Staring down at a straightened-out, 13/0 circle hook — the second in just a week — 23-yearold Paul Hefner and his father, Tim, knew it was time to step up their game. The pair was taking a swing at big alligator gar, and Lake Corpus Christi was most certainly swinging back.
By Craig Nyhus
Lone Star outdoor newS
You’re thinking about a dog for a hunting partner, and you’ve looked at several. The price of purchase is one thing, but what is the investment over the average life of the dog?
The purchase
First, there’s the purchase. For labs or pointing dogs with better-thanaverage pedigree, expect to pay at least $2,000, and often more. If the dog is “started,” beyond the puppy phase with basic bird dog training, the cost will be higher. If you train yourself, the cost is lower, but your time commitment isn’t.
Cost: $2,000
The tandem from Austin doesn’t share your typical fishing bond. No Father’s Day Hallmark card has ever tried to speak to a father and son who spend a month on a boat throwing jug lines and trot lines in the direction of giant catfish and gar while sidestepping the occasional alligator.
Alas, the two have continued defying norms since Paul was
old enough to bait a hook, so his impending move to Utah was perhaps the strongest incentive they’d ever had to get on the water.
“Part of the deal with my new employer was that I get to take this month off to go fishing,” Paul said laughingly. “They knew I was going to be gone for a month.”
The extended agenda was
made possible by a familyowned fishing cabin on the Nueces River just north of the lake.
Using a combination of their remaining 13/0 circle hooks and a handful of 20/0 shark hooks, they baited live tilapia on more than 20 jugs and placed them strategically throughout a large stretch of water.
When they came back around
For Lone Star outdoor newS
As the summer season approached, Luke Bledsoe wanted to get his two oldest daughters down to the coast and on the water to catch some fish.
Karsen, 7, and Beckham, 5, had both loved their early fishing experiences with their father, but were limited to ponds, rivers and creeks in the Hill Country. They had never been on a boat before, but had specifically talked about how they want to go on a motorboat and catch fish.
So, when Bledsoe and his wife, Jillian, found themselves in the Port Aransas area with their daughters for a church trip, they felt they should take advantage of their time on the coast.
“I called up a friend of mine, Jonathan Alan Fenner, and we arranged for him to get our family out on the water for a quick fishing trip,” Bledsoe said. “We met Fenner down in Baffin for a morning outing, and the trip was an absolute success. The girls had a blast.”
Bledsoe said one of the most memorable aspects was the preparation that went into it. Not once did the couple mention to their daughters that they were going on a saltwater fishing trip. Instead, they waited until they were standing inside a sporting goods store getting
Catching bream is often easy on Texas lakes, but Toledo Bend Reservoir stands out as one of the premier destinations.
The lake is loaded with a variety of panfish like bluegill, redear, longear and goggle-eye (warmouth), and they will hit a variety of lures, live baits and even flies, especially small micro poppers and sponge spiders. The huge reservoir has no shortage of places to fish. Around this time of year, the panfish are on beds and eager to hit
anything that comes their way. The backwater coves offer some of the best clearwater fishing on the lake, and it’s common to see fishermen easing along and sight-casting to the fish. Other good areas are points that drop off into deeper water.
Jim Evans has been fishing on Toledo Bend for years. His favorite catch is a big bluegill, but he’ll often end up with a variety of panfish.
“I gave up bass fishing a long time ago,” he said while cleaning a batch of bluegills and goggle-eye perch. “With ultralight tackle, they put up a good fight, and they will hit just about anything that won’t
WHATEVER YOUR ADVENTURE IS, WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED.
On the eve of Dec. 23, 1909, black ink soaked the Fort Worth Record and Register newsprint to tell readers of a sought-after protein with Christmas just around the corner.
“Bear Meat. Fat and Juicy. At the Model Meat Market. 604 Houston Street. On sale Friday.”
Today, 113 years later, such an advertisement is unheard of, largely because grocers no longer sell bear meat, but also because black bears haven’t main-
tained a consistent presence in Texas since the 1950s.
The population was nearly gone until 1988 when a visitor to Big Bend National Park saw a mother black bear and three cubs, indicating a reemergence of a breeding population.
The initial spotting garnered close attention from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for decades. However, a substantial number of black bears now moving from northern Mexico into the Big Bend and Del Rio regions has prompted a multiyear study that aims to effectively facilitate the come-
Hard, driving and blowing rains are welcome sights on Texas ranches, but moisture from the blowing rain can result in landowners and hunters needing to clear out tubes on their protein feeders.
Feeder companies take steps to minimize moisture that can get to the protein in the feeder, but some things are unavoidable.
“Some feeder designs are better than others, but none are perfect when it rains and
back of Texas black bears.
Beginning last summer, the study itself, “Understanding Natural Recolonization of Black Bears in West Texas,” is the product of a partnership between Borderlands Research Institute at Sul Ross State University and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, as well as funding from the Houston Safari Club Foundation.
“It is a rare opportunity that bears are recolonizing like they are now, 75-100 years later,” said Dr. Louis A. Harveson, who is the Dan Allen Hughes, Jr., Endowed Director of BRI. “It’s pretty
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Braden Trussell and Trevor ClemonsValdez spent Memorial Day weekend chasing axis with some buddies near Hondo. Led by hunting guides James Bray and Daniel Bristow of Lone Oak Adventures, they both ended up harvesting trophy axis bucks. However, the way each hunt unfolded couldn’t have been more different.
The stars aligned for Clemons-Valdez during the first morning of their trip, as he was able to get a shot at a mature axis buck while overlooking a feeder.
“It was one of those textbook, pictureperfect morning hunts for Clemons-Valdez,” Trussell said. “His buck came right into their setup, he made an excellent shot with his .300 Win Mag and he recovered the axis less than 50 yards from where it was standing when he took his shot. The buck’s beams both measured over 32 inches in length.”
Trussell’s first morning sit was full of action, too, but it didn’t produce a shot opportunity at the caliber of axis buck he was looking for.
During that same first morning, others from the group were sitting in a large tower blind when they saw three different trophy-caliber bucks beginning to exhibit rutting behavior.
The following morning, Trussell and Bristow sat in the same blind with the hope of spotting one of the same bucks. They had already seen one axis buck cross the field they were overlooking when a tall, striking axis appeared in the meadow before them.
“We were pretty sure the other buck we had seen was still hanging out in the brush where we saw him disappear, so we were fairly positive this axis would take a similar path across the field and follow suit,” Trussell said. “We took some ranges where we thought he might cross and had figured that if he did in fact take the path we were guessing he would take, that I would have a short window to make what would likely be about a 400yard shot. I knew I was going to have to have my scope dialed in just right to pull off that shot at that distance.”
Trussell watched the buck cross the field and take the path they were hoping it would.
“I waited for Bristow to give me the exact range, and he finally whispered to me that it was a 420-yard shot,” Trussell said. “I dialed in my scope and told Bristow to try to get the buck to stop. The axis was walking, and at that distance, I didn’t want to try to shoot him in stride.”
When Bristow whistled, the axis buck stopped for a split second behind a tree before disappearing, but never gave Trussell a real shot opportunity.
They then pivoted to some other areas of the ranch, none of which presented Trussell with an ethical shot on a mature buck. So, for their evening hunt, they decided to return to the action at the tower blind where they’d previously seen their trophy buck. This time, however, they filled the roomy blind with all Trussel’s friends who were able to make the trip so the group could share the experience together.
The group spotted plenty of animals
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blows,” said wildlife biologist Jason Sekula. “On bigger feeders with four openings, usually just one or two will clog up.”
When the rain comes sideways, there is no such thing as a perfect feeder, Sekula said.
“It’s going to get in the tubes and clog them,” he said.
Deer will eat wet protein — to a point.
“When it starts to sour, which doesn’t take very long, they won’t eat it,” Sekula said. “When they are eating heavily, feeders don’t clog as much because the deer keep it flowing; they almost unclog it themselves. When feed consumption is less, they clog worse.”
Sometimes the animals will help clear the
Lone Star outdoor newS
Hunters love to talk about the weather, especially when it rains. Quail numbers go up, deer antlers grow beyond expectations and ducks have a place to stop as they move through the state. For ranchers, cattle get grass and wildlife get weeds, or forbs, to get the nutrition they seek.
Rainfall totals from the first of May until June 5 were uplifting for many, especially in the Rolling Plains and South Texas regions, and now landowners and hunters will hope for breaks in the heat and rainstorms during the usual hot, dry summer. Historic information available is mostly from larger cities, and some pockets have received higher amounts.
A Weekly Texas Rainfall Totals map from the National Weather Service showed during the week ending June 5, areas in the Panhandle received 2-3 inches, with some areas receiving more. From Wichita Falls through Central Texas to Corpus Christi, totals were from half an inch to 1 inch. Coastal areas received heavier rains earlier in the spring, however.
April
Open
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tubes.
“They will paw or hit their antlers at the spouts and clean them out for you,” Sekula said. “And, if you have bad coon problems, they’ll clean them out for you, too.”
With rains and the new growth that follows, deer eat less protein. But if deer and exotics are used to feeding on it, they still return.
“They adjust their consumption — that’s the point of a free-choice system,” Sekula said. “In years with good early moisture, we’ve seen protein consumption go up. The natural food is so flush with water, I’ve seen deer get the runs. I think they want some dry matter, fiber and minerals.”
Some ranchers observe deer eating wet feed that has fallen on the ground. Until tiny little bugs show up, then they stay away.
Sekula said the bugs aren’t likely the reason the deer stay away, but rather the result of wet feed.
“Those are probably weevils,” Sekula said. “They will lay their eggs in wet, rotten feed. The feed just isn’t fresh anymore. We see it too on old corn. They can turn it to dust.”
