Del Rio Grande 1118

NOVEMBER 2018

EXOTIC EATS Wild Game Dinner offers guns and grub

GIRLS WITH GUNS Cabello sisters hit the mark

NOVEMBER 2018 $3.99

PASSING IT ON

Hunters work with youth to keep traditions alive

The Hunting Issue GRANDE / NOVEMBER 2018

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FROM THE EDITOR IF YOU LOVE IT, PASS IT ON PUBLISHER Sandra Castillo EDITOR Karen Gleason CREATIVE DIRECTOR Megan Tackett WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Karen Gleason Taylor Goodwin Megan Tackett Derome West ADVERTISING Xochitl Arteaga Alicia Jimenez Ashley Lopez PRODUCTION Jorge Alarcon Roland Cardenas Antonio Morales EDITORIAL karen.gleason@delrionewsherald.com 830-775-1551, Ext. 247 ADVERTISING ashley.lopez@delrionewsherald.com 830-775-1551, Ext. 250 STORY IDEAS karen.gleason@delrionewsherald.com

2205 North Bedell Avenue • Del Rio, TX 78840 delrionewsherald.com Del Rio Grande is published by the Del Rio News-Herald.

No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without written permission of the publisher. Editorial content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher of this magazine.

Editorial and advertising does not constitute advice but is considered informative.

Our son, whom Michael G. and I call “The Boy,” was very small when he wanted his first gun. I think several of his neighborhood friends were the sons of hunters, and they had graduated from Nerf pistols to BB guns, and The Boy longed to follow suit.

This was not an easy decision for us as parents. There were no guns in our home, and neither Mike nor I hunted. I have been opposed to sport hunting since I was a child, and I think Mike gave up the rifles and shotguns he owned when we were married in a show of solidarity with my passionate views on this subject.

Now here was our son, taking his first steps toward becoming a hunter. It was, for me, an uncomfortable time.

We eventually bought him a BB gun, but we tried to instill in his mind an understanding of the almost god-like power a gun bestows: the power of life and death over another living being.

To this end, we had many long conversations about those deep subjects, as well as “teaching moments” when we encountered a dead animal out in the field.

The Boy seemed to take all this in with an uncharacteristic seriousness, but continued wanting to learn how to shoot.

When he was a few years older, we turned to a long-time friend of the family, Larry Pope, who at the time was a firearms instructor for the sheriff’s office here, and he took The Boy to the range and passed on his own knowledge and instruction.

Much to my relief, The Boy never became a hunter, but he remains an avid shooter and owns a number of firearms.

In this month’s issue, which is our annual hunting edition, we talked with several families who have “passed on” the love of shooting and hunting, parent to child.

In the case of the Ballards, that love spans three generations, and we appreciate their patience in talking with us about it.

We also want to thank the Cabellos, Thomas and Veronica, who have passed on their love of shooting and hunting to their three daughters, Catalina, Micaela and Carmen.

One of the things that struck me as I reviewed the material for this issue was the lengths that the older generation of shooters and hunters went through to make sure their children understood the importance of a humane killing shot and how they prepared their children to take that shot.

I’d also like to say thank you to Derome West, who once again contributed an outstanding piece for this issue, and to Taylor Goodwin, whose words and wonderful photographs also grace these pages.

We hope you enjoy!

Karen Gleason Grande Editor

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GRANDE / NOVEMBER 2018

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CONTENTS 8

CALENDAR Keep busy this month at these local events.

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WILD GAME DINNER Guns and great grub are the heart of this annual fundraiser.

16

PASSING IT ON The Cabello family shares love of shooting, hunting.

22

COCKTAIL Sotol is a fiery spirit born in the desert.

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PASSING IT ON

49

OUTDOOR INFLUENCE

Three generations of the Ballard family maintain shooting, hunting traditions.

Mother Nature inspires our November picks.

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OUTDOOR LIFE

PASSING IT ON Derome West looks back on his greatest hunt.

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PASSING IT ON Youth hunt camp inspires outdoor adventures.

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COLD WEATHER COUTURE Featuring Miss Del Rio Nadia Martinez and Miss Del Rio Teen Kaylee Nicole Yi.

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Taylor Goodwin loves the great outdoors whether he’s carrying a camera or a gun.

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OUT THERE A walk on the wild side through the lens of photographer Taylor Goodwn.

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LAST LOOK Our creative director wraps up the November issue.

On the cover: Seventeen-year-old Catalina Cabello and her two younger sisters learned to shoot under the watchful eyes of their father and a series of coaches at the Val Verde County 4H Shooting Sports Program. Now, she’s one of the best shots in the county.

• Photo by Karen Gleason 6

GRANDE / NOVEMBER 2018

GRANDE / NOVEMBER 2018

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Wild Game Dinner: Guns ’n’ grub for a good cause Story and photos by MEGAN TACKETT

E

very year, avid hunters, meat-eaters and firearms enthusiasts gather for a night of carnivorous dining and gun raffling at one of Del Rio’s largest fundraisers.

The Wild Game Dinner, hosted by the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce’s Special Projects Committee, features a freshcooked wild game buffet and a massive gun raffle, offering a unique evening for seasoned hunters and those who want experience the taste of “gamey” meats alike.

The challenge event organizers face, said Special Project Committee member Tod Townsend, is bringing new flavor and excitement to the meaty feast each and every year.

“We try to make the guns better, the atmosphere better,” Townsend said. “We try to improve every single year that we can.”

More than 1,200 people attended the 2017 dinner, which included more than 500 pounds of cooked wild hog, deep fried turkey, bacon-wrapped deer backstrap and sausage made from pork, venison, cheese and jalapeño.

Throughout the indulgent dinner, 125 guns, from manufacturers including Browning, Ruger, Mossberg, Remington, Del-Ton and Howa, were raffled off to happy winners. The guns remain on display throughout the evening to tempt diners into purchasing additional raffle tickets to increase their odds of adding one to their cherished gun case.

