January 11 , 2019 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper in Texas

January 11, 2019

Volume 15, Issue 10

Preconvention muley DSC director gets his buck

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News Corey Mason and his father have been hunting mule deer on the same ranch for 16 years. Most years, they don’t shoot one. This year, Mason

bagged a beauty.

The Dallas Safari Club executive director doesn’t get to hunt much as the DSC convention approaches, but managed to make his annual trip to the ranch that straddles Andrews and Winkler counties.

“It’s a combination of sand Corey Mason, left, hunts on the same ranch each year with his father, hills and caprock out there,” Jimmy. This year, Corey bagged a trophy. Photo by Cameron Kuenzer, Please turn to page 7 Safari Classics.

Christmas day bucks Lisset Herrera, of College Station, caught this wahoo while fishing near the Flower Gardens with Mark Brackin. Photo by Mark Brackin.

New year brings wahoo bite

By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star Outdoor News

By Lili Sams

Some people ask for material things for Christmas presents. Not Kara Sekula. She asked to go deer hunting with her dad, Jason.

“One Christmas Eve, I told my dad that I wanted to go hunting on Christmas Day,” said the 14-year-old Kara, who lives in Pearsall. “Ever since then it turned in to a tradition.”

The father/daughter team has kept the hunts alive for the past six years.

Each Christmas morning, the pair sets out to hunt before opening presents, a part of the tradition that annoys Kara’s

younger brother.

This year’s hunt started like all the rest, keeping themselves occupied on the cool morning by making jokes with each other and analyzing the deer that step out in the open. After not seeing much movement from the first blind, they got out and snuck up to another.

It wasn’t long before a nice 9-pointer walked out.

Kara waited for the buck to move from behind the feeder so she could get a clean shot. The 100-yard shot with her 6.5 Creedmoor dropped him.

Not everyone has set traditions to hunt on Christmas, but sometimes

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CONTENTS

Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP

Lone Star Outdoor News

Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10 Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12 Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . Page 16 Products . . . . . . . . . . Page 19 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 21 Outdoor Datebook . . . . . Page 22

HUNTING

INSIDE

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PLANO, TX PERMIT 210

Kara Sekula took her buck on a Christmas Day hunt with her father, Jason. The tradition of hunting before opening presents started six years ago. Photo by Jason Sekula.

Offshore anglers who took advantage of the calm seas between cold fronts that occurred during the first week of the New Year were rewarded with fast and furious action from schooling wahoo.

Double and triple hook-ups were common, with boat crews landing up to 10 or more of the pelagic fish during a day of trolling.

Lumberton resident Mark Brackin navigated his vessel, a 31-foot Cape Horn called Broad Daylight, 115 miles south, southeast of Port Bolivar on multiple days to troll the Flower Garden banks. He and his fishing buddy, Colyn Walding, landed 10 wahoo in the 30- to 60-pound range.

“That’s pretty much been the drill lately,” Brackin said. “In a day to a day and a half of fishing, most boats trolling the various banks around the Flower Gardens are landing anywhere from 6-15 wahoo. Most of these fish are weighing around 30-60 pounds.”

According to Brackin, most of the fish are feeding in about 150-180 feet of water, but they can also be found deeper or shallower.

“We’ve found wahoo schooling recently in as shallow as 80 feet and as deep as 300 feet or more,” he said. “The locations they are concentrating in seem to be changing daily, depending on the current and where the most bait is holding at.”

Trolling various baits has been the key to success.

“They’ve been striking anything from deep-diving crankbaits to high-speed skirts,” Brackin said. “Some days they want the baits far away from the boat and

FISHING

More CWD cases discovered (P. 4) Blue cats on the move (P. 9) Three whitetails, three mule deer positive.

Windy, overcast days best.

Wardens in South Africa (P. 5)

Ship channel flounder (P. 8)

Working with rangers.

Soft bite on live mullet.

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January 11, 2019

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January 11, 2019

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HUNTING

Check stations find more CWD cases Debates, discussions over disease resume

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News Confirmation of chronic wasting disease in three white-tailed deer in Medina, Dallam and Hartley counties, and in three mule deer in Hudspeth, Hartley and El Paso counties garnered attention and spurred debate when announced by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Publicized days after hosting a two-day CWD Symposium, TPWD said the affected white-tailed deer in Medina County was harvested by a hunter on a private ranch in the current South-Central CWD Containment Zone, in the vicinity of captive deer breeding facilities where CWD had earlier been confirmed.

Two CWD-infected whitetails and one mule deer were hunter harvested in the Panhandle CWD Containment Zone, and two CWD-infected mule deer were harvested in the Trans-Pecos CWD Containment Zone. Each of the new confirmations occurred in a county where CWD had previously been detected.

In 2018, 49 cases of CWD were confirmed in permitted breeder facilities, and eight cases were confirmed in animals taken outside a breeder facility or related release site.

In the Trans-Pecos, the affected animals were taken close to the border with New Mexico, a state where CWD had previously been discovered. In the Panhandle, CWD has been confirmed in several mule deer and white-tailed deer; as well as some elk.

On social media, hundreds of comments were made and TPWD’s post was shared 1,746 times, with the reaction to the announcement appearing split between those expressing concern and those expressing doubts regarding the extent of the problem.

Comments expressing doubt included, “No need for panic, folks. Buicks kill more deer than CWD,” and “The department knew about this but didn’t want to report it because it doesn’t fit their narrative of blaming deer breeders.”

Comments expressing concern included, “Shut the breeders down,” “Deer breeding pens and common feeding areas are what needs controlling,” and “This will end feeders in Texas, hopefully.”

While TPWD stressed the importance of investigating, limiting deer movement and early testing for the disease, others weren’t so sure.

Horace Gore, a wildlife biologist and longtime editor of Texas Trophy Hunters magazine, wrote, “It doesn’t matter that a syndrome is always fatal if the carrier has no effect on the cervid herd. In Texas, about 85 percent of the whitetail population turns over every four years. The average age of a Texas whitetail is usually less than 3 years, based on hunting, predators and fencing. The natural turnover of the herd makes it impossible for a low (1-2 percent) infection rate (as reported in whitetails) to have any bearing on the health and future of a deer population.”

TPWD wildlife veterinarian Bob Dittmar expressed a different view in the release.

“Texas has committed to a more proactive approach that moves quickly to

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Mimi Sams, of San Antonio, shot this rare, dark-colored deer near San Marcos. Photo by David Brimager.

Hunter takes melanistic buck

By Lili Sams

Lone Star Outdoor News During a hunt on New Year’s Day, a rare, melanistic white-tailed buck appeared before Mimi Sams and her boyfriend, Dean Meyer.

The San Antonio couple were hunting near San Marcos after getting into the stand with Meyer’s dog, Roy, for an afternoon hunt.

Shortly after the feeder went off, about 10 young bucks came out to eat. Then, from the brush behind the

feeder came a darker colored deer.

“What is that?” Sams asked Meyer as they studied the deer with their binoculars.

Meyer said his uncle had told him of a “chocolate deer out there down by the river.”

“We were watching the buck while texting his uncle to get the clear to shoot,” Sams said.

Just as they received the text from the uncle with permission to shoot the deer, the buck ran off chasing a doe.

Please turn to page 7

Later, after the other deer had left the feeder, the pair was almost ready to go. Then, the “chocolate” deer came back. He was walking and didn’t give Sams a chance to shoot.

“It looked like a shadow moving,” she said.

The buck walked out through a small opening in the thick brush, and Sams tapped on the deer blind to get his attention. The buck stopped and she didn’t hesitate.

Roy helped tracked the deer, which had jumped over a pasture Please turn to page 15

Hunting by mountain bike Ducks in odd places Large refuge tough to navigate

By Tony Vindell

For Lone Star Outdoor News

Josh Hartwick took this nilgai cow on a drawn hunt at the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. Photo from Josh Hartwick.

Taking people on guided hunting trips has been a way of life for Josh Hartwick for nearly a decade.

The Sealy man has been living on a section of the Kenedy Ranch where he has been running a hunting and fishing guide operation.

He takes people who come from all over in pursuit of nilgai antelope, a game animal native to India and which has proliferated on the King Ranch since the late 1930s or early 1940s.

During his guided hunts, Hartwick and a hunter hop in a pickup truck and drive mostly on caliche roads looking out for game. If a nilgai is spotted, he and his client go into the brush to stalk the antelope as it disappears into the thicket.

The success of a hunt depends on how hard they Please turn to page 22

By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star Outdoor News Duck hunters across the state have been experiencing mixed results as the season winds down into its final weeks. Some might argue the birds are not around, but birds may not be frequenting their typical wintertime haunts, at least not in full force.

Hunters willing to do some scouting and hunt in areas off the beaten path have been able to locate a variety of species.

Ryan Wahne and Matt Ebrom set up along the edge of a cattle pond that had spilled over its banks into a pasture and harvested limits that included green-winged teal, gadwall, pintail, wigeon, northern

Hard to find areas with new, shallow water and food are still drawing ducks. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

shoveler and blue-winged teal.

Wahne had noticed the ducks feeding along the shallow edges of the tank near his home south of San Antonio in Bexar County in some flooded vegetation about a Please turn to page 6

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Ducks, dove and sandhills Bachelor party hunt has it all

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News The third day of a hunt for a sixperson bachelor party from South Louisiana turned out to be a fun combination of activity for the hunters.

The day didn’t look great for the group on the 50-acre lake about 35 miles east of the Mexico border in Zavala County.

“There were bluebird skies with no wind,” said Speck Ops outfitter Luke Bledsoe. “That’s kind of typical down here.”

Bledsoe had permission to hunt the lake that is part of a 90,000acre ranch usually reserved for deer hunters.

“The whole lake is full of food,” Bledsoe said. “It was available for this Sunday morning.”

The hunt started slowly, with only one teal in the first hour.

“Some cranes roost on the lake and work their way back midmorning, so I got a dozen crane decoys and we moved to the bank of the lake,” Bledsoe said. “While I was doing that, being from South Louisiana, the guys had set up a make-shift blind.”

When the group was on the shoreline, the wind started to stir.

“A beautiful wigeon drake came out of the sky and dive-bombed

January 11, 2019

Page 5

Texas wardens, South African rangers work together

By Mark England

Lone Star Outdoor News

A group of Louisiana hunters, celebrating an upcoming wedding, shot a variety of species on a South Texas hunt. Photo by Luke Bledsoe.

the crane decoys,” Bledsoe said. “I guess it was a confidence deal.”

After the wigeon was shot, some gadwall started to work and Bledsoe added a few duck decoys into the mix.

After picking off a few of the gadwall, the dove started piling into the trees surrounding the lake.

“It was like the Good Lord turned the switch on; the dove were like mosquitoes,” Bledsoe said. “We were shooting at them with 3-inch steel shells. Our shooting percentages weren’t very high.”

After the dove flight slowed down, three sandhills came in.

“They came from the heavens,” Bledsoe said. “They came right

in. How we only killed two of the three, I don’t want to talk about.”

On the first day of the three-day hunt, the bachelor party killed 13 sandhills in an irrigation circle with oats.

“The guys were in hog heaven — you can’t hunt sandhills in Louisiana,” Bledsoe said.

The next afternoon, they shot 17 shovelers and teal while their smoker, filled with elk, pork chops and other meat, cooked nearby, not spooking the ducks.

“The guys had a blast,” Bledsoe said.

Two game wardens helped South African park rangers hunt for poachers last month, which Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials hope is the beginning of a dialogue between both organizations on addressing the global issue of wildlife trafficking.

“Texas is not on an island,” said Col. Grahame Jones, director of TPWD’s Law Enforcement Division. “We’ve worked cases involving rhino poaching. We all have to work together and communication is the only way to keep on top of the trends in wildlife trafficking, which are constantly changing.

Whether it’s ensuring that rhinoceros or the Texas horny toad are around for future generations, conservation is hugely important work.”

Capt. Craig Hernandez and Harris County Game Warden Hennie Volschenk visited Kruger National Park, roughly the size of New Jersey, in early December for nine days. Many LSON readers may know the area from the 2004 viral internet video entitled, “Battle at Kruger,” which garnered more than 80 million views.

The amateur wildlife video depicted a showdown between a herd of Cape buffalo, a pride of young lions and a crocodile at a watering hole.

