March / April 2016 TDA Tracks Magazine by Texas Deer Association

ACTIVE VOTING ELECTED TEXAS DEER ASSOCIATION

DIRECTORS/OFFICERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS REGION 1 Hugo Berlanga Mustang Ranch Corpus Christi (361) 813-9212 Term: 8/2015-8/2016

PRESIDENT

BOB PRICE

Moss Creek Ranch Big Spring, TX (Region 2) Cell (432) 517-0269 Work (432) 393-5889 bob@mosscreekranch.net TERM 2015-2017

VICE PRESIDENT

MARK HUBBARD

Mark Hubbard Ranch Properties Boerne,TX (Region 1) Cell (361) 816-8400 hubbardranches@gmail.com TERM 2015-2017

Sheldon Grothaus Texas Whitetail Breeders Hondo (210) 854-5833 Term: 8/2015-8/2018 Mark Hubbard Long Ranch Boerne (361) 816-8400 Term: 8/2015-8/2017 REGION 2 Bob Price Moss Creek Ranch Big Spring (432) 517-0269 Term: 8/2013-8/2016 Rob Beckham Spring Gap Ranch Abilene (325) 665-7889 Term: 8/2015-8/2018 REGION 3 Dick Cain Trophy Ridge Ranch Saint Jo (903) 821-6258 Term: 8/2013-8/2016 Joe Francks Three Nails Ranch Cisco (254) 631-9400 Term: 8/2015-8/2017

SECRETARY

JOHN HUESKE T3 Whitetails

Somerville, TX (Region 6)

Cell (936) 520-1809

hueskejohn@yahoo.com TERM 2015-2017

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Ben Mooring 4M Whitetails Fort Worth (817) 822-8085 Term: 8/2015-8/2018

REGION 6 Chris McDaniel B&C Wildlife Consulting Caldwell Cell (210)287-3226 Term: 8/2015-8/2018

REGION 4 Buddy Jordan Indian Creek Ranch Spring Branch (210) 260-6711 Term: 8/2013-8/2016

Will Scott Star S Ranch, Inc. Nederland Cell (214) 766-8420 Term: 8/2013-8/2016

Bob Zaiglin Uvalde (830) 591-7420 Term: 8/2014-8/2017

John Hueske T3 Whitetails Somerville (936) 520-1809 Term: 8/2014-8/2017

Fred Gonzalez Gonzalez Whitetails Uvalde Cell (830) 279-8770 Term: 8/2015-8/2018

REGION 7 Troy Smith Triple S Whitetail Highlands (713) 725-2723 Term: 8/2015-8/2018

REGION 5 Jeff Jones Brown Trophy Whitetail Ranch Ennis (214) 534-7056 Term: 8/2014-8/2017

REGION 8 Chase Clark Artemis Outdoors Three Rivers (361) 319-6926 Term: 8/2013-8/2016 Craig Wilson Wilson Whitetail Ranch Fair Oaks Ranch (210) 602-4531 Term: 8/2014-8/2017 Frede Edgerton Contigo Ranch Premont (210) 601-5171 Term: 8/2015-8/2018 DIRECTOR AT LARGE Brian Carter Diamond C Whitetail Driftwood 512.971.5461

Gilbert Adams, III Zac Kennedy JAG Ranch JZ Whitetails Beaumont, TX Gonzales (409) 781-6146 (361) 293-8867 Term: 8/2014-8/2017

Mike Wood Madera Bonita Game Ranch Combine Cell (214) 356-7913 Term: 8/2013-8/2016

Scott W. Bugai, DVM Flying B Ranch Seguin (830) 556-9157 Term: 8/2013-8/2016

Carroll Glaser Emma’s Crossing Rockdale (512) 284-0807 Term: 8/2015-8/2018

TREASURER

MIKE WOOD

Madera Bonita Game Ranch Combine, TX (Region 5) Cell (214) 356-7913 mwood@oldhamlumber.com TERM 2015-2017

Directors and officers term shall start and expire officially at the end of the Annual State Wide Membership Meeting held at the Annual Convention and Conference.

W. CHASE CLARK

REGIONAL OFFICERS REGION 1 Sheldon Grothaus President Hondo (210) 854-5833

REGION 4 Bob Zaiglin President Uvalde (830) 591-7420

REGION 6 Drake Heller President Houston (281) 546-7051

Hugo Berlanga Vice President Corpus Christi (361) 813-9212

Brett Anderson Vice President Fair Oaks Ranch (210) 260-9064

Summer Wingo Vice President Center (936) 427-2773

REGION 3 Madison Michener President (806) 679-9320 Trophy Club

Jason Maroney Secretary/Treasurer Kerrville (512) 748-2810

Clint Carby Secretary/Treasurer New Ulm (979) 676-1111

Bryan Lane Vice President Decatur (940) 389-2696

REGION 5 Monty McGrade President Longview (903) 241-2124

REGION 7 Zac Kennedy President Gonzales (361) 293-8867

Michael Deveny Secretary Cross Plains (936) 554-4941

John True Vice President Dallas (214) 890-0900

Ryan Mills Vice President Gonzales (830) 857-3443

Steve Frisina Treasurer Fort Worth (432) 556-2970

Jason Milligan Secretary/Treasurer Georgetown (512) 635-4327

Jeremy Cook Secretary/Treasurer Gonzales (830) 857-0484

REGION 8 Roy “Smitty” Dennis President San Antonio (361) 877-2421 Lynn Collard Vice President George West ( 575) 519-8458 Valerie Erskine Secretary/Treasurer Tilden Cell (210) 705-4909

Artemis Outdoors Three Rivers, TX (Region 8) Cell (361) 319-6926 Work (361) 786-1877 chase@artemisoutdoors.com TERM 2013-2015

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

ADVISORY BOARD EDITORIAL STATEMENT Tracks is the official publication of the Texas Deer Association (TDA) and is published six times a year. Subscription is included in membership dues. Articles in Tracks are independent opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of TDA. TDA assumes no responsibility for statements or advertising made or expressed in this publication. TDA reserves the right to refuse any advertisement. Materials should be mailed to TDA as listed below.

TDA FOUNDING FATHERS

816 Congress Avenue, Ste. 950 Austin, TX 78701 www.texasdeerassociation.com

SAN ANTONIO

NACOGDOCHES

GEORGE WEST

JERRY JOHNSTON

DR. JAMES KROLL

GENE RISER

(210) 288-1558

(936) 554-0998

1945-2011

JANUARY/FEBRUARY

November 15 MARCH/APRIL

January 15 MAY/JUNE

TDA ADVISORY BOARD

March 15

Bill Grace Salado (254) 718-5084

Warren Bluntzer Lometa (512) 556-7027

Tom Malouf Wills Point (469) 222-2778

Jerry Johnston San Antonio (210) 288-1558

David Hayward Columbus (936) 870-6835

Marty Berry Corpus Christi (361) 767-7200

Dr. James Kroll Nacogdoches (936) 554-0998

Jon Henderson Meridian 2004 REGION 4 Bill Grace Salado (254) 718-5084 Dr. Dan McBride Burnet (512) 755-1919 Jerry Johnston San Antonio (210) 288-1558

May 16

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

July 15

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

September 15

It is the sole responsibility of the advertiser to ensure ad artwork is current and submitted by each issueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deadline and that their advertising contracts are up to date.

TDA FOUNDING DIRECTORS REGION 3 Ray Murski Meridian 1939-2011

JULY/AUGUST

Randy Shipp Lometa (512) 756-3194

Tom Malouf Wills Point (469) 222-2778

Slim Crapps Hondo (210) 413-9777

Glenn Sodd Corsicana (903) 396-7096

Warren Bluntzer Lometa (512) 556-7027

REGION 6 Dr. James Kroll Nacogdoches (936) 554-0998

REGION 5 Rod Green Mineola (903) 530-6326

J.N. Grimes Jacksonville (903) 721-1375

David Hayward Columbus (936) 870-6835

Robert Scherer Houston (713) 851-3767

REGION 8 Marty Berry Corpus Christi (361) 767-7200 Lee Wheeler George West (361) 449-6000 Gene Riser George West 1945-2011

WARREN BLUNTZER Senior Field Editor

thebluntzers@yahoo.com Editorial comments can be sent to: Warren Bluntzer thebluntzers@yahoo.com Advertising requests can be sent to: publications@ texasdeerassociation.com Direct all other correspondence and address changes to: TDA 816 Congress Avenue, Ste. 950 Austin, TX 78701

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

FINANCING TEXAS FOR 100 YEARS

There’s no escaping change. Especially when you’re trying to keep pace with a growing nation. So when the time comes to buy new equipment, purchase land or expand your operation, Capital Farm Credit will be there. So rural Texas has access to the financial support it needs to never stop growing. CapitalFarmCredit.com | 877.944.5500 NMLS493828

BE SET IN YOUR WAYS OR SET ON IMPROVING THEM.

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS

CONTENT

DEPARTMENTS 12

President’s Journal

Calendar of Events

Advertiser’s Index

Tracks Classifieds

TDA WORKING FOR YOU 16

Industry News

THE BACK 40 86

Snapped In Their Tracks

Did Your Know?

ABOUT THE COVER

FENCES NO PROBLEM By Butch Ramirez Do you have a great photo you want to submit for consideration? If so, please send your photo to Warren Bluntzer at thebluntzers@ yahoo.com. 4

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

FEATURES

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 24 Aging on the Hoof 36 Boom or Bust - A Constantly Changing Market 52 Now is the Time to Pay Attention to your Property Tax Appraisal 76

HUNTING & SHOOTING 66 The Wild History of Hogs 76 Change Tactics for Spawning White Bass

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

816 CONGRESS AVENUE, SUITE 950 | AUSTIN, TX 78701 WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TEXAS DEER ASSOCIATION

STAFF

MISSION STATEMENT TDA is the unified voice of deer enthusiasts who seek to share ideas and methods to improve management and harvest of deer. TDA is a Texas deer organization that cares for the welfare and health of deer herds and methods to improve deer quality and hunting quality in Texas. We, as the TDA, are working toward better conservation, appropriate regulations and improving the overall quality of deer herds in Texas.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

PATRICK TARLTON patrick@texasdeerassociation.com

PURPOSE & GOALS • To promote wise management of deer, recognizing that hunting and management are lifelong enterprises;

• • •

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

CECI WALLACE ceci@texasdeerassociation.com

MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR

JUDY JACKSON judy@texasdeerassociation.com

•

• • • OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS

MACKENZIE OLIPHANT

PAULINE PRESTON

mackenzie@texasdeerassociation.com

pauline@texasdeerassociation.com

To be a repository and clearinghouse of accurate and high quality information and knowledge; To promote deer herd health and quality through research, technology, and flexible management practices; To improve the image and awareness of deer management and harvest through public education; To promote research and technology regarding improvements to deer herds through the practice of controlled breeding and genetic improvements; To share research findings, management techniques and harvest strategies with the membership of TDA; and To increase quality hunting opportunities for Texas hunters. The deer-breeding industry is relatively new to Texas, but data from a 2007 Texas A&M University Economic Impact Study indicates it has a $652 million annual economic impact in Texas, equivalent to the state’s rice and citrus industries.The industry’s economic contributions, especially to rural areas, tourism, real estate, wildlife, game and land management, are beginning to be noticed, not only in Texas, but in states across the nation.

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

T E X A S D E E R A S S O C I AT I O N POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE

“GET INTO POLITICS OR GET OUT OF THE DEER BUSINESS!”**

What is the TDA PAC and why should I give to it? TDA PAC is an investment to help protect, improve and promote the deer industry in our great state. Opponents to our industry want to impose their ideals on landowners and deer enthusiasts, and create unnecessary government regulations which costs our deer industry and our state thousands of dollars each year. Your donation helps to support legislators who understand our issues and hear our concerns, as well as, to promote our message to others. “Their knowledge of our industry is our biggest asset .”** The success of our legislative efforts in Austin have a significant impact on our industry’s future. Thank you for your support! For more information on the TDA PAC visit www.texasdeerassociation.com **Quotes from The Honorable Bill Brewster

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

SAVE THE DATE TDA BRUSH TO BAY INVITATIONAL FISHING TOURNAMENT JUNE 3 - 4, 2016 THOUSANDS IN CASH, PRIZES, AND AWARDS! FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! BLUFF'S LANDING MARINA AND LODGE 4242 Laguna Shores Road Corpus Christi, Texas FRIDAY EVENING Mandatory captain’s meeting, dinner, jackpot auction and prizes! (Must be present to win)

SATURDAY EVENT Tournament, weigh-in and place announcements! (Complimentary appetizers & beer served!)

