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Lighting system helps deer avoid vehicles

Researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program recently applied for a patent for a new vehicle-based lighting system to prevent deer-vehicle colli sions during low-light conditions.

Through a series of experiments with free-roaming white-tailed deer, researchers at the National Wildlife Research Center determined the use of a rear-facing light-emitting diode (LED) light bar — which illuminates a larger portion of the vehicle’s front surface than standard headlights alone — resulted in fewer dangerous deer-vehicle interactions.

The likelihood of dangerous interactions decreased from 35 percent to 10 percent of ve hicle approaches when using a rear-facing light bar plus headlights versus just headlights alone. The reduction in dangerous interactions appeared to be driven by fewer instances of immobility or “freezing” behavior by deer when the light bar was used.

“This new lighting system takes advantage of a deer’s predator avoidance behavior (also known as flight behavior),” said lead author and former NWRC researcher Dr. Travis DeVault. “We predicted that light reflected from the front surface of the vehicle would provide a more reliable looming image to deer, thus encouraging the deer to move out of the path of the approaching vehicle.”

When an object “looms,” it becomes increasingly larger to the perceiving animal.

The technology can be incorporated as an after-market device, like a brush guard or bumper, or can be embedded in the vehicle as part of the manufacturing process.

—USDA

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DIAMONDBACK HD SPOTTING SCOPE:

Vortex Optics’ new spotting scope, available in several models including the 20-60x85 model (pictured), pro vides long-distance hunters with the power and clarity to see in low light or in dense cover. The HD optical system, which delivers crisp resolution, bright images and edge-to-edge sharpness, reduces eye strain during long glassing sessions. The scope’s exterior also has been streamlined for a sleek, snag-free profile. And, it has a built-in helical focus wheel that provides fast, fine ad justments. The MSRP for the angled scope is $599.99.

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Dishman said one of his best days of sight-casting to tailing reds was with guide Ben Paschal, who runs trips out of Port Mansfield on the Lower Laguna Madre. He does both fly-fishing and conventional tackle trips.

Some of the clearest water you’ll find on the Texas coast is on the Lower Laguna Madre, where the average water depth is 1 to 3 feet.

“The Lower Laguna is home to about 75 percent of the seagrass on the Texas coast Sight-casting to redfish can be done with conventional spinning rigs or fly-fishing which keeps the water equipment. Photo by Robert Sloan, for Lone Star Outdoor News. extremely clear,” Paschal said. “From mangrove-lined west side bays covered in massive seagrass meadows, to the expansive east side sand flats, the Lower Laguna Madre offers some of the best fishing for reds the Texas coast has to offer.”

Dishman had an excellent trip with guide Eric Glass, one of the most experienced flyfishing guides in Texas.

“We left the dock and ran for over an hour,” he said. “It was well worth the run. We had shots at tailing reds and cruising reds all day long. To cap things off the next morning, the first fish we saw was a huge 7-pound trout laid up in sand and grass. The water was about 18 inches deep. I made about a 20-foot cast, laid the fly down on her nose and she ate it instantly. That was beyond all my expectations, but just another day on the Laguna Madre.”

Guide Tom Horbey has been a full-time guide on the clear-water flats out of Port O’Connor for 20 years. His goal is putting his anglers on visible reds in water that’s 10 to 18 inches deep. But this time of year he’s also fishing the bays and jetties for tarpon, jacks and bull reds.

“All of the fish are fun to catch, but seeing reds and casting to them is exciting,” Horbey said. “People absolutely love that, and they never get tired of it. Right now I’m fishing the back-water lakes well off the beaten path, where very few boats can go.”

Polling a skiff to access shallow-water reds is good and easy, but a whole lot of angles prefer to wade-fish the flats, and hunt for visible reds, either with fly or conventional tackle.

“Whether you’re in a boat or wading for reds, and often times big trout, it’s all about seeing fish, stalking them and making the cast,” Horbey said. “And the middle and lower Texas coast offers some of the best spot-and-stalk angling that you’ll find anywhere.”

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FIND. SIGHT. SHOOT.

T3 Compact Thermal Imager

It might be a bit straightforward, but it’s exactly what all of our products do.

Opening day, weekend

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in the area for miles, and decided to make the drive and give it a whirl.”

