December 9, 2011 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

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Lone✯Star Outdoor News

December 9, 2011

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Feeling blue Scaled quail sightings sparse.

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Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper

December 9, 2011

Volume 8, Issue 8

Unsung heroes: Woody plants help deer survive

Inside

❘❚ FISHING

South coast success Mangroves, reds down south.

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Trout days Trout stocking in area rivers is underway.

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❘❚ HUNTING

Hog slayer Texas teen hammering porkers.

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Panhandle update Mule deer down, but good bucks still being taken.

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NOT A SNACK: A white-tailed buck in springtime velvet browses on granjeno, also called spiny hackberry — one of the hardy woody plants credited for sustaining deer during the summer drought. Prickly pear fruits, pictured below, can be as much as half of a deer’s summertime diet, researchers say. Photos by Tim Fulbright.

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By Bill Miller LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS As 2011 dragged on with only scant spring and summer rainfall, people worried about deer.

The consensus among many was that the sunscorched countryside would produce very little nourishment for Texas whitetails, and they were right about one food source.

Succulent forbs that deer prefer had shriveled and melded into the brown landscape. Yet, when archery season began in October, wild game processors were surprised to be butchering animals carrying good stores of body fat.

Deer researchers had a hunch that the quality of deer would be better than expected, even on low-fence ranches with no supple-

mental protein feeding.

They credited deeprooted woody plants that deer skip when forbs are abundant.

Dr. Tim Fulbright, professor at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute in Kingsville, said he was “a bit surprised” to see healthy deer, “but not real surprised.”

See UNSUNG HEROES, Page 26

Diverse tactics landing redfish

License sales revenue down nearly 5 percent

It was just a few weeks ago that Mike Lott, a bass tournament angler, was catching redfish as if they were, well, bass.

Lott, from Porter, was fishing with friends in the lower San Jacinto River, which feeds into Galveston Bay. Their best success was near the Interstate 10 Bridge.

“We were fishing kind of like bass fishing, throwing shrimp against stumps and laydown logs,” Lott said. “Then we went to rocks right next to the bridge. We limited out.”

By Bill Miller

See REDFISH, Page 19

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

BALANCED ATTACK: Anglers and guides have caught good-sized redfish this fall, but with diverse tactics. As temperatures cool, many are switching from live bait to lures.

Photo by LSON.

If you’ve held off on buying a fishing license because plummeting lake levels have you worried about the hull of your boat, Carter Smith asks politely that you reconsider.

To be clear, Smith, executive director of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, doesn’t want you to risk dam-

age to your boat.

But buying a license, even if you don’t plan to fish, is an important “investment” in the stewardship of Texas outdoors, he said.

And, Smith added, the purchase will be made at a very critical time. Overall license sales are nearly 4.54 percent down from a year ago, reported See LICENSE SALES, Page 19

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HUNTING

Blue quail not faring much better than bobs

By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS During a normal opening weekend of scaled, or blue, quail season in West Texas, many hunters can be found walking, driving and riding around the cactus and yucca flats that dot the Trans-Pecos region.

This year? Not so much.

A lack of birds and hunters were the story the first few weeks of the season, especially at Black Gap and Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Areas.

“It’s pretty sad this year,” said Mike Pittman, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department area man- GOT THE BLUES: Poor range conditions, very little recruitment and low hunter turnout have all conspired to create a poor hunting season thus far for blue quail. ager. “There has been less than a dozen birds har- Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News. vested — six at Elephant Mountain. We just didn’t “If conditions get right with the right moisture at the right and no wood burning fires, that has really affected people raise any birds this year.”

Blue quail can get by with less moisture than bobwhite time, it doesn’t take them long to get back,” Pittman said. “It who want to come out just for an outing into the outdoors,” quail, but when an area receives so little rain, like most of might take several good years back to back to have a banner Pittman added.

Internet reports from hunters who made the trip to Black year. Black Gap has been snakebit as far as moisture goes.

West Texas, even the blues have a hard time.

“You know it is bad when the cactus and yucca are dying. Gap reported very few birds.

“We’ve had 3.5 inches of rain at Elephant Mountain over One hunter said he hunted the area throughout opening the last year and a half,” Pittman said. “And most of that It’s very dry.”

Rains during the Dec. 2-3 weekend came much too late to day and finally saw one covey of six birds at 6:15 p.m. was in a two-week period during September.”

Several outfitters in the area contacted by Lone Star Outdoor Pittman said during a normal “good year,” hunters might help blue quail populations this hunting season.

Along with quail numbers being down, hunter numbers News advertise blue quail hunts on the Internet, but said shoot several thousand quail by this point in the season. they had shut down their quail hunting this year due to the However, blue quail tend to rebound quicker than bob- also have been down.

“With the extreme burn ban that we have, no open fires low numbers of birds. whites if they get sufficient moisture.

Panhandle muleys a mixed bag

By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS San Marcos resident Randy Holler only saw two groups of mule deer on his friend’s ranch near McClellan Creek in Gray County. But one of those groups contained the big buck Holler took with one shot.

“I’ve been hunting the ranch for five years now, and there NOT AS BIG: Reports out of the Panhandle said mule deer are a little off this year in their antler size.

However, body mass seems to be holding steady, telling biologists the deer are finding nutrition somewhere. Photo by LSON.

seemed like there were more bucks five years ago,” he said. “Last year, there were a lot of nice bucks. I only saw two groups this year, but I had never seen this buck before.”

Holler said the deer he saw were in good shape, thanks in part to large wheat fields in the area.

Panhandle mule deer bucks are out there this season, but hunters might have to search for the right properties to find the big ones.

Justin Howe, wildlife manager for Big Alamocitos Muleys in Oldham County, said his bucks are off about 15 percent in antler growth because of the drought, but there are still plenty of good deer.

“We’re still seeing some great deer that will be in the 190s,” he said. “The best buck we’ve taken is a 180-inch deer, and we’ve had three that are close to that buck.”

Howe said he guided a friend to a 170-inch buck on a spot-andstalk archery hunt.

“He was a 7-year-old deer and we snuck up on him with a bow,” Howe said. “That was a lot of fun.”

Howe said he began supplemental feeding on the 100-square-mile ranch this year and was happy with the results, even with a small percentage of antler growth lost because of the poor range conditions.

“We’ve killed two deer that

weighed nearly 300 pounds,” Howe said. “I think those deer were in pretty good condition.”

Howe also said his fawn recruitment was higher than surrounding properties because of the supplemental feed and the large number of natural springs on the ranch — more than 100.

Hartley County Game Warden Stewart Rogers said he has seen some quality deer shot the first few weeks of the season, but nothing spectacular.

“I think it’s a down year,” Rogers said. “The (antler) quality isn’t what it normally is, and that is See MULEYS, Page 7

Texas teen lives to hunt hogs

By Bill Miller LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Collin McGahey quit counting after about 25.

The 15-year-old hunter from Burleson shot that many feral hogs over the past few years at his family’s lease near Goree. Many more have been downed since he gave up counting, as shown in lots of family photos.

It is an understatement to say he loves hunting pigs.

“The only big rush (I) get with deer is with a big deer, not like pigs,” he said.

Wild hogs come in all colors and sizes. But, Collin said, they’re very

intelligent and unpredictable; some may choose to stand and fight.

“You never know which hog it’s going to be,” Collin said. “I think they’re more dangerous.”

But since they’re not considered game animals, the state allows them to be pursued year-round. Collin hunts them every chance he gets.

“It’s not like deer hunting with seasons,” he said.

“It’s any time you want; it’s just endless fun.”

Collin was about 6 when he started deer hunting with his father, Patrick.

See HUNT HOGS, Page 20

SWINE SLAYER: Collin McGahey’s favorite hunting pursuit is feral hogs because there are lots of them, they can be hunted year-round and they fuel a certain adrenaline rush. Photos by Patrick McGahey.

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Big deer down in hunter’s lifelong quest

FIRST BUCK: Hayden Lovell of Mansfield harvested his first buck last month near Hico. The eight-point deer, nicknamed “Lazy Boy,” was aged at 4 1/2 years old. Photo by Haden Lovell.

By Bill Miller LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Hayden Lovell is a busy young man.

He is a high school senior looking for a job and training horses for rodeo.

So hunting deer this season on a friend’s 60-acre ranch near Hico had to be shoehorned into his schedule. But he was motivated because, at age 18, he had yet to kill a buck.

And there was another incentive.

Trail camera images repeatedly showed a mature eightpointer roaming the property. The big deer was nicknamed “Lazy Boy,” explained Hayden, because “his ears were always laid-back … like he was too lazy to keep them up.”

“So,” Hayden added, “the name ‘Lazy Boy’ just always came to mind.”

Hayden set out to hunt him on Nov. 12.

There was, however, a bit of trouble awaiting him when he arrived late to his blind — about 7:15 a.m. — and saw the door open.

“The whole inside of the blind was trashed from something — no one knows,” he said. “I sat in the stand for a short 20

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

minutes in anger of the mess.

“I decided to go rattle and call somewhere else on the land.”

But when Hayden pushed open the door he saw a big buck that he instantly recognized — Lazy Boy. The deer, Hayden said, was “half-trotting with his nose glued to the ground 50 yards in front of me,” probably trailing a doe.

“I immediately crouched down, threw my gun up and followed him in my crosshairs to get a shot,” Hayden continued. “When I pulled the trigger of the M77 Ruger .270, I knew it was a hit.”

The deer bucked in the air and ran.

“I couldn’t believe I just shot my first buck,” Hayden said.

He followed the deer.

“When I moved to look around a tree, I saw him standing there, hunched over,” Hayden said. “I crawled on my hands and knees to get closer and slowly raised up and shot him again as he was quartering away.”

The shot “dropped him in his tracks,” Hayden said.

The buck, he added, was aged at 4 1/2 years old. He had an inside antler spread of 19 inches.

And although the deer hadn’t yet been officially scored, Hayden estimated that total could be around 140.

Hayden, who wants to study wildlife management at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, said he’s wasn’t sure why it has taken so long to get his first buck.

He has shot hogs and a few does, but a buck was elusive, despite his efforts.

“I’m still used to going home every weekend without ever seeing a deer,” he said. “There was a few times I thought I’d give up.”

Lazy Boy changed all that.

“I felt like someone hit me with a two-ton rock,” he said, “and then someone lifted me and set me on cloud or a high horse or something.”

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Brow tines buck

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ONLINE ■ Read full story at LSONews.com

LEGEND: Define “Buck of a Lifetime.” It would be hard to beat Billy Gerke’s example. Billy, president of Hallettsville-based ForEverlast Hunting & Fishing Products, made his seventh trip to Kansas last month, hoping to arrow one of that state’s legendary white-tailed bucks, and he did just that. His trophy scored about 184 (Pope and Young). But get this: Its brow tines were nearly 13 inches long. Photo by Billy Gerke.

Muleys Continued From Page 4

widespread, not just in my area. Hunter numbers are also down a little bit.

“I’ve checked several hunters who had quality deer, but no monsters.”

In Oldham County, Game Warden Matt Marshall said the deer he has seen taken by hunters look healthy, and some nice trophies have been taken.

“The deer are fat and healthy and I have heard of a couple of 185s, a 175 and several deer in the 160s,” he said. “But the hunting has been tough. I talked to a guide today that has 10

hunters and they have only killed four bucks.

“They just aren’t seeing many deer.”

Marshall said the drought has pushed many deer to places they normally wouldn’t go in search of food and water.

“I did go for a drive this morning (Dec. 2) and finally saw some deer in places where I normally see them. I even saw a buck sniffing around a doe. It’s still early, and she was having none of it, but the bucks are starting to get interested.

“At least they are acting like they should this time of year.”

Several ranches contacted by LSON said they were cutting back their hunting because of range conditions or were skipping the season altogether.