For more information regarding the tournament and event, please call Pauline Preston at 512.499.0466. To Reserve Accommodations, please call 361-288-2656.

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM 816 CONGRESS AVENUE, STE 950 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701 PHONE: 512-499-0466

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

PRESIDENT’S JOURNAL BY BOB PRICE

LIFE FROM THE BACK PORCH

ne of life’s greatest pleasures is to see the sun breaking over the horizon and spreading its warm rays of light across the rural landscape of this great State of Texas. Hearing the morning sounds of birds and seeing the wildlife move around enjoying the well-tended bounty that ranchers and farmers provide for them through diligent effort and large investments of both time and money, is a privilege to be preserved. All of you have not only seen this scenario but you have SEEN it – you witnessed it, you internalized it, you LIVED it and, most importantly, you shared it. Responsibility for seeing that this scene plays continually into the future is one Whitetail Conservationists take with utmost pride and dedication. It means too much to any of us to let it become yet another minimalized and trivialized consequence of “progress.” I recently read an article in an outdoor magazine that paneled every state’s wildlife agency as well as QDMA, and was able to report authoritatively that since 2010, hunter success is down 12 percent BUT trophy trends are down 46.7 percent. Please stop and digest the magnitude of these statistics. The Boone and Crockett, Pope and Young and QDMA entries are down 46.7 percent between 2010 and 2014. I would like to see a graph of the number of employees within the various wildlife agencies across the nation, as well as the budgets for each agency for the last 10 years. I feel it would show the great need for private management of the land, wild herds and conservation efforts. There can be no doubt that the government oversight of our most valuable resources is not working in the areas of preservation and proliferation. All that said, the question for all outdoor enthusiasts, sportsmen, and vested interest owners in the land and its wildlife resources is – How do we do better? The simple answer is to consistently and methodically apply the knowledge and skills we all have as stewards of the land and practitioners of good animal husbandry. For the Whitetail Conservationists, we unite and develop plans for resistance to stupid people who have either no knowledge of the animals or have no interest in them at all. Although we cannot agree on every point, we can all agree that the most important quest is to move the needle consistently toward the goal of advancing the quality of our whitetailed deer. Texas Deer Association exists as your platform for interaction with others of common core values. TDA is ever mind-full of its duties and responsibilities in representing its members, not only on specific issues, but also in the overall perception of the greater good revered in the hearts of its members. Today, there exists in Austin, Texas, just two blocks from the State Capital, an office filled with capable, honest, hardworking men and women who understand the values of the Texas Deer Association and are dedicated to its members. Their work-load is structured and focused. Their duties are well defined. Their charge is to strengthen our message through efficient, effective, fiscally responsible execution of a plan developed by your Executive Director, Executive Committee and Board of Directors using input from all the members. Their duties are to broaden our

membership base, expand our interaction with members, solidify working relationships with state agencies, educate legislators and enhance understanding and perception with the general public. Quite an agenda – but one designed for success! Never has there been a time when member interaction, support, unity and guidance was needed more. The challenges to this industry are great. It is ever more important for each member to understand that it is NOT “common sense” that will win against our adversaries. Those people HAVE common sense (admittedly not much) but it is not the absence of common sense that drives them. They just choose to reject it or are driven by other factors such as rules, laws, politics, policies, agendas or personal beliefs. I want to assure each of you that the Texas Deer Association does not and will not rely on happenstance to pursue victory in the fight to champion your rights as outdoor enthusiasts, landowners, land stewards and whitetail conservationists. We have, with your advice and support, the resources, the drive and the will to advance our rights, privileges and agendas to a place of understanding and respect for not only our good but for the good of future generations so as to allow them to see that sun break over a prosperous rural landscape. My number one request is for each of you to call and go visit your Senators and Representatives. The Texas Legislature is made of nearly 65% non-rural members. They request, need and appreciate your insight into our issues regarding disease, ownership and governance. They are confused. The “stories” they are hearing are too diverse for them to make any sense of the reality of our situation. They need to come to your farms and facilities and view first-hand the care that abounds in and around your deer pens. During this year, you will be asked to attend numerous “Town Hall” meetings in your area and be asked to open your facilities and properties to a Legislative Member’s tour or hunt. We will grow favor legislatively through TDA sponsored member interaction. Lastly, I would ask that all of you not fall victim to over-reaction, diversion, panic, propaganda, hysteria or hype. Today’s challenges are new, different and numerous, but all are navigable with a reasoned, professionally guided plan executed timely and diligently. Pitch in. Calm waters are just around the bend. Enjoy the sun-rises and back porches of rural Texas that your hard work creates and defends. “Hunt Your Way”. Respectfully, Bob Price TDA President

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TEXAS LAND FOR SALE

TDA WORKING FOR YOU

INDUSTRY NEWS

PROFESSOR PEGS FUTURE OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE ARTICLE BY NICHOLAS HALEY, DVM AND PHD

erhaps no issue is as controversial in the hunting community right now as Chronic Wasting Disease. There’s constant fingerpointing and a lot of theories about how it will change hunting forever for the worse. But fortunately, emerging scientific research suggests that CWD doesn’t have to be the scourge that many fear.

JONES COUNTY, TX - 451.69 ac m/l. South and west border of property is Clear Fork River, Farmhouse, electricity, coop water, 410 acres fertile river bottom tillable ﬁeld, 41 acres of excellent Brazos River bottom hunting land - $835,626. Call Jackie Webb (940) 521-1110.

MARION COUNTY, TX - 650 ac m/l. 100 acres of established pastures, 300 acres of planted timber, and 250 acres of native timber, grass, and wetlands area. The ranch has considerable elevation changes that create beautiful views - $1,700,000. Call Joey Bellington (979) 204-6311

MONTAGUE COUNTY, TX - 150.75 ac m/l. good network of internal roads and cleared trails, Good fences enclose the perimeter, Agexemption currently provides for low property taxes, whitetail deer, turkey, dove, and coyotes - $499,500. Call Bob MacDougall (817) 600-1620.

MENARD COUNTY, TX - 454.83 ac m/l. oak trees, mesquite ﬂ ats, and nearly 100 acres tillable ground, bow hunting only with little hunting pressure, whitetail, turkey, and axis in great number and quality$1,000,000. Call Blake Farrar (903) 5305804 or Joey Bellington (979) 204-6311

Last year, a herd at an Iowa ranch was depopulated after one of the animals tested positive for CWD, as is standard U.S. Department of Agriculture protocol. However, the situation took years to resolve as the ranch owner fought for a more equitable solution. As such, CWD naturally spread among the animals. This provided a unique opportunity for testing of the animals, since depopulation normally occurs relatively quickly. After testing and euthanizing the entire herd, sadly a large percentage were identified as CWD positive. The silver lining was that 20 percent were negative, and we are currently looking at a genetic link to resistance in these animals. If we can further characterize this resistance in deer, that’s very promising. As CWD spreads - and it will, since you can’t stop free-ranging deer from moving around - then the deer that are more genetically susceptible to the disease will die off at higher rates than those that are less genetically susceptible. The net result will be a hardier population of deer that is more resistant to CWD. With farmed deer, there’s the potential to select for this resistance faster than nature herself could.

to view these properties and hundreds more go to

4.5x10_TDA_Auction_ad.indd 1

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

1/18/16 12:48 P

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

NEW INTRODUCING

A NUTRITIONALLY SUPERIOR DIET

Replacing AntlerMax速 Textured Complete & AntlerMax速 Textured Supplement Diets

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

Purina® AntlerMax®

NEW

DEER BREEDER

TEXTURED 17-6 SUPPLEMENT BENEFITS Utilizes Additional Extreme Energy™ as the Fat Source instead of Soybeans Additional Ca:P & Vitamin A Tasco Diamond V

WHY IS ANTLERMAX ® EXTREME ENERGY ™ BETTER THAN SOYBEANS? Multiple Sources of Vegetable Oil Instead of a Single Source AntlerMax® Mineral Package Higher in Fat and Energy Octacosanol Balanced Ca:P Ration Highly Digestible PLEASE NOTE: Purina® AntlerMax™ Deer Breeder Textured 17-6 is a supplement diet. Alfalfa hay is needed.

1-800-227-8941 ONLY AVAILABLE IN SELECT MARKETS AND AT SELECT DEALERS. REGULATIONS FOR FEEDING OF BIG GAME CAN VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT FOR THE PROPER USAGE OF THE BIG GAME FEEDS. © 2016 PURINA ANIMAL NUTRITION LLC

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

AGING ON THE HOOF

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY BOB ZAIGLIN

s the sun dips below the mesquite-lined horizon and a fluorescent orange glow erupts skyward, out steps the largest buck you saw all winter. Now it’s not bad enough that you have to deal with an immobilizing adrenalin rush and your heart is about to jump out of your chest, or the fact that the animal is staring directly back at you and about to dash back off into a sea of brush. None of these tumultuous events have quite the effect as does the realization that the animal shows no sign of just how old it is, and before you know it the buck is 24

gone and so is your season. The impact age has on antler size along with the hunter’s desire to shoot larger-racked bucks has coerced many hunting operations to regulate the harvest of what is often referred to as ‘top end bucks’ based on age. The only problem with this rule is the difficulty in determining the age of a buck on the hoof. Correctly aging a buck fawn is not a problem, or at least it should not be because of the distinct size difference between a fawn and an adult doe. However, I witness doe hunters shooting

them every year, thinking they are full grown, that is until they approach the downed animal. Aging yearling, even two-year-old bucks, is not that difficult, particularly when one subscribes to the basic rule that a yearling buck is considered a doe with antlers, albeit small, and neither one should exhibit neck expansion to any significant degree. They also exhibit long legs, out of proportion to the body, tight stomachs, and less than expansive necks that change in older bucks. But when it comes to bucks three years of age or older, estimating their age with any TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

degree of confidence is extremely hard. The major reason is because deer, like people, age differently. In other words, the signs of aging show up more rapidly in some deer, while others, even in the seven-and-eight-year-old age bracket, demonstrate little sign of aging. So how can one improve their ability to age a buck correctly? I am not sure that there is a better method than photographing and cataloging those particular bucks on an annual basis so that one not only knows their age but more importantly finds certain features that could improve age estimates of those seldom seen bucks. Obviously, this involves a substantial amount of effort, but the end product is nothing shy of a coffee table book, representing an educational tool for the deer hunter. Over the last 10 years I have been involved in a very unique deer management program on a 40,000acre high-fenced property where the owner limits the harvest of trophy class deer to three or four per season and provides the population with a year round source of nutritious feed. The goal is to see just how large those racks can grow. As a result, I have enjoyed the unique opportunity to film a

considerable number of not only huge, but distinguishable bucks on an annual basis in an attempt to decipher any physical changes that could be applied to correctly age those deer seldom seen over their lifetime. While participating in this experiment, I have found that relocating a particular buck on an annual basis is not that difficult during the rut as they demonstrate an affinity for particular breeding grounds. Also, nothing makes those animals more visible than the distribution of corn. What I have discovered is that filming particular bucks is an ideal way of circumventing the error-ridden tooth wear and replacement technique we biologists subscribe to for determining the age of deer. Over the last 11 years, along with two others, a total of 12 days each December during the peak rut period has been dedicated to filming deer on this particular ranch. To date, we have spent a total of 396 days intensively pursuing deer on the property with cameras to capture as many bucks as possible on film in an attempt to see just how efficient we could get at aging whitetails on the hoof.