“We saw lions, hyenas, elephants, hippos, you name it,” said Hernandez, an instructor and supervisor at the Texas Game Warden Training Center. “You have to be more in tune with your environment when patrolling. It’s not the same as checking a ranch in South Texas, where you’re more worried about rattlesnakes than anything else.”

Volschenk came away impressed with the park rangers they accompanied.

“These guys don’t have the equipment we have and the Please turn to page 12

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January 11, 2019

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Stories from the great outdoors Well-known columnist completes second book Lone Star Outdoor News Kenneth W. “Ken” Cook grew up on a small Mississippi farm in the 1940s, and would head out after chores to chase squirrels and rabbits or fish with his cane pole.

Since then, he completed three marathons before age 41; earned a Royal Slam in turkey hunting; caught tarpon and sailfish in Florida and Costa Rica; took horseback trips in Nevada and Canada; and canoed whitewater rivers and guided his kids on an 85-mile river trip. He is a lover of wing shooting, wild turkey hunting, and fishing for bass and panfish.

Cook is the writer behind the popular series “Outdoors with Ken Cook” in five South Georgia weekly newspapers and was senior editor for Fishing Tackle Retailer.

His first book, “Wild Country: True Stories from the Great Outdoors,” was published in 2015.

From Athens, Georgia, Cook published his second book on Dec. 28, 2018, “Return to Wild Country: 65 All-New All-True Stories from the Great Outdoors.”

Cook takes readers back to the wild country with essays ranging from the vibrant Ashlee Lundvall redefining hunting and advocating for accessibility after a lifechanging ranch accident left her paralyzed; to the lessons learned by exceptional turkey hunter Johnny Durrance after a dry spell.

The 284-page paperback book features profiles and interviews with President

Jimmy Carter, Guy Harvey, Johnny Morris, Jack Wingate and a monologue by Eric Dinger entitled, “An Open Letter to the Anti-Hunter.”

Cook’s book also includes 33 wild-game recipes from Elaine Harvell. It is available through Amazon, Apple iBooks, Barnes and Noble and Book Logix. The paperback price is $16.95.

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week prior to their successful hunt.

“I kept an eye out for them for several days,” he said. “Each afternoon, I noticed more and more birds piling into the pasture. Finally, I decided it was time to hunt them, and we made plans to give it a shot.”

The pair put out about two dozen decoys well before daylight in the area he had seen the ducks feeding during the previous afternoons. They hunkered down under the only two mesquite trees on that edge of the tank.

“We were covered up with ducks just minutes before legal shooting light,” Wahne said. “We could hear wigeon and pintail whistling between the quacks from gadwall.”

The birds continued to funnel into the hole after legal shooting time.

Ample amounts of rain have given the ducks a much larger playing field to contend with this year, including stock ponds, cattle tanks, and low-lying areas across rangeland. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Waterfowl Program leader, Kevin Kraai, said these features within interior portions of the state are quickly becoming the largest waterfowl refuge in North America.

“Small ponds, tanks, and low-lying areas of pastures that are holding water right now are littered with ducks,” Kraai said. “There are thousands of these features across the landscape. Each one individually only winters a small amount of ducks, but collectively they are sustaining a significant portion of the state’s wintering waterfowl population. This number is continually growing larger each year.”

Kraai says it makes sense for the ducks to seem more scarce during a wet winter.

“Ponds, tanks and other areas that may normally be dry are full of water,” he said.

“The birds have plenty of areas to escape hunting pressure while finding both habitat and food.”

In northeast Texas, Aaron Welch reported that he has enjoyed some recent hunts in areas around ponds in Red River County that are normally void of water during a dry year.

“Main water bodies and holes just aren’t concentrating numbers of ducks this year,” he said. “There’s water in a lot of places and you have to get creative in order to be successful.”

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January 11, 2019

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Mason’s mule deer Continued from page 1

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Mason said. “You have to get at whatever elevation you can and glass as much country as you can.”

The area features big, deep dunes with mesquite in the bottoms and shinnery oak at higher elevations.

“The deer density isn’t real high out there,” Mason said. “The ranch balances oil production, wind production, cattle and wildlife. You have to cover a lot of country — and if you don’t have good optics, you’re wasting your time.”

The ranch, hunted by only a few groups of hunters each year, also receives little hunting pressure.

“If you see a doe, she’s usually not alone,” Mason said.

On the first day of his December hunt, Mason saw at least 20 bucks, but nothing that piqued his interest.

“The wind was blowing 25-30 miles per hour,” he said. “It’s really hard to use optics at distance in that wind. But nearly every doe we saw had some mature buck with them.”

In the afternoon, Mason spent his time going from dune to dune in deep sand.

“I saw a few nice bucks,” he said. “But the deer weren’t moving much.”

The second day of the hunt brought a change in behavior, especially in the afternoon when the wind subsided.

“We immediately started seeing bucks,” Mason said. “In one long valley there were

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Then they spotted a herd of doe off to the side.

“There was a buck the ranch owner and guide had seen that we were looking for,” Mason said. “He was with the group of does. After some effort, we finally got to within 260 yards of him. Then, he finally stood still.”

Mason made the shot with his .300 Win Mag on the 190-class mule deer.

“He fell straight back,” he said. “His tines were beautiful, he carried his mass well and had unusually large brow tines for a mule deer. And he weighed a good 300 pounds.”

Although the son and father come home empty most years, they have taken some great mule deer over the years on the ranch.

“My dad got one five years ago that was right at 200 inches,” Mason said. “I have another one about the same size as the one I got this year.”

Mason’s father, Jim, shot an old, management buck and his hunt was filmed this year, with the story to air on Trijicon’s World of Sports Afield on the Sportsman Channel.

The buck was great, but Mason said the far West Texas country is his favorite.

“The hunters are all family and friends, and we see the same people each year,” he said. “The country looks like there is nothing there when you drive by, but if you sit still, it comes alive around you. It’s my favorite place.”

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Testing deer Continued from page 4

control the disease where discovered by limiting the movement of deer exposed to infected deer, and by reducing or eliminating deer where the disease is proven to exist,” he said.

Patrick Tarlton, executive director of the Texas Deer Association, expressed regret that deer breeders often are targeted as being responsible for the disease.

“Since the adoption of the CWD Rules adopted by Texas Parks and Wildlife in June of 2016, the members of the Texas Deer Association have tested their populations of captive deer at the highest rate of any group or agency,” he said. “Such a high level of CWD testing provides thorough insight into herd health and gives confidence to all concerned groups and regulatory agencies, and provides accurate, statistical reliability of non-prevalence far in excess of the 50 percent confidence level sought by TPWD regarding pen-raised deer.”

Hunters who harvest mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, red deer, or sika deer within the Trans-Pecos, Panhandle, and South-Central Texas CWD Containment and Surveillance Zones are required to bring their animals to a TPWD check station within 48 hours of harvest. Hunters and landowners interested in providing voluntary samples can contact their local TPWD biologist or bring the animal to any of the department’s check stations located around the state.

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January 11, 2019

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FISHING

Galveston Ship Channel still holding flatfish

By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star Outdoor News Hitting the water on a frigid winter day can have its advantages. League City resident and Galveston Bay angler Timothy Harris and his father, William, had the Galveston Ship Channel to themselves during cold and misty conditions.

“I guess the less than desirable weather kept a lot of people off the water,” Timothy

Harris said. “We saw maybe two other boats all day long in an area that is normally chock full of fishermen. Because of this, we were able to work the edges of the channel thoroughly while focusing on numerous well-known holes and drop-offs.”

Harris looks forward to fishing the area with his dad every fall and winter for flounder.

“The best action usually occurs earlier in the fall, but in

the past few years we’ve had decent success during the winter at the end of the flounder run, especially for big fish,” he said.

The pair didn’t land any of the large females, but did bring in good-sized flounder worthy of the dinner table.

“The big girls we were looking for didn’t show, but we did hook up with plenty of smaller fish,” Harris said. “We caught several flounder in the 15- to

20-inch range, along with countless amounts of undersized fish.”

The duo chunked live mullet in areas with bulkheads, pilings and other structures in 6-18 feet of water.

“The bite was pretty soft,” Harris said. “This was probably due to the fact that both the water and air temperature was cold. When a fish hit, it felt like a light tap and then you would slowly begin to see your Please turn to page 11

Timothy Harris shows off a 20-inch flounder he caught while fishing the Galveston Ship Channel with his dad, William.

Catching pompano midcoast

By David Sikes

For Lone Star Outdoor News The best times for catching pompano along the Texas coast are September through December, but mild conditions into January have extended this window.

Surf anglers are reporting catching 20-plus pompano along Padre Island beaches on cool, cloudless days when the surf is fairly calm and green. Most have been caught along the third sandbar, which is too far for traditional tackle to reach.

Every now and then one is caught in a bay, but mostly they like the near surf. Pompano seldom strike lures, but when they are hooked, they fight aggressively on light tackle.

“Sport Fish of the Gulf of Mexico” by Vic Dunaway lists pompano’s game quality as unsurpassed for its size.

“Pompano can out race and out pull a jack crevalle of equivalent size,” Dunaway wrote.

Many folks who target pompano do not use light tackle. They use long rods to sling a bait near the second or third gut in the surf, where winter pompano most often feed. Pompano scour the slopes of submerged sandbars in Along the beach, sturdy equipment is required to cast to the second or third guts, where pompano feed. Photo by David Sikes.

Please turn to page 12

Power plant lakes heating up

By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star Outdoor News

Wintertime bass fishermen head for warmer waters where bass are more active. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

During the heart of winter, freshwater anglers have two options. They can choose to stay off the water and wait for spring to arrive, or they can take advantage of wintertime patterns on specific bodies of water.

Some anglers choose to target a variety of species on one of several power plant lakes,

where warm-water discharges make the action heat up.

According to fishing guide Pete Dodge of Pete Dodge’s Guide Service, the winter bass bite on Fayette County Reservoir, also known as Lake Fayette, is as good as it gets.

“We had an incredibly hot summer,” Dodge said, “and water temperatures in certain places were pushing triple digits at times. Now that things have cooled off, the fish are gorging themselves while tran-

sitioning into a prespawn pattern.”

The warmest water on the lake can be found along the coves on its west side where southern winds blow the heated water from the warm water discharge located on the southwest side of the reservoir into the shallows.

“On the west side of Lake Fayette, some bass are already pulling up shallow onto beds where they can be caught on shallow-running Texas rigs,” Please turn to page 13

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

Largemouth bass $100K bounty Lone Star Outdoor News The first angler landing a world-record largemouth in 2019 could win $100,000 in a promotion offered by Hale Lures/Stanley Jigs.

The person catching a new IGFA World Record all-tackle largemouth bass on any Stanley Jig or Hale Lure bait in U.S. public waters will collect $100,000.00 in cash. Registration for the free promotion began Dec. 29, 2018 at fishstanley.com.

“We have already caught so many monstrous bass on Stanley Lures, why not a world record?” company CEO John Hale asked.

Since the company’s founding nearly 40 years ago, Stanley lures have accounted for multiple state record and teen-class fish, including Ethel, a 17.86-pound largemouth caught by Mark Stevenson on a Stanley Jig and a Hale Craw combo on Lake Fork in 1986.

“With the new baits we have added to our lineup, we feel you even have a better chance to catch a fish of a lifetime,” said company founder Lonnie Stanley.

The complete official rules are posted at Stanley Lures’ website. The world-record fish must be caught by an official entrant in the promotion, the fish must be certified as the record and the fish must be caught on a primary lure manufactured by Hale Lure LLC, dba Stanley Jigs.

January 11, 2019

Page 9

Hanselman wins Costa FLW on home lake Ray Hanselman, of Del Rio, won the 2019 season-opening Costa FLW Series at Lake Amistad with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 38 pounds. The tournament was shortened from three days to two after competition was canceled the opening day due to bad weather. Hanselman won $36,751 for the win.

Hanselman’s landed a 25-pound limit working a flat basin in a creek arm. He looked for scattered grass in 15 to 25 feet of water and targeted bass that were transitioning from winter patterns to prespawn staging spots. He used a crankbait in a bluegill-shad pattern.

Tyson Patrick, of McCamey, finished second with 25 pounds, 15 ounces, winning $14,263. He was followed by Ardmore, Oklahoma’s Jeff Kriet with 25 pounds, 4 ounces, earning Kriet $10,965 Jay Childs, of Houston, won the Co-angler Division with a two-day total catch of five bass weighing 20 pounds, 9 ounces, winning $27,000 in prizes.