When feed consumption goes down, like in wet springs seen this year in much of the state, weevils become more of a concern.
“When the deer are slow in eating, the longer the feed sits there and the weevils come,” Sekula said. “Sometimes we spray a little insecticide on the inside of the feeder lids; it helps keep them away.”
Cleaning out some feeder tubes doesn’t bother most Texans, though. Usually, once they clear out the tubes, things are back to normal and they return to being thankful for the rain.
The good news after several sub-par rainfall years?
Daniel Kunz, a technical wildlife biologist for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said everything in South Texas is green.
“We started off dry,” he said. “But then we got lots of rain. A good rainfall year makes a huge difference.”
“I think people are going to feel a whole lot different and better about their deer herd by this fall,” Sekula said. “They will have their good Sunday clothes on.”
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damn remarkable that this is occurring.”
Because of the bears’ extended absence from Texas ecosystems, the top priorities are educating western communities on how to live with bears and understanding how these animals carve out a living in a desert environment.
“The study is really designed to help learn what we can from the animals and then basically take that information to TPWD, and to the ranchers and the landowners in the region to make sure they understand what bears need to survive,” Harveson said.
With a 5- to 10-year timeframe, the multimillion-dollar initiative aims to capture around 30 bears and track them with radio collars to monitor movement and identify survival tactics.
The research team already caught 10 black bears last fall and another this spring, leading to a vast spectrum of promising data. First captures took place primarily in the Big Bend region — Black Gap WMA, Terlingua Ranch, and surrounding properties — but have also started expanding into areas from Sanderson to Del Rio.
“From Falcon Lake all the way up near El Paso, we’ve got bears,” Harveson said. “We’ve got 19 collars in a box right now, so we’re hoping to get more collars on the ground before they start to get inactive for the winter and fade away.”
While the team is still unable to give an estimate on how many bears there actually are in Texas, Harveson was willing to entertain the guessing game, citing Big Bend’s estimate of 30-50 within the park alone.
“I would say there’s at least twice that many outside of the park,” he said. “So I wouldn’t be surprised if we had at least 100 bears in the state, but it could be closer to 250 for all I know.”
Additionally, all but one of the captured black bears have been male, which Harveson says is especially indicative of migration, as it’s male bears that tend to pioneer new habitat. The females then follow, but the breeding process is particularly slow, as a sow will only birth cubs every two or three years.
In fact, with just six months of measurable data, researchers are discovering a binational range for many of the collared boars.
“The bear we caught in Del Rio has trav-
eled 150 miles,” Harveson said. “And, this was a large adult male bear, so he probably knew where he was going. It may be that these bears have truly huge home ranges, but that’s what we need to find out.”
Local hunters, ranchers and landowners are still learning how to live with the increasing presence of black bears on their homeland, particularly when it comes to game feeder interference. However, any hypothetical hunting season remains out of focus in the far-distant future, motivating the research team to intervene wherever they can.
“It comes up, mainly from the hunting sector. But I think we’re a long way away. They’re still listed as ‘state-threatened’ at this point, so I think we are decades away from really having a meaningful conversation about what a harvest season could be. It’s within reason, though, right? If Texans truly embrace the recovery of black bears and they repopulate more than just one ecoregion, I think that is a logical discussion at some point. We certainly have the numbers and the habitat for bears to bounce back, we just need to give them a chance.”
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throughout the evening but were still waiting on their target buck. Feeling the daylight escaping him, Trussell floated the idea of trying a spot-and-stalk approach. Bristow stayed staunch to their original plan, though, as he felt like hanging tight could still pay off.
Then, with the last bit of daylight fading, out walked the axis buck Trussell was waiting for.
“I saw movement in the brush, and started to ask Bristow what it was when I realized it was him,” Trussell recalled. “The axis buck was moving quickly and I didn’t have much time to make a shot. I could feel the tension in the blind building at this point, as my buddies seemed to be as worked up as I was.”
Trussell ended up having to shoot the buck while he was on the move with his 6mm SAUM, but it appeared as if he made a good shot.
“We were pretty positive that the buck had fallen over and expired in the brush we saw him disappear into,” Trussell said. Because the deer ran into fairly thick brush, the group decided to give the buck some time to expire and headed back to camp to gather long sleeves and pants, as well as thermal optics to track it down.
However, it turned out Trussell’s axis had fallen over right where they last saw him go into the brush.
“I actually found him using my thermal optics, and it was an incredible moment to celebrate the harvest, surrounded by my close friends,” Trussell said. “It’s a hunt that I’ll never forget.”
Trussell’s axis buck’s left beam was just shy of 34 inches, and its right beam measured a hair longer than 34.5 inches. The axis was estimated to weigh 250 pounds or more.
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Training
Next is training. For many, about three months for basic bird dog training will get the dog ready to start hunting, as long as the owner puts in the time and continues the development. Often, a return for a few weeks for a “refresher” is recommended. For Texas dogs, you’ll also want to add rattlesnake training, probably twice to convince the dog to keep his or her distance.
Good trainers cost about $900 per month, with some of the best charging more than $1,200. Run-N-Gun Adventures, in Bay City, charges $850 per month with a three-month minimum. Add in the cost of an electronic and/or GPS collar, a crate for the vehicle and training gear. Not included are toys that dogs quickly and routinely destroy. Also, if the owner decides to enter the dog in field trials, the cost increases significantly.
Cost: $4,500
Healthcare
Routine veterinary care will run about $500 per year, and likely more toward the end of the dog’s life. It includes examinations, vaccinations and flea and tick prevention.
Then there is emergency care. Hunting dogs sustain more injuries than the average pet. According to Project Upland, if the dog has one major incident and three minor ones over its hunting career, the likely cost is around $6,000.
Cost: $12,000
Food
A large bag of top-brand dog food runs about $55. A bag lasts about a month. Over 12 years, that totals $7,920. Keep in mind, that doesn’t include special foods for dogs that need it and, of course, it doesn’t
include treats.
Cost: $7,920
For quail outfitters, injuries are more common, and training often takes longer.
Jay Stine, an avid quail hunter, has a dog, Bo, that has been taken in to be put under anesthesia to remove porcupine quills several times, each costing more than $1,000, but the experience doesn’t change the dog’s disdain for the prickly critter.
“He hates porcupines,” Stine said.
West Texas Quail Outfitters recently posted about the cost of maintaining a large group of bird dogs.
“Every now and then we’ll have someone complain, ‘Your prices are too high,’” the post read. “For an operation our size, with 27 dogs, this load of dog food will last about 95 days.”
The group pointed out how upland bird outfitters usually spend three or four months of revenue on food.
“But the dogs have 12 months of food needs,” WTQO said.
So what’s the total damage? Over a 12year lifespan for a dog without serious health problems or needs, the answer is likely more than $26,000.
Hunting dog owners acknowledge the cost, and agree those new to the experience should go into it informed.
The vast majority, though, say it’s worth every penny.
Steve Barber may be an extreme example. After spending more than $19,500 on his late dog, Raven, and with his current dog, Thunder, facing prostate cancer, he said what you spend is “all in the beholder,” and that the estimates are in the ballpark but might be on the low side.
“Dogs have been such a big part of our lives for a long time,” he said. “There’s nothing better than watching a good retriever do his job.”
By Robert Sloan
For Lone Star outdoor newS
The Sabine jetties don’t get a lot of recognition, which is fine with the locals who enjoy the lack of fishing pressure along the set of granite rocks on the Texas/Louisiana border.
Catches of trout and reds are better than most be lieve. And, since there is little live bait to be found or caught, nearly all of the fish here are hooked on lures. There is a catch, however. If you’re fishing on the Gulf side of the east Sabine jetty, you will need a Loui siana fishing license. When fishing the channel side of the east and west jetties, you just need a Texas li cense.
“I like to get an early start when fishing the jetties,” guide Jerry Norris said. “That’s when the top-water bite is best, and that’s also when you’ll most likely catch the bigger trout. The main thing is to look for green water. Sometimes it’ll be on the channel side of the rocks, but there are plenty of days when the most productive water will be on the Gulf side of the jetties.”
Norris said the key is to find a moving green tide that’s holding lots of mullet.
“What I like to do is idle my boat into what looks like good water,” he said. “Then I’ll control my posi tion along the rocks with a trolling motor. It’s usually best to stay at least a long cast off the rocks, but there are times when I’ll move in closer to the jetty and ease along while fishing soft plastic jigs anywhere from 3 feet to about 10 feet deep.”
Norris’ favorite jig is a 5-inch shad Assassin, fol lowed by a 4-inch split-tail shad. Because the water along the jetties isn’t all that deep, he’ll normally fish jigs about 7 feet deep up close to the rocks.
When the water heats up, he’ll then rig on 1/4-ounce, screw-lock jig heads with a short shaft and a wide gap. He says the faster sink rate triggers more bites from both reds and trout.
Austin Dishman, who has also been fishing the Sa bine jetties for years, favors fishing at the end of the east jetty to start.
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For Lone Star outdoor newS
Trout Tagging Texas is an organization and program that is actively tagging and releasing speckled trout caught along the Texas coast in order to study their migration patterns, movements, growth rates and populations. Its founder, Chris McKinley, is an avid, passionate, conservationminded angler who wanted to push for a change in coastal fisheries.
McKinley grew up near Bay City and has been in the Sargent and Matagorda areas for more than 20 years.
“Anglers still catch a lot of speckled trout up and down the coast, and big ones, too,” McKinley said. “But overall, things are
not the same when compared to 10, 20 and 30 years ago. This has been especially true, at least in my opinion, since the major freeze event occurred back in February 2021. Like anybody else, I’d love nothing more than to see the quality of our speckled trout fishery improve, and I feel that practicing catch-and-release could play a major role in making that happen.”