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

I might also add that locating particular bucks is also aided by the use of 88 motion detection cameras that are deployed sequentially at each of 226 feeders during the early fall. Thus following the intense review of images collected on the motion detection cameras, we know at least where to start our search for those particularly large animals. And after reviewing miles of video and countless digital images, I have conceded to the fact that there are certain features like an enlarged stomach, large horns, and expansive neck that define aging, but distinguishing between some of those five and six-year-old bucks is incredibly difficult, if not at times impossible. The principal reason behind that statement is derived from the fact that some bucks are ageless, exhibiting little to no physical sign of aging, that is until they reach their eighth or ninth year and the antlers demonstrate significant retrogression. I also contribute the difficulty of aging of these older deer to their diet. Tons of nutritional deer pellet is provided annually to deer across the Brush Country, and as a result, body size has paralleled the increase in antler size. 25

AGING ON THE HOOF

We are now seeing larger-bodied fouryear-old deer with racks equivalent to five and six-year-old deer in the past, particularly on areas with a high density of feeders sustained on an annual basis. The point is, many of today’s deer are provided a highly nutritional diet, and as a result appear much different than their less fortunate cohorts. To some the inability to precisely age a buck on the hoof would indicate a flaw in management, but that is not the case. Since most of the error is a result of underaging, the particular animal is allowed to walk away unharmed, which increases the probability of expressing its desirable characteristics by breeding another year. In other words, a mistake of underaging a deer could increase the probability of seeing more bucks of a similar size in the future. Describing what a buck should look like at a particular age is helpful, but the ability to critique a quality image of a particular buck filmed over a three to five-year period is not only beneficial, it’s educational. The following images are of bucks I have filmed for several years. I would like for you, the reader, to estimate the age. I will place the correct age of each animal at the end of the article. 26

Buck number one would gross score in the mid 170-inch range. The excessive neck muscles and slight sag in his back along with some drop in the skin under the jaw are all signs that this buck is six years old, at least that is what I would call him. But confusing features like less than rounded ear tips and no apparent

squinting dictate that this guy could be younger—what do you think? Exhibiting a beautiful cape on a less than swollen neck without any stomach sag convinces me to age buck number two in its fifth, possibly fourth year. What do you think? You’re in the process of laying your rattling horns down when this buck (buck number three) is in your face. The landowner said you could shoot a buck

as long as it was six years old, and the neck on the buck should be all one needs to age the animal. What do you do-shoot or not shoot--more importantly, how old is this buck? There’s few sportsmen who would worry about how old buck number four is because they would be shaking too badly. This is no question an aberration at any age, but based on the size of its rack, it cannot be anything but in its prime--sixth or seventh year—what do you think? All four deer presented as examples were random samples of what I have been fortunate to get to know. Buck number one, filmed in 2014, is actually the first buck I have had the opportunity to film for five consecutive years. I first filmed him in 2011 when I felt confident he was three years of age, which makes him six years old in this image. Buck number two, filmed in 2015, is buck number one, only a year older at seven years, but based on the fact that his antlers retrogressed in one of the wettest years on record, I could concede and call him eight years old, making him seven years old last year and a two-year-old super star when I first filmed him in 2011. Buck number three, filmed in 2013, is once again buck number one a year earlier. With an enlarged neck and slight drop in back, he could easily be called six years old, but based on his photographic history, he is five years old. Buck number four I first filmed in 2013 when I estimated him at three years simply because his rack was exceptionally large and his body extremely small. Taken in 2015, buck number four is five years old. Be on the lookout for a new column in the next issue of Tracks titled “How good do you think you are at aging bucks on the hoof ” as we age known aged deer filmed in the field.

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

REFUGE

THE

WHITETAILS

PUT SOME

“PURDY”

BACK IN YOUR HERD TR® PURDY @2 DNAS: 141022

4M Maxbo’s Hammer x TR Domino over TR Heater’s Womb sister

CHRIS MCSPADDEN (903) 229-8787

HEATH REYNOLDS (903) 467-8707

chris@refugewhitetails.com

heath@refugewhitetails.com

WWW.REFUGEWHITETAILS.COM WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

GOAT

EED

RANCH dnas#118281

Phone: 903-277-3252 Fax: 903-831-4656 www.goatweedranch.com larryhaey46@yahoo.com Mailing Address: 530 Sowell Lane, Texarkana, TX 75501 Ranch Location: Highway 8 (2 miles south of Douglasville, TX)

proven Producer SemenAvailable

Grizzly 30352

607yd 15531

Certified Tier 1 - TAHC 30

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

GRAND SLAM

PHONE 210-419-4442 G2RANCHTX@GMAIL.COM WWW.G2RANCH.COM

Express / 54816 Sudden Express / 121966 Purple / 49943

2 YEARS 34 DNAS# 142634

Bambi Yardstick / 10424 Yardstick's Dream / 95938

O 848 / 57475

Gladiator II / 15021 A 203 / 44139 Sudden Impact / 25499 Sally / 22767 Nitro / 753 Holly / 767 Maxbo / 9452016 TRACKS MARCH/APRIL Blue 510 / 51534

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

BOOM OR BUST – A CONSTANTLY CHANGING MARKET ARTICLE BY JUDY BISHOP JUREK

Fur buyer Greg Novak of Corpus Christi displays 750 raccoon, coyote, bobcat, and fox pelts, the result of one trapping season. Courtesy of Greg Novak

hat’s soft, warm, all natural, long lasting, beautiful, fashionable, an abundant resource, essential in certain regions and cultures for the well-being and survival of mankind since the cave man era? If you answered “fur” then pat yourself on the back. Where does fur, or the more definitive pelts used for a vast array of clothing and products, come from? Well, from fur bearing mammals…where else? Yes, today there is plenty of faux fur, the explanation of which means fake, artificial, false or otherwise unreal, man-made from various fibers. However, the real thing is derived from animals born with it. 36

The use of fur dates back to man’s early existence. It should be noted here there is really no difference between fur and hair; it’s merely how one wants to use each word. It’s the same when discussing hides, pelts or skins as they mean the same thing. We tend to talk about dog or cat hair on clothing and furniture while stating rabbit fur is so very soft to the touch. History is rich with tales from around the world although here in North America we know the northern trapper stories best. Before and directly after the turn of the 20th century, it was a way of life for many. Braving harsh winter conditions, the work of collecting, storing, transporting, and selling furs TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

was, and is still today, not for the weak. Besides the elements Mother Nature presents, trappers cover rough terrain and may have chance encounters with dangerous animals. Beaver, otter, bobcats, wolves, lynx, wolverines, and coyotes have always been popular species to trap. Smaller mammals such as raccoons, opossums, skunks, ringtail cats, badgers, nutria, rabbits and squirrels have at one time or another also been in demand. Larger animals quite naturally offer bigger hides with mammals in the colder climates usually having thicker, more luxurious fur than their southern relatives. Many a young man has made a rite of passage in their hunting career by pursuing fur bearers and selling the resulting pelts. It’s also a way to hone tracking, shooting, skinning,

“We were good shots back then, too, all free handed.” Teat chuckled, “I gotta have a rest now. It was nothing to get 15-20 coons per night. We’d skin them out, then stretch the hide to dry. Mr. Earnest Valigura of Markham paid us $1.50 per pelt regardless of size.” Laughing, he added, “I made what was a lot of money back then and loved every minute of it except worrying about cottonmouths getting in the boat with us!” Teat added they received 25-50 cents per bullfrog that Mr. Valigura shipped to St. Louis. “It was nothing to get 50100 frogs per night. It was before farmers starting using so much poison. When we discovered he’d pay us $3 per foot on alligators, we quit hunting raccoons. Money was money and we wanted all we could get!” Teat noted things were much different back then. “We had hunting licenses but for many species there were no seasons, no limits, you didn’t have to have a special permit or tag, and we were always mindful of trespassing. We didn’t want to get in trouble and embarrass our parents!” Like many things in life, demand is what drives the market. Other determining factors include the value of the dollar as well as the price of oil although many years ago such elements were not as influential as they are today. And then, too, when life was much simpler and most certainly not quite so mobile, the fur market stayed somewhat steady. Snares are often a trap of choice for many. This coyote was caught entering a game proof area As stated earlier, trapping and dispatched before possibly killing a whitetail fawn or turkey poult. By Judy Bishop Jurek was once a way of life albeit an often lonely, tough way to make a living. Today there are still a preservation and/or tanning skills along with many outdoor handful of brave souls existing on what their annual bounty survival techniques from basic to proficient. Monetary rewards receives on the market. For others it’s a pastime providing a can be great or small as demand for various fur species often source of outdoor recreation as well as a bit of supplemental swings in response to fashion changes. income. Naturally fashion plays a major role in determining demand. Fur prices were high in the late 1950’s-60’s. Boyhood dreams When a movie star or world leader wears fur, it’s suddenly of making easy money were, too. Clayton Teat of Houston popular for everyone. By the same token, if people of influence graduated from Sweeny High School in 1963. Having started condemn using real fur by promoting the use of faux fur, the hunting at age 6 with his dad, Teat was no stranger to handling market suffers. It can be a roller coaster, not unlike a host of a shotgun, rifle or knife. Selling pelts was a means to extra other products used in everyday life. money for energetic teenage boys. In recent years Russia and China have generated the most “My dad would drop us off along the San Bernand River,” demand for pelts. In 2011-2013 fur prices ran high. Russia is said Teat. “We’d walk in the dark to our sunken canoe left the largest fur consumer and prefers wild fur while China and behind so we didn’t have to tote it in and out of the river many European countries have farms producing millions of bottom. Using a spotlight and .22 rifle we slowly paddled mink and fox for their hides. China also creates many of the along the river. Raccoons were plentiful, staying on the bank fur garments that are purchased mainly by Russians. or climbing trees overhanging the water. If one hung up in a R-P Outdoors of Mansfield, Louisiana, is a premier supplier tree after being shot, we were like squirrels shimmying up to of not only sporting goods but all things trapper related. retrieve it.” They’ve also been buying furs for 38 years. Manager James WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

BOOM OR BUST

Randall Gallaspy said, “There is always interest in trapping for “There’s speculation coyote pelts will flood the market but it’s a variety of reasons. Selling fur is just one but if prices are high hard to determine right now.” trapping draws more attention.” According to Neal Chambliss, Texas Parks and Wildlife “Fashion comes and goes,” added Gallaspy. “An upswing a Revenue Accountant (numbers cruncher), trapper license couple of years ago was due to China and Russia but the price sales have slowed down. Changes in the name of licenses and of oil has hurt Russia. The Russian economy is suffering and how they are recorded has also occurred through the years. China has had some problems as well. In turn, both prices and All Texas hunting licenses are valid September 1 to August 31 demand has dropped.” each year. A reporting ‘year’ is for the end of the license. In Their company website stated as of mid-December the other words, statistics for 2015 are actually for licenses sold market was worse than reported in October. China was from September 1, 2014 through August 31, 2015. flooding the market with 40 million mink in addition to what In 1987, Chambliss showed 33,548 resident and 22 nonEurope was unloading. R-P Outdoors would not be buying any resident trapper licenses were sold although youth and senior coyote, nutria, skunk or opossum hides. They also predicted hunting licenses were lumped in with trappers. This number prices for other species will be poor due to the market down dropped to 8,276 in 1991 as some age separation of license swing. holders took effect. Corpus Christi’s After a further Greg Novak is a fur designation change, buyer in addition to trapper licenses having a firewood totaled 3,284 in the company and assisting year 2000. For 2010 with his mother’s the number dropped catering business. to 2,119 resident “The catering business with 36 non-resident pretty much takes up trapper license sales. my March to October For 2015, the time while the fur and most recent full year firewood endeavors ending August 31, keep me busy through 2015, the state issued the winter months,” Lone Star residents This life-like bobcat has caused many guests to jump depending on where it is Novak said. He and 3,089 trapping put in the house. Animals for mounting are one sales source for trappers. By Judy Bishop Jurek a high school friend licenses at $19 each. began trapping 15 Non-resident licenses years ago while learning the in’s and out’s from his experienced costing $315 were sold to 57 would-be trappers. Chambliss dad. agreed with the current price slump for furs, Texas trapper “The 1970’s and 80’s had good fur prices due to the value license sales beginning September 1st for 2016 will most likely of the dollar as well as high demand for wild fur during those be down. years. Then 2011-2012 had the best prices in a long time. However, the lack of demand does not always equate to a Western bobcats commanded upwards of $1,000 each.” With slow down for trapping or hunting fur bearing animals. Gary a shake of his head, Novak added, “Then many Chinese were Schroeder is the owner of Moscow Hide and Fur in Moscow, arrested for not paying tariff taxes. About the same time Idaho. He also writes the monthly “Fur Market Report” for oil prices began dropping and Russia’s economy has fallen Fur-Fish-Game magazine. His company not only buys and terribly.” sells hides they also deal with a vast array of products ranging “This is currently one of the biggest down turns in fur prices from animal parts such as feathers, antlers, horns, skulls, in the last century,” Novak said. “Russians have to choose bones, teeth, and claws to taxidermy mounts. between eating and keeping the heat on or buying a fur coat “Skins from last year remain unsold due to many countries or hat.” having economic problems, most specifically China and Russia, There is an upside, though, as Novak stated the trim trade the largest fur consumers. The fur trade has major adjustments is escalating as North Americans desire coyote fur to accent going on with repercussions from over production. This year jackets, purses, and boots. Texas song dogs have flatter fur than over 100 million mink will hit the market while only 60-70 their plusher, heavier undercoated cousins of the northwest percent will be consumed,” said Schroeder. (Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Montana). “There are two million unsold raccoon hides from last 38