—FLW Fishing

John Hale, the CEO of Hale Lures/Stanley Jigs, is offering a big bounty for a world-record bass caught using one of the company’s lures. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Big blues biting Rains, muddy water slow the action

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News Jeremy Boone has been finding the big blue catfish on Lake Ray Hubbard, but his best days are the days when few others are on the water.

“It’s best when it is overcast and windy as can be,” he said.

“That’s when I have been catching the biggest blues. It’s kind of nerve-wracking, though. We use a drift sock and get the boat speed down to 2 miles per hour.

As long as you’re OK with the waves coming over the side of the boat, it’s good.”

Boone has been fishing near the power plant close to Bass Pro Shops on the lake.

“We’ve been using chum with cut shad and cut carp, or drifting with stink bait and shad,” he said. “I use a 6/0 hook with one-half of a gizzard shad. I’m going for fish 20 pounds or big- Jeremy Boone displays a big blue catfish caught on Lake Ray Hubger.” bard, where he has been having success targeting the larger fish.

Another round of heavy rains Photo from Jeremy Boone. slowed the bite recently.

“There’s a lot of trash in the water and it’s really muddy, so the bite has slowed down,” Boone said.

On Richland Chambers Reservoir, an influx of water and a cold front caused fishing to be a little tougher, but guide Royce Simmons said they are still finding the fish.

“The spillway gates are wide open,” Simmons said. “The clarity of the water has changed, but the catfish bite may slow down but it never seems to completely stop.”

Simmons has been using punch bait on a No. 4 treble hook near timber in creeks and in deeper water off of the Richland Creek channel.

Fishing for numbers of channel and blue cats, he said his customers still bring in several large blues each trip.

Anglers at Lake Tawakoni also are reporting good numbers of big blue catfish. Guide Mickey Casey reported 21 fish topping 20 pounds each in three recent trips.

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Page 10

January 11, 2019

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT ALAN HENRY: Water clear main lake, stained up the river; 42-51 degrees; 4.72’ low.

Black bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are fair on cut and live bait.

AMISTAD: Water murky; 68-72 degrees; 25.02’ low.

Black bass are slow. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow.

ARROWHEAD: Water stained; 44-53 degrees; 0.72’ high.

Black bass are fair deadsticking weighted soft plastics.

Crappie are fair on live minnows. Catfish are fair to good on cut bait and nightcrawlers.

ATHENS: Water clear; 46-49 degrees; 0.85’ high. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and white jigs.

Catfish are slow.

AUSTIN: Water lightly stained; 52-58 degrees; 0.76’ low. Black bass are slow. Catfish are fair to good on cut and live baitfish.

BASTROP: Water stained; 66-70 degrees. Black bass are good on chartreuse soft plastics, spinner baits and crankbaits. Crappie are slow.

Channel and blue catfish are fair on stink bait, chicken livers and shrimp.

BELTON: Water murky; 65-69 degrees; 4.90’ high. Black bass are slow. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are slow.

Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow.

BENBROOK: Water stained; 47-49 degrees; 2.01’ high.

Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows. White bass are fair on slabs and minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

BOB SANDLIN: Water lightly stained; 48-51 degrees; 0.58’ high. Black bass are fair on bladed jigs, Texas-rigged worms and lipless crankbaits.

Crappie are fair on minnows.

White bass are slow. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

BONHAM: Water stained; 4548 degrees; 0.43’ high. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

BRAUNIG: Water murky.

Black bass are slow. Striped bass are slow. Redfish are slow.

Catfish are slow.

BRIDGEPORT: Water lightly stained to stained; 46-49 degrees: 0.22’ high. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows. White bass are fair on slabs. Hybrid striper are fair on slabs. Catfish are slow.

BROWNWOOD: Water murky; 67-71 degrees; 0.50’ high.

Black bass are fair on watermelon jigs and crankbaits.

Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are fair on Li’l Fishies and crankbaits off lighted docks at night. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs over brush piles. Channel catfish are fair on cut bait and shrimp.

BUCHANAN: Water murky; 66-70 degrees; 1.53’ low.

Black bass are fair on watermelon stick worms, chartreuse jigs and lipless crankbaits.

Striped bass are good on shadcolored lipless crankbaits and

shad plastics in 20–30 feet.

White bass are fair on minnows and Tiny Traps in deep creeks. Crappie are fair on live minnows over brush piles in 15-30 feet. Channel catfish are slow. Yellow and blue catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live bait.

CADDO: Water lightly stained; 48-50 degrees; 3.20’ high. Black bass are fair on Texas-rigged craws, lipless crankbaits and white bladed jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

CALAVERAS: Water murky.

Black bass are slow. Striped bass are slow. Redfish are slow. Catfish are slow.

CANYON LAKE: Water murky; 67-71 degrees; 1.07’ high.

Black bass are good on Texasrigged watermelon worms on shaky head jigs and green/ pumpkin stick worms on jigheads off secondary points.

Striped bass are good on shad imitations in the lower end of the lake. Crappie are fair on minnows and crappie jigs upriver. Channel catfish are slow.

Yellow and blue catfish are fair on live bait.

CEDAR CREEK: Water lightly stained; 46-48 degrees, 0.37’ high. Black bass are good on spinner baits, shaky-head worms and lipless crankbaits.

Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair over baited holes and on trotlines. White bass are fair on slabs. Hybrid striper are good on slabs.

CHOKE CANYON: Water murky; 68-72 degrees; 13.83’ low. Black bass are slow.

White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Drum are slow.

Catfish are slow.

COLEMAN: Water murky; 6670 degrees; 0.30’ high. Black bass are good on watermelon soft plastics, spinner baits and crankbaits. Hybrid striper are good on chartreuse lipless crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and blue tube jigs. Channel catfish are fair on stink bait, nightcrawlers and frozen shrimp.

COLETO CREEK: Water stained; 97 degrees at the hot water discharge, 67-71 degrees in main lake; 0.24’ high. Black bass are slow. White bass are slow.

Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow.

COLORADO CITY: Water fairly clear; 46-52 degrees; 12.17’ low. Black bass are slow to fair on jigs, Texas rigs and spoons.

Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and cut bait.

CONROE: Water murky; 6771 degrees; 0.56’ high. Black bass are fair on chartreuse soft plastics, spinner baits and crankbaits. Striped bass are good on silver spoons. Crappie are good on minnows and pink tube jigs. Catfish are fair on stink bait and shrimp.

COOPER: Water stained to muddy; 82-84 degrees; 2.72’

high. Black bass are good on weightless stick worms, spinner baits and Texas-rigged craws. Crappie are fair on minnows. Hybrid striper and white bass are fair on slabs.

CORPUS CHRISTI LAKE: Water off-color; 58-67 degrees; 0.37’ high. Black bass are fair to good on shad-pattern crankbaits, Texas rigs and jigs.

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

EAGLE MOUNTAIN: Water lightly stained; 46-49 degrees; 0.34’ high. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

FAIRFIELD: Water lightly stained. Black bass are fair on Texas-rigged creature baits, bladed jigs and spinner baits.

No report on other species.

FALCON: Water murky; 6872 degrees; 21.87’ low. Black bass are slow. Striped bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are slow.

FAYETTE: Water murky. Black bass are fair on chartreuse Carolina-rigged soft plastic worms and spinner baits along the outside edges of grass.

Channel and blue catfish are fair on stink bait and shrimp.

FORK: Water lightly stained; 46-49 degrees; 0.32’ high.

Black bass are slow on bladed jigs, football jigs and deepdiving crankbaits. White and yellow bass are fair on slabs.

Crappie are fair on minnows and white jigs near bridges.

Catfish are slow.

GIBBONS CREEK: Water murky. Black bass are good on watermelon soft plastics and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and green tube jigs. Catfish are good on stink bait, shrimp and liver.

GRANBURY: Water murky; 65-69 degrees; 0.13’ low.

Black bass are good on chartreuse soft plastics and spinner baits. Striped bass are slow.

White bass are slow.

Crappie are fair on minnows and white tube jigs. Catfish are good on shrimp, stink bait and live minnows.

GRANGER: Water murky; 6569 degrees; 2.63’ high. Black bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Yellow catfish are slow.

GRAPEVINE: Water stained to muddy; 44-48 degrees; 2.72’ high. Black bass are slow.

White bass and hybrid bass are fair on minnows. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs near brush piles. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

GREENBELT: Water off-color; 39-46 degrees; 36.49’ low.

Black bass are slow. Crappie are slow to fair on live minnows. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and cut bait.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water murky; 64-68 degrees; 0.75’ high. Black bass are fair on

flukes and watermelon/red trick worms. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on live minnows near the dam in 25 feet. Bream are slow. Channel and blue catfish are fair on liver.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 43-48 degrees; 0.34’ high. Black bass are fair on Texas rigs and jigs. Crappie are fair on live minnows and jigs.

Catfish are fair to good on live and cut bait.

JOE POOL: Water stained to muddy; 47-50 degrees; 2.34’ high. Black bass are slow.

White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

LAVON: Water stained to muddy; 47-50 degrees: 4.15’ high. Black bass are slow.

White bass are slow on slabs and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

LBJ: Water murky; 64-68 degrees; 3.07’ low. Black bass are fair on chartreuse lipless crankbaits and silver spoons in 10-20 feet.

White bass are fair vertically jigging minnow imitations under birds. Crappie are fair on jigs and live minnows over brush piles in 15-20 feet. Channel catfish are fair on minnows and stink bait.

LEWISVILLE: Water stained to muddy; 45-49 degrees; 2.14’ high. Black bass are slow.

White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

LIVINGSTON: Water stained; 65-69 degrees; 0.85’ high.

Black bass are good on perchcolored crankbaits, spinner baits and lipless crankbaits.

Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue catfish are good on trotlines and juglines baited with shad.

MACKENZIE: Water stained; 33-39 degrees; 78.28’ low.

Black bass are slow. Crappie are slow to fair on live minnows. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers.

MARTIN CREEK: Water lightly stained; 81-85 degrees; 0.05’ high. Black bass are good on Texas-rigged craws, shallow crankbaits and weightless stick worms. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are fair on trotlines and prepared bait.

MONTICELLO: Water stained; 46-49 degrees; 1.95’ low.

Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

NASWORTHY: Water stained; 42-49 degrees; 0.64’ low.

Black bass are slow. No reports on crappie. Catfish are fair to good on live bait and nightcrawlers.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water murky; 64-68 degrees; 5.55’ high. Black bass are slow.

White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Channel catfish are slow.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 4452 degrees; 18.77’ low. Black bass are fair on Texas rigs and jigs. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Catfish are fair on cut and live bait.

OAK CREEK: Water stained; 43-50 degrees; 0.45’ high.

Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on live minnows.

Catfish are fair on live and cut bait.

PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 46-49 degrees; 1.75’ high. Black bass are fair on shaky-head worms, black and blue jigs and bladed jigs.

Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Hybrid striper are fair on minnows. White bass are fair on slabs and minnows.

Catfish are slow.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water fairly clear; 47-53 degrees; 0.13’ low. Black bass are slow to fair on drop-shot rigged worms, Texas rigs and jigs.

Crappie are fair on live minnows. White bass are fair to good on slabs. Striped bass are fair on live shad.

Catfish are fair on live and cut bait.

PROCTOR: Water murky; 65-69 degrees; 1.11’ high. Black bass are slow. Striped bass are slow.

White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow.

RAY HUBBARD: Water lightly stained; 46-48 degrees; 0.16’ high. Black bass are slow.

Crappie are fair on minnows.

White bass are fair on slabs and minnows. Hybrid striper are fair on slabs. Catfish are slow.

RAY ROBERTS: Water stained to muddy: 45-48 degrees; 1.32’ high. Black bass are slow. White bass are slow.

Crappie are fair on minnows.

Catfish are fair on trotlines.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water lightly stained; 46-49 degrees; 0.82’ high. Black bass are fair on bladed jigs, lipless crankbaits and Texas-rigged craws. White bass are slow.

Hybrid striper are fair on slabs.

Crappie are fair on minnows.

Catfish are fair over baited holes and on trotlines.

SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 67-71 degrees; 6.09’ high. Black bass are slow.

White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Bream are slow.

Catfish are slow.

SOMERVILLE: Water murky; 67-71 degrees; 6.75’ high.

