April 10, 2015 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

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Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper in Texas

April 10, 2015

Importable Texas hunter allowed to import black rhino trophy

Volume 11, Issue 16

Unusual, clear sight at jetties East wind pushes cooler water inshore

TIME TO GO HUNTING: Texas hunter Corey Knowlton will receive an import permit from USFWS to legally bring his black rhino trophy home. Photo by Lili Sams, LSON.

By Conor Harrison Lone Star outdoor newS

It took more than a year, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finally approved a black rhino import permit from Namibia, which allows Texas hunter Corey Knowlton to legally harvest and import the black rhino back into the states. The hunt was purchased for $350,000 at the Dallas Safari Club convention in 2014. The USFWS received thousands of online comments for and against the hunt, but decided the science dictated the hunt was good for the species, since Knowlton will be hunting a postbreeding bull that poses a danger to younger, viable bulls in the area. “The black rhino hunts associated with the imports of two sporthunted trophies are consistent with the conservation strategy of Namibia, a country whose rhino population is steadily increasing, and will generate a combined total Please turn to page 13

CLEARLY SPAWNING: Photographer Seth Patterson dove 20 feet below the surface to capture images of spawning sheepshead at the South Padre Island jetties. Cooler water temps and an east wind improved water clarity for several days, a rarity for the spring months along the coast. Photo by Seth Patterson, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

South Zone gobblers have plenty of hens; some North Zone hunters having hard time Lone Star outdoor newS

While many turkey hunters have had good success the first few weeks of the South Zone turkey season, many have also complained about huge numbers of hens occupying mature gobblers’ time. “Last week we went to the Goliad area and then down toward Cuero,” said veteran

INSIDE

Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP

Please turn to page 15

Tough to call By Conor Harrison

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PLANO, TX PERMIT 210

Photographer Seth Patterson caught one of those days photogs and anglers dream about several weeks ago at the South Padre Island jetties. An east wind blew for several days, bringing with it clear, cooler 60-degree water from offshore currents — perfect conditions for spawning sheepshead. ‘It is quite unusual,” Patterson said. “We usually don’t get this clarity in March. There wasn’t a lot of diversity in the fish species this trip, but the sheepshead were spawning and I got a ton of schooling shots in the clear water.” Patterson said he normally sees tarpon, snook and a plethora of reef fish on the jetties, but couldn’t remember a spring day as clear as this one. Captains from as far north as Cedar Bayou also reported gin-clear water for several days. According to Tim Speece, weather forecaster at the National Weather Service Brownsville office, these conditions are caused by the influx of cooler water. “The main thing that drives this is actually water

TPWD Game Warden and avid turkey hunter Chris Swift. “We struggled with the rains like most hunters, but even with the later opening (by one week) of the season, gobblers were still really henned up. There are a ton of turkeys and the age classes of the toms are great. “We saw lots of jakes, 2- and 3-year-old birds and lots of TOUGH TO BEAT A SURE THING: South Zone hunters are reporting lots of henned-up toms, Please turn to page 13

HUNTING

while hunters in the North Zone report plenty of hard-to-call toms. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

FISHING

Moving mule deer

Texas Fishing Spring Annual

Travel issues

A look at spring fishing in Texas in LSON’s pullout section.

First-of-its-kind relocation of mule deer in the TransPecos region of Texas. Page 4

New regulations to travel abroad with guns an adjustment for hunters. Page 4

CONTENTS Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 21 Crossword . . . . . . . . . Page 20 Freshwater Fishing Report . Page FA6 For the Table . . . . . . . . Page 20 Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 14 Heroes. . . . . . . . . . . Page 18 Outdoor Datebook . . . . . Page 22 Products . . . . . . . . . . . Page 19 Saltwater Fishing Report . . Page FA4 Sun, Moon and Tide data . . Page 16

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