❘❚ ADVENTURE
New Mexico turkey Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper
May 14, 2010
Volume 6, Issue 18
A turkey hunt in northeastern New Mexico takes hunters back in time. Page 18
Making the switch to reds
Inside
When trout bite slows, some Port O’Connor guides changing target By Thomas Phillips LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
❘❚ HUNTING
She’s nesting now Rio Grande turkey hens go to great lengths for a successful hatch in Texas. Page 4
In the fight for quail Workers at one Texas research ranch are looking for ways to help bobwhite quail. Page 4
❘❚ FISHING
Big season for bass Dozens of large bass have been caught in Texas over the last few months. Page 20
Federal power grab? A change in wording of the Clean Water Act could increase its authority over private waters. Page 6
❘❚ CONTENTS Classifieds . . . . . . . . Crossword . . . . . . . . Fishing Report . . . . . . For the Table . . . . . . . Game Warden Blotter . . . Heroes . . . . . . . . . . Outdoor Datebook. . . . . Outfitters and Businesses Products . . . . . . . . . Sun, Moon and Tide data .
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Ask a guide how his fishing day went, and he might say something like, “We didn’t catch much of X, but the fishing for Y was great.” He is trying to accentuate the positive, and who wouldn’t? In the Port O’Connor area lately, the X has equaled speckled trout while the Y has equaled redfish or another popular gamefish. The reasons for the trend are up for debate. “We’ve had some bad weather, and it’s been colder longer than usual,” said guide Joe Surovik. On a trip in early May, Surovik’s anglers caught 16 keeper trout out of 25 or 30 total. It was the second day where water temperatures had been warm enough to encourage trout to ■ Reports: See be active, Surovik said. The where and how water temperature was 77 other anglers degrees. are doing on “We have had a hard time the Texas coast. catching trout, but today we Page 8 did good,” he said. The good day came at a price. The trip had them running long distances to find fish, Surovik said. “You had to run a long ways to really find any trout,” he said. “But we get some hot weather, like’s predicted in the next couple days, I’m predicting the trout are going to show up everywhere.” When the trout haven’t been biting, Surovik has put clients on redfish at the jetties, and he called sheepshead a “wintertime savior.” Another savior has been the clients. Clients want to catch fish, and if redfish or sheepshead are biting, that’s what they go for, Surovik said. They don’t spend time fishing for something that’s not biting. Mike Bohac attributes the switch to trout population numbers. “Actually, our trout have been declining down at Port O’Connor for a number of years,” said Bohac, a guide.
INSIDE
See SWITCH, Page 32
REDS REVISITED: When the fishing for speckled trout slows down around Port O’Connor, some guides are instead chasing redfish. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.
Gator snaps onto game warden Hand caught in teeth, face smashed by head
SNAPPED: Game Warden Raul “Pinky” Gonzales tries to relocate an alligator. The gator bit Gonzales and struck him in the face with its head. Photo by Kelly Bernal.
By Mark England LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
With an alligator’s teeth clamped tightly on his left hand, Refugio County Game Warden Raul “Pinky” Gonzales had a lot more to lose than his nickname. It had started out as a routine call on April 2 to clear an alligator off a farm-to-market road south of Woodsboro. Although the alligator was large, measuring 8 feet, 9 inches, Gonzales had relocated bigger ones in his 24-year career. March through June is routinely a busy time for such nuisance calls
given it’s the animals’ mating season. While his stepson, Kelly Bernal, a junior at Texas A&M University, looked for a rag to put over the alligator’s eyes, Gonzales straddled it and flipped a rope around its
Golden alga menace is manageable Anglers, guides, biologists can handle downside
By Bill Miller
FOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
mouth. He wanted to get it rolling so it would expend some its energy and, thus, buy him time to tape its mouth shut.
The year 2001 was pivotal for Chris Shafer who, at that time, was operating a successful fishing lodge on Lake Whitney. Golden alga had bloomed on lakes in the Brazos River watershed, including Whitney, robbing the waters of 600,000 game fish.
See GATOR, Page 24
See ALGA, Page 32
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HUNTING
When breeding ends, hens focused again Birds work hard for nest success; conditions good By Ralph Winingham FOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
Somewhere in South Texas, a Rio Grande turkey hen is sitting on a nest of 19 eggs trying to do her part to set the stage for some prime time gobbler hunting opportunities in the Lone Star State. “We have the best scenario for production that we have had in five years,” said Jason Hardin, upland game bird specialist for Texas Parks and Wildlife. “The birds have started nesting early. This fall we should see a lot of jakes — it might be a little hard to see their beards — and we should be set up for good hunting for the next three years.” While 15 or 16 eggs is considered a good nesting, and 12 is about average, the larger number of eggs in nests being observed by biologists
this year is a good indication that hens are responding to very favorable rainfall and cover production after two years of extended drought conditions. Hardin said that hen turkeys normally begin nesting around the third week in March, and if their first attempts are unsuccessful, they can start new nests as late as July. They can attempt as many as four nestings in a season, laying fewer eggs each time if their earlier clutches are eaten or destroyed by predators. “They will nest until they are successful or until they just run out of time. Some hens will leave if a snake or other predator gets two or three eggs out of a nest, and others may stay and fight,” he said. Justin Dreibelbis, conservation program coordinator for the Texas Wildlife Association who has conSee HENS, Page 22
HEN HABITS: Hen turkeys begin nesting during March and will nest repeatedly if necessary for a good hatch. Photo by LSON.
On the Rolling Plains, myths to bust Workers at research ranch devoted to helping bobwhite quail By Thomas Phillips LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
Way out in West Texas where cactus and cattle rule the range, a band of researchers is trying to answer questions in the fight to save bobwhite quail. Lloyd LaCoste and Kurt Huffman are on the ground daily at the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch near Rotan, trying to figure out why quail numbers keep dipping, potentially close to being recreationally extinct in the wild. LaCoste, the ranch manager, and Huffman, a graduate student, view their work at the ranch as being somewhat like the television show “MythBusters.” Some of their research looks at ideas people have about quail decline. They are trying to figure out whether quail myths are true or not. For example, here are a few questions they’re trying to answer, or myths they’re trying to bust: • Are fire ants to blame for the quail’s demise? • Are roadrunners among the birds’ top predators? • Are coyotes a friend or foe? • What does supplemental feeding do for or against them? • Are home-range sizes variable by region? • Are negative effects from aflatoxin in deer corn widespread? • Does periodic fire help significantly? • What are the most economical ways to help quail? • What has changed in Texas in the last 30 years that is affecting quail? • What about air pollution, disease, parasites, loss of habitat? The list goes on, and everyone who knows quail has an idea for what could be happening. “At this point, what it boils down to is we don’t know what we need to know what’s really behind the decline or how to reverse it,” said Huffman, 45, a Ph.D. candidate at Texas A&M University who lives and works at the ranch. “So it really is kind of a shotgun approach, and I think that comes out of the urgency of the situation. “What’s going on out here, sometimes I think we get overwhelmed with all the stuff going on and trying to stay on top of it, but we don’t feel we have the luxury of doing, sort of, one-at-a-time or patiently, methodically trying different things out because we don’t know that we’re going to have birds 10 years
QUAIL FRIENDS: Above, Kurt Huffman, left, and Lloyd LaCoste bag bobwhite quail trapped at the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch for study. At right, Huffman, left, weighs a quail as LaCoste records data. Photos by Thomas Phillips, Lone Star Outdoor News.
from now. When the clock is ticking, you do everything that looks promising and as much as you can possibly do because you hold out the hope that you’re going to find it.” One of the several studies under way is Huffman’s investigation of the effects of fire. His research specifically looks into controlled burns and grazing as a quail-friendly approach to managing prickly pear cactus. The study will last three years, with 10 percent of the 4,700-acre ranch undergoing a controlled burned each year. Fire, though destructive, provides lots of benefits and it can be better than using herbicides or chaining down mesquite trees. More importantly, it’s cheap, costing about $7 per acre. “It’s effective and cost-effective as a manageSee QUAIL, Page 22
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ROLLING: SMU engineering student David B. Green sits in his team’s senior design project. The electric cart is designed for easy use by a wheelchair-bound person. Photo by Thomas Phillips, Lone Star Outdoor News.
SMU students helping the handicapped hunt Engineering majors’ projects allow disabled hunters better access to outdoors By Thomas Phillips LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
SMU junior Chris Seymour said it best when describing his group’s year-long engineering project. Seymour and classmates Stewart Imel, Muhammed Hossain and Max Lipitt designed and built a boxy frame for holding and aiming an air rifle in a wheelchair — for use by a quadriplegic. “I’ve sat in it, and it actually looks like an awesome version of Doom meets Six Flags,”
Seymour said. The project was one of 11 presented May 3 at the Dallas school’s Hughes-Trigg Student Center by upperclassmen in the Lyle School of Engineering. Three of the projects were designed specifically for hunting and fishing applications. The project created by Seymour’s group allows a quadriplegic to aim an airgun by using mouth controls. An electrical switch at the See STUDENTS, Page 26
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FISHING
Limited opening at Squaw Creek Prized lake will host sold-out charity tournament May 22 By Thomas Phillips LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
Squaw Creek Reservoir is close to reopening to the public, its owner said, but the date has not been set. “We haven’t finalized that,” said Ashley Monts, a spokeswoman for Luminant. The Dallas-based power company owns the 3,275-acre lake near Glen Rose. The lake, which supplies water for the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, was closed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks for security concerns. The lake will have a semi-public debut May 22, when it hosts a charity bass tournament. “We’ve all been waiting for this to happen,” said Jeff Gilbert. Gilbert, owner of the Fun-n-Sun boat dealerships in North Texas, organized the tournament for the sheriff’s offices of Hood and Somervell counties. He said anglers are excited about the lake reopening. “The lake’s been shut basically for nine years, so there’s a mystique there,” he said. Before it closed almost a decade ago, anglers counted Squaw Creek Reservoir as one of the best in North Texas. It has good bass
habitat, including water up to 90 feet deep. The power plant keeps the water warm during winter, which helps fish grow year-round. And for several years, the lake has been fished little, so fishing pressure is close to nonexistent. But what fishing has taken place recently has been promising. More than that, it has added to the intrigue. “I’m hearing stories of 200-fish days when they go out there, and nice quality, fat bass,” Gilbert said. The tournament, which benefits the Children’s Advocacy Center of Hood and Somervell Counties in Granbury, attracted a lot of attention in a short amount of time, Gilbert said. Details were finalized on a Friday afternoon, and by noon the next day, Gilbert had filled the 80 slots available to the pubic. The sheriff’s offices were filling an additional 20 slots. “I made a phone call to about 10 guys, and it spread like wildfire,” said Gilbert, who receives no income from the tournament See SQUAW CREEK, Page 30
IN THE WORKS: Luminant employees reinforce a stairway at Squaw Creek Reservoir in February. Photo by Luminant.
Proposal could affect ponds, wetlands Bill seeks to remove ‘navigable’ from Clean Water Act
By Mark England
LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Prominent outdoors groups are finding themselves on opposite sides when it comes to a proposed amendment to the Clean Water Act, which passed in 1972. Supporters such as Ducks Unlimited and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, which includes groups such as Trout Unlimited and Pheasants Forever, say an amendment is needed after two Supreme Court rulings since 2001 that combined to limit the act’s jurisdiction owing to the use of the term “navigable waters.” The court decisions imply that waterways within one state, creeks that go dry and isolated lakes are not navigable waters and therefore fall outside the purview of the CWA — even if pollution at such sites finds its way into the nation’s water supply. DU claims the decisions led the EPA to issue new regulations leaving 60 percent of streams and more than 20 million acres of wetlands unprotected. These areas can “be polluted with reckless abandon,” DU said in a release. “Our objective is to see legislation passed that would restore the Clean Water Act’s protection to where it was prior to 2001,” said Scott Yaich, DU’s director of conservation operations. “If we lose wetlands at an accelerated rate, the way we were once losing them, it ultimately will affect the waterfowl population available for duck hunters.” Outdoors groups such as the Texas Wildlife Association and the Texas Farm Bureau, however, fear the amendment in the House of
FEDERAL REGULATIONS: Some say water bodies on private property, such as stock tanks, could become subject to the federal Clean Water Act under a proposal to reword the 1972 act. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.
Representatives (H.R. 5088) amounts to a power grab by the federal government. TWA’s Kirby Brown said his organization opposes removing the term “navigable waters” from the CWA and replacing it with
“waters of the United States.” “We’re definitely not opposed to clean water,” said Brown, vice president of public policy. “But this does not fix the wetlands issue by itself. It just incorporates the expan-
sion of federal authority over every intermittent waterway.” Brown said farmers and ranchers who have See WATER, Page 24
Bringing stocker fish to you SPECIAL DELIVERY: Workers with Arms Bait Co. and Fish Farm fill orders for fish at the soil and water conservation district office in Johnson City earlier this month. Photo by Arms Bait Co. and Fish Farm.
Fish farms make sales at feed stores to accommodate buyers By Thomas Phillips LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
Some ranches are big enough and have enough money to justify fishing consultants, lake designers and deliveries of fish for their lakes. Some folks just want a few bluegill, bass and catfish in their farm pond. Avoiding delivery charges appeals to all of them, and some fish farms will coordinate delivery at a specific location so customers can avoid extra charges. Herrmann’s Fish Farm meets cus-
tomers at feed stores during fall and spring and doesn’t charge them delivery fees, said Kathy Herrmann. The Robstown company takes preorders, loads its truck with fish and drives them to selected feed stores. Customers come to the store and take their fish to their stock tanks in plastic bags. “Sales can be from small to large,” Herrmann said. “We may have a $2,000 order or $100 From its Robstown facility, Herrmann’s takes fish to feed stores in eight to 10 Texas cities, such as
Edinburg, Laredo, Hondo, Post, Rockport, Freer and Corsicana. The company provides a mix of species, including largemouth bass, bluegill, readear sunfish, channel and blue catfish, tilapia, shad and triploid grass carp. Herrmann’s loads a few extra fish in the truck for walk-up buyers who did not place a preorder. All buyers generally also receive a couple extra fish in case some die on the way from the truck to their new home. See FISH FARMS, Page 21
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FROM THE DEEP: Yellowfin tuna, one of the top targets of Texas offshore anglers, are biting off the coast. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.
Yellowfins fighting offshore for anglers Many reporting good numbers, medium sizes By Thomas Phillips LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
Offshore boats are picking up yellowfin tuna off the Texas coast, catching numbers over size. While captaining the Scat Cat out of Port Aransas, Ronnie Hale Sr. had a good trip April 16-17 at the Perdino oil rig. “It’s been our best producer for the last year, I guess,” Hale said. The 56-hour trip had the boat going 150
miles out to the spar rig. The 15 anglers onboard targeted marlin during the day and switched to tuna at night. The yellowfin count came to 35, and anglers lost another 12, Hale said. Most weighed 40 to 60 pounds, and one weighed 85, he said. “This time of year we’re getting smaller fish,” Hale said. The preferred setup was to fish a dark butterfly jig 250 to 300 feet deep unless the tuna were on the surface. When the yellowfin were up, anglers threw poppers. The boat was under a new moon, but the rig was flaring — burning off gasses — so the See YELLOWFIN, Page 21
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TEXAS FISHING REPORT Sponsored by
HOT BITES LARGEMOUTH BASS
SAM RAYBURN: Good on watermelon red Senkos and lizards. HOUSTON COUNTY: Excellent on watermelon red and junebug Brush Hogs, Baby Brush Hogs and soft plastic worms near the marina in 6-8 feet. TRAVIS: Excellent on watermelon Brush Hogs, chrome topwaters and grubs in 5-15 feet. BUCHANAN: Very good on white spinnerbaits, traps and weightless wacky-rigged green pumpkin soft plastics along break lines of flats with flooded grass in creeks and pockets in 5-15 feet.
