Feb '15 texas sportsman

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The Texas Sportsman & South Texas Golf present the first

South Texas Fish & Chip Classic FISHING SATURDAY, MAY 30 WHITE SANDS MARINA PORT ISABEL GOLF SUNDAY, MAY 31 TIERRA DEL SOL PHARR

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PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF PHARR

INSIDE 18 The annual Pharr HubPhest is around the corner and it promises to be bigger, better and tastier than ever. With great rides, food, entertainment and, of course, the annual cookoff, this year’s event is ready to wow everybody.

For more information on HubPhest http://events.pharr-tx.gov/events/2015-pharr-hub-phestival/

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s seen by definition, the hub is, among other things, the center of attraction. That being said, there’s no place that makes more sense than Pharr to run a festival celebrating the importance of being that center.

After all, that’s where the City of Pharr is located.

This year’s HubPhest, presented by the City of Pharr and Boggus Ford, will take place April 10-11, at the Pharr Fair Grounds. There will be the Heart of America Carnival, a food court, a farmer’s market, plenty of entertainment and, of course, the annual country cookoff.

“HubPhest started in 2005 as a celebration of Pharr’s unique position at Expressway 83 and Highway 281,” said Gary Rodriguez, Pharr Public Information Officer.

“It began as a community event to serve and recognize contributions that the City of Pharr has made to the Rio Grande Valley through history, back when agriculture was a big part of the RGV economy.”

A decade later and HubPhest is one of the most anticipated events in the Rio Grande Valley. Of course, a 2009 appearance by then-Texas First Lady Anita Perry didn’t hurt the event’s reputation in any way.

“That essentially solidified the value of HubPhest,” Rodriguez said. “Our elected officials have become more active in their vision and planning, to make it bigger and better – but still free to the public – as a way to provide quality entertainment without having to go to other cities to find it.

Country star Dustin Lynch is a main entertainment attraction. Heralded as the heir to George Strait’s throne, according to dustinlynchmusic.com. Lynch “combines his traditional influences with an edgy intensity that places him at the vanguard of today’s contemporary country scene.”

Lynch’s self-titled debut album his No. 1

tikitillmanphotos.com

HUB: a center around which other things revolve or from which they radiate; a focus of activity, authority, commerce, transportation, etc...

Pharr’s HubPhest to be bigger, better and tastier than ever tikitillmanphotos.com

on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.

The lead single on that album “Cowboys and Angels” exceeded platinum status. His most recent No. 1 is entitled “Where It’s At,” coming from his sophomore album.

HubPhest also has Easton Corbin, Costello and norteno sensations Los Tigres del Norte, among others, scheduled for the two-day festival.

“We want to, and have been able to, bring in high-quality entertainment that people from all over want to hear,” Rodriguez said. “We even had a lady from Chicago fly down here to listen to the Los Lonely Boys.”

The annual cookoff (see story on grand champion Arnie Segovia on next page) has grown into one of the most competitive across the state. What once had about 15 competitors now carries more than 100 teams vying for “Best Of” in several categories – beef brisket, pork spare ribs, fajitas, chicken and frijoles. The cookoff is an International Barbeque Cookers Association sanctioned event. The IBCA is an

association that seeks to develop competitive barbeque cooking internationally.

Rodriguez said that planning is critical to running a festival as large as HubPhest.

Unlike other festivals that may hire outside companies to run the event or consult, he said several departments from the city get together to take care of their specific areas.

“This gives us an added feeling of buy-in,” Rodriguez said. “We have certain benchmarks too - that nobody gets sick, hurt or lost. To us that’s a huge measurement for the success of an event. If you have 100,000 people attend but lose a 4-year-old you certainly have failed.

“One of the biggest accomplishments in 10 years of doing this is managing to satisfy all the criteria. We’re proud of that. We overplan and anticipate every contingency.

“This gives us a chance to be a good host, to hone our skills and to seek out other people’s needs,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a lot of work, but nobody dreads this event - we all look forward to it.”

WHAT’S INSIDE

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WHAT’S MY FAVORITE? WATCH FEB. 28

T

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MY FIRST SOUTH TEXAS HUNT SUBMITTED BY RICH S. KIME

TEXAS HUNTERS & SPORTSMAN’S

trips.