Black bass are slow. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow.

SPENCE: 36.65’ low. Black bass are slow. No report on crappie. Catfish are fair to good on cut bait and nightcrawlers.

STAMFORD: Water stained to muddy; 52-63 degrees; 0.96’ high. Black bass are slow to fair on Texas rigs and jigs.

Crappie are fair on live minnows. White bass are fair on slabs. Blue catfish are fair to good on cut and live bait.

STILLHOUSE: Water murky;

n Saltwater reports Page 11 65-69 degrees; 6.35’ high.

Black bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow.

TAWAKONI: Water stained to muddy; 47-50 degrees; 1.65’ high. Black bass are fair on bladed jigs, lipless crankbaits and green/pumpkin jigs. White bass are fair on slabs. Hybrid bass are good on slabs and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

TEXANA: Water stained; 5362 degrees; 0.23’ low. Black bass are slow to fair on Texas rigs and jigs. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers and cut bait.

TEXOMA: Water stained to muddy; 45-48 degrees; 3.73’ high. Black bass are good on Texas-rigged craws, lipless crankbaits and suspending jerkbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and white jigs.

Striped bass are fair on slabs.

Catfish are fair on trotlines.

TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 66-70 degrees; 0.89’ high.

Black bass are slow. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Bream are slow. Catfish are slow.

TRAVIS: Water murky; 66-70 degrees; 1.47’ high. Black bass are slow. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow.

Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow.

WALTER E. LONG: Water murky. Black bass are slow.

Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on shrimp and shad.

WEATHERFORD: Water stained; 45-48 degrees; 0.01’ high. Black bass are slow.

Crappie are slow. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

WHITE RIVER: Water stained; 43-49 degrees; 23.1’ low.

Black bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are fair on cut bait.

WHITNEY: Water murky; 65-69 degrees; 2.99’ high.

Black bass are slow. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow.

WRIGHT PATMAN: Water stained; 47-50 degrees; 6.69 high. Black bass are fair on Texas-rigged craws, lipless crankbaits and spinner baits.

Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

—TPWD

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

January 11, 2019

Page 11

TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORT NORTH SABINE: Trout and redfish are fair while drifting mud and shell. Waders have taken better trout on the Louisiana shoreline on slow-sinking plugs.

SOUTH SABINE: Redfish are fair on the edge of the channel on mullet. Sheepshead and black drum are good at the jetty on live shrimp.

BOLIVAR: Trout are fair to good on the south shoreline on slow-sinking plugs. Black drum and redfish are good at Rollover Pass.

TRINITY BAY: Redfish are good at the spillway on crabs and mullet. Catfish are good in the marsh on shad.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair to good on the south shoreline on Corkies and MirrOlures. Whiting and sand trout are good on the edge of the Intracoastal on fresh shrimp.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair in the mud and shell on MirrOlures and Corkies.

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

TEXAS CITY: Sheepshead are fair around

rock groins on live shrimp. Mangrove snapper and whiting are fair from the piers.

FREEPORT: Sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs. Redfish are fair to good at San Luis pass on cracked blue crabs.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair for drifters on live shrimp over humps and scat-

tered shell. Redfish are fair to good on the edge of the Intracoastal on crabs and mullet.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Redfish are fair to good on the south shoreline in the guts and bayous. Trout are fair on shell on soft plastics.

PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfish are fair

on Corkies over soft mud in waist-deep water in San Antonio Bay. Redfish are fair to good at the mouths of drains on soft plastics and slow-sinking plugs.

ROCKPORT: Trout are fair on the edge of the ICW on glow D.O.A. Shrimp. Redfish are fair to good on the Estes Flats and in California Hole on mullet and shrimp.

PORT ARANSAS: Redfish are fair to good on the East Flats on scented plastics and mullet. Sand trout are good on shrimp in the channel.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Redfish are good in the Humble Channel on crabs and table shrimp.

Trout are best on the edge of the flats on live shrimp and artificial shrimp.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are fair to good in mud and grass on Corkies and Soft Dines. Trout are fair to good in the guts along the King Ranch shoreline on Corkies. Redfish and a few black drum are fair to good in the Land Cut on natural baits.

PORT MANSFIELD: Redfish are fair to good

on D.O.A. Shrimp and scented plastics under a popping cork around grass holes. Trout are fair to good on mud along the edge of the ICW on Corkies and MirrOlures.

SOUTH PADRE: Trout and redfish are fair to good on the edge of the Intracoastal on D.O.A. Shrimp and scented plastics. Redfish,

black drum and mangrove snapper are fair to good in the channel on shrimp.

PORT ISABEL: Trout are fair on the edge of the flats on Corkies, Soft Dines and Down South Lures. Redfish are good in the sloughs with low tides.

—TPWD

Ship channel flounder Continued from page 8

line start to move as the flounder took the bait.”

Harris and his father tried several different areas along the Galveston Ship Channel before they found a couple that were holding keeper-sized fish.

“We knew the flounder were still concentrated along the channel because every so often a porpoise could be seen splashing at the surface and then a flounder would fly out of the water,” Harris said.

“If the porpoises were feeding on flounder and throwing them into the air, we figured they had to be stacked in there fairly thick.”

During their trip, one hook set in particular made by Harris’ father stood out among the rest.

“Early in the afternoon, my dad set the hook on a bite that made his line go tight,” Harris said. “He said it felt just like a flounder on the strike, but after his rod doubled, it appeared that he was stuck on the bottom. Then all of a sudden his line started moving, and he reeled in a long, brown eel.”

Over the years, Harris has seen several eel caught on live mullet by flounder fishermen along the Galveston channel.

“Usually when the eel move into an area, the flounder bite shuts off,” he said.

Free youth fishing at Tyler Nature Center The family can head out to catch a rainbow trout for fun or a tasty meal at the 13th Annual “Trails to Trout” fishing event at the Tyler Nature Center fishing pond.

“The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is stocking thousands of catchable-size rainbow trout at the pond to provide a high-quality, fun fishing experience for anglers of all ages,” said Richard Ott, TPWD Inland Fisheries district supervisor for Tyler South.

The “Trails to Trout” event is free and open to the public 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 12. There is no registration required and no need to purchase a fishing license — all anglers need to bring is fishing equipment and bait. The East Texas Woods and Waters Foundation and TPWD will provide staff on-hand to assist beginners and provide limited fishing equipment for those who need it on a first-come, first-served basis.

—TPWD

Relax, we’ll take care of the details!

Page 12

January 11, 2019

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

GAME WARDEN BLOTTER WATER RESCUE Game wardens were patrolling for illegal fishing nets on Kickapoo Creek when they received a call about a man whose kayak had capsized in the Trinity River. The situation was life-threatening due to the hazardous conditions on the river and cold temperature of the water. The wardens responded and launched their boat on the Trinity River. About a mile upriver, they spotted the subject clinging to a submerged drift stump. The wardens recovered the man and the man’s daughter, who was stranded on the river bank. Both victims were transported to safety and released after a medical examination.

DECOY SHOT TWICE Game wardens set up a whitetail buck decoy in Trinity County after receiving reports of road hunting activity in the area. After about an hour, a truck stopped in the road and quickly backed up. The operator hid the vehicle and made a phone call. A few minutes later, a second vehicle approached from the opposite direction. The second driver exited the truck with a rifle and loaded it. The man fired two shots at the decoy before he was stopped by game wardens.

Multiple cases for hunting whitetailed deer from a public roadway were filed. The wardens collected one shell casing for evidence but were unable to find the second casing. K9 warden Blitz was brought in and quickly found the second casing.

EVIDENCE AT PROCESSOR SEALS THE DEAL Acting on a tip, Val Verde County game wardens spent several hours at a deer processing facility. They were able to collect enough evidence to interview a subject, and obtained statements for

GROUP WITH DOGS TRESPASSING TO CHASE HOGS A Brazos County game warden responded to a poaching call. A Brazos County sheriff’s deputy detained the individuals trying to leave the property. After the warden arrived, two suspects admitted to hog hunting and not knowing whose property they were on. There also was a third suspect involved who was hiding on the property. GPS trackers provided the route they traveled to hunt the hog and track their dogs. A hog carcass was located on the property. The landowners were contacted, and cases for hunting without landowner consent are pending.

SUSPICIOUS TALE OF COLLISION WITH DEER In Uvalde County, a game warden received a call about shots being fired from the public road. The warden responded and observed a vehicle stopped on the road with one subject standing in the road.

multiple untagged deer, harvest log violations, waste of game, over the bag limit on buck deer and hunting under the license of another. Multiple deer and deer heads were seized.

There were two male subjects in the truck and a freshly shot buck in the back. After a brief discussion, one of the subjects admitted to shooting the buck from the highway after he supposedly hit the buck with his truck. He also admitted to shooting a porcupine from the road. With assistance from another warden, they were able to find the porcupine but couldn’t find any evidence that the buck was hit by the truck.

The shooter was arrested for hunting deer from the public road. The next morning, one of the wardens was traveling the same road and saw a dead buck in the trees next to a wheat field approximately a half-mile from where the porcupine was shot.

He called the other warden and they determined that the buck was shot with buckshot. The two subjects from the night before had a shotgun in the truck. The wardens made contact with the second subject and he admitted to shooting the buck three times

Pompano in the surf

Pompano tips and tackle:

•

•

• •

SHINING THE LIGHT In Angelina County, a game warden observed a truck utilizing its headlamps to shine a field.

The warden stopped the vehicle and observed an AR-15 in the front seat. Both individuals in the vehicle admitted to road hunting and looking for a deer to shoot.

REPORT ILLEGAL HUNTING AND FISHING ACTIVITY FOR A REWARD OF UP TO $1,000.

CALL OPERATION GAME THIEF AT (800) 792-4263

Continued from page 5

Photo by David Sikes

•

LEAVING THE WRONG THING BEHIND A Gonzales County game warden investigating a complaint about illegal dumping of deer carcasses discovered an agriculture tax exemption identification card next to a set of tire tracks at the scene.

The warden knew of a deer camp near the site. Upon entering the camp and introducing himself, the warden shook hands with the owner of the tax ID card. The hunter told the warden that he had shot a nice buck and after a brief inspection for tagging compliance, the warden asked where he had discarded the carcass. The hunter admitted to dumping it on the county road. The warden then advised the hunter that he had left something with the carcass that he would like to return to the hunter. The ID card was returned, and a citation issued for illegal dumping of the carcasses.

Wardens in Africa

Continued from page 8

search of crustaceans and mollusks. Biologists say they’re particularly fond of a tiny clam called a coquina.

It’s not unusual to find scattered pompano around jetties and Texas Gulf piers occasionally during warmer months. Usually an accidental treat, pompano are a welcome addition to any stringer.

Because these fish forage in the sand, targeting feeding birds and baitfish activity don’t come into play when searching for them. Breakaway USA’s Nick Meyer is a veteran pompano chaser who applies what he knows about irregularities in the surf’s guts and bars to help narrow his search. He targets the obvious shoreline points jutting into the surf, along with spots where the guts become narrow or closed.

Pompano are thought to stage in the guts between bars and wait for the tide to sweep food their way. Some pompano anglers say these fish are more likely to be feeding on the inside slope of a bar during an incoming tide and the outside slope during a falling tide.

Surf anglers use at least a 9-foot rod and a hefty sinker to get a bait out to the guts.

Live or peeled dead shrimp will catch pompano. Using shrimp alone often produces catches of whiting, which are generally abundant in the surf and eager to bite. To land pompano, many add a 1-inch piece of Fishbites Fish’n Strips to the hook.

Anglers recommend a double drop leader with small circle hooks. When the pompano are schooling, hooking two fish at once isn’t unusual.

The Florida pompano, which is found in Texas, is a broad, pretty fish with silvery smooth sides, a small mouth, forked tail and delicate fins. Dark gray-green topside with yellowish belly and lower fins also distinguish pompano from most other surf fish.

They look similar to a juvenile jack crevalle, which don’t sport the five or six sharp dorsal spins.

Pompano caught along Padre Island National Seashore generally weigh between 2 and 3 pounds. Meyer said he’s seen them in the 4- to 6-pound class.

with buckshot. Cases pending.

