Published January 31, 2019
Derrick Days Rodeo Pro Rodeo set for April, Page 2
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East Texas Farm & Ranch Living
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January-February 2019
Derrick Days Pro Rodeo set for April 26-27 By Michael Kormos
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Corsicana Daily Sun
his year’s annual Derrick Days Pro Rodeo is set for Friday, April 26 and Saturday April 27 at the Navarro County Exposition Center. The exciting rodeo action features contestants from the Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association and the United Professional Rodeo Association, as well as thrilling American freestyle bullfights and the McCoy’s Building Supply mutton bustin’ contest for the little ones. The action-packed, fast-paced performance will also feature five-time CPRA contract act of the year Ronald Burton, multi-time UPRA announcer of the year and Texas Circuit Finals Rodeo announcer T.C. Long and the awardwinning livestock of the Hat Brand Rodeo Company. “We are working on getting another specialty act,” said David Atkeisson, rodeo promoter. “We are waiting on the final word, so check our website for updates.” Atkeisson said new for this year is a two-day junior barrel racing contest instead of just one. Call 903-654-1653 or visit www.vlkrodeoproductions. com or www.derrickdays.com for more information.
Derrick Days Pro Rodeo • April 26-27 • Navarro County Exposition Center • 6 p.m. Doors Open • 7 p.m. Mutton Bustin’ for kids • 8 p.m. Rodeo Friday & Saturday night Tickets $10 at door, $8 in advance at McCoy’s lumber
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January-February 2019
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East Texas Farm & Ranch Living
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Time For A Reality Check!
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o some of us “old timers,” “social media” is meeting friends at the coffee shop, grocery store or local events. I see nothing helpful or amusing about sharing with other folks what you had for lunch today or most other meaningless “conversations”. Somehow, the younger generation—at least many of them—don’t have a clue about the real world just beyond their limited horizons. This is probably because their parents or guardians are also clueless! How can a teacher educate kids who have great potential when most of those in the classroom can’t wait to text their circle of friends? Put me in the non-texting, non-Facebook group. My old-timey flip phone is used to receive and send real
PHONE CALLS and serves me well. Forget texting my phone—I am not interested. If you have something to tell me, call or send an e-mail. Not a frivolous message, but something that is important hopefully to both parties. And make no outrageous offers of a “free ocean cruise” or “free money” just for the asking. Make those great deals to someone who might care—just not to me! As for those e-mails that are pure junk, we can block them easily forevermore. Tony Wu is a law professor at Columbia University, specializing in antitrust issues. Wu is adamant that the growing concentration of big business getting even bigger is a train wreck on the way. And in our chosen profession of farming, ranching and other agricultural
enterprises, Wu fears the growing trend of mergers and acquisitions puts control of agriculture in fewer and fewer hands. Six companies now control 63% of the farm seed market—and 75% of the ag chemical market. China is headquarters for ChemChina, the world’s largest supplier of farm pesticides and other agro-chemicals. Dow and DuPont are now one, and Bayer and Monsanto are becoming one. These conglomerates are in business for one reason-the overriding dedication to total control of the agricultural industry. And, folks, they are succeeding beyond their wildest dreams. Four companies slaughter 85% of the U.S. cattle, 74% of the hogs and control 54% of the
poultry industry. Of the “big four” three are foreign owned. Smithfield is Chinese-owned. Two of the remaining four—JBS and Marfrig—are Brazilian. At the bottom of the pile is the American farmer and rancher numbering in the millions but buying and selling at the mercy of the big boys. For every dollar spent on food the farmer gets 14-cents. Those few cents are tied up in months—and years--growing, harvesting and hauling to market that food. The blabbering politicians continue their harvest of votes by promising a “chicken in every pot”—yet seem to conveniently forget that we have to have a pot to put that chicken in! Most of us on the land are more interested in making
a profit from our farms and ranches than worrying about Global Warming! That’s –30—Horace@valornet.com
Soil & Water Conservation District distributes seedlings By Becky Whisenant
Jacksonville Daily Progress
W
atching a tree grow is like watching the passage of time. Living amongst the forests of East Texas, it is easy to take trees for granted. But the abundance of clean air, beauty and availability of wood products for a thriving forestry industry are possible because of the variety and quantity of trees all around us. On Thursday, Jan 10, the Cherokee County Soil & Water Conservation District distributed 1000 Shumard red oak seedlings to 4-H members, county FFA clubs, master gardeners, members of the Trinity Neches Forest Landowners Assoc and students in Cherokee County. This marks the tenth year the Cherokee County S&WCD has purchased and given out hardwood seedlings to anyone interested in investing in the forests of the future. These baby trees will be planted in many different places by many different hands. Several have been planted on the Alto
High School campus by Alto FFA and a new forest was born last year on the Troup school campus as part of a joint effort between Troup FFA and 5th graders. This year students at Christ the Redeemer Christian School in Rusk received an impromptu lesson in silvature and tree planting from Texas A&M Forest Service forester Jacob Crowley and soil & water conservationist Becky Whisenant. The ideal site was determined, the soil was checked and the seedling was carefully transferred to its new home on the school campus, to be nurtured by the students. The soil & water district, with offices in Rusk, is committed to working toward the goal of ensuring perpetual mixed pine and hardwood forests in the eastern region of our great state as part of its broad goal of conservation of natural resources. This commitment requires a plan of action of which the annual seedling distribution is a part. If you would like to participate in planting forests of the future, contact the office at cherokeecounty@swcd.texas.gov or call 903 683-4669 ext 111.
The Cherokee County Soil & Water Conservation District distributed 1000 Shumard red oak seedlings to recipients across the county Jan 10. Receiving some of the baby trees were: (back, L - R) Jacob Crowley, Tx A&M Forest Service, Kim Benton, Cherokee County Master Gardeners, Julie Russell, Bluebonnet 4-H, Madison and Jackson Foster, both of Lookout 4-H; (front) Kennedy Foster, Lookout 4-H, Hannah and Hayla Crowley, age 6, of Cloverleaf 4-H and Cassie Foster.
Bills to benefit Texas State Parks
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ills filed in the Texas Legislature Wednesday would constitutionally dedicate revenues from the Texas’ Sporting Goods Sales Tax (SGST) to fund Texas’ State Parks and Historical Sites. This special tax on sporting goods, passed in 1993, was originally designed to provide steady annual funding for state and local parks. Over the past 25 years, however, only about 40% of the revenues have been appropriated by the Texas Legislature. Senate Bill 526 by Texas Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) and House Bill 1214 by Texas State Representative John Cyrier (R-Lockhart) would place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot to permanently appropriate the Sporting Goods Sales Tax revenues to parks. “Poll after poll of Texas residents has shown tremendous support for our State Park System,” says Janice Bezanson, executive director of Texas Conservation Alliance. “Park visitation is growing by leaps and bounds, up to nearly 10 million people last year. SB 526 and HB 1214 are crucial to meet the staffing and infrastructure needs to let future generations of Texans have a quality outdoor experience.” Decades of insufficient funding for state parks has resulted in a repair and maintenance backlog of almost $800 million. Passage of a constitutional amendment to dedicate the Sporting Goods Sales Tax to parks and historical sites would give Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission the ability to plan long-term remodeling in existing parks and put the facilities in place to open new parks. The bills will require a two-thirds vote in each house
of the legislature for the constitutional amendment to be placed on the November ballot. If the measure is placed on the ballot and receives a yes vote from a majority of the Texans voting, the amendment will become law. Fully funding Texas’ State Park System has broad support from conservationists, sportsmen, and outdoor recreation and wildlife interests. Texans wishing to show support for Texas’ State Parks can do so by contacting their state representative and urging their representative to co-sponsor HB 1214. They can learn who represents them at https://fyi.capitol.texas.gov/ Home.aspx.