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

year. Some are bringing only $2 or less. A Canadian auction company has such a huge overstock. Raccoon is big in Russia but the ruble is so cheap and you can’t get money out of Russia.” Schroeder said, “Northern coyote is selling well; it’s used for trim with high demand from Italy, Canada and Hong Kong. But a single commodity doesn’t hold up the entire market.” Schroeder went on to say the last time prices were like this was the spring of 1988 after the overall economy dove in 1987. “Two years ago this spring the fur industry saw the highest prices ever paid. Today we’re getting only a fraction of those prices. The market will crash this spring, then re-adjust, and we’ll go from there. If properly taken care of, hides can be frozen for as long as five years. We’re always hoping market prices will rise, and they will. It’s just anybody’s guess as to when.” Bill Applegate calls the West Texas town of Marfa home. He’s President of the Texas Trappers and Fur Hunters Association (TTFHA) which began in 1980 as the Texas Trappers Association. “I’ve been on the board for 21 years. We have a good membership although it fluctuates somewhat like everything else.” Trapping is his life. It’s all Applegate does in addition to handling nuisance calls on coyotes and mountain lions. “The fur industry is kind of like the cattle market,” said Applegate, “You get up high hopes and then the market goes bust. There are no government subsidies in the fur industry.” Applegate began trapping in the mid 1970’s when prices were good - good enough to pay for his college tuition along with working through the summers. “There are big differences in the state laws and regulations pertaining to trapping and selling hides.” Applegate says Texas is blessed with good wildlife laws. “Especially back east, there are so many bans and restrictions. There are also differences in the fur quality of various animals right here in the Lone Star state. Bobcats from the north and west bring better money than those in East Texas.” “The United States exports more fur pelts than we use. It’s positive for our economy and helps reduce the overall federal trade deficit even if only by a tiny margin.” Applegate said, “And since animals reproduce, it’s a natural renewable resource. However, it’s not something everyone wants to do as the work is not easy.” Applegate is “on the back roads and trails” for days at a time running traps in addition to skinning out and taking proper care of his bounty. “It’s hard work. You just don’t set a trap by the side of the road. The physical demands are tough, especially in some of the weather Mother Nature stirs up where I go.” After a moment of reflection, Applegate added, “But I love it or I wouldn’t be doing it!” Trapping and hunting fur bearing animals is a means of recreation and possible income but is also quite essential to the balance of nature. Left unchecked, many of these predatory mammals may upset the population of various other wildlife species. Skunks and raccoons in particular rob bird nests WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

ranging from ground nesters such as wild turkey and quail to tree nesters like songbirds. Rabies and distemper are just two diseases that livestock, domestic pets, and humans may contract from wild animals. There is a myriad of lesser known viruses, bacteria, and other diseases many mammals carry depending on the region they live. It’s always a good idea to use gloves when handling fresh fur bearing carcasses whether you dress them out or not. In addition to trapping the use of predator calls offers a whole different avenue to acquiring pelts. Although sometimes time consuming, there is an art and talent to successful calling. It can be both challenging and fun as you never know what may come in for close inspection of noise makers. It may not be the species you desire so you have to expect the unexpected. Predator calling is also something that can be done year round, especially when other seasons are closed. Another source for trappers is the taxidermy trade. A hunter may have damaged or not properly cared for a coyote or badger rendering the hide useless. Outdoor stores as well as enthusiasts and collectors desire mounts for display and décor thus creating a market other than for the animal’s fur only. While the demand may be much lower it is still a viable outlet. The fur industry is here to stay. There always has been, and most likely always will be, a need for it. Fur is a commodity that has its ups and downs like just about everything else in life. Trapping and selling pelts may not be for everyone but for those who enjoy it, there’s that bit of mountain man mystic and outdoor adventure that keeps them going strong. Makes you wonder where any fur garments you may have actually came from…hmmm!

Before venturing out to secure fur bearing animals to sell, be sure to check the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Outdoor Annual for more information. A Trapper License is mandatory for the possession and intent to sell hides. Certain restrictions apply to some fur bearers. Hunter Education requirements apply to trappers. A hunting license is required if taking nuisance fur bearers as long as you do not intend to sell the pelts. For more detailed information consult the Fur Bearing Animal Digest available online, at TPWD Law Enforcement Offices, or by calling TPWD at 800-792-1112. Visit Texas Trappers and Fur Hunters Association at www.ttfha.com or Moscow Hide and Fur at www. hideandfur.com and R-P Outdoors in Mansfield, Louisiana at www.rpoutdoors.com for more info. 39

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

NOW IS THE TIME TO PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR PROPERTY TAX APPRAISAL ARTICLE BY ROBERT FEARS

exas open-space lands provide aesthetic and economic benefits to its citizens through hunting, fishing, birding, wildlife viewing, photography and other ecotourism activities as well as farming and ranching. Environmental returns include water conservation, carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling. In order to preserve open-space lands, qualifying properties are assessed at lower tax rates based on productive value rather than market value. Qualified uses include enterprises such as farming, livestock production, wildlife management and timber production. Lower tax appraisals for these uses are dictated in the Texas Constitution and further defined in the Texas Property Code. The period for submitting applications for wildlife management special property tax appraisal (1-d-1) is from January 1 until April 30. If you haven’t filed by the time this issue of TRACKS is delivered, then your time is running out. Late applications may be filed up to midnight the day before the appraisal review board approves appraisal records for the year which usually occurs in July. If you file a late application and it is approved, you must pay a penalty equal to 10 percent of the difference between the amount of tax imposed on the property and the amount that would be levied at market value. 52

It is also time to notify the appraisal district of any of following changes in land use: • Sale of property • Property purchased • Land use category - such as from wildlife back to agriculture or from native wildlife to exotics • Level of use – primarily applies to agricultural use such as increasing number of cattle • Nature of use – such as changing from managing for whitetail deer to managing for doves • Enter, leave or change governmental programs – such as putting land in Conservation Reserve Program • Changing to non-agriculture or non-wildlife use – such as developing a shopping center Changes in property use must be delivered to the appraisal district in writing no later than April 30. Landowners do not have to re-apply for open-space appraisal each year. The chief appraiser may require an annual report on a form prepared by the Texas Park and Wildlife Department (TPWD) describing how the wildlife management plan was implemented during the year. In addition to the completed forms, it is wise to include receipts for money spent in habitat management, an activity log, photos of wildlife management practices being implemented, TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

and a ranch map showing where habitat improvements were made. The activity log show dates of habitat improvements and maintenance tasks, customer events, and quality and quantity of animals harvested. It is suggested that landowners make an attempt to schedule an appointment once a year with the agricultural lands appraiser to review the annual report and plans for the coming year regardless of whether it is required by the chief appraiser. If a visit is not possible, it is recommended that the documents be mailed to the appropriate appraiser. Good communication with the appraiser makes his or her job easier and helps the appraisal process flow better for the landowner. The author served on the Williamson County Appraisal Review Board for six years and was chairman for five of those years. Nearly every case that we reviewed on wildlife appraisals was due to failure of the landowner to communicate his land management plans and activities to the appraiser. After sitting on the appraisal review board, time was spent in assisting landowners in obtaining wildlife appraisals. In every case, the applications were approved due to reviewing well-designed management plans with the appraisers in a friendly business-like manner. Timely communication with good documentation will lead to success most of the time. How to qualify “There are two types of special appraisal methods for open-space lands,” says Dr. Larry Redmon, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. “The first type of appraisal is called Assessments of Lands Designated for Agricultural WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

Use and is often referred to as 1-d appraisal. Agricultural use appraisal method 1-d is appropriate for lands devoted to full time agricultural operations where the owner’s primary occupation and source of income is derived from the agricultural enterprise. The other type of appraisal is called Taxation of Certain Open Space Land (OSL) and is also known as 1-d-1 appraisal. When most people speak in terms of agricultural use tax valuation for ranches in Texas, they are generally referring to the OSL appraisal method 1-d-1. Open-space appraisal 1-d-1 is based solely on the primary use of the land with no consideration for the landowner’s income or occupation.” “To obtain a special tax appraisal based on wildlife management, the land must have been qualified and appraised as open-space agricultural land in the year prior to conversion to wildlife management use,” explains Dr. James Cathey, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. “If property does not currently qualify for open-space agricultural appraisal, a five-out-of-seven-years production period is required to establish traditional agricultural operations. Once these qualifications are satisfied, the landowner must submit for agricultural tax valuation before converting to a wildlife management use.” A way to avoid the traditional agricultural tax valuation requirement for a wildlife special tax appraisal is to apply for an ecolab classification where landowners partner with universities to host confidential research in farming, ranching or wildlife management. The landowner must provide grant money to fund and accommodate research for a two-year 53

PROPERTY TAX

period; however, grants are tax deductible. Research must be the principle use of the property and the land must be contiguous if more than one owner is involved. At least three different researchers are required. Landowners can choose which research to host and fund which can include studies of plants, insects, birds, soils, small mammals and fish. The property can be used for recreation while research is being conducted. After two years, an application for a wildlife special tax appraisal can be filed. The landowner should compare his property tax savings by avoiding assessment on land value versus the funding of two years of research before initiating the ecolab process. “With passage in 2001 of Texas House Bill 3123, the Legislature directed TPWD to develop standards for qualification of OSL used for wildlife management and the comptroller to adopt these standards by administrative rule,” Redmon says. “Under the rule, the state was initially divided into four wildlife use appraisal regions based on ambient available moisture and assigned a range of ratios for required wildlife management use for lands in each specific region. Effective December 11, 2008, revised rules divided the state into 12 regions (Table 1) that closely track the 54

defined ecological regions specified in the TPWD Wildlife Management Guidelines. If a county is in more than one ecological region, the region that comprises the majority of the county is selected.” The chief appraiser in each county, with the advice and consent of the Appraisal District Board of Directors, selects the wildlife use requirement from the allowable percentage range based on the appropriate appraisal region (Table 2). As an example of how the ratios work, a pineywoods county chief appraiser selects 94 percent as the ratio of a tract that is subject to the wildlife use requirement. If a property owner in that county has a 16.6-acre tract, the appraiser subtracts one acre for a homestead from 16.6 acres and then divides by 16.6, which equals 94 percent. Any property larger than 16.6 acres can also qualify. A one-acre homestead is subtracted from the total acreage regardless of whether there is a residence. There is not a minimum acreage requirement for wildlife management unless the property has been subdivided in the year immediately preceding the application or has subsequently had a reduction in acreage since the application was filed. “A second requirement for property to be considered TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

Table 1. Texas counties and their appraisal regions1. Appraisal Regions

qualified for OSL special tax appraisal is that the property must be active managed to sustain a breeding, migrating or wintering population of indigenous wild animals for human use,” says Cathey. “The word indigenous indicates the wildlife species must be native to Texas and is exclusive of exotic animals that may have been introduced purposely or accidentally. (Exotic wildlife is considered as livestock in special tax appraisals.) A breeding group is a population of wildlife species large enough to live independently over several generations. This could be small mammals or bird species for smaller tracts of land or whitetail deer and turkey on larger tracts. Migrating wildlife species are those moving between seasonal ranges while wintering species are those that may use the property during the winter.” The third requirement for property to be considered for OSL special tax appraisal is that the wildlife species must be managed for human use. This may include hunting wildlife for consumption, recreational enterprises or simply for viewing. According to the law, landowners must conduct three of the seven management practices listed in the TPWD Comprehensive Wildlife Management Planning Guidelines each year. Questions on open-space appraisals can be posed to appraisal district staff. One of their responsibilities is to help property owners receive a fair tax valuation. Most wildlife consultants are also qualified to aid in obtaining open-space valuations. Most important is open and courteous communications with appraisers. Remember to file any necessary documents by April 30.