The event relies heavily on volunteers from Del Rio schools and organizations, including Val Verde County’s 4H program, Del Rio High School’s Future Business Leaders of America students, culinary arts program members, ROTC participants and members of the welding program.

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The Del Rio Chamber of Commerce’s Special Projects Committee will host the annual Wild Game Dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Del Rio Civic Center.

“We try to make the guns better, the atmosphere better,” Townsend said. “We try to improve every single year that we can.”

“We always try to give them something different,” Townsend said. “(The sausage) is incredible. I’ve heard many people say they want more of that.”

Although the dinner isn’t typically served until 7 p.m., volunteers arrived at the civic center at about 6 a.m. to begin cooking, said chamber membership coordinator Mayte Casas.

About 200 volunteers turned out last year to help

dish up the dinner from schools and organizations, including Laughlin AFB, the Boy Scouts, Sacred Heart, the Queen City Belles, the 4H program and Del Rio High School’s FBLA, robotics program, culinary arts program, Early College High School, ROTC and welding program, which Townsend oversees.

“Without the volunteers we would not be able

GRANDE / NOVEMBER 2018

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Volunteers from local organizations and schools help serve dinner from the buffet, which includes wild boar, deer backstrap, sausage and other sides.

Raffle tickets are drawn from this large custom tumbler, created by the Del Rio High School’s CTE construction students.

Dinner guests have a chance to win one or more of the 125 guns that are raffled off each year.

The Wild Game Dinner’s corporate tables include decorative centerpieces, official caps and a bottle of wine from Val Verde Winery.

IF YOU GO: make this event happen,” Casas said.

The dinner is so chock-full with adventurous entrees and firearms frenzy, attendants might forget the event’s primary goal is to raise funding for the chamber and its countless endeavors.

Money raised from the dinner helps fund the chamber’s scholarship programs and its efforts to promote Del Rio in neighboring areas, including sponsoring other large community events, like bass fishing competitions, to bring more people to the Queen City. •

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GRANDE / NOVEMBER 2018

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Girls with GUNS The Cabello sisters leave their mark Story by Karen Gleason; photos by Karen Gleason and Veronica Cabello

As a child, Catalina Cabello took her first shots with a BB gun under the watchful eyes of her father, avid outdoorsman Thomas Cabello.

I

n many respects, 17-year-old Catalina Cabello, who goes by the nickname of Cat, seems very much like many other young women poised on the cusp of adulthood.

But her ready smile and easygoing demeanor belie some of her other characteristics; for instance, her nearly-unerring aim on the 4H rifle range and her deadly accuracy in the field.

To look at her, you wouldn’t automatically think of her as one of the best shooters in a county shooting program filled with great shooters, but she is.

Cat’s proficiency with firearms began at the side of her father, Thomas Cabello, principal at the Del Rio Freshman School.

“I was raised around firearms. The initial introduction to shooting was through my dad. I’m from Laredo originally, and we’d go to the rifle range. When I showed a desire to learn archery, he bought me a compound bow, when I was in middle school or 16

GRANDE / NOVEMBER 2018

early in high school. We didn’t have a ranch, but he had a friend who would periodically take us hunting, so my dad and I would go.

We couldn’t go with high frequency, but I would enjoy it when we went,” Cabello recalled.

He said he was 13 years old when he began hunting with his father.

“In fact, during that time, the only deer I harvested was a doe.

My dad and I were in a blind together, and a doe came out, and he got what you call ‘buck fever,’ even though it was a doe. He was trembling so much he couldn’t take the shot, and we both had our rifles on the deer, and he said, ‘If you have a shot, take it,’ and I did.

I harvested the doe,” Cabello said.

He said the day remains as one of his most powerful memories of hunting with his father.

“He was a very strong man, very strong-natured, and I saw him

Catalina “Cat” Cabello, 17, is one of the topranked shooters in the Val Verde County 4H Shooting Sports Program. Here, she is pictured on the 4H shooting range with the Anschütz 2003 target rifle she uses during shooting competitions at the county, district and state level.

GRANDE / NOVEMBER 2018

17

Cat was five when she fired her first firearm, a small BB gun. vulnerable in that moment. The ‘buck fever’ overcame him, and he “That was the first time I’d held a rifle that wasn’t a toy, and as a trusted me enough to take the shot,” Cabello said. five-year-old that was big deal to me. . . At the house where we lived Cabello’s father died when he was 18 and a senior in high school. before, my dad would set up soda cans in the backyard. I missed a Education and work took precedence in Cabello’s life, and he didn’t lot, but every now and then I’d get one, and that was nice,” she said. really return to the field until he moved to Del Rio in 2001.

Cabello said he didn’t immediately see the natural talent for “That was concurrent with Catalina’s birth. My wife and I met shooting in his eldest daughter. in college, and we were living in San Antonio. We stayed up there “I followed the format that my father had followed with me, so after college, but when we got pregnant with Catalina, I wanted to I introduced them to firearms and safety, the basics. One, for the live closer to family, so it was either Laredo, where I’m from, or Del love of shooting, and I wanted to introduce them to hunting, to see Rio. I always enjoyed visiting Del Rio when I would come visit her if they would join me, but also for knowledge of firearms, because family, so we moved here,” Cabello said. we have them in the house. Should they choose to have their own “My wife has an uncle who did a lot of bowhunting out at the guns when they grow up, I want them to be responsible firearm lake, but he had no one to join him, so I was re-introduced to owners,” he said. bowhunting here. We’d go out to those public lands, and I loved it.