Ashcraft arrived at the property early in the morning before sunrise, and it was raining.

“The hunt started off pretty slow and the weather was not ideal,” he said. “I didn’t harvest my first bird until almost 8 o’clock, but then it turned on.”

Ashcraft ended up shooting a limit of dove that consisted of mostly whitewings with a few mourning doves, along with three bonus Eurasian-collared dove.

“I wasn’t very far from the nearest town, and my hope was that I would be able to catch some whitewings because of that,” he said. “Sure enough, it worked out.”

Bob Quigley also dealt with rainy weather on the first days of the season. He hunted on a ranch near Llano, and in between rain showers, harvested near limits two days in a row.

“Even though it was raining on and off, there were still birds flying,” he said. “I shot mostly whitewings and just a handful of mourning dove.”

Will Cooper was able to get a morning hunt in on opening day near Cherokee before the inclement weather set in.

“A mix of mourning doves and whitewings flew pretty well for us in the field we hunted on opening morning,” Cooper said. “During the afternoon on opening day, the wind really picked up and the birds didn’t fly too great after that. Then, the rain set in on day two of the season.”

Cody Shupak spent opening morning with some friends north of Sealy, where they harvested limits of whitewings fairly quickly.

“It was a barn-burner hunt,” he said.

Near Decatur, Jordan Dean said her first few hunts over a field with dove weed were pretty slow.

“We got several inches of rain to start off the season,” she said. “I had some friends in the Justin area that had some limit shoots, but where I was hunting the best hunts on the first couple days of the season rendered half-limits.”

Dove hunters north of Hondo reported limits of whitewings for most folks and plenty of action. And hunters in the Frisco area reported limits of mourning dove before the rainy weather started on opening morning.

Cody Koehler started his season in Coleman County near Gouldbusk, and said the birds were thick over cut sunflowers.

“Morning flights were done by 8:30 am, and in the afternoon, the best action occurred between 3:30 and 4:30 when the birds returned to the fields to feed before heading to roost,” Koehler said. “Most hunters in the area were able to scratch out their limits.”

Hunting outfitter Kamiryn DeTiege said her groups of hunters shot dove over cut corn and around a tank in Hays County during the first week of the season.

“We had a pretty even mix of whitewings and mourning dove,” she said. “On rainy days, the birds were pretty hesitant to fly until after the storm cleared. Our groups did not have any knock-out hunts, and most were just short of a limit; however, we had many first-time dove hunters that made memories, and all took home birds.”

Not all hunters fared as well. Near Graham, hunters reported fewer birds after the rains. To the south in Comanche County, the super-dry conditions resulted in a lack of food and birds, and the rains were welcomed by hunters hoping for success down the road.

Some hunters at Paloma Pachanga near Hondo reported shooting only one dove Friday afternoon as rain pounded the area.

In the Special Whitewing Zone in South Texas, over the weekend some hunters reported stellar hunts, especially in the Rio Grande Valley and South of San Antonio, while hunters to the east, near Port O’Connor, saw their birds vanish after receiving nearly 5 inches of rain.

Following some early morning rain, Michael Ashcraft shot his limit on opening morning near Colorado City. Photo from Michael Ashcraft.

The thrill of opening weekend

Nearly 30 trucks lined the parking lot of the Chevrolet dealership in Haskell for a 6 a.m. call time on Saturday morning. Excitement was in the air as the caravan of vehicles headed out to the dove fields. Since the season opener was on a Tuesday, this was the first hunt of the season for most.

Hunters settled into their positions and watched a group of 15 hogs barrel into the field. As the sun cleared the fog, the birds began to fly — right at shooting time. Groups were hunting on fields of 2-foot-high sunflowers.

Shouts were heard:

“Good shooting!”

“Nice one!”

“On your left.”

Some got limits and others still managed to get quite a few birds on the ground.

The following day, the groups headed out from the Hop-In in Stamford. The temperature had warmed up quite a bit, topping 100 degrees. Hunters sought after small mesquite trees for any type of shade.

The dove were flying high and fast, providing difficult shots for novice hunters, but those who were more experienced were able to take advantage of the unique shots. As the sun neared the horizon, the birds had filled their crops and headed back to the roost. Happy hunters sat on their tailgates and enjoyed a cold one.