WHITE, HYBRID, STRIPER
BROWNWOOD: White bass are excellent on Li’l Fishies, small Rat-L-Traps, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. RAY HUBBARD: White bass are good to excellent on topwaters, slabs and Rooster Tails. STILLHOUSE: White bass are excellent on minnows in 10-15 feet. BRAUNIG: Striped bass are very good on liver and perch and down-rigging spoons near the dam and jetty.
CATFISH
CALAVERAS: Channel catfish are excellent on liver, shrimp, cheesebait and shad. Blue catfish are good on cut bait and liver near 181 Cove and the railroad bridge. FALCON: Channel and blue catfish are excellent on cut bait and stinkbait in the river. BASTROP: Very good on live bait, frozen shrimp and stinkbait. CHOKE CANYON: Blue and yellow catfish are good on cheesebait in 5-10 feet. COLETO CREEK: Channel and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with nightcrawlers, shrimp and liver in 8-10 feet. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch in 6-15 feet.
CRAPPIE GIBBONS CREEK: Good on minnows and green/white tube jigs. GRANBURY: Good on minnows and green tube jigs. GRANGER: Good on jigs over brush piles. GREENBELT: Good on jigs and minnows.
ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 57 degrees; .32’ low. Black bass are good on live bait, black/chartreuse jigs and soft plastics suspended in brush. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on live and prepared bait. ATHENS: Water fairly clear, 68-74 degrees; 0.26’ high. Black bass are fair to good on Senkos and split-shot-rigged chartreuse/pepper Baby Ring-Frys. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs with some movement towards the creeks. Catfish are good on prepared bait and nightcrawlers. BASTROP: Water lightly stained. Black bass are fair on minnows and watermelon red soft plastics. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs. BELTON: Water clear; 70 degrees; 1.83’ low. Black bass are fair on spinnerbaits and minnows. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are good on minnows and white riversides under lights at night. Crappie are good on minnows and white riversides. Channel and blue catfish are good on hot dogs, shrimp, Spam and frozen shad. Yellow catfish are good on juglines baited with live perch. BOB SANDLIN: Water stained; 69-73 degrees; 0.02’ high. Black bass are good on weightless artificial rattlesnakes, Texas rigs and chatterbaits. Crappie are fair. White bass are fair. Catfish are fair.
degrees (80 degrees at discharge); 0.15’ low. Black bass are fair on soft plastics and spinnerbaits in 3-12 feet. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair. CONROE: Water fairly clear; 0.12’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon red and chartreuse Carolina-rigged soft plastics and on white/green Rat-L-Traps. Striped bass are fair. Crappie are fair. Catfish are good on stinkbait, shrimp and liver. COOPER: Water off-color; 67-73 degrees; 0.36’ low. Black bass are fair on Rat-L-Traps, Texas rigs and slow-rolled spinnerbaits. Crappie are fair to good on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are fair to good on slabs and live shad. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and prepared bait. FALCON: Water clear; 71 degrees.
HOUSTON COUNTY: Water lightly stained; 79 degrees; 0.50’ high. Crappie are good on live minnows over brush piles in 10 feet. Bream are very good on live worms from piers and over grass beds. Channel and blue catfish are good on stinkbait off piers and on trotlines baited with perch. HUBBARD CREEK: Water lightly stained; 66 degrees; 6.63’ low. Black bass are good on live bait and black/blue soft plastics worked along grass lines and timber. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on live bait and small shad-colored crankbaits. Catfish are good on live bait. JOE POOL: Water off-color; 68-75 degrees; 0.02’ low. Black bass are fair to good on buzzbaits, jerkbaits and Texas rigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs over brush piles. White bass are good on tail spinners and Road
HOT SPOT
BRAUNIG: Water stained; 68 degrees. Black bass are slow. Redfish are slow. Channel and blue catfish are very good on shrimp, cheesebait and cut bait.
CADDO: Water murky; 69-75 degrees; 0.55’ high. Black bass are fair to good on Texas-rigged soft plastics, Senkos and frogs. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on Little Georges and Road Runners. Yellow bass are fair on jigs and shrimp. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers and frozen shrimp. CALAVERAS: Water stained; 68 degrees. Black bass are fair on dark soft plastic worms and crankbaits over reed beds and in the cove near the park store. Striped bass are fair. Redfish are slow. Crappie are slow.
Amistad
Water clear; 70 degrees; 1.72’ low. Black bass are excellent on Senkos, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, swimbaits, and soft plastic worms and lizards. Striped bass are good on RedFins. White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are fair on cheesebait. Yellow catfish are good on live perch near rockslides. Black bass are good on deep running crankbaits and fair on Carolina-rigged soft plastics. Striped bass are slow. FORK: Water stained to murky; 68-74 degrees; 0.05’ high. Black bass are fair to good on soft plastics fished in the shallows, chatterbaits and Rat-L-Traps, with a deeper bite on jigs and Carolina rigs. Crappie are fair. Catfish are fair. GIBBONS CREEK: Water clear. Black bass are good on watermelon red and plum soft plastics and on white crankbaits. Catfish are good on stinkbait, nightcrawlers and shrimp.
CANYON LAKE: Water murky; 66 degrees; 0.88’ high. Black bass are good on root beer/green flake Baby Brush Hogs along break lines with standing timber, feeder creeks and deep flats in bays in 8-15 feet and on topwaters and flukes in feeder creeks. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair. Smallmouth bass are good on root beer curl tail grubs, 6” smoke/red tubes on ball jigheads and traps along main lake points and ledges in 5-15 feet. Crappie are fair. Channel catfish are fair. Yellow and blue catfish are fair.
GRANBURY: Water clear; 0.39’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon red soft plastics, crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Striped bass are fair on minnows and white striper jigs. White bass are fair on minnows and chartreuse spinnerbaits. Catfish are good on stinkbait, shrimp and liver.
CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 68-74 degrees; 0.02’ low. Black bass are fair to good on buzzbaits, Rat-L-Traps and Texas rigs. White bass are good on slabs and Humdingers. Hybrid striper are fair to good on Sassy Shad and slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on cheese bait and nightcrawlers.
GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 67-75 degrees; 0.73’ high. Black bass are fair on finesse worms, Texas rigs and shallow to medium running crankbaits. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on slabs and Rooster Tails. Catfish are fair.
CHOKE CANYON: Water murky; 69 degrees; 3.82’ low. Black bass are good on blue/white deep crankbaits and watermelon red Carolina-rigged soft plastic worms and lizards. Crappie are fair. Channel catfish are fair. COLEMAN: Water murky; 68 degrees; 8.08’ low. Black bass are slow. Hybrid striper are fair. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are slow. COLETO CREEK: Water stained; 68
OAK CREEK: Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 7.23’ low. Black bass are fair on live bait and shad-colored spinnerbaits with some top water action. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on live and cut bait. POSSUM KINGDOM: Water stained; 66 degrees; 5.21’ low. Black bass are fair on black/blue jigs and soft plastics suspended in brush, shad-colored crankbaits and live bait. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on silver jigging spoons and live bait. Stripers are good on shad-colored crankbaits along the southern lake points. Catfish are good on live bait. RAY HUBBARD: Water fairly clear; 69-75 degrees; 0.34’ low. Black bass are fair to good on frogs, spinnerbaits and Texas rigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs over brush piles. Hybrid striper are fair on live shad. Catfish are fair to good on cut and prepared bait. RAY ROBERTS: Water muddy to stained; 63-68 degrees; 0.15’ low. Black bass are fair on dead-sticked Houdini Shad and Yum Dingers. Crappie are good on minnows over brush piles, with a few still in the creeks. White bass are good off windy points on Super Spots and Rattle Baits. No reports on catfish.
BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 68 degrees; 4.86’ low. Black bass are very good on spinnerbaits, sunrise crankbaits and soft plastic worms. Hybrid striper are slow. Crappie are excellent on crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jigs over brush piles in 1-3 feet. Channel catfish are good over baited holes in 8-10 feet. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait. BUCHANAN: Water murky; 67 degrees; 10.05’ low. Striped bass are fair trolling and jigging white bucktail jigs and drifting live bait. White bass are fair. Crappie are fair. Channel catfish are good on live bait and cut bait. Yellow and blue catfish are good on juglines and trotlines.
O.H. IVIE: Water lightly stained; 66 degrees; 21.86’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon red or junebug soft plastics, shad-colored spinnerbaits and live bait worked along grass lines or timber. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on live bait and shad-colored crankbaits. Smallmouth bass are good on live bait and crankbaits. Channel catfish are good on live bait.
GRANGER: Water murky; 73 degrees; 1.92’ low. Black bass are slow. White bass are slow. Blue catfish are good on shad and prepared bait. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch in the river and in Willis Creek.
GREENBELT: Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 32.01’ low. Black bass are good on shad-colored crankbaits, white/chartreuse spinnerbaits and chatterbaits, watermelon red soft plastics, jigs and live bait. White bass are good on live bait and chrome lipless crankbaits. Smallmouth bass are good on live bait and clown-colored crankbaits. Walleye are good on live bait and jerkbaits. Catfish are good on live and cut bait.
Runners. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers and prepared bait. LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water stained; 6873 degrees; 0.32’ high. Black bass are fair on jigs, Texas-rigged Yum Dingers and jerkbaits. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on prepared baits. Bream are slow. LAVON: Water stained; 65-72 degrees; 0.02’ low. Black bass are fair to good on Texas rigs, wacky rigs and spinnerbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs-moving to deeper water. Catfish are good on cut shad and prepared bait. LBJ: Water stained; 69 degrees; 0.26’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon red flukes, topwaters and green pumpkin tubes along docks and break lines of flats with stumps or laydowns. White bass are fair. Crappie are good on minnows and white crappie jigs over brush piles in 8-12 feet. Channel catfish are good on live bait and dipbait. Yellow and blue catfish are good on trotlines. LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 68-74 degrees; 0.08’ low. Black bass are fair on spinnerbaits, Texas rigs and shad pattern crankbaits. Crappie are fair. White bass are fair. Hybrid striper are good on Sassy Shad and Rooster Tails. Catfish are good on prepared bait and cut shad. LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 69 degrees; 0.45’ high. Black bass are good on crankbaits, spinnerbaits and soft plastics. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows. Blue catfish are good on shad. NAVARRO MILLS: Water murky; 72 degrees; 0.26’ high. Black bass are fair on crankbaits and spinnerbaits along banks in Liberty Hill Park and near the dam. White bass are fair on slabs and spoons. Crappie are fair. Channel catfish are fair. Blue catfish are good on trotlines and juglines baited with minnows and shrimp. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with perch and goldfish.
SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 68 degrees; 0.25’ low. White bass are good on spoons. Crappie are good on minnows and tube jigs over brush piles. Bream are good on nightcrawlers and crickets. Catfish are good on trotlines baited with nightcrawlers. STILLHOUSE: Water clear; 67 degrees; 0.11’ high. Black bass are good on minnows, perch, watermelon trick worms and watermelon super flukes. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are good on chicken livers and hot dogs. TAWAKONI: Water fairly clear; 67-74 degrees; 0.3’ high. Black bass are fair to good on white/chartreuse spinnerbaits, chrome Rat-L-Traps and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on Little Georges and slabs. Striped bass and hybrid striper are fair to good on live shad. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and prepared bait. TEXOMA: Water off-color; 66-73 degrees; 0.52’ low. Black bass are fair on lizards, red Rat-L-Traps and split-shot rigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Striped bass are good on live shad. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers and cut shad. TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 69 degrees; 1.30’ low. Black bass are good on chartreuse/blue and chartreuse/white soft plastics. Striped bass are fair on minnows and white striper jigs. White bass are fair. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait, cut bait and shrimp. TRAVIS: Water murky; 70 degrees; 0.08’ high. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on chrome jigging spoons and white jigs in 5-20 feet. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs in 10-20 feet. Channel and blue catfish are fair on fresh cut bait in 20-30 feet. WHITNEY: Water murky; 0.79’ high. Black bass are fair on chartreuse and pumpkinseed Texas- and Carolinarigged soft plastics. Striped bass are fair. White bass are fair. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on shrimp and cheesebait. WRIGHT PATMAN: Water stained; 67-73 degrees; 6.8’ high. Black bass are fair on Texas-rigged lizards, chatterbaits and Senkos. Crappie are fair. White bass are good on Rooster Tails and topwaters. Catfish are fair.
SALTWATER SCENE NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair on the Louisiana shoreline on topwaters and Corkies. Flounder are fair on jigs tipped with shrimp around marsh drains. Redfish are best on Stanley Ribbits in the marsh. SOUTH SABINE: Sheepshead and black drum are good at the jetty on live shrimp. Trout are fair around Lighthouse Cove on topwaters. Trout are fair at the jetty on topwaters. BOLIVAR: Trout are fair on the south shoreline on soft plastics and plugs. Black drum and redfish are good at Rollover Pass. TRINITY BAY: Trout are good for drifters working pods of shad and mullet on Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Waders have taken better trout on the shell along the east shoreline. EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are good on the south shoreline on Catch 5s, MirrOlures and Catch 2000s. Whiting and sand trout are good on the edge of the Intracoastal. WEST GALVESTON BAY: Waders have taken good trout in the mud and shell on topwaters and Corkies in the afternoon. Sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs. Trout have been caught in the surf. TEXAS CITY: Trout are fair on the reefs on live shrimp and croakers. Redfish are fair in Moses Lake on mullet and shrimp. FREEPORT: Trout are fair at San Luis Pass on shrimp. Sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs in Christmas Bay. Black drum are good at the jetties on cracked blue crabs. EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair for drifters on live shrimp over humps and scattered shell. Redfish are fair on the edge of the Intracoastal on crabs and mullet. Flounder are fair at night. WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Redfish are fair on the edge of Oyster Lake on shrimp and crabs. Trout are fair on shell and grass on soft plastics. Black drum and redfish are fair at the jetty. PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfish are good on topwaters over sand and grass in waistdeep water in San Antonio Bay. Trout and redfish are fair for drifters working the back lakes with live shrimp. Trout are fair at the jetty on croakers. ROCKPORT: Trout are fair in Morris-Cummings Cut on free-lined shrimp. Trout are fair over grass while drifting with live shrimp. Trout are fair in St. Charles Bay on topwaters while working reefs. PORT ARANSAS: Redfish are fair at East Flats on shrimp. Redfish and sheepshead are fair at the jetty on shrimp. CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair on the edge of the spoils on Gulps and live shrimp. Redfish are good in the potholes on shrimp. BAFFIN BAY: Trout are fair in the grass on Corkies and topwaters. Black drum are good in the Land Cut on crabs. Trout are fair in the Land Cut on live shrimp. Trout are fair at Rocky Slough on plum plastics. PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are good on topwaters around sand and grass at Green Island and the Saucer. Redfish are fair while drifting pot holes. SOUTH PADRE: Trout are good around the spoil islands, channel edges and color changes on DOA Shrimp and live shrimp. Trout, black drum, redfish and jack crevalle have been taken at the jetty. PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are fair on the flats on live shrimp, Gulps and DOA Shrimp under a popping cork. Redfish are fair at Laguna Vista on topwaters.