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

Counties

Trans Pecos

Brewster, Crane, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, Terrell, Ward, Winkler

High Plains

Andrews, Armstrong, Bailey, Carson, Castro, Cochran, Crosby, Dallam, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Ector, Floyd, Gaines, Glasscock, Hale, Hansford, Hartley, Hockley, Howard, Hutchinson, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Martin, Midland, Moore, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Sherman, Swisher, Terry, Upton, Yoakum

Rolling Plains

Archer, Baylor, Borden, Briscoe, Callahan, Childress, Clay, Coke, Coleman, Collingsworth, Concho, Cottle, Dickens, Donley, Fisher, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hall, Hardeman, Haskell, Hemphill, Jones, Kent, King, Knox, Lipscomb, McCulloch, Mitchell, Motley, Nolan, Roberts, Runnels, Scurry, Shackelford, Stonewall, Taylor, Throckmorton, Tom Green, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger

Western Edwards Plateau

Crockett, Edwards, Irion, Kimble, Menard, Reagan, Real, Schleicher, sterling, Sutton, Val Verde,

Eastern Edwards Plateau

Bandera, Bexar, Blanco, Burnet, Comal, Gillespie, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Llano, Mason, San Saba, Travis, Williamson

Cross Timbers and Prairies

Bell, Bosque, Brown, Comanche, Cooke, Coryell, Denton, Eastland, Erath, Hamilton, Hood, Jack, Johnson, Lampasas, Mills, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Stephens, Tarrant, Wise, Young

South Texas Plains

Atascosa, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Jim Hogg, Kinney, LaSalle, Live Oak, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Starr, Uvalde, Webb, Zapata, Zavala

Blackland Prairie

Collin, Dallas, Delta, Ellis, Falls, Fannin, Grayson, Hill, Hunt, Kaufman, Lamar, Limestone, McLennan, Milam, Navarro, Rockwall

Post Oak Savannah

Bastrop, Bee, Brazos, Burleson, Caldwell, DeWitt, Fayette, Franklin, Freestone, Goliad, Gonzales, Grimes, Guadalupe, Henderson, Hopkins, Karnes, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Madison, Rains, Red River, Robertson, Titus, Van Zandt, Washington, Wilson

Pineywoods

Anderson, Angelina, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Gregg, Hardin, Harrison, Houston, Jasper, Liberty, Marion, Montgomery, Morris, Nacogdoches, Newton, Panola, Polk, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, san Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Walker, Wood

Upper Gulf Prairies and Marshes

Austin, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Jackson, Jefferson, Matagorda, Orange, Victoria, Waller, Wharton

Lower Gulf Prairies and Marshes

Aransas, Brooks, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Willacy

Redmon and Cathey

Table 1. Texas counties and their appraisal regions1. Appraisal Regions

Counties

Trans Pecos

Brewster, Crane, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, Terrell, Ward, Winkler

High Plains

Rolling Plains

Western Edwards Plateau

Crockett, Edwards, Irion, Kimble, Menard, Reagan, Real, Schleicher, sterling, Sutton, Val Verde,

Eastern Edwards Plateau

Bandera, Bexar, Blanco, Burnet, Comal, Gillespie, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Llano, Mason, San Saba, Travis, Williamson

Cross Timbers and Prairies

Bell, Bosque, Brown, Comanche, Cooke, Coryell, Denton, Eastland, Erath, Hamilton, Hood, Jack, Johnson, Lampasas, Mills, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Stephens, Tarrant, Wise, Young

South Texas Plains

Atascosa, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Jim Hogg, Kinney, LaSalle, Live Oak, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Starr, Uvalde, Webb, Zapata, Zavala

Blackland Prairie

Collin, Dallas, Delta, Ellis, Falls, Fannin, Grayson, Hill, Hunt, Kaufman, Lamar, Limestone, McLennan, Milam, Navarro, Rockwall

Post Oak Savannah

2015 BREEDING LINEUP FOR

OVERNIGHT EXPRESS TRIPLE CROWN / MISS HR 10 YARDSTICK / MAXBO - BLUE 510 (DREAMBO'S WOMB SISTER) DREAMBO / ORANGE 312 (SWEET DREAMS' FULL SISTER) FREEZE FRAME / MONARCH - MISS HR 10 (NO LIMIT'S WOMB SISTER) KID DYNAMITE / YARDSTICK - MAXBO / BLUE 510 KID DYNAMITE / EXPRESS - DREAMBUCK / TOPSY KID DYNAMITE / LONGHORN - MONARCH'S DAM (MONARCH'S FULL SISTER) KID DYNAMITE / DAGGERDROP - MONARCH'S DAM DREAMBUCK / TOPSY EASY DOES IT / TOPSY GLADIATOR'S HAMMER / MAXBO - DOUBLEDROP / YANKEE DOODLE DANDY YARDSTICK / HIGHROLLER - ESCALADE'S WOMB EASY DOES IT / HARDCORE - TEXAS QUEEN HA HARDCORE / DR D - HOLLY (PRIMETIME'S FULL SISTER) TEBOW / DR D - HOLLY (PRIMETIME'S FULL SISTER)

Texas TX 1058

JOHN TRUE | 214-890-0900 56

WWW.BIGRACKRANCHWHITETAILS.COM TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

Owning land will forever change you.

Every acre becomes your own piece of

Mahindra is honored to helphardworking

heaven. An escape from the outside

folks in communities across America rise to

world. A front row seat to watch God

meet every challenge from Mother Nature

paint the sky with sunsets.

and beyond.

Caring for your land becomes

You pick, you choose whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right for you

your refuge. Once you climb into the seat of a Mahindra tractor, stress flutters

at UVC Powersports and discover why Mahindra is the #1 selling tractor in the world at UVCOUNTRY.COM

away with every rumble of the engine and every blade of grass you cut.

UVC POWERSPORTS

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

2616 HWY 35 BYPASS N * ALVIN, TX 281.824.1198 * UVCOUNTRY.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

Texas Hunter

PROTEIN FEEDERS 600 lb. – 1200 lb. – 2000 lb. to Set-Up, Fill and Move u Major Innovation – Roto Molded - Will Never Rust – Built to be Indestructible u 26% Cooler than Steel – Keeps Feed Cool, Dry and Fresh u Designed to Ship Anywhere u Large 6" Feed Ports – With Adjustable Feed Flow Control to Provide Different Flow Options u

u Easy

Open

Partial

Closed

Texas Hunter

1200 LB.

600 LB.

PROTEIN FEEDER

Texas Hunter

2000 LB.

PROTEIN FEEDER

36”

XPF1200 Xtreme Feeder

XPF600 Xtreme Feeder

1200 LB. PROTEIN CAPACITY

600 LB. PROTEIN CAPACITY

XPF2000 Xtreme Feeder 2000 LB. PROTEIN CAPACITY

NEW Doe and Fawn Feeders – Available in 600 lb. and 1200 lb. – Feed Ports 17" off the Ground

3350 IH 35 N, San Antonio, TX 78219 • 800.969.3337

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

See us at

TexasHunter.com

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

Statite SASCO Ad

THE 50-YEAR FENCE CONSIDERED EXTREMELY DURABLE

APPROACH WITH CONFIDENCE MADE IN AMERICA WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM 98

800.375.4040

50YEARFENCE.COM TRACKS JULY/AUGUST 201563

“

RB”

(DNAS # 65688)

“

BLUE BOY” (DNAS # 106533)

TYPICAL SOUTH TEXAS GENETICS

“

DOZER”

(DNAS # 114283)

GROWING DEER THAT TEXAS HUNTERS EXPECT!

29”

26”

WWR 2 & 3 Year Old

PRODUCTION FOR SALE

PEARSALL, TEXAS

www.wilsonwhitetails.com

Semen, Bred Does, Open Does, Ranch Stocker Does, Breeder & DMP Bucks

210-602-4531

craig@wilsonwhitetails.com

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

HUNTING & SHOOTING

THE WILD HISTORY OF HOGS ARTICLE BY JIM HEFFELFINGER

The wild boar is at home in the snow with its grizzled long coat and hardy disposition. (Photo by Правительство Волгоградской области)

here are several species of wild pigs around the world, but the one we are most familiar with is the European wild boar (Sus scrofa). Although biologists have named more than 18 subspecies of the wild boar, most of these are probably not different enough to have their own scientific name. The wild boar is native to Europe, Asia, and the northwestern coast of Africa, but now inhabits every continent except for Antarctica through intentional releases by humans or by escaping captivity. This is the species that gave rise to all domestic swine worldwide. Archaeological records indicate that somewhere around 8,000-10,000 years ago humans began to domesticate the wild boar for food. The smell of bacon is a powerful incentive to learn to live among pigs. When people refer to wild swine, wild hogs, wild boar, Russian boar, feral hogs, domestic swine, wild pigs and razorbacks, they are talking about the same species. No matter what name is used, they are all descendants from the European wild boar; some had a little more human meddling along the way than others. None of 66

these should be confused with the closely related, but separate, peccary family (Tayassuidae). All true pigs in the family Suidae are “Old World” creatures from across the oceans, but the peccary family is native to North and South America. The javelina is one of three species of peccary in the Americas. Wild hogs are extremely adaptable and very prolific with a diverse diet and high reproductive rate. They are omnivores that eat seemingly everything, but their diets consist of mostly (85-90%) plant material. Despite this, they are very opportunistic and will eat most anything they come across. Their diet omits nothing as they consume roots, whole plants, crops, insects, nuts, rotting flesh (carrion), small birds and animals, reptiles, and even newborn young of larger mammals. Wild hog litter size averages about 6 with a range of 3-8 piglets. They can breed at 6 months of age with good nutrition and adult females average more than one litter per year. These traits have allowed them to spread invasively across most of the country on their own, but helped a great deal by humans moving them around. TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

Feral hogs are hunted in a variety of ways, but the pure European wild boar is a formidable beast regardless of method. Photo by Янковский Евгений

Wild “Boars” vs. Feral Hogs With all the different terms used to describe these animals, it makes sense to define and describe a few meaningful categories. Most people define wild swine as: 1) Wild Boar (those taken from the wild in Europe or descending unaltered from wild animals, 2) Feral Hogs (domesticated pigs that now live in the wild, 3) Hybrids (some mixture of the two). In “Wild Pigs of the United States,” John Mayer and I. Lehr Brisbin, Jr. further differentiate between “long-term feral” (originated prior to 1800 and have not been supplemented with more domestics since then), and “short-term feral” (those released after 1800). The long-term feral animals have started to revert back to their original wild form with longer snouts, longer hair, longer legs and usually longer tusks. Whereas, short-term feral hogs may be spotted, colored white, or even bicolored like a Hampshire breed. These pigs have shorter hair with a more pronounced forehead - they basically appear much more like a barnyard pig. In any given population you frequently year discussion about how much wild boar influence there is in the local hogs so a review of the distinguishing characteristics would be valuable. The wild boar in its natural wild form has only one coat color and that is a grizzled coat with wavy long hair. Its individual hairs are light brown to black with tan or white tips, especially on the head and the end of the snout. These bristly hairs with split ends are thickest along the middle of the back. This wild form has a decidedly different snout profile as it slopes gradually out to the tip and is proportionately longer in relation to the head compared to the domestic pig. The young piglets of wild boar have a striking striped pattern until 4-6 months of age. This is a light grayish-tan coat with dark stripes down the back and then 3-4 stripes running lengthwise down the side of the body. This young coloration is a universal WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

characteristic of all wild boars and hybrid populations, but less common in feral hogs. Feral hogs have a steep forehead rather than a long slope and their hair is thinner with uniformly colored hair shafts and little splitting of the ends. Their color is variable depending on their pedigree, with black being the most common color and reddish-brown second most common. Feral hogs may be light, dark, spotted, nearly white, or have domestic swine color patterns. Wild boar interbred with feral hogs freely and often so that different populations that have received wild boars may exhibit classic wild boar characteristics in varying proportions. Although many talk of “pure” wild boar here and there, there are very few pure Eurasian wild boars in the country, existing only in a few isolated herds kept for hunting enterprises or that have been released recently (and not yet diluted with feral hogs).

Wild boars and their hybrids produce young that have distinctive strips on their coat until they are 4-6 months old. Photo by Augen Zu und Schlafen.