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Marvelous magnolias!
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oon enough, the play of winter-to-spring temperatures will bring around a gorgeous early spring flush of color. Buds on grey branches opening up to reveal eye-catching shades of pink to white, and even yellow. Nothing shouts ‘Spring!’ quite like these deciduous magnolias. Although our native magnolias are glorious in bloom, and one of the signature statements of the South, there is tremendous appeal to the first flowers of the
season. The deciduous magnolias win that, hands down. Most people have heard of a tulip magnolia, a saucer magnolia, and a Japanese magnolia. Interestingly enough, these all refer to the same tree Magnolia × soulangeanaI. This hybrid is the most commonly grown deciduous magnolia, and it is a show-stopping floral display when in full bloom. The pink blooms are dark outside and paler inside, with a distinctive cupped shape. The tree matures at 20-30 ft tall and equally as wide, and makes a lovely specimen tree. When not in bloom, the green leaves provide a rich backdrop for the warmer shades of summer and fall.
January-February 2019
There are also numerous lovely hybrids, the best of both worlds of the parent species, including some lovely shades of yellow. Many of these seedlings are as yet unnamed, but ‘Elizabeth’ was the breakthrough yellow flower in 1978, and quickly gained a name for itself. ‘Daphne’ came later, and is said by many to be one of the
Kim Benton
Cherokee County Horticulturist With more delicate petals, and bloom colors ranging from white to pink, the star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) is a smaller tree. It ranges from 12 to 20 feet tall, and has a lovely spreading shape. The blooms have 12-18 petals in an array very like a star burst, which gives them their name. Consistent water in the summer is the key to success with this Japanese native, so mulching it would be imperative for us in the face of our East Texas temperatures and lack of summer water.
most intense yellows available. The SFA Mast Arboretum and Ruby Mize Azalea Garden both have many species of magnolias, and so many beautiful examples of the deciduous hybrids, be they white, pink, or yellow. Late winter
and early spring are likely to give great opportunity to observe them in full glory. Deciduous magnolias thrive in our acidic soil and make a welcome addition to our East Texas landscapes. Because of their bloom-time however, these trees often suffer under the last freezes of the season. Enjoy them deeply and well when you see them in the coming weeks, because they are gone in a flash, heralding the end of winter, even when lovely winter is reluctant to leave.
Excess rainwater recharges groundwater By Jo Anne Embleton
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Jacksonville Daily Progress
espite the frustrations wrought by a deluge of rain these past few months, the excess moisture has recharged the soil, helping to safeguard the county against potential drought, according to experts. “I think it’s a great opportunity for all our groundwater to recharge, allowing ponds to fill and rainwater systems to refill,” said Cherokee County AgriLife Extension horticulturalist Kim Benton. “That says good things about any upcoming dry seasons, which won’t be as hard on the trees and vegetation, because the groundwater is there,” she added. “The surplus rain will be a challenge for gardeners now, but it’ll be a positive for water availability in the soil for when the dry times do come.” According to Scott Breit Weather – a fire weather analyst with the Texas A&M Forest Service – Cherokee County received 10 to 30 percent above its normal annual rainfall in 2018, accumulating 50 to 70 inches on average. However, he noted, “the year was really a tale of thirds.” During the first four months, precipitation was about average for that period, while the second four-month period – running from late spring and well into the summer – was very dry, which “increased short-term drought (because it was) hotter and drier than normal,” Breit said. However, “the pattern flipped in early September,
leading to very wet conditions, effectively erasing all moisture deficits accumulated through the summer.” The rainfall is “definitely a good thing,” said Jason Ellis, a TFS forester for the Jacksonville District. “Obviously this is good for recharging the trees (because) it allows them to a chance to store as much water as possible. Granted, they can only store so much water, and I’d say we’ve reached the point of maximum saturation, but even in weather like we’re having right now, trees lose water every day.” The soil’s moisture is also of benefit to commercial timber property owners, who plant pine seedlings this time of year, as part of the East Texas forest industry, as well as for the trees that support wildlife use in general, he said. In comparison, drought conditions “stress individual trees (and) having all that rain will help reduce stress in individual trees,” Ellis said. Thanks to the rain, we also may be seeing an extended wildflower season, Benton said. “More moisture in the soil helps seed germination,” she explained. “They have a better opportunity to come up – I am anticipating a really good, strong wildflower season. Bluebonnets, with their heavy seed coats, love having this soaking water.” However, Ellis and another area official said the rains have also proven to be problematic. For instance, saturated soil results in a tree’s failure to become anchored, and “trees blow over because their root
systems are not able to anchor in it,” Ellis said. Area farmers and ranchers, while appreciating the replenishing of ponds and increased water levels, find “the overabundance of rain made it extremely difficult for our hay producers to get their fall crops cut and baled,” said Cherokee County agriculture extension agent Aaron Low. “Many resorted to cutting and baling silage, which was an additional expense and labor. And, many of our producers have had to ship in hay supplies from Mississippi and other states to feed their livestock.” Additionally, vegetable farmers who typically would be preparing fields right now for onion and potato crops aren’t able to do so because fields are saturated, he added. “Our livestock and hay producers have had an extremely difficult year – we went from drought conditions, to devastating army worm infestations, to too much rain,” Low said.
Cherokee County (marked with a star) received an extra one-tenth to nearly one-third percent above the normal annual rainfall this year, according to Texas A&M Forest Service fire weather analyst Scott Breit, who called 2018 “a tale of thirds.” The graphic – showing precipitation for the first four months of the year – closely mirrored precipitation averages, while the center image (spanning late spring and summer) shows much drier conditions that increased short-term drought because it was hotter and drier than normal, he said. In the last image, the pattern “flipped in early September, leading to very wet conditions the final third of the year, effectively erasing all moisture deficits accumulated through the summer,” Breit said.