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Movement seeks statewide outdoor ed for Texas students Fishing, hunting lessons join math, science, English By Ralph Winingham FOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
That first outdoor experience — casting bait with a new fishing rod, savoring the taste of a fresh-baked cobbler cooked in a Dutch oven or just enjoying the sights and sounds of nature — is a treasured moment for both veteran and beginning outdoor enthusiasts. Through the efforts of a looseknit group of teachers, outdoor organizations and industry representatives, the profile of outdoor education is rising in Texas. Some schools teach accredited outdoor education classes, but the state does not have a requirement that all schools offer it. “Right now there is a disconnect between a lot of young kids and the outdoors — we have got to get them back,” said David Mohr, who has been teaching outdoor education under a physical education curriculum at Lexington High School near Giddings for about five years. “Kids aren’t stupid. They just don’t know about the outdoors. The kids are willing to put forth the extra effort to learn, and we are getting a lot of support from parents.” In 2009 during the last session of the Texas Legislature, Senate Bill 205 would have endorsed outdoor education and efforts to increase or expand it in the state. The bill unanimously passed the Senate but died on the House General
LEARNING CURVE: Working on a fishing rod that will be sold to raise funds for the outdoor education program at Lexington High School are Brandon Murray, left, and Zach Stamper. Photo by David Mohr.
Calendar. The bill would have established the Texas Partnership for Children in Nature to increase the effectiveness of children’s nutrition, outdoor activity and physical education programs and provided for a plan to give students opportunities to spend more time outdoors and better understand Texas natural resources. The partnership would develop and help implement an outdoor education plan and provide recommendations to elected leaders on how to improve it. Waging the fight A petition drive is under way seeking to have the Legislature
reexamine the issue in 2011, spearheaded by Alan Warren of Alan Warren Outdoors. “There is an incredible interest in this,” Warren said. “Everyone knows something needs to be done and that outdoor education bridges the gap to ensure we maintain that outdoor connection. “I sincerely believe the single biggest threat to fishing, hunting and conservation is the apathy and ignorance of a majority of young people.” The hope is for more school districts to offer some kind of outdoor education courses, providing See EDUCATION, Page 30
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Fishing News in Brief Shad spawn can mean fast action When pro angler Kelly Jordon of Mineola won a national bass tournament on Lake Guntersville in Alabama several years ago, he caught more than 80 pounds of fish by throwing a spinnerbait over shallow milfoil vegetation, but he couldn’t figure out why the bass were there. Now he knows. Threadfin shad, a primary forage species of largemouths, were spawning on the vegetation, and the bass were taking advantage of it. “As tournament pros, we’re still learning about the shad spawn and refining our techniques for fishing it,” Jordon said.
It happens during spring, usually after the bass spawn and when water temperatures reach 65 degrees. It only lasts a few hours early each morning. Here are some tips for fishing the shad spawn: • Look for spawning shad in shallow water along riprap, driftwood, seawalls or vegetation close to deeper water. • Use 1/2- or 3/4-ounce double willowleaf spinnerbaits with a silver shad-colored skirt. Blade colors aren’t that critical. • Cast along a riprap bank or over a large, shallow mat of vegetation. • Keep the lure about a foot under the surface. • Try different retrieves. — Yamaha report
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GAME WARDEN BLOTTER ‘EXOTIC’ DEER WAS MORE FAMILIAR THAN HE THOUGHT South Llano State Park contacted Kimble County Game Warden Lee Morrison about a turkey hunter who killed a white-tailed deer out of season. Upon arriving, the hunter said he was hunting turkey and saw a sika deer. He was told he could kill exotics so he shot the deer with his shotgun. Three slugs later, the deer was dead, and the hunter was shocked to discover he had killed a whitetail. The hunter was adamant that he knew what a sika looked like and reasoned the rain had darkened the deer’s coat to make it resemble one. DEAD DEER LINKED BACK TO YOUNG PEOPLE The Trinity County Sheriff’s Office reported a deer that had been shot and dumped on a county road. After a couple of days, someone called Trinity County Game Warden Sam Shanafelt and wanted to divulge valuable information related to the case. The tip pointed to young adults. After a lengthy interview, both people confessed to killing two deer. LATE-NIGHT FLOAT IS ONE WAY TO GET ATTENTION Jasper County sheriff’s officers reported five people stranded on the Neches River to Jasper County Game Warden Chris Fried. The people were not stranded but were floating down the river on tubes at about 1:30 a.m. One of the subjects had to be taken to the hospital for alcohol poisoning, and two others were arrested for public intoxication. MISSING BOATER FOUND DEAD ON LAKE PALESTINE Henderson County Game Wardens Shawn Smith and Dustin Balfanz received a call of a missing fisherman on Lake Palestine. The fisherman was supposed to have been home, but no one had seen him. After the
Hunter’s shooting leads to fabricated story The Kinney County Sheriff’s Office contacted Kinney County Game Warden Rob Frets about a shooting on a ranch. The victim was being transported back to town by his friends. Frets and sheriff’s officers met up with the vehicle and determined the victim was deceased. Witnesses told Frets they Henderson County Sheriff’s Office located his vehicle at a local boat ramp, Smith and Balfanz launched a boat and later located the 52-year-old man deceased in his boat. An investigation into his death was initiated.
WILDLIFE CRIMES, OTHER OFFENSES ALONG NECHES RIVER While patrolling the Neches River, Jasper County Game Wardens Morgan Inman and Chris Fried issued several citations for no personal flotation devices, undersized catfish, no fishing license and possession of drug paraphernalia. When leaving the river, the wardens noticed two vehicles parked on the side of the road. After making contact with the individuals, it was determined that they were in possession of a stolen Xbox taken the night before in a home burglary in Tyler County. The Xbox and suspects were turned over to the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office. LANDOWNER SPIES POACHER IN THE ACT A landowner witnessed a man dragging an unidentifiable animal across his property and loading it into the back of his vehicle. He called Nacogdoches County Game Warden Randy Stovall to come investigate. Stovall found the blood trail, which turned out to be that of a hog. The landowner was able to provide a vehicle description and license plate number. The man suspected of
and the victim were walking in the woods when they heard a shot and saw the victim fall to the ground. They also reported seeing two people running away. Frets, the sheriff’s officers, state troopers, Border Patrol officers and a Homeland Security helicopter arrived at the camp.
It was determined that the story told by the witnesses was false. Investigators later determined that three men were walking single-file hunting hogs when the last man accidentally discharged a 12-gauge shotgun, striking the victim in the back. The other two men panicked and made up the story.
being the poacher was located at his residence. After a brief interview, he confessed to shooting from the highway onto the landowner’s property.
also reminded to keep all water spinach invoices for two years and advised they may only purchase from permitted water spinach growers.
VELVET BUCK TAKING THE LONG WAY TO TPW A Jasper County state trooper stopped a truck reported to have a deer in the bed. The driver was held until Game Warden Chris Fried could arrive. The driver was found to be in possession of a buck in velvet that he said he had hit the night before and then had to shoot it with a shotgun. He said he was going to take it to the Texas Parks and Wildlife office in Beaumont and turn it in.
DEER BREEDER DUPED BY TRANSPORTER? While inspecting deer breeder facilities, Kimble County Game Warden Lee Morrison came across a breeder with several deer with improper documentation and no tattoos. The landowner purchased the deer from a local deer transporter and, in good faith, believed the deer were legal. In addition to the deer not being marked, the transport permit had been completed but not activated. Several citations were issued to the transporter, and the investigation continues into other deer in the facility and other activities of the transporter.
JUNKIES WERE HANGING OUT AT HUNTING CLUB Newton County Game Warden Ellis Powell arrested two women he saw inside a hunting club. They were in possession of three bags of methamphetamine, needles and glass pipes. WARDENS HELP INSPECT PANHANDLE GROCERS Potter County Game Wardens Steve Urben and Shane Lewis assisted a federal inspector at food stores in Amarillo. Numerous violations were reported, such as improperly labeled water spinach (either not labeled at all or labeled ong choy), no retail fish dealer’s license and no finfish import license. Citations and educational warnings were issued. Retailers were
GIRLS RESCUED AFTER CAR IS FLOODED Three teenage girls were in need of rescue when their car was washed off the roadway. Young County Game Warden Brent Isom was patrolling in the area in his flat-bottom boat and was on the scene within five minutes of the 911 call. Isom joined forces with Young County Sheriff Bryan Walls and state trooper Cpl. Bryan Little. The three officers launched the boat into the swollen creek and traveled upstream to the girls’ location. The girls were holding on to an electrical transmission line tower. The
three girls were unharmed yet cold and scared. They were lowered into the patrol boat and transported back to their parents, who were on the bank watching the event unfold.
DOWN FROM STATE PARK, TROUBLE ON THE RIVER San Saba County Game Warden Brad Reeves and Lampasas County Game Warden Jim Lindeman patrolled the Colorado River downriver from Colorado Bend State Park. The wardens confiscated about 1,200 feet of illegal trotlines and seven illegal jug lines. WILD LIVES SAVED IN EAST TEXAS A few signs it is spring in East Texas: During one week, Titus County Game Warden Jerry Ash received several orphaned young animals, including an immature owl, two small squirrels, four young raccoons and three newborn rabbits. Morris County Game Warden Michael Serbanic also received a family of orphaned baby possums and is raising them. SMALL BOAT NO MATCH FOR ROUGH WATER Haskell County Game Warden Ryan Peacock and Throckmorton County Game Warden Shea Guinn responded to a stranded boater on Lake Stamford in Haskell County. The vessel was 7 feet long and had capsized during a storm. The operator and vessel were rescued, brought back to the marina and dropped off at camp with many thanks from the operator. VICTIM WAS NOT CARRYING ID Val Verde County Game Wardens Roger Nicholas and Bradley Durst responded to a possible drowning on the Rio Grande. One male victim was located but did not have any type of identification. An autopsy has been ordered.
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PRODUCTS Product Spotlight
REMINGTON T-85 SHOOTING GLASSES These protective glasses from Radians offer five interchangeable lenses (clear, smoke, amber, orange and copper) for different lighting and shooting conditions. The glasses have adjustable temples, a rubber nosepiece and rubber temple pads. They sell for about $30. (877) 723.4267 www.radians.com
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BABY LINE THRU SWIMBAIT The Optimum Bait Co. has introduced a 7-inch version of its popular BLT swimbait. The company says this one will tempt the biggest bass in the lake. The larger bait moves more water yet maintains much of the original’s signature frantic-baitfish pulsating action. The Line Thru series was designed with a sleeve that allows anglers to pass the line through and tie it directly to a treble hook to help keep fish hooked during the fight to the livewell. The fresh or saltwater swimbait, available in various colors, sells for about $11. (951) 676-6384 www.optimumbaits.com
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ELIMITICK HUNTING CLOTHING Gamehide’s newest hunting gear promises to protect against ticks and other pests that emerge in warmer weather. The clothing is made from a fabric that uses Insect Shield technology to bond an odorless repellent to the fibers. The repellent is effective through about 70 washings, beyond the life of the garment. By protecting against deer ticks and other pests, the ElimiTick clothing will also help hunters evade Lyme disease and other maladies spread by insects. Items in this clothing line include five-pocket hunting pants (about $80), a button-up shirt (about $70), and a long sleeve T-shirt (about $50). (888) 267-3591 www.gamehide.com
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SACRIFICE PACK Badlands’ new 3-pound, 9-ounce pack is for backcountry hunters who need a light, comfortable and stable pack with plenty of capacity but not a lot of weight. With a heat-treated steel frame, a rugged 900-denier ripstop fabric that resists ripping and a hypervent suspension that reduces heat transfer to the user’s back, this pack was made for multi-day hunts. It offers 3,500 cubic inches of capacity and is designed to haul loads of a little more than 60 pounds. The pack, which also has a bow and rifle carrier, sells for about $270. (800) 269-1875 www.badlandspacks.com
AT-TC PRO Thompson Center/Pro Hunter Takedown Case
Americase’s new AT-TC PRO Thompson Center/Pro Hunter Takedown Case gives traveling hunters a sturdy, secure way to transport exceptional firearms around the world. T/C takedown cases will hold Encores, Pro Hunters and similar takedown guns. Made of aircraft-grade aluminum, the case is powder-coated in black. It has a spring-loaded handle and twist latches that can be padlocked. A Mil-Spec Santoprene Gasket protects the contents from dirt, dust and moisture — an Americase exclusive. Inside, black foam and carpet line the case, which can hold one stock and two barrels. A covered storage compartment sits beneath the fore-end cradle for carrying accessories. The case weighs 16 pounds and has outside dimensions of 34 1/4 inches by 8 3/4 inches by 6 1/2 inches. The case sells for $399. The nationally known brand is made at the company’s Waxahachie headquarters. To find out more and for ordering, call (800) 972-2737 or visit the company’s Web site at www. americase.com.
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CONSERVATION
Duck Jam hits the big time
News in Brief
Willie Nelson draws crowd for Ducks Unlimited By Craig Nyhus
LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS The fifth annual Duck Jam in College Station, an outdoor concert and event designed to help attract more young people to waterfowl hunting and wetlands conservation, had success the past few years as its organizers were able to book popular talent. But it hit the big time this year when a legend of the music industry came to them. “We had tried to book Willie Nelson since 2006,” said Cody Roberts, a regional director for Ducks Unlimited and organizer of the event. “Last year, I wrote him a letter explaining DU and what we do. This year, his manager called me.” They were able to work out the details, and Nelson, who likes to shoot skeet with his band while on the road, performed as the headliner at Wolf Pen Creek National Convention Amphitheater Gaylord Texan Resort in College and Convention Center Station to in Grapevine record crowds. May 28-30 Rich O’Toole, (800) 45DUCKS an avid waterwww.ducks.org fowl hunter, led off Saturday’s concerts and showed his popularity with the college-age crowd. “Saturday’s concert was a sellout,” Roberts said. “The amphitheater holds about 8,000. And more than 14,400 people came through the gates that day.”
Ducks Unlimited
TOP ART: The rainbow trout artwork by Anh Thu Do of Liberty placed first among high school sophomores, juniors and seniors in the 2010 State-Fish Art Contest.
Winners picked in art contest
SHOTGUN WILLIE: Willie Nelson plays April 24 at Duck Jam, a fundraiser and publicity event for Ducks Unlimited. Nelson likes to shoot skeet while on tour. Photo by Breca Tracy/Starr Photographie.