I am often asked what I like to do the most - fish or hunt ? My favorite of all the options is quail hunting with trained dogs. There is something special when it comes to hunting like that. The crisp, cool early morning air is so invigorating. The excitement of the dogs and the hunters are at all-time highs. All of that combined with taping the newest show for The Fred Rodriguez is the Texas Sportsman and has decades of experience Texas Sportsman on FOX. and knowledge regarding hunting If you have never tried quail hunting and you and fishing. You can watch his show, like to dove hunt, deer hunt or just hunt I highly The Texas Sportsman, on FOX in the recommend quail hunting. Especially watch the Rio Grande Valley at 11:30 a.m on Saturdays. dog handler in my upcoming show. His name is Manny Perez and he will be guiding us on the Margo Ranch with Rick and Carlos Margo. The show will air at 11:30 a.m, Saturday, Feb. 28 on FOX in the Rio Grande Valley.

In this show you will see how the dogs track the quail and how Manny controls his dogs.

It’s a great feeling when I see everything come together.

An especially exciting part is when you see one dog go on point and the second one come right behind and hold his point, commonly referred to as honoring the first dog. It is so exciting when the three hunters get ready and the quail come flying out in all directions.

The other part about hunting quail is cooking, and eating, them. Bacon-wrapped stuffed and with breakfast sausage and a slice of monterrey jack cheese and a slice of Serrano pepper is a delectable meal.

In the end, whichever outdoor activity is your utmost favorite, do it with passion – and safety.

Remember to take you children with you and teach them the love of the great outdoors.

Manny also has trained deer-tracking dogs. Be sure and save his number because one day you might need it to track your trophy. To book a trip with Manny call (956) 460-2859.

Gotta Have It !!

Volume 2, Isssue 1. February 2015. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of the publisher. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are strictly those of the writers, photographers and contributors, and are not necessarily those of Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors or its publisher. Every effort has been taken to ensure the correctness and accuracy in the material published in this magazine. Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors reserves the right to edit, rewrite and refuse editorial materials and assumes no responsibility for accuracy, errors, omissions or consequence arising from it. Texas

Sportsman Tracking Outdoors shall be held harmless and indemnified against any third-party claims. Advertisements appearing in Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors present only the viewpoint of the advertisers. Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors is printed in the U.S.A. All correspondence to the publication become the property of Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors.

Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors is published by H&J Publications. Copyright 2014. To advertise in Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors call (956) 607-0853 or email joey.texassportsman@gmail.com

Can You Beat The Best At HUBPHEST? INSIDE: WHAT IS HUBPHEST? SCHEDULE OF EVENTS BROUGHT TO YOU BY

EVENTS CENTER

ON THE COVER Arnie Segovia plans to defend his cook-off grand championship at the Pharr HubPhest . (tikitillmanphotos. com)

STAFF Henry Miller Publisher henry.texassportsman @gmail.com (956) 607-9210

BY BRENT JOHNSON

I grew up in Woodstock, New York, in the Catskill Mountains.

I'm a third-generation hunter.

My dad has taken me hunting since I could walk. My father’s best friend moved down here in 1979. They have always stayed close friends.

My dad called his best friend in Houston, Mark, who invited my father and I (Rich and Rich Jr.) on a world class hunt with Fred Rodriguez.

My dad and I have always wanted to hunt in South Texas so we jumped on the opportunity. From our house in New York to South Texas it was 1,800 miles - a 3,600-mile round trip. That shows what dedicated hunters we are.

The only thing on my mind was being able to bring down my grandfather's Savage .308 and shooting the buck of a luck time, and when I did it brought a tear to my eye.

When Mark Waldron with Tranquility Development Group talked to Fred, the hunting guide, he guaranteed Mark I would shoot a big buck. Fred was a stand-up guy, and i am glad to have had a guide such as him. I have never seen so many big racks in my life and I've been hunting for a long time.

I'd want to thank Gus Escobar for the help on the hunt and helping me choose my trophy buck!

I want to thank hunting guides Fred and Gus, along with my father and Blake and Mark for the trio of a lifetime!

M

y first memories of going to Arroyo City were riding in my uncle’s El Camino with the window cracked just barely so as to suck out the cloud of cigarette smoke that never really seemed to go anywhere except the cab of that car-truck.

We lived in McAllen, which is about an hour or so away, but seemed longer to a kid in a smoke filled El Camino. I always got excited when I saw the big silos of Port Harlingen coming around the bend, I knew adventure was close at hand. Then over the Rio Hondo bridge I’d look out at the mighty Arroyo Colorado and its sea creatures below. We’d always take the straight away on the way in, but always take the long way with its curves and whoop-dwhoop canal banks on the way home. My uncle Doss used to put the hammer down going over those canal banks and it felt like my stomach was in my throat when we went airborne.