GENTLEMAN’S HUNT Here come the pigs The first introduction to what is now the United States came about 1,000 years ago when Polynesians brought pigs to Hawaii as protein to help sustain them. Pork and pigs remain an important part of the Hawaiian culinary scene and culture. Christopher Columbus later brought pigs to Cuba in 1493 and the offspring of these were eventually used to populate the mainland United States. It was a common practice in the early days of sailors and pirates to drop off goats and pigs on islands so that future expeditions had a supply of fresh meat. The first domestic (feral) pigs introduced onto the U.S. mainland (Florida) might have been by Juan Ponce de Leon in 1521. The local natives kicked ABOVE: Based on the factors that make habitat suitable to hogs, Meredith McClure and colleagues produced this predictive map to show high probability (red) and low probability the snot out of him and his crew as soon as (blue) of wild hogs occupying the area. The black line is areas that currently have wild they landed and it is unclear if they even hogs. had time to unload the swine that were BELOW: Map showing the spread of feral hogs since 1982 constructed as part of research by Meredith McClure and colleagues. aboard ship for that purpose. The first documented introduction in the continental U.S. was by Hernando de Soto in Florida in 1539. DeSoto explored the uncharted wilds of Florida with large expeditions and they took with them herds of domestic pigs to feed all of his men and keep from starving to death. Since it’s not easy to herd pigs, they lost many along the way that then became feral and multiplied. By the 1560s, French explorers in Florida where being supplied feral hog meat by the local Indians who were already hunting them for food, showing feral hogs were well-established in the wild by then. Feral hogs are currently reported in at least 35 states and 3 Canadian provinces. In addition to domestic/feral swine being released and escaping, wild boar from Computer modeling done by Meredith McClure and colleagues Europe have been introduced in at least 8 states, the first of predicted the areas of the country with a high probability of which was 1890 by Austin Corbin in New Hampshire. Some further invasion by pigs and highlighted the factors important estimates put the U.S. feral hog population at 6 million, but for wild hogs to occupy an area and thrive. They found that no one really knows what the accurate number is. The states the wild hog’s distribution was limited by cold weather and of California, Florida, Oklahoma and Texas have the largest available water. populations of feral hogs. The Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study started tracking the distribution of feral hogs in 1982 to document their eventual spread. They Texas is Hog Heaven considered a state or county to have resident hogs if they had been documented there for at least 2 years and there is some Texas has warm weather, available water, thick cover, and evidence of reproduction. Their data shows the tremendous diverse habitats - literally hog heaven. Feral hogs in Texas spread in distribution and abundance throughout the country originated from domestic stock brought by the early Spaniards with hogs now occupying areas as far north as Oregon, in the 1500s and 1600s. In the 1600s, additional hogs were Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Hampshire, and even Saskatchewan. brought northward from Mexico to feed inhabitants in a series 68

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

Feral hogs come in all colors and varying portions of wild boar in areas where the latter have been introduced. Photo by Steve Hillebrand/USFWS

of missions up the Texas Gulf Coast. The missions allowed the domestic hogs to forage freely in the areas near the mission and many were never retrieved, became feral, and multiplied. In addition to the feral hogs descended from the Spaniards, wild boars were brought into a few areas of the state. In the early 1930s, European wild boar from Zoos in San Antonio, Houston, Milwaukee, and St. Louis were released near the present-day Aransas National Wildlife Refuge where they interbred with the feral hogs in the area. This created a mixed population of hybrids with many wild boar characteristics. Before the federal government purchased the property to create the Aransas NWR the owners removed more than 3,000 hogs from the ranch in the 1930s. Of course, the population recovered under refuge management and this hybrid population exists to this day. The same ranch manager involved in the wild boar released in Aransas County also purchased property nearby in 1939 and released wild boars from zoos into an enclosure on the ranch, but they soon escaped and hybridized with local feral hogs and grew in number -- some even dispersed to Matagorda Island. Another well-known wild boar introduction happened in 1940 when a rancher named Harry Brown in the Edwards Plateau region purchased some wild boar and released them into an enclosure. Predictably, a storm destroyed the fence allowing them to escape into the surrounding area and interbreed with the feral hogs already there. Some of these descendents have been stocked to other areas of Texas, including Comal County in the Hill Country, Webb County in South Texas, and Haskell and Throckmorton counties in north Texas. Pig Problems, Swine Solutions Just as wild hogs provided meat to Spanish explores and early settlers, they continue to provide meat for the pit to modern hunters. Despite this benefit, wild hogs often cause a lot of damage to property and threaten natural resources. Hog damage takes the form of extreme rooting and wallowing, agricultural depredation, forestry depredation, potential disease spread, direct predation, competition with other hoofed animals, collisions with vehicles, attacks on humans, and many kinds of property damage. Not long after WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

Christopher Columbus’ hogs were released in the Caribbean islands, there were already documented complaints as early as 1505 that wild hogs were a nuisance and were causing unacceptable damage to sugar cane, maize crops, and were killing cattle. Recent surveys have been conducted to determine the most severe pig problems suffered by landowners. Questionnaire respondents ranked their biggest issues with feral hogs. These were pasture damage (76%), loss of employee’s time (37%), damage to waters, fences, and improvements (29%), agricultural crop losses (27%), loss of land value (24%), and wetland damage (22%). This damage has been estimated to have a $52 million economic impact to agriculture according to a 2004 survey by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, with an additional $7 million spent to control them. Nationwide, the USDA estimates they cause $1.5 billion in damages and control costs every single year. And control them we do. Another survey by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in 2010 estimated 753,646 wild pigs were removed from Texas lands that year. That is a lot of delicious pork. The most common method is trapping and killing (51%), followed closely by the owner or employee shooting them (46%), pursuit with dogs (18%), and to a lesser degree trapping to move (16%) or sell (15%) them. Still, 5075% of the hog population has to be removed each year to actually decrease their population significantly. Pork Zombies So much effort and excitement has been generated by the increasing abundance and distribution of wild hogs they have almost assumed the role of real life Zombies that just need to be shot in the head before things really get out of hand. Televison shows like Aporkalypse - Silence of the Hams, Hog Dawgs, HogHuntTV, Hogs Gone Wild, and American Hoggers are taking advantage of the increased interest in shooting hogs. The liberal methods of hog control that are allowed have taken hog shooting far past what’s considered Fair Chase hunting, but with the damage they cause and their potential to wreak such environmental destruction, it is time to take the gloves off and thin the Zombie hoard. Editors note: Jim Heffelfinger is Adjunct Faculty at University of Arizona, Professional Member of the Boone & Crockett Club, Chair of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Mule Deer Working Group, and the Wildlife Science Coordinator for the Arizona Game & Fish Department. See WWW.DEERNUT.COM for a copy of his book “Deer of the Southwest” and follow him on Twitter @GameTrax

Sekula Whitetail Ranch

ADVERTISEMENT SUBMISSION DATES JANUARY/FEBRUARY

November 15 MARCH/APRIL

January 15 MAY/JUNE

March 15 JULY/AUGUST

May 16 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

July 15 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

September 15

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

STRENGTHEN YOUR HERD! FOR SALE OPEN & BRED DOES, BREEDER & STOCKER BUCKS

10423 ST HWY 21 W. TRACKS MARCH/APRIL CROCKETT, TEXAS 2016

August 2015

Paco Deer Co., Inc.

BREEDER/STOCKER BUCKS, DOES AND SEMEN AVAILABLE FROM TEXAS’ FINEST GENETICS Semen Sales - Dr. John Moczygemba (210) 363-4238 Deer Sales - Dr. Gery Moczygemba (830) 560-0234 Ross Moczygemba (830) 643-4713 Email: jackiemocz@gmail.com Visit our website @ www.pacodeerco.com

PACO The Original TDA Champ 1999 TDA Best Mature Breeder Award

1999 TDA Best of Show Award

PACO Free Roller 456 @ 2 yrs • 28-½” Inside Spread 245 B&C @ 1 yr • 20” Inside Spread 391 @ 3 yrs • 28" Inside Spread Photo taken here at age 3 (8-7-15)

Visit our Website at www.PacoDeerCo.com A.I. Breeders - Maxbo, Bucky, MF, Easy Money, Stickers, BM Bill, Texroller, RCM Noble, Gladiator, Walkin’ Tall, Hydro Axe, Marti Gras, Pretty Boy Floyd, Wildfire, Hugo, Roll on Bill and Free Agent WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

HUNTING & SHOOTING

CHANGE TACTICS FOR SPAWNING WHITE BASS Photo by Luke Clayton

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY LUKE CLAYTON

Big white bass from the Sabine River

his is about the time of year when many of us are planning our fishing trips for spawning white bass on streams and rivers across the state. There is something very special about floating a tranquil stream packed wall to wall with easy to catch, good eating spawning white bass. These “holes” are usually located in the eddy water around the inside bends of the streambed and the multitudes of fish will hit just about anything small and shiny that you throw at them. Like many white bass “nuts”, I have had the opportunity to fish most of the major spawning runs in the state and fishing “the spawn” is something that I eagerly await each year but… this year, things will be a bit different. Many of the rivers we fish were running bank to bank with 76

run off from a record amount of rainfall this past fall/winter. Usually we white bass fishermen pray for rainfall during late winter to create current and trigger the fish to move out of the reservoirs and begin their spawning run. This year we certainly are not worried about current, we’re worried about too much current! But all is not lost, there are alternative plans that include some red hot fishing in tailrace waters for not only white bass but catfish and sometimes stripers as well. And, as we will discuss, it’s quite possible to enjoy some great white bass action within the confines of reservoirs. After all there are countless whites that spawn each year in lakes around windy points where there is always a bit of current. TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

white bass numbers have skyrocketed here and during the summer it’s possible to load the cooler with chunky fish, many weighing 1.5 to two pounds. During the winter months, nobody really fishes for them so I decided to but my investment in high tech electronics to work. I discovered huge concentrations of fish holding in the lower lake at depths of 28-35 feet, close to a ledge dropping off into even deeper water”. The reason the fish were here in such numbers became obvious when Seth’s graph plotted huge schools of shad, usually hovering a few feet above the white bass. I’ve done the lion’s share of my fishing for white bass in reservoirs using artificial baits such as slabs and spoons. When water temperatures are low during the winter months, it’s common to catch I did a bit of test fishing just before deadline for this article on both Lake Fork, which is known as anything but a white whites hugging the bottom by simply lowering the slabs to bass hotspot and Caddo Lake, one of my long time favorite bottom and attempting to hold them still. In truth, wave and wind action causes the baits to bump along slowly on bottom. spots to fish for spawning white and yellow bass. Guide Seth Vanover www.lakeforkcatandcrappie.com, fishes This bite is usually very soft and it takes a light tipped rod to Fork and Lake O the Pines for crappie, catfish, largemouth and detect it. I recently joined Seth at Fork for a few hours of mid day now, white bass. For the past several years, I’ve joined Seth on the Sabine River below Longview for some fast paced catching fishing for white bass and was a bit surprised when he informed of spawners coming upriver from Toledo Bend Reservoir. me we would be using minnows. Minnows? Minnows were for There is a particular spot on the river below Longview where crappie fishing, not white bass. I decided to rig a rod with a the bottom contour of the stream bed drops in elevation jigging spoon with a crappie jig tied via a loop know about 18 quickly which creates a dam of sorts that spawning white bass inches above. I just knew I could catch white bass anywhere with this rig. Thank goodness cannot cross. When the my buddy brought a half water level is normal, just a pound of minnows. We gentle flow of current runs needed them. over this natural “dam” After watching him land and the white bass’ journey several chunky whites upstream ends here. This on minnows, while I was spot is pretty remote in “jigging” the paint off my the Sabine bottoms and slabs, I soon went with requires a boat ride of what was working. Jigging several miles to reach. It’s spoons and lead slabs can a “sure nuff ” honey hole, be lethal in cold water IF one of those spots that the fish are hugging tight you don’t even mention to A tranquil stretch of the Sabine River for catching spawning white bass. to bottom. These fish were your Grandmother unless, This photo was taken two years ago. This winter, the river is running full suspended below the shad of course she is a devout from bank to bank. schools and live minnows white bass angler. were definitely the ticket to As of this writing in late January, the top of this natural dam is about fifteen feet under a big winter fish fry! While fishing in these fast moving rivers and steams is not water and the Sabine is running bank to bank. With a full month of white bass angler on the books ready to catch fish, conductive to safe and productive white bass catching, fishing the tailrace waters below the dams can be. At Lake Texoma, Vanover obviously had to make other plans. “In early January, I began concentrating on the white bass Larry Sparks who operates Sparkys Guide Service, says striper at Lake Fork”, says Vanover. “During the past five years or so, fishing below the Eisenhower Dam has been good, both off White bass (top) and yellow bass are both hard fighting, great tasting fish that are numerous and relatively easy to catch in many reservoirs. The yellow bass has almost no “red meat” and many compare it to crappie as table fare.