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FISHING

Mangrove snapper, reds solid; snook fading on south coast

By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Port Isabelle Capt. DeWitt Thomas loves to fish when the wind is right.

For him, that means anywhere from dead calm to blowing gale force.

“I fish in the wind anywhere up to 40 miles per hour,” he said. “We haven’t been doing much on the flats except on windy days. When the wind is up we have been doing well with redfish.”

Along with keeper reds, Thomas has been catching loads of mangrove snapper working the Brownsville Ship Channel.

“Anything is working to catch snapper,” he said. “Don’t waste live shrimp because dead ones work just fine. Cut them into pieces and put them on a small hook and fish it straight down.”

Along with the channel, the

west end of the grain elevator has produced good catches of trout, small reds, drum and sheepshead, along with the west side of South Cullen Bay. “We’ve also done well fishing the western corner of the channel going into the shrimp basin,” Thomas said. “Just the other day we threw back about 25 undersized reds. It was great family fishing action.”

Thomas said although SNAPPING UP BAIT: Reports from the far southern coast have guides catching loads of mangrove snapper. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON. he is leery about many fish attractants on the Reed said he has heard the shark According to Capt. Aaron Reed, Bay and off the flats,” Reed said. market, he’s had great success with Pro-Cure, an attractant the water temperature is reaching “We caught one (the other day), fishing is going strong near the the point where the snook fishing after half a dozen trout and a jack north jetty at Brazos Santiago with he lubes his baits with. a few reds hanging around the crevalle.

“I’ve had 50 percent more success is falling off.

“We got a late start, after the rocks as well.

“Water's down to about 67 with this,” he said. “It is really sticky degrees on the surface, which isn't tide had stopped moving, so I’m and doesn’t come off my baits.”

Snook action near the border too cold, but does mean the snook sure that slowed the bite for the Capt. DeWitt Thomas, (956) 551-1965 Capt. Aaron Reed, (512) 656-0106 have mostly bailed out of South snook.” has been spotty.

Possum Kingdom Lake good on rising barometer

By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

PK HEATING UP: Even though water levels are down, Possum Kingdom Lake continues to hold good numbers of largemouths, stripers and catfish. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

At Joe’s Bait and Tackle in nearby Graford, Dorothy Thomas said visits by anglers to her store have been slow.

“I’ve been here 25 years and this is the worst I’ve ever seen,” she said. “It’s been very slow. Only one boat ramp has been open the past month as far as I know. There just isn’t anybody fishing.”

For the intrepid angler, that spells opportunity.

Possum Kingdom Lake master guide Dean Heffner watches the barometric pressure before each fishing trip.

An incoming cold front and rising pressure between 29.8 and 31.5 are prime time

to catch all sorts of fish on Possum Kingdom.

“The recent cold fronts have been pushing fish to the north end of the lake where they winter,” Heffner said.

“When the barometric pressure is rising is the best time to go. When you can catch a front right on the Texas/ Oklahoma border, it is peak.

“When the front rolls in, the fishing shuts down big time for at least 12 hours.”

Since Possum Kingdom Lake suffered a significant fish kill in 2000, the striper population has been slow to recover, according to Heffner.

However, the white bass population is thriving, even though the lake is 11 feet low.

Trout stocking begins across Texas Fly-fishermen across the state are cleaning gear and tying new flies for the start of the annual rainbow trout stocking program by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

The program begins each winter with cooler temperatures.

In the past, TPWD has stocked roughly 250,000, 9-12 inch rainbow trout in more than 100 state parks and neighborhood fishing holes. That number will be slightly lower this year due to low water in some areas.

“Trout stockings will be down (about 10 percent), but not as bad as we initially anticipated,” said Todd Engeling, TPWD hatchery program director. “Our popular stocking sites should remain the same as long as there is sufficient water and those sites without enough water may not receive stockings.”

The stockings kicked off Dec. 2 at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens.

While the trout will take canned corn, worms or a variety of flies, trout nuggets best resemble the food the trout are accustomed to eating.

About 5,000 trout will be stocked at the TFFC through April.

Along with TPWD’s stocking, the annual Trout Days on the Nueces River will be held Jan. 20-21. The river will be stocked with rainbow trout just north of Chalk Bluff Park, where the event will be held. Check the LSON datebook for more information.

Check LSONews.com for the complete trout stocking schedule.

— Staff report

“We can catch one to 200 fish on good days up to 2.5 or 3 pounds,” Heffner said.

The 21-year guide said his go-to rig for winter sandies is a 1/4- to 3/8-ounce curly tail jig or a jig/slab combo for fish at Possum Kingdom.

“A heavy slab spoon with a red and white bucktail jig with a treble and a doublebarreled swivel with about 1 feet of leader is awesome,” he said. “Slow troll them deeper on colder days, and if you see birds, troll through them.”

Largemouth bass can also be caught in good numbers during the winter months, especially along southwest banks with rock piles.

“Those rocks retain heat and if they are feeding good,

I’ll throw a crankbait,” Heffner said. “But mostly I’ll throw a Texas- or Carolinarigged worm — even a slab.”

Heffner said on a normal year with regular lake levels, most anglers would be fishing north of Bird Island, but because of the low water, the fish won’t stage there until January or February when more water comes into the lake.

Although Heffner still fishes the lake on a regular basis, many anglers have stopped fishing because of the low water and a lack of access.

“From Peanut Patch north, watch for birds,” he said. “The crappie fishing also gets good around that time.”

Capt. Dean Heffner, (940) 329-0036

Sand trout easy to catch Illustration By TPWD

Great table fare if eaten fresh

By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS STOCKS TRENDING UP: TPWD’s trout stocking team dump several thousand fish into the Guadalupe River last year near Kerrville. Photo by Tom Holden, Kerrville Daily Times.

Late fall is a good time to enjoy one of the Texas coast’s most under appreciated delicacies — sand trout.

With a soft flesh, the fish is best if eaten the same day it is caught, and anglers have been catching them on many of the fishing piers along the state’s upper coast.

See SAND TROUT, Page 23

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BRUSH FOR BASS: Craig Bonds, an Inland Fisheries director for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (left), joined Micheal Rogge, president of the Lake Fork Sportsman’s Association, in planting buttonbrush Nov. 30 in Schoolhouse Cove on Lake Fork. The plants will provide cover for bass and other fish when the lake’s level returns to normal. Photo by Larry Hodge, TPWD.

For better days: Special brush planted at Lake Fork Texas lakes are drastically low, but one sportsman’s group and state wildlife officials are taking advantage of exposed shorelines at Lake Fork to help get it ready for better days.

The Lake Fork Sportsman’s Association and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department planted hundreds of buttonbush plants Nov. 30 on the east side of “Fork,” a popular East Texas destination for anglers.

LFSA funded $1,900 to the task, while TPWD contributed $650.

“We’re just trying to add vegetation to the lake that will be self-propagating,” said Micheal Rogge, LFSA president. “They make excellent fish habitat.”

The plants already are at least a year old, and they’re expected to establish themselves right away, unlike 1,000 seedlings that LFSA planted

earlier this year but were eaten by wildlife.

“The deer, hogs and nutria — they all thought it was like a buffet,” Rogge said.

According to TPWD, buttonbrush, a native woody shrub commonly called “buckbrush,” was chosen in an attempt to establish woody cover for fish.

“When inundated by water, it helps provide great bass fishing,” a news release stated.

Buttonbush shrubs are well adapted to locations where water levels fluctuate substantially, which will likely be the case at Lake Fork.

TPWD officials said this type of habitat would become increasingly important as Dallas begins withSEE VIDEO drawing water from the lake.

LSONEWS.COM — Staff report

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TEXAS FISHING REPORT Sponsored by

HOT BITES LARGEMOUTH BASS

BRIDGEPORT: Good on TN Shad Jackall ASKA 60SR square-bills along main lake points and Jackall Flick Shake 4.8” watermelon candy worms around deeper docks.

CANYON LAKE: Good on crankbaits, white/red spinnerbaits and watermelon Flukes in over brush piles on secondary points.

PALESTINE: Good on shallow crankbaits, white spinnerbaits and bladed jigs.

TAWAKONI: Good on black/blue Firewater 1/2 oz. jigs, Texas-rigged blue fleck worms and square-bill crankbaits.

WHITE, HYBRID, STRIPER

BELTON: Hybrid striper are good on chrome slabs with bucktails. White bass are good on chrome slabs with bucktails.

COLEMAN: Hybrid striper are good on live minnows and chartreuse striper jigs.

RAY HUBBARD: White bass are excellent on humps in 17–23 feet with hybrids mixed in.

RAY ROBERTS: White bass are excellent on slabs in 35 feet — look for gulls working the surface and slab under them.

CATFISH

BRAUNIG: Channel catfish are good on shrimp, cut bait, and cheesebait near the intake. Blue catfish are good on cut bait.

FALCON: Channel and blue catfish are excellent on frozen shrimp and cut bait.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Good on cut shad and nightcrawlers.

TAWAKONI: Excellent in deep water drifting cut bait and fresh shad.

CRAPPIE BUCHANAN: Good on blue/white Curb’s crappie jigs and minnows over brush piles.

LBJ: Good on chartreuse crappie jigs and live minnows over brush piles.

ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 57–64 degrees; 7.65’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on shallow-running crankbaits, Texas rigs, spinnerbaits and Rat–L–Traps.

AMISTAD: Water clear; 67–71 degrees; 8.31’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, spinnerbaits, soft plastics, and jigs.

Striped bass are fair on slabs and crankbaits. White bass are very good on slabs and crankbaits. Catfish are good on cheesebait, shrimp and nightcrawlers over baited holes.

ARROWHEAD: Water off-color; 53–62 degrees; 8.33’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters early, later switching to Texas rigs, spinnerbaits and weightless flukes. White bass are good on slabs and minnows.

early, later switching to Texas rigs, Rat–L–Traps and shaky head. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers. are good on live shad. Crappie are fair to good on minnows.

CHOKE CANYON: Water clear; 67–71 degrees; 11.63’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon spinnerbaits and soft plastics in 10–20 feet.

Channel and blue catfish are good on stinkbait and minnows in 5–15 feet.

COLEMAN: Water clear; 67–71 degrees; 15.84’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and soft plastics. Hybrid striper are good on live minnows and

White bass are good on top-waters and Rat–L–Traps. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers and cut shad.

HUBBARD CREEK: 55–62 degrees; 14.5’ low. Largemouth bass are good on spinnerbaits, Texas rigs and weightless flukes.

JOE POOL: Water clear; 62–68 degrees; 3.45’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged creature baits, shallow crankbaits and smaller jigs. Midday bite has been best.

Crappie are good on minnows and

HOT SPOT

ATHENS: Water clear, 63–68 degrees; 5.55’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon Texas-rigged worms, shaky head and shad-pattern shallow crankbaits — main lake points have been best.

Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.

Catfish are good on prepared bait.

BASTROP: Water clear; 66–69 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on white/chartreuse Finesse worms and Rat–L–Traps. Crappie are good on live minnows and blue tube jigs.

Channel and blue catfish are good on shrimp and stinkbait.

BRAUNIG: Water clear. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and dark soft plastic worms near the dam.

Channel catfish are good on shrimp, cut bait, and cheesebait near the intake. Blue catfish are good on cut bait.

BRIDGEPORT: Water clear; 66–67 degrees; 12.36’ low. Largemouth bass are good on TN Shad Jackall ASKA 60SR square-bills along main lake points and Jackall Flick Shake 4.8” watermelon candy worms around deeper docks. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are good on slabs (best action midday).

BUCHANAN: Water clear; 66–70 degrees; 32.14’ low. Largemouth bass are good on white buzzbaits, Bleeding Shad Rat–L–Traps, and shad Flukes in larger creeks. Striped bass are good on plastic swim baits, Red Fins, and live bait along the river channel. Crappie are good on blue/white Curb’s crappie jigs and minnows over brush piles. Channel catfish are good on liver, minnows, and stinkbait. Yellow and blue catfish are good on live shad.