The two-day event featured everything from log rolling to barbecue cookoffs and topped expectations. “On Friday, we had about 5,000 people,” Roberts said. “That’s what we had on Saturday last year (when Clay Walker headlined the concerts).” Roberts said it looks like next year will be a three-day event, and he is already booking bands. More Duck Jams are in store. At DU’s National Convention in Grapevine later this month, entertainment was planned but Roberts convinced the wetland con-
servation group to try to set up an event the general public could attend. The plans fell together over the past month, and on May 28 a scaled-down version of Duck Jam will be held in the parking lot at Grapevine’s Bass Pro Shops. Roger Creager and Reckless Kelly are set to perform, along with kid’s group Trout Fishing in America. “We’ll be able to accommodate two to three thousand people along with a VIP tent for people from the convention,” Roberts said.
Officials at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center recently selected winners in the Texas division of the 2010 Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest. The winners for grades four through six were, in first place, Nasa Xu of Katy; second place, Michelle Cho of Killeen; third place, Cain Schoenfeld of Cuero. Winners for grades seven through nine were, in first place, Brady King of Livingston; second place, Callie Clayton of Dallas; third place, John Herndon of Liberty. For grades 10 through 12, the winners were, in first place, Anh Thu Do of Liberty; second place, Meagan Bishop of Dallas; third place, Bonnie Leung of Austin. Winners receive cash prizes, and first-place winners also receive a travel allowance to attend the national contest and exposition, the State-Fish Art Expo, which will take place at TFFC in Athens July 16-17. — Texas Parks and Wildlife report
TPW taps new fisheries boss The acting director of the Inland Fisheries Division of Texas Parks and Wildlife recently earned the job outright, TPW said. Gary E. Saul took over May 10 the position he filled temporarily since Jan. 1, when Phil Durocher retired as head of the division. Saul was deputy division director since 2004. — Texas Parks and Wildlife report
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NATIONAL
Venice still fishing despite oil spill
National News in Brief
Guides losing business as media go negative
IGFA award goes to lure maker Rapala
By Thomas Phillips LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
The news is bad, but the fishing’s still good. Fishing guides in Louisiana are fighting a high tide of negative publicity in the wake of an enormous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded April 20 and the well began leaking about 200,000 gallons of crude each day. The spill formed an oil slick that covered thousands of miles of Gulf waters and was starting to come ashore. But the looming disaster is taking its time. Fishing guides in the area are still on the water — if their clients hadn’t canceled. “You’re absolutely right — there’s a perception even here in Louisiana: ‘I heard y’all shut down.’ That’s absolutely not true,” said Gray Long, captain of the 31-foot Go Long. Long had lost three trips after news of the spill broke. And his phone had stopped ringing, he said. “The mood at first was despair, but now it’s turned into anger, animosity for some of the media,” Long said. Media reports — many with a Venice, La., dateline — indicated that southeastern Louisiana was in imminent danger from the spill. Fishing was shut down east of the Mississippi River by federal officials. And many reports concerned commercial fishing, not sportfishing. Another Venice guide, Capt. Boola, registered a similar complaint. “At the moment, and don’t take this the wrong way, the media is affecting our business more than the oil is,” Boola said. “There’s probably more false news out there than is going on.” Boola was twiddling his thumbs, he said, because customers had canceled their trips. And no one was calling him either, he said. “I’m actually sitting at home right now,” he said. “I should be working.”
OPEN WATER: Sportfishing near many of the deepwater rigs offshore from Venice, La., continues despite what some national news organizations are reporting. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
Some, but not all, salt waters around Venice and the Mississippi Delta were closed to fishing. Federal waters — beginning 9 miles offshore — were closed east and southeast of Venice. State waters were closed in some areas but open in many. The east side, where the oil is expected to have the greatest impact, had the most closures. It is also more popular for sportfishing, Boola said. “There’s just more options,” he said. “It’s just a more fertile area. And don’t get me wrong, the fishing on the west side is still good. It’s just the east side has more options.” Neither Boola nor Long had seen any oil, but Joan Strohmeyer at the Lighthouse Lodge had seen evidence of it. News crews and cleanup workers have supplanted anglers at the motel as they make it their home away from home. “For a while there we were inundated,” Strohmeyer said. Although the hotel is not lacking for bookings, the different breed of guest has a different effect
than anglers. Anglers leave in the morning and return in the afternoon or evening, Strohmeyer said. Reporters and other workers set up shop in the lobby after breakfast and wear out couches as they come and go throughout the day. They increase the workload for hotel workers. “This is much busier than we’re used to because of the people (going) in and out,” Strohmeyer said. At Ellzey Marine and Hardware, the economic impact was being felt more than the environmental one. Anglers were still coming in, said the owner, Ray Arizi, and so were the media — a boost for business. “It’s up,” Arizi said. Non-anglers were spending money on the store’s food aisles. The store also sells fishing gear. Some anglers had seen a sheen of oil on the water and driven through it, Arizi said. Others had seen nothing. “I asked some anglers yesterday,” Arizi said. “They didn’t see anything.”
The International Game and Fish Association presented its latest annual Lifetime Achievement Award to an immense presence in the world of world record fish: Rapala. Rapala lures are responsible for more IGFA world records than any other lure manufacturer in history, holding world record catches on every continent except Antarctica, according to IGFA. With the honor, Rapala becomes the first and only lure manufacturer to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award by the IGFA. The seventh annual World Record Achievement Awards, held in April, honored individuals with outstanding angling achievements for 2009. — Rapala report
Bass Pro, Cabela’s building in Texas The Dallas suburb of Allen and the Rio Grande Valley will be home to new locations of two top outdoors retailers. Cabela’s will build its third Texas location in Allen. The Nebraskabased company expects to open the 100,000-square-foot store in early spring of 2011 at U.S. 75 and Village Drive. Bass Pro Shops will open its sixth Texas store in Harlingen later this year or early next. The store will be from 130,000 to 150,000 square feet at Cameron Crossing retail development to be located at the intersection of U.S. 83 and 77. — Staff report
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HEROES
ASHIA DE LA GARZA, 9, harvested a javelina in Hidalgo County that weighed about 40 pounds with a .22 magnum at 25 yards from a popup blind.
MADISON SNEDDON, 11, of Spring caught two black drum, weighing 24 and 28 pounds in Bolivar.
GIB LEWIS of Fort Worth harvested a 34-pound Eastern turkey at Rio Rojo Rancho on opening day. The bird had a 10 1/4-inch beard and 1 1/8-inch spurs.
PAULA WATTS of San Antonio caught a 5-pound bass on a swim jig at Lake Amistad.
AUSTIN OWENS of Boerne shot this buck near Comfort.
Share an adventure
TREVOR YETTERBERG of San Antonio was fishing with his father, Jake, and grandfather, Butch, on Easter weekend at McQueeney Lake when he landed this catfish. The catfish was caught on a crawfish fished on the bottom.
CHRIS SWIFT of Jefferson County harvested two gobblers this season in Goliad County. The bird pictured had 1-inch spurs, a 9 1/2-inch beard and weighed 19 pounds. His second bird had 1 3/8-inch spurs, a 10 1/2 inch beard and weighed 20 pounds.
Want to share hunting and fishing photos with other Lone Star Outdoor News readers? Send them to us with contact and caption information. editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com Heroes, Lone Star Outdoor News, 9304 Forest Lane, Suite 114 South, Dallas, TX, 75243
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May 14, 2010
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ADVENTURE
FRONTIER HUNT: Hunting northeastern New Mexico out of teepees can be an exciting way to connect with an ancient way of hunting. When outfitter Steve Jones sets up the camp, some things are certain: the accommodations will be spectacular, the hunting will be fun, the food will be good, and the scene will be unforgettable. Bottom left, Jones, left, and Kevin Howard examine a bird. Bottom right, Pete Angle takes aim. Photos by David J. Sams, LSON.
Primitive setup makes for rich experience Teepees an integral part of camp on New Mexico turkey hunt By David J. Sams
LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS The camp, especially the tents, usually isn’t considered the highlight of a hunting trip. But when an invitation came to hunt Merriam’s turkeys in northeastern New Mexico, one condition stood out. We would be camping in teepees. Outfitter Steve Jones set up his modern teepees not far from where American Indians from ages past set up theirs in northeastern New Mexico. We were there to hunt, the same as our predecessors had done for ages on the same mesas and canyons. We could have stayed in a fancy lodge or a high-technology wall tent, but Jones takes a different approach to camping out. The atmosphere created by the teepees makes for one of the coolest camps in the world. A tribal elder blesses the teepees’ poles and makes sure their doorways face east, following tradition. I kept listening to hear a drumbeat in the distance to signal that we had drifted back in time. Jones’ camp is a throwback in many ways, but he brings along modern conveniences, too. One teepee holds a shower, and cots ring the walls inside others. Instead of a small campfire in the center of each
It must be a tradition for turkey guides to take cat naps in the field. Heads resting against trees or elevated off the ground by binoculars or other gear, they doze while others hunt. While others were sleeping, a tom moved in to my left. For a left-handed shooter, it’s hard to swing around to make that shot. No bird that time.
teepee — which are made of canvas instead of animal hide — these have a Coleman lantern for light. A large wall tent holds the dining room and kitchen, and a small one wraps privacy and a windbreak around a flush toilet. Jones travels the state like a hunting nomad, taking his camp to the game. He knows the land and the animals he tracks well. On our first hunt, Jones noted as we drove up a steep, rocky road that a gobbler always stood by a particular green gate. Sure enough, two were waiting for us when we arrived. We passed on them and continued to our hunting spot. The first night, we roosted one bird. We returned the next morning, and he came to the call. The next day, mountain showers showed themselves. They brought a burst of rain to the dry mountain air.
shirt dries quickly. What better way to test that but to make it wet? After a 45-minute hike up a mountain, the shirt was thoroughly soaked under my turkey vest. Thirty minutes after removing the vest and riding down the mountain in a pickup, the shirt was bone dry. After testing the clothing, the birds tested us.
Wild landscape The terrain was rugged: rocky mesas and canyons surrounded by flowing grasslands and spiked with trees. The birds had plenty of insects and vegetation to eat. After that first bird, we decided to scout for more. We put Under Armour’s new turkey hunting clothes to the test. The tag said the
On the hunt The gobblers reportedly had not been hunted, but they were just as tough as any other birds. Everything was henned up. Single birds wouldn’t talk. Birds that were vocal were just too smart. Typically a hunter would look for turkeys’ roost in a creek bed with tall trees. Here, they were at the tops of
canyon rims in relatively short trees. Early one morning we found a bird in such a situation. We gobbled once, and when he responded we could tell he was on the roost. When we moved in closer, his response let us know he was on the ground. We knew the tree was short because we did not hear a wing flap when he came down. He just hopped. I moved up, and Jones stayed put. I sat, waiting for the bird to come in, with a Browning Silver Infinity resting on my knee. When we saw him, he was coming straight for me, fanned out. At 35 feet, I gave a mouth call. The bird extended his neck while gobbling. I aimed at his head and pulled the trigger. My first bird of the trip was in the bag.
Trying again We moved into a park — an open area surrounded by trees in the mountains — to look for another gobbler. We snuck up on one with a few hens he was sticking close to. He was 58 yards out for the shot. When I pulled the trigger, he flew. He fell from the air on the second shot. Lunch that day was a delicious meal of fresh Merriam’s turkey. The cook — working from the fully equipped kitchen tent — cut the breast meat into strips and chickenfried them in peanut oil. Cream gravy on the side. The strips were cooked in batches, making for an extended mealtime of eating a little, waiting for the next round, and eating again. Pure pleasure. At night, there wasn’t a lot of staying up late. That’s rare for a lot of hunting camps, but this one stayed peacefully quiet, perhaps out of reverence for the history surrounding our camp. We hunted. We enjoyed each others’ company. We connected with the land, the birds, the ancestors who came before us. That’s something no one can manufacture.
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May 14, 2010
Page 19
ADVENTURE
Birds flying low and fast in Hill Country Quail, pheasant, chukar join fine dogs on bird shoot By Thomas Phillips LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
The pointer’s back leg quivered as it held the point. In front of him, somewhere, was one (or more) of three kinds of birds: quail, pheasant and chukar. The well-trained dog probably knew; the hunter did not. On command, the flushing dog stepped in, nosed around and startled the bird, sending it skyward. The scene repeated often that overcast afternoon at Joshua Creek Ranch, in the Hill Country near Boerne. The dogs seemed to be pointing and flushing birds on a schedule, orchestrating flushes as if they were seasoned party hosts. And that’s pretty much how the rest of our stay at Joshua Creek went in mid-February. The birds flew well, the rainbow trout were biting, and the axis deer were almost completely uncooperative, which made for a challenging, memorable hunt and a satisfying three days in the Hill Country. The first afternoon was spent following the pointers as they sniffed out birds through a hunting field on a bird shoot hosted by the ranch’s owners. In the field, clumps of tall grasses spread out between scattered trees and the occasional cactus. The ranch’s namesake creek flowed along one edge of the field. A steep bank across the creek on the south side of the field and trees on the north side walled us in to a private shooting ground. Our guide was the ranch’s marketing director, Richard Allen. Allen used dogs he owns for the hunt. Wired and inspired, the dogs took us through a field at the ranch pointing quail, pheasant and chukar. David, sporting a .410, and I, with a 28-gauge, became audience members for a fine show. We were there to shoot birds, and their performance was exceptional. But the dogs stole the show. One would point, and a sixth sense in the other dogs would prompt them to honor their mate. One would freeze, and moments later the others would do the likewise. Sometimes, you would approach behind a dog on point and marvel at its poise. Caught at an awkward angle, a back leg would twitch rapidly under the strain and effort. The first birds, a couple of quail, came up fast and stayed low. Too low for me. Another point, another flush, and I had my first quail of the day.
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FLYING: The bird shoots at Joshua Creek Ranch are fast, fun and friendly when the ranch’s good dogs are involved. Top photo, Cricket the flushing dog brings in a pheasant. Bottom left, dogs hold a point as a hunter approaches. Bottom center, inside the Covey House. Photos by Thomas Phillips and David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
At least twice we had covey flushes of five birds. Most birds broke fast and low. For some, we lowered our guns and watched as contented spectators. We learned it was OK to watch the flush and enjoy without firing. The birds were exciting, and the dogs were a joy. Allen worked them hard, herding them around the field with the correction of a drill sergeant and the praise of a daddy. The dogs earned the praise. Oftentimes, separate dogs would locate birds at separate locations at the same time. As the hunters approached the target of one dog’s point, the other dog would hold,
sometimes for several minutes, waiting for the hunters to catch up. Birds came from all corners of the field. We found them in single, small clumps of grass; thick stands of tall grass; and around the bases of cedar trees. The birds ran and caused untold trouble and challenges for the dogs. We wrapped up the shoot back at the pickup. All told, we had 12 pheasants, five chukar and 23 quail, a beautiful bag, punctuating an enjoyable hunt among gentlemen, good dogs and the great outdoors. From there, we made our way to the lodge and dinner. As the kitchen prepared our meal, we had good con-
versation with another hunting party — a husband and wife from Austin and their adult son from San Antonio — while taking in the warmth of the lodge’s massive stone fireplace. The day had been chilly and overcast, so the heat radiating out from the fireplace’s limestone was eagerly welcomed. Between the hunts and the fishing time, Joshua Creek Ranch provided comfortable accommodations. The lodging and food were on the upscale end of the hunting lodge spectrum. The dining room served chukar with chimichurri sauce for dinner, with venison chili and stew for lunches. Entrees used main ingredi-
ents befitting the ranch: wild game. That facet of the menu follows a request from Joe Kercheville, who owns the ranch with his wife, Ann. He wanted his lodge to serve dishes that reflect what guests are pursuing. Extra touches like these — including the taxidermy, the coordinated dining menus — add up to an immersion in a fine outdoors experience. Much like bird hunting is about more than shooting birds, staying at Joshua Creek Ranch is about more than hunting and fishing. It’s about enjoying a way of life. For more information, call Joshua Creek Ranch at (830) 537-5090 or visit www.joshuacreek.com.