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Cowboy’s Grace Dear Lord, Yer lookin’ at a man who never learned to cook unless you count pork & beans And a flowery grace like you’d read in a book is really beyond my means But You can believe I’m a thankful man though it might be undeserved And I’ll eat whatever comes out of the pan no matter what’s bein’ served I don’t take it lightly if it’s real good cause I’d eat it anyway See I know there’s people, in all likelihood that might not eat today
So count me in if yer needin’ grace and bless those who provide it The farmers and ranchers, the bakers of bread the loving hand that fried it But most of all, Lord, we give thanks to You cause we who work on the land Know how much our harvest and bounty is due to the gainful touch of Yer hand So bless this food and the life we embrace and please forgive us our pride When others with tables a-plenty say grace for what we’ve helped You provide. www.baxterblack.com
Food for Thought Master Gardener describes origin of what we eat By Paul Bryant
Special to the Jacksonville Daily Progress
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ou may think you know everything about the food you eat in America. Think again. “A lot of these cuisines started in locations where foods were locally available,” Henderson County Master Gardener Robert Erickson said. “Basically, they were easy to put together. Only two or three ingredients were in these recipes. These were not prepared in restaurants or major kitchens. Some may have been prepared for royalty, but most cuisines came from people who could fix simple things.” In fact, Erickson said, Americans’ food supply originated from outside the United States and included the Samaritans, Babylonians, Egyptians and Romans. “From about 8,000 BC to the time of Christ, the whole issue of farming evolved,” Erickson said. “Civilizations grew. Among things that developed in there are critical. Trade evolved fairly naturally, but it became necessary to have an easier way to deal with trade. So they invented money.” Erickson said he began studying the issue about 25 years ago. “I’ve always been interested in history and archaeology. In high school, I took Latin for four years. We were reading about Cesar and Roman writers. I became interested in food about 25 years ago at the start of organic and non-organic stuff and started reading about the differences.” To make his point, Erickson showed a presentation of a meal considered an all-American menu that included fried chicken and potatoes. Those items, and others, did not originate in the U.S., he said. Research shows that chicken came from Asia and that potatoes were introduced to North America from Peru from the Inca Indians. “What do we eat today that might be close as possible to what the Romans ate or at the time of Christ?” Erickson said. “Could we be eating something essentially the same thing they were eating? That’s when I started looking. The more I read, the more I got into stuff like that.” A National Public Radio report in 2016 shows that our food supply came from the Samaritans, Babylonians, Egyptians and Romans. “Only did that because they built their food supply. From about 8,000 BC to the time of Christ, the whole issue of farming evolved. Civilizations grew. Among things that developed in there are critical. Trade evolved fairly naturally but it became necessary to have an easier way to deal with trade, so they invented money. That’s how farming developed. The act of farming at that time was more like gardening today. Ten-thousand years ago, the estimated population of the world was 3 million people. That is the population of Dallas and Fort Worth today.” But tracking what people ate in ancient days would not be possible without the recorded word. “What we know up until about 3,500 BC that it was basically all archaeological evidence,” Erickson said. “We
know ranges and areas. We know what happened within a 1,000-year period. Surprisingly, one of the things they wrote down was the most basic transactions. We have a recipe for making bread, probably from Samaritans 5,000 years ago. You only need salt, water and flour to make bread. But still, you begin to see how history has progressed. We have expanded and shared and grown our resources and what is available.” And, indeed, much of the food Americans eat originates from the time of Christ, Erickson said. “Most of the food we are most commonly aware of evolved before the time of Christ. It was grown and raised in whatever early form.” That includes pasta. “Italian food as we know it is basically all imported,” Erickson said. “Apparently, the Romans had something like pasta but it was a flat bread. The pasta we think of as pasta is basically noodles, and they got that from the Chinese. And then we think about tomato baste. Tomatoes originated in Central America. It was the size of your fingernail.” The Italians, Erickson said, imported the tomato. “They started making sauces and spread it around Europe. Some didn’t trust the tomato. They thought it was an aphrodisiac. Some referred to it as the food of the devil. Really, it was in the 19th century before tomatoes became popular in Europe, even though they had been there for a couple of hundred years. Europeans who immigrated to the United States brought the tomato plants with them. But they were really inconsistent. Farmers didn’t grow them because they couldn’t make a good crop or living with them.” But then, railroads changed the food industry. “The biggie, invented in Europe, was chemical fertilizers,” Erickson said. “Before that, people tried additives and nitrogen. It doesn’t exist in solid state that you can use easily. We could not feed so many people without chemical fertilizers. The next thing was basically post-World War I equipment. It was converted to ag use to make tractors and other mechanized farming equipment.” That brings us to the harvesting of vegetables. “When Romans mentioned them, when plants were introduced in Europe, most of these are relatively recent because we kept better records, Erickson said. “For example, why do we have an orange carrot? In their native state, they were white, yellow and, in some cases, purple. It wasn’t until carrots got to Holland that they became orange. And that’s what we eat today --- maybe from the 17th century. What we eat has changed and it will continue to change.” As far as eating bread is concerned, the earliest forms of wheat died out long ago, he said. “Around 2,000 BC, they came out with what we refer to as bread wheat, which is virtually now all the bread we eat. It is made of bread wheat. It was easier to harvest. With some of the older wheat, it was much harder to get to the wheat kernel. We started regrowing these ancient grains. Some of those are coming back to life.”
And whatever comes of the future of food, Erickson said that “we’ve got to keep our eye on that.” “We can’t get lazy on it. We are more dependent on corporate farms, and that may not be the way to do it. The more population we have, the more food we have to make. We will have changes. People need to be aware
Texas A&M Agrilife Extension photo
Much of the food Americans eat originated elsewhere, particularly in Europe. Henderson County Master Gardener Robert Erickson said that most of it has changed since the time of Christ. Here, Erickson works in his compost garden.
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January-February 2019
Elkhart students place second in Fort Worth By Lisa Tang
Palestine Herald-Press
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n a balmy January day, two Elkhart students stood proudly by their smoker-trailer, while roughly 150 agriculture students, their principal, and their agriculture teachers filed outside to stand behind them. They wanted to show their support for two welding students and their project, before leaving for competition at the Fort Worth Stockyards. To Kolby McClellan and Holden Bush, their smoker-trailer, under construction since July 2018, had become much more than a competitive project. The trailer’s detailed design and patriotic theme had become an exhibit of pride in their nation, hometown, and school. All of Elkhart High School understood the importance of that moment: For the first time in recent memory, students from Elkhart’s agriculturalmechanics program were entering a major competition.Their patriotic smoker-trailer competed in Fort Worth Jan. 19-21. Their second-place win at the Fort Worth Stockyards — one of the world’s largest ag competitions — was important; even more significant, however, was the pride shown in the project. McClellan, 17, and Bush, 16, both in their third year of welding classes at Elkhart High School, decided last summer to build a project that would showcase their welding skills and honor the nation’s military. Skills taught by Edward Gibson, their ag-mech teacher, and a range of local resources made the ambitious project possible.
Those resources included the Union Pacific railroad; NuCor and Vulcraft, which donated or gave discounts on metal; and ReCal, which helped with sand blasting. Guidance from family members was also critical. “The quality and craftsmanship made their project stand out,” Gibson said. “It’s a huge leap forward for the program. They were able to show off everything they learned.” The teens pooled their resources to create a project that combines utility, design, portability, and patriotic appeal. The design, known as a reverseflow smoker, requires precise measurements for correct size and temperature, Gibson said. The boys said they chose the design because they enjoy the taste of meats smoked on that model. The six-month project began last summer, when the team started planning, ordering supplies, and constructing the project. They built the smoker from ground up, working during their summer break, school holidays, weekends, and after football practice. The trailer’s patriotic theme honors all branches of the nation’s armed forces with medallions attached to one side, flags waving in front, an American flag etched into a pullout butcher table, and the phrase, “Land of the free because of the brave,” displayed on the smoker. Gibson said the project drew lots of attention at the Fort Worth show for its patriotic theme. The students wanted to show their appreciation for the armed forces. “We get to do all this because of their sacrifice,” Bush said. “The least we can do is build a trailer and pit to show what they stand for and honor them.” McClellan wants to join the Coast Guard after graduating in 2020; Bush
plans to enter the Air Force. Both have family members who served in the military. The boys felt the hard work and long hours, as well as the weekend activities – such as hunting and fishing – they had to forego for the project, were worthwhile. “Any dad would be so proud,” said Kevin Bush, Holden’s dad.