CADDO: Water stained; 62–67 degrees; 1.27’ low. Largemouth bass are good on junebug Texas-rigged creature baits around isolated cover.

Shallow crankbaits and spinnerbaits are producing numbers of fish. Yellow bass are good on minnows.

CANYON LAKE: Water clear; 64–68 degrees; 10.25’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, white/red spinnerbaits and watermelon Flukes in over brush piles on secondary points.

Smallmouth bass are good on smoke JDC curl tail grubs and green pumpkin tubes in 10–20 feet. Crappie are good on minnows and green crappie jigs upriver. Yellow and blue catfish are good on juglines baited with live perch.

CEDAR CREEK: Water lightly stained; 62–68 degrees; 7.74’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on Texasrigged worms, shaky heads and black/ blue finesse jigs around docks. Green pumpkin soft plastics are best. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water fairly clear; 58–64 degrees; 10.67’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on spinnerbaits, shallow-running crankbaits and shaky heads. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs.

White bass are fair to good on slabs and live minnows. Catfish are good on cut shad and nightcrawlers.

PROCTOR: Water clear; 67–71 degrees; 7.84’ low. Largemouth bass are good on purple, watermelon, and chartreuse soft plastic worms. White bass are good on minnows and Li’l Fishies. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are good on cut shad and frozen shrimp.

RAY HUBBARD: Water fairly clear; 62– 67 degrees; 6.44’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged creature baits, square-bill crankbaits and spinnerbaits — swim jigs are good around riprap. White bass are excellent on humps in 17–23 feet with hybrids mixed in. Catfish are good on prepared baits.

BELTON: Water clear; 65–68 degrees; 12.13’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chrome top-waters and spinnerbaits.

Hybrid striper are good on chrome slabs with bucktails. White bass are good on chrome slabs with bucktails. Channel and blue catfish are good on summer sausage and stinkbait.

BOB SANDLIN: Water lightly stained; 61–67 degrees; 9.23’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on black/blue jigs, shaky head with finesse worms and shallow-running crankbaits. Crappie are good on live minnows and jigs. White bass are good on Humdingers and top-waters. Catfish are fair to good on trotlines or juglines.

PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 61– 67 degrees; 6.31’ low. Largemouth bass are good on shallow crankbaits, white spinnerbaits and bladed jigs.

Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair to good on slabs and minnows. Catfish are good on prepared bait.

ROCKPORT Good redfish action has been reported on the Estes Flats on topwaters under a popping cork. Wade fishermen working mud and grass have had success with soft plastics on good-sized trout. chartreuse striper jigs.

COLETO CREEK: Water fairly clear; 2.87’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse soft plastics and spinnerbaits.

Channel and blue catfish are fair on stinkbait and shrimp in 10–15 feet.

CONROE: Water fairly clear; 68–71 degrees; 8.13’ low. Largemouth bass are good on pumpkinseed soft plastics and spinnerbaits in 10–25 feet. Striped bass are good on live minnows.

COOPER: Water lightly stained; 62– 67 degrees; 13.19’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse shallow crankbaits, spinnerbaits and Texasrigged worms throughout the day.

Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are fair to good on Sassy Shad and live shad. Catfish are good on prepared bait and cut bait.

FALCON: Water stained; 69–72 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged 6” Yum Dingers, deep-running crankbaits and jigs in 12–20 feet. Crappie are excellent on shiners and chartreuse/silver jigs.

Channel and blue catfish are excellent on frozen shrimp and cut bait.

FORK: Water fairly clear; 62–68 degrees; 7.66’ low. Largemouth bass are good on black/blue flipping jigs rigged with LFT Flipper — concentrate on the wood cover near creek channel bends. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut shad and prepared bait.

GRANBURY: Water clear; 67–71 degrees; 5.84’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse soft plastic worms and small crankbaits. Striped bass are good on live minnows and silver striper jigs. Catfish are good on stinkbait, shrimp, and live minnows.

GRANGER: Water murky; 65–68 degrees; 5.40’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse crankbaits upriver around standing timber. White bass are fair upriver among shad.

Blue catfish are good on prepared bait and juglines baited with shad.

GRAPEVINE: Water clear; 63–68 degrees; 5.55’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon Texas-rigged worms, watermelon finesse jigs, and white spinnerbaits along main lake points. Crappie are good on minnows.

jigs. White bass are good on slabs.

Catfish are fair to good on prepared baits.

LAKE O' THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 62–68 degrees; 4.42’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on Texas rig worms, shallow crankbaits and Rat–L–Traps along main lake points.

Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut shad.

LAVON: Water lightly stained; 62–67 degrees; 13.10’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged creature baits, black/brown jigs and square-bill crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs around bridge columns. Catfish are good on cut shad and nightcrawlers.

LBJ: Water clear; 67–71 degrees; 0.34’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on plastic swimbaits and Bleeding Shad Rat–L–Traps among schooling shad. White bass are good on watermelon spinnerbaits and Rat–L–Traps.

Crappie are good on chartreuse crappie jigs and live minnows over brush piles. Yellow and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait.

LEWISVILLE: Water clear; 61–67 degrees; 7.08’ low. Largemouth bass are good on shallow-running crankbaits in shad patterns, white spinnerbaits and swim jigs along the riprap near the dam. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid stripers are fair on slabs and Sassy Shad. Catfish are good on prepared bait.

LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 68– 72 degrees; 3.80’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and soft plastics. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue catfish are good on juglines baited with shad.

MONTICELLO: Water fairly clear; 76–88 degrees; 0.37’ low. Largemouth bass are good on white shallow crankbaits, chatterbaits and Texas-rigged creature baits on shallow wood cover.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 57–64 degrees; 37.94’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on Rat–L–Traps, shallow-running crankbaits, Texas rigs and 3” swimbaits. White bass are fair to good on Little Georges.

OAK CREEK: Water stained; 57–62 degrees; 14.24’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on Zara Spooks

RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 61–66 degrees; 4.78’ low. Largemouth bass are good on 10” blue fleck worms around channels in the backs of creeks. White bass are excellent on slabs in 35 feet — look for gulls working the surface and slab under them.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water fairly clear; 62–67 degrees; 8.61’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on Texasrigged worms, shaky heads and creature baits around docks. Square-bill crankbaits are producing numbers.

STILLHOUSE: Water stained; 67–70 degrees; 16.42’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse crankbaits, spinnerbaits and Rat–L– Traps. Crappie are good on minnows.

Channel and blue catfish are good on shrimp, hot dogs and nightcrawlers.

TAWAKONI: Water fairly clear; 61–66 degrees; 7.45’ low. Largemouth bass are good on black/blue Firewater 1/2 oz. jigs, Texas-rigged blue fleck worms and square-bill crankbaits.

White bass are excellent on white SSS Slabs and tailspins — schooling on points early and late. Striped bass and hybrid striper are good on 4” to 6” white or shad pattern Sassy Shad.

Catfish are excellent in deep water drifting cut bait and fresh shad.

TEXOMA: Water fairly clear; 61–66 degrees; 5.07’ low. The lake is currently experiencing an outbreak of Blue–Green Algae. Please check www.tpwd.state. tx.us/fishboat/fish/recreational/lakes/ texoma prior to planning a trip to Texoma.

TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 68–72 degrees; 12.15’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse and white soft plastic worms and spinnerbaits. Channel and blue catfish are good on liver and stinkbait.

WALTER E. LONG: Water lightly stained.

Largemouth bass are good on minnows and chartreuse soft plastic worms.

Hybrid striper are good on minnows at night. White bass are good on cut shad and minnows near the power plant.

Crappie are good on red and white tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on shad and cut bait.

WEATHERFORD: Water fairly clear; 62–67 degrees; 7.75’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on shallow crankbaits, shaky heads and Texas-rigged creature baits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs in.

WHITNEY: Water stained; 67–71 degrees; 16.26’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse and watermelon spinnerbaits, crankbaits and top-waters early. White bass are good on minnows, pet spoons, and hellbenders. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs. Catfish are good on shrimp, liver and hot dogs.

SALTWATER SCENE NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad on soft plastics. Redfish and flounder are good in the marsh on shrimp.

Flounder are fair on the outgoing tide.

SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad. Redfish are good under pods of shad. Flounder are good on the edge of the channel.

BOLIVAR: Trout, black drum, sand trout and redfish are good at Rollover Pass.

Trout are fair to good while drifting shell on plastics. Sand trout are good in the Intracoastal on shrimp.

TRINITY BAY: Trout are good for drifters working pods of shad and mullet on soft plastics. Trout are good under birds on plastics and top-waters. Redfish are good in Red’s Bayou on shrimp.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout and large Gulf trout are good for drifters working deep shell on plastics and fresh shrimp.

Redfish and flounder are fair to good in the marsh shrimp. arsh around drains on shrimp WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are good while drifting deep shell on plastics.

Sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs.

TEXAS CITY: Gulf trout are good in the channel on fresh shrimp. Sand trout and black drum are good at the wells on shrimp. Flounder are fair to good on mud minnows.

FREEPORT: Bull redfish are good at jetty on crabs, shrimp and mullet. Redfish are good on the beachfront on shad and mullet.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair for drifters on soft ft plastics and live shrimp over humps and scattered shell. Waders have taken better trout on lures over mid–bay reefs.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair on sand and grass humps on soft plastics and top-waters. Redfish are fair on live shrimp at on the edges of the Diversion Channel on shrimp.

PORT O’CONNOR: Trout are fair to good on the reefs in San Antonio Bay on live shrimp. Redfish are good on shrimp in the back lakes and in the deep bayous on the falling tide.

PORT ARANSAS: Trout are fair around Dagger Island on shrimp and mullet. Bull redfish are good at the jetty and on the beachfront on natural baits. Flounder are good in the Lydia Ann Channel on plastics and mud minnows.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Redfish are good in the holes on live bait.

Trout are fair for waders working mud and grass in Oso Bay on small top-waters and Corkies. Trout are fair on the edge of the channels on shrimp.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are good on top-waters and plastics on the edge of the channels.

Trout are fair to good while drifting deep rocks on plum plastics.

PORT MANSFIELD: Redfish are good while drifting pot holes on top-waters and soft plastics under a popping cork.

Trout and redfish are fair to good on the spoils on small top-waters and gold spoons.

SOUTH PADRE: Redfish are fair to good on the flats on DOA Shrimp and live shrimp.

Trout are fair to good on the edge of the channel on live shrimp and plastics.

PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are good at Laguna Vista on Corkies and soft plastics under a popping cork. Redfish are good on the edge of the flats on the outgoing tide on shrimp under a cork.

Mangrove snapper are good in the channels on shrimp.

LSONews.com

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

Sleeper lakes may produce ShareLunker surprise

By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Looking to catch a lunker this season?

You might want to head to a couple of lesser-known bass lakes that could hold tremendous potential for this season.

A couple of sleeper lakes that have been stocked with ShareLunker offspring could surprise anglers with a huge fish this year.

“Lake Pinkston (Shelby County) and Lake Kurth (Angelina County) have been stocked and they have the best genetics and those fish are getting old enough to show up,” said Larry Hodge, information specialist at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens.

“The drought could also have an impact.

“Take Lake Austin for example. A huge bass was caught there last year out of a kayak, so just because lakes are down, they could still be accessed and big fish can be caught.”

As for predictions on where the most ShareLunkers will be caught this season, Hodge said the usual suspects such as O.H. Ivie and Falcon were the best bets.

“Every year we have some that tend to be off the radar,” he said. “I think that

chances are, based on present conditions, a lot of big fish are going to come out of Falcon. Amistad also has great potential.”

Continuing a recent trend, the 2011-12 ShareLunker season is off to another slow start.

As of the printing of this article, no bass weighing more than 13 pounds had been turned into the program. The first bass registered last season was a 14-pound bass caught in O.H. Ivie Reservoir Dec. 15

by Bobbie Gayle.