Cabello said he also introduced . . In latter years, I have an uncle, who the girls to the Val Verde County for many years had a lease out toward 4H Shooting Sports Program, which Ozona, and over the course of several happens to be one of the largest and years, we’ve been going as guests most successful shooting programs with him to that lease, since the girls in the state, thanks to the efforts of were young,” Cabello said. coaches like Gary Humphreys, Emily The relative has since passed away, Cooper, James Ballard and Rowdy and Cabello is now the holder of the Ballard. lease.

“With the initial involvement in the “Another very powerful memory: 4H shooting program, I just wanted We were at this lease, leaving, and someone to teach them the proper this was several years ago when the use of a rifle, so that when we go girls were younger. We were in the hunting, they could make a humane truck and heading out, and Ronnie kill, but as the years went by, they actually spotted a buck up on a hill. got really good at it. I’m really, really So we stopped, and I took a shot proud of them, but it was actually just from the road, from my truck, and a byproduct. The initial motivation of course we were still on the ranch was, if you can hit that black spot, you property, about a 200-yard shot can hit where you need to, to make a and harvested it. What was neat humane kill,” Cabello said. was that we were all there. The girls As hunters, Cabello said, he were in the back, Ronnie was in the wanted to make absolutely sure his passenger side, and she even counted daughters were deadly. down, ‘Three, two, one, shoot,’ and I “I wanted them to learn how to shot,” Cabello recalled. handle a rifle so that they could go Cabello said teaching his daughters hunting with me and make a clean to shoot and to hunt was a natural Thomas Cabello gets ready to help steady a BB gun held by his kill, a clean harvest, a humane shot. outgrowth of his own love of the youngest daughter, Carmen, as she takes her first steps toward The targets that they shoot at (in outdoors. becoming a shooter and hunter. the 4H program), if they can hit that “I enjoy it, and I wanted to pass it target, they can make a humane kill. Well, after years, their ability on to them, and hopefully they would enjoy it too, and I believe through their coaches, specifically through Ms. (Emily) Cooper and they have. In various capacities, I think all three of them enjoy the Ballards . . . Carmen is transitioning from prone, laying down, being out at the lease, being out and about, being out shooting. I to standing, but this is year one for her,” he said. wanted to have something that we could do together. Catalina and Cat said she doesn’t recall a time in her life when she wasn’t Mika have harvested (a deer). Carmen, this will probably be her around firearms. first year. She knows how to shoot, but this will probably be the “I grew up around firearms. I didn’t know that there were people year that I’ll introduce her to a caliber strong enough to harvest a who didn’t. I just thought that it was normal for everybody to know deer,” he said. how to use a rifle, to learn how to use a bow. I didn’t know any But Cabello said he was also fine with the thought that his different,” she said with a smile.• daughters would not enjoy either shooting or hunting.

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GRANDE / NOVEMBER 2018

The Cabello family’s youngest daughter, 11-year-old Carmen, is trying out for the Val Verde County 4H shooting team this year. Carmen’s oldest sister, Catalina, is one of the program’s top shooters, and her 15-year-old sister, Micaela, was on the team last year.

GRANDE / NOVEMBER 2018

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Desert Sotol

PALOMA Recipe courtesy of DELLA SHACKELFORD; photo by KAREN GLEASON

T

he first thing you should know about sotol is that it’s not tequila.

Sotol is the name of a clear, fiery spirit distilled from the wild desert plant of the same name, sotol, a perennial succulent that grows in the Chihuahuan Desert of northern Mexico and Texas with spiny teeth along its long green leaves. Long thought to be a member of the agave family, more recent DNA testing shows that sotol is a member of the dasylirion family.

Most sotol producers are found in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Durango, but recently a Texas sotol distillery has begun distributing

its product, Desert Door Sotol, from its distillery in Driftwood, Texas, located in west Texas, according to Della Shackelford, owner of Del Rio’s Lechuguilla Liquors.

Shackelford, who carries both the traditional Mexican and the new Texas sotol, said her favorite way to enjoy these spirits is ice cold or splashed over a few ice cubes. She added, though, that sotol can really be substituted for tequila in nearly every recipe calling for that spirit.

The Desert Door Sotol comes with a recipe for a “Desert Sotol Paloma,” which we’ve included here. •

Ingredients • 1.5 ounce sotol • 1 ounce grapefruit juice • ½ ounce lime juice • ½ ounce agave nectar • Splash of soda, if desired

Method • Blend thoroughly and serve.

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Three generations of Ballards on the range of the Val Verde County 4H Shooting Sports range at the county fairgrounds. From left, James Ballard with the Winchester M-75 he shot while competing for the county, Braden Ballard with the AnschĂźtz 2003 he shot in competition last year and which he will likely use again this year, and Rowdy Ballard with the AnschĂźtz 54 he shot competitively in the early 1980s.

Passing it On:

The Ballards Three generations keep hunting, shooting tradition alive Story and photos by Karen Gleason

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GRANDE / NOVEMBER 2018

F

began shooting as children and both made the senior rifle team or three generations of Val Verde County’s Ballard two years in a row. family, shooting and hunting is as natural as breathing.

“About the time (Rowdy) got interested in shooting, there was Members of all three generations, including another gentleman that ranched out in that area, too, and the James Ballard, his son Rowdy Ballard and his grandchildren, (shooting) coach at the time, I knew him, too, he was a rancher, Darby, Braden and Sydney Ballard, have honed their skills as and he had his boys in there, but the program they had was, successful competitors in the Val Verde County 4H Shooting it didn’t seem like it was going anywhere, so this gentleman, Sports Program, one of the largest and most successful shooting Mr. H.K. Fawcett, he and sports programs in Texas.