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Winter fishing could be better than you think
BY Michael Kormos
F
Corsicana Daily Sun
ebruary means the ends of bird and buck hunting but outdoor enthusiasts can still catch a meal if they don’t mind the cold and are willing to wait. Richland Chambers Reservoir, southeast of Corsicana on Highway 287, is an excellent choice for anglers seeking catfishes, crappie, white bass or hybrid stripers. According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife fishing report, black bass are fair on bladed jigs, shakeyhead worms and Texas-rigged creature baits. White bass and hybrid striper are fair on slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs and catfish are good on trot lines. Fishing Guide Bob Holmes said this is his slow time of year and anglers have the opportunity to have the lake mostly to themselves. “The boys who are going out are catching a few catfish with stink bait,” he said. “Not many people want to stick their hands in the cold water to check a trot line.” Photos courtesy of Bob Holmes Guide Service Holmes said sand bass and hybrid season heats Anglers who don proper winter attire can still catch a few fish and enjoy a beautiful day on the lake. up in mid-March.
Take cold weather precautions with plants and crops By Michael Maresh Palestine Herald-Press
With winter in town, the Anderson County Extension Office encourages residents to take precautions to protect their crops, shrubs, plants, and landscape. Extension agent Truman Lamb said vegetables can handle the weather East Texas is experiencing; plants in the ground can survive temperatures down to 12 degrees. If the weather gets much colder Truman recommends mulching or covering the plants. Covered plants need to be uncovered as soon as the sun rises, Lamb said. Covering plants with plastic could damage them, Truman said. For now, enough moisture remains in the ground. When the area gets drier, however, landscapes will have to be watered. For younger plants, such as those planted in February, need to be covered and protected. “If the weather is 15 to 20 degrees, you will be okay,” Lamb said. “There will be a lot of planting in February.” Lamb recommends putting tropical plants in a greenhouse, garage, or inside when temperatures drop to 20 degrees or lower. If the plants are left outside, they should be covered and lighted.
The Ubiquitous Yellow Bass By Luke Clayton Outdoors Writer
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he yellow bass (Morone MIssissippiensis) or barfish as some people call them is an often misunderstood and sometimes distained little member of the bass family. Uninformed anglers refer to them as ‘trash’ fish, putting them in the same category as carp but once understood and better yet, eaten, yellow bass usually rate pretty high on the angler’s hit list. My love for catching and eating yellow bass goes back a couple decades when my friend Billy Carter first introduced me to catching them from the Cypress Channel at Caddo Lake. Carter uses one-third sections of minnow on a small case hardened hook with a split shot above and an ultra light spinning rig for his yellow bass fishing but the little scrappers will readily go for small jigs fished close to bottom. Fork has long been known for ‘big’ yellow bass. Big used in this context is a relative term. While a big white bass might measure 15 or 16 inches in length, a big yellow bass will go 11 inches or possibly a foot. A yellow more than 12 inches long is in the same category
as a white bass tipping the scales over two pounds. But when fished for with light tackle, these little fish are plenty scrappy and when filleted and fried to a golden crispy deliciousness, they are as good eating as any fish in fresh water and yes, although many crappie fans will consider this statement blasphemy. This past weekend Jeff Rice and I joined forces with our friends Stubby Stubbleflied and Shannon Wheeler for a few hours on ‘yellow bass jerking.’ Stubby is well known as the maker of Stubby’s Cheesebait and this veteran of the lakes and rivers has a lifetime of fishing experience which makes him one of the most versatile guides I know. A few weeks ago, Stubby and I were talking about fishing in general and yellow bass in particular. He told me we could rig up some of his custom made rods and fish tandem jigs near bottom and easily collect the makings of a mega fish fry. During the winter months, huge schools of yellows stack up, almost always holding very close to bottom and will readily nail a wide variety of downsized jigs or small pieces of minnow. Stubby has been catching lots of yellows on jigs while
crappie fishing and his expectations were high when the four of left his dock, headed for the deeper water of the lower lake. With the aid of Stubby’s Lowrance Live Scope sonar, the fish could run but they couldn’t hide. The crystal clear image of the hordes of yellow bass hugging bottom on the unit’s screen gave us the distinct advantage of knowing precisely where the fish were. The Thermacline lures we used works equally well on crappie and yellow bass and the purple passion color proved more than the fish could resist. The technique was simple; allow the jigs to hit bottom and then occasionally twitch the rod tip, causing the baits to move just enough to trigger the strike. Yellow bass, even in cold water are very aggressive fish, they often nail the baits with authority and often hook themselves on a tight line but a quick upward movement of the wrist insures a good hookset. The majority of our fish came from water around 30 feet deep and few a bit deeper. Because of the baits we were using, we also landed several good size crappie
Photo by Luke Clayton
Stubby Stubblefield (center) and Jeff Rice (Left) and Shannon Wheeling (right) show off a few of the many yellow bass landed over the weekend at Lake Fork.
and a few white bass. Of course, had we been targeting crappie, we would have concentrated on submerged brush piles or timber. Many of the yellow bass we landed were staged on the sides of submerged slopes or adjacent deep flats devoid of structure. When fishing with Stubby, It would be a shame not to target some of the channel catfish that he and his bait has become famous for. On the way back to dock, we fished a couple of his favorite spots that he keeps baited with range cubes year-around. We quickly added a dozen or so
chunky channel cats to the live well and headed to the dock and cleaning station. My buddy Jeff Rice and his wife, Demi, own their Buck and Bass Ranch on the upper end of Fork and back at the ranch, we put my new propane fish cooker to good use. In the mix were fillets from white bass, crappie, yellow bass and channel catfish. It’s pretty easy to distinguish catfish fillets from the others but not one of our veteran fish eaters could tell if they were eating crappie or yellow bass. Proof positive of the delicate flavor of yellow bass fillets. After doing so much
hunting for the past several months, it was good to get back on the water and enjoy a sunny day with light winds catching fish. And the fish fry was icing on the cake. It’s hard to beat a good mid winter fish fry from fish out of cold clean waters. As Stubby stated during the boat ride back to his place, I don’t really enjoy fishing any more, but I do enjoy catching. I agree wholeheartedly and catching is exactly what has taken place every time I’ve boarded this veteran guides boat.
8
East Texas Farm & Ranch Living
Support Agriculture Businesses... They are the Heartbeat of Our Economy
January-February 2019
Sports world receives stark reminder of dangers of bull riding Occasionally, the western riding sports world receives a stark reminder of how dangerous bull riding can be even when a rider is experienced and is wearing protective gear. I witnessed the 1989 bull riding accident that caused the death of 1987 world champion Lane Frost at the Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming. Frost, 25, was hit in the back by the horn of a bull that he had just ridden for prize money. Frost died from internal
injuries. He was not wearing a protective vest. In those days, bull riders, for the most part, were not into wearing much protective gear. Shortly after Frost’s death, bull riders got very much into wearing protective vests. As a result, many lives undoubtedly have been saved. However, bulls can weigh between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds and they can hit a rider so hard that even a vest is not enough to prevent a serious internal injury or death. That was the case last
week at during a Professional Bull Riders show at the National Western Stock Show in Denver. Former PBR World Finals qualifier Mason Lowe, 25, of Exeter, Mo., was killed by a bull that he had attempted to ride on Jan. 15. Lowe was bucked off of his bull, which suddenly stepped on his chest. He was transported to Denver Health Medical Centre where he died. According to reports, Lowe was wearing a protective vest, which could not absorb the blow. Lowe suffered a “massive chest injury that caused damage to his heart,” PBR officials said. “Mason was pulled under the bull during the buck off and the bull’s hind left leg struck him in the chest,” PBR chief executive officer Sean Gleason told FOX31 Denver. “The material inside is designed to disperse the weight. In this particular case, Mason took a shot that was—that no vest probably would have helped.” In a prepared statement, Gleason said the PBR is very saddened by Lowe’s death. “The loss of Mason is devastating to us all,” Gleason said. “Our thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences are with his family and wife, Abbey. Right now, we’re focusing on easing their pain and supporting them through this very difficult time.” At the time of his death, Lowe was ranked 18th in the PBR’s world standings. Lowe was bucked off of a bull named Hard Times, which will remain on the PBR circuit. “The bull absolutely, unintentionally injured and killed Mason,” Gleason told the Denver Post. “In this particular case, he had no idea that Mason had been sucked underneath him. The bull did not do this with any mal-
intent.”