Back in the wintertime, McKinley caught a large speckled trout that measured 31 inches and weighed 9 pounds, and it got him wondering about how many trout of that caliber were swimming around in Texas bays.
“It just really made me wonder how many times that fish had been caught before,” he said. “I wanted to know if we were catch-
ing the same fish over and over again. That’s when I decided I wanted to start tagging and releasing fish to track their movements and behaviors.”
McKinley took some time to research the best way to go about his idea, which led to the first Trout Tagging Texas speckled trout getting tagged in February of 2023. The efforts have only snowballed ever since.
The program uses four different colored tags for speckled trout that are 15 inches or longer. Specks that are caught, tagged and released on the upper coast have an orange tag. Middle coast specks are being tagged with a yellow-colored tag, and the lower coast tags are green. Fish that are caught, tagged and released in the surf have a red tag.
For Lone Star outdoor newS
A 40-inch cobia was the biggest fish caught during the 2023 Willacy County Young Farmers Fishing Tournament.
Matthew Dean, a Canyon Lake resident, hooked the 24-pounder when aboard Reel Obsession, an offshore fishing operator from Port Mansfield, with several family members.
“We were fishing for red snapper and saw the line swimming toward us,” Dean said. “I caught it after it took the bait we were using.”
Dean also took second place in the shark division while his father, George, took first.
The Deans, both avid anglers, said this was their first time fishing in the event, which aimed to raise scholarship money for high school students and for several nonprofit organizations.
“We love it here,” he said. “We will be back next year.”
Tristan Machen and Kathy Machen, of Port Mansfield, went out in state waters and took first and second places, respectively, in the red snapper division.
More than 200 anglers participated in the bay waters division, and Edcouch resident Orlando Alvarado was declared the grand champion as he checked in a redfish, trout and flounder stringer with a combined weight of 12 pounds, 3.2 ounces.
“I feel great,” he said after walking away with the tourney’s biggest trophies. “I have been fishing this tournament for quite some time and I finally took the big prize.”
Alvarado and three others fished the one-day tournament, held May 27 in Port Mansfield.
He said they started targeting the reds first, followed by the trout and the
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Lone Star outdoor newS
Fairfield Lake State Park closed again June 4, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission set a special meeting for June 10 to consider acquiring through condemnation (eminent domain) the 5,000acre property in Freestone County that includes Fairfield Lake and Fairfield Lake State Park — property the department never owned, but leased for more than 50 years.
TPWD posted notice of the meeting following the sale of the property by Vistra Corp. to Dallas-based Todd Interests.
Todd Interests declined to comment on the meeting. The investment group previously announced it has solidified plans for a $1 billion development known as the Freestone Club, an exclusive golf course community and resort. The Freestone
Club will consist of roughly 400 homes priced between $5 million and $7 million, and the first phase of development will include 200 homesites. Todd Interests is collaborating with various custom homebuilders for the project, with lots starting at a minimum of 1 acre to “preserve Freestone’s raw beauty.”
The state park had been open for day use-only while TPWD negotiated with Todd Interests, which purchased the property from Vistra Corp. TPWD extended a formal offer of $25 million as incentive for Todd Interests to relinquish its contract, which would have allowed TPWD to purchase the park from Vistra. Todd Interests rejected that offer.
Beginning June 5, park staff began to remove equipment and relocate staff members.
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outfitted with fishing gear for a day on the water to finally explain what was on deck.
“The look on their faces was priceless,” Bledsoe said.
While on the water, Bledsoe’s daughters each caught several speckled trout while using live croaker.
“It was a really neat experience to show them all the different aspects about fishing in saltwater,” Bledsoe said. “From baiting the hook to working the bait in order to coax a fish to strike, they enjoyed it all. It was night-and-day from what they were used to in terms of a fishing trip. There’s a huge difference between the bass and panfish they are used to catching in the Hill Country and the solid trout they caught.”
The Bledsoe girls landed plenty of trout in the 17- to 23-inch range, along with some smaller ones.
“It was a trip we will all never forget, and an experience that I am grateful I was able to provide for my daughters,” Bledsoe said. “As many of us know, life with young kids can get pretty hectic. Between trying to work and other obligations, it’s easy to overlook the little things. This trip was a great reminder of how important it is to be present in the moment, and to take advantage of every opportunity to make memories with our kids in the outdoors. I am thankful for good friends who helped make that happen.”
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ALAN HENRY: Water clear; 76 degrees; 7.29’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on finesse worms and Carolina rigs. Crappie are good on minnows.
AMISTAD: Water slightly stained; 78 degrees; 49.70’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on wacky rigs, top-waters and Texas- or Carolina-rigged creature baits. Catfish are good on punch bait and cheese bait.
ARLINGTON: Water lightly stained; 76 degrees; 1.25’ low. Largemouth bass are good on swimbaits and Texasrigged soft plastics. Catfish are good on prepared baits.
ARROWHEAD: Water lightly stained; 75 degrees; 5.57’ low. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good drifting fresh cut shad.
ATHENS: Water clear; 81-83 degrees; 0.33’ high. Largemouth bass are good on small swimbaits and jigs. Crappie are good on small jigs and minnows.
AUSTIN: Water lightly stained; 75 degrees; 0.61’ low. Largemouth bass are good on walking baits, small shallow crankbaits, top-water frogs and soft plastics.
B.A. STEINHAGEN: Water stained; 74 degrees; 0.12’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on hollow body frogs and white and chartreuse swim jigs.
BASTROP: Water lightly stained; 85-89 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on sexy shad square-billed crankbaits, creature baits and weightless swimbaits in green/ pumpkin or chartreuse.
BELTON: Water lightly stained; 76 degrees; 12.59’ low. White bass and hybrids are good on tail spinners and umbrella rigs with pet spoons. Crappie are good on jigs. Catfish are fair drifting cut fresh shad.
BENBROOK: Water stained; 75 degrees; 0.45’ high.
Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics and top-waters. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are fair on jigs. Catfish are good on minnows and worms.
BOB SANDLIN: Water stained; 79 degrees; 0.17’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged worms, crankbaits and jigging spoons. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on cheese bait and cut bait.
BRAUNIG: Water slightly stained, 79 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on dark soft plastics and spinner baits. Redfish are good on live bait and frozen shrimp.
BROWNWOOD: Water lightly stained; 76-80 degrees; 4.91’ low. Largemouth bass are good on worms, crankbaits and shaky heads. Crappie are good in brush piles on jigs. White bass are fair on crankbaits, jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair on cut gizzard shad.
BUCHANAN: Water lightly stained; 75 degrees; 16.60’ low. Striped bass are good on live bait and trolling swim-
baits. White bass are slow.
CADDO: Water stained; 72 degrees; 0.94’ high. Largemouth bass are fair to good on flukes, top-water frogs and shaky heads.
CALAVERAS: Water lightly stained, 78 degrees. Redfish are good on frozen shrimp and live baits. Blue and channel catfish are good on cut bait.
CANYON: Water clear; 78-81 degrees; 11.98’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters and drop shots.
CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 72-75 degrees; 0.23’ high. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters, chatter baits and spinner baits. Crappie are excellent on jigs and minnows. White bass and hybrids are good on silver slabs.
CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 79 degrees; 23.36’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chatter baits, top-waters and Carolina rigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are slow. Catfish are fair on cut bait and stink bait.
CONROE: Water stained; 84 degrees; 0.07’ high. Largemouth bass are fair to good on crankbaits, swimbaits, worms and lizards. Crappie are good on jigs and hair jigs. Hybrid striped bass are good on slabs and trolling crankbaits with a pet spoon. Catfish are good on prepared baits.
COOPER: Water lightly stained; 74 degrees. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on cut shad.
CORPUS CHRISTI: Water stained; 70 degrees; 2.25’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits and soft plastics. White bass are good on live minnows and spoons. Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on cheese bait and cut carp.
CYPRESS SPRINGS: Water stained; 72-75 degrees; 0.22’ high. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged worms, deep-diving crankbaits and jigging spoons. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cheese bait and cut bait.
EAGLE MOUNTAIN: Water stained; 79 degrees; 3.04’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs with teaser flies. Crappie are fair on jigs with white color combinations. Blue catfish are slow. Channel catfish are good on punch bait.
FALCON: Water stained; 78 degrees; 34.97’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chatter baits, jigs and crankbaits. Catfish are good on stink bait and cut bait.
FAYETTE: Water stained; 85 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits, bladed
jigs and creature baits.
FORK: Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.79’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-water frogs, Carolina rigs and flukes. Crappie are good on hand-tied jigs and minnows.
FT. PHANTOM HILL: Water stained; 74-78 degrees; 6.29’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters, jigs, crankbaits and dark worms. Crappie are excellent on minnows, jigs and small crankbaits. White bass are good on jigs and crankbaits. Channel catfish are good on worms and prepared baits.
GRANBURY: Water lightly stained; 77-82 degrees; 1.40’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on top-waters. Striped bass are fair on live bait. Crappie are good on jigs and small minnows. White bass are fair on slabs. Large blue and yellow catfish are good on cut bait.
GRANGER: Water lightly stained; 72 degrees; 0.18’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs. White bass are good on slab spoons. Blue catfish are good on shad. Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines.
GRAPEVINE: Water clear; 80 degrees; 0.07’ high. Smallmouth bass are good in shallow water near rocks on soft plastics. White bass are fair on jigging spoons. Catfish are fair drifting with cut bait.
HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 79 degrees; 0.15’ low. Largemouth bass are good on swim jigs and shaky heads. Crappie are good on minnows.
HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 77 degrees; 8.46’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics and topwaters. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Blue catfish are fair on trotlines and juglines baited with perch.