I got together and kind of “This all started in high took over . . . We got the school. I don’t know how ball rolling, and we went it came about exactly, but in and ended buying some one day somebody asked different rifles because me, ‘You want to go out for we’d seen what was in the the rifle team?’ and I said, ‘I competitions in the early don’t know.’ This was back ’80s,” Ballard said. in the early ’60s. I didn’t “When I was on the even know they had such (shooting) team, our coach a thing. Later I found out just kind of showed up and that they had started back said, ‘Ok, here’s the rifle, in the late 1940s. I thought here’s the target, go ahead I’d go try it out, and I made and shoot.’ There was no the team in sophomore and coaching in it. So when H.K. junior year,” said James and I got in there, we got Ballard. a book out, the NRA had a “We grew up at the student handbook, and we ranch, and we were always went through that, here’s shooting .22s, stuff like that. the procedure that we do, so It was no big deal. This was we started to plan that out, just kind of a formality. I and we started using those, made the team, and I think and our kids got to be a little I shot for three years, until I better and we thought, ‘Oh. graduated from high school.

It’s making a difference,’” he After high school, Ballard said. continued his education, Now Rowdy has children then went to work for the of his own, and they are railroad. shooting as well.

“In between trips, I’d go “I think I was five when back to the ranch. We were I shot my first deer, but I always hunting rabbits, was with my uncle, Lonnie, birds and deer. It was James Ballard, one of the coaches for the Val Verde County Shooting Sports Program, gives some advice to his grandson, Braden Ballard, during a and I shot it with his .25-06 just something that was recent practice. there at the ranch at Loma natural,” he said.

Alta, but I’ve always been Passing his love of around guns my whole life, BB guns. . . I didn’t walk around shooting and hunting on to his son Rowdy was just as natural. unsupervised with a .22 until I was 12, but with a big rifle, like “It was just kind of an extension, because we’d go and work you’d shoot a deer with, I was always with my dad or my uncle. stock out there. In the off-time, when we weren’t working kids Even at the house, we had a gun cabinet there at the house. or rounding up, there was always things to do, like, ‘Let’s go It had a glass door, and you could see all the guns inside it,” hunting, get your gun.’ He just kind of picked it up thataway,” said Rowdy Ballard, who was named for the Clint Eastwood the elder Ballard recalled. character, Rowdy Yates, in the TV western series “Rawhide.”

Rowdy and his sister Kristine “Kiki” Ballard Gladson both

GRANDE / NOVEMBER 2018

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Rowdy Ballard, left, watches as his son Braden Ballard takes aim during a recent practice. Braden Ballard is one of the returning members of the senior rifle team, which came in second during state competition in 2017.

Rowdy Ballard said he has a lot of good memories of going hunting and shooting with his father.

“Dad was always on me about walking quietly and little things like that, giving me tidbits about picking up my feet.

‘Don’t kick those rocks,’ things like that. He walked fast and I had little short legs so I was always trying to keep up,” the younger Ballard recalled.

“I was in sixth grade, I believe, and he and mom pulled us out of school and we went to Colorado for a whole month.

He went up there as an elk (hunting) guide, and we got to go up there in the mountains and we stayed up there the whole month. That same thing, trying to follow him and not making a lot of noise; he was walking in the snow, and I was making a lot of noise, so I started trying to jump into his footprints so I wouldn’t make so much noise, but that was pretty neat,”

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Ballard said.

Rowdy Ballard, born and raised in Del Rio, has been a federal law enforcement officer for nearly 24 years, and it is a career he enjoys.

“I’m not much of a desk guy or an office guy. I always make fun of dad, because I was on the horse unit when we first started. I’ve been involved with the horse unit since 2004 when the program started. I always say the government pays me a whole lot more than he ever did for riding a horse. I’ve been riding horses since I was five,” he said.

Ballard said there was never any conscious decision to pass the hunting and shooting traditions of his family on to his own children, Darby, Braden and Sydney.

“We had the ranch there at Loma Alta, we had the ranch in Hondo, and my wife’s from Wall, and her family farms and

The 2017 senior rifle team from Val Verde County that placed second in state competition. From left, Rowdy Ballard, coach; Braden Ballard, Isaac Diaz, Catalina “Cat” Cabello, Blaine Burk and Gary Humphreys, coach.

they’ve been around farms their whole lives, too,” Ballard said.

Ballard joked that as shooters, he at least knows his kids will never go hungry.

“I mean, in college, I pretty much lived off deer meat,” he laughed.

Ballard also shot competitively in the county’s 4H shooting sports program.

“I was in it from 1979 to 1988, but we didn’t have all the fancy gear that they have now,” he said.

All three of the Ballard children have shot or shoot competitively. Darby, the oldest, began shooting when she was in third grade.

All three of them are excellent shots.

“Darby gets mad about this, but she was really my guinea pig. As I learned coaching techniques, I passed them on to her, but as she got older I was able to pass all that on to Braden and Sydney, so she didn’t get the full benefit of everything I learned,” Ballard said.

Darby, 20, is now studying biomedical engineering at Texas A&M. Braden is a senior at Del Rio High School, and Sydney is a freshman.

All three of his children have different strengths as shooters:

Darby was the best student, Braden had the greatest natural ability, and Sydney has the most passion to compete.

Ballard also became a firearms instructor for the agency where he works and taught for six months at its national academy.

He and his father now coach Braden and Sydney and other members of the 4H club’s shooting sports team.

James Ballard said, “It was just something that came natural to us. It’s just something we picked up and did. I think what this is, and what I tried to tell them, is that it teaches them responsibility, about what they do, how to have respect for the firearms. That’s my main interest in this. I don’t really care as much about them making the teams . . .What I like to see is the fundamentals, how they do it, how they handle the gun, stuff like that, safety. If I get that across to them and teach them how to make a good shot, well, that’s the most important thing.”

“That’s the purpose of having a rifle and being a good shot, is when you go hunting or something like that, you want to make a good, clean shot. You want to hit your mark, not just wound something,” he added. •

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Passing it On: A father recalls his greatest hunt Story and photos by DEROME WEST

Avid hunter Derome West and his son Michael, shown here when Michael joined his dad on a dove hunt. West is a U.S. Army veteran and a helicopter pilot for the Texas Department of Public Safety.