Nance wins title Cody Nance of Paris, Tenn., won the PBR Denver Chute Out Velocity Tour (VT) event title during the National Western Stock Show on Jan. 16 after finishing as the only rider who stayed on all three bulls. He earned $26,307. According to pbr.com writer Heather Croze, Nance immediately dedicated the victory to fallen bull rider Mason Lowe at the conclusion of the event. Lowe passed away on Jan. 15 at a Denver medical facility as a result of injuries sustained in competition when a bull stepped on his chest at the Denver Coliseum at the National Western Complex. “I’m just thankful that God gave us the ability to do what we love to do,” Nance said. “Mason and I shared a passion for bull riding, and we got to do it together for a long time. I saw him ride lot of good bulls and I never saw him quit. I think he’d be glad that we came out and gave it our all tonight. This win means the world not only because it’s the best I’ve ever done in Denver, but doing it in Mason’s memory makes it even more special.” Prior to the Jan. 16 performance, Nance led the group of 30 bull riders competing, in a very heartfelt and moving prayer. Patches that said “Mason Lowe, PBR Cowboy 1993-2019” were distributed to each cowboy to wear on their vest, hats or shirts. A video tribute dedicated to Lowe, one of the most popular and successful riders in the PBR, was shown on the big screen before the introductions of the riders, according to pbr.com.
Brett Hoffman, a Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame member, has reported on rodeos for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for more than three decades. Email him at bchoffman777@earthlink.net.
When the title was at stake in the final round, Nance was the only rider to make a qualified ride when he conquered a bovine named Lorena’s Pet (owned by Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Heald Pro Bulls) for 86 points.
PBR tour update The PBR’s Unleash the Beast, the association’s top tier tour, stopped in Glendale, Ariz., last weekend. Veteran Joao Ricardo Vieira, a Brazilian who lives in Decatur, clinched the title on Sunday, Jan. 20, and earned $34,185. Vieira is ranked No. 6 in the world title race with 460 points. Jess Lockwood, the 2017 world champion, is ranked No. 1 with 1,767.5. This weekend, the UTB tour is in Sacramento, Calif. The UTB tour also will stop in Oklahoma City at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on Feb. 1-2. The PBR also will conduct a major show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Feb. 9-10. The show is an international team competition called the Global Cup.
January-February 2019
9
East Texas Farm & Ranch Living
Support Agriculture Businesses... They are the Heartbeat of Our Economy
From Scratch with Love
Stuffed Red Bell Peppers with Ground Chicken
Total time: 50min makes 5 servings Stuffed peppers don’t have to be beefy and ponderous. This recipe, which fills red bells with a savory filling of cooked rice, ground chicken, grated carrot, onion, and corn, is rich, satisfying, and definitely un-heavy. Crumbled feta gives the filling lots of added flavor; a final sprinkling of the cheese gives them character. You’ll need cooked rice for this recipe—a basic steamed white rice works beautifully. Serve these stuffed peppers with a simple mixed greens salad.
Ingredients
Instructions
• 5 large red bell peppers, as evenly sized as possible • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 medium white onion, small dice • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 pound ground chicken • 1 tablespoon tomato paste • 1 1/2 cups cooked rice • 1 medium carrot, grated • 1 tablespoon soy sauce • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce • 1/2 cup frozen corn • 5 ounces crumbled feta, plus more for topping • 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Use a paring knife to cut a wide circle around each bell pepper stem; remove and discard any seeds and membranes from the interior, being careful not to puncture or rip the peppers. Reserve the caps for some other use. 3. Warm the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and sweat until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 4. Push the onion mixture to the side of the pan, reduce the heat to medium low, and add the ground chicken. Cook until the chicken is completely done. Add the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the cooked rice, grated carrot, soy sauce, Worcestershire, and corn, stirring to combine, until the rice is hot. Remove from the heat and let cool about 10 minutes. Add the feta and parsley; stir to combine. 5. Evenly divide the filling among the peppers, packing them full, and arranging them upright on the prepared baking sheet (make sure they stand up straight!). Sprinkle the tops with feta. 6. Bake until the filling is heated through and the peppers are soft, 25 to 30 minutes.
Recipe by Coreen Carroll via Chowhound
East tExas stock PricEs
ANDERSON COUNTY LIVESTOCK
EAST TEXAS LIVESTOCK INC.
Updated: 1/30/2019 Head Count: 231 Buyers: 33 Sellers: 29
Updated: 1/29/2019 Feeder Calf Buyers: 15 Sellers: 79 Feeder Calf Companies: 26
STEERS
STEERS
200lb - 300lb
1.40
2.25
300-DOWN
$153
$227
300lb - 400lb
1.27
2.18
305lb - 400lb
$138
$210
400lb - 500lb
1.25
2.01
405lb - 500lb
$126
$200
500lb - 600lb
1.10
1.93
505lb - 600lb
$119
$174
600lb - 700lb
1.00
1.45
605lb - 800lb
$113
$154
700lb - 800lb
0.85
1.25
200lb - 300lb
1.35
1.85
300-DOWN
$125
$208
300lb - 400lb
1.25
1.72
305lb - 400lb
$118
$174
400lb - 500lb
1.20
1.69
405lb - 500lb
$126
$200
500lb - 600lb
1.00
1.50
505lb - 600lb
$119
$174
600lb - 700lb
0.90
1.30
605lb - 800lb
$113
$154
700lb - 800lb
0.75
1.10
HEIFERS
HEIFERS
SLAUGHTER
SLAUGHTER
Cows
0.35
0.57
Cows
$38
$56
Bulls
0.57
0.84
Bulls
$68
$78.50
PAIRS
$625
$1200
PAIRS
STOCKER COWS GOATS
$625hd
$1200hd
$45hd
$150hd
TRI-COUNTY LIVESTOCK MARKET Updated: 1/26/2019 Head Count: 780
STEERS UNDER 300lb
1.60
2.10
300lb - 400lb
1.40
1.91
400lb - 500lb
1.35
1.90
500lb - 600lb
1.25
1.65
600lb - 700lb
1.15
1.40
700lb - 800lb
1.10
UNDER 300lb
BRED COWS
NACOGDOCHES LIVESTOCK EXCHANGE
HUNTS LIVESTOCK EXCHANGE
Updated: 1/24/2019 Head Count: 237 Buyers: 41 Sellers: 52
STEERS
NO TEST
$650/hd
$1150/hd
ATHENS COMMISSION COMPANY
Updated: 1/21/2019 Head Count: 701
STEERS
NO TEST
Updated: 1/25/2019 Head Count: 933 Sellers: 160
STEERS
UNDER 300lb
1.40
2.20
200lb - 299lb
1.00
1.87
300-DOWN
1.00
2.15
300lb - 400lb
1.27
1.95
300lb - 399lb
1.00
1.87
300lb - 400lb
1.00
2.10
400lb - 500lb
1.10
1.82
400lb - 499lb
1.00
1.75
400lb - 500lb
1.00
1.80
500lb - UP
0.95
1.64
500lb - 599lb
1.00
1.71
500lb - UP
0.80
1.70
1.35
600lb - 700lb
N/A
N/A
600lb - 699lb
1.00
1.43
HEIFERS
700lb - 899lb
1.00
1.33
300-DOWN
1.00
1.85
1.40
1.95
UNDER 300lb
1.35
1.80
HEIFERS
300lb - 400lb
0.80
1.70
300lb - 400lb
1.30
1.65
300lb - 400lb
1.25
1.65
200lb - 299lb
1.00
1.51
400lb - 500lb
0.80
1.55
400lb - 500lb
1.20
1.50