TEXAS STUDENT HELPS OUT MISSISSIPPI WARDENS A college student from Texas studying in Mississippi forwarded a photo to an Angelina County game warden of some live “sea bass” on sale in a tank at a Vietnamese market in eastern Mississippi. The student thought that was fishy because they looked like regular largemouth bass. The warden reached out to the local game warden in Mississippi. Mississippi wardens dressed in plain clothes were able to purchase live spotted bass from the market, and then served a search warrant on the business. In addition to the spotted bass, the wardens also discovered striped bass for sale.

Pompano seldom strike lures.

Live shrimp or dead shrimp combined with synthetic bait strips are recommended baits.

Pompano are scattered in warmer months, but are mostly caught in Texas from mid-November into January.

Nick Meyer recommends a 10-12 foot European-style long-casting rod for launching a bait far into the surf.

Use a 3/0 circle hook.

A Breakaway SNC3P clip-down pompano rig will increase casting distance by 1/3.

pay isn’t significant compared to ours,” he said. “But their commitment to what they do is from the heart. The stress they face from being away from their families for weeks at a time is very real. That may not be what people think of when it comes to rangers, but they’re men and women just like us.”

The Texas game wardens didn’t come across any poachers.

Danger, however, is always nearby at Kruger National Park.

During the summer, a 34-yearold ranger was killed when his K-9 unit encountered poachers.

And rangers, acting on intelligence, broke up a rhino poaching ring in the spring, killing two poachers and capturing 10 people, including a South African policeman.

“We found quite a few tracks, but no poachers,” Volschenk said. “The day we were there, however, a rhino was poached, and we got to see how their system operates and how successful they are in their approach.”

Volschenk declined to elaborate on how the park rangers later caught the poachers. But he did note the Kruger rangers are some of the best trackers in the world.

“I used to hunt with my father and opa in the bush,” Volschenk said. “We’d find tracks and follow them until we found the animals. When we hunted bushbucks (antelopes), I could tell how many animals there were and their sex. The males’ tracks were deeper and had less of a diameter. But I don’t put myself in the rangers’ league. Their ability

to read the environment is phenomenal.”

Opa is Afrikaans for grandfather. Volschenk grew up in South Africa and was a park ranger himself for a year. He met his American-born wife, Nicole, when he moved to the states.

Hernandez calls Volschenk the “catalyst” for the liaison between South African rangers and TPWD. The connection has already changed his perspective, Hernandez said.

“I thought, maybe because of my background, that we’d help give them a good foundation for their work,” he said. “They already have that. They need advanced training.”

TPWD is uniquely qualified to provide such training, he said.

“Our game wardens are involved in so many different environments, from the Piney Woods to the Panhandle to El Paso,” Hernandez said. “They all have local needs. The diversity in our natural resources has enabled us to be a diverse law enforcement group as far as training.”

Volschenk believes the relationship between South African rangers and TPWD will be ongoing. He noted that terrorist groups (such as, reportedly, ISIS) use poaching to fund their organizations.

“When you look at it from that perspective, what happens to the wildlife trade in South Africa does affect us,” Volschenk said.

“This will not be a check the box type of program. We definitely want to be a part of the solution.”

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

Warm water winter bass Continued from page 8

Dodge said. “As far as the rest of the reservoir is concerned, bass are holding deeper in 12-15 feet of water over main lake points. Carolina rigs, jigging spoons and jigs are the ticket in these areas.”

The best action is taking place during midday hours and the warmest periods of the day when the shad begin to ball up.

“Find the shad, and you’ll find plenty of bass,” Dodge said.

On another power plant lake, Calaveras Lake, guide T. J. Whitworth said plenty of catfish can be caught with a little trial and error.

“The catfish are moving around a lot and can be found anywhere from 8-25 feet of water around structure,” he said. “You just have to move around until you find them. The best

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strikes have been coming on stink baits.”

The redfish also have been biting on warm days between cold fronts.

“Success for redfish has occurred while anchoring in 8-15 feet of water over sandy bottoms with rock piles,” Whitworth said. “Fresh dead shrimp has been the primary bait of choice.”

Louis Longoria of Longoria Bass Fishing Guide Service said winter patterns are in full force on Coleto Creek Reservoir.

“Brush piles, points and ledges, as well as creek channels running into coves, are all holding decent numbers of fish,” Longoria said. “The most effective way to target these areas is to use a drop-shot rig, and dark-colored worms seem to draw the most strikes.”

Bonnie Milne-Andrews landed these bass on jigging spoons at Fayette County Reservoir. Jason Bayle caught this bass while fishing Fayette County Reservoir with area guide Pete Dodge.

Photos by Pete Dodge.

January 11, 2019

Page 13

Page 14

January 11, 2019

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

HEROES

Sutton Brown, 8, of Victoria, shot this mature 8-point buck in Uvalde County.

Cason Ragsdale, 13, of Sugar Land, shot this 10-point buck while hunting in Fredericksburg with his dad.

J.R. Rodriguez caught this 30-inch redfish while fishing in Port Mansfield.

SHARE AN ADVENTURE n Want to share hunting and fishing photos with other Lone Star Outdoor News readers?

Email them with contact and caption information to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com. High-resolution original jpegs only. Mail prints to Heroes, Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355.

Sisters, Hanna and Hailey Jones, of Keller, harvested their first pheasants during a tower shoot at Hidden Lakes in Yantis.

McKinzee Orsag, 14, of New Braunfels, shot her first coyote. She made a 100-yard shot with her .224 Weatherby Mag.

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

January 11, 2019

Black deer

Dec. 25 bucks Continued from page 1

they just get lucky, like happened to Cassie Davis, of Nacogdoches.

Davis and her boyfriend, Andrew Boatman, were hunting in the Texas Panhandle in Hemphill County. Boatman, an avid hunter, got Davis interested in hunting when they started dating.

“We were originally trying to kill a few doe for the freezer,” Davis said. “It all happened really quickly.”

She spotted a mature buck coming in from 400 yards away. They waited as the buck walked within 100 yards, and when he turned broadside, she dropped him with the same rifle Boatman used to bag his first deer, a .243.

It was Davis’ second deer, and measured more than 166 inches.

“It was a good Christmas present,” she said.

Angela Rocha, of Rio Grande City, has been hunting with her dad since she was 9 years old. This year, it was her dad’s turn.

She and her father, Rolando, were hunting at her fiance’s family ranch near Hebbronnville on Christmas Day. Rolando recently had suffered a stroke, and Angela was hopeful they would have a successful hunt and he would be able get a nice buck.

After corning the three senderos surrounding the blind, they started out the hunt as they usually do, with homemade breakfast tacos made by Sandra, Angela’s mother.

Before Angela could open the window, at least 20 doe and a few young bucks came to the corn. They had their eye on one buck who was chasing a doe, until another buck walked out.

Rolando hadn’t hunted a deer since last season. He was hesitant to take the shot because he didn’t want to mess up the hunt for Joey, who was hunting at a nearby blind.

“Oh, man, he’s big,” Rolando said.

Angela encouraged her father to take the shot.

“He got buck fever when he came out,” she said.

Finally, Rolando made the shot. Angela was the most excited, though, in sharing the memory with her father.

Page 15

Continued from page 4

After getting permission by text message from the uncle of her boyfriend, Dean, Mimi Sams shot this melanistic buck. Photo

by David Brimager.

Cassie Davis, hunting with her boyfriend, shot her Christmas Day buck in Hemphill County. Photo by Andrew Boatman.

Rolando Rocha shot his buck while hunting with his daughter, Angela, after suffering a stroke that kept him from hunting for a season. Photo from Angela Rocha.

fence before expiring.

“We didn’t realize how unique the deer was until we started reading about it on the way home,” Sams recalled.

There are three color phases of whitetail deer. Melanistic, also known as black deer, are the least common.

According to the Quality Deer Management Association, melanistic deer lack distinct variations in color such as brown or white pelage.

Most melanistic whitetails are black across their entire body with the exception of the hair around the ventral area under the tail.

The area where Sams hunted around San Marcos has been identified as the area with the highest concentration of melanistic deer in North America.

Researchers suggest melanism may serve as an advanta-

geous trait offering increased survival probability in certain habitats, a trait that may help whitetails blend with the region’s deep drainages and thick cover. One study identified high densities of melanism near and along river drainages when mapped, QDMA noted.

“Even though that is the highest concentration of those deer, they are still super rare,” wildlife biologist Jason Sekula said.

When Sams and Meyer dropped off the 6-point buck at Ottea Taxidermy in San Antonio, taxidermist Kristen Ottea said it was one of the larger melanistic deer she had seen, saying most people just shoot them when they see them and that this was a great, unique trophy.

“It was an awesome way to start the year,” Sams said.

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Page 16

January 11, 2019

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

TEXAS SUN, MOON AND TIDES Moon Phases

First

Full

Last

New

Jan 14

Jan 20

Jan 27

Feb 4

Solunar Sun times Moon times

Houston

Dallas

2019 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Jan Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

2019 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Jan Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

11 Fri 12 Sat 13 Sun 14 Mon 15 Tue 16 Wed 17 Thu 18 Fri 19 Sat 20 Sun 21 Mon 22 Tue 23 Wed 24 Thu 25 Fri

11 Fri 12 Sat 13 Sun 14 Mon 15 Tue 16 Wed 17 Thu

9:22 10:08 10:53 11:38 ----12:42 1:28

18 Fri 19 Sat 20 Sun 21 Mon 22 Tue 23 Wed 24 Thu 25 Fri

9:16 3:06 10:03 3:52 10:48 4:37 11:32 5:21 ----- 6:04 12:36 6:49 1:22 7:36 2:12 8:26 3:06 9:21 4:04 10:20 5:06 11:22 6:10 12:01 7:14 1:00 8:17 2:03 9:15 3:03

9:38 3:27 10:24 4:13 11:09 4:58 11:54 5:43 12:16 6:28 1:02 7:14 1:50 8:04 2:41 8:56 3:37 9:52 4:36 10:51 5:37 11:53 6:40 12:25 7:43 1:29 8:43 2:30 9:41 3:28

07:17 07:17 07:17 07:17 07:17 07:17 07:16 07:16 07:16 07:16 07:15 07:15 07:15 07:14 07:14

05:39 05:39 05:40 05:41 05:42 05:43 05:44 05:45 05:45 05:46 05:47 05:48 05:49 05:50 05:51

10:54a 10:46p 11:25a 11:39p 11:57a NoMoon 12:30p 12:33a 1:05p 1:29a 1:45p 2:28a 2:31p 3:31a 3:24p 4:35a 4:23p 5:40a 5:29p 6:42a 6:38p 7:40a 7:49p 8:33a 8:57p 9:20a 10:03p 10:02a 11:07p 10:41a

3:12 3:58 4:43 5:26 6:10 6:55 7:42

9:43 10:29 11:15 ----12:22 1:08 1:56

3:33 4:19 5:04 5:49 6:34 7:20 8:09

07:29 07:29 07:29 07:29 07:29 07:29 07:28

2:17 8:32

2:47

9:02

07:28 05:44 3:23p

3:11 4:10 5:12 6:16 7:20 8:22 9:21

3:42 4:41 5:43 6:46 7:49 8:49 9:47

9:58 10:57 11:59 12:31 1:34 2:36 3:34

9:27 10:26 11:28 12:01 1:06 2:09 3:09

07:28 07:28 07:27 07:27 07:26 07:26 07:25

05:38 05:39 05:40 05:40 05:41 05:42 05:43 05:45 05:46 05:47 05:48 05:49 05:50 05:51

11:01a 10:50p 11:32a 11:44p 12:02p NoMoon 12:34p 12:40a 1:08p 1:38a 1:47p 2:39a 2:31p 3:42a 4:23p 5:29p 6:39p 7:50p 9:01p 10:08p 11:13p

4:47 5:52a 6:55a 7:52a 8:44a 9:29a 10:10a 10:47a

San Antonio 2019 Jan

A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

11 Fri 12 Sat 13 Sun 14 Mon 15 Tue 16 Wed 17 Thu 18 Fri 19 Sat 20 Sun 21 Mon 22 Tue 23 Wed 24 Thu 25 Fri

9:29 3:18 10:15 4:05 11:00 4:49 11:44 5:33 12:05 6:17 12:49 7:01 1:35 7:48 2:24 8:39 3:18 9:34 4:16 10:32 5:19 11:34 6:23 12:08 7:27 1:13 8:29 2:16 9:28 3:15

