Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper in Texas
October 9, 2015
Volume 12, Issue 4
Deer harvest begins By Lone Star Outdoor News It was quite an opening morning of bow season for Brent Vogler of Abilene. “I had to be at a meeting for work at 10 a.m.,” he said. “My brother and I went out for the first few hours Saturday morning.” Hunting south of Abilene, the morning started off slowly. “At about 8:45, I had texted my brother that we needed to leave in 10 minutes,” Vogler said. “I looked up and two forkhorns were fighting at the feeder.” Then things changed when the two small bucks perked up. “A big buck came walking in and started pushing the small bucks off,” Vogler said. “I texted the guy I was meeting with and said I was going to be late.” The buck, a 4- or 5-year-old mainframe 8-pointer with a broken brow tine, eventually got broadside at around 40 yards, and Vogler arrowed him with a Wasp Drone broadhead. Vogler said the bucks were still in bachelor groups in the Taylor County area, and while he had seen several on his trail cameras, he hadn’t seen this buck before Saturday morning. Reports on texasbowhunter.com showed several other success stories, including poster BigTodd, who received a Please turn to page 7
CONTENTS
DREAM BUCKS: Texas bowhunters, along with Managed Lands Deer Permits rifle hunters, started the season hoping to see a big buck, or even a doe to harvest. In areas where the rut occurs late in the year, an archery hunter may find a buck still in velvet. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
Loss of a legend
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 32 Crossword . . . . . . . . . Page 26 Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10 For the Table . . . . . . . . Page 26
Stripers good in Central Texas, spotty to north and south
By Craig Nyhus
Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12
Lone Star Outdoor News
Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . Page 20 Outdoor Datebook . . . . . Page 34 Saltwater Fishing Report . . Page 14 Sun, Moon and Tide data . . Page 24 Products . . . . . . . . . . Page 30
A PIONEER: Capt. Chuck Scates, thought to be the first fly-fishing guide on the Texas coast, died September 28 after a battle with cancer. More than 250 people attended his funeral on October 3, many of them former customers. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
INSIDE
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HUNTING
Longtime coastal fly-fishing guide, fly designer and author Capt. Chuck Scates, 61, died at his home on September 28. Scates was likely the first coastal guide to specialize in fly-fishing for redfish and speckled trout, and was a mentor to many of the current fly-fishing guides. He also designed the “Scates Shrimp,” still a popular fly for coatal waters. “He was the granddaddy of fly-fishing for redfish and speckled trout in Texas,” said Port O’Connor fly-fishing guide Capt. Scott Sommerlatte. “As far as I know, there was nobody that guided a fly-fisherman in Texas before he did.” Scates grew up in Houston where he spent much of his time surfing and fishing. He and his wife, Lynn, moved to
By Jillian Mock
For Lone Star Outdoor News Striped bass fishing is lighting up in Central Texas on Lake Buchanan and Lake Whitney while the fishing on Lake Texoma to the north HERE AND THERE: Stripers are doing well and Lake Livingston on lakes Whitney and Buchanan. Photo by LSON. to the southeast has been slow at best. “We’re in great shape now,” said Lake Whitney guide Randy Routh. The fall top-water bite started early this year, which Routh attributes to cooling waters and a well-timed striped bass stocking. “The water temperature hasn’t got up real high this year so it’s coming down real quick,” Routh said, explaining that spring rains kept water temps below 90 degrees this summer. The lake also is benefitting from a 2013 stocking of 630,000 stripers that have now grown up to keeper size. While some of those fish probably washed downriver
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Mystery kudu
Try chestnuts
A kudu showed up on a hunting lease in Llano County. Page 4
Disease-resistant version available for the deer’s favorite food. Page 6
FISHING
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Jordon’s back
Cedar Bayou worked
Yamaha pro Kelly Jordon is fishing again after a wrist injury and surgery wrecked his 2015 season. Page 8
Research shows large increases in juvenile reds, shrimp and blue crabs. Page 8