400lb - 500lb
1.05
1.55
300lb - 399lb
1.00
1.79
500lb - UP
0.70
1.45
0.80
1.30
400lb - 499lb
1.00
1.51
SLAUGHTER
N/A
N/A
500lb - 599lb
1.00
1.55
Cows
0.20
0.57
600lb - 699lb
1.00
1.27
Heavy Bulls
0.55
0.80
1.00
1.15
PAIRS
HEIFERS
HEIFERS
500lb - 600lb
1.15
1.35
500lb - UP
600lb - 700lb
1.10
1.40
600lb - 700lb
700lb - 800lb
0.95
1.10
SLAUGHTER Cows
SLAUGHTER
0.30
0.55
700lb - 899lb
Cows
0.15
0.61
Bulls
0.65
0.82
SLAUGHTER
Top
$900
$1150
Heavy Bulls
0.68
0.78
PAIRS
$850
$1200
Cows
0.18
0.55
Low-Middle
$450
$900
PAIRS
NA
NA
Bulls
0.60
0.73
BABY CALVES
NA
NA
STOCKER COWS
PAIRS
$250
$1425
STOCKER COWS
0.55lb
1.00lb
GOATS
$35hd
$250hd
$1275hd
BABY CALVES
$50hd
$250hd
NA
HORSES
$40hd
$475hd
STOCKER COWS LOW-MIDDLE
$475hd NA
GOATS
$1050hd
BABY CALVES
NA
HORSES
$475hd
$1100hd
$25hd
$175hd
$50
$150
STOCKER COWS
N/A
N/A
BABY CALVES
$150hd NA
10
January-February 2019
East Texas Farm & Ranch Living
Support Agriculture Businesses... They are the Heartbeat of Our Economy
Game Warden Field Notes
The following items are compiled from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.
January 17, 2019
Don’t Mess with Texas Armadillos A miscreant who found and tortured an armadillo, and then posted a video on social media of the despicable act now faces serious time behind bars thanks to the investigative efforts of a pair of Texas game wardens. A few months ago after learning of the incident, game wardens made a criminal animal cruelty case by securing videos and other evidence, statements and an arrest warrant that landed the young man in jail. The defendant’s plea deal on two separate charges, including burglary of a habitation and the animal cruelty case resulted in a 6-year sentence on both charges to be served concurrently in state prison.
Hiding in Your Dirty Laundry A Houston County game warden recently received a call concerning possible illegal hunting activity in the Germany community outside of Crockett. The warden proceeded to the house in question and as he pulled into the yard, a female made a beeline to the front door of the house and closed the door behind her. In the front yard was an ice chest with a large 6-point buck’s head on it. The warden knocked on the door and asked the female to come back outside, but got no response. He then walked around the house and discovered another deer head, and a Liberty County jail offender ID card nearby with the female’s photo on it. A criminal database search found her to have two active felony arrest warrants. The warden, with help from a local sheriff ’s deputy, searched the immediate area near the home, but was unable to locate the suspect. Texas Department of Criminal Justice tracking dogs were called in to assist, and after a couple hours, the dogs followed a scent trail back to the original house where the warden found the woman hiding underneath a pile of dirty laundry wedged between a washer and dryer. By this time the hunters who were the focus of the initial visit had returned and received citations for no hunting license and numerous warnings. The female suspect was booked on the outstanding warrants.
Starting Off the New Year in a Fog Just after midnight on New Year’s morning, a Montgomery County game warden along with a ride-along were patrolling on Highway 59, when they entered a dense fog mixed with fireworks smoke. The warden noticed multiple vehicles were involved in a pile up and activated his emergency lights. Both the game warden and his observer provided basic medical attention and moved all the vehicles’ occupants to safety. However, more vehicles continued to slam into the mound of crashed cars. As the warden was providing updates to dispatch, another vehicle came crashing into the scene. He was able to toss his mic into the truck, slam the door, and jump out of the way as the SUV that had already hit several other vehicles came skidding by the driver’s side of his patrol unit. In total, more than 20 vehicles were involved in the accident before emergency personnel were able to stop traffic ahead of the fog bank. The game warden’s truck was the only vehicle on the scene that remained undamaged.
Peeling Back the Onion What appeared at first glance to be a few paperwork errors ended up being a significant attempt to circumvent Texas deer regulations by a group of out-of-state hunters. While inspecting a New Braunfels taxidermy business, game
wardens noted several entries in the resource log containing conflicting information. The business owner assisted in identifying the individual hunters and helped locate the corresponding antlers on hand. Three of the out-of-state hunters used Special Non-Resident 5 Day licenses, which are not valid for hunting white-tailed deer. A fourth non-resident hunter harvested a deer on Oct. 18, 2018 and posted images and video on social media a couple days later, but records showed he did not purchase a hunting license until Oct. 22. Subsequently, the four sets of antlers corresponding with these hunters were seized and citations for hunting white-tailed deer without valid general non-resident hunting licenses were issued. Wardens then interviewed the landowner where these four deer had been harvested and during an inspection of the property’s deer harvest log found the landowner had claimed the buck killed by the unlicensed hunter and used his hunting license information instead. The landowner was cited for allowing a person to hunt under his license. Wardens then checked the hunting license status of all the hunters listed on the landowner’s harvest log and found another out-of-state hunter who had harvested a deer on this property also used a Special Non-Resident 5 Day license. A warden from that hunter’s home state was contacted and asked for assistance in locating this subject. The out of state warden made contact with the hunter and was able to determine that the subject had taken two white-tailed deer in
Texas illegally. The warden seized the antlers from these two deer and returned them to the Texas wardens. Two additional citations for hunting white-tailed deer without valid general nonresident hunting licenses were issued. Cases and civil restitution now pending.
Trigger Happy On the night of Dec. 28, 2018 San Augustine County game wardens deployed a whitetailed deer decoy setup to catch would be road hunters near the Banister Wildlife Management Area and the Angelina National Forrest. At about 10:45 p.m. the wardens observed a pickup truck drive past the decoy and come to a stop. The truck turned around and returned at a slow rate of speed. As the pickup approached the decoy, one of the wardens observed a red beam of light that appeared to be a laser. The pickup pulled alongside the decoy and fired a shot. A warden approached the vehicle and before he could finish announcing himself the road hunters fired a second shot at the decoy. Charges were filed for various hunting related violations at the San Augustine County Jail.
