Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper in Texas
November 27, 2015
Conroe bass, cats turning on
Volume 12, Issue 7
A great start
Looking for her
Deer processors busier this year By Ike Lee
For Lone Star Outdoor News
BACK IN ACTION: Lake Conroe’s bass fishing is better, and the big blue cats are biting. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.
By Jillian Mock
For Lone Star Outdoor News Everything is just about right for the bass and catfish bite on Lake Conroe. “It is just now starting to cool down with the cold front coming in,” said professional angler Zell Rowland, who lives in the area. “This cold weather will have those fish snapping like turtles here in a little bit.” For anglers on Lake Conroe, the ideal water temperature for fishing ranges between 60 and 70 Please turn to page 11
CONTENTS Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 30 Crossword . . . . . . . . . Page 26 Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10 For the Table . . . . . . . . Page 26 Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12 Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18 Outdoor Datebook . . . . . Page 28
Good rutting activity is being reported across the state. In Atascosa County, mature bucks were chasing does while the younger bucks were still more interested in corn last weekend. North and Central Texas hunters are seeing bucks on the move. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
Saltwater Fishing Report . . Page 14 Sun, Moon and Tide data . . Page 22 Products . . . . . . . . . . Page 20
What’s happening at the deer processors’ docks gives a sampling of how the Texas deer season is going. If the early reports are any indication, the season may be better than even the positive predictions. In the Brady area, the start is the best in recent memory. “I’ve done this for 27 years, and this is the best I’ve seen,” said Steve Hendley of Steve’s Meat Market in Brady. The market took in more than 250 deer over opening weekend, topping the numbers from last year, and the bucks are looking better. “They are heavy, better than last year,” Hendley said. “There is plenty of flesh, and the antlers are looking good.” Hendley also said he believes the early rutting season has helped the numbers be good for his business. Hendley and Joe Martindale of LR Meat Market & Sausage in Belton said the rut began a little early this year, possibly helping with the increase in the numbers harvested. Martindale said he saw a half-dozen bucks dart across a four-lane highway while heading toward Lampasas. “They are rutting hard-core, and we’ve seen some good deer,” Martindale said. “Our numbers (170 deer) were about the same as last year, maybe a few more. The bucks are looking strong, though, and we area seeing a lot of them.” Strong reports continued from processors in the Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth areas. “It’s a whole lot better than last year,” said Jimmy Roberts, owner of J&A Wild Game Processing in Conroe. “We’re getting some big ones, too.” On opening weekend, J&A took in 132
LSONews.com
Please turn to page 6
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PLANO, TX PERMIT 210
Trespasser kills rancher, wounds another By Mark England
The Medina County Sheriff’s Office knows everything but why a prominent D’Hanis rancher was murdered last weekend while hunting on his property, approximately 50 miles west of San Antonio. They charged Shane Outlaw, 26, of Devine with shooting and killing James Rodriguez, 59, who also
reported seeing a man walking across his property. He suspected the man might be a poacher. “Jimmy spotted the guy walking through an open field with pivots,” Bert Mazac told LSON. “The guy had a large pistol with him, so Jimmy thought he might be poaching.” Mazac, owner of Big B Construction and a family friend who began hunting Rodriguez’s 1,800acre ranch when he was 15 years old, said Rodriguez had parked his
Hummer near an old, two-story house on the property. He was hunting nearby with his .300-caliber rifle for whitetail deer. “He told his wife that he was going to walk around the creek,” said Mazac, who talked to Mollere at the hospital. “He was trying to see if there were any deer in the cedars. He spotted the guy and watched him the whole way.” After calling the sheriff’s office, Rodriguez called his wife, Annette, and Mollere. He told them Please turn to page 15
INSIDE
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owned Easy Drive, a surveying company in San Antonio, about 5 p.m. Saturday. Rodriguez’s brother-in-law, Mike Mollere, was also shot, but is recovering after being airlifted to University Hospital in San Antonio. “I don’t think there is a motive,” Sheriff Randy Brown said. “Maybe in his mind, he justified it as they were a threat. I don’t know. We can’t get into his head.” Before the shootings, Rodriguez called the sheriff’s office and
HUNTING
Ducks will get here
Panhandle muleys
East Texas hunting has been good and more ducks are on the way. Page 4
Some good bucks taken during opener. Page 5
FISHING
Trout join in
Not a sure thing
Speckled trout are keying on shrimp. Page 8
Sixteen percent of victims in boating fatalities were wearing PFDs. Page 8