The majority of the fish turned into the program, now in its 26th year, have been caught between Jan. 1 and March 31.

“We haven’t had anything yet,” Hodge said. “We’ve had a couple of close calls, but nothing has been 13 pounds.”

Hodge said he encourages people to keep a small

scale handy in their boats on the chance that a big fish is caught. That way if it is undersized, it can be quickly returned to the water.

As for the slow start, Hodge said that is not unusual at all.

“It’s very unusual for any (ShareLunkers) to be caught in October and November,” Hodge said. “It usually starts to pick up after the first of the year. We did accept an entry in August one year, because it was the first female angler to ever catch one, but the earliest was ShareLunker No. 1, caught Nov. 26 in 1987, the first year of the program.”

According to records, one other ShareLunker was caught in September — way back in 1989 by David Zak at Twin Buttes Reservoir in San Angelo.

HOSS: Anglers hoping to catch a ShareLunker like this 16.03-pound monster caught last January

by T.J. Nissen in Lake Austin, might focus on the usual suspects like Faclon or O.H. Ivie.

However, some sleeper lakes could emerge this year. Photo by Larry Hodge, TPWD.

December 9, 2011

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December 9, 2011

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

LSONews.com

GAME WARDEN BLOTTER ONE’S BIG SIX-POINTER IS ANOTHER’S ANTLER-RESTRICTION VIOLATION Angelina County Game Warden Phillip Wood made contact with a hunter and observed blood on a trailer. When he inquired as to whether or not the subject killed something, the reply was “a big six point.” The antlers were located at a residence, already sawed in half. The deer only had a 9 5/8-inch spread.

Citations issued. Case pending.

CRAPPIE FISHERMEN NABBED WITH TOO MANY AND TOO SMALL FISH Orange County Game Warden Phillip LeDoux checked a pair of fishermen on Adams Bayou that he recognized, since he had cited them in the past for size and bag limits. The two men had 38 crappie in their possession — 28 undersized. Cases and restitution pending.

LICENSES REQUIRED FOR THIS TRIO Leon County Game Warden Logan Griffin entered into a camp and found two men standing around a 10-point buck in the bed of the truck. The man who shot the buck stated he had a license but had left it at home (a call to dispatch proved otherwise). The second man started to drift away when Griffin noticed a blood-covered ice chest underneath a truck containing a quartered illegal buck. The man admitted he had shot the buck without a license. Just then, another man in camp with a rifle came out of the brush. He also was hunting without a license. Cases and civil restitution are pending and both deer were seized.

CLAIMED STOLEN TRUCK FOUND IN OWNER’S YARD BY WARDEN After issuing a citation to the son of a property owner, Leon County Game Warden Logan Griffin noticed a 2008 Ford truck parked away from the main area behind a tree. Griffin wrote down the plate number to check later. A run of the license plate showed the vehicle

STORY FINALLY FAILS AFTER TRAIL CAMERA PICS OBTAINED Waller County Game Warden Kevin Glass and Harris County Game Warden Cullen Stakes received a call regarding a man in possession of a doe in Waller County. The wardens were able to locate the man and his doe. The subject claimed the doe was taken in Fort Bend County, which would have been legal. Glass asked the man to show him where the deer was taken.

The subject rode with the warden to an open field without much deer habitat. No tracks from the vehicle were found, but the man stuck to his story. Glass visited with a neighbor and learned that she was sitting in her barn at sunrise hunting coyotes that had been getting her chickens. She said she did not see anyone huntwas reported stolen from the subject Griffin had issued the citations to earlier. A search warrant was obtained, and the next day Griffin recovered the vehicle. The parents, who lived on the property, said they didn't know anything about the truck parked in their backyard. After contacting the insurance company and police department, an investigation is pending into insurance fraud charges.

HIDING DEER HEAD DIDN’T FOOL WARDEN Red River County Game Warden Benny Richards noticed a man sawing off antlers from a deer. Richards confronted the man about what he saw and eventually located the head of the deer. The man had tried to hide it under his truck after spotting the game warden coming his way. The buck had an 11-inch spread and was tagged as a doe. Case pending.

MAY I CHANGE MY STORY AGAIN? Williamson County Game Wardens Turk Jones and Joel Campos were patrolling a subdivision when Campos spotted a man dressed in camo holding a rifle in his front yard. The first thing the hunter said to the wardens was “Look at what I shot during archery season.”

The hunter showed antlers that were

ing in the neighboring property and did not hear any rifle shots. She also said she had lived on this property her whole life and had never seen a deer. Later, Glass went to the neighboring property and started walking.

After several hours and a mile from the truck, he found the drag marks. He followed the drag marks to a field and then across the field to a feeder. There was a trail camera behind the feeder, and on the camera was the subject standing over his doe. Glass was able to collect blood from the scene to be matched up later with the doe. Glass then called the subject and explained to him that he now could tell him where he killed the deer. The man confessed. Cases pending.

an eight-pointer. Campos inspected his license and he had an antlerless tag missing. Campos brought it to his attention, and the man said, “Well, you got me; let’s change the story and say my cousin shot that one.” The man finally confessed to bragging to people that he shot it. In reality, he had cut the antlers off a road-killed buck. The antlers were confiscated and citations were issued.

DEER ARROWED UNDER A POLE LAMP, TAKEN TO BARN IN MORNING Val Verde County Game Warden Dustin Barrett finalized charges against an individual for hunting deer at night. A break in the case finally occurred after a month-long surveillance operation using the sheriff’s office telescopic scope truck with infrared camera and the assistance of Game Wardens Mike Durand, Roger Nicholas and Kirk Clendening. The camera revealed the subject walking to his blind next to a pole lamp in the middle of the night and shooting a buck with his bow and trailing the deer in the darkness. The subject then waited until legal shooting hours to pick up his deer and transport it to his barn. Wardens contacted the man as he hung up his 10-point buck. The subject provided a statement admit-

ting to doing the same thing last year, which has led to additional eight- and nine-point European mounts being seized. Cases are pending.

MY RIFLE IS AT HOME BUT SERIAL NUMBER IS ANOTHER STORY A landowner contacted Wise County Game Warden Penny Nixon after he had detained two men hunting without consent. Nixon could find no gun or deer, but a consent search of the vehicle produced a .270 shell in the driver’s door. The truck owner said he and his friend were “just looking” at the property and offered to show Nixon the gun at his house after the pair was cited for trespassing. They all went to the truck owner’s home where Nixon was handed the rifle. Unfortunately, the serial number had been altered by an engraving tool. The rifle was seized pending analysis by the DPS Lab. HE SAID, HE SAID Ellis County Game Warden Jeff Powell received a complaint about possible trespassers near the Trinity River. Powell waited for the subjects to exit the property, where they were cited for no hunting licenses. Powell noticed two game cameras in the

vehicle. Later, the landowner notified Powell that he had two cameras stolen from that same location. With the help of Kaufman County Game Warden Eric Minter and Navarro County Game Warden Jimmy Woolley, a statement was obtained from one suspect. Both suspects denied stealing the cameras, blaming each other. Hunting without consent and possession of stolen property cases are pending.

BULGING BACKPACK WASN’T CARRYING CLOTHING Two men coming out of the woods at the Angelina National Forest were observed by Angelina County Game Warden Tim Walker. One of the men was grunting as he set a backpack down that was bulging at the seams.

Walker checked the pack to find a quartered deer. Walker asked the subject where the head was and the subject replied that it was a 3-point and it was left with the carcass about a mile back in the woods. When advised they all were about to make a trip back in to retrieve it, the subject admitted killing an 8-point buck that was less than 13 inches. Case pending.

SNAKE SELLER STUNG, BUT DIDN’T THE DOVE IN VEST SMELL? Ellis County Game Warden Jeff Powell received a call informing him that a subject was trying to sell a rattlesnake on Craigslist. Powell contacted Collin County Game Warden Josh Ross to assist with a plainclothes purchase at a local store.

After speaking over the phone, the suspect met with Ross in the parking lot and offered to sell the snake for $300. Powell contacted the subject in his patrol vehicle, and the subject denied trying to sell anything or possessing a rattlesnake until Ross identified himself. Powell received consent to search the subject’s truck and found an open container of alcohol and a dead dove in his hunting vest. It was two weeks after the end of dove season. Cases pending.

LSONews.com

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

December 9, 2011

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December 9, 2011

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CONSERVATION

CHARLIE STOCKSTILL

Stockstill to lead MDF in Texas Charlie Stockstill has been named the Mule Deer Foundation’s regional director for Texas.

Stockstill has extensive training and experience in mountain climbing and skiing.

As a young man, he made the Olympic team for biathlon.

He first joined the Army at age 17. He was a mountain infantry platoon sergeant for about 14 years, and he was a civil servant teaching outdoor education through the Air Force for 10 years.

From 1998 to 2009, Stockstill worked with the National Wild Turkey Federation. He started more than 100 chapters, from Anchorage to Brownsville.

He organized more than 300 banquets that raised about $6 million for wildlife and related outreach programs.

MDF already has about 100 members in Texas. A chapter was started in Allen several years ago, and Stockstill is already working to start chapters in Brownsville, Brownwood,

El Paso, Fredericksburg, Georgetown and Weatherford.

— Mule Deer Foundation

Texas Tech, South Plains College to help educate new wardens The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department hires new game wardens annually — if it can find people trained for the job.

Texas Tech University and South Plains College are now partners in a new transfer program designed to help fill that need.

Mark Wallace, chairman of Texas Tech’s Department of Natural Resources Management, said the requirements to be a game warden changed about five years ago; candidates must now have a four-year degree.

“Programs around the state are associate of arts degrees in criminal justice programs,” Wallace said. “There’s no conduit for those folks to go get a four-year degree outside of criminal justice.

“We proposed to create a 2+2 program to train folks for game warden positions that are not limited to Texas Parks and Wildlife; they could work for New Mexico Game and Fish, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or a variety of other law enforcement/wildlife-related agencies.”

Students take two years in criminal justice at SPC to obtain the associate’s degree, then transfer to Texas Tech for two more years in natural resources management.

An additional summer program at SPC helps them complete certification as a peace officer in Texas.

— Texas Tech University

O’Day honored

by HSC Carol O'Day, co-owner with husband Kerry of custom firearms house MG Arms, has been named the Houston Safari Club's “Outstanding Huntress of the Year.”

This is an annual award but honors a lifetime of hunting achievement. The minimum requirements for consideration are taking 50 animals, including dangerous game; hunting on three continents and many countries; and extensive volunteer work. A panel of the nine previous recipients selected her for the award.

O’Day has hunted 69 big game species, including lion and Cape buffalo. Her trophy count numbers in the hundreds from four continents, numerous countries, and the U.S. She is an active member of the Houston Safari Club, National Rifle Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation and Safari Club International.

— Houston Safari Club

LSONews.com

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

December 9, 2011

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December 9, 2011

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HEROES MIKE RAY of Blossom used a Bowtech Invasion compound bow to arrow this black bear last May in New Brunswick, Canada.

CAMERON MCCAY hunted this doe recently near Gainesville. She was accompanied by Evan Purvis.

Friends of Corpus Christi angler Chris Sessions had brisk activity fishing with him in October.

Included were RICHARD RIDGEWAY, left, who caught a Warsaw grouper on cut bait and LARRY WILSON, right, who caught a red snapper on squid.

SHARE AN ADVENTURE ■ Want to share hunting and fishing photos withotherLoneStarOutdoorNewsreaders?

E-mail them with contact and caption information to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

HUNTER AMIDON, 9, of Austin dropped this eight-point buck New Year’s Day on a ranch in Frio County. The deer’s rack had a 20 3/8-inch inside spread. Hunter, joined here with his lab, Harley, got the deer with a .25-06-caliber Remington rifle.