Can’t Go Back in Time As one non-resident deer hunter learned the expensive way, purchasing a hunting license after you take to the field is not an option. He was about to enter his trophy-sized Texas white-tailed buck in a prestigious big deer contest when this individual got pulled over by a local police officer in Freer for a traffic violation. A game warden happened to be on hand and saw the big buck in the bed of the man’s truck. The warden noticed the man was acting nervous about his presence and made contact for a routine compliance check. The warden verified the subject had a valid non-resident hunting license, purchased at 6:15 p.m. on Dec. 28, 2018, and had properly tagged his kill. The warden reached out to his
colleague in Live Oak County where the trophy was taken and a subsequent call to the manager of the ranch the hunter noted on his license harvest log. The ranch manager validated the hunter’s account and texted the warden a photo of the kill, which showed the deer deceased at 5 p.m. based on the digital time stamp, indicating the hunter bought his license after the fact. When asked about the timeline discrepancy the hunter stated that he had applied for a hunting license prior to going hunting, but it hadn’t been approved until that evening. The warden informed the hunter that there is not a vetting/application process for a hunting license in Texas and that it is valid upon purchase. Cases were filed and restitution is pending. The deer was scored at 187 2/8 on the Boone & Crocket scoring system.
Snail’s End On December 20, a Travis County game warden was contacted by a U.S. Department of Agriculture APHIS Smuggling Interdiction Trade Compliance officer to assist in having a local resident surrender some Giant African Land Snails. The Giant African snails are a highlyregulated invasive species considered to be one of the most damaging snails in
the world. If fruits and vegetables are not available, they will eat a wide variety of ornamental plants, tree bark and even paint and stucco on houses. These snails are known to carry organisms that can cause diseases in humans and livestock.
Not Shooting Straight During a compliance check at a meat processing facility in Refugio County, a game warden noticed a couple of deer harvested by a woman were brought in within a few days of each other. An employee stated the deer were actually brought in by a man claiming to be the hunter’s son. The workers never saw the woman whose tags were on the deer. The warden made contact with the hunter and when asked what she shot, the woman stated she had shot a buck and a doe with a 30-06 caliber rifle. When the warden asked to see her hunting license, the woman stated her license was at her son’s residence. Contact was then made via telephone with the son later that day. The son said that his mom had shot two bucks with a .270 caliber rifle. Wardens met with the son at his residence and after some more contradicting statements, the truth finally came out. He admitted to shooting two bucks using his mother’s license tags. In addition to hunting under the license of another, it was discovered that he had shot a total of four bucks. Cases are pending for hunting under the license of another, over the bag limit of white-tailed deer buck, and no harvest log. Civil restitution was also filed.
Threw the Fish Back…into the Bucket While patrolling Matagorda for
recreational fishing compliance, game wardens came across two men fishing. When asked if they had caught anything, one man stated, “Yes, but I threw them back because they were too small.” After being asked a few more times about having any fish, the gentleman finally said, “Yes, the ones I kept are in that bucket.” After inspecting the contents of the bucket, three undersized red drum, one undersized sheepshead, and one undersized black drum were recovered. Citations and civil restitution pending. The fish were donated to a local family in need.
December 27, 2018
Rapid Rescue Earlier this month, game wardens were patrolling for illegal fishing nets on Kickapoo Creek when they received a call about a man whose kayak had capsized in the Trinity River. The situation was life-threatening due to the hazardous conditions on the river and cold temperature of the water. The wardens quickly responded and launched their boat on the Trinity River. They travelled about a mile upriver, spotting the subject clinging to a submerged drift stump in the middle of the river. The wardens quickly recovered the man and secured him in a PFD. They also recovered the man’s daughter, who was stranded on the river bank. Both victims were transported to safety and released after a medical examination.
Phoning for Backup Game wardens set up a whitetail buck decoy in Trinity County after receiving reports of road hunting activity in the area. After about an hour, a truck stopped in the road and quickly backed up. Wardens watched the operator hide the vehicle and make a phone call. A few minutes later a second vehicle approached from the opposite direction. The second driver exited the truck with a rifle and loaded it. The hunter fired two shots at the decoy before he was stopped by game wardens. Multiple cases for hunting white-tailed deer from a public roadway were filed. Wardens collected one shell casing for evidence and were unable to find the second casing. K9 game warden Blitz was brought in and found the second casing within minutes.
Poaching in Progress On Dec. 9, a Brazos County game warden responded to a poaching in progress call. A Brazos County sheriff ’s deputy detained the individuals trying to leave the property. Upon arrival, the warden questioned each of the suspects concerning their activity on the property. The two suspects found on the property admitted to hog hunting and not knowing whose property they were on. It was also revealed there was a third suspect involved who was hiding on the property. GPS trackers were discovered upon investigation, providing the exact route they travelled to hunt the hog and track their dogs. A hog carcass was located on the property. The landowners were contacted, and cases for hunting without landowner consent are pending.
The Rest of the Story Late night on Dec. 5 an
Uvalde County game warden received a call about possible shots being fired from the public road. The warden responded to the area and observed a vehicle stopped on the road with one subject standing in the road. The warden activated her red and blue lights and made contact with the vehicle. There were two male subjects in the truck and a freshly shot buck in the back. After a brief discussion, one of the subjects admitted to shooting the buck from the highway after he supposedly hit the buck with his truck. He also admitted to shooting a porcupine from the road. With assistance from another warden, they were able to find the porcupine but couldn’t find any evidence that the buck was hit by the truck. The shooter was arrested for hunting deer from the public road. The next morning, one of the wardens was traveling the same road and saw a dead buck in the trees next to a wheat field approximately a half mile from where the porcupine was shot. He called the other warden and they determined that the buck was shot with buckshot. The two subjects from the night before had a shotgun in the truck. The wardens made contact with the second subject and he admitted to shooting the buck three times with buckshot. Cases pending.
Left at the Scene of the Crime A Gonzales County game warden investigating a complaint about illegal dumping of deer carcasses discovered an agriculture tax exemption identification card next to a set of tire tracks at the scene. The warden knew of a deer camp near the dump site and traveled to that location. Upon entering the camp and introducing himself, the warden shook hands with the owner of the tax ID card. The hunter told the warden that he had shot a nice buck and after a brief inspection for tagging compliance, the warden asked where he had discarded the carcass. The hunter admitted to dumping it on the county road. The warden then advised the hunter that he had left something with the carcass that he would like to return to the hunter. The Texas AG Exempt Tax ID card was rightfully returned, and a citation issued for illegal dumping of the carcasses.
That’s Not Sea Bass A college student from Lufkin studying in Mississippi forwarded a photo to an Angelina County game warden of some live “Sea Bass” on sale in a tank at a Vietnamese market in eastern Mississippi. The student thought that was fishy because they looked like regular largemouth bass and knew that was a law violation in Texas. The warden reached out to the local game warden in Mississippi. Mississippi wardens dressed in plain clothes were able to purchase live spotted bass from the market, and then served a search warrant on the business. In addition to the spotted largemouth bass the wardens discovered striped bass for sale, too. They acknowledged how game wardens always enjoying helping each out, no matter the state or province, and thanked the citizens of the community for always being their eyes and ears out on the street.
Eagle Down, but Not Out In early November, a Mason County game warden received a call about an injured bald eagle. Upon locating the eagle, the warden contacted Last Chance Forever, an avian rehabilitation center, to pick up the injured bird and assist with the investigation into its injuries. Upon examination, it was determined that the eagle’s injuries were suffered when it hit a power line. Apparently, predators had also attempted to harm the eagle while it was on the ground. The eagle is expected to make a full recovery and will be released back into the wild soon.