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LARGEMOUTH BASS
Banner season for big bass in Texas Lake Fork O.H. Ivie Reservoir Ben Blaine of Merkel 14.02 pounds 12 to 15 feet, 48 degrees DD-22 January 16 Wesley Pullig of Eden 13.09 pounds Jig with an Xcite Baits with a raptor tail craw January 21 Randy Jackson of Mineral Wells 13.03 pounds 3 feet, 43 degrees Black and blue Easy Jig February 27 Brian Hall of Bronte 14.22 pounds 9 feet Zoom Brush Hog March 27 Raymond Ivy of Brownwood 13.06 pounds 7 feet Strike King swim bait April 5
Steve Hand of Snyder 13.22 pounds 10 feet Zoom 6-inch lizard April 3
Randy Williams of Staunton, Ill. 13.0 pounds 3 feet Senko March 16
Mark Worthington of Abilene 13.68 pounds 10 feet 7-inch red shad Senko April 3
James Quisenberry of Emory 15.61 pounds March 22
Lake Nocona
Bill Hunter III of Sweetwater 13.04 pounds April 6 Sam Callaway of Corpus Christi 13.34 pounds Zoom Magnum 8-inch lizard in watermelon/red April 9
Private lake Near Ben Wheeler Lanny Smalley of Athens, Ala. 13 pounds September 28
Jerry Bales of Hico 16.08 pounds Berkley Power Worm April 30
Purtis Creek Lake Michael Banks of Jacksonville 13.6 pounds Crankbait March 9
Wesley Pullig of Eden 13.24 pounds Xcite Baits raptor tail craw April 30
Private lake
Lake LBJ Lake Amistad Robert Robles of Del Rio 13.5 pounds 30 feet Amistad Tackle Flutter Spoon February 21 Teddy Silcox of Del Rio 13.02 pounds 28 feet, 52 degrees Boudreaux bait February 27
Joseph Burgi of Del Rio 13.34 pounds 20 feet Pumpkinseed Berkley Power Worm April 4
Lloyd Ward of Horseshoe Bay 13.7 pounds 3 feet Jig March 7
Marion Merritt of Florida 13.87 pounds 14 feet 10-inch Berkley Power Worm in green pumpkin April 21
Lake Austin Carl Adkins of San Marcos 13.1 pounds 7 to 12 feet, 51 degrees Soft plastic lure February 27 Jim McDaniel of Cedar Park 13.01 pounds April 11
Lake Casa Blanca Jesse Garcia-Perez of Laredo 14.79 pounds 8 to 10 feet 7-inch junebug PowerBait worm Lake record March 24
Texas produced dozens of lunker bass over the last few months, putting a few lucky anglers on the fish of a lifetime. A few lakes stand out from where the fish were recorded. O.H. Ivie Reservoir in West Texas churned out big bass often this winter and early spring. All told, 10 anglers caught 11 largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or heavier at the lake, and one angler caught two there. Elsewhere in Texas, the bite was on big-time at Lake
James E. Hollis of Longview 13.2 pounds Lake record March 20 Carl Clark of Marshall 15.13 pounds 5 feet Red Rat-L-Trap Lake record March 26
Jason Barnes of Yantis 13.23 pounds 2 feet Homemade jig March 31
Don Wilborn of Sherman 13.34 pounds 8 feet Spinnerbait March 29
Lake O’ the Pines
Amistad, where four fat bass were caught. Perennial producer Lake Fork also put up three giants. The chart above shows top catches from around the state. Included are the angler’s name, date of catch and weight of fish. The bait and water depth are included, if the angler would divulge that prized information. For photos of the anglers and stories about their big fish, visit LSONews.com
Anderson County Paul Detwiler of Tyler 14.43 pounds Strike King lipless crankbait November 16
Lake Livingston Robert Laird Sr. of Livingston 13.19 pounds 6 to 8 feet Bagley crankbait February 21
Caddo Lake Keith Burns of Jefferson 16.17 pounds 5 feet Senko Biggest of the season March 20
Choke Canyon Reservoir Richard Flores of Seguin 15.09 pounds 12 feet 10-inch plastic worm February 6
Falcon Lake Debbie Baker of Wartrace, Tenn. 13.26 pounds 25 feet Brushhog December 20
Bryan Aubin of Zapata 14.4 pounds 6 feet Watermelon red lizard January 19
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Fish farms Continued from Page 6
Customers take their fish home in bags of water, and more fish or a longer trip means the fish go in a larger bag, because they have more oxygen. “There’s just so much to it it’s hard to explain every little detail,” Herrmann said. Part of the trip to a feed store is helping customers take care of their fish. Although the sale days are usually busy, workers answer questions about fish care. “The education is in between all the sales,” Herrmann said. Feed store sales are not a big part of the company’s business, Herrmann said. Other services include direct fish stocking, pond design, aquatic vegetation control, electrofishing surveys and lake management. Feed store sales, in addition to helping customers, also gives the company a chance to promote its other services, Herrmann said. “I like going to the fish sales,” Herrmann said. “It’s a lot of work, especially when you have a big sale, trying to get everybody taken care of, but all of our customers are so friendly and work with us.” Business has been up this year, she said.
Yellowfin
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anglers were treated to a dazzling light show. The weather cooperated for the most part, Hale said. The ride out was a little bumpy, he said, but it was smooth the rest of the trip. Fishing out of Galveston, Johnny Williams had less success for yellowfin, but caught lots of blackfin tuna on a 36-hour trip early this spring. “The yellowfin fishing is pretty much nil, at least that weekend anyway,” he said. Williams’ boat, the Capt. John, fished around deepwater spar rigs such as Manson and Boomvang at 120 nautical miles out and Gunnison, which is about 140 nautical miles out. For Williams, the yellowfin bite can be sporadic — “Sometimes, it’s just like that.” But for him, the species is a bonus. His main focus is blackfin. His next trip is set for May 15-16. And he would like to pick up a few yellowfin. “I’m hoping so,” he said. “We don’t have to catch many to beat our last trip, which was zero.” On the boat Bidnez, Capt. Bill Cannan has picked up mediumsized yellowfin from 115 to 130 nautical miles out. “The yellowfin bite has been real good,” he said. His biggest this year has been an 80-pounder, which hit a blue over pink jig. Most of his others have been in the range of 30 to 80 pounds. The weather has cooperated for Cannan, too, he said. That has helped him speed out to the floating rigs he fishes offshore. He runs his 36-foot Yellowfin at 50 knots on calm days. Once he arrives, the fishing is on until late in the night, or as long as the anglers can take it. They cast poppers when the yellowfin are on top during the evening, diamond jigs when they go deeper, bait if the fish don’t take artificials, and trolled lures if none of the above is working. “Usually, it’s a fish-til-you-drop kind of day,” he said.
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“Because of the rainfall we’ve had, our fish sales have been larger than normal,” she said. The added attraction of having fish sales also helps the host feed store by bringing in customers. “It works out well because they can pick up supplies (such as feed for fish) at the same time,” said Jimmy Sanfilippo with Martin Farm and Ranch in Edinburg. Arms Bait Co. and Fish Farm takes a different approach to its road show. Instead of filling orders at feed stores, it coordinates with soil and water conservation districts throughout the state, said employee Ben Templeton. “It’s usually small orders for smaller ponds,” Templeton said. “If it’s anything big, we usually take it in bulk and take it to the customer’s pond.” Arms visits 30 towns and sets up at the SWCD offices, which manage the sales. Business has been brisk, too, Templeton said. Once-dry farm ponds have been renewed, and owners are restocking them. Bringing the fish to the buyers, at least partway, helps the consumer and the seller, Templeton said. “We do our best not to have delivery fees,” he said.
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Quail
ing,” Huffman said. “It’s not all about getting published in scientific journals.” Continued from Page 4 LaCoste, a quail hunter himself, has a perment tool, so that’s kind of why we’re big on sonal interest in the work. He managed huntit,” Huffman said. “And we’re trying to kind ing ranches in South Texas — he guided George of quantify the response to actually put some H.W. Bush and Dick Cheney on bird hunts numbers on the result that you get.” — before moving to West Texas. For him, the The goal is to take quail management work is a matter for the mind and the heart. beyond general principles. “It’s a tough quandary, but it’s “We’re trying to back it up, not something that I personally think just say, ‘Hey, it’s good. It’s natural. is worth fighting for,” he said. “It It’s got to be good,’” Huffman said. is frustrating. It sounds like a lot of “We want to be able to give people doom and gloom. I just try to keep an idea of what their return on their the chin up and fight the good ■ At the ranch: Visit investment is going to be.” fight.” Other research is looking into a LSONews.com to For Huffman, who rarely hunts, see video of work at mix of theories. Coyotes, instead the motivation comes from the of hunting quail or eating chicks, Rolling Plains Quail birds. Research Ranch. might be keeping nest-raiding “There’s plenty of other species mesomammals — skunks, racthat are declining too that are not coons, possums and foxes — in check. Horny game species, they’re not charismatic,” he toads have a similar story of decline compared said. “Their resources aren’t available so there’s to quail. Are they linked? How are rattlesnakes a chance that they’re just going to drop off. But affecting quail? How effective are restoration if we can figure out what’s going on with quail, efforts with wild-trapped quail and pen-raised I have a feeling it’s going to be applicable to a birds? lot of other species of birds and maybe some Through the work, Huffman, LaCoste and other things as well.” the team of researchers stay focused on helpThe good fight has LaCoste, Huffman and ing the birds and doing it in a way Texans can other workers at the ranch, including interns, appreciate. checking and re-baiting bird traps twice a day; “The mission of the ranch is all about hunt- recording weight, sex and location for birds
VIDEO
BIRD RESEARCH: Among the data recorded about quail at the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch are birds’ ages, which is identified by looking at certain markings on their wing feathers. Photo by Thomas Phillips, LSON.
they catch and collecting their feces; and tracking quail movements. The days are busy, certainly, but they provide plenty of time and intrigue for asking still more questions about quail. They also hope to bridge the gap between academic research and
ranchers in the fight to save quail. “I think someone’s going to figure it out, and I personally would like to be a part of that,” Huffman said. “If I can’t take personal credit for it, at least I can be supportive of the effort.”
Hens
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ducted extensive studies on nesting turkeys, said the last time nesting conditions were this good was in 2007. “Most of the breeding has already been done this year,” he said. “Hens can retain sperm for 56 days after breeding to produce eggs. “I have observed breeding as early as the last weekend in January, and we had one hen in Bandera several years ago that produced her fourth nest in the beginning of July. The nesting period varies year by year.” Both Hardin and Dreibelbis pointed out that a hen will lay one egg per day until she produces a good clutch. She then sits on the nest for 28 days before the chicks are hatched. The young turkeys will not be able to fly until they are about two weeks old. “The highest mortality is during that first two weeks when they can’t fly,” Hardin said. “If we have a hen make it to the fall with three or four poults, we consider that an excellent year.” Dreibelbis said that while nesting conditions are good, he believes the hen trying to hatch 19 eggs that has been observed by TPW biologists probably is a victim of nest dumping. “Another hen will lay eggs in a hen’s nest and move on. They get the benefits of reproduction but don’t have to put in any effort,” he said. “We found a nest in Kerr County one year that had 26 eggs in it. The hen sitting on it hatched 17 chicks. When we conducted DNA testing on the egg shells, we found that the eggs had come from three different hens.” With all the indications pointing toward a sharp increase in the estimated 450,000 Rio Grande turkeys in the state, Robert Linder, president of the Texas State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, said his members are anticipating a healthy population of birds in coming years. “We have a great turkey population in Texas and these conditions are just perfect for a good hatch,” he said. “The key elements are good habitat and having lots of insects and seeds available for the young birds. “Those old hens can read that and know what to do.”
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DATEBOOK May 14-16
Great Outdoors Expo Horseshoe Center, Midland (806) 253-1322 www.silverspurtradeshows.com Legend of Lake Fork Big Bass Tournament Fundraiser for the Wish to Fish Foundation (903) 765-2764 www.legendoflakefork.com
May 14
Court Appointed Special Advocates of Denton County Pulling for Kids sporting clays fundraiser Dallas Gun Club, Lewisville (940) 243-2272, ext. 109LBarker@casadenton.org
May 15-16
Bowhunter education Weatherford Pre-registration required (214) 358-0174
May 15
6th annual Wildlife Extravaganza Photo contest and activities to benefit the wildlife management associations of Bastrop and Caldwell counties. Riverbend Park, Smithville (512) 332-7280 meredith.longoria@tpwd.state.tx.us National Wild Turkey Federation Women in the Outdoors Camp Gilmont, Gilmer (903) 668-3624 ajuju01@sbcglobal.net Rusty Lowe Ranch, Clarksville (903) 249-1466 angie_bishopchc@hotmail.com Bud Priddy Memorial One Fly Contest Nueces River, Camp Wood (210) 479-3062 info@alamoflyfishers.org Northeast Houston Baptist Church Annual Sportsman’s Day (381) 812-8688 www.nehbc.org
May 20
Dallas Safari Club Annual Trophy and Photography Competition Awards Bent Tree Country Club, Dallas (972) 980-9800 bkimmel@biggame.org Golden Triangle Chapter Coastal Conservation Association Fundraiser Beaumont Civic Center (409) 454-8198 (713) 301-7858
May 22
Arabia Shrine Sportsmen Sixth annual fishing tournament Matagorda Harbor www.arabiashrinesportsmen.com Pineywoods Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation Women in the Outdoors Texas Forest Service, Hudson (936) 422-4843 gkbrock@hughes.net
May 25
Fredericksburg Ducks Unlimited Raffle Night Turner Hall (830) 644-8811 croberts@ducks.org
May 27
San Antonio Chapter Texas Deer Association Fundraiser Leon Springs Dance Hall www.texasdeerassociation.com Laredo Chapter Coastal Conservation Association Fundraiser Laredo Civic Center (956) 763-5555
May 28-30
Ducks Unlimited Sporting Expo Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center, Grapevine www.ducks.org
May 29
Third Coast Fishing Tournament Bluff’s Landing, Corpus Christi (361) 992-5152 www.winthirdcoast.com Brush Country Chapter Coastal Conservation Association Baffin Bay Shootout fishing tournament SeaWind RV Park, Loyola Beach Preregistration required (361) 592-0282
June 2
Houston Safari Club Monthly meeting HESS Club (713) 623-8844 info@houstonsafariclub.org
June 5-6
Bowhunter education Pottsboro Pre-registration required (214) 358-0174
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May 14, 2010
Lone✯Star Outdoor News
Gator
Continued from Page 1
This alligator, though, was no pushover. He wouldn’t budge. “I was on him a little too long,” Gonzales said. “The alligator scooted up and got me off-balance. It reared back, and I instinctively put my hand up to protect my face. Suddenly, it felt like someone was driving cold nails through my hand.” Gonzales’ first thought was to roll with the alligator, assuming it would go into a death roll intended to tear off chunks of its victim. Then he had a flash. “I thought, ‘If I don’t pull my hand out, he’s going to tear a limb off,’” Gonzales said. “Even if I left my hand in there, at least I’d have my arm from the wrist up. I was thinking all this stuff. I knew what an alligator can do. I’d seen them tear a deer apart.” His mind set, Gonzales ripped his hand out of the alligator’s mouth. His effort freed his left hand, but left it a bloody pulp. Gonzales rolled away and pulled out a Glock .40 with his right hand as the alligator came
THREAT NEUTRALIZED: After Game Warden Raul “Pinky” Gonzales was attacked by this alligator, he shot it with his Glock .40 and went to a hospital.