JACKSONVILLE: Water lightly stained; 74 degrees; 0.02’ high. Largemouth bass are good on red bug finesse worms.
JOE POOL: Water clear; 75-79 degrees; 0.44’ high. Largemouth bass are good on finesse jigs with craw trailers and Texas-rigged trick worms.
LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water stained; 83 degrees; 1.44’ low.
Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged worms, deepdiving crankbaits, jigs and jigging spoons. White bass are fair on slabs and crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows or jigs. Catfish are good on cheese bait.
LAVON: Water lightly stained; 75 degrees; 0.80’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on spinner baits, white/chatreuse worms and square-billed crankbaits. Crappie are very good on white/chartreuse and black/
chartreuse jigs. White bass are good on paddle tail swimbaits. Blue catfish are good on cut bait.
LBJ: Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.24’ low. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse jigs. Catfish are good on punch bait.
LEWISVILLE: Water lightly stained; 74-78 degrees; 0.27’ low. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on slabs, jigs and live bait. Catfish are good drifting cut shad.
LIMESTONE: Water clear; 75 degrees; 0.06’ high. Largemouth bass are good on chatter baits, spinner baits, Texas rigs and jigs. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait.
LIVINGSTON: Water stained; 85 degrees. White bass are excellent on slabs. Crappie are slow. Catfish are fair on prepared baits.
MARTIN CREEK: Water slightly stained; 86 degrees; 0.01’ high. Largemouth bass are good on deep-diving crankbaits and watermelon/ red worms. Crappie are fair on pink head jigs.
MEREDITH: Water stained; 69-74 degrees; 53.54’ low.
Largemouth bass are good on minnows and artificials. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on minnows and curly tailed grubs. Walleye are good on crankbaits, minnows and artificials.
MILLERS CREEK: Water stained; 75 degrees; 6.21’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics. White bass are good trolling slabs. Blue and channel catfish are good on juglines.
NACOGDOCHES: Water clear; 78-82 degrees; 0.31’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters and suspending lures. Crappie are good on minnows.
NACONICHE: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair to good on Alabama rigs and jerkbaits. Catfish are slow.
NASWORTHY: Water lightly stained; 75 degrees; 1.02’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-water frogs and soft plastics. Crappie are good on chartreuse jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and stink bait.
NAVARRO MILLS: Water stained; 75 degrees; 0.10’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are fair to good on jigs.
O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 78 degrees; 24.48’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters and soft plastics. White bass are fair on live bait and crankbaits. Crappie good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on live bait and cut bait.
OAK CREEK: Water lightly
stained; 79 degrees; 12.29’ low. Largemouth bass are good on green worms. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are good on shrimp and chicken liver.
PALESTINE: Water stained; 77 degrees; 0.10’ high. Largemouth bass are good on wacky rigs and small squarebilled crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs. White bass and hybrids are good on crankbaits. Catfish are good on liver, chicken hearts and punch bait.
POSSUM KINGDOM: Water clear; 76-80 degrees; 4.07’ low. Striped bass are good on live bait and trolling swimbaits. White bass are fair on small live bait and jigs. Catfish are good on cut and live shad.
RAVEN: Water clear; 80 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters early and late. Crappie are good on minnows and scented plastics. Catfish are fair on cut bluegill.
RAY HUBBARD: Water lightly stained; 76-78 degrees; 0.13’ low. White bass are fair on slabs and jigging spoons. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.
RAY ROBERTS: Water stained; 75 degrees; 0.05’ high. Largemouth bass are good on Carolina rigs. White bass are good on paddle tail swimbaits and slabs. Crappie are good on minnows.
RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water clear; 77 degrees; 0.13’ low. White bass are good on slabjig combinations. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on shad and punch bait.
SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 77 degrees; 0.63’ high. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters, wacky worms, spinner baits and Carolina rigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Blue and channel catfish are good on cut bait.
SOMERVILLE: Water lightly stained; 88 degrees; 2.56’ high. Largemouth bass are good on Carolina rigs and spinner baits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are excellent trolling pet spoons. Hybrid striped bass are good on cut shad. Catfish are good on minnows and worms.
STILLHOUSE HOLLOW: Water lightly stained; 77 degrees; 12.67’ low. Largemouth bass are good on dark soft plastics. White bass are fair on slabs and underspins.
TAWAKONI: Water lightly stained; 76 degrees; 0.05’ high. Largemouth bass are good on weightless flukes, chatter baits and crankbaits. White bass and hybrids are good on slabs and swimbaits. Blue and channel catfish are very good on punch bait.
TEXANA: Water murky; 71
n Saltwater reports Page 13
n Guide reports Page 16
degrees; 0.04’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow to fair on cut bait.
TEXOMA: Water stained; 75 degrees; 2.36’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters and live shad. Striped bass are good on topwaters and swimbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair on cut shad and prepared baits.
TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 75-79 degrees; 0.62’ low. Largemouth bass are good on swim jigs in bluegill colors, Carolina rigs with long worms and frogs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs.
TRAVIS: Water lightly stained; 75 degrees; 41.64’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, jerkbaits and chatter baits.
TWIN BUTTES: Water stained; 80 degrees; 23.33’ low. Crappie are slow. White bass are fair on live minnows, slabs and jigging spoons. Channel catfish are good on cheese bait and cut shad.
TYLER: Water stained; 75 degrees; 0.07’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are slow. Bluegill are good on red worms.
WACO: Water stained; 74 degrees; 7.19’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits. White bass are fair on slabs and jigging spoons. Crappie are excellent on minnows and jigs.
WALTER E. LONG: Water stained; 74 degrees; 1.00’ high. Largemouth bass are good on top-water frogs and worms. Striped bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows.
WHITNEY: Water lightly stained; 75-79 degrees; 4.67’ low. Striped bass are good on live bait and swimbaits.
WORTH: Water lightly stained; 79 degrees; 2.40’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs and teaser flies. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Channel catfish are good on punch bait. Blue catfish are slow.
WRIGHT PATMAN: Water lightly stained; 75 degrees; 0.17’ low. White bass are fair trolling crankbaits. Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on punch bait.
—TPWD
See page 12
A Place to Shoot
San Antonio, 210-628-1888
Abilene Indoor Gun Range
Abilene, 325-698-4224
Able Ammo
Huntsville, 936-295-5786
AJC Sports
Clute, 979-265-4867
Ally Outdoors
Midland, 972-332-3700
Richardson, 972-332-3700
Alpha Armory
Houston, 888-932-7660
Alpine Shooting Range
Ft Worth, 817-478-6613
Americana Arms, LLC
Beeville, 361-362-3673
Athena Gun Club
Houston, 713-461-5900
BPS Outfitters
Sherman, 903-832-2227
BTO Range
Conroe, 936-588-3333
Buck & Doe’s Mercantile, LLC
San Antonio, 830-980-3637
C.A.C Tactical
Southlake, 888-211-8191
Caroline Colt Company LLC
Abilene, 325-232-7501
Carroll’s Gun Shop
Whaton, 979-532-3175
Carter’s Country
Houston, 713-461-1844
Houston, 281-879-1466
Pasadena, 713-475-2222
Spring, 281-443-8393
DFW Shooting Sports
Bedford, 817-285-0664
Champion Firearms
College Station, 979-693-9948
Collectors Firearms
Houston, 713-781-5812
Danny's, Inc.
McAllen, 956-687-4692
Defender Outdoors
Fort Worth, 817-935-8377
DFW Gun Club
Dallas, 214-630-4866
Dury's Gun Shop
San Antonio, 210-533-5431
Field & Streams Sporting Goods
San Angelo, 325-944-7094
Fun Guns Waco, 254-755-0080
Gibson’s
Weatherford, 817-594-8711
Glick Twins
Pharr, 956-787-429
GRITR Sports
N. Richland Hills, 817-200-7470
Grabagun.com
Coppell, 972-552-7246
Guard & Defend Firearms
Silsbee, 409-201-9468
Guns Warehouse LLC
Cedar Park, 512-986-7330
Hoss Arms, LLC
New Braunfels, 830-609-8891
John Doe Investigations, LLC
Lewisville, 214-773-0129
Kirkpatrick Gun & Ammo
Laredo, 956-723-6338
Marksmen Firearms
Mansfield, 817-453-8680
McBride's Guns
Austin, 512-472-3532
Misson Ridge Range & Academy
San Antonio, 210-504-9000
Mister Guns LLC
Plano, 214-901-7429
Modern Pawn & Guns
Corpus Christi, 361-993-9390
Nagel's Gun Shop, Inc.
San Antonio, 210-342-5420
Nardis Gun Club
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Omaha Outdoors
Rosenberg, 713-703-4648
Past & Blast Antiques & Firearms
Whitesboro, 903-564-5444
Point Blank Sporting Goods
Pharr, 956-992-8799
Primary Arms
Houston, 713-344-9600
Ranger Firearms of Texas Inc.
San Antonio, 210-822-4867
WHATEVER YOUR ADVENTURE IS, WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED.
Claiming 17,000 acres of soil between the Hill Country and the plains of South Texas is a slice of hunting heaven unlike any other. RecordBuck Ranch boasts incredibly diverse habitat across a blend of rolling hills and grasslands, making it a perfect place for large herds of animals to thrive.
Native species like white-tailed deer and elk call the property home, as do more than 50 species of exotics, from axis to zebra. Hunting is a year-round activity at RecordBuck.
Guests return every year for the same enjoyment of the facilities, the service and, of course, the incredible hunting.
Lifelong friendships are formed with all of the staff. Experienced and knowledgeable guides are eager to get their hunters on the biggest trophies. World-class accommodations, including home-cooked meals each day, cozy lodging, an open bar and a friendly staff, make each stay an experience worth repeating.