I

t was something preached and practiced relentlessly while I was in the military; every ranger had to know his position and that of the man above him. You hear it in professional sports, too. Each player must be ready to step in and step up if the starter is injured or taken out of the game.

It’s often called the “next man up.”

As hunters, the next generation is our “next man up.” It is incumbent upon us to lead, mentor and foster a passion for the outdoors in our youth and young hunters. With the popularity and accessibility of computers, electronics and game stations, the outdoors and nature are taking a back seat. The availability

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and access to hunting lands and the high costs of hunting are other hurdles we must overcome. Involvement and accessibility are the keys to passing on our hunting heritage, and it is our responsibility.

I remember many days as a child, running through the woods of my family’s property near Lake Delton, Wisc. I would pretend to be an Indian and try to stalk close to deer and other wildlife. I would build makeshift blinds out of the branches and bushes. I was honing my outdoorsman skills, and all the while I thought I was playing. Xboxes, cell phones, iPads and other electronics didn’t exist then. I had to use my imagination

Eight-year-old Michael West after his first successful hunt with dad, Derome West. He is shown with the Rio Grande turkey he shot with his crossbow.

Cooper West, left, and his brother Michael West join their dad Derome West on a deer hunt.

Cooper has a deer call and both boys were ready to help.

and the woods became my playground.

Twelve was the legal hunting age for children in my home state, and a hunter’s safety course was required if you were to hunt alone. I still remember learning firearms safety and ethics from that class. I attended with my childhood friend, and both of us eagerly anticipated the upcoming season.

The rifle season was just nine days long. It started the Saturday before Thanksgiving and ended the Sunday after. The school basically shut down, as most kids were on an approved absence to join their families “up north.” “Up north” was the only description needed, and everyone understood that it meant you were going deer hunting.

Sleep never came easy that Friday night before opening day. My uncle would have all of the necessary gear laid out on the pool table in the basement. Our required hunter orange clothing, ammo, thermoses filled with hot cocoa or coffee, rifles in their cases, lunches packed in brown sacks, extra socks, winter boots, gloves and caps completed the layout.

I still lay out my gear before a hunt to this very day. It helps me curb the excitement and gives me the reassurance that nothing is forgotten.

My uncle would come down the stairs in predawn darkness of the morning and flip on the light. “Daylight in the swamps,” he would say, and for many years that became my wake up call.

You could cut the excitement with a knife on those mornings, and I never needed a second call or a snooze button.

My Uncle Gerald passed away a few years ago, while I was “up north” hunting. I was able to visit him in the hospital and thank him for the wonderful gift of the outdoors he had given me and fostered throughout my life. He was my hero.

Today, I have two small boys of my own. Michael, 8, and Cooper, 6, and each have a desire to learn about hunting and the outdoors. Since they were old enough to understand firearms and safety, they have been taught the foundations on which they will raise their own morals and practices.

Both have fired rifles and pistols and understand the danger and risks involved. I firmly believe that children who are raised to respect and understand firearms are less likely to have accidents with them.

The boys have helped me fill feeders, set out trail cameras, set up blinds and stands and clear shooting lanes. They are learning the basics and fundamental skills needed to be safe and ethical hunters. I talk to them about ethics, safety and the rules and regulations that must be followed. They already understand game laws and know why they are important.

Wildlife belongs to all the people and must be managed to ensure conservation and availability for future generations.

Sustainable utilization and sound management practices should be taught to every young hunter; after all, it is their future.

I have always battled with what age is “old enough” for my boys to begin hunting. I had the preconceived idea that 12 would be the right age, since that’s when I started. Those battles were a waste of time; each child will let you know when he or she is ready. If they understand the taking of life, the utilization of the animal and are safe and lethal with their weapon, then

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and thanked him for calling my turkey in for me. they are ready.

He beamed with pride and thanked me for bringing him along. I Two years ago, I was preparing to go on an afternoon turkey hugged him and with that gesture, my greatest hunt was complete. hunt in the spring. My oldest, Michael, asked if he could come We tagged the big old bird and returned home to process the meat along. I agreed and in the back of my mind, I thought that not and also mount the tail and beard. much hunting would be done.

I have been blessed to hunt many places, all over the world. I Like most seven-year-olds, he was fidgety and talkative. I knew have taken animals some have never heard of in places many only it would be important for him to enjoy the afternoon and not be dream of. Of all my time in the field, this was my favorite. My told to be still and quiet all of the time. I chalked the afternoon up son and I, together, hunting turkeys, and both contributing to our to a training session and we set out. success. I was there when he was born into this world and again As we were driving down Highway 90, I let Michael practice when he was born a hunter. I could not have been prouder, or so with an old box call I had in my truck. I slid the handle over the I thought. box and made all kinds of squeaks and squawks. They didn’t Michael was given a crossbow by a dear friend who the boys sound like the yelps, putts and purrs I usually made, but he didn’t call “Pops”. The recoil from a rifle was still a little too much for have my years of experience either. him, so we thought a crossbow would be the perfect tool for his We pulled in to the ranch, I grabbed our packs, my shotgun and first hunt. He practiced with it until each shot hit the bull’s eye decoy, and we set out to find a spot in the brush to hide ourselves at 20 yards. He learned how to be safe with it, how to hold it and and set out the decoy. Michael insisted on bringing the box call, how to load it. He was ready for his and against my better judgment, I first time as the hunter, and I was agreed. excited for him.