after him. “I was able to put two bullets in him, in his mouth and head,” he said. “I double tapped him. I’m grateful for the department’s training. It
all came naturally to me.” With the alligator stopped dead in its tracks, Gonzales wrapped his hand in a shirt from his pickup. Bernal dragged the animal into a
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ditch, stunned at the chain of events but not surprised by Gonzales’ feat. “I think it was more than training,” Bernal said. “It’s just who he is. He’s the embodiment of a Texas game warden.” Gonzales contacted his supervisor, Capt. Henry Balderamas, who lived nearby. “He looked like he had been in a tussle,” Balderamas said. Besides the bloody shirt wrapped around his hand, Gonzales’ gums could be seen through a cut lip. The alligator had also fractured his jaw, broke one tooth down to the root and damaged two others. Balderamas loaded Gonzales into his vehicle and drove him to Citizens Medical Center in Victoria. “It’s normally a 40-minute trip,” Gonzales said. “He made it in less than 30.” “I kept talking to him, trying to keep him awake,” Balderamas said. “I remember telling him that I wasn’t sure if I knew how to get to the hospital. I knew where it was, of course, but I wanted to keep him talking. I’ve known Pinky almost 20 years. I could
tell by the low tone of his voice that he was in a lot of pain.” Gonzales tried to reassure his captain that he was OK. “The only thing was the way my hand was swelling I thought it might explode,” he said. At the hospital, Gonzales’ injuries led doctors to schedule two surgeries. The first came the next morning. Doctors cleaned out his wounds and sewed up his lip. Surgery to repair Gonzales’ hand, though, was delayed two weeks to ensure there was no infection. The hand, which sustained muscle and nerve damage, had to be flushed and irrigated daily with a saline solution. Gonzales is scheduled to return to work at the end of June. Thanks to a successful operation and intensive physical therapy, he’s aiming for the end of May. It won’t be open season on alligators when he returns, however. “It was my screwup, not the gator’s,” Gonzales said. “It was a painful lesson to learn, but maybe it will make me a better alligator catcher in the future.”
Water
Continued from Page 6
“ephemeral” water on their property could find themselves “suddenly being subject to the jurisdiction of the Corps of Engineers.” Yaich disputed the power grab claim. “If the bill was going to do that, Ducks Unlimited couldn’t possibly support it,” he said. “We’re confident of what the law would do and what it wouldn’t do.” Farmers and ranchers have nothing to fear from the amendment, Yaich said. The house bill preserves existing exemptions for farming and ranching activities, such as building drainage ditches and stock ponds as well as roadways, Yaich said. “If farmers and ranchers didn’t need a permit before 2001, they don’t need to worry about permits if this bill passes,” he said. The Texas Farm Bureau has joined the TWA in opposing the CWA amendment. On its Web site, the TFB announced it was “committed” to defeating the bill. It, too, opposes removing the term “navigable waters” from the act. TFB referred readers to syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer, who argues removing the term would let the federal government expand the CWA “... to apply it to every sinkhole, mud hole, swim hole in America. Probably they’d exclude potholes to leave it in the jurisdiction of locals.” Geoff Mullins of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership said the argument is misguided. “The federal government is supposedly going to regulate everything from birdbaths to tire tracks,” said Mullins, director of policy initiatives. “Our organization has worked to introduce compromises to address some of the concerns, but some of the opposition still chooses to engage in scare tactics.” Mullins said opponents of the original Clean Water Act are trying to sow confusion over the CWA amendment, preferring the current watered-down regulations. “To me, the bill is simple,” Mullins said. “If it was regulated before 2001, it will be regulated in this bill. If it wasn’t, it won’t be. We don’t favor expanding the federal government’s reach.” Brown, who stressed TWA’s support for the CWA without the proposed change, said he’s not disputing the bill’s intent is to restore the act to its pre-2001 status. He questions the bill’s wording, however. “If someone reads it differently and can explain it to me, so be it,” Brown said. “But I believe a judge could read it and say it applies to every molecule of water out there, and that would not be a good thing.”
LSONews.com
LoneâœŻStar Outdoor News
Sun | Moon | Tides
New
Time 9:32 p.m. 10:15 p.m. 11:02 p.m. 11:53 p.m.
Height -0.5 L -0.7 L -0.5 L -0.4 L
9:40 a.m. 10:12 a.m. 10:37 a.m. 10:58 a.m. 6:07 a.m. 7:40 a.m. 9:01 a.m. 8:27 p.m. 9:06 p.m. 9:45 p.m.
2.7 H 2.5 H 2.3 H 2.3 H 1.8 L 2.0 L 2.1 L -0.7 L -0.9 L -0.7 L
Time
Height
4:52 p.m. 5:17 p.m. 5:52 p.m. 11:16 a.m. 11:33 a.m. 11:47 a.m.
1.8 L 1.3 L 0.7 L 2.3 H 2.3 H 2.3 H
Time
Height
8:20 p.m. 2.0 H 10:55 p.m. 2.0 H 6:30 p.m. 0.2 L 7:09 p.m. -0.4 L 7:48 p.m. -0.5 L
May 20
Time 9:58 p.m. 10:41 p.m. 11:28 p.m.
Height -0.4 L -0.6 L -0.4 L
09:43 a.m. 10:27 a.m. 10:59 a.m. 11:24 a.m. 11:45 a.m. 6:33 a.m. 8:06 a.m. 9:27 a.m. 8:53 p.m. 9:32 p.m. 10:11 p.m.
2.3 H 2.1 H 2.0 H 1.9 H 1.9 H 1.4 L 1.6 L 1.7 L -0.6 L -0.7 L -0.6 L
Time
5:18 p.m. 5:43 p.m. 6:18 p.m. 12:03 p.m. 12:20 p.m. 12:34 p.m.
Height
1.4 L 1.0 L 0.6 L 1.9 H 1.9 H 1.9 H
Time
Height
9:07 p.m. 1.6 H 11:42 p.m. 1.6 H 6:56 p.m. 0.1 L 7:35 p.m. -0.3 L 8:14 p.m. -0.4 L
Time Height 10:54 p.m. -0.3 L 11:37 p.m. -0.3 L 09:20 a.m. 10:13 a.m. 10:57 a.m. 11:29 a.m. 11:54 a.m. 5:51 a.m. 7:29 a.m. 9:02 a.m. 10:23 a.m. 9:49 p.m. 10:28 p.m. 11:07 p.m.
1.5 H 1.4 H 1.3 H 1.2 H 1.1 H 0.6 L 0.9 L 0.9 L 1.0 L -0.3 L -0.4 L -0.3 L
Time 9:55 p.m. 10:38 p.m. 11:25 p.m.
Height -0.3 L -0.4 L -0.3 L
09:05 a.m. 9:49 a.m. 10:21 a.m. 10:46 a.m. 11:07 a.m. 6:30 a.m. 8:03 a.m. 9:24 a.m. 8:50 p.m. 9:29 p.m. 10:08 p.m.
2.0 H 1.8 H 1.7 H 1.6 H 1.6 H 0.9 L 1.0 L 1.1 L -0.4 L -0.5 L -0.4 L
Time
Height
Time
Height
6:14 p.m. 6:39 p.m. 12:15 p.m. 12:33 p.m. 12:50 p.m. 1:04 p.m.
0.9 L 0.6 L 1.1 H 1.1 H 1.1 H 1.1 H
7:14 p.m. 7:52 p.m. 8:31 p.m. 9:10 p.m.
0.3 L 0.1 L -0.2 L -0.3 L
Time
Height
Time
Height
9:37 p.m. 0.9 H
Houston Height -0.2 L -0.2 L -0.3 L -0.3 L -0.2 L -0.1 L 0.0 L 0.2 L 0.4 L 0.6 H 0.8 H 0.9 H 0.9 H 1.0 H -0.4 L
Time 12:05 p.m. 1:23 p.m. 2:36 p.m. 3:40 p.m. 4:36 p.m. 5:19 p.m. 5:24 p.m. 2:53 p.m. 1:09 p.m. 9:45 p.m. 10:24 p.m. 11:06 p.m. 11:50 p.m.
Height 1.1 H 1.1 H 1.1 H 1.1 H 1.0 H 0.9 H 0.7 H 0.6 H 0.6 H 0.0 L -0.2 L -0.3 L -0.4 L
Time
Height
Time
Height
Time
Height
9:18 p.m. 0.3 L
12:28 p.m. 1.0 H
Date Time Height May 14 1:01 a.m. 0.15 L May 15 1:53 a.m. 0.13 L May 16 2:49 a.m. 0.12 L May 17 3:46 a.m. 0.12 L May 18 4:41 a.m. 0.13 L May 19 5:28 a.m. 0.16 L May 20 6:06 a.m. 0.20 L May 21 6:24 a.m. 0.25 L May 22 6:00 a.m. 0.31 L May 23 12:28 p.m. 0.43 H May 24 12:24 p.m. 0.47 H May 25 12:42 p.m. 0.51 H May 26 1:14 p.m. 0.52 H May 27 12:17 a.m. 0.06 L May 28 1:06 a.m. 0.06 L
Time 2:13 p.m. 3:10 p.m. 4:16 p.m. 5:22 p.m. 6:25 p.m. 7:26 p.m. 8:42 p.m. 2:15 p.m. 1:02 p.m. 10:02 p.m. 10:47 p.m. 11:31 p.m.
Height 0.53 H 0.54 H 0.54 H 0.53 H 0.51 H 0.47 H 0.41 H 0.37 H 0.39 H 0.18 L 0.12 L 0.08 L
Time
Height
Date Time Height May 14 6:07 a.m. 2.1 H May 15 6:55 a.m. 2.1 H May 16 7:47 a.m. 2.0 H May 17 08:43 a.m. 2.0 H May 18 09:36 a.m. 1.8 H May 19 12:54 a.m. 0.0 L May 20 1:56 a.m. 0.2 L May 21 3:07 a.m. 0.4 L May 22 4:34 a.m. 0.5 L May 23 1:27 a.m. 1.5 H May 24 2:51 a.m. 1.7 H May 25 3:56 a.m. 2.0 H May 26 4:50 a.m. 2.0 H May 27 5:38 a.m. 2.1 H May 28 6:24 a.m. 2.0 H
8:10 p.m. 0.33 L 9:15 p.m. 0.25 L
11:59 p.m. 0.34 H
1:59 p.m. 0.52 H 2:54 p.m. 0.50 H Time 9:37 p.m. 10:20 p.m. 11:07 p.m. 11:58 p.m.
Height -0.2 L -0.3 L -0.2 L -0.2 L
10:20 a.m. 10:52 a.m. 11:17 a.m. 11:38 a.m. 6:12 a.m. 7:45 a.m. 9:06 a.m. 8:32 p.m. 9:11 p.m. 9:50 p.m.
1.7 H 1.6 H 1.5 H 1.5 H 0.8 L 0.8 L 0.9 L -0.3 L -0.4 L -0.3 L
5:15 p.m. 5:40 p.m. 6:15 p.m. 11:25 a.m. 11:42 a.m. 11:56 a.m.
0.9 L 0.6 L 0.4 L 1.6 H 1.6 H 1.6 H
8:29 p.m. 1.4 H 11:04 p.m. 1.4 H 6:53 p.m. 0.1 L 7:32 p.m. -0.2 L 8:11 p.m. -0.3 L
Date Time May 14 6:27 a.m. May 15 7:25 a.m. May 16 08:26 a.m. May 17 09:22 a.m. May 18 12:04 a.m. May 19 12:59 a.m. May 20 1:58 a.m. May 21 3:03 a.m. May 22 4:20 a.m. May 23 1:16 a.m. May 24 2:57 a.m. May 25 4:12 a.m. May 26 5:14 a.m. May 27 6:12 a.m. May 28 7:07 a.m.
Height 1.7 H 1.7 H 1.8 H 1.8 H -0.6 L -0.4 L -0.1 L 0.3 L 0.6 L 1.1 H 1.4 H 1.5 H 1.6 H 1.7 H 1.7 H
Time 9:38 p.m. 10:23 p.m. 11:12 p.m.
Height -0.7 L -0.8 L -0.7 L
10:07 a.m. 10:37 a.m. 10:50 a.m. 10:51 a.m. 10:43 a.m. 5:59 a.m. 7:04 p.m. 7:46 p.m. 8:29 p.m. 9:13 p.m. 9:58 p.m.
1.8 H 1.7 H 1.5 H 1.3 H 1.2 H 0.9 L -0.5 L -0.7 L -0.9 L -0.9 L -0.9 L
Time
Height
4:57 p.m. 5:22 p.m. 5:57 p.m. 11:56 a.m. 12:13 p.m. 12:27 p.m.