9:50 10:36 11:21 ----12:29 1:14 2:02 2:54 3:49 4:48 5:50 6:53 7:55 8:56 9:53

3:39 4:26 5:11 5:55 6:40 7:27 8:16 9:08 10:05 11:04 ----12:38 1:41 2:42 3:41

07:28 07:28 07:28 07:28 07:28 07:28 07:28 07:28 07:27 07:27 07:27 07:27 07:26 07:26 07:26

05:52 05:53 05:54 05:55 05:55 05:56 05:57 05:58 05:59 06:00 06:01 06:01 06:02 06:03 06:04

11:06a 10:59p 11:38a 11:52p 12:10p NoMoon 12:43p 12:46a 1:19p 1:42a 1:59p 2:41a 2:45p 3:43a 3:38p 4:47a 4:37p 5:52a 5:43p 6:54a 6:52p 7:52a 8:02p 8:45a 9:11p 9:32a 10:17p 10:15a 11:20p 10:54a

Amarillo

2019 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Jan Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

11 Fri 12 Sat 13 Sun 14 Mon 15 Tue 16 Wed 17 Thu 18 Fri 19 Sat 20 Sun 21 Mon 22 Tue 23 Wed 24 Thu 25 Fri

9:42 3:32 10:29 4:18 11:14 5:03 11:58 5:47 12:18 6:30 1:02 7:15 1:48 8:02 2:38 8:52 3:32 9:47 4:30 10:46 5:32 11:48 6:36 12:21 7:40 1:26 8:43 2:29 9:41 3:29

10:04 10:50 11:35 ----12:42 1:28 2:16 3:07 4:03 5:02 6:03 7:06 8:09 9:09 10:07

3:53 4:39 5:24 6:09 6:54 7:40 8:30 9:22 10:18 11:17 ----12:51 1:55 2:56 3:54

07:55 07:55 07:55 07:55 07:55 07:54 07:54 07:54 07:53 07:53 07:53 07:52 07:52 07:51 07:51

05:52 05:53 05:54 05:55 05:56 05:57 05:58 05:59 06:00 06:01 06:02 06:03 06:04 06:05 06:06

11:24a 11:10p 11:53a NoMoon 12:22p 12:05a 12:53p 1:02a 1:26p 2:01a 2:03p 3:03a 2:47p 4:08a 3:38p 5:14a 4:38p 6:19a 5:44p 7:22a 6:55p 8:19a 8:08p 9:09a 9:19p 9:53a 10:28p 10:33a 11:35p 11:08a

Legend: Major=2 hours. Minor=1 hour. Times centered on the major-minor window. For other locations, subtract 1 minute per 12 miles east of a location, and add 1 minute per 12 miles west of a location.

Sabine Pass, north Date Jan 11 Jan 12 Jan 13 Jan 14 Jan 15 Jan 16 Jan 17 Jan 18 Jan 19 Jan 20 Jan 21 Jan 22 Jan 23 Jan 24 Jan 25

Time 1:19 AM 2:26 AM 3:19 AM 4:03 AM 4:44 AM 5:26 AM 6:08 AM 6:53 AM 7:39 AM 12:31 AM 1:25 AM 2:23 AM 3:27 AM 4:39 AM 12:41 AM

Rollover Pass Height 0.68L 0.52L 0.32L 0.09L -0.17L -0.44L -0.70L -0.93L -1.10L 1.20H 1.26H 1.26H 1.19H 1.07H 0.38L

Time 4:10 AM 5:55 AM 8:51 AM 11:00 AM 12:19 PM 1:17 PM 2:05 PM 2:49 PM 3:33 PM 8:27 AM 9:16 AM 10:06 AM 10:56 AM 11:48 AM 6:08 AM

Height 0.73H 0.60H 0.56H 0.68H 0.86H 1.04H 1.20H 1.31H 1.37H -1.20L -1.19L -1.08L -0.87L -0.57L 0.93H

Time 12:33 PM 1:19 PM 2:14 PM 3:23 PM 4:40 PM 5:52 PM 6:49 PM 7:35 PM 8:16 PM 4:17 PM 5:00 PM 5:43 PM 6:26 PM 7:07 PM 12:43 PM

Height -0.14L 0.06L 0.27L 0.47L 0.63L 0.76L 0.84L 0.90L 0.92L 1.38H 1.35H 1.28H 1.21H 1.13H -0.23L

Time 8:29 PM 8:58 PM 9:22 PM 9:39 PM 9:56 PM 10:20 PM 10:55 PM 11:40 PM

Height 0.97H 0.93H 0.89H 0.88H 0.89H 0.94H 1.02H 1.12H

8:57 PM 9:43 PM 10:35 PM 11:35 PM

0.90L 0.83L 0.72L 0.57L

7:48 PM

1.06H

Time

Height

Galveston Bay entrance, north jetty Time 11:44 AM 12:21 PM 04:02 AM 04:06 AM 04:29 AM 05:01 AM 05:40 AM 06:23 AM 07:09 AM 07:58 AM 12:53 AM 01:58 AM 03:08 AM 04:27 AM 12:20 AM

Height -0.27L -0.00L 0.42L 0.13L -0.21L -0.56L -0.89L -1.19L -1.41L -1.53L 1.51H 1.51H 1.41H 1.23H 0.56L

Time 8:32 PM 8:57 PM 8:55 AM 11:08 AM 12:42 PM 1:45 PM 2:34 PM 3:19 PM 4:03 PM 4:47 PM 8:49 AM 9:40 AM 10:32 AM 11:25 AM 6:04 AM

Height 1.14H 1.08H 0.57H 0.71H 0.97H 1.24H 1.45H 1.60H 1.66H 1.64H -1.53L -1.39L -1.11L -0.74L 1.02H

Height -0.04L 0.56L 0.39L 0.20L -0.02L -0.25L -0.49L -0.71L -0.90L -1.02L -1.05L -0.98L 0.89L 0.74L 0.53L

Time 8:11 PM 5:34 AM 8:01 AM 11:32 AM 12:49 PM 1:51 PM 2:41 PM 3:25 PM 4:06 PM 4:46 PM 5:25 PM 6:03 PM 3:11 AM 4:21 AM 5:38 AM

Height 1.07H 0.57H 0.52H 0.68H 0.90H 1.12H 1.32H 1.48H 1.58H 1.60H 1.56H 1.45H 1.00H 0.95H 0.88H

Height 0.67H 0.19L 0.28L 0.29L 0.18L 0.06L -0.05L -0.15L -0.23L -0.29L 0.95H 0.93H 0.87H 0.76H 0.62H

Time 1:55 PM 11:07 PM 10:24 PM 9:41 PM 9:09 PM 8:51 PM 9:00 PM 9:39 PM 10:42 PM

Height 0.11L 0.59H 0.56H 0.58H 0.64H 0.72H 0.81H 0.89H 0.93H

12:00 PM 12:47 PM 1:30 PM 2:12 PM 2:50 PM

-0.30L -0.25L -0.16L -0.02L 0.14L

Height 0.04H 0.02H -0.00H -0.01H 0.04H 0.10H 0.16H 0.22H 0.26H 0.28H 0.27H 0.24H 0.18H 0.10H 0.01H

Time 6:15 PM 5:49 PM 9:07 AM 9:23 AM 9:49 AM 10:27 AM 11:15 AM 12:10 PM 1:11 PM 2:15 PM 3:17 PM 4:15 PM 5:05 PM 5:48 PM 6:42 AM

Height -0.33L -0.26L -0.21L -0.31L -0.41L -0.51L -0.59L -0.66L -0.69L -0.70L -0.69L -0.65L -0.57L -0.46L -0.02L

Time 1:05 PM 2:07 PM 3:47 PM 6:03 PM 7:20 PM 7:42 PM 8:01 PM 8:30 PM 5:29 PM 6:09 PM 6:47 PM 7:22 PM 12:21 PM

Height 0.29L 0.60L 0.87L 1.06L 1.20L 1.30L 1.34L 1.31L 1.56H 1.44H 1.32H 1.20H -0.29L

9:14 PM 9:25 PM 9:28 PM 9:27 PM 9:48 PM 10:45 PM 11:49 PM

1.02H 0.99H 1.01H 1.09H 1.21H 1.34H 1.44H

9:08 PM 9:58 PM 11:02 PM

1.22L 1.06L 0.84L

7:54 PM

1.11H

Time

Height

Time 12:05 PM 3:23 AM 3:22 AM 3:46 AM 4:18 AM 4:55 AM 5:37 AM 6:23 AM 7:10 AM 7:59 AM 8:49 AM 9:42 AM 12:32 AM 12:56 AM 1:27 AM

Time

Height

12:50 PM 1:43 PM 3:13 PM 6:10 PM

0.15L 0.38L 0.60L 0.77L

8:19 8:34 8:55 9:19

PM PM PM PM

0.99H 0.92H 0.86H 0.83H

10:38 AM 11:37 AM 12:40 PM

-0.80L -0.52L -0.18L

6:38 PM 7:10 PM 7:36 PM

1.30H 1.12H 0.96H

Time 11:39 PM

Height 0.62H

Time

Height

Port O’Connor Date Jan 11 Jan 12 Jan 13 Jan 14 Jan 15 Jan 16 Jan 17 Jan 18 Jan 19 Jan 20 Jan 21 Jan 22 Jan 23 Jan 24 Jan 25

Time 12:14 AM 1:56 PM 1:22 PM 7:14 AM 7:12 AM 7:41 AM 8:25 AM 9:19 AM 10:16 AM 11:10 AM 12:11 AM 1:34 AM 2:40 AM 3:41 AM 4:54 AM

Time 2:34 AM 2:25 AM 2:16 AM 12:53 AM 12:23 AM 12:19 AM 12:11 AM 12:15 AM 1:02 AM 2:06 AM 3:12 AM 4:28 AM 06:10 AM 7:33 AM 3:54 AM

Date Jan 11 Jan 12 Jan 13 Jan 14 Jan 15 Jan 16 Jan 17 Jan 18 Jan 19 Jan 20 Jan 21 Jan 22 Jan 23 Jan 24 Jan 25

Time 12:36 PM 1:18 PM 4:36 AM 4:51 AM 5:17 AM 5:50 AM 6:28 AM 7:11 AM 7:56 AM 8:43 AM 9:33 AM 2:20 AM 12:22 AM 1:01 AM 1:48 AM

Time 3:44 PM 4:19 PM 8:13 AM 8:34 AM 9:02 AM 9:37 AM 10:17 AM 9:36 PM 10:31 PM 11:22 PM 11:59 PM

Height -0.22L -0.07L 0.20L 0.01L -0.18L -0.36L -0.53L 0.92H 0.97H 0.97H 0.93H

3:06 PM 7:30 AM 9:05 AM

-0.58L 0.66H 0.54H

Height -0.15L -0.01L 0.19L 0.02L -0.16L -0.35L -0.53L -0.68L -0.79L -0.85L -0.84L 0.74H 0.61L 0.49L 0.32L

Time 9:15 PM 9:25 PM 8:32 AM 12:28 PM 2:23 PM 3:24 PM 4:06 PM 4:44 PM 5:20 PM 5:55 PM 6:27 PM 10:25 AM 3:26 AM 4:35 AM 5:55 AM

Height 0.62H 0.58H 0.25H 0.36H 0.52H 0.68H 0.81H 0.89H 0.92H 0.90H 0.85H -0.77L 0.72H 0.65H 0.55H

Height 0.82H 0.79H 0.76H 0.74H 0.72H 0.72H 0.75H -0.66L -0.75L -0.79L -0.78L -0.71L 0.84H 0.60L 0.40L

Time 3:44 PM 4:19 PM 8:13 AM 8:34 AM 9:02 AM 9:37 AM 10:17 AM 9:36 PM 10:31 PM 11:22 PM 11:59 PM

Height -0.22L -0.07L 0.20L 0.01L -0.18L -0.36L -0.53L 0.92H 0.97H 0.97H 0.93H

3:06 PM 7:30 AM 9:05 AM

-0.58L 0.66H 0.54H

Height 0.25L 0.74L 0.61L 0.46L 0.29L 0.11L -0.05L -0.19L -0.28L -0.32L -0.30L 1.15H 1.12H 1.04H 0.72L