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

WHITE BASS Guide Seth Vanover and his son Evan busy putting together a “mess” of great eating yellow bass.

the bank in the “safe” waters that are open to fishing and from his airboats. “During last year’s floods, a lot of big stripers went through the flood gates and restocked the Red River with stripers” says Sparks. “The river has been high enough recently for us to use our big 30 foot lake boats for striper fishing below the dam. At some point this coming summer, the river will get back to a more normal level and that’s when fishing from airboats will be awesome.” Bank fishing is also very good here. Anglers with surf rods and high capacity spinning reels that can chunk heavy lead head jigs a great distance are catching some big stripers from the bank. Safety is always the top priority and anglers should always wear life jackets, even when fishing from the bank. The water is swiftly moving and with the high river levels, the gently sloping bottom is non existent. In many areas, there is an abrupt drop off into deep water. Three feet from where one is fishing there is often water 6 to 8 feet deep, with a strong current. The tailrace waters below Lake Cooper up in northeast Texas is a hot spot for catching big blue catfish from the bank (see accompanying picture). Stout rods with bait casting reels filled with at least 20 pound test line is the ticket here. Fresh shad is the top bait and they can easily be caught with a casting net in the eddy water below the dam. An alternative to fresh shad is to go to one of the Hispanic or Asian food stores and buy a couple of tilapia or carp and make cut bait. One look at the swiftly moving tailrace waters should be incentive enough to keep safety first and wear a good, properly fitting life preserver. I just returned from a white bass run at Lake Caddo with my long time friend Billy Carter who runs Johnson’s Ranch 78

Marina www.johnsonsranch.net. The Cypress river is pushing a lot of water through the lake but the submerged channel is well defined by the stands of cypress growing on either side. We recently got into some very good spawning white bass action using chartreuse Roadrunners. This is one spot where “river” fishing for white bass should remain good throughout the spawn simply because the fishing takes place in a well defined, although undulated river channel. Billy began guiding trips for good eating white bass during the winter/early spring months and for the past 22 years, I’ve joined my buddy for this annual event. It’s become as important as the opener to deer season to me! The vast majority of anglers look at the yellow bass as a trash fish but once you have enjoyed a platter of crispy fried yellow bass fillets, chances are good you might just change your opinion. For some reason, the Cypress River drainage is home to some of the bigger yellow bass in the state. It’s common to catch fish weighing over a pound here and they run about a foot long, on average. Yellow bass have almost no red meat on their sides and the flavor is mild and sweet. If you find yourself fishing a river or reservoir with yellow bass, rig up with some light spinning tackle, small #4 case hardened bait keeper hooks and pieces of minnow for bait. Keep your bait right on bottom around “slack” water on river bends. We should be in for some great fishing for white bass during the spring spawn but on many waters, it might be necessary to alter our patterns a bit this year to get in the action. Hopefully these tips will help you put together a big “mess” of good eating “cold water” white bass.

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

T E X A S D E E R A S S O C I AT I O N POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE

“GET INTO POLITICS OR GET OUT OF THE DEER BUSINESS!”**

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

THE BACK 40

SNAPPED IN THEIR TRACKS

QUAIL EGGS

PHOTO BY WARREN BLUNTZER

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

THE BACK 40

DID YOU KNOW?

INTERESTING FACTS BY WARREN BLUNTZER

The owner and operator of Warren Bluntzer Wildlife Consulting Services, inc., which serves Texas and the nation in wildlife consulting services.

WHOS NEXT photo by Warren Bluntzer

Point to Ponder

Wisdom is the reward you get from a lifetime of listening. See you down the trail! Warren

Blue Catfish

Badger

One blue catfish tagged by researchers traveled 620 miles to the Mississippi River and was recovered by a fisherman one and one half years after tagging. Long way from home.

A male badger is called a boar, a female is called a sow and young are called cubs.

Rattlesnakes

Beaver

Rattlesnakes are born with fully functional fangs and venom. An adult sheds its fangs every six to ten weeks.

Beavers are believed to mate for life and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t breed until they are two - three years old.

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TEXAS DEER ASSOCIATION

CALENDAR

MARCH

MAY

AUGUST

March 16-19, 2016

May 10, 2016 9:30AM-1:30PM

August 11-13, 2016

May 20-22, 2016

August 23-24, 2016 9AM

NORTH AMERICAN DEER FARMERS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE Tulsa, Oklahoma

March 23-24, 2016 9AM

TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE COMMISSION MEETING TPWD Headquarters Austin, TX, For info, contact (512) 389-4800

March 31, 2016 5PM

RISING CIRCLE- REGION 8 TBD- Contact Ben Schmidtke Dilley, TX

APRIL April 1-2, 2016

WHITETAILS OF WISCONSIN ANNUAL BANQUET & FUNDRAISER The Plaza Hotel & Suites 201 N. 17th Avenue Wausau, WI 54401

April 2, 2016

SOUTH DAKOTA ELK BREEDERS ASSOCIATION 2016 ANNUAL MEETING South Dakota

April 8-9, 2016

MINNESOTA DEER FARMERS ASSOCIATION 25TH ANNUAL WINTER BANQUET Arrowwood Resort & Convention Center 2100 Arrowwood Lane Alexandria, MN 56308

April 9, 2016

WHITETAIL DEER FARMERS of OHIO ANNUAL SPRING MEETING Ohio

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION 145th ANNUAL MEETING Kentucky Exposition Center Louisville, KY

May 24-25, 2016 9AM

TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE COMMISSION MEETING TPWD Headquarters Austin, TX, For info, contact (512) 389-4800

JUNE June 3-4, 2016

OCTOBER October 13-19, 2016

UNITED STATES ANIMAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE Sheraton Hotel Greensboro

July 16, 2016

WHITETAIL DEER FARMERS of OHIO SUMMER PICNIC Ohio

July 22-24, 2016

TROPHY GAME RECORDS of the WORLD 38th ANNUAL BIG BUCK CONTEST AWARDS CEREMONY Inn of the Hills Resort & Conference Center Kerrville, TX

July 27-30, 2016

April 23, 2016

July 28, 2016

April 30, 2016

July 30, 2016

WHITETAILS of LOUISIANA CRAWFISH BOIL Springhill, LA

TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE COMMISSION MEETING TPWD Headquarters Austin, TX For info, contact (512) 389-4800

JULY

PENNSYLVANIA DEER FARMERS SPRING SALE Pennsylvania INDIANA DEER & ELK FARMERS ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING & FUNDRAISER Indiana

18TH ANNUAL TDA CONVENTION JW Marriott, San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa Cibolo Canyons, San Antonio, TX

TDA BRUSH TO BAY INVITATIONAL FISHING TOURNAMENT Bluff’s Landing Marina & Lodge 4242 Laguna Shores Road Corpus Christi, TX 78418

NORTH AMERICAN ELK BREEDERS ASSOCIATION 26th ANNUAL CONVENTION & INTERNATIONAL ANTLER COMPETITION Ramada Plaza Convention Center Omaha, NE

April 15, 2016

TDA REGION 5 ANNUAL MEETING Malouf Ranch 5721 FM 1395 Wills Point, TX 75169

TEXAS DEER SUMMIT & REGION 4 MEETING Lonehollow Whitetails Mountain Home, TX WHITETAILS of LOUISIANA EXPO Lafayette, LA

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

STAY CONNECTED! "Like" TDA on

FACEBOOK!

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

TEXAS DEER ASSOCIATION

CLASSIFIEDS

Deer - Horse - Cattle - Hog Proof Fence

903-292-0525

TejasRanchFence.com

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

Little Chingon

Visit: www.allseasonsfeeders.com to see pricing, videos, and more details.

5’ x 5’ on 5ft stand w/ (3) 36” Windows

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

For an extra cost, window can be added to door.

facebook.com/AllSeasonsFeeders.com

7’ x 7’ oﬀered on 5ft or 8ft Stand (3) 36” Windows (4) 12” Windows

Big Chingon

The most insulated blinds on the market!

U.S. PATENTS 8201520, 7370605, 6920841, D575908, D599503, D602649, D603104, D603105, D604017, D603566, D624706, D624708, D622453, D624707, D636942, D629572, D629976, D629975, D624709, D630802, D630653, D647253, D642750, D681883 • OTHER PATENTS PENDING • U.S. TRADEMARKS 3629190 & 3625066

Built Right the FIRST TIME to last a LIFETIME Baby-Back 300 Protein Feeder • Dual port feed design • Independent stand with 2 eyelets to stake down • One piece construction • No assembly required

Quail Tender Trailer

HALF-BACK PROTEIN FEEDER • 700 & 1000 lb. capacities

CF CORN FEEDER with Solar Powered Timer • 600, 1000, 2000 & 3000 lb. cap.

6000# OUTBACK features THE TIMER 12-Volt Control Unit with 5 year warranty

DOUBLE BARREL PARDNER Twin Bulk Trailer with Remote Controlled “Eliminator” Road Feeder, Gravity Tube & Blower System • Complete with tubing, fittings, ladder & spare tire Featuring the Outback Pistolero Directional Spinner Unit positioned to scatter feed out the side from the sendero while driving • 2000# & 3000# capacities

ALFALFA FEEDER • Weather-proof • Single bale capacity

CP REGULATOR The Regulator has “The Timer” inside the gravity flow system allowing control of the feed amount while maintaining dispensed feed inside the feeder housing and tubes. You program to dispense feed up to 6 times/day at the rate of 2 lbs./ second & 360 lbs.day max.

DUALLY PROTEIN & CORN FEEDER Split hopper simultaneously dispenses gravity-flow protein and directional corn, controlled by “The Timer.” • 3 tubes • 3 capacities

FLIPPER WATER TROUGH • SAVE TIME emptying & cleaning • Easily dumps in seconds

See all our products! Contact us for a brochure or see online at outbackfeeders.com or kickinbackkreations.com 903.734.4210 • 800.396.6313 • e-mail: rickmeritt@yahoo.com 96 TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

36” height 400# cap.

42” height 600# cap.

Shown with Pistolero 42” height 600# cap.

42” height 1000# cap.

“Baby-Back” Series • 360o corn distribution or up to 50 feet in one direction via Outback’s “Pistolero” directional unit • Very low profile

Outback Blinds feature all aluminum tubular framing, decking and aluminum exterior sheeting; making them superior to other blinds by being lightweight and will not rust or rot, ensuring you years of use. • Flip-up combo slider windows • Tinted & tempered glass windows • RV style door with slam latch • All aluminum tower, porch & ladder • Padded shooting rail • Carpeted flooring • Corner shelves • 6’4” ht. inside clearance

So whether you are in the treatment or preventative stage or wanting to attract more animals - “The Docs” have you covered.

“The Doc”

“The Road Doc” Dual Purpose Road Feeder

“The Road Doc” is a specialized new design that allows you to maintain the health of your deer, exotics and even quail by appling a liquid continuously and uniformly to the feed or grain. • Applies approximately 6.5 ml of liquid additive/lb. of corn or 4 ml. of liquid additive/lb. of milo on demand by a hand-held wired remote • Liquid additives can be: prebiotics, probiotics, trace minerals, vitamins, medications, etc.

Brand New! Outback Wildlife Blinds

Brand New! Outback Wildlife Custom Camo

Outback Feeders has paired up with ADD-Vantage Delivery System to bring you “The Doc” - a dual purpose 1000# protein feeder that not only allows you to use it as a normal gravity flow feeder but also allows you to apply a liquid continuously and uniformly to a feed. • Applies at the rate of 20 ml. of liquid per 2-1/2 lb. of feed on demand. • Liquids can be feed supplements, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, flavorants, medications, etc. GREAT BALL OF FIRE WILDLIFE SCENE EMBELLISHED FIRE PIT No two alike, each one a work of art! • 1400o high-temperature durable powder-coat finish • Fire poker & ash pan included

outdooR RetReat FuRnishings Choose from many seat-back designs available in the Kickin’ Back Gallery. Or customize the seat-back with your logo, brand or art. Available double-sided or single-sided.

Kickin’ Back offers a huge selection of durable powder-coat finishes.

SEAT & TABLE COMBOS • Octagonal Pub 40” ht. plus 2 Barstools or choose from Octagonal 31” ht., or 8 Seat Picnic Table BARSTOOLS & CHAIRS • Table seats are tractor seats that swivel • Swivel and Rock WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

FIRE PITS • Features swivel grill, Dutch oven support, fire poker & ash pan • 3 sizes: 38” Texas, 30” Junior or 24” Tailgater

MICRO-WAVE GRILL • Faster & hotter • Adjustable heat, thermometer inc. • Built to cook reliably for decades

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

SATURDAY EVENT Tournament, weigh-in and place announcements! (Complimentary appetizers & beer served!)