I found an old fallen tree, and I We headed out for our now checked it for unwanted visitors “I congratulated him favorite turkey spot, along the Pinto like snakes and scorpions before and hugged him, my Creek near Brackettville at my we sat down. We were both fully friend’s place. This time, we took camouflaged, and I set up some pride overflowing. a pop-up blind since I wanted to other brush in front of us to hide us I had now capture the event on film to enjoy further. Turkeys have great eyesight again. and even small movements are experienced my We set our decoys up and settled often detected and result in a busted greatest hunt. in to the blind. I had my camera on a hunt. tripod and two tactacams mounted I chambered a shell in my My son had followed on Michael’s crossbow. This time, shotgun, and we began to wait. in my footsteps I would do most of the calling, and Michael asked if he could do the Michael would do the shooting. He calling, and I again agreed. I wanted and those of our was much more focused and quiet him to experience each part of the ancestors.” this time. He looked determined hunt, not just the shooting of an and excited. animal.

I was nervous enough for the both He again started with his of us. I wanted him to be successful awkward symphony of sounds, and to make a good, clean shot. I told myself over and over that he which only slightly resembled those of a wild turkey. He called had put in the time, practiced and was very capable. I also know on the box for what I knew to be too long, but I wanted him to there are no guarantees when hunting, and wild animals have a feel he was contributing to the hunt. I asked him to stop so we way of scrambling the best laid plans. could listen, and much to my surprise, I heard a distance gobble I started with a few calls; Michael also called a few times to help responding to his calls. I told him to do it again, but just a few me out. It wasn’t long before a hen walked into view. I explained times, and we were again interrupted by a gobble. to Michael how hens were off limits in the spring so they can have This time, the gobble was closer. I knew the turkey was babies and raise them. responding to him and coming to us. I told Michael to stop and Only the males were legal. An adult male turkey is referred to as sit still, and the turkey appeared just to our right, behind some a tom, and a juvenile is called a jake. We were hoping for a mature bushes. He was strutting and looking for the hen he heard in tom with a long beard, indicating an old turkey. the area. He walked into the open, saw the decoy and stopped to The hen stood around for a few minutes before slowly walking investigate it. off to the west. She yelped a few times, and Michael got to hear the Michael broke the silence with, “Shoot him, Daddy,” and sounds we were imitating with our calls.

I listened. It was his first time seeing an animal killed, and he As we were discussing her and her sounds, three jakes appeared remained enthused and excited. I was proud of his participation

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Derome West, right, and Kelton Auxier, left, with his first turkey. “I’ve been blessed to share the hunting heritage with many children,” West said.

to our right. They were walking in a single file line and moving away from us. I saw how one was bigger than the others and asked Michael if he wanted to try to shoot it. He quickly and eagerly agreed.

I yelped at the trio to try to get them to stop, but they continued walking. I didn’t want Michael to take a risky shot at a moving animal, so I held him off. I explained to him that the turkey we had heard gobbling was not a jake and was likely still in the area.

I told him that the turkey we had heard was the one we wanted.

As if on cue, the old tom walked into view. He was in full strut and looked majestic with the light reflecting off his purple chest feathers and bronze back. He had a full tail and a long beard.

This was the turkey I had been hoping for.

Michael took one look and said, “He’s fat.” I told him to put his 20-yard dot on the turkey and to wait. I reached across and flipped off the safety. I intended to yelp to get the turkey to turn, but as soon as I started, Michael pulled the trigger and sent the bolt flying. It hit the turkey perfectly.

I congratulated him and hugged him, my pride overflowing.

I had now experienced my greatest hunt. My son had followed in my footsteps and those of our ancestors. He had just been

inducted into a time-honored tradition.

We took many pictures and processed his very first turkey. He wanted to save it for Thanksgiving so he could share his success with family. He even went so far as to tell our guests that he provided the turkey. I have eaten lots of very tasty wild game, but none as good as that turkey.

Hunting is so much more than the killing of an animal.

Hunting is about teaching young people respect for life and property. It is teaching them sustainable utilization of game.

It is teaching them to be safe and self-sufficient. Hunting also teaches them about heritage and hones their senses.

Hunting teaches them to be human, with compassion and understanding. I am proud of my boys and look forward to these same adventures as Michael progresses and Cooper begins.

Hunting is a vital part of human history and plays a vital role in the management of resources, animals and habitat. It is our tradition to pass on or lose.

It is incumbent upon all responsible hunters to make these adventures accessible and available to our youth. They are the future of this heritage and tradition. When your time is up, will you have prepared your “next up?” •

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Passing it On:

Real Wild Ones Youth hunting programs foster outdoor adventures Story and photos by TAYLOR GOODWIN/TAG OUTDOORS

Jocelyn B. shows off the aoudad she shot on The Herbst Ranch outside Del Rio.

W

hat is hunting? A word so simple, yet so complex depending on who you ask. Ask me that question and you better grab a chair. For me, it has far less to do with killing animals and everything to do with family traditions, respect and connecting with Mother Nature.

I grew up on my family’s farm about 20 miles outside Newport, Ark., which is a town about half the size of Del Rio. I’ve been “going hunting” since I was in diapers and didn’t even know what that word really meant until high school. Around those parts, it was a way of life and an integral part of how most of us were raised.

We would hunt doves beginning Sept. 1 until deer season came around in October, hunt ducks during the winter, hunt turkeys in the spring, then fish during the summer and repeat. Some

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schools in Arkansas didn’t even have class on the first Monday after the opening day of deer season, because it was just that big of a deal.

Everyone understood the importance of being outdoors with friends and family, as if it were a national holiday. No animal may have been harvested, but the lessons learned and positive impact from being outdoors is something that couldn’t be taught in a classroom.

You learned at an early age the value of hard work and putting time into preparing, because all of that would be a direct reflection to how successful you were on your upcoming hunt.

You also learned how to be patient, as nothing came easy, which in turn made you have so much more respect for the animals and birds you were pursuing.

Damien P. with an aoudad he shot on The Herbst Ranch outside Del Rio.

An unidentified youngster grins after a successful hunt for wild turkey on the Herbst Ranch.

Ellice W., with a aoudad she shot on The Herbst Ranch outside Del Rio, with Herbst Ranch owner and outfitter Page Day.