High-resolution

original jpegs only. Mail prints to Heroes, Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355.

JOHN MAYER (left) and MARSHALL BROWN, both of San Angelo, hunted mule deer recently near Limon, Colo. John’s deer scored 192, while Marshall’s was 184. They were hunting with Sierra Grande Outfitters. Brown is also an outfitter and proprietor of Encino Ranch Whitetails north of San Angelo.

DYLAN DE LEON, 9, of Leander took his first buck recently near Seguin. It was a short shot — about 60 yards — with his new .243-caliber Savage rifle. He dedicated this buck to his little brother JACOB, 7, who couldn’t make the trip.

BOBBY HOUSE of Pleasanton brought home a big mule deer buck from a late October hunt near Kim in Southeastern Colorado.

The buck green scored at 217 4/8. Bobby made the shot with a Winchester Model 70 Coyote Light chambered in .300 WSM.

LSONews.com

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

Sun | Moon | Tides

Full

Time 3:56 p.m.

4:32 p.m.

5:11 p.m.

9:08 a.m.

9:45 a.m.

10:24 a.m.

11:07 a.m.

3:48 a.m.

7:27 a.m.

9:54 a.m.

11:41 a.m.

12:58 p.m.

1:56 p.m.

2:47 p.m.

3:35 p.m.

Height 2.5 H 2.3 H 2.3 H -0.7 L -0.7 L -0.5 L -0.2 L 1.4 H 1.3 H 1.4 H 1.8 H 2.1 H 2.3 H 2.5 H 2.5 H

Time Height 8:18 p.m. 2.0 L 8:28 p.m. 2.0 L 8:50 p.m. 2.0 L 5:51 p.m. 2.3 H 6:30 p.m. 2.1 H 7:05 p.m. 2.1 H 7:32 p.m. 2.0 H 11:53 a.m. 0.2 L 12:48 p.m. 0.7 L 2:01 p.m. 1.1 L 3:47 p.m. 1.6 L 5:42 p.m. 1.8 L 7:00 p.m. 1.8 L 7:46 p.m. 2.0 L 8:18 p.m. 2.0 L

Height 2.0 H -0.6 L -0.6 L -0.6 L -0.6 L -0.4 L -0.1 L 1.1 H 1.0 H 1.1 H 1.4 H 1.7 H 1.9 H 2.0 H 2.0 H

Time Height 8:44 p.m. 1.6 L 5:19 p.m. 1.9 H 5:58 p.m. 1.9 H 6:38 p.m. 1.9 H 7:17 p.m. 1.7 H 7:52 p.m. 1.7 H 8:19 p.m. 1.6 H 12:19 p.m. 0.1 L 1:14 p.m. 0.6 L 2:27 p.m. 0.9 L 4:13 p.m. 1.3 L 6:08 p.m. 1.4 L 7:26 p.m. 1.4 L 8:12 p.m. 1.6 L 8:44 p.m. 1.6 L

Time Height 11:21 p.m. 2.1 H 11:46 p.m. 2.1 H 9:24 p.m. 2.0 L 10:13 p.m. 1.8 L 11:25 p.m. 1.6 L 7:54 p.m.

8:12 p.m.

8:28 p.m.

8:46 p.m.

9:09 p.m.

9:44 p.m.

10:32 p.m.

11:26 p.m.

1.8 H 1.8 H 1.8 H 1.8 H 2.0 H 2.0 H 2.1 H 2.1 H

Time

Height

Time 4:43 p.m.

8:25 a.m.

8:59 a.m.

9:34 a.m.

10:11 a.m.

10:50 a.m.

11:33 a.m.

4:35 a.m.

8:14 a.m.

10:41 a.m.

12:28 p.m.

1:45 p.m.

2:43 p.m.

3:34 p.m.

4:22 p.m.

8:54 p.m.

9:16 p.m.

9:50 p.m.

10:39 p.m.

11:51 p.m.

1.6 L 1.6 L 1.6 L 1.4 L 1.3 L

8:41 p.m.

8:59 p.m.

9:15 p.m.

9:33 p.m.

9:56 p.m.

10:31 p.m.

11:19 p.m.

1.4 H 1.4 H 1.4 H 1.4 H 1.6 H 1.6 H 1.7 H

Date Dec 09 Dec 10 Dec 11 Dec 12 Dec 13 Dec 14 Dec 15 Dec 16 Dec 17 Dec 18 Dec 19 Dec 20 Dec 21 Dec 22 Dec 23

Time 11:07 a.m.

11:43 a.m.

12:18 p.m.

12:19 a.m.

1:14 a.m.

2:04 a.m.

2:44 a.m.

2:56 a.m.

12:14 a.m.

7:19 a.m.

7:24 a.m.

8:04 a.m.

8:52 a.m.

9:42 a.m.

10:33 a.m.

Houston Height -0.1 L -0.2 L -0.2 L 1.0 H 1.0 H 0.9 H 0.8 H 0.6 H 0.5 H 0.2 L 0.0 L -0.2 L -0.4 L -0.5 L -0.6 L

Time Height 10:20 p.m. 1.0 H 11:19 p.m. 1.0 H 12:53 p.m.

1:26 p.m.

1:57 p.m.

2:23 p.m.

2:37 p.m.

2:07 p.m.

9:00 p.m.

8:38 p.m.

8:53 p.m.

9:29 p.m.

10:18 p.m.

11:16 p.m.

-0.2 L -0.2 L -0.2 L -0.1 L 0.1 L 0.2 L 0.6 H 0.7 H 0.8 H 0.9 H 1.0 H 0.9 H

Time 11:49 a.m.

12:34 p.m.

1:17 p.m.

1:59 p.m.

2:37 p.m.

3:11 p.m.

3:40 p.m.

3:58 p.m.

3:50 p.m.

10:57 p.m.

10:50 p.m.

11:06 p.m.

11:42 p.m.

Height -0.01 L -0.03 L -0.05 L -0.07 L -0.08 L -0.07 L -0.05 L -0.02 L 0.02 L 0.16 H 0.19 H 0.22 H 0.24 H

11:3 a.m.

-0.26 L

Time

Height

10:08 p.m.

0.5 H

Time

Height

Time

Height

Date Time Height Dec 09 1:17 a.m. 0.36 H Dec 10 1:56 a.m. 0.35 H Dec 11 2:34 a.m. 0.34 H Dec 12 3:11 a.m. 0.33 H Dec 13 3:44 a.m. 0.30 H Dec 14 4:12 a.m. 0.27 H Dec 15 4:29 a.m. 0.23 H Dec 16 2:16 a.m. 0.17 H Dec 17 12:23 a.m. 0.14 H Dec 18 7:47 a.m. 0.01 L Dec 19 8:16 a.m. -0.07 L Dec 20 8:57 a.m. -0.14 L Dec 21 9:45 a.m. -0.20 L Dec 22 10:37 a.m. -0.24 L Dec 23 12:31 a.m. 0.24 H

Time

Height

Time 8:49 a.m.

9:21 a.m.

9:55 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

11:07 a.m.

11:46 a.m.

3:15 a.m.

5:05 a.m.

8:44 a.m.

11:11 a.m.

12:58 p.m.

2:15 p.m.

3:13 p.m.

4:04 p.m.

4:52 p.m.

Height -0.3 L -0.3 L -0.3 L -0.3 L -0.3 L -0.3 L 0.9 H 0.7 H 0.6 H 0.7 H 0.9 H 1.0 H 1.1 H 1.2 H 1.2 H

Time Height 5:13 p.m. 1.2 H 5:49 p.m. 1.1 H 6:28 p.m. 1.1 H 7:08 p.m. 1.1 H 7:47 p.m. 1.0 H 8:22 p.m. 1.0 H 12:29 p.m. -0.1 L 1:15 p.m. 0.1 L 2:10 p.m. 0.3 L 3:23 p.m. 0.5 L 5:09 p.m. 0.8 L 7:04 p.m. 0.9 L 8:22 p.m. 0.9 L 9:08 p.m. 0.9 L 9:40 p.m. 0.9 L

Time 4:05 p.m.

4:41 p.m.

5:20 p.m.

9:31 a.m.

10:08 a.m.

10:47 a.m.

11:30 a.m.

3:57 a.m.

7:36 a.m.

10:03 a.m.

11:50 a.m.

1:07 p.m.

2:05 p.m.

2:56 p.m.

3:44 p.m.

Height 1.7 H 1.6 H 1.6 H -0.4 L -0.4 L -0.3 L -0.1 L 1.0 H 0.9 H 1.0 H 1.2 H 1.5 H 1.6 H 1.7 H 1.7 H

Time Height 8:41 p.m. 1.0 L 8:51 p.m. 1.0 L 9:13 p.m. 1.0 L 6:00 p.m. 1.6 H 6:39 p.m. 1.5 H 7:14 p.m. 1.5 H 7:41 p.m. 1.4 H 12:16 p.m. 0.1 L 1:11 p.m. 0.4 L 2:24 p.m. 0.5 L 4:10 p.m. 0.8 L 6:05 p.m. 0.9 L 7:23 p.m. 0.9 L 8:09 p.m. 1.0 L 8:41 p.m. 1.0 L

Time 9:40 p.m.

9:50 p.m.

10:12 p.m.

10:46 p.m.

11:35 p.m.

Height 0.9 L 0.9 L 0.9 L 0.9 L 0.9 L

8:49 p.m.

9:11 p.m.

9:29 p.m.

9:45 p.m.

10:03 p.m.

10:26 p.m.

11:01 p.m.

11:49 p.m.

0.9 H 0.9 H 0.9 H 0.9 H 0.9 H 0.9 H 0.9 H 1.0 H

Date Time Height Dec 09 7:32 a.m. -0.3 L Dec 10 12:01 a.m. 1.4 H Dec 11 12:26 a.m. 1.4 H Dec 12 12:52 a.m. 1.4 H Dec 13 1:21 a.m. 1.4 H Dec 14 1:54 a.m. 1.3 H Dec 15 2:38 a.m. 1.1 H Dec 16 1:05 a.m. 0.5 L Dec 17 2:19 a.m. 0.5 L Dec 18 3:10 a.m. 0.2 L Dec 19 3:57 a.m. -0.1 L Dec 20 4:44 a.m. -0.3 L Dec 21 5:32 a.m. -0.5 L Dec 22 6:20 a.m. -0.6 L Dec 23 7:09 a.m. -0.7 L

Time 4:36 p.m.

8:04 a.m.

8:38 a.m.

9:13 a.m.

9:50 a.m.

10:29 a.m.

11:12 a.m.

4:28 a.m.

8:07 a.m.

10:34 a.m.

12:21 p.m.

1:38 p.m.

2:36 p.m.

3:27 p.m.

4:15 p.m.

Height 1.6 H -0.3 L -0.3 L -0.3 L -0.3 L -0.2 L -0.1 L 0.9 H 0.8 H 0.9 H 1.1 H 1.4 H 1.5 H 1.6 H 1.6 H

11:29 p.m.

0.14 H

Time Height 8:23 p.m. 0.8 L 5:12 p.m. 1.5 H 5:51 p.m. 1.5 H 6:31 p.m. 1.5 H 7:10 p.m. 1.4 H 7:45 p.m. 1.4 H 8:12 p.m. 1.3 H 11:58 a.m. 0.1 L 12:53 p.m. 0.3 L 2:06 p.m. 0.5 L 3:52 p.m. 0.7 L 5:47 p.m. 0.8 L 7:05 p.m. 0.8 L 7:51 p.m. 0.8 L 8:23 p.m. 0.8 L

Time

Height

8:33 p.m.

8:55 p.m.

9:29 p.m.

10:18 p.m.

11:30 p.m.

0.8 L 0.8 L 0.8 L 0.8 L 0.7 L

8:34 p.m.

8:52 p.m.

9:08 p.m.

9:26 p.m.

9:49 p.m.

10:24 p.m.