For more information regarding the tournament and event, please call Pauline Preston at 512.499.0466. To Reserve Accommodations, please call 361-288-2656.

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM 816 CONGRESS AVENUE, STE 950 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701 PHONE: 512-499-0466

100

WWW.TEXASDEERASSOCIATION.COM

101

102

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

103

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

104

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

105

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

JEFF PROKOP

Purina Sales Specialist

979-229-4865

ANTLERMAX.COM 106

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

FREDERICKSBURG

LOCHTE FEED & GENERAL STORE 509 Longhorn Street 830-997-2256 Lochtefeed.com

FREDONIA

FREDONIA PEANUT COMPANY 11020 Ranch Road 1222 325-429-6211 Fredoniapeanut.com

GROWING

BIG DEER

IS OUR PASSION

JOHNSON CITY

ODIORNE FEED & RANCH SUPPLY 522 N Hwy 281 830-868-4579

JUNCTION

FULL SERVICE DEALERS

JUNCTION WAREHOUSE 810 Main Street 325-446-2537 Junctionwarehouse.com

PEN & PASTURE EXPERTISE

LAMPASAS

BULK & BAG DELIVERY

HOFFPAUIR’S RANCH & SUPPLY 1189 North U.S. Hwy 281 512-556-5444 Hranchandsupply.com

LLANO

LLANO FEED & SUPPLY 203 East Tarrant Street 325-247-4126 Llanofeed.com

MENARD

KOTHMANN’S 906 West Hwy 190 800-637-0951

SAN ANGELO

GROGAN’S FARM & RANCH 3744 Summer Crest Drive 325-227-6870 Grogansfarmandranch.com

107

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

ILS A T E T DLINES I H L B W G N A I D D TAJA USTRY LEA IND

TAJADA WHITETAIL RANCH

EXPRESS / FREE AGENT / PRIME TIME'S SISTER

GUNSLINGER

WOMB BRO TO HR'S EARTHQUAKE

EPICENTER 2 YEAR OLD PICTURE

epicenter... high roLLer’s best kept secret!

TAJADA WHITETAIL RANCH

108

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

Frames

TAJADA

Open

WHITETAIL RANCH

Big Wide

DNA 48543 34" WIDE • OVER 300”

JESSE JAMES

DNA 140153

232" @ 1 YEAR OLD

HIGH232NOON 3/8" YEARLING TAJADA

WHITETAIL RANCH

GEORGE TUNAL TAJADAWHITETAILS@GMAIL.COM (832) 622-2571 109

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

Encino Ranch

208+- Acres ~ Medina County Deer Breeding Facility

~ Sheldon Grothaus - Broker ~ 5833 CR 531 Hondo, Texas 78861 830-741-8906

Encino Ranch is game-fenced with rolling terrain, excellent brush and huge live oak trees. The property is a very well maintained recreational ranch offering many comfortable amenities including: a 2-story, 4BR/5BA home, patios/porches, swimming pool/hot tub and entertaining party pavillion, sprinkler irrigated back yard, foreman's house, a 1BR apartment, a 4BR furnished hunting lodge, 3 barns, and a 1,200 sq/ft deer handling facility with holding boxes, chute, work space and 6 breeding pens. There are 2 ponds, a 2 acre lake, water meter, 2 elect wells with underground piped water to troughs, ponds & lake. A really nice private property with convenient access.

Cleghorn Ranch 621 +/- Acres

Bastrop County

Sullivan Whitetail Ranch Deer Breeding Facility 507+/- Acres Montague County

Deer Breeding Facility Cleghorn Ranch is located in the heart of Central Texas. It is a recreational paradise for family and friends or a corporate retreat. Almost the entire property is high-fenced and has nearly 100 acres for low fenced hunting. The rolling terrain and the ample water take you far away from everything and put you back into old Texas. The ranch offers 621+/- pristine high-fenced acres, featuring a 20 acre deer breeding facility which doubles as a game room complete with an office, bedroom, bathroom and an A/I room for your future deer breeding possibilities. Improvements include a ranch manager’s home, 3 cabins and a 100+ year old ranch house that has been beautifully restored. A six stall barn with run-ins, is located next to the ranch manager’s house overlooking one of the beautiful lakes. There is also an 80’x40’ barn for feed and equipment storage. There are two creeks running through the property as well as 4 small lakes & a beautiful 5 acre stocked lake. Cleghorn Ranch is an ideal ready-to-go live water, recreational and hunting ranch. The quietness of this ranch is accentuated by the sounds of gracefully flowing live water creeks. It is a family’s dream 110place or perfect for any distinguished buyer.

www.TexasRanchSales.info

The Sullivan Whitetail Ranch is located just 60 miles northwest of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex in Sunset, Texas, Montague County. This ranch is a game fenced, highly improved game ranch and deer breeding operation. An all-weather road begins at the ranch’s custom front gated electric entrance and meanders by a beautiful lake and manicured landscapes. The lake and main house area is sprinkler irrigated. The main house is located in scenic proximity to the lake with the barn and deer pen facilities lying just beyond nestled in the oaks and bull mesquites. The main home overlooks the magnificent four acre lake which stretches out to the front.The ranch is 25% pastures, 25% farmland & 50% native brush and has 1 lake & 8 ponds. The primarily functions of Sullivan Whitetail Ranch is a whitetail deer breeding facility. The facility, pens and barns are an incredibly well thought out program concentrating on the breeding, raising and cultivation of exceptional whitetail deer. Careful attention to wildlife conservation on the ranch creates excellent wildlife habitat as2016 well as home to a TRACKS MARCH/APRIL variety of other small wildlife & birds.

Call Today! (830) 741 - 8906

Hunting & Recreational Ranch Domino Ranch

2731 +/- Acres ~ Medina County

Partially game-fenced, excellent roads, 2 entrances, diverse terrain, native brush, grass, hardwoods, 8 wells, 7 ponds, blinds, feeders & vehicle equipment. Fantastic lodge & headquarters, outdoor pavilion with kitchen facilities, guest suites, barns/walk-in cooler, foremanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house, and livestock corrals.

Live Water Hunting Ranch Verde Creek Ranch ~ 1,064 +/- Acres ~ Kerr County This ranch has been in the same family for 100 years. Verde Creek Ranch has a total of 1.6+/- miles of Verde Creek, a well established creek, numerous wells and two ponds and is tucked away in an incredible picturesque landscape, Verde Creek Ranch gamefenced on 2 sides with 5 miles of roads on the property, through giant live oaks that encompass almost 75% of the ranch, with the remaining in well manicured and organized pastures. Here is a perfectly relaxing get-away and conveniently located.

Deer Breeding Facility & Recreational Ranch Whispering Water Ranch ~ 2,313 +/- Acres ~ Menard County A phenomenal game-fenced hunting & cattle ranch in Menard County. An all-weather road from the entrance leads to the headquarters which includes a magnificent limestone 5,322sq/ft house/lodge, a luxurious pool, hot tub, outdoor kitchen, & two elegantly rustic cabins. The Whispering Water Ranch has its own 3 acre spring fed lake and has been stocked with Florida hybrid black bass, channel catfish & hybrid bluegill perch. This ranch has that "WOW" factor that a distinguished buyer is after.

Hunting & Recreational Ranch Markgraf Ranch ~ 818 +/- Acres ~ Kinney County Low-fenced, excellent brush, healthy wildlife, elevated plateaus, panoramic views, larger neighboring ranches, 4 water wells, 3BR/2BA Clayton mobile home, rock foundation, covered concrete patio, electricity, septic & TV. An outstanding hunting ranch with ample natural cover and browse with outstanding views of the hills of Uvalde County.

Recreational Ranch White Rock Ranch ~ 44 +/- Acres ~ Medina County 6 miles N. of Hondo. Rolling landscape, an Edwards well supplies water to the home, guest house, 2 RV parking pads, horse barn and pasture troughs. There is a 50' x 80' concrete basketball court with pro-style backboards and 50' stadium lighting. The ranch offers an exceptional recreational ranch with all the amenities for comfort.

111

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

INTRODUCING

New for 2016

Kryptonite IN SIGHTS’ NEWEST PELLET TECHNOLOGY NEW!

21 % protein High in bypass protein

ECLIPSE 21 ““EXCEED THE STANDARD””

AVAILABLE AT:

Bar None Country Store - Waco, TX 254-848-9112 McGregor General Store-McGregor, TX 254-840-3224 Mummes in Hondo & Pearsall, TX Hondo: 830-426-3313 Pearsall: 830-334-3323 Somerville Feed- Somerville, TX David Hoyt (Beaumont area) 409-781-0954 Legends Ranch, Robert Sergi- MI 781-775-6288

High palatability Great base pellet to mix in textured feed 21% PROTEIN PELLET

50LB EASY OPEN BAGS & 2,000 LB TOTES

Works well in tube and spin type feeders

In Sights Nutrition, LLC Lometa, TX 76853

112

THREE NAILS RANCH

SALESMAN - RUSTY ROBERSON 254-977-5225 Rusty@InSightsNutrition.com

www.InSightsNutrition.com

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

113

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

114

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

115

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

116

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

117

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

AD INDEX 3-S Whitetails .................................... 32 4M Whitetails ................................80,99 All Seasons Feeders ...........................95 Atascosa Wildlife Supply, Inc. ............ 33 B&C Wildlife Consulting, LLC ...........118 Big Rack Ranch ...................................56 BuyMyDeer.com ............................... 81 Capital Farm Credit ............................ 3 Cargill ............................................... 31 CC Bar Whitetails .............................. 35 Champion Genetics .......................... 93 Charquitas Creek Ranch ................... 40 Coastal Conservation Association .....93 Cross Canyon Whitetails ................7,113 Derby~Sand~Ranch ..................... 50,51 Deer Star Breeders ............................94 Droptine Ranch ................................. 41 Easley Does It Whitetails.................... 81 G2 Ranch .......................................... 34 G5 Ranch .......................................... 79 Gist-Kinsman Ranch .......................... 14 Goatweed Ranch .............................. 30 High Roller Whitetails ......... 15, BC, IFC In Sights Nutrition ............................112

118

KDH Whitetail Nursery ...................... 93 Lodge Creek Whitetails ..................... 21 Lonehollow Whitetails ............................ ...... 10,28,29,116 Lyssy & Eckel Feeds .......................... 42 Massey Hollow Whitetails ......... 114,115 M C Bar Whitetails ............................ 57 Mosley Ranch .................................... 74 Mossy Rock Whitetails ....................... 11 NADR ................................................ 84 Oak Creek Whitetails ........................ 65 Outback Wildlife Feeders ............ 96,97 Paco Deer Co., Inc ............................. 75 Philipp Ranch .................................. 112 Pine Meadow Ranch .....................89,98 Purina ............................................19,20 Purina Mills - SW ....................... 106,107 Red Chain Feeds ............................... 43 Red Stag Ranch ............................... 102 Revels Racks .................................... 103 Rockstar Whitetails ...23,44,45,72,73,117 Rocky Top Whitetails ....................... 104 RR Ranch ........................................... 22 RS Deer & Cattle Ranch .................... 71

RW Trophy Ranch ...............................49 SASCO- San Antonio Steel Co. ..........63 Sekula Whitetail Ranch ......................70 Sexy Whitetails ................................ 105 Summit Whitetails ............................. 62 Tajada Whitetails ................IBC, 108,109 Tejas Ranch & Game Fence ............. 93 Texas Hunter Products ...................... 61 Texas M3 Ranch ................................ 48 Texas Ranch Sales, LLC. .............110,111 The Deer Tags Store ...........................91 The Preserve ..................................... 58 The Refuge ........................................ 27 Three Nails Ranch ............................. 18 Trophy Ridge Whitetails .................... 46 UVC Powersports .............................. 59 Whitetail Properties ........................... 16 Wildlife Consulting Services, LLC ......93 Wildpoint Whitetails .......................... 60 Wilks Ranch ....................................... 17 Wilson Brothers Ranch ................. 47 Wilson Whitetail Ranch ..................... 64

TRACKS MARCH/APRIL 2016

EXPRESS / FREE AGENT / PRIME TIME'S SISTER

Bred to some of the industry’s best does in 2015

LOOKS PEDIGREE

18" TINESOUTSIDE 45" SPREAD

GUNSLINGER

TAJADA

WHITETAIL RANCH

GEORGE TUNAL

TAJADAWHITETAILS@GMAIL.COM (832) 622-2571 FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS