Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper in Texas
November 24, 2017
Volume 14, Issue 7
Thankful for the harvest Laws Rogers landed this 10-pound snook while fishing near the Port Mansfield jetties. More large snook are being landed this fall than in past years. Photo from Steve Ellis.
Snook on the rocks By Robert Sloan
For Lone Star Outdoor News
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PLANO, TX PERMIT 210
Please turn to page 14
With deer movement increasing, more hunters are finding bucks to dress and fill the freezer. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
By Craig Nyhus
Lone Star Outdoor News The ticking of the clock, if not cooler weather, has the deer moving in much of Texas, and some hunters celebrating the bounty of a fall buck or doe — and there is nothing like seeing active bucks in pursuit of does around the fall holiday. In Coleman County, the deer are rutting, but in Stephens County, the young bucks are
Hill Country hunters are reporting rutting bucks, and the rut is in full swing in San Saba County, according to hunter Rex Mitchell. “Every day, I’m seeing bucks cruising through in the middle of the day, even hitting some of the feeders midday,” he said. “The bucks are chasing everything that moves.” Mitchell shot a 10-pointer that came busting through the trees, chasing does.
“I was almost napping while in my blind on the power line right of way, but snapped awake at crashing sounds from behind me,” he wrote. “Two deer shot out of the woods and went back in just as fast. Then four deer blasted out of the woods, and it was three bucks chasing one doe, and the whole crowd was zooming around like a herd of cutting horses. That doe was having none of this rut business, though.”
Desert bighorn hunter bags impressive ram By Craig Nyhus
Lone Star Outdoor News Hank Dorris of Fort Worth bought a desert bighorn hunt at auction during the Houston Safari Club convention in January, hoping to take a nice one and also support the restoration program that has built the population of the animals. He didn’t expect his first sheep to be a giant.
The permit to take the hunt was provided by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, with the proceeds going to desert bighorn restoration. The hunt, at Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Brewster County, took place in October. “I was guided by Dewey Stockbridge and Cody McEntire, both TWPD employees,” Dorris said.
After a few days of golf at the Lajitas resort with friends Corey Knowlton and Nathan Olmstead, Dorris headed out with his guides and several TPWD scouts. “We drove to the top of the mountain on the west side and had four guys glassing,” Dorris said. “We saw three groups of rams, with six rams together in one group.” The guides decided to take Please turn to page 6
CONTENTS
Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP
running but the older bucks are still staying out of sight. “They were moving one day last weekend, but quiet the next,” said Palo Pinto County hunter Phillip Monier. At the Matador Wildlife Management Area, the gun hunts wrapped up last week, and deer movement was spotty. However, Ricardo Reyes Sr. and Ricardo Reyes Jr. teamed up to take two nice mainframe 8-pointers with one or more kickers.
Fort Worth hunter Hank Dorris won a desert bighorn tag at an auction during the Houston Safari Club convention, and recently completed his hunt, taking this ram. Photo from Hank Dorris.
Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10
HUNTING
FISHING
Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12
Good year for snows (P. 4)
Fall pros fish TX (P. 8)
Hunting good in coastal prairies.
Reports from home lake.
Quail biologist in West Texas (P. 4)
Sabine after Harvey (P. 8)
Hunters band together, hire lobbyists to help.
Fewer birds, more shrimp.
Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16 Products . . . . . . . . . . Page 18 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . Page 20 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 21 Outdoor Datebook . . . . . Page 26
INSIDE
A front had just started to blow, the water along the Port Mansfield jetties was kicking up and the current was ripping. Just before guide Steve Ellis was about to call it a day and head in with his client, a rod bowed over, the hook was set and a big fish was on. “I was trying to keep the boat off the rocks and looked up just in time see a big snook do a head shake,” Ellis said. “I’ve been fishing for snook down here for over 30 years. I knew in an instant that was the biggest snook I had ever seen.” Up until that bite they had been catching several reds. Setting the hook on a snook was totally unexpected. It ate a white Norton Bull Minnow rigged on a 3/8-ounce jig head. “We were fishing close to the rocks and with such a strong current the key was to get the jig deep,” Ellis said. “I was fishing with Laws Rogers. He fishes here a lot. We netted the fish, measured