11:12 p.m.

1.1 H 1.1 H 1.1 H 1.1 H 1.3 H 1.3 H 1.4 H

Time

Height

South Padre Island

Freeport Harbor Time Height 11:30 p.m. 1.5 H 11:55 p.m. 1.5 H 9:47 p.m. 1.0 L 10:36 p.m. 0.9 L 11:48 p.m. 0.8 L 8:03 p.m.

8:21 p.m.

8:37 p.m.

8:55 p.m.

9:18 p.m.

9:53 p.m.

10:41 p.m.

11:35 p.m.

1.2 H 1.2 H 1.2 H 1.2 H 1.4 H 1.4 H 1.5 H 1.5 H

Date Time Height Dec 09 7:33 a.m. -0.2 L Dec 10 8:06 a.m. -0.3 L Dec 11 8:41 a.m. -0.3 L Dec 12 9:17 a.m. -0.3 L Dec 13 9:55 a.m. -0.2 L Dec 14 10:36 a.m. -0.1 L Dec 15 11:19 a.m. 0.1 L Dec 16 12:06 p.m. 0.4 L Dec 17 3:04 a.m. 0.8 L Dec 18 3:22 a.m. 0.5 L Dec 19 3:57 a.m. 0.1 L Dec 20 4:40 a.m. -0.3 L Dec 21 5:27 a.m. -0.7 L Dec 22 6:18 a.m. -0.9 L Dec 23 7:09 a.m. -1.0 L

Time Height 5:26 p.m. 1.8 H 6:02 p.m. 1.8 H 6:37 p.m. 1.8 H 7:08 p.m. 1.8 H 7:33 p.m. 1.8 H 7:51 p.m. 1.7 H 8:01 p.m. 1.6 H 8:04 p.m. 1.5 H 7:14 a.m. 1.0 H 10:34 a.m. 1.1 H 1:00 p.m. 1.3 H 2:23 p.m. 1.5 H 3:25 p.m. 1.7 H 4:19 p.m. 1.8 H 5:10 p.m. 1.8 H

2011 Dec 09 Fri > 10 Sat F 11 Sun > 12 Mon > 13 Tue 14 Wed 15 Thu 16 Fri 17 Sat Q 18 Sun 19 Mon 20 Tue 21 Wed 22 Thu 23 Fri > 24 Sat > 25 Sun N 26 Mon > 27 Tue > 28 Wed

A.M. Minor Major 3:37 9:50 4:27 10:39 5:19 11:32 6:14 12:01 7:09 12:57 8:05 1:53 8:59 2:47 9:52 3:40 10:43 4:31 11:33 5:20 ----- 6:09 12:44 6:58 1:34 7:49 2:27 8:42 3:23 9:38 4:22 10:37 5:21 11:03 6:21 12:08 7:18 1:06 8:13 2:01

P.M. Minor 4:03 4:52 5:45 6:39 7:34 8:30 9:24 10:16 11:08 11:58 12:22 1:12 2:03 2:57 3:54 4:52 5:50 6:48 7:43 8:36

Major 10:15 11:05 ----12:26 1:22 2:17 3:12 4:04 4:56 5:46 6:35 7:26 8:18 9:12 10:09 11:07 ----12:34 1:31 2:24

SUN Rises Sets 07:04 05:21 07:05 05:21 07:05 05:22 07:06 05:22 07:07 05:22 07:07 05:22 07:08 05:23 07:09 05:23 07:09 05:23 07:10 05:24 07:10 05:24 07:11 05:24 07:11 05:25 07:12 05:25 07:12 05:26 07:13 05:26 07:13 05:27 07:14 05:27 07:14 05:28 07:14 05:29

MOON Rises 4:49p 5:39p 6:34p 7:31p 8:30p 9:30p 10:30p 11:31p NoMoon 12:33a 1:37a 2:43a 3:51a 4:59a 6:03a 7:03a 7:57a 8:43a 9:24a 10:00a

Sets 6:13a 7:05a 7:56a 8:43a 9:26a 10:06a 10:43a 11:19a 11:55a 12:31p 1:11p 1:55p 2:44p 3:39p 4:39p 5:42p 6:46p 7:49p 8:50p 9:47p

Dallas

Port Aransas, H. Caldwell Pier

San Luis Pass

Date Time Height Dec 09 7:50 a.m. -0.4 L Dec 10 8:22 a.m. -0.4 L Dec 11 8:56 a.m. -0.4 L Dec 12 12:21 a.m. 1.5 H Dec 13 12:50 a.m. 1.5 H Dec 14 1:23 a.m. 1.4 H Dec 15 2:07 a.m. 1.2 H Dec 16 1:23 a.m. 0.6 L Dec 17 2:37 a.m. 0.5 L Dec 18 3:28 a.m. 0.2 L Dec 19 4:15 a.m. -0.1 L Dec 20 5:02 a.m. -0.4 L Dec 21 5:50 a.m. -0.5 L Dec 22 6:38 a.m. -0.7 L Dec 23 7:27 a.m. -0.8 L

Jan 2

Rockport

Galveston Bay entrance, south jetty

Date Time Height Dec 09 12:15 a.m. 1.0 H Dec 10 12:38 a.m. 1.0 H Dec 11 1:03 a.m. 1.0 H Dec 12 1:29 a.m. 1.0 H Dec 13 1:58 a.m. 1.0 H Dec 14 2:31 a.m. 0.9 H Dec 15 12:47 a.m. 0.8 L Dec 16 2:22 a.m. 0.6 L Dec 17 3:36 a.m. 0.5 L Dec 18 4:27 a.m. 0.2 L Dec 19 5:14 a.m. -0.1 L Dec 20 6:01 a.m. -0.3 L Dec 21 6:49 a.m. -0.5 L Dec 22 7:37 a.m. -0.7 L Dec 23 8:26 a.m. -0.8 L

First

Dec 24

Dec 17

Legend: Major=2 hours. Minor=1 hour. Times centered on the major-minor window. F=Full Moon, N=New Moon, Q=Quarter > = Peak Activity. For other locations, subtract 1 minute per 12 miles east of a location, and add 1 minute per 12 miles west of a location.

Port O’Connor

Sabine Pass, jetty

Date Time Height Dec 09 7:53 a.m. -0.6 L Dec 10 12:08 a.m. 1.7 H Dec 11 12:33 a.m. 1.7 H Dec 12 12:59 a.m. 1.7 H Dec 13 1:28 a.m. 1.7 H Dec 14 2:01 a.m. 1.6 H Dec 15 2:45 a.m. 1.4 H Dec 16 1:26 a.m. 1.0 L Dec 17 2:40 a.m. 0.9 L Dec 18 3:31 a.m. 0.3 L Dec 19 4:18 a.m. -0.1 L Dec 20 5:05 a.m. -0.6 L Dec 21 5:53 a.m. -0.9 L Dec 22 6:41 a.m. -1.1 L Dec 23 7:30 a.m. -1.3 L

New

Last

Dec 10

Page 17

Solunar | Sun times | Moon times

Moon Phases

Texas Coast Tides Date Time Height Dec 09 7:27 a.m. -0.7 L Dec 10 7:59 a.m. -0.7 L Dec 11 8:33 a.m. -0.7 L Dec 12 12:12 a.m. 2.1 H Dec 13 12:41 a.m. 2.1 H Dec 14 1:14 a.m. 2.0 H Dec 15 1:58 a.m. 1.8 H Dec 16 1:00 a.m. 1.3 L Dec 17 2:14 a.m. 1.1 L Dec 18 3:05 a.m. 0.4 L Dec 19 3:52 a.m. -0.2 L Dec 20 4:39 a.m. -0.7 L Dec 21 5:27 a.m. -1.1 L Dec 22 6:15 a.m. -1.4 L Dec 23 7:04 a.m. -1.6 L

December 9, 2011

Time

Height

1:00 p.m.

2:11 p.m.

4:26 p.m.

0.7 L 1.0 L 1.2 L

7:58 p.m. 1.3 H 7:43 p.m. 1.3 H 6:59 p.m. 1.3 H

2011 Dec 09 Fri > 10 Sat F 11 Sun > 12 Mon > 13 Tue 14 Wed 15 Thu 16 Fri 17 Sat Q 18 Sun 19 Mon 20 Tue 21 Wed 22 Thu 23 Fri > 24 Sat > 25 Sun N 26 Mon > 27 Tue > 28 Wed

A.M. Minor Major 3:43 9:55 4:32 10:45 5:24 11:37 6:19 12:06 7:15 1:02 8:10 1:58 9:05 2:53 9:58 3:46 10:49 4:37 11:39 5:26 12:01 6:14 12:49 7:03 1:39 7:54 2:32 8:48 3:28 9:44 4:27 10:42 5:27 11:09 6:26 12:13 7:24 1:11 8:18 2:07

P.M. Minor Major 4:08 10:21 4:58 11:11 5:50 ----6:45 12:32 7:40 1:27 8:35 2:23 9:29 3:17 10:22 4:10 11:13 5:01 ----- 5:51 12:28 6:41 1:17 7:31 2:09 8:24 3:03 9:18 3:59 10:14 4:57 11:12 5:56 ----6:53 12:40 7:49 1:36 8:41 2:30

SUN MOON Rises Sets Rises Sets 07:17 05:19 4:47p 6:26a 07:18 05:19 5:37p 7:19a 07:18 05:20 6:32p 8:09a 07:19 05:20 7:31p 8:55a 07:20 05:20 8:31p 9:37a 07:20 05:20 9:32p 10:16a 07:21 05:20 10:34p 10:52a 07:22 05:21 11:37p 11:26a 07:22 05:21 NoMoon 12:00p 07:23 05:21 12:40a 12:35p 07:24 05:22 1:46a 1:13p 07:24 05:22 2:54a 1:55p 07:25 05:23 4:03a 2:43p 07:25 05:23 5:12a 3:37p 07:26 05:24 6:17a 4:37p 07:26 05:24 7:16a 5:41p 07:26 05:25 8:09a 6:46p 07:27 05:25 8:55a 7:50p 07:27 05:26 9:34a 8:52p 07:28 05:26 10:08a 9:51p

P.M. Minor Major 4:15 10:28 5:05 11:18 5:57 ----6:52 12:39 7:47 1:34 8:42 2:30 9:36 3:24 10:29 4:17 11:20 5:08 ----- 5:58 12:35 6:48 1:24 7:38 2:16 8:31 3:10 9:25 4:06 10:21 5:04 11:19 6:03 ----7:00 12:47 7:56 1:43 8:48 2:37

SUN MOON Rises Sets Rises Sets 07:16 05:34 5:02p 6:25a 07:16 05:35 5:53p 7:18a 07:17 05:35 6:48p 8:08a 07:18 05:35 7:45p 8:55a 07:18 05:35 8:44p 9:38a 07:19 05:36 9:44p 10:18a 07:20 05:36 10:44p 10:56a 07:20 05:36 11:44p 11:32a 07:21 05:37 NoMoon 12:08p 07:21 05:37 12:46a 12:45p 07:22 05:37 1:50a 1:24p 07:23 05:38 2:56a 2:08p 07:23 05:38 4:04a 2:58p 07:24 05:39 5:11a 3:53p 07:24 05:39 6:16a 4:53p 07:24 05:40 7:16a 5:56p 07:25 05:40 8:09a 7:00p 07:25 05:41 8:56a 8:03p 07:26 05:41 9:36a 9:03p 07:26 05:42 10:13a 10:00p

P.M. Minor 4:28 5:18 6:11 7:05 8:00 8:55 9:50 10:42 11:34 ----12:48 1:38 2:29 3:23 4:20 5:18 6:16 7:14 8:09 9:02

SUN Rises 07:43 07:44 07:45 07:45 07:46 07:47 07:47 07:48 07:49 07:49 07:50 07:50 07:51 07:51 07:52 07:52 07:53 07:53 07:54 07:54