Time 9:04 PM 4:03 AM 7:32 AM 8:57 PM 3:45 PM 4:17 PM 5:02 PM 6:04 PM 7:18 PM 11:56 PM

Height 0.85H 0.76H 0.66H 0.84H 0.86H 0.99H 1.09H 1.15H 1.17H 1.16H

9:59 AM 10:55 AM 11:49 AM 5:04 AM

-0.23L -0.11L 0.06L 0.94H

Height 0.16L 0.34L 0.64L 0.38L 0.07L -0.25L -0.56L -0.83L -1.03L -1.13L -1.12L -0.98L -0.74L 0.98L 0.72L

Time 8:05 PM 8:01 PM 7:14 AM 10:39 AM 12:51 PM 1:58 PM 2:51 PM 3:43 PM 4:33 PM 5:20 PM 6:02 PM 6:35 PM 6:56 PM 2:33 AM 4:36 AM

Height 1.21H 1.12H 0.71H 0.77H 0.96H 1.16H 1.33H 1.47H 1.55H 1.57H 1.52H 1.41H 1.26H 1.02H 0.87H

Time

Height

Time

Height

11:43 AM 2:06 PM

0.33H 0.37H

4:57 PM 5:36 PM

0.12L 0.32L

8:07 PM 8:43 PM

0.69H 0.83H

10:27 PM

0.68L

11:50 PM 3:56 PM 4:51 PM

0.74H -0.38L -0.14L

11:41 PM 11:36 PM

0.65H 0.59H

Time

Height

Time

Height

2:01 PM 2:58 PM 6:39 PM

0.16L 0.34L 0.48L

9:28 PM 9:33 PM 9:44 PM

0.55H 0.54H 0.55H

11:51 PM 6:57 PM 11:19 AM 12:15 PM 1:15 PM

0.69L 0.77H -0.63L -0.43L -0.19L

7:22 PM 7:45 PM 8:06 PM

0.68H 0.60H 0.54H

Date Jan 11 Jan 12 Jan 13 Jan 14 Jan 15 Jan 16 Jan 17 Jan 18 Jan 19 Jan 20 Jan 21 Jan 22 Jan 23 Jan 24 Jan 25

Time 12:20 AM 12:14 AM 12:20 AM 12:33 AM 12:49 AM 1:08 AM 1:27 AM 11:02 AM 11:50 AM 12:39 PM 1:28 PM 2:17 PM 12:06 AM 4:57 AM 5:38 AM

Time

Height

Time

Height

11:43 AM 2:06 PM

0.33H 0.37H

4:57 PM 5:36 PM

0.12L 0.32L

8:07 PM 8:43 PM

0.69H 0.83H

10:27 PM

0.68L

11:50 PM 3:56 PM 4:51 PM

0.74H -0.38L -0.14L

11:41 PM 11:36 PM

0.65H 0.59H

Port Aransas

11:21 PM

0.50H

Nueces Bay Date Jan 11 Jan 12 Jan 13 Jan 14 Jan 15 Jan 16 Jan 17 Jan 18 Jan 19 Jan 20 Jan 21 Jan 22 Jan 23 Jan 24 Jan 25

San Luis Pass

Height 0.82H 0.79H 0.76H 0.74H 0.72H 0.72H 0.75H -0.66L -0.75L -0.79L -0.78L -0.71L 0.84H 0.60L 0.40L

East Matagorda

Freeport Harbor Date Jan 11 Jan 12 Jan 13 Jan 14 Jan 15 Jan 16 Jan 17 Jan 18 Jan 19 Jan 20 Jan 21 Jan 22 Jan 23 Jan 24 Jan 25

Time 12:20 AM 12:14 AM 12:20 AM 12:33 AM 12:49 AM 1:08 AM 1:27 AM 11:02 AM 11:50 AM 12:39 PM 1:28 PM 2:17 PM 12:06 AM 4:57 AM 5:38 AM

Date Jan 11 Jan 12 Jan 13 Jan 14 Jan 15 Jan 16 Jan 17 Jan 18 Jan 19 Jan 20 Jan 21 Jan 22 Jan 23 Jan 24 Jan 25

Time 12:10 PM 1:53 AM 2:55 AM 3:56 AM 4:44 AM 5:25 AM 6:04 AM 6:43 AM 7:25 AM 8:12 AM 9:03 AM 1:23 AM 2:35 AM 3:45 AM 12:30 AM

Time

Height

Time

Height

12:42 PM 1:10 PM

0.38L 0.53L

8:25 PM 8:36 PM

0.83H 0.83H

6:23 PM

0.82L

9:16 PM

0.86H

6:19 PM 12:41 PM

0.81H 0.26L

6:37 PM

0.80H

Height

Time

Height

12:45 PM 1:47 PM 4:08 PM

0.54L 0.74L 0.92L

7:54 PM 7:43 PM 7:12 PM

1.03H 0.97H 0.95H

11:06 AM 11:56 AM

-0.41L -0.03L

7:07 PM 7:11 PM

1.11H 0.99H

South Padre Island Time

Height

Time

Height

2:53 PM

-0.16H

5:39 PM

-0.19L

8:53 AM

0.00H

6:24 PM

-0.34L

Date Jan 11 Jan 12 Jan 13 Jan 14 Jan 15 Jan 16 Jan 17 Jan 18 Jan 19 Jan 20 Jan 21 Jan 22 Jan 23 Jan 24 Jan 25

Time 11:31 AM 12:04 PM 3:17 AM 3:29 AM 3:57 AM 4:34 AM 5:17 AM 6:04 AM 6:53 AM 7:44 AM 8:35 AM 9:26 AM 10:16 AM 12:04 AM 12:36 AM

Time

Texas Coast Tides

Date Jan 11 Jan 12 Jan 13 Jan 14 Jan 15 Jan 16 Jan 17 Jan 18 Jan 19 Jan 20 Jan 21 Jan 22 Jan 23 Jan 24 Jan 25

Date Jan 11 Jan 12 Jan 13 Jan 14 Jan 15 Jan 16 Jan 17 Jan 18 Jan 19 Jan 20 Jan 21 Jan 22 Jan 23 Jan 24 Jan 25

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

January 11, 2019

Page 17

Winter wahoo Continued from page 1

Brandon Wilson, of Brazoria, (left) and Kyle Walters, of Friendswood, landed this hefty wahoo right at daybreak. Photo by Tyler Hass. Bottom left, Shaine Sahualla, of Beaumont landed a 63.7-pounder while fishing with Mark Brackin. Photo by Mark Brackin. Bottom right, John West had good wahoo action near the Flower Garden Banks. Photo from John West.

other days they’ll feed right in the prop wash. The best tactic has been to try a variety of presentations until one begins to produce more hook-ups than the others.

Then you know what bait and presentation style to use for the remainder of that trip.”

John West, of Beaumont, fished with Houston resident Nathan Perthuis on Perthuis’ 42-foot Cabo named Chase This along the East and West banks of the Flower Gardens during the first weekend of the year. Their group went 10 for 11 on wahoo during a trip out of Freeport. The largest wahoo weighed more than 60 pounds.

“Our best success came while trolling a lipless crankbait in water depths ranging from 150-300 feet,” West reported. “The

action was consistent, and we were landing one to two wahoo every hour. At one point we had a triple hook-up.”

Friendswood native Tyler Hass also has been finding aggressive wahoo near the Flower Garden banks. Running out of Surfside Marina in Freeport, he and his friends have been finding most of their fish while trolling in 180-280 feet.

“Most of our success has occurred early in the mornings around daybreak, and then late in the evenings around sunset,” Hass said. “Deep-diving crankbaits and bullet-style baits have been working well.

The wahoo are schooled up and doing their thing, and when the weather cooperates, the action is extremely exciting.”

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DSC establishes Conservation Advisory Board

—DSC

BE

A

®

Performance Worth the Price

P.

During the 2019 Convention and Expo, a group of top-level conservation experts will convene for DSC’s Conservation Advisory Board. This new group is charged with the mission of providing subject matter expertise with both regional and global perspectives on needed research, program development and advocacy. The CAB will advise and assist the DSC Board of Directors and the DSC Grants Committee on domestic and international conservation issues to ensure that DSC’s mission fulfillment is focused most appropriately.

The first meeting is to be held at Mogambo: Dagga Boy Danger, January 17-20 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and Omni Hotel Dallas in Downtown Dallas.

The CAB is comprised of renowned scientists, policymakers and researchers, who will offer their expertise on the greatest conservation needs from their respective subject matter and regions.

New board members include Jeff Crane (Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation), Khalil Karimov (wildlife biologist, IUCN Central Asia Group chair), Rob Keck (director of conservation for Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s), Shane Mahoney (Conservation Visions Inc.), Tamas Marghescu (director general of CIC), Ron Regan (executive director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies) and Danene van der Westhuyzen (professional hunter and president of the Namibia Professional Hunting Association). Corey Mason, DSC’s executive director, also a certified wildlife biologist, is the staff liaison.

RETT

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE SINCE 1526

TO H ILITY ELL AND BACK RELIAB

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Page 18

January 11, 2019

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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INDUSTRY

OUTDOOR PUZZLER Solution on Page 21

HSCF names Three named to CSF Professional Hunter of board Tuck Beckstoffer of Tuck Beckthe Year Paul Bamber of New Zealand’s Wanganui Safaris was named the 2019 Houston Safari Club Foundation Professional Hunter of the Year.

Fishing instructor receives award Michael Ralston of Pickens, South Carolina was named the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Fishing Instructor of the Year.

Koola Buck purchased privately owned Viper Archery Products of South Point, Ohio.

Trijicon scope honored DOWN 1. Hooking the plastic worm in the middle 2. Bear species found in Texas 3. A type of fishing line 5. A shorebird species 6. Annual coastal tournament for women (4 words) 7. Month of DSC convention 9. Examine to distinguish white, hybrid striped bass 10. Mandatory if born after Sept. 2, 1971 (two words) 12. A Panhandle county 13. A popular fishing knot 14. Maximum number of crab traps allowed for recreational purpose 15. Fishing license for out-of-staters 16. A Central Texas reservoir, ____ Hollow 17. Shotgun brand for women 20. A coastal county 21. 2019 Weatherby Foundation winner 23. A salmon species 25. Scaup, redheads and canvasbacks 29. A good catfish bait 31. A riflescope manufacturer

TRCP communications head Marnee Banks was named the chief communications officer for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership at its Washington, D.C. headquarters.

Promotions at TFO

Viper Archery acquired

ACROSS 4. Used in making boat hulls 8. A Rio Grande Valley game bird 11. The prickly rodent 12. The fisherman’s hope 13. Required to travel internationally 16. Check these tables before the fishing trip 18. A Canadian predatory cat 19. It helps get the fish in the boat 22. The Mexican turkey 24. The yellow catfish 26. A Central Texas river 27. A shotshell manufacturer 28. Native home of the ring-necked pheasant 30. A quail species 32. A shotgun manufacturer 33. A shark species 34. The back of the boat 35. A partridge species

stoffer Wines, Francisco Bergaz of Bekun, LLC and Bruce Pettet of Leupold & Stevens were named to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Board of Directors.

The Trijicon REAP-IR thermal riflescope has been selected to receive a Golden Bullseye Award as the 2018 American Rifleman Optic of the Year.

Leupold scope named top optic Leupold’s Mark 5HD riflescope was named Optic of the Year by Shooting Illustrated.

National sales manager promotion

Temple Fork Outfitters promoted Larry Simmons to chief financial officer, Nick Conklin to fly-fishing category manager for two-handed rods and fly reels and Collins Illich to fly-fishing category manager for single-handed fly rods.

Ward leaves Blue Heron Josh Ward, formerly of Blue Heron Communications, has become the western editor for Game & Fish magazine.

First woman chair at NASGW Laurie Aronson, the president and chief executive officer of Lipsey’s LLC, was named the chairwoman of the board by the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers.

BPI Outdoors/Bergara Rifles promoted Dakota Russell to national sales manager for the Bergara Rifles division.