Come for the hunting and stay for the laughter and good times! RecordBuck is still booking for summer, but book soon.
RECORDBUCK RANCH
☎ (830) 966-2301
✉ info@recordbuck.com
RECORDBUCK.COM
844-782-COLD (2653)
RECORDBUCK RANCH IS 17,000 ACRES SITUATED BETWEEN THE HILL COUNTRY AND THE PLAINS OF SOUTH TEXAS.
THE AREA
It’s no secret backcountry hunts present their own unique set of challenges. In order to be self-sufficient the entire time you’re afield, you typically have to carry everything you need on your person. And, that means you have to be especially meticulous when selecting gear to ensure it has the durability required and a manageable size and weight.
The old adage, “ounces equal pounds and pounds equal pain,” certainly applies to most backcountry hunts, as excessive weight often results in hunters leaving certain items behind. Hearing protection commonly misses the cut, but it doesn’t have to be that way with the right suppressor. Enter the new .30-caliber Banish
The entire Banish lineup prides itself on being quiet and lightweight, but the Backcountry takes things to a different level. You get the same unmatched sound suppression and durable titanium construction as the flagship Banish 30 suppressor, but in a package that’s shorter and lighter than ever before.
The Backcountry is a fixed-length suppressor that measures 5.5 inches in length and weighs just 7.8 ounces. That’s a full 1.3 inches shorter and 2.2 ounces lighter than the Banish 30 in its short configuration. That may not sound like much, but it makes a world of difference for backcountry adventurers who carefully pack their gear with size and weight in mind.
Rated for calibers up to the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum (RUM), the Banish Backcountry utilizes six baffles that drop the decibel level down to 135 dB for .308 Win., 137 dB for .300 Win. Mag, and 138 dB for .300 RUM — all of which fall below the hearing-safe threshold.
When driving up to the colossal buildings of the Champion Ranch near Rochelle, the hospitality starts at the curb and never lets up. My wife, Adrienne, and I were distracted by the staff waving and smiling as we arrived. We were smiling back as we opened the doors and said our hellos. We both had a feeling we were going to enjoy this place. The group quickly unloaded our truck and stored our belongings in our room.
A tour of the 60,000 square-foot trophy room took almost an hour, but we had a delicious margarita in our hands, and Kani Darden, the office manager, just kept opening doors. There are nine different themed rooms, mostly hidden under incredible taxidermy or through a themed portal.
We visited with our professional hunter and guide, Johan Louw, who is from South Africa. He travels back during the hunting season on the Dark Continent and was leaving in a couple of weeks, but he was eager to get us out on the ranch for a game drive.
Our room was called The Sheep Cabin — an old, restored cabin from North Carolina. For some added excitement, there was a mounted bear peering into our shower — it looked like he had torn off the roof trying to get in. The reclaimed wood, old bottle window and the luxurious but simple bedding all added to the experience. And, if you like the mattress, you can order one at checkout and they will ship it to your home.
Dinners are served to order with four main menu choices, and the red snapper dish was excellent. Louw was champing at the bit to get us in the UTV, so we made a quick trip at sundown. It seemed many of the 60-plus different species of animals from around the globe had eaten their fill on the fresh, green grass that had sprung up after a recent rain.
After that, the bar was calling our name again, and the friendly bartenders kept us entertained with great drinks and conversation.
If you are really adventurous, there is a Speakeasy hidden under a river with water buffalo and other mounted animals. This is a private club, and some of the locals prefer to have the seclusion. But we liked the openness and friendliness of the big main bar.
The next morning, we left early on our game drive and found the animals up and feeding during the cool morning. Our first big surprise was a nice herd of zebras, and then we found Waldo, the giraffe. On this morning he was friendly and curious, but sometimes you can’t find him for days, Louw told us. We kept spotting this and that — a dama gazelle, a blesbok, Arabian oryx — and then we saw something “local.” A hog was looking right at us as we rounded a curve, and before we stopped, Louw had handed me a Champion Ranch custom rifle and yelled, “Shoot!”
ear. She turned as the bullet left the end of the suppres sor, ending in a nice Texas heart shot.
We eased back to the lodge for breakfast where we were rewarded for shooting a wild hog. Steve Owens (Steve O), Champion Ranch manager, announced he gives anyone a special cap for shooting varmints on the ranch.
Our mid-morning drive took us to the center of Texas where a monument shows Lat 31’ 21’ N Long 99’ 14’ W — the real geographic center of Texas.
We visited the bovine pasture and saw some of the cool large creatures: white bison, water buffalo, a yak and more.
After a smash burger and an hour to rest, Louw took Adrienne to the range to teach her some safari shooting skills. Because she’s going on her first safari soon, one-on-one training from a South African professional hunter couldn’t have come at a better time. She came back smiling and showing photos of the 300-yard target she hit perfectly.
Our afternoon drive was filled with more animal herds from around the world, and we seemed to get closer to most than we did in the morning. After a day, we still hadn’t seen all 8,000 acres of this rolling hills ranch. Much of it has good, thick habitat, so guests may never see it all.
The ribeye dinner was followed by the second-best tres leches cake I have had. Sundowners on the highest porch in the lodge with a view for miles revealed more rain on the horizon, and we traded stories with Louw into the night.
The next morning, with coffee in hand, we drove past the red lechwe herd that seemed to hang around the lodge and found ourselves casting for largemouth in the 36-acre lake.
The post-spawn fish were a bit finicky, but we man aged to catch a few on top-water lures. The lake record is ing in more of the incredible taxidermy and whimsical designs that adorn the trophy room. Our handshakes and hugs were long as we said goodbye to our new
HISUN Motors Corporation has been making quality and revolutionary allterrain vehicles for some of the biggest names in the motorsports industry. Now, HISUN is a major motorsports supplier in the U.S., thanks to its new 300,000-square-foot U.S. headquarters in McKinney.
HISUN’S MISSION
HISUN aims to bring to market a range of ATVs and UTVs for everyday use that make life easier and recreational activities more enjoyable. These activities include maintaining ranches and farmlands, hunting, fishing and other offroad adventures. No matter how one uses an ATV or UTV, HISUN Motors creates functional and affordable all-terrain vehicles that get the job done right, whether one is working or having fun.
HISTORY
HISUN Motors was founded in 1988 in a small garage producing spare parts for motorcycles and ATVs. By 1998, the company began producing ATV models under the HISUN name. The company then expanded outside China into other countries, soon after entering the Australian, Canadian and U.S. markets.
In 2016, HISUN Motors established a research and development center in the United States to better understand its American customers’ needs. The facility would also provide design input on future models and focus on building products specifically for the U.S. market. In 2018, HISUN opened a distribution center in Toronto, Canada, followed in 2019 by a production facility in Vietnam. In 2022, the company opened a new 600,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Coahuila, Mexico, to produce ATVs and UTVs for the North, Central and South American markets.
Today, HISUN Motors is one of the leading producers of off-road vehicles, with state-of-the-art facilities across the globe and in the U.S. Many new ATV and UTV models — including two EVs, namely the electric workhorse Sector E1 — have been introduced, with more to follow. Since its humble beginnings in 1988, the HISUN Motors of today has become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of ATVs and UTVs and an incredible example of business success.
You don’t need to fly across the globe for that unique hunting experience. At Champion Ranch, we have 8,000+ acres with over 65 unique species and memorable hunting excursions. Your next unforgettable hunt is waiting at Champion Ranch.
Do you dream of hunting a big red stag? At the Reserve Ranch, you can achieve your dreams right here in Texas.
According to owner John Ed Stepan, mature red stags are a key focus at the ranch, where you’ll see stags ranging from 300 to 500-plus inches!
“I started breeding them with New Zealand genetics, and we have some outstanding trophies to offer,” Stepan said. “A large, multi-tined stag is a sight to behold.”
Through a strategic relationship and years of breeding from some of the top bloodlines in the world, Reserve Ranch offers world-class red deer hunting at the expansive ranch north of La Pryor. It’s about an hour and a half from the San Antonio International Airport.
Stepan, a lifelong hunter who also operates Ranch Investments, began guiding exotic game hunts in the early 1980s in the Texas Hill Country, and purchased his first hunting ranch in 1993, and built it from the ground up. In 2000, he purchased 3,300 acres in South Texas, and added another 3,800 acres two years later, all of which he managed for big game.
Fatherhood eventually took priority in Stepan’s life, leading him to sell the ranches to focus on his growing children.
However, a decade later when his children were off to college, the Reserve Ranch property became available. Stepan and his avid hunting wife, Debra, purchased the ranch with the goal of turning it into the premier hunting ranch in Texas.
The Reserve Ranch encompasses 5 square miles of some of the best habitat
in South Texas and is bordered by 2 1/2 miles of one of the best stretches on the Nueces River.
In addition to white-tailed deer, more than 20 species of exotics are managed on the ranch, and dove and upland bird hunting is available, too.
“Our dedication is to the preservation of big game animals through the funds generated by hunting,” Stepan said. “This is a proven method of game management utilized by governments and private nature reserves around the world.”
THE HACIENDA
The Stepans had a vision to create a destination in South Texas that embraces both the roots of the Spanish culture along with the dreams exemplified by so many Texans. Styled after the Historic Mission at Goliad, the Hacienda, with its inviting colonnade, courtyards and fountains, takes you to another place in time — Texas in the 1800s. Massive, ancient pecan trees draw you toward the lawn, flanked by the swimming pool and veranda before entering one of the 10 private guest rooms. Also off the colonnade sits an expansive trophy room displaying more than 250 species from around the globe, a card room and 25-seat theater. The dining hall seats 30, and sports a grand, vaulted ceiling and bar, welcoming guests to a gourmet meal coupled with a “Texas flair” after a day in the field, followed by a relaxing evening by the fire pit to share tales of the hunts.