San Antonio 2011 A.M. Dec Minor Major 09 Fri > 3:50 10:02 10 Sat F 4:39 10:52 11 Sun > 5:31 11:44 12 Mon > 6:26 12:13 13 Tue 7:22 1:09 14 Wed 8:17 2:05 15 Thu 9:12 3:00 16 Fri 10:05 3:53 17 Sat Q 10:56 4:44 18 Sun 11:46 5:33 19 Mon 12:08 6:21 20 Tue 12:56 7:10 21 Wed 1:46 8:01 22 Thu 2:39 8:55 23 Fri > 3:35 9:51 24 Sat > 4:34 10:49 25 Sun N 5:34 11:16 26 Mon > 6:33 12:20 27 Tue > 7:31 1:18 28 Wed 8:25 2:14

Amarillo 2011 A.M. Dec Minor 09 Fri > 4:03 10 Sat F 4:53 11 Sun > 5:45 12 Mon > 6:39 13 Tue 7:35 14 Wed 8:31 15 Thu 9:25 16 Fri 10:18 17 Sat Q 11:09 18 Sun 11:59 19 Mon 12:22 20 Tue 1:10 21 Wed 2:00 22 Thu 2:53 23 Fri > 3:49 24 Sat > 4:48 25 Sun N 5:47 26 Mon > 6:47 27 Tue > 7:44 28 Wed 8:39

OUTDOOR PUZZLER | By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen ACROSS 1. Shoulder hides on a deer 5. Duty of the bird dog 8. Thousands are netted every day 10. To move herd to new fertile areas 11. To prepare for another shot 12. Protective cover for scopes 13. A female dall 14. Do this to scouting routes 16. The trapper’s gear 17. A deer lure, scent ____ 20. A poisonous snake 22. Hunting and fishing equipment 24. Very large on the muley 25. Name for a certain lure 27. A valuable furbearer 29. Some animals teeth reveal this 31. A good beaver bait 44. Term for removing pelt 32. A quick-to-erect type flesh tent 45. The shooter’s protective 33. Fishing poles coverings 37. A group of decoys 40. The ring _____ pheasant 41. To construct a fly lure DOWN 42. A game bird 1. The outdoorsman 43. A stream fisherman’s lure 2. A young boar

3. A species of ocean fish 4. Describes a wild turkey’s vision 5. To search for food sources 6. The eagle’s claw 7. Fish are said to have this sense

Solution on Page 25 9. Term for shedded antlers 12. A method of a deer drive 14. Read will determine this of a track 15. Said to be best color for fish lure 18. Act of determining freshness of tracks 19. The wingshooter’s helper 21. A fuel for camp stoves 23. This pelt is black and white 26. A good bait for bear traps 27. A good scent bait for traps 28. Another good scent bait for traps 30. A large member of the deer family 33. A game pathway 34. A duckhunter’s lure 35. A part on a trap 36. A special arrowhead, _____head 37. Name given a very large sturgeon 38. The fur seeker’s gear 39. Greatly affects an arrow’s flight

Major 10:16 11:05 11:58 12:27 1:23 2:18 3:13 4:06 4:57 5:46 6:35 7:24 8:14 9:08 10:04 11:03 11:29 12:33 1:32 2:27

Major 10:41 11:31 ----12:52 1:48 2:43 3:37 4:30 5:21 6:11 7:01 7:52 8:44 9:38 10:35 11:33 12:02 1:00 1:57 2:50

Sets 05:34 05:34 05:34 05:34 05:34 05:35 05:35 05:35 05:35 05:36 05:36 05:37 05:37 05:37 05:38 05:38 05:39 05:40 05:40 05:41

MOON Rises 5:02p 5:53p 6:48p 7:47p 8:48p 9:51p 10:54p NoMoon NoMoon 1:03a 2:10a 3:19a 4:29a 5:39a 6:44a 7:43a 8:35a 9:20a 9:58a 10:31a

Sets 6:53a 7:46a 8:36a 9:21a 10:03a 10:40a 11:15a 11:48a 12:20p 12:54p 1:31p 2:12p 2:59p 3:53p 4:52p 5:56p 7:02p 8:07p 9:11p 10:11p

FOR THE TABLE Stuffed wild goose One wild goose Giblets from goose 4 cups bread crumbs 2 medium onions 2 apples, diced 1/4 tsp. sage 1/4 tsp. garlic powder 2 tsps. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1 tbsp. sugar 1 cup sherry Cook giblets until tender; reserve liquid. Chop giblets and add to bread crumbs, onions, apples, and seasonings. Add liquid from giblets to moisten stuffing, stuff the goose. Place goose in roasting pan and roast for about 20 minutes per pound of goose at 350 degrees. Baste often.

Pour off fat. Deglaze pan with sherry. Add some salt and pepper to correct seasonings. This makes 6-8 servings.

— wildgamerecipes.org

Cajun baked catfish 2 tbsps. canola oil 2 tsps. garlic salt 2 tsps. dried thyme 2 tsps. paprika 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce 1/4 tsp. pepper 4 (8-ounce) fillets catfish

In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; brush over both sides of fish.

Place fish in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-13 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

— allrecipes.com

*E-mail LSON your favorite recipe to news@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

Page 18

December 9, 2011

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

LSONews.com

PRODUCTS

For retailers, visit: mathewsinc.com mat thewsinc.com

>> G2 PRO WADING BELT: Wade fishermen can have all the essentials of their sport close at hand with this belt from ForEverlast Hunting and Fishing Products. The belt’s adjustable Velcro “liftand-lock” system allows anglers to place all of their tools — pliers, tackle box, rod holder and more — in just the right reachable spot.

This belt kit sells for about $45.

(361) 798-1530

>>

>> >>

(800) 814-4895 www.westonsupply.com HELIMBOW: W: Mathews has introduced what it deescribes as its “smoothest, quietest, st, most technologically advanced lightghtweight bow ever offered.” The bow fea feaatures an advanced riser, a “Harmonic Statu cS tabilizer Lite,” and a lightweight roller guard er g uard that th results in a super smooth draw. The e bow’s single-cam advancements produce spe speeds s eeds up to 332 feet per second with a 7-inch brace bra ace height.

The HelimBow measures 30 inches es axle to axle with a draw weight of 4040-70 70 pounds length and a draw len th of o 26 to 30 i h inches.

IIt sellss for about $960. $9 9 0. The T bow is available ava ailable with camo cam mo or black risers and camo, cam mo, black or tactical tac ctical limbs.

(800) 253-2538 redington.com

ATV COVERS: CoverAlls’ premium covers will protect hunters’ ATVs between outings. The covers, which are made from the same waterproof and UV-proof material used in boat and marine covers, are 95 percent heat reflective to further protect against hot weather and the effects of harsh sunlight. Featuring rustproof grommets on each side for tie-downs under the vehicle, plus a heavy-duty bungee in the front and rear, the covers will fit snugly around an ATV. Available in several models, the covers range in price about $80 for the small to about $88 for the medium size, which will fit the majority of ATVs. (214) 350-2690

REALTREE NO. 8 MEAT GRINDER AND SAUSAGE STUFFER: It grinds venison. It makes sausage. It has a touch of decorative camo. So, what’s not to like?

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>>

REDILAYER TOP: Redington has launched a seamless base layer collection of garments for anglers that are re comfortable and quick drying. The base layers include a crew top (about $70), a 1/4-zip top shown here (about $80), and pants (about $60) made from a 55-perpe ercent Merino wool and 45-percent nylon blend. d..

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License sales Continued From Page 1

Tom Newton, TPWD’s manager of license revenue.

That’s a hit of about $2.79 million in a budget cycle in which TPWD officials had hoped the agency would be relying more on revenues from license sales to fund operations.

Specifically, Newton said, total sales so far this year are at $58.61 million vs. $61.40 million a year ago.

“The biggest decline is in the purchase of fishing licenses — down almost 13.16 percent compared to last year as a whole,” Smith said.

That’s for freshwater and saltwater packages combined.

According to data, $11,394,768.65 was collected a year ago, but only $9,894,745.18 has come in so far this year.

Resident saltwater license package sales are down 3.79 percent from last year, which amounts to about $49,250.

But resident freshwater packages are about 32 percent off, which is a difference of $1.13 million.

“Clearly it’s an artifact of the drought and the diminished water levels in the lakes and rivers around the state,” Smith said. “People don’t want to boat when lakes are low, fearing rocks and stumps and other normal concerns.

“That leaves bank access, and sometimes that can be harder to do if there is not sufficient public access to do that.”

Year-to-date revenues from hunting licenses and stamps are off by about 3.13 percent from a year ago, according to Newton’s report. Last year $14,058,371.71 was collected; only $13,618,284.44 has come in so far this year.

TPWD officials also worry about state parks.

About a quarter of TPWD’s budget goes to parks which saw dwindling attendance last summer. Smith blamed the “triple whammy” of drought, record heat and wildfires.

Now revenues from entrance fees are off by about $715,025 so far this year, said Brent Leisure, TPWD’s state parks director. That’s a difference of 11.4 percent.

In August, TPWD started a new two-year budget cycle with 21.5 percent fewer funds than requested. The agency sought $700 million, but the Legislature approved $550 million.

At that time, Smith said the agency would need “healthy license sales and park attendance to get us through the next two years.”

Smith restated that call on Dec. 1.

He said that if revenues don’t pick up, “clearly we’ll have to make operational adjustments,” although he added that, “it’s a little premature to speculate on that now.”

In August, however, TPWD officials noted that the Legislature passed a “rider” that said if they could raise enough money through park fees and other sources, it could save about 60 state park jobs.

TPWD had already let go 111 people to reach that point.

Smith also urged Texans to keep visiting state parks. He added that people can donate on the agency’s Web site (look for the “Get Involved” link at the top of the home page). And, starting in January, Texans will be given the option of donating $5 or more to TPWD when they renew their motor vehicle registrations.

“If you want to support fish and wildlife conservation in the state, the single best and easiest thing you can do is go buy a hunting or fishing license,” Smith said. “Those dollars are dedicated to support conservation and law enforcement.

“It’s a great Christmas gift. And, so is, by the way, a visit with your family to a state park.”

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

December 9, 2011

Page 19

pinfish, which was getting harder to find in early December. Therefore, he said, anglers should be prepared to switch baits.

Continued From Page 1 “Now we’re getting into more and more lures,” Phillips said, “like a Bass Assassin in One fish was 27 inches and the rest pumpkin with chartreuse tail — something ranged from 22 to 25 inches, Lott said. that sinks down to where they’re at.”

“We also caught a couple flounder,” Guide and tournament angler Ruben he said.

Cisneros of San Antonio fishes the Upper While Lott was lucky on bass tactics, Laguna Madre from Rockport to the midother anglers along the coast had to be dle of the “Land Cut,” with a lot of time in flexible to get into fall redfish. the Baffin Bay complex.

Guide Lanny Phillips, fishing out of He fishes exclusively with artificial bait and Rockport, said he was frustrated one reported success on Norton Bull Minnows night while out with clients and other in tequila gold and new Attraxx lures for guides on four boats. saltwater with shrimp tails or curly tails.

“We had a system come through at “We’re into sight-casting and wading,” night,” he said, “and the first four hours Cisneros said. “We start a little deeper in we caught nothing — not a hardhead, the morning and let the flats warm up, not nothing.

BIG RED: Gary Campbell of Proctor recently journeyed to the Port moving from the sand flats to the potholes “Then all of a sudden one of the other Aransas north jetty where, while fishing with Bob Harris of Strawn, and grass to the mud flats. guys called us over to a hole and we were he landed this 25-pound bull red. It was 40.5 inches, and several “We’re starting to see some tailing redfish catching redfish — all around 24, 25, 26 others in the 27- to 28-inch range were also caught. For more and we’re catching 9- to 10-pounders in the inches — as fast as we could.”