0.8 L 0.5 L 0.3 L 1.5 H 1.5 H 1.5 H
Time
Height
9:00 p.m. 1.3 H 11:35 p.m. 1.3 H 6:35 p.m. 0.1 L 7:14 p.m. -0.2 L 7:53 p.m. -0.2 L
Time
Height
5:35 p.m. 0.7 L 5:53 p.m. 0.3 L 10:25 a.m. 1.1 H
Time
Height
10:43 p.m. 1.0 H 6:25 p.m. -0.1 L
&ORÂŞTHEÂŞLATESTÂŞNEWSÂŞBETWEENÂŞPRINTÂŞEDITIONSÂŞOFÂŞTHEÂŞTWICE A MONTHÂŞ ,ONEÂŞ3TARÂŞ/UTDOORÂŞ.EWS ÂŞVISITÂŞ,3/.EWS COM ÂŞ4HEÂŞ7EBÂŞSITEÂŞTRACKSÂŞ NEWSÂŞANDÂŞDEVELOPMENTSÂŞINÂŞHUNTINGÂŞANDÂŞlÂŞSHING ÂŞCURRENTÂŞEVENTSÂŞ ANDÂŞINDUSTRYÂŞINSIGHTS ÂŞANDÂŞITÂŞPROVIDESÂŞREFERENCEÂŞMATERIALSÂŞFORÂŞ HUNTERSÂŞANDÂŞANGLERSÂŞWHOÂŞWANTÂŞTOÂŞLEARNÂŞMOREÂŞABOUTÂŞTHEIRÂŞPASSIONS ÂŞ
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DOWN 1. To propel a bait 2. A large sportfish 3. A buck’s mate 4. The best of campfire woods 5. The pointer and flusher
2010 May-Jun 14 Fri > 15 Sat > 16 Sun 17 Mon 18 Tue 19 Wed 20 Thu Q 21 Fri 22 Sat 23 Sun 24 Mon 25 Tue 26 Wed > 27 Thu > 28 Fri F 29 Sat > 30 Sun > 31 Mon 01 Tue 02 Wed
A.M. Minor Major 6:02 ----7:01 12:47 8:05 1:50 9:10 2:55 10:14 4:00 11:14 5:01 ----- 5:57 12:35 6:48 1:22 7:34 2:05 8:17 2:48 9:01 3:33 9:46 4:21 10:35 5:13 11:27 6:09 ----7:06 12:53 8:04 1:51 8:59 2:47 9:52 3:41 10:42 4:31
P.M. Minor 6:25 7:25 8:29 9:33 10:36 11:36 12:04 12:54 1:40 2:24 3:08 3:54 4:43 5:35 6:31 7:28 8:24 9:18 10:10 4:26
Major 12:39 1:10 2:14 3:19 4:22 5:22 6:17 7:07 7:52 8:36 9:21 10:07 10:56 11:49 12:17 1:14 2:11 3:06 3:58 10:58
SUN Rises Sets 6:29 8:05 6:28 8:06 6:28 8:07 6:27 8:07 6:27 8:08 6:26 8:08 6:25 8:09 6:25 8:10 6:25 8:10 6:24 8:11 6:24 8:12 6:23 8:12 6:23 8:13 6:23 8:13 6:22 8:14 6:22 8:14 6:22 8:15 6:21 8:15 06:21 08:16 4:47 06:21
MOON Rises Sets 6:41a 9:11p 7:34a 10:11p 8:33a 11:08p 9:38a NoMoon 10:45a NoMoon 11:52a 12:43a 12:58p 1:23a 2:02p 1:59a 3:05p 2:34a 4:08p 3:08a 5:13p 3:43a 6:18p 4:21a 7:22p 5:03a 8:23p 5:50a 9:20p 6:42a 10:11p 7:37a 10:56p 8:34a 11:36p 9:32a NoMoon 10:28a 08:17 12:10a
P.M. SUN MOON Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets 6:30 12:44 6:28 8:17 6:38a 9:25p 7:30 1:16 6:28 8:17 7:31a 10:26p 8:34 2:19 6:27 8:18 8:31a 11:22p 9:39 3:24 6:26 8:19 9:36a NoMoon 10:42 4:28 6:26 8:20 10:44a 12:11a 11:41 5:28 6:25 8:20 11:53a 12:54a 12:10 6:22 6:25 8:21 1:01p 1:33a 1:00 7:12 6:24 8:22 2:07p 2:07a 1:46 7:58 6:23 8:22 3:12p 2:40a 2:30 8:42 6:23 8:23 4:17p 3:12a 3:13 9:26 6:22 8:24 5:23p 3:45a 3:59 10:12 6:22 8:24 6:30p 4:22a 4:48 11:02 6:22 8:25 7:35p 5:02a 5:41 11:55 6:21 8:26 8:37p 5:48a 6:36 12:23 6:21 8:26 9:34p 6:39a 7:33 1:20 6:20 8:27 10:25p 7:34a 8:29 2:16 6:20 8:28 11:09p 8:32a 9:24 3:12 6:20 8:28 11:47p 9:30a 10:15 4:04 06:19 08:29 NoMoon 10:28a 11:03 4:53 06:19 08:29 12:21a 11:25a
San Antonio 2010 A.M. May-Jun Minor Major 14 Fri > 6:09 ----15 Sat > 7:08 12:54 16 Sun 8:12 1:57 17 Mon 9:17 3:02 18 Tue 10:21 4:07 19 Wed 11:21 5:08 20 Thu Q ----- 6:04 21 Fri 12:42 6:55 22 Sat 1:29 7:41 23 Sun 2:12 8:24 24 Mon 2:55 9:08 25 Tue 3:40 9:53 26 Wed > 4:28 10:42 27 Thu > 5:20 11:34 28 Fri F 6:16 12:06 29 Sat > 7:13 1:00 30 Sun > 8:11 1:58 31 Mon 9:06 2:54 01 Tue 9:59 3:48 02 Wed 10:49
2010 A.M. May-Jun Minor 14 Fri > 6:22 15 Sat > 7:22 16 Sun 8:25 17 Mon 9:30 18 Tue 10:34 19 Wed 11:35 20 Thu Q 12:06 21 Fri 12:56 22 Sat 1:42 23 Sun 2:26 24 Mon 3:09 25 Tue 3:53 26 Wed > 4:42 27 Thu > 5:34 28 Fri F 6:29 29 Sat > 7:26 30 Sun > 8:24 31 Mon 9:20 01 Tue 10:13 02 Wed 11:02
.EWSÂŞANDÂŞINFORMATIONÂŞFORÂŞ4EXASÂŞHUNTERSÂŞANDÂŞANGLERS
ACROSS 1. Paint job on a turkey gun 4. Expert fishermen earn this title 8. Camouflage slip-ons for a bow 9. A female elk 10. Buck’s mark to show his presence 11. A Canada goose 14. This type fishing requires an auger 15. A big game 16. The kicks from a firearm 17. Code for a type bullet 18. A female grouse 20. To put wildfowl to flight 22. This pin hits a cartridge 24. The snake-like fish 25. Handy if the boat motor stalls 26. Letters meaning grains measurements 27. A sight on shotguns 29. The bowhunter’s ammo 31. Gamebirds’ homes 33. The shoulder hide on a deer 35. A rugged method of fishing 37. A shell that fails to fire 39. A deer species 40. A trout species 43. A rifle organization 45. A species of deer 47. To stand ready to shoot 49. Oxidation on gun parts 50. A series of shots fired 51. Signifies side-by-side barrels
A.M. Minor Major 5:56 ----6:56 12:41 7:59 1:44 9:04 2:49 10:08 3:54 11:09 4:55 ----- 5:51 12:30 6:42 1:16 7:28 2:00 8:12 2:43 8:55 3:27 9:41 4:16 10:29 5:08 11:22 6:03 ----7:01 12:47 7:58 1:45 8:54 2:42 9:47 3:36 10:36
P.M. SUN MOON Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets 6:37 12:51 6:42 8:17 6:54a 9:23p 7:37 1:23 6:41 8:18 7:48a 10:24p 8:41 2:26 6:41 8:18 8:47a 11:20p 9:46 3:31 6:40 8:19 9:52a NoMoon 10:49 4:35 6:40 8:20 10:59a 12:11a 11:48 5:35 6:39 8:20 12:06p 12:56a 12:17 6:29 6:39 8:21 1:11p 1:36a 1:07 7:19 6:38 8:22 2:15p 2:12a 1:53 8:05 6:38 8:22 3:18p 2:47a 2:37 8:49 6:37 8:23 4:21p 3:21a 3:20 9:33 6:37 8:23 5:25p 3:56a 4:06 10:19 6:36 8:24 6:30p 4:35a 4:55 11:09 6:36 8:24 7:34p 5:17a 5:48 ----6:36 8:25 8:35p 6:04a 6:43 12:30 6:35 8:26 9:32p 6:56a 7:40 1:27 6:35 8:26 10:23p 7:51a 8:36 2:23 6:35 8:27 11:08p 8:48a 9:31 3:19 6:35 8:27 11:48p 9:45a 10:22 4:11 06:34 08:28 NoMoon 10:42a 4:38 11:10 5:00 06:34 08:28 12:23a
Amarillo
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OUTDOOR PUZZLER | By Wilbur “Wib� Lundeen
2010 May-Jun 14 Fri > 15 Sat > 16 Sun 17 Mon 18 Tue 19 Wed 20 Thu Q 21 Fri 22 Sat 23 Sun 24 Mon 25 Tue 26 Wed > 27 Thu > 28 Fri F 29 Sat > 30 Sun > 31 Mon 01 Tue 02 Wed
Dallas
South Padre Island
Freeport Harbor Date Time Height May 14 5:36 a.m. 2.2 H May 15 6:24 a.m. 2.2 H May 16 7:16 a.m. 2.1 H May 17 08:12 a.m. 2.1 H May 18 12:16 a.m. -0.2 L May 19 1:12 a.m. 0.0 L May 20 2:14 a.m. 0.2 L May 21 3:25 a.m. 0.5 L May 22 4:52 a.m. 0.6 L May 23 12:56 a.m. 1.6 H May 24 2:20 a.m. 1.8 H May 25 3:25 a.m. 2.1 H May 26 4:19 a.m. 2.1 H May 27 5:07 a.m. 2.2 H May 28 5:53 a.m. 2.1 H
Date Time May 14 12:20 a.m. May 15 1:02 a.m. May 16 1:46 a.m. May 17 2:33 a.m. May 18 3:21 a.m. May 19 4:08 a.m. May 20 4:52 a.m. May 21 5:28 a.m. May 22 5:33 a.m. May 23 11:57 a.m. May 24 10:50 a.m. May 25 10:32 a.m. May 26 10:58 a.m. May 27 11:39 a.m. May 28 12:35 a.m.
Port Aransas, H. Caldwell Pier
San Luis Pass Date Time Height May 14 6:44 a.m. 1.5 H May 15 7:32 a.m. 1.5 H May 16 08:24 a.m. 1.5 H May 17 12:24 a.m. -0.3 L May 18 1:15 a.m. -0.2 L May 19 2:11 a.m. 0.0 L May 20 3:13 a.m. 0.2 L May 21 4:24 a.m. 0.4 L May 22 12:12 a.m. 0.9 H May 23 2:04 a.m. 1.1 H May 24 3:28 a.m. 1.3 H May 25 4:33 a.m. 1.5 H May 26 5:27 a.m. 1.5 H May 27 6:15 a.m. 1.5 H May 28 7:01 a.m. 1.5 H
June 4
Rockport
Galveston Bay entrance, south jetty Date Time Height May 14 6:14 a.m. 2.6 H May 15 7:02 a.m. 2.6 H May 16 7:54 a.m. 2.4 H May 17 08:50 a.m. 2.4 H May 18 12:19 a.m. -0.3 L May 19 1:15 a.m. 0.0 L May 20 2:17 a.m. 0.3 L May 21 3:28 a.m. 0.7 L May 22 4:55 a.m. 1.0 L May 23 1:34 a.m. 1.9 H May 24 2:58 a.m. 2.1 H May 25 4:03 a.m. 2.4 H May 26 4:57 a.m. 2.4 H May 27 5:45 a.m. 2.6 H May 28 6:31 a.m. 2.4 H
Last
Port O’Connor
Sabine Pass, jetty Date Time Height May 14 5:27 a.m. 3.2 H May 15 6:15 a.m. 3.2 H May 16 7:07 a.m. 3.0 H May 17 08:03 a.m. 3.0 H May 18 08:56 a.m. 2.9 H May 19 12:49 a.m. 0.0 L May 20 1:51 a.m. 0.4 L May 21 3:02 a.m. 0.9 L May 22 4:29 a.m. 1.3 L May 23 12:47 a.m. 2.3 H May 24 2:11 a.m. 2.7 H May 25 3:16 a.m. 3.0 H May 26 4:10 a.m. 3.0 H May 27 4:58 a.m. 3.2 H May 28 5:44 a.m. 3.0 H
Legend: Major=2 hours. Minor=1 hour. Times centered on the major-minor window. F=Full Moon, N=New Moon, Q=Quarter > = Peak Activity. For other locations, subtract 1 minute per 12 miles east of a location, and add 1 minute per 12 miles west of a location.