January-February 2019
11
East Texas Farm & Ranch Living
Support Agriculture Businesses... They are the Heartbeat of Our Economy
Tall Rack Season-long saga ends with youth hunter winning out on hard-to-kill whitetail By Matt Williams Outdoors Writer
I
t is every deer hunter’s worst nightmare to wound an animal and fail in the recovery. Sort of like it is every young hunter’s dream to bring home a bragging size whitetail buck. Brandt Wells of Center saw both sides of the fence this season as he lived out a Thanksgiving Day nightmare that culminated with a fairy tale ending on New Year’s eve. Sandwiched in between was an emotional roller coaster of events that may have been more than most youngsters could handle. Remarkably, the Center Elementary School second grader took it all in stride. “He is not your average seven-year-old, said Jason Wells, the youth’s father. “Brandt is one serious individual -- really mature for his age. He knows what he is doing out there.” Wells’ outdoor savvy is built around plenty of experience in the woods and on the water. To wit: The youngster has been loading and unloading a bass boat off the trailer since he was four. Just last year, at the age six, he may have saved his dad’s life as they broke in a new outboard engine at Sam Rayburn Reservoir. The elder Wells is a diabetic. He and Brandt were at the upper reaches of the Angelina River in the vicinity of Stanley Creek when his blood sugar got out of whack, causing him
to pass out in the seat. Realizing the emergency situation, the young angler called 911, took the wheel of the bass boat and drove it to the Cassels-Boykin boat ramp, located several miles down the lake. A state game warden was waiting at the ramp and Wells was still unconscious when they arrived. The warden asked the youth for the code to unlock Wells’ pick-up so he could back the trailer down the ramp and load the boat. “Brandt told the warden he could handle loading the boat -- all he needed to do was back the trailer down,” Wells chuckled. “The game warden was still there when I woke up. He told me he’d never seen a kid do what Brandt did that day.” As good as he is at operating a boat, Wells is a pretty salty deer hunter, too. Prior to this season, Wells already had four deer under his belt. All of them were bucks. “I ain’t never killed the first doe,” he said. “All I kill is bucks.” What makes Wells’ most recent deer hunting tale so unique is it revolves around one buck, two shots, a good ol’ dose of buck fever and a single box blind located deep in the heart of a 860acre Mason County deer lease he and his dad share with a friend. There aren’t a lot whopper bucks in that part the world, but there are plenty of animals roaming around to keep young eyes entertained on just about every trip into field. From
opening weekend forward, the youth hunter had his sights set on a tall-tined seven pointer he came to know as ol’ Tall Rack.
First Impressions “We checked our game cameras on November 4 and there he was,” Jason Wells said. “We’d never seen him before, but Brandt knew right then that was the deer he wanted to shoot. He was a really tall and unique deer. Plus, he was mature.” The buck was pretty smart, too. In fact, the Wells never actually laid eyes on the deer for the first time until they returned to lease a few weeks later over the Thanksgiving holidays. That’s when something really strange happened.
Disappearing Act Wells said it was beginning to get dusky dark on Thanksgiving afternoon when five does merged from the brush. Tall Rack was on their heels, but the deer held up in some mesquites for several minutes before walking into the open, about 75 yards away. Wells used a grunt call to stop the deer and the youngster made what appeared to be a clean neck shot with his .223. “He dropped him right there,” Wells said. The hunters remained in the stand for about 10 minutes before scrambling to their side-by-side to retrieve the prize buck. What they found when
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Brandt Wells, 7, spent a full season chasing his Mason County seven pointer. After several close encounters, including making non-lethal shot on the deer Thanksgiving Day, Wells finally closed the deal on New Year’s eve. they returned came as a total shock. “He was gone,” Wells said. “There wasn’t anything other than five drops of blood. We got two other guys to help and we crawled around on our knees. We looked for a good 45 minutes that night, three solid hours the next morning and never found a trace. He just vanished.” Wells said they hunted from the same stand the rest of the weekend hoping the deer might show back up but he never did. “We were both pretty sick about it, especially Brandt,” Wells said. “We talked about it every single day until we we went back before Christmas. He asked me every day if thought he was still alive. It ate him up.”
A New Attitude The first order of business when the hunters returned to the lease on December 21 was to check game cameras for any sign of Tall Rack. Surprisingly, they discovered nearly two dozen images of the buck dating back more than three weeks. “He came in just about every day,” Wells said. “Turns out he was right back in front of our stand the day after we left. It was relief to me, but you should have seen the joy in that kid’s eyes. His whole attitude changed when he
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found out that deer was still alive.”
Buck Fever The hunters saw the buck multiple times during the five-day visit. Interestingly, Wells said it showed no signs of injury as it chased does in and out of the area. “You couldn’t tell there was a thing wrong that deer,” he said. The youngster missed out on two golden opportunities in the process -- once when the deer slipped by before he could get off a shot, another when a bad case of buck fever set in shortly after daylight on Christmas morning. “He came in and out several times chasing does,” Wells said. “But by the time the deer settled in Brandt was so rattled with buck fever that he couldn’t hold the scope steady. The buck stayed put for about 10 seconds and he was gone. When I looked at Brandt he had two small tears rolling down his cheeks. He was pretty upset. He thought he’d blown it.”
A Fairy Tale Ending With the season waning, there was still time for one more flip-flop trip to the lease around the New Year holiday. The father/ son arrived at camp on the
afternoon of December 28, only to witness another setback two days later when the scope on the youth’s rifle malfunctioned and caused it to blur with Tall Rack standing broadside at 75 yards. “I just about lost hope at that point,” Wells said. “Every time we saw him something seemed to go wrong. It was pretty frustrating, to say the least.” New Year’s eve morning brought a different kind of luck. The buck showed up about 7:30 and offered the youngster another broadside shot 75 yards. The .223 bullet found the buck’s vitals this time. It fell roughly 60 yards way. Not surprisingly, Wells quick to examine buck’s neck to learn what happened with his son’s first bullet. Turns out it fragmented into three pieces and wedged against the inside of the hide. “I’ve got all three pieces in our safe to remember him by,” Wells said. “That’s one deer hunting hunting experience neither of us will ever forget. Brandt sometimes called him the 150-hour buck because we spent so dang much time chasing him, but I call him the Chapter 11 buck because he nearly broke me running back and forth out there so much. But it was all worth it in the long run.” Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by e-mail, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.
12
East Texas Farm & Ranch Living
Support Agriculture Businesses... They are the Heartbeat of Our Economy
January-February 2019
Care for stock in an emergency H
Special to the Palestine Herald-Press
ave an emergency plan in place to deal with livestock evacuations in the case of an emergency. Consider these tips from the American Veterinary Medical Association’s procedures to prepare your farm or ranch for a successful evacuation: Determine where you will bring your herd until danger passes. You can check with local officials for livestock evacuation locations. Ensure your animals have some form of identification like a microchip or ear tag. Create an evacuation kit including items like medications, food, water and halters or leads to make transportation easier. Since you may not be given enough time to react to an imminent disaster, you can also take advantage of assistance programs to protect your livestock, as suggested by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Forage Program This program is in place to benefit eligible livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses for pastureland with permanent vegetative cover or that is planted specifically for grazing. To be considered for assistance, losses must be due to a qualifying drought condition during the normal grazing period. You should also keep in mind there are stipulations regarding ownership before you can qualify for the program.
Livestock must have been owned, purchased or entered into a contract during the 60 days before a drought. The land in question must have been maintained for commercial use during a farming operating on the beginning date of a drought condition. The Farm Service Agency states farmers must make a claim within 30 days after the end of the calendar year in which the grazing loss occurred.
Indemnity Program To qualify for this program, eligible livestock owners must have experienced livestock deaths more than normal mortality caused by adverse weather, disease or attacks by animals reintroduced by the federal government. Farmers must file a claim within 30 days of when the loss was initially noticed and file an application for payment within 90 days of when the eligible loss condition occurred.
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