“Heroes” photos, see page 16. Photo by Gary Campbell. slot. It’s just ridiculous. As a tournament Tidal action has been key for locatangler it turns your stomach; you sit there On one trip, he said, the tide was “flat and ask, ‘Where were you earlier in the year?’” ing potholes and ledges holding big reds, dumping out.”

Phillips said.

“And when it did,” he added, “we headed over Capt. Lanny Phillips, (432) 349-0353 He explained that, as the tides pull out, baitfish is pulled from grassy areas to the to some drop-offs and just hammered redfish.”

Capt. Ruben Cisneros (210) 849-5676 Phillips said his clients caught reds on cut holes and edges.

— Staff report

Redfish

Page 20

December 9, 2011

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

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Hunt hogs Continued From Page 4

“That was in the Hill Country, and there were no hogs yet,” he recalled.

But then the family got the Goree-area lease in North Central Texas. There were lots of pigs there.

Collin’s first hog was memorable for its tenacity.

“I was 10 or 11,” he said.

“We were just sitting in a deer blind and there was a pig wallow to the right and one came out of it.

“I shot twice. He fell to the ground and we thought it was dead.”

Then Collin saw the hog move, but his dad thought he was mistaken, so they got out of the blind to settle the issue.

Next thing they knew, the pig was charging them. They opened fire.

“Me and my dad were just unloading on it,” Collin said. “That just shows you how tough they are. Other kids would think, ‘I wouldn’t want to do that,’ but I thought it was awesome.

“I liked the adrenaline rush.”

Collin has downed several pigs in the 200-pound range, and the biggest was about 350 pounds.

His .243-caliber Sako, however, allows him to keep a safe distance from the quarry. He has also developed preferences for hogbusting ammunition.

“I use Hornady SST

95-grain bullets,” he said. “I shot multiple pigs with different rounds and they really didn’t do the same things as these Hornadys.

“They just seem to work a lot better than every other round: better entry wounds and exit wounds — everything.”

With such a passion for swine slaying, one could suggest that Collin do it as a career. He said that would be fun, but he is considering the medical field.

“School comes first,” he said.

And, although Collin visits the lease whenever he can, he doesn’t always have to kill something.

“Just to get the chance to go out there is a blessing,” he said.

NOT KIDS PLAY: Collin McGahey, 15, has been hunting wild boars for about five years. He appreciates them for their intelligence and even their unpredictability. Photo by Patrick McGahey.

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December 9, 2011

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

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Lone✯Star Outdoor News

Black Friday sees record background checks for firearm purchases FBI data shows that Nov. 25, commonly called “Black Friday,” had the most background checks for firearm purchases in a single day, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

According to the data, Black Friday 2011 recorded 129,166 checks. That’s a 32-percent increase over the previous high — Nov. 28, 2008, NSSF reported.

“Clearly, Black Friday was a big day for both the firearms industry and our nation’s law-abiding gun owners,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF’s senior vice president and general counsel.

Keene added that, “More citizens are lawfully exercising their Second Amendment right to carry a firearm.”

The FBI statistics, however, only represent the number of firearm background checks, not the actual number of firearms sold. Based on varying state laws and purchase scenarios, a one-to-one correlation cannot be made between a firearm background check and a firearm sale.

— National Shooting Sports Foundation

Sand trout Continued From Page 8

A fishing report from the 61st Street Fishing Pier in Galveston said anglers were catching sand trout and croaker on shrimp during southeast winds.

Galveston Capt.

Paul Marcaccio said sand trout and their relative, gulf trout, were both being caught in the bays.

“I don’t target them specifically,” Marcaccio said.

“I would say the gulf trout are in abundance right now in Galveston Bay, though.

I see coolers full of them being cleaned at the docks.

Wherever you find them, you’ll probably find sand trout, although spring is the

Sheriff’s investigator accused of poaching A 10-year veteran of the Starr County Sheriff’s Office is accused of poaching, according to reports.

Javier Peña, who was assigned to investigating violent crimes, faces three misdemeanor charges of illegal hunting the night of Nov. 27, said Game Warden Capt. Fernando Cervantes.

According to the reports, Peña allegedly drove three people in his unmarked county vehicle to a hunting area near the intersection of Farm Roads 775 and 490, 10 miles north of Rio Grande City.

“You had somebody holding a light, somebody driving and somebody shooting,” Cervantes explained, “but all involved in the same act, so all are getting charged with the same offenses.

“We charged them with hunting from a vehicle on a public road, hunting at night and hunting with an artificial light.”

Peña, however, got in trouble with his department for transporting people without permission from sheriff’s officials.

He was booked into the county jail and released on bail, but he could not go back to work because on an internal investigation, according to media reports.

— Staff report

best time to catch them.”

Marcaccio said dead and peeled shrimp work the best for catching the speckled trout’s lesser-known cousin.

“That’s probably the most inexpensive bait,” he said.

“Lure wise, anything you would normally throw for speckled tout will work for sand trout. With lures, there is no difference between speckled trout and sand trout.”

Dusty McDonald, life history biologist for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, completed a study several years ago on the sand trout.

He said in an interview during the summer that sand trout are popular with pier fishermen.

“Anglers use corks with about 6 inches of line underneath and then a hook

baited with shrimp,” he said. “They caught them much better at night than they did during the day.”

Sand trout frequent waters with lower salinity levels, such as Sabine Lake, Galveston and Corpus Christi bays and the Lower Laguna Madre.

The average size of the sand trout is between 12 and 15 inches, although fish up to 20 inches are caught.

Positive reports also came from Bolivar and Texas City.

Both reported solid action on fresh shrimp.

The fish make outstanding table fare if they are eaten fresh. Because of a mushy texture, the fish don’t keep well. But, according to anglers, there isn’t a better “fish fry” fish anywhere.

December 9, 2011

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December 9, 2011

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

OUTDOOR BUSINESS

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December 9, 2011

Page 25

DATEBOOK December 10

January 12

January 20-22

January 25-26

Plinkfest National Shooting Complex San Antonio (210) 688-3165

Dallas Woods and Waters Club Monthly Meeting and Dinner Doubletree Hotel, Dallas (214) 570-8700 dwwcc.org

Fun-N-Sun & Angler's Pro Tackle In-House Boat Show, Hurst (817) 280-0303 funnsunboats.com

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Commission Hearing, Austin (512) 389-4800 tpwd.state.tx.us

December 11 National Wild Turkey Federation Wheelin’ Sportsmen Event Angelina National Forest (409) 739-5553 nwtf.org

January 13-15 Houston Safari Club Sporting Expo and Convention The Woodlands Waterway Marriott (713) 623-8844 houstonsafariclub.org

December 13 Houston Safari Club Christmas Party Cadillac Bar (713) 623-8844 houstonsafariclub.org

January 14 National Wild Turkey Federation Texas State Calling Championship Bass Pro Shops, Grapevine (281) 320-8388 nwtf.org

December 14 Coastal Conservation Association Sugar Land CCA Holiday Party Café Adobe (832) 541-8390 ccatexas.org

January 20-21

December 15

SCI, Hill Country Chapter Annual Dinner and Fundraiser The Hangar Hotel Fredericksburg (830) 928-4344 texashillcountrysci.org

Austin Fly Fishers Monthly meeting, NW Rec Center (512) 346-0592 austinflyfishers.com

Hill Country River Region Trout Days Uvalde, Chalk Bluff Park (830) 591-1065 hillcountryrivers.com

January 5-8 Dallas Safari Club Out of the Wild Convention Dallas Convention Center (972) 980-9800 biggame.org

Deer Breeders Corporation 4th Annual Deer Auction Airport Hilton, Austin (866) 972-5001 Dbcdeer.com

January 26-29 San Antonio Boat & RV Show The Alamodome (512) 481-1777 sanantonioboatshow.com

National Wild Turkey Federation Texas State Chapter Banquet Mesquite Rodeo Grounds Mesquite (281) 639-9185 nwtf.org Port Aransas Rotary Club Casino Night/Fish fry (361) 749-2208 portaransas.org

Associate Editor Conor Harrison

Graphics Editor Amy Moore Business/Products Editor Mary Helen Aguirre Operations Manager Mike Hughs Accounting Ginger Hoolan Web site Bruce Soileau

January 21 Hallettsville Wild Game Supper Knights of Columbus Hall kchall.com

Editor Bill Miller

Associate Editor Mark England

January 20-23 Austin Boat, Sport & Outdoor Show Austin Convention Center (512) 494-1128 austinboatshow.com

Executive Editor Craig Nyhus

January 27 National Wild Turkey Federation Henderson County Dinner, Athens (903) 675-2750 nwtf.org

National Advertising Mike Nelson Accounts Manager Founder & CEO David J. Sams

Contributors Kyle Carter Alan Clemons David Draper Wilbur Lundeen John Meyer Aaron Reed Erich Schlegel David Sikes Scott Sommerlatte Chuck Uzzle Ralph Winingham

January 28 Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Texas Hill Country Big Game Banquet (512) 247-1628 rmef.org

Puzzle solution from Page 17

Advertising Call (214) 361-2276 or e-mail editor@lone staroutdoornews.com to request a media kit.

For home delivery subscriptions www.LSONews.com (214) 361-2276

Lone Star Outdoor News, ISSN 2162-8300, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice a month. A mailed subscription is $30 for 24 issues. Newsstand copies are free, one per person. Copyright 2011 with all rights reserved. Reproduction and/or use of any photographic or written material without written permission by the publisher is prohibited. Subscribers may send address changes to: Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355 or e-mail them to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

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December 9, 2011

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Unsung heroes Continued From Page 1

“Maybe relieved is the right way to say it,” he added. “A lot of deer seem to be in good shape and that’s because of their ability to eat different parts of plants and a mix of species to optimize their diets.

“Woody plants are kind of the nutritional bridge between times of plenty.”

In South Texas, these unsung heroes are granjeno (spiny hackberry), guayacan and twisted acacia, to name a few.

Even much-maligned mesquite, Fulbright said, offers nutrition through its pods of beans. These trees are found in all but the eastern portions of the state.

Prickly pear cactus and Texas persimmons get ignored like the woody plants, but deer will also go to them in a drought, Fulbright said.

“I think there is a bigger picture that people need to understand,” he said.

“Manage habitat so that you have a diversity of plant species.

“If you have a habitat with very few species, you probably have a poor habitat.”

Woody plants, however, aren’t perfect. For example, they aren’t as nutritious as forbs.

Justin Folks, a graduate student at the institute, said that although woody rations generate body fat, they don’t provide enough nutrients for a doe to properly gestate fawns, and nurse them later.

Mother deer, consequently, can be emaciated.

BROWSED: A deer has nibbled a twig on this twisted acacia, a South Texas shrub that is most palatable in late winter. This woody plant, and others, help nourish deer when preferred forbs are gone. Photo by Tim Fulbright.

“The ones we see in poor shape are still lactating,” Folks said. “The ones that shut off reproduction — they have good body conditions.”

The plants also have other limitations.

Fulbright explained that they tolerate drought because their roots tap moisture in deeper soil; when that’s dried up, woody plants also suffer.

But the plants performed well during 2011, one of the driest years on record.

Fulbright pointed to recent experiments conducted by Folks and fellow graduate student Kory Gann at the Comanche and Faith Ranches near Carrizo Springs.

They observed foraging habits of tame does in 200acre high-fence pens from

summer 2009, a very dry period, through 2010, which was wet, and into droughtstricken spring 2011.

Folks said that in the wet spring of 2010, the deer dined on 70 species.

But a year later, they were surviving on only 11.

“When drought hits, they switch and they can get by on woody plants,” Folks said. “They act as maintenance food.”

Fulbright said these woody plants are frequently uprooted in aggressive brush control efforts, but the landowners aren’t aware of their potential to feed deer during drought.

He suggested landowners first enlist a biologist or wildlife consultant to identify the plants suitable for ensuring diversity.

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