“Safety, responsibility and accountability are always first.

We strongly believe that the experience anyone receives from participating in outdoor activities will last a lifetime and can be passed on for generations to come.”

Donald R. Kemp Youth Hunt Club

That being said, Del Rio may not get out of school for hunting, but the hunting community is definitely strong in these parts as well. Since being here for the past 10 years, I’ve met some of the most genuine, hardworking and likeminded people I know, with outdoor backgrounds similar to my own.

One of my closest friends, Page Day, is a local landowner and outfitter here in Del Rio. We share the same love for the outdoors and know the importance of passing on our knowledge to the next generation of hunters.

Many years ago, Day teamed up with a non-profit youth program from New Mexico called The Donald R. Kemp Youth Hunt Club. Chase Kemp, Roger DiCamillo and Scott Wagner, members of that organization, make the haul from Las Cruces, New Mexico, to Del Rio several times a year with four to six different kids each trip, and it is absolutely wonderful.

Those guys do great things with that youth program, and we love getting to expand their knowledge of the outdoors with everything we do here as well. As

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Frances I. with a white-tail buck after a successful hunt on The Herbst Ranch.

Bodie Hankins cleans an Axis deer after a successful hunt on the Herbst Ranch.

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Day always says, “It’s all about the youth. We have to show them the way. You can’t expect them to learn it on their own. They might like it, they might not, but then again, they might love it too, and that’s when it gets fun.”

For me, getting involved in youth programs changed the way I hunt, or, I should say, the way I don’t hunt. Nowadays, I’m out there with the kids toting around all kinds of camera gear trying not to miss any of the action.

We take these kids out and film everything, and I think it’s great. Their reactions are priceless. We make videos and take pictures for them to have for the rest of their lives. They go back home and share all their stories, videos and pictures with friends and family, and it just puts a smile on my face thinking about it.

Cameras have been a part of my life since I was 15 years old, almost 20 years now. Put me outdoors with a camera in my hand, and I’m in my element.

That’s what our photography and videography company, TAG Outdoors, is based on, our love for all things outdoors. That being said, I truly believe that being outdoors without any electronics, cameras, smartphones, etc., can be an experience only hunters and outdoorsmen know and understand.

There is a slight fear and/or risk of being in an unknown area, outside your comfort zone, without cell phone service. Some people completely refuse to hunt/hike in areas that might put them in a situation or a place where they cannot call someone for help.

I hate that cell phones have become a crutch for some people, hindering them from exploring more areas out of fear of “disconnect.”

When The Donald R. Kemp Youth Group comes to Del Rio on their hunts, we usually try limiting cell phone use while they are here. Using cell phones inside the lodge and during down time is great, but not when we are out actively pursuing wild game with guns. For one, the fewer distractions the better as far as a safety concern, but it also helps get these kids to break some habits of always “needing” their smartphones.

I asked Wagner, ‘Why is it important to you to help show and teach the next generation about hunting and the outdoors?’

He replied, “It’s important for our future. The youth of today are our biggest assets to keep our rights to hunt, and we need to show them there is more beyond a smartphone or computer. These are our future game and fish officers, governors and ranch owners, and they need to know how important it is to manage our wildlife and parks.”

All of us that help out with this youth group are between 30 to 50 years old, so needless to say none of

Rosie G. spreads her arms to bid the day farewell after hunting on The Herbst Ranch outside Del Rio.

us grew up in the outdoors with the distractions of technology like kids have today. Some of my best and most peaceful memories are from nights on top of mountains with stars overhead, a light breeze across my back, tall pines swaying on the slope below me, all while hearing the different wildlife call back and forth at each other without a single artificial light or sound to be seen or heard for miles and miles. It’s unexplainable, but to me it’s the most relaxing feeling in the world.

I think that’s why I love hunting so far out in remote locations anytime I can, because it really is a different experience altogether when you are literally “out there.”

Nowadays, you can get on YouTube and see/hear all those same things I just described in one minute, then be on a beach

the next minute, all while sitting on your couch. It’s crazy. As funny as that sounds, some people are okay with that being the extent of their outdoor experience.

For me, I have to be outdoors. I love being outside, and I appreciate the advancements in technology just like anyone else. Smartphones have changed the way we do a lot of things, in a positive way, but if we start these kids out with just the basics, then they will have much more appreciation for everything else that comes along afterwards.

Being able to show and share my love of the outdoors with youth programs like The Donald R. Kemp Youth Hunt Club is such a rewarding experience. We get to teach these kids all kinds of useful tools and instill knowledge of the outdoors that can better them as individuals.•

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Cold Weather

Couture Styling by Megan Tackett Photography by Karen Gleason Wardrobe provided by Bealls Modeling by Miss Del Rio Nadia Martinez and Miss Del Rio Teen Kaylee Nicole Yi.

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Nadia stays warm in a Jessica Simpson long-sleeve plaid shirt with a Signature Studio pink faux fur hooded vest.

Kaylee sports a Jessica Simpson floral cap with a hunter green Free Country striated jacket and a gray ABG twist-hem shirt.

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Kaylee wears a Hannah camouflage tee with a Michael Kors wine quilted down jacket.

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Nadia wears a Lake Shore Drive toggle poncho with navy blue Hannah leggings.

Hat not available.

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Nadia strolls through tall grass in a gray Nine West ruffle sleeve sweater dress with a burgundy Jessica Simpson oblong scarf and Hannah leggings.

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Kaylee braves a chilly Del Rio morning in a Holiday Glam faux fur poncho and black Hannah leggings.

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Outdoor Life: Taylor Goodwin on the hunt Story and photo by TAYLOR GOODWIN

P

art of me wants to spare you all the details, but the other part of me wants to tell you my whole life story. Growing up on a family farm in Newport, Ark., surrounded by retired military veterans and law enforcement officers was a constant battle of being on time, showing respect, following the rules and always being polite. In our house the words, “What?” and “Huh?” were cuss words.