“We are up and running,” Stepan said. “We took about 40 clients from September through March.”
RESERVE RANCH
☎ (512) 756-6445
✉ INFO@RESERVERANCH.COM RESERVERANCH.COM
There’s a boom going on with exotic wildlife, and it’s right here in Texas. Pete Moore, who owns a ranch in Leakey and was recently named president of the Exotic Wildlife Association, said the exotic industry has undergone an amazing transformation over the last five years.
Late spring and summer — when other hunting seasons are closed (except for feral hogs) — is a great time to think about exotics. The axis rut is taking place, as roars echo throughout the Hill Country.
When thinking about exotics, many hunters think axis and blackbuck antelope, both prolific on Texas ranches. But there are a lot more species available, and the number is growing. The fallow deer market is exploding, with prices setting records at EWA’s auction at its Annual Membership Meeting in March, and people are still buying.
There’s a great benefit to the exotic industry in the state. Several species, nearly gone from their native ranges, are thriving in Texas, thanks to ranchers. Scimitar-horned oryx, addax, dama gazelle and several other species far outnumber the animals in their native homes. Other species, like the Cape buffalo and red lechwe, are increasing.
The exotic industry isn’t new in Texas.
In 1854, camels were purchased through Congress, with the first animals arriving in 1855. In the 1940s and 1950s, ranchers who had been on African safaris saw the similarity in habitat to the Texas Hill Country and Brush Country. Several exotic species soon made their way to the state, including axis, blackbuck, nilgai, fallow, sika and red deer.
More species came over the decades, like gemsbok, oryx, sable and kudu.
The exotics industry has attracted former deer breeders, who exited the industry following the introduction of numerous disease-combating regulations.
Charly Seale, EWA’s executive director, said when compared with cattle, the land can support more animals with higher value.
“You can run seven axis for every cow, and three or four gemsbok,” he said. “The prices for the axis and gemsbok are a whole lot higher, although there is risk of loss, since they are wild animals.”
The exotics explosion isn’t only noticeable in the prices, either. Antler and horn sizes are on the way up, too, thanks to selective breeding.
The exotics business has had a rebirth, and hunters across the country are taking advantage of the added year-round opportunities in the state where hunting never stops.
Fusion Thermal optics combine power, accuracy and ease of use. The Avenger 55XR and Avenger 40 utilize the company’s T3 Three Button Control System, along with the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) menu.
“The ease of use is a big deal,” said Cameron Salvaggio of Owens Outdoor Sales. “You don’t want to have to look up in the dark to see what button you’re hitting, especially when you’re hog hunting.”
What hunters will find in the new thermal series is high-end features with a “simplicity first” design. Thermal sensors require lots of power, and the Avenger Series has ample power with the 18650 battery design, run in parallel, providing an industry-leading, 8-hour run time.
The Avenger series utilizes aircraftgrade aluminum housing, while most other brands use plastic.
“Thermals create a lot of heat, and the aluminum housing allows it to escape,” Salvaggio said. “Plastic holds in the heat and can degrade the sensor and core over time, which negatively affects image quality and overall clarity.”
Recently at a precision rifle expo, Salvaggio shot with all the main brands in the thermal industry. Two steel targets were set up, one at 200 yards and one at 500 yards. Both had a heating pad on the back of the target.
“Right before the night shoot started, the 500-yard target went out, so it was unheated,” he said. “There was very little differential in heat between the air, the berm, and the target.”
Each brand had its own bay to shoot, allowing customers to make their rounds and test out each thermal.
Fusion Thermal was the only brand that consumers could see and shoot the 500yard target, Salvaggio said. All the other brands stuck to the 200-yard range because they couldn’t see the longer, cooler target.
“One consumer, who shot an $18,000 scope, said you would think for 18K, you would be able to see the 500-yard target like you can with the Fusion Thermal,” Salvaggio said.
Angel Padilla, of Johnny’s Sport Shop in Eagle Lake, works full-time at the shop and also guides hog hunters at night with Sandy Creek Outfitters. Not only does he sell Fusion Thermal products, but he uses them himself.
“The units perform really well in humidity and fog, which a lot of other brands struggle with,” Padilla said.
“You can still see the animals in high humidity. And, I like the three-button system because you never have to look up to see where your fingers are.”
Hunters like to record their nighttime hog hunts, and the Avenger series
includes a full media package, including photo, video and audio capabilities, along with Fusion Thermal’s HeatSync App to make connectivity a snap.
The Avenger series is both top-quality and affordable in the thermal scope world. The 55XR costs less than $6,000 and the Avenger 40 is around $4,000. And, they come with an industry-leading five-year transferable warranty.
Wilson Whitetail & Wingshooting Ranch is celebrating 25 years in business. WWR offers allinclusive, guided hunting for whitetail deer, exotic game, dove and quail in beautiful Frio County in South Texas — one hour south of San Antonio and an easy drive from Houston.
WWR specializes in exclusive, private bookings, catering to a variety of hunting experiences and events. The luxury hunting lodge is fully equipped for entertaining large groups of friends and family or corporate clients.
A well-established and reputable outfitter, WWR has been offering private, all-inclusive, guided hunting since 1998. The exotic game hunts are an excellent way to entertain corporate clients or enjoy a true Texas safari experience.
Self-sustaining exotic herds from around the world flourish in the South Texas Brush Country and climate, growing to record book sizes, with most exotic trophies qualifying for SCI Gold Medal status. From addax antelope and axis to gemsbok, kudu, nilgai, fallow deer, scimitar-horned oryx and more, there’s no need to travel farther than WWR to hunt the trophy of your dreams.
With a fully stocked gourmet kitchen, onsite chef, game room and bedroom suites with private bathrooms, you and your guests will enjoy high-class luxury from the minute you arrive. WWR specializes in exclusive, private bookings, and your group of four or more hunters will have exclusive use of the six-bedroom lodge and ranch during your stay.
And don’t forget about the white-tailed deer, dove and quail. WWR is a wellestablished and reputable operation since 1998, with a long-standing reputation for producing some of the largest typical whitetail bucks in Texas, as well as world-class dove hunting and bobwhite quail hunts. The herd of trophy whitetail deer has produced numerous bucks topping 200 inches, and the current ranch record is a staggering 305 inches!
AVENGER 40
WAVE12 384 Sensor
9+ Hour Runtime
MSRP: $4099
AVENGER 55XR
WAVE12 640 Sensor
7+ Hour Runtime
MSRP: $5989
Getting your target into focus quickly and easily is a must, and you won’t find a better system than our Micro Click Focus. Our tactile focus knob is conveniently located on top of the front lens, and unlike the dog collar design used by our competitors you won’t need to perform a circus act just to focus your scope. Plus, you’ll always get your best shot as the micro click adjustments put you on the perfect focus point every time.
The single most expensive component of a well-crafted thermal is its germanium lens. If you skimp here, you’re not even in the game. Our high purity ArcLight Ultra HD Germanium Lens is the crowning jewel of our technology package. It perfects the task of collecting and funneling infrared energy into the thermal sensor unhindered by distortion. This clean transition results in an infrared energy dump that unleashes the full potential of our WAVE thermal sensor delivering a user experience well beyond expectations.
We think you’re really going to like our menu; it uses words, English words. Written for Americans by Americans. That’s why we called it KISS. You’ve heard the phrase, and at Fusion Thermal it’s the reason we can make the industry’s boldest statement: Our operating system is so easy to use you’ll likely never read the instructions.
Don’t Let Your Fingers Get Lost in the Dark
Our highly intuitive three button control system with center tower makes using your scope simple and easy. Every command is at your fingertips, and the Center Tower evenly splits the control panel, so you’ll never be confused about what button you’re going to press. We thought this a particularly good idea since you’ll be using it in the dark most of the time.
WAVE Thermal Sensor
Is it possible for one thermal scope to dramatically outperform everything else in its class? Yes, so don’t make the mistake of shopping by specifications alone or you just might get burned. Our WAVE thermal sensors push the limit of what is technically possible and set the standard for image quality, ruggedness, and long life. So, before you plop down your hard-earned cash make sure you do a side-by-side to any similarly priced competitive alternative. We think you’ll find the difference to be clearly obvious.
Plastic is for toys. Metal is for tools. It’s a fact, thermals produce heat, and heat is the enemy of all thermal devices. If you don’t get the heat out operational performance will degrade, and long-term internal damage is a certainty. Our XGEN (Next Generation Alloy Body) shields your expensive investment in a metal clad of armor, and our high-end AL6082 Conductive Structural Alloy displaces heat at an astounding 71,900% better than plastic. You don’t think of your thermal as some cheap plastic toy. Why should it be built like one?
On May 25, Game Warden Daron Blackerby was recognized by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission as the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Texas Wildlife Officer of the Year. The NWTF aims to conserve wild turkey and preserve hunting heritage. Each year, they recognize an officer for his or her outstanding dedication surrounding community, teamwork, attitude, leadership, achievements, accomplishments and innovation. Blackerby has worked as a game warden for more than 15 years and is known as a skilled game warden, mentor and leader. “Blackerby demonstrates excellence in leadership across Grayson County and with partnering agencies in Texas and Oklahoma,” said Capt. Steve Stapleton, Blackerby’s captain and award nominator. Recently, Blackerby became aware of illegal hunting activity in Grayson County. He investigated and observed a man hunting turkey over baited corn. Since it is illegal in Texas to bait turkey during the eastern spring turkey hunting season, he issued a citation to the hunter and seized the turkey. In addition to leading the district in most categories that involve metrics, Blackerby has been known to befriend neighborhood youth, drive to another district to
attend a kid fish event and volunteer at youth hunts to serve as a mentor and confidant to young hunters.