It was always fun around ol’ Doss. He had a fish camp on the Arroyo, and he and aunt Nancy took me fishin’ many a time. If my aunt wasn’t there, his burly kid-hazing buddies that talked boastful smack of who was the better angler were there. Some of these guys made their own tackle. You had to be tough around this lot, no sissies to be seen! One day I was hammering the hard heads until my uncle came down and said “better be careful with those catfish son!”

Wouldn’t you know he jinxed me right away as I was taking one off the hook. Right away I felt the searing pain of salt venom going into my thumb. But a little monkey blood later and I was back to fishing on the boat with the big boys.

Back then we threw live shrimp under a popping cork, and sometimes on the bottom with a weight. We didn’t have the shallow running boats you see today. We had a beast of a boat known as the Queen Mary. She was a 21-foot Boston Whaler that needed 15 inches to get up on a plane.

Caught many a fish off her bow. Lunches on the boat usually consisted of Vienna sausages with mustard and crackers and sometimes a can of sardines. I wasn’t kidding about hazing, I think the food was part of it. It’s funny how I love that stuff today though. How things have changed.

Nowadays I throw mostly artificial. I think partly because I’m too impatient to keep hooking bait, but also because I’m a grinder. I cast non stop all day constantly

AT RIGHT: Rich S. Kime and his dad Rich M. Kime with a buck they harvested while on a South Texas guided hunt with Fred Rodriguez and Gus Escobar.

Fred Rodriguez The Texas Sportsman fredrsportsman@yahoo.com (956) 776-4623

Eddie Ruiz 956-648-8467

Joey Dowden Advertising Director joey.texassportsman @gmail.com (956) 607-0853

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10

My Favorite?

Fred Rodriguez answers the question we’ve been asking him.

MALE BONDING and my duck-hunting days

BY ALBERTO SANTOS During the time period when I lived in The Woodlands, Texas, I did a lot of duck and goose hunting. Every year, I would have a duck and goose lease and I would often take advantage of the lease. Sometimes I would hunt with clients; sometimes I would hunt with friends and family and sometimes by myself.

During duck and goose season, my hunting gear was always in the back of the suburban. During the duck and goose season I knew the forecast for the next 10 days at all times. If the weather forecast called for fog or low ceiling, I was planning a hunt for that day. I tried to keep all my client meetings for the afternoons during the season so I would not have conflicts with my work.

I had the hunt process so well developed that I could hunt ducks in the Katy-Brookshire Prairie in the morning and be dressed in a suit for an early lunch meeting in downtown Houston. I was also fortunate that my best clients were duck and goose hunters. So, it was not by accident that every now and then I would have a client meeting/duck hunt with a late breakfast (while they cleaned our ducks).

This is the time period when this Male Bonding event happened.....

GUILTY AS CHARGED It was one particular early teal season that my daughter, Stacy, was about 13.

She cornered me saying, “Dad, we have to talk.” Whenever my daughter leads in with this line, she wants to make sure I understand that what will follow is very important. She looks me in the eye and asks why “the boys” (her brothers) get invited to go duck hunting with me, and she was never invited. She accuses me of not treating her the same. I have to plead guilty. What else could I do?

I tell her that I had assumed she would not want to go but admit I was wrong in not inviting her. So, I quickly invite her to go on my next duck hunt.

We make the final plans to hunt on the following Saturday. I also invite my good friend and client, David and his son, Peter.

We are going to hunt the rice fields outside of Katy, Tx. GETTING READY I know that Stacy likes the outdoors because she has become a pretty good

angler. She can fish as good or better than the boys and she baits her own hooks. I know she will like the outing but she does not have any duck hunting clothes. On the Friday before the hunt we go to a sporting good store to get her some camo. Upon entering the store, I quickly learn that shopping for camo with my daughter was not as easy as getting the boys something to wear on a duck hunt.

First, she wanted to look at all the camo patterns before she picked the one for her.

Then the camo pattern for her head band had to match the shirt. I quickly got a crash course on color, style, fit and what colors go with what others. When we could not find a belt to match the shirt, we had a minor crisis.

Fortunately we found a dark fudge brown belt that seemed to go with the camo she like so it looked like the hunt was still on.

of camouflage, waders and duck calls.

The smokers were already into their third cigarette. The wannabe duck callers are tuning up their hail, and feeding duck calls.

Stacy carefully looks around then looks at me and just smiles. It is one of those looks that said, I know that I have entered an all

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Photos Courtesy CCA Marine Development Center

PLEASE RELEASE ME, LET ME GO

Marine Center releases more than 250,000 redfish into Laguna Madre

BY CAPT. ALAN STEWART

THE HUNT We go on to an excellent duck blind and have a great hunt. The lease manager knew we had a very special guest so we got a comfortable duck blind with the sun to our back.