Full
May 27
First
Texas Coast Tides
Page 25
Solunar | Sun times | Moon times
Moon Phases May 14
May 14, 2010
Solution on Page 31
Major ----1:07 2:10 3:15 4:20 5:21 6:17 7:08 7:54 8:38 9:21 10:07 10:55 11:48 12:19 1:13 2:11 3:08 4:01 4:52
P.M. Minor 6:50 7:51 8:55 9:59 11:02 ----12:30 1:20 2:06 2:50 3:34 4:20 5:09 6:01 6:57 7:53 8:50 9:44 10:36 11:24
Major 13:04 1:36 2:40 3:45 4:48 5:48 6:43 7:33 8:18 9:02 9:46 10:33 11:22 ----12:43 1:40 2:37 3:32 4:24 5:13
SUN Rises 6:44 6:43 6:43 6:42 6:41 6:41 6:40 6:39 6:39 6:38 6:38 6:37 6:37 6:36 6:36 6:35 6:35 6:34 06:34 06:34
Sets 8:42 8:42 8:43 8:44 8:45 8:46 8:46 8:47 8:48 8:49 8:49 8:50 8:51 8:51 8:52 8:53 8:53 8:54 08:55 08:55
MOON Rises Sets 6:53a 9:53p 7:45a 10:54p 8:45a 11:49p 9:51a NoMoon 11:00a 12:38a 12:11p 1:20a 1:20p 1:56a 2:27p 2:29a 3:34p 3:00a 4:41p 3:31a 5:48p 4:03a 6:56p 4:38a 8:03p 5:18a 9:05p 6:03a 10:02p 6:53a 10:53p 7:48a 11:36p 8:47a NoMoon 9:46a 12:13a 10:45a 12:45a 11:43a
FOR THE TABLE Venison Hash 2 tablespoons bacon drippings 1 large onion, chopped 3 cups cooked and ground venison leftovers 2 medium potatoes cut into 16 pieces 1 tablespoon flour 1 clove garlic, minced 3 cups beef broth 1/4 teaspoons black pepper 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoons thyme 1/2 tablespoon chili powder Brown onion and potatoes in bacon fat. Add flour and make a roux. Add venison, broth and other ingredients. Let simmer until tender. Serve with cornbread or biscuits. — Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Stuffed Midwestern Wild Turkey
6. A loop in a bowstring 7. Consider this when looking for crappie 8. To scare a game out of range 12. The handle section of a bow 13. The steelhead is one 15. Term for a game at rest 19. A wood used for arrow shafts 20. Home of the Key deer 21. Hunters rattle these to lure deer 22. Describes a recent track 23. Used to fry catch over open fire 28. Storage cabinet for bowhunting tackle
30. A fisherman’s waterproof wear 32. Hunters aim for a clean one 34. Young boars 36. Idaho most populated with these 38. To point at a target 41. To a bowman arrows are this 42. To interpret a game track 43. A brood of pheasants 44. A deer’s teeth can reveal this 46. A bowman’s protective device, ____ pad 48. Letters signify a single-action gun
14 slices of bacon, divided 1 cup of onion, chopped 1/4 cup of celery, chopped 1/2 cup of water 1 8-ounce package of cornmeal stuffing mix 1 chicken bouillon cube 1/2 cup of hot water 1 cup of dry red wine, divided 1 10- to 12-pound turkey Fry eight slices of bacon until crisp. Drain bacon, crumble and set aside. SautĂŠ onion and celery in bacon drippings. When vegetables are tender, add 1/2 cup water and simmer for five minutes. Stir in stuffing mix and crumbled
bacon. Dissolve bouillon cube in 1/2 cup hot water. Add 1/2 cup red wine to bouillon. Add bouillon-wine liquid to stuffing mixture and stuff turkey. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Transfer turkey to roasting pan. Lay four slices of bacon across the breast, and wrap a slice of bacon around each leg. Cover pan with foil; then place lid on pan. Bake in oven for 4 1/2 hours. Remove cover and foil. Pour remaining wine over turkey. Baste every 10 minutes while cooking an additional 40 minutes. Yield: 12 to 15 servings. — Indiana Department of Natural Resources
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Students
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user’s right cheek raises and lowers the gun. An alligator clip attached to a bicycle brake cable worked the trigger. When bitten, the clip would pull the cable, which was attached to a plate in front of the trigger. A holding brace plundered from a commercially available metal gun rest holds the firearm out in front of the user, and the forestock of the gun rests on a wooden block. The sighting mechanism uses a screw in back of the frame to point the barrel of the gun higher or lower with a range of 15 degrees. Side-toside motion would come from the user’s wheelchair. The screw mechanism was slow, Seymour admitted, and the apparatus was “a bit flimsy,” making it impractical for use in hunting. “This is more for target practice right now,” he said. But it met the goals of the project: to make something accessible and relatively inexpensive for a handicapped person to use. The cost for
their project: $348.59. The students picked their projects from ones requested by handicapped people. The outdoors-related ones came from Jason Swanson, a director of Turning Point Nation, a nonprofit that organizes recreational opportunities for handicapped people. Bound to a wheelchair himself, Swanson acts as the students’ client. He claimed many of the projects as his own, saying an elevator-like deer stand was “my” deer stand. Swanson said the students have been easy to work with. “It’s kind of fun,” Swanson said. “They’re learning, and we’re learning.” Swanson collects the ideas from other handicapped people he knows and filters them to the students. The students pick a project to work on. The process begins at the beginning of the school year in August. The students spend the fall semester planning and designing. Construction takes place in the spring. The projects help students learn to think outside the box when creating something for a client, said Charles
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M. Lovas, their design professor. “It gives them a heightened sense of what the customer really needs,” Lovas said. “So when they go out and design an automobile, they’ll know why some people want things in certain places on the dashboard.” Swanson was excited about his deer stand. Made from aluminum, the stand has a platform that slides 10 feet up rails. The platform has room for two hunters in wheelchairs, and it can safely lift 600 pounds. The lift mechanism is an electric winch. “It’s fairly quiet,” said Brett Miller, a senior who worked on the project. “The winch makes a little noise, but it’s not disturbing.” Other students who worked on the project were Ross Nigh, Georgia Ruch, Brett Zibilich and Danny Mangan. It raises in 50 seconds and has a hand crank in case the battery dies or the winch gives out. The platform only lowers to about a foot above the ground, and a wooden ramp helps the wheelchair bound hunter down the rest of the way.
The group spent about $3,000 on the project, with most of that going to buy aluminum. They spent $500 on the winch. Other lifts are commercially available, but Miller and Ruch said theirs was better because it is easier to transport, less expensive and can accommodate two people rather than one. “I know my lift is usable,” Swanson said. “They did a great job.” A dune-buggy-type electric vehicle was close to finished. The Silent Hunter has a low deck to make it easy for a person to transfer from a wheelchair to the driver’s seat. All controls are by hand, with no pedals for throttle or braking. “We tried to make it as accessible as possible for a disabled person,” said Saurav K. Dubey, one of the team members behind it. Other team members were Justin Beer, Mohammad J. Garbieh, David B. Green and Jerin J. Thenayan. The team put about 1,000 hours and $6,800 — funded by the school — into it. “We learned a lot while we were working on it,” Green said.
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Squaw Creek Continued from Page 6
and paid the $400 entry fee so he could also compete. “I’m real excited about it,” he said. Workers at Comanche Peak have been excited about it, too. Over the last few months, employees have volunteered to help reopen the lake, according to Luminant. They have cleared parking lots, cleaned boat ramps and installed new cleats, buoys and bumpers. “There’s been a lot of strong interest from the community in opening the lake back up,
Education Continued from Page 9
hands-on opportunities in areas such as natural resources and wildlife, outdoor cooking, angling and archery. Schools may teach outdoor education, but the state does not provide a curriculum or other assistance. “This is more than just hunting and fishing,” said Jennifer Mohr, who works at Lexington Middle School and, like her husband, has been providing outdoor education instruction to youngsters. “If they don’t develop the connection with the outdoors now, they probably will not have an interest or understanding of the outdoors when they get older,” she said. The Mohrs said funding has been a major issue with the courses, with fundraising efforts required to keep the project in operation. Their courses have benefited from concession sales at school sporting events and through contributions by outdoor industry sources. “One of the major contributors has been Fishing Tackle Unlimited of Houston, which has been instrumental in our fishing rod building course,” David Mohr said. “The kids build about 35 to 50 rods a year and sell them for the cost of materials and donations. All the money goes back into the program.” Multiple fronts Other groups have been working to expand outdoor education in schools. Outdoor Adventures has grown from 20 schools three years ago to 80 schools reaching about 8,000 students today. It is orga-
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so we want to be good stewards, good community neighbors to provide that access and for the people who really like to fish,” said Steve Smith, the assistant plant manager, in a story written by the company for its workers. “I think they’re going to enjoy it very much when the lake’s back open.” Although the lake is reopening to the public, security measures will still be in place. One layer of security will be a registration Web site that will accept reservations for boat fishing once the park officially reopens. The Web site will include park rules, information and maps, but it has not been made available to the public yet. nized by the Dallas Ecological Foundation, a nonprofit foundation created by the Dallas Safari Club. Scot McClure, who coordinates the program, said his group offers a semester-long accredited physical education course that covers everything from Texas Parks and Wildlife programs to first aid and outdoor survival. “Outdoor Adventures is a partnership with the schools,” McClure said, adding that districts pay $500 for their participation and receive training for all teachers involved in the effort. “Our goal is that in the next five years, we will be in 300 schools across Texas,” he said. The Texas Wildlife Association has focused on the administrative side of the effort — as opposed to the legislative — to achieve their common goal. “We believe we have been able to administratively create opportunities and are part of a task force that will be developing a plan of action in the next couple of months,” said Gary Joiner, chief executive officer of TWA. “Working through the (legislative) process can take 10 years, and we can’t wait. Our schoolchildren are lacking natural resources knowledge. “As citizens of Texas, they need to know the basic concepts.” Joiner added that both public and private schools across the state are already participating in programs sponsored by a variety of outdoor groups. “We are working toward a coalition of all interests pursuing a common plan, while we will all still maintain our individual efforts that have been very successful,” he said.
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LONE STAR MARKET
Puzzle solution from Page 25
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Anglers usually catch about a dozen undersized trout before catching a keeper, Bohac said, and fishing pressure is up. Port O’Connor has grown, and more guides are on the water, he said. Bohac also said the weather has been cooler, commenting that the season is about six weeks behind schedule. “We’re kind of in a transition period, and I think the winter has lasted longer than normal,” he said. His fishing pattern has been to try for trout in the morning and, if unsuccessful, switch to redfish. The redfish bite has been good, he said. “You’re having to be prepared on your boat to go either way, trout or redfish, now,” he said. Guides are seeing it, and research is backing up the decline in trout numbers, said biologist Norman Boyd, the San Antonio Bay ecosystem leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife. “The catching isn’t as good as it was a few years ago,” Boyd said. “I have heard that they’re putting more emphasis on redfish
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with their clients, which makes sense.” Guides have been switching more for about two or three years, Boyd said, but it was not talked about much. He said that even when the fishing for trout was exceptional, guides would still switch to something else once their clients caught all the specks they wanted. “I don’t know if they’re doing it more now or if they’re not giving the trout as much of a chance,” he said. TPW is studying trout numbers as it does every spring. Once all the data are in, biologists will look at the numbers to see if the daily bag limit or other regulations need to be changed, Boyd said. “We’ve got no proposals on the table right now for our area,” he said. “But it’s not out of the world of possibility in the next few months.” Guide Marvin Strakos echoed Surovik and Bohac in his assessment of recent trout fishing. The winter was cooler, but temperatures are improving, he said. But his opinion had more to do with redfish than trout. Redfish are easier to catch, he said. “If you can catch a limit of redfish, why go mess with trout?” he said.
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Alga
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The microorganism, which produces a toxin fatal to anything with gills, has struck again. So far, it has killed 120,000 fish — 50,000 at Possum Kingdom and 68,900 at Whitney. The latest toll includes everything from gizzard shad to bass — blacks, whites and stripers — channel catfish, drum and crappie. Most killed are shad. Earlier toxic blooms influenced Shafer’s decision to move off of Whitney. Since 2005, he has been guiding trips on the Brazos River below the lake, away from where the alga has proliferated. “The writing was on the wall,” Shafer said. “This (alga) has been studied worldwide — from Israel to Norway and Africa. There’s no fixing it that makes any economical sense. “This is a situation you’re going to have to live with.” Shafer and Mike Hallford, a Possum Kingdom fishing guide, said during the first week of May that it was too early to tell how bad business will be hurt by the latest bloom. But history has shown that living with golden alga is costly. It was first detected in Texas during the mid1980s. The discovery was made on the Pecos River, but it was later found in 33 major reservoirs, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. Since 2001, the microorganism has been blamed for about 130 major fish kills across the state. More than 34 million dead fish have been tallied so far this decade — an estimated loss of about $14 million, TPW reported. “Golden alga occurs in any lake there is,” Hallford said. “It’s just that, for some reason, specific lakes have these massive blooms.” The corresponding toxin, Hallford said, “suffocates the fish.” “It coats their gills,” he added, “and it just suffocates them.” On the Brazos River system, Shafer said, the bloom patterns have been “distinctly notable.” “Possum Kingdom — it starts there,” he said. “Then it flows into Granbury Lake, which stays pretty well flushed out, but down here at Whitney, we’re a flood control lake, so we retain more water. ... It starts to stack up.” The alga also seems to proliferate during droughts, Shafer said, like the one that just ended. That’s because water flow is diminished, which allows more static pools that nurture algae.
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And exceptionally cold winters, like this year’s, also spur algae growth, Hallford said. The result, said Shafer, is a “perfect storm” for killer blooms. Golden alga grows in shallow waters, which are preferred spawning areas. That, plus the loss of feeder fish like shad, will surely blunt future fisheries. Shafer and Hallford praised TPW officials for previous efforts to restock the lakes after fish kills. In a recent TPW news release, Brian Van Zee, an inland fisheries director in Waco, pledged to restock after the latest blooms subside. The agency also donated $4 million to an algae mitigation project conducted by researchers from Baylor, Texas A&M and the University of Texas at Arlington. That project has come up with several ideas to stop golden alga, but each carries a downside, said UTA’s Dr. James Grover. For example, he said, increasing water flow — such as a storm in early May that dumped 7 inches of rain on Possum Kingdom — can help flush algae out of a river system, but that might conflict with other goals for municipal water storage or flood control. Chemical algacides are available, Grover said, but they have not yet been tested. Pumping a lake with more nutrients has potential, he said. “Once golden (alga) have become abundant, they run out of nutrients, which is when they become more toxic,” Grover said. “But if you hit them with more nutrients, they become less so.” He said that while these ideas tested well in small bodies of water, they may be too expensive to treat massive reservoirs like Whitney and Possum Kingdom. But, he added, “There is some potential for working (the ideas) in coves and backwaters — trying to create a refuge for fish.” Grover, Hallford and Shafer all said that some fish will find safe havens, even during a toxic bloom. “The bright side is, life always finds a way,” Shafer said. “Some fish, when they get into that toxic water, get stressed and they flee, naturally, to deeper water. And that changes the whole pattern of fishing. “So, instead of following the patterns you’re used to, now you have to go out and find the fish. Sure, this impacts the ability to catch fish, but it doesn’t keep you from catching fish. “It’s not the end of the world.”
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News in Brief
CLASSIFIEDS
TPW honors Lone Star Land Stewards The 2010 recipients of Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Lone Star Land Steward Awards represent broad and sometimes unique conservation goals. This year’s ecoregion winners characterize the unique cultural and natural heritage of Texas. Landowners restoring degraded habitats while conserving flora and fauna are a common thread. Following are the winners, listed by ecoregion. ■ Blackland Prairie: Quebe Farm, Washington County; Charlotte von Rosenberg, owner-operator. ■ Cross Timbers and Prairies: Rocosa Ridge Ranch, Bosque County; Bruce Berg, owner-operator. ■ Edwards Plateau: Flagler Ranch, Edwards and Real counties; George G. Matthews, owner; Louis Scherer III, operator. ■ Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes: Lone Oak Ranch, Chambers County; Dave Wilcox and Oliver Smart, owners-operators. ■ High Plains: Running R Ranch, Bailey County; Dr. Robert Lepard, owner; Reggie Johnson, operator. ■ Pineywoods: Ewing Mound, Angelina County; Simon W. Henderson III, owner-operator. ■ Rolling Plains: Mott Creek Ranch, Motley County; Marisue Potts Powell, owner-operator. ■ South Texas Plains: Duval County Ranch, Duval and Webb counties; David Killam, owner; David Kitner, operator. ■ Trans Pecos: Brite Ranch, Presidio County; Jane Brite, White Trust, owner; Jim White, III, operator. ■ Wildlife Management Association: Edwards Plateau Prescribed Burning Association Inc., 20 counties; Dr. Charles A. Taylor, administrator. ■ Corporation: Matador Ranch, Motley, Dickens, Cottle, Crosby and Floyd counties; The Matador Cattle Company, Koch Companies Public Sector LLC; Bob Kilmer, operator. ■ Special Recognition: Fort Sam Houston/Camp Bullis Training Site, U.S. Army. ■ Special Recognition, Education and Outreach: Bear Springs Blossom Nature Preserve, Bandera County; Peter and Marianne Bonenberger. — Texas Parks and Wildlife report
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Contributors Dan Armitage Kyle Carter Alan Clemons Bob Hood Diana Kunde Kendal Larson Wilbur Lundeen
Craig Nyhus Thomas Phillips Mark England Mary Helen Aguirre Mike Hughs Nancy Halphen Bruce Soileau Mike Nelson David J. Sams
Bill Miller Erich Schlegel David Sikes Brandon Shuler Scott Sommerlatte Kyle Tomek Chuck Uzzle Ralph Winingham
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Lone Star Outdoor News, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice a month. A mailed subscription is $30 for 24 issues. Newsstand copies are free, one per person. Copyright 2010 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, 9304 Forest Lane, Suite 114 South, Dallas, TX 75243 or e-mail them to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com.
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