On Aug. 31, 2022, the TPWD Dispatch center received a tip via the Operation Game Thief hotline regarding a male subject that had placed a gutted white-tailed deer carcass into the bed of his pick-up truck, in Fischer. A Texas game warden responded to the area and located the subject, who had illegally taken the white-tailed deer during closed season. The subject was ultimately charged and convicted. Due to the caller’s involvement and the subject being convicted in this case, a reward of $600 has been paid out to the caller.
Over the Memorial Day weekend, Texas game wardens patrolled Texas lakes and rivers to ensure visitors were recreating responsibly. They noted a decrease in accidents this year but noted an increase in citations issued, warnings and arrests.
Between Friday and Monday, 358 game wardens conducted 12,141 vessel checks across Texas — 19 percent more than in 2022. They
At Lewisville Lake, Kim Sorensen, Boating Education manager for TPWD, hosted an educational outreach program for visitors. She was joined by Texas game wardens and Army Corps of Engineers Rangers who completed vessel safety checks and assisted boaters by loaning them missing safety equipment. Other partners, LV Project and Powerline Safety Initiative, assisted with safety outreach and life jacket distribution. “We had a successful event over the weekend,” said Sorensen. “Along with our partners, we reminded boaters to carry the appropriate boating safety equipment including life jackets for all passengers on board, a fire extinguisher, a throwable device, a certificate of number and their boater education card if they born on or after Sept. 1, 1993. Furthermore, we stressed that children under 12 years of age must wear life jackets while on board.”
responded to 13 accidents, two boating fatalities and two drownings. The two boating fatalities occurred at Choke Canyon and the Neches River and the two drownings occurred at Toledo Bend and Lake Halbert. In addition to vessel and safety checks on the water, game wardens assisted with many other incidents across the state including Driving While Intoxicated violations, trespassing, pursuing a
stolen vehicle, recovering a missing vehicle, assault and recovering and transporting a small alligator.
WARDENS HOST KIDS’ TOURNEY
In Wise County, local game wardens hosted the annual Ronnie Brooks Memorial Kids Fish on Lake Bridgeport. The winners for biggest fish, smallest fish and most fish caught received rod and reel combos. The Sportsman’s Club of Fort Worth
handed out 200 fishing rods to the youngsters who participated.
REPORT ILLEGAL HUNTING AND FISHING ACTIVITY FOR
SABINE LAKE: 80 degrees. Speckled trout are good at the jetties on live shrimp under a popping cork. Redfish are fair to good on red crankbaits or chartreuse plastics. Flounder are fair to good on plastics tipped with shrimp.
BOLIVAR: 74 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on shrimp under a popping cork and free-lined shrimp or croaker.
TRINITY BAY: 82 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair on live shrimp and soft plastics.
EAST GALVESTON BAY: 83 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp and soft plastics. Redfish and black drum are fair on purple paddle tails and live shrimp under a popping cork.
WEST GALVESTON BAY: 84 degrees. Speckled trout are fair to good under birds on shrimp under popping corks. Redfish are fair on artificials and freelined shrimp.
TEXAS CITY: 82 degrees. Speckled trout are good on live shrimp and croaker. Redfish and black drum are fair on shrimp.
Continued from page 1
to start pulling up lines, Paul started tugging on what at first felt like a problem.
under a popping cork and croaker. Redfish are fair on shrimp.
PORT O’CONNOR: 75 degrees. Speckled trout are good in the surf on live croaker and artificials, and near Bird Island on croaker. Redfish are good at the ends of both jetties on blue crab and Spanish sardines. Black drum are good on dead shrimp and blue crab.
“I actually thought we got hung on a log or some thing,” Paul said. “We had that huge live tilapia on and when I first pulled it up, it was super difficult, obviously. I figured the tilapia had gotten wrapped around a tree limb or something. I guess it was sleep ing or something because I was pulling up dead weight and the first thing I saw was its head. You re ally couldn’t tell how big it was in the water. It was crazy.”
In fact, it wasn’t until they got it to the bank that they ever suspected the fish was over 7 feet long. But once they drug it up onto shore, they knew they’d hooked up with a fish few anglers could even dream of laying hands on.
They were able to measure the fish at 7 feet, 6 inch es, and weigh it at 207 pounds before finally releasing it back into the water.
ROCKPORT: 77 degrees. Redfish are good drifting grass flats with live bait, cut bait and soft plastics. Speckled trout are good on top-waters, soft plastics and live bait. Black drum are good on dead shrimp.
PORT ARANSAS: 76 degrees. Redfish are fair on shad. Speckled trout are fair on croaker.
CORPUS CHRISTI: 74 degrees. Speckled trout are fair to good on croaker and free-lined shrimp. Redfish are fair on cut mullet.
BAFFIN BAY: 80 degrees. Speckled trout are good wading or drifting with scented plastics under a popping cork and top-waters. Redfish are good shallow on artificials.
“It’s certainly going to be hard to top this trip, especially now that I have a full-time job,” Paul said. “But I’m definitely glad I made a point to do this.”
FREEPORT: 76 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair to good in the surf on shrimp and soft plastics.
EAST MATAGORDA BAY: 74 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair on croaker, shrimp and artificials.
WEST MATAGORDA BAY: 74 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp
PORT MANSFIELD: 75-78 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair to good on soft plastics and top-waters.
SOUTH PADRE: 74 degrees. Speckled trout are good on shrimp and artificials. Redfish are slow.
—TPWD
Solution on Page 19
Country music star Toby Keith acquired Luck E Strike, a lure company based in Greenwood, Arkansas.
Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. hired Josh Barca as national account manager.
Savage Arms expanded the sales territory of Jones & Company to including the midwest and western states in addition to southern and TALO states.
Inventive-Group is seeking a marketing director at its Mountain Home, Idaho, headquarters.
Kelly Brand Management was chosen to represent Earth Blinds as its sales agency.
Marolina Outdoor Inc. the parent company of Huk Performance Fishing and Nomad Outdoor hired Joe Becker as vice president of marketing for both brands.
Range USA opened its 43rd indoor shooting range location in Richmond, Texas, the fifth location in the Houston market.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is seeking a regional director of Kentucky and Tennessee, a membership marketing coordinator and a grants program specialist.
Twin Vee PowerCats’ LFG brand acquired Aquasport and its 150,000-square-foot facility in White Bluff, Tennessee.
5) Former name of Walter E. Long Reservoir
8) Rifle brand 9) Fishing TV host
group of quail 40) A spinner bait blade 42) To spay or neuter a dog 43) Goose hunting blind type
DOWN
2) A coastal bay
3) Rabbit hunting dog
4) Central Texas lake
6) Command for dog to enter crate
7) Fishing line brand
14) Rains County’s seat
16) Austin’s county
18) One of the gar
20) An exotic in Texas
22) A small shorebird
23) Gainesville’s county
26) Hill Country lake
27) DFW-area lake (two words)
28) Ammo brand
29) Uganda’s capital
31) Avian influenza’s common name (two words)
35) A border lake
36) A deer blind favorite
37) Riflescope brand
38) Trout species
39) It’s called a timber doodle
41) A Great Lake
44) Hill Country river
Continued from page 9
flounder, traveling around the area until they thought he had a good stringer.
Christopher Rodriguez, of Harlingen, brought in the winning flounder weighing more than 4 pounds and measuring nearly 22 inches in length. His group fished north of the port, near the Land Cut.
The piggy perch division saw participa-
Continued from page 8
“That’s where lots of mullet will hold and the trout will not be too far from that food source,” Dishman said.
Here he loves to use Deadly Dudley soft plastic tails, which he’ll almost always use with 1/4-ounce jig heads. For colors, he prefers white with a chartreuse tail, bone and red/white.
Another good area for catching reds and trout are the boat cuts found on both the
Continued from page 8
McKinley hopes the tag color coordination system will help track the migrations of trout that may have happened to move between different portions of the coast, or from the Gulf to an estuary, and vice versa.
“Tagging efforts initially began with me, and I quickly got the support and help of some veteran fishing guides in the Matagorda area,” McKinley said. “As we began to post about these efforts, more and more folks began reaching out about wanting to help, and there was a large conservation movement that began. It’s been great to see how many different anglers want to promote catch-and-release and help us tag speckled trout.”
Trout Tagging Texas now
has a field of about 25 individuals — both fishing guides and avid recreational anglers — who are catching, tagging and releasing speckled trout up and down the Texas coast from Sabine Lake to South Padre Island.
After tagging a trout, the angler enters the tag number, the date, the time and the location into the Trout Tagging Texas database.
Additionally, the organization aims to learn more about the conditions at the time of each catch, such as weather, moon phase, tide status and what the fish was caught on.
McKinley said there have already been two reported recoveries of tagged speckled trout.
“Both occurred on the middle coast,” he elaborat-
ed. “The first tagged trout to be recovered was recaptured a little over 2 miles away from where it was tagged 21 days prior. The fish was originally caught and tagged by an angler using a soft plastic, and it was recaptured by an angler chunking a topwater lure.”
The second tagged trout was caught more than 9 miles from where it was originally tagged and released.
With about 200 speckled trout already tagged — a number that’s growing by the day — anglers can expect to see more and more tagged trout along the Texas coast.
There is a phone number for anglers to call on the tag of each speckled trout that is tagged by Trout Tagging
Texas. McKinley strongly encourages anglers to promptly call the number on the tag of any recaptured fish to report it.
“We’d also love it if you released the fish again, so that we can continue to study its movements,” he said.
Trout Tagging Texas is currently waiting on approval from the IRS to become a registered nonprofit organization.