We are treated to a beautiful sunrise and the sky is full of streaking teal. Words cannot adequately describe the beauty of a good duck pond at sunrise.

We are buzzed by some of the fastest ducks alive. There are far too many teal for us to shoot so we just sit and watch for awhile. No words are said but we all know this is why we wake up so early and endure the mud, cold weather and sometimes leaky waders.

Finally with shooting going on all around us, we get down to business. Stacy really enjoys the whole morning until we started bringing dead ducks into the blind.

Stacy likes seeing the ducks fly. She also enjoys seeing us shoot. But seeing dead ducks at her feet was not on her agenda.

She later tells me it was the ones that were twitching that gave her a problem.

Stacy got to see what duck hunting is all about and I am glad she got herself invited.

searching for a sea monster. I can’t help it, it’s in my blood. I will fish from sun up to sun down, and repeat until it’s time to return to the real world. Fishing the Laguna Madre never gets old, and I hope it never does.

February is prime time fishing if you don’t mind cooler temperatures. Fish are fattening up to prepare for the spawn this time of year. It’s not uncommon to catch numbers of large trout with fat bellies. I took a 22-inch trout to the cleaning table and found a 12-inch mullet in its stomach.

This is one of my favorite times of the year to fish.

Corky Fat Boys and Kelly Wigglers are my baits of choice. Slow retrieves, slow wading, and fan casting are smart technique. If bait is present the fish are there. When a big trout bites you will know it because they attack with aggression amplified by the cold. Catch, photo, and release are in order for fish of this caliber. Big trout don’t taste near as good as the little ones do, and they will breed more offspring to keep our fishery strong against increased fishing pressure. Bigger trout need to be handled with care as their mortality rates are more fragile. While photographing the catch it is important to only take the fish out of the water for brief moments concentrating on keeping their gills wet. We have a top five World Class fishery in the Laguna Madre and it needs to

www.rgvprolighting.com

RULES

BY CAPT. ALAN STEWART

Since we have been on the subject of electrical equipment, or at least equipment that requires some kind of electricity on board whether be AC (alternating curreadings along it with several other tests rent) or DC (direct I would like to to make certain of current), a successful release.

They even pumped talk about inverters.into the tanks some water from themost Laguna to neutralize the Nowadays, things can run on temperature along with the ph level. These batteries on board a boat or at least on 12 readings are done with a Y.S.I. device called volts. a refractometer, which measures the salineAand oxygen levels.

Everything is done friend of mine recently purchased a very scientifically.

YSI Inc. is a developer pontoon boat for family outings and wanted and manufacturer of sensors, instruments, more lights around simply for ambience. I software, and data collection platforms for use this on other things? recommended to her an inverter.

I figured environmental water quality monitoring Well, the amount of inverter drain youwas have on everyone knew what an and and testing.

The farms are located in the Corpus your isn’t worth everyhow itbattery worked.

My friendinverting didn’t have a clue.

Christi Sea and12 they have a120 Rething all theCenter Your battery will drain Simply put, ittime. changes volts to volts. search center in Palacios, Texas as well. very quickly.

Inverters on large boats or Well, technically it isn’t that simple.

All of these ponds will generate more than yachts are used for small appliances like Years ago on larger yachts, they used to 30 million fries a year. a On blender or adown small television small this trip from ofor the ponds, have DC-driven motors toone convert the 12v, they said have to stop several refrigerator.

24v or thethey 32v would into 120v.

Today, most inverters are solid-state devices that electronically steps up and charges 12v to 120v.

Why don’t we have this at our house or

KNOW THE

RULES

Captain Alan Stewart owns and operuse this on other things? ates Stewart Training Center and holds a Well, the amount of drain you have on Master license with the U.S.C.G. Stewart your battery isn’t worth inverting everyTraining Center is located at 39572 Loop thing all the time. Your battery will drain Rd. Bayview, Tx. 78566. very quickly. Inverters on large boats or yachts are used for small appliances like a blender or a small television or small refrigerator.

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stay that way for future generations.

They say Heaven is where we all want to go when we pass. I sure hope Heaven has an Arroyo City and my uncle is waiting there with an El Camino to take me to the Promise Land. See you on the water my friends.

azine covers world-class hunting and fishing in South Texas. We showcase troTexas Sportsman Tracking 301 E. catches.

Cedar Ave. Ste. I McAllen, TexasOutdoors Magphy hunts and terrific We cover azine covers world-class hunting and the latest topics, feature local anglers and fishing in South Texas. We showcase trohunters, and much more! phy hunts and terrific catches. We cover the latest topics, feature local anglers and 24TH ANNUAL To advertise in the fastest-growing magEXPO FOR: hunters, and much more!