When someone called out your name, you replied with, “Yes sir” or “Yes ma’am” as you began making your way to the location you were called to. I’m almost 35 years old, and I still live by those rules.

I am also a firm believer in the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

I moved to Del Rio almost 11 years ago to take a job with the federal government as a law enforcement officer. I consider myself a local “Del Rioan” nowadays, and the community here makes me feel right at home.

Newport, Ark., is a small town of 7,000 people, so coming to Del Rio was like big city life to me. As funny as that sounds, it’s true and I love it. Del Rio is home now and that’s 100 percent okay with me.

My wife, Adriana Goodwin, has lived here her whole life

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and is very involved in the community. We met through some mutual friends seven years ago, then I married that sweet girl three years later.

People say unicorns don’t exist, but I found one and she is perfect. We both share the same love for the outdoors and always keep positive mindsets no matter what the obstacles are that we may face.

On our off days, you can find us out on Lake Amistad in the summer and then out chasing wildlife and sunsets in the winter and spring. Being outdoors is very important to me. I cannot sit on the couch any longer than to watch a movie with the wife, then I have to go do something. I have to get outside or go work on something.

Sometimes I wish I had an “off” button to click and reset to take a break. Luckily for me, Adriana knows when I need to hit that “off” button. She pulls me to the side and says, “Babe, you need to take a break and recharge.”

Sure enough, if I take a break from a project and get back to it the next day, I feel completely better. Needless to say, Adriana gets me and that makes me forever grateful to Del Rio for putting her in my life. •

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51

Out There

Wild Side Val Verde County is an outdoor lover’s paradise Text by Karen Gleason; photos by Taylor Goodwin/TAG Outdoors

W

hether you pick up a bow, rifle or camera, Val Verde County is an outdoor lover’s dream, filled with places where it’s possible to go a long time without seeing another human being, great swaths of rugged land filled with wildlife and the sound of the wind sighing down rocky canyons.

Despite its location on the very eastern edge of the great Chihuahuan Desert, Val Verde County has a surprising amount of water, from myriad springs born deep in the karst landscape to become crystal-clear streams burbling over pale limestone beds to mighty Amistad Reservoir, which captures the waters of three fabled rivers, the Rio Grande, the Devils and the Pecos.

The water provides a much-needed resource for the area’s wild inhabitants, both native and exotic, and hunters of all kinds know that finding an area’s reliable water sources are crucial to finding birds and animals in an arid environment.

Taylor Goodwin, a federal law enforcement officer and avid hunter, has also begun taking photographs of the wild lands he visits while hunting and of the inhabitants he encounters there.

These are some of the photos he took on recent excursions around the county.•

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From top: A male American Wigeon stretches his wings while a female forages nearby.

Wigeons are a type of duck found in Val Verde County during the fall and winter months. • A respectable 10-point white-tailed buck, his antlers still in protective velvet, makes his way across a flat in the Amistad National Recreation Area. • Skull of an aoudad sheep found while wandering out-of-doors.

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The golden rays of the setting sun illuminate the water of Lake Amistad and silhouette the railroad bridge that parallels U.S. Highway 90 over the lake.

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A herd of aoudad sheep on a local ranch. Both males and females of this sure-footed wild sheep species spot horns.

The aoudad, or Barbary sheep, is native to the mountains of northern Africa.

A small of herd of whitetailed does get ready to make their escape in the Amistad National Recreation Area.

A herd of mouflon sheep in one of the Amistad National Recreation Area’s public hunt sites. Mouflon, another species of wild sheep brought to the U.S. for hunting purposes, are native to portions of Europe and the Middle East.

GRANDE / NOVEMBER 2018

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57

Last Look

A few things have changed since last year’s hunting edition. One, I married a hunter, and two, I now have a inkling’s worth of knowledge about the sport I was once indifferent toward at best. Watching my husband prepare for his weekend (and sometimes weekday) outing, helps me understand more why so many Del Rioans are drawn to hunting.

I was slightly absent from this edition due to afore-mentioned wedding. I couldn’t imagine how we could compile another hunting issue without recycling 2017’s material. Luckily, Karen with her infinite wisdom decided to focus the content more about the impact hunting has on its participant’s lives rather than the ins and outs of the sport itself.

I can definitely say hunting has impacted my life in positive and negative ways. While Chris is hunting, I enjoy slothing around the house and re-watching my favorite episodes of Law and Order: SVU. Unfortunately, he returns from hunting with a not-so subtle smell of deer urine spray. Gross.

I was happy to revisit my past stories and photos of the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce’s Wild Game Dinner. Chris has already purchased several (he won’t tell me how many exactly) gun raffle tickets, and with his unwavering luck, we’ll leave the dinner with at least one new firearm for me to complain about.

Our fashion shoot was a blast to shoot, albeit in muggy, misty weather. I chose “cold weather” fashions rather than hunting gear to avoid drowning our models in heavy camouflage garments and bright orange accents. After styling the models, it occurred to me I had pretty much rebuilt my own northwest wardrobe, ponchos, plaid and faux fur included.

Thank you everyone for picking up our November hunting issue. If you have a story idea for our next hunting edition, or any upcoming editions, please reach out to me or Karen.

We’d love to hear from you. See you next month when we celebrate the holidays!

Sincerely, Megan Tackett Creative Director

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Creative Director Megan Tackett captures and holds a Theona Checkerspot butterfly during the November fashion shoot.

This month’s color palette includes Pantone colors denim gray, willow bough green and an unnamed shade of peach.

A special thanks to our November models, Miss Del Rio Nadia Martinez and Miss Del Rio Teen Kaylee Yi. Editor Karen Gleason shoots Catalina “Cat” Cabello at the 4H gun range for the November cover.

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