“We are also currently working on future plans to partner with CCA and the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies to further expand the efforts of the organization,” McKinley said.
tion from 50 youngsters, a number that nearly doubled last year’s turnout.
The tournament also included silent and live auctions for several bay and offshore guided fishing trips, as well as nilgai antelope hunts at two of the area’s largest ranches north and east of Raymondville, respectively.
east and west jetty.
‘’The boat cuts move a lot of current that pushes lots of shad and mullet on any given tide,” Norris said. “If you just want to catch big reds, the boat cuts are where you need to fish, but if you are targeting trout, I recommend tying on something like a Super Spook Jr. and fishing the end of the east jetty. Bone or chartreuse colors are good in sandy or trout-green water.”
O.H. IVIE: Brett Cannon of ohiviefishing.com reports bass fishing has slowed down a little as the fish are moving out to summer locations. He said a few fish can still be caught shallow, but most are on a post-spawn pattern, and those fish are being caught on natural-colored plastics that are either Texas-rigged or Carolina-rigged. Most of his clients’ fish are being caught on some kind of deeper structure, including secondary points or rocks, in water 15-20 feet deep.
LIVINGSTON: Michael Richardson of lakelivingstonadventures.com reports the white bass fishing is excellent. He said the size and quantity of fish are among the best they’ve ever been there with lots of 15-inch fish being caught. He said his clients are catching fish while jigging white and chartreuse slabs in 8-15 feet of water while the fish are pushing bait on flats as well as out in open water on humps, ledges and drop-offs in 24-26 feet of water.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture appointed Texas A&M AgriLife’s John Tomecek, Ph.D., to the National Wildlife Services Advisory Committee.
Tomecek, associate professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, is one of 20 committee members appointed. The committee, comprised of diverse stakeholders from across the fields of agriculture, wildlife management, animal welfare and public health, will provide critical guidance to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services.
Tomecek’s contributions to feral hog management are a prominent feature of his career. In addition to service as chair of the Texas Wild Pig Task Force, Tomecek was tapped to lead the National Wild Pig Task Force as chair-elect in 2021.
“I began working with pigs because I like addressing wildlife conflict,” Tomecek said. “Everyone in the wildlife conflict world has slowly turned their attention towards pigs —
not because it’s what we all want to work on, but because it’s one of the most urgent issues right now.”
Tomecek was tasked with evaluating the effectiveness of this program not only in Texas, but across the country. The data will inform Congress of ways the program can be adjusted and improved.
“Objective, science-based data and expertise are crucial for elected officials in all levels of government to make informed decisions, and AgriLife Extension remains committed to providing this vital service,” Avery said. For example, after one conversation with a Wildlife Service agent, Tomecek implemented a research project monitoring coyote movements following feral hog removal. These findings will help ranchers plan calving operations to reduce coyote predation after feral hog removal on their property.
—Texas AgriLife
Continued from page 1
eat them first. Plus, my wife will fry them whole and they are very good to eat, along with fries and coleslaw.”
Evans fishes for the perch from an old bass boat with a trolling motor up front, allowing him to ease along the bank while strolling tiny hair jigs in 4-7 feet of water.
“Strolling is nothing more than slowly pulling jigs behind the boat,” he said. “It’s a tactic that produces a lot of bream, along with the occasional crappie. It’s a good way to locate bream on beds, too. If I catch one big bluegill while strolling, I’ll mark the spot and fish it with jigs, or worms and crickets.”
Years ago, guide Jim Morris began using the strolling technique to put his customers on enough panfish to go home and have a fish fry. He would use two rods
rigged with tiny tube jigs in white, yellow or blue. He would bump troll them behind his boat in the many creeks and around some of the islands. It was a tactic that quickly caught on with a number of fishermen and is still a popular way to catch spawning bream and crappie.
Many T-Bend anglers fish red worms or a lively cricket on a No. 10 long shank hook.
“If the water is clear, you can actually see the bream on the beds,” Evans said. “That’s when I’ll rig up a tiny split-shot and long shank hook. Bream will not pass up a chance to eat a worm or a cricket.”
Fly fishermen are also joining the panfish party, often using a bead-head, slow-sinking streamer, or using a cork or sponge-bodied popper for a top-water bite from the aggressive panfish.
TEXAS TROPHY
WHITETAILS
Axis, Blackbuck, Hogs Free range whitetail and exotic hunts in Sonora, TX www.HuntTexasWhitetails.com (717) 512-3582
WHITETAIL + HOGS
Brush country whitetail bucks!
C4 RANCH - WHITETAIL & EXOTIC HUNTS
Cull, Management & Trophies up to 300” Duval County, TX
High Fenced & MLD Managed 10+ Years Vernon Carr (361) 774-2442
DEER HUNTERS USED DEER BLINDS
For sale: 4x6 fiberglass with 10-foot towers
Three available $2000 each
Used feeders also
Located one hour north of Abilene
For photos text (214) 695-2950
AXIS HIDES
Tanned axis hides Axis pillows / gbroach@ktc.com (830) 896-6996
PATAGONIA ARGENTINA
RED STAG HUNTS
100% free range
5 day guided hunts, luxury lodging and meals.
Trophy and management packages available. (210) 748-9392
Doe, management bucks and hog hunts
All-inclusive guided hunts zacatehunts.com (325) 446- 6716
NEED ARCHERY RANGE? www.TexasArchery.info
DOS HERMANOS RANCH
Trophy Whitetails & Exotics On 4000 acres near San Angelo, TX doshermanosranch.com
Jake at (208) 477-9065
EXOTICS + WHITETAIL
Several species Trophy and meat hunts Owner guided Very reasonable Let’s have fun! (325) 475-2100
QUAIL HUNTING
Guided-Self Guided-Training 700 yard RANGE PoetryShootingClub.com (214) 728-2755
DUVAL COUNTY South Texas Dove Hunting 65 acres, Lodging RV Power Available Huntershilton.com for more info (361) 244-0544 or (361) 443-9330
ANTLERS WANTED Buying all species, all conditions. Looking for large quantities Call Del (830) 997-2263
DEER HUNTERS
Used Deer Blinds for sale
4x6 fiberglass with 10-foot towers
Three available, $1850 each
Used feeders also available
Text for photos
Located 1 hour north of Abilene (214) 695-2950
TDHA - JOIN TODAY Texas Dove Hunters Association TexasDoveHunters.com (210) 764-1189
(254) 595-1696
SKID STEER BRUSH CUTTING / HYDRO AX All your clearing needs, right-of-ways, senderos, creek & river bottoms, fence lines etc. South Texas Call Frank (512) 699-5381
CRAPPIE. CATFISH. SANDBASS. STRIPER.
Guided Hunts and Offshore Adventures. www.DFWOutdoors.com
Call Capt. Lane Palmer at (817) 266-9811
BAY FISHING 6 Hour Trip from $275 Port Isabel, TX (956) 551-1965
EXQUISITE GREATER KUDU BRONZE BY RENOWNED SCULPTOR
TOM TISCHLER
“Fleeting Apparition” is 27” high, 33” long, and 19” at its widest point. It sits atop a wooden base and can rotate 360 degrees. Signed and dated 1982, this sculpture is #11 of 25. A rare find, as the mold has been destroyed. Excellent condition. Perfect for an executive office or exclusive hunting lodge. Valued at $20,000, asking $14,000. Crating/Shipping/Insurance paid by the buyer. (214) 763-0844
JUNE 15
COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION
Centex Banquet
Extraco Events Center, Waco (254) 405-1300
ccatexas.org
JUNE 16
DALLAS SAFARI CLUB
Sporting Clays Shoot
Elm Fork Shooting Sports (972) 980-9800 biggame.org
DUCKS UNLIMITED
South Texas Concert Guns & Gear
The Post, Orange Grove (830) 391-7300 ducks.org
JUNE 21
MULE DEER FOUNDATION
Texas Taxidermy Awards
Killeen Civic Center (817) 565-7121 muledeer.org
JUNE 22
NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION
GCOT Banquet
Victoria Community Center Dome (713) 823-2958 nwtf.org
COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION
Brazoria County Banquet
Dow Academic Center, Lake Jackson (713) 626-4222 ccatexas.org
DALLAS SAFARI CLUB
Women’s Evening Brunch
DSC Headquarters (972) 980-9800 biggame.org
JUNE 23-25
DUCKS UNLIMITED State Convention Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center College Station ducks.org
JUNE 25
TX SHOOTOUT ON LAKE FORK Lake Fork Marina (817) 439-3274 basschamps.com
JUNE 29
COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION
Matagorda Bays Banquet El Campo Civic Center (979) 578-3084 ccatexas.org
JULY 8-9
TEXAS GUN & KNIFE SHOWS
Kerrville Expo Hall (830) 285-0575 texasgunandknifeshow.com
JULY 8
EAST TEXAS SPORTSMAN’S CLUB
Sportsman’s Night Out The Fredonia Hotel & Convention Center Nacogdoches easttexassportsmansclub.org
JULY 20-23
DALLAS BOAT SHOW Dallas Market Hall bron@dfwboatshow.com (972) 978-8217
JULY 21-23
TEXAS HUNTERS & SPORTSMAN’S EXPO McAllen Convention Center (956) 664-2884 texashunterassociation.com
For home or office delivery, go to LSONews.com, or call (214) 361-2276, or send a check or money order to the address below. Lone Star Outdoor News, ISSN 2162-8300, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice a month. A mailed subscription is $35 for 24 issues. Newsstand copies are $3, in certain markets copies are free, one per person. Copyright 2023 with all rights reserved. Reproduction and/ or use of any photographic or written material without written permission by the publisher is prohibited. Subscribers may send address changes to: Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355 or email them to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com.