FOR THE TABLE *email LSON your favorite recipe to news@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

Dove and eggs with maple benedict 6 dove breasts 1 tsp. seasoned salt 4 thick slices French bread 3 minced garlic cloves 2 tbsps. minced mint lemon zest 4 tbsps. butter 2 tbsps. flour 1 minced shallot 1 shot apple juice 2 cups chicken stock 1/4 cup real maple syrup 2 eggs Place dove breasts at room temperature for 15 minutes and add seasoned salt. Make mint topping by mixing garlic, mint and lemon zest. Pour chicken stock into a small saucepan and simmer. Heat 3 tbsps. of butter in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat and add

the dove breasts to sear on each side. The first side should cook for 3 minutes. Then flip and cook for an additional minute on the other side. In the same pan, add the shallot and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in the flour and butter and stir continuously making a roux for 1-2 minutes. Add in the stock, stirring constantly. Bring sauce to a boil then add in maple syrup and apple juice. Let reduce down at a slow boil until it is the consistency of gravy. Toast bread slices and cook egg over-easy.

Place bread on plate, place gravy on top of toast, add one egg and two dove breasts and sprinkle mint topping over the dove and egg.

—Indiana DNR

Grilled catfish Mississippi 6-12 catfish fillets 2 sticks butter, melted 3/4 cup lemon juice 1 tsp. white horseradish sauce 2 tbsps. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. salt 2 tsps. lime pepper 1 tsp. Cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp. ground thyme

Wash fillets and pat dry. Melt the butter and mix with all other ingredients in a large bowl. Marinate the fish in refrigerator for several hours. Grease grill grates and cook the fish over mediumhigh temperature coals for about 12 minutes on each side, frequently basting the fish with the marinade.

—visitmississippi.org

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

January 11, 2019

PRODUCTS

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ALASKAN 1 FRAME PACK: Cabela’s rugged 600-denier polyester hunting pack boasts a 30-inch tall by 13.5-inch wide by 8-inch deep main compartment plus two zippered side compartments. The company describes it as an entry-level pack that contains all the attributes hunters require in the field. It is available in Coyote camo for about $140 and in Cabela’s O2 Octane camo for about $150.

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TYPEPRO: An angler’s must-have, this simple fishing tool will grip, thread small eyelets, tie knots, and clip line. Designed for use with hooks and jigs that have an exposed shank above the eyelet, the tool works with 2- to 20-pound test monofilament and fluorocarbon line. It costs about $17.

Their account with Lone Star Outdoor News is $6,900 past due and attempts to collect have failed.

Page 19

Page 20

January 11, 2019

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

NATIONAL NEW YORK

Increased deer harvest White-tailed deer hunters reported more success in 2018 than the previous year through the end of the regular big game season, the State Department of Environmental Conservation announced.

Hunters reported taking approximately 14 percent more deer in the Northern Zone and 11 percent more deer in the Southern Zone, compared to the same period in 2017.

Reports from the Southern Zone and Northern Zone are up more than 26 percent and 33 percent from 2016 numbers, respectively, indicating an increase in harvest over the past three hunting seasons.

—NYDEC

TENNESSEE

MICHIGAN

As part of a larger concerted effort by multiple state and federal agencies in the Ohio River Basin, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has developed an Asian Carp Harvest Incentive Program.

While supplies last, commercial fisherman enrolled in ACHIP shall receive a one-time distribution of 15 TWRA-supplied gill nets from a contracted wholesale fish dealer. A subsequent offering of TWRA-supplied gill nets will be distributed to commercial fisherman enrolled in ACHIP who harvest no less than 60,000 pounds in a 6-month period.

—TWRA

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed Daniel Eichinger as the director of the Department of Natural Resources.

Eichinger most recently served as executive director of Michigan United Conservation Clubs. From 2007 to 2012, he worked in various capacities with the DNR.

Nets provided for Asian carp

DYLAN WINTERS, 16, TOOK HIS FIRST 5X5 BULL ELK. HE MADE A 205-YARD SHOT DURING A TPWD DRAWN YOUTH HUNT AT ELEPHANT MOUNTAIN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA. HE USED A .300 WSM.

Nikon will send your 10x42 ProStaff 7 binoculars. You can check out the entire line at the nearest dealer:

ALASKA

Pacific Salmon Treaty finalized The Pacific Salmon Commission completed negotiations regarding a new Pacific salmon conservation and harvest sharing agreement between the United States and Canada.

The revised agreement, which took affect Jan. 1, addresses a number of salmon fisheries in southeast Alaska, including those near the Alaska/British Columbia border and on several transboundary rivers.

The current chapters of the Pacific Salmon Treaty that affect southeast Alaska expired Dec. 31, 2018. The Pacific Salmon Treaty has provided for the conservation and management of salmon that span the international borders between the U.S. and Canada since its ratification in 1985, —Alaska Game and Fish Dept.

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operator of The Weather Channel’s mobile phone application from allegedly “covertly mining the private data of users and selling the information to third parties, including advertisers.”

The complaint contends that “for years, TWC has deceptively used its Weather Channel APP to amass its users’ private, personal geolocation data, all the while leading users to believe that their data will only be used to provide them with ‘personalized local weather data, alerts and forecasts.’”

TWC Product and Technology, a subsidiary of IBM, disputed the claims, asserting their 10,000-word privacy policy permits the behavior.

—Staff report

Shooting athletes of the year USA Shooting announces two-time Olympic gold medalist Vincent Hancock (Eatonton, Georgia) and six-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode (El Monte, California) have been named USA Shooting’s Male and Female Athletes of the Year for 2018.

—USA Shooting

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Modern Fish Act becomes law The Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018 (Modern Fish Act) was signed into law by President Donald Trump on December 31. The act recognizes in federal law the differences between recreational and commercial saltwater fishing and adds more appropriate management tools for policymakers to use in managing federal recreational fisheries.

—American Sportfishing Association

CALIFORNIA

Weather Channel app sued Hunters and fishermen often rely on mobile phone applications for up-to-date weather data. A Weather Channel app has been sued for sharing data for other purposes.

The city of Los Angeles sued to stop the

Eichinger named DNR director

KENTUCKY

—Michigan DNR

New leader of state department After a nine-month search, Rich Storm, of Carlisle, was appointed as the new commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Storm has been a member of the Fish and Wildlife Commission for two years.

—KDFWR

INTERNATIONAL SOUTH AFRICA

Government said land expropriation will not apply to hunting lands South African hunting operators and customers have expressed concerns regarding land expropriation without compensation by the South African government, including attacks on farms.

According to the South African government and its president, Cyril Ramaphosa, there are no plans to take hunting lands.

In a letter to the director of the Professional Hunting Association of South Africa (PHASA), the director of the Tourism and Business Council of South Africa said: “Land expropriation will involve mainly releasing land that is owned by Local Government, State Owned Enterprises, Provincial Government, and National Government. This land will be given to people who don’t have land in mainly urban areas. Privately owned land that is not being used will also be identified and a mechanism will be put in place to acquire the land.

“Land that is privately owned like game farms, lodges, and other tourism related attraction is not identified to be expropriated.

There are no plans immediately or long-term to expropriate such land.

“All the guest that are coming from various international countries for any tourism related activities are welcomed in South Africa, and all activities including hunting will continue as normal.”

—PHASA

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

January 11, 2019

Page 21

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Page 22

January 11, 2019

LoneOStar Outdoor News

DATEBOOK

LSONews.com

Pedaling to scout, hunt Continued from page 4

JANUARY 15

Delta Waterfowl Leon County Banquet Leon County Expo Center, Buffalo (903) 388-4705 deltawaterfowl.org

JANUARY 17

Weatherby Foundation International 2019 Weatherby Award Gala Omni Dallas Hotel (866) 934-3976 weatherbyfoundation.com

JANUARY 17-20

Dallas Safari Club Annual Convention Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (972) 980-9800 biggame.org

JANUARY 18-19

Deer Breeders Corp New Year’s Deer Auction Horseshoe Bay Resort (972) 289-3100 dbcdeer.com

JANUARY 19

Bass Champs South Region Tournament Lake Amistad (817) 439-3274 basschamps.com

JANUARY 25-27

Houston Safari Club Foundation Annual Convention George R. Brown Convention Center (832) 804-8959 hscfdn.org

JANUARY 26

Ducks Unlimited Corsicana Dinner I.O.O.F. Event Center (903) 654-7704 ducks.org/Texas

JANUARY 31

DSC South Texas Third Annual Wildlife Gala Mays Family Center, San Antonio dscsouthtexas.org

FEBRUARY 2

Texas Team Trail Sam Rayburn Tournament (210) 281-1752 texasteamtrail.com Ducks Unlimited Mexia Dinner The Cowboy Club (903) 388-5471 ducks.org/Texas

FEBRUARY 5

Coastal Conservation Association Houston Real Estate Chapter Banquet Houston Country Club (713) 626-4222 ccatexas.org

FEBRUARY 7-9

Wild Sheep Foundation The Sheep Show Reno-Sparks Convention Center (406) 404-8750 wildsheepfoundation.org

FEBRUARY 9

Bass Champs Central Region Tournament Lake LBJ (817) 439-2374 basschamps.com

FEBRUARY 9-10

Lone Star Predator Calling Classic Hoffpauir Ranch & Supply, Lampasas (512) 748-2810 hoffpauirexpo.com/predator-contest

try and whether the critter cooperates.

This year, however, Harwick decided to try something different by throwing his name and two of his buddies into one of several raffles conducted at the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Cameron County.

The three were selected for one of the rifle hunt drawings and hunted on Dec. 28, 29 and 30.

But to familiarize themselves with the refuge, they got on their mountain bicycles and scouted the area for most of the day on Dec. 27.

“We did a lot of research before going down, though. Josh Hartwick used his mountain bike on a drawn hunt on the Laguna We even used On-X Hunt Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, where no motorized vehicles are alapp,” he said. “We saw lowed. Photo from Josh Hartwick. plenty of animals, though javelina, bobcats, coyotes and a sizeable not the number of deer we had expected population of alligators and rattlesnakes to see.” and Texas coral snakes.

But looking over a map on a computer “It was a backpack hunt,” Hartwick said. screen is not the same as the real thing.

“Since no motor vehicles are allowed, we Some areas at the wildlife refuge are imhad to rely on our bicycles to get around.” penetrable. In other instances, some huntHe said they saw a nilgai bull and several ers are known to walk from 5 to 10 miles cows while scouting. to get to their ideal spots.

Hartwick harvested his cow about 10:30 Hartwick and his friends covered huge a.m. on the first day of the hunt. One of tracts of the refuge and described the his friends saw a large bull but it slipped scouting as exhausting, even though they into the brush before he could get a shot. trained on their bicycles on the Kenedy The refuge conducts several rifle and arRanch. chery hunts each year in an effort to conThe 29-year-old described the refuge trol the deer and nilgai numbers, and a hunt as one of the most challenging tasks hunter is allowed to harvest up to five deer he has done since he moved to the Sarita and unlimited nilgai and feral hogs. Due area in 2010. to the challenge of the hunt, most hunters “We worked our butts off,” he said. only take one animal.

The 80,000-plus-acre refuge has four The refuge issues 730 archery hunts and types of vegetation and a variety of ani245 firearm permits to the approximately mals. Besides nilgai, the refuge hosts 2,000 applicants. white-tailed and fallow deer, feral hogs,

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

January 11, 2019

Page 23

Page 24

January 11, 2019

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

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Instant Savings*

LIFETIME REPAIR/REPLACEMENT

3219 SOUTH SAM HOUSTON PARKWAY EAST, STE 100 | HOUSTON 713.344.9600

3-9x40 Matte BDC 600

30

Instant Savings*

3-9x40 Matte BDC Predator

$

30

Instant Savings*

10x42

$

20

Instant Savings*

◊ Nikon No-Fault Repair/Replacement Policy excludes lost or stolen products and intentionally caused damage, and also excludes Nikon Rangefinders, Reflex Sights, Red Dot Sights, StabilEyes Binoculars & Specialty Optics.

Nikon authorized dealers and resellers only. Instant Savings amount deducted from dealer or reseller’s selling price. Offer valid for new eligible products only that * Participating are sold between January 6, 2019 and February 2, 2019 to retail customers by a Nikon authorized dealer or reseller within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Void where prohibited by law. All products are subject to availability. For eligible products and further details, please visit www.nikonpromo.com.

All Nikon trademarks are the property of Nikon Corporation.

HOUSTON NORTH: (281) 443-8393 | WEST: (713) 461-1844 SOUTHWEST: (281) 879-1466 | PASADENA: (713) 475-2222

120 HWY 173 N | HONDO (800) 221-6398

13250 PLEASANTON ROAD SAN ANTONIO, TX 78221 (210) 628-1888

1055 TEXAS AVE. SO. STE 104 | COLLEGE STATION (979) 695-2807