about
DWWC?
 Friend
 Auction
 Show Booth
 Newspaper
 Other

Referred By -
Type of payment:
 Cash
 Check
Credit Card:
 Visa
 MasterCard
Card #
Applicant‘s Signature:
 Amex
Exp. Date:
Date:
Dallas Woods and Waters Club
1221 W. Campbell Road, Suite 215
Richardson, Texas 75080
LIFE MEMBERS
Hal Ahlberg
William Everitt
Bryan Moore
Kyle Bibb
Dick Foster
Raymond Murski
Joseph Blimline
Alan Frisbie
Paul Newman
Joe Bashara
Curtis L. Frisbie Jr.
Charles Oliver*
Jim Breaux
Curtis L. Frisbie III
Tim Parris
David Chaney*
Ronald Gard
Jeffrey R. Potter
Ed Clarke
Jay Griffin
Jessie Richardson
Dennis Connally
Don Grogan*
Allen Smith
Glenn Coterill
Jay Guillory
Tom Stone
Tim Cutts
Edward Juarez
Don Weempe
David Daniel
John Laverty
John Yowell
Jeff Dargatz
Alan Linson
Rod Zielke
Jack Davis*
Colin G. Martin
Bob Evans
*EMERITUS STATUS