TEXAS HUNTER THE ELLIFFS S azine in South Texas call Joey Dowden at & SPORTSM AN’S (956) 607-0853 or Fred Rodriguez at (956) A To advertise in the fastest-growing mag- FAMILY 776-4623 azine in South Texas call Joey Dowden atAFFAIR (956) 607-0853 or Fred Rodriguez at (956) 776-4623

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PROMISED LAND Brent Johnson remembers some great times at the Arroyo.

INSIDE: PIT

OF SNAKES

So back to her question about the lights. An inverter would work great on a couple of rope lights on her pontoon boat.

My only recommendation to her is if you shut off the engine, don’t let the lights run very long or they may be calling me for a tow.

I could get into U.S. Coast Guard wiring recommendations about inverters, but this is not the place for that. For simply running a small device on a small boat, hook one up either to the cigarette lighter or connect directly to the battery. If you have the two-battery system with gated polarity, then you don’t have to worry about getting your boat started later.

As always, be safe and see you on the water.

See you next time and Know the Rules.

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TIDE CHARTS Be on top of the game with our most recent Tide Charts.

Captain Alan Stewart owns and operates Stewart Training Center and holds a Master license with the U.S.C.G. Stewart Training Center is located at 39572 Loop Rd. Bayview, Tx. 78566.

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GO RED! More than 250,000 Redfish released into the Laguna.

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WHAT’S GOING ON? Check out the Calendar of events for fishing tournaments and more.

A coyote’s ability to sniff and hear, along with its general intelligence, are its primary defenses.

In hindsight, I should have invited her sooner. As I look back on this hunt I think I may have done some good.

When Stacy becomes a mom, I believe that I have laid the groundwork for a future grandson or granddaughter to get “Mom’s” permission to go on duck hunts with me.

I know that their mom will know what it is that draws us to the ducks and why hunters are willing to get up so early.

Post Script Stacy is grown up now and she has been on many hunts with me including a safari to Namibia. If you ask her, I bet she remembers her first duck hunt.

I do.

As a younger man, he had done plenty of dove and deer hunting, but his passion for those pursuits had cooled. The way he saw it, hunting coyotes is the most exciting, most challenging way there is to spend time on a South Texas ranch.

Unless your scope is out of adjustment, hunting deer over corn from an elevated stand is not all that hard to do. But when it comes to coyote hunting, it’s the intelligent, stealthy coyote – okay, wily coyote -- that often lives to stalk another day.

Several years ago Bradshaw invited me to join him on a South Texas coyote hunt.

For reasons I’ll explain in a bit, I didn’t harm any coyotes, but I sure got an education from a master varmint hunter.

My schooling started over supper the night before our hunt.

Indians admired coyotes for their cleverness, Bradshaw began, but once people of European descent had settled Texas, ranchers and sheep men saw coyotes as a predator needing extinction. These days, biologists understand that coyotes have

Alberto Santos is the owner of Santos Ranch LLC and Las Lomas Ranch. Visit the website www.santosranch.com for more information.

their rightful role in the grand scheme of things, but most ranchers still think the best place for a coyote is hanging on a barbed wire fence.

Given his line of work, Bradshaw understood that better than most that everything in nature is connected. But he also saw first-hand the impact coyotes have on game animals.

“They will eat one out of two fawns, quail eggs, turkey eggs…just about anything except another coyote,” Bradshaw explained.

In addition to doing his bit for conservation, Bradshaw viewed coyotes as more than worthy adversaries. Hunting them is not easy, so beating a coyote at his own game is great sport.

Though a hunter will occasionally get an unexpected shot at a temporarily careless howler, the primary way to hunt coyotes is to call them in. That’s done by using a mouth or recorded call that imitates the sound of a distressed rabbit. To a coyote that amounts to a dinner bell.

But there’s more to it than that.

- The scientific name for coyote is Canis latrans, which means barking dog in Latin. The name coyote comes from the Aztec word coyotl.

- Coyote parents may supply live mice to their pups for hunting practice.

- When coyotes are about two years old, they select a mate and stay with that mate for life.

- Coyotes communicate in a variety of ways including barking, growling and howling, and often howl in chorus.

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- When hunting, coyotes sometimes pursue prey in relays, enabling packs to run down animals that could escape a single coyote. The list of prey able to escape a coyote is short - this is due to the fact that these animals can run in bursts as fast as 40 miles per hour and they also can jump over a 8' fence. These animals can also travel up to 400 miles at a stretch, stopping only occasionally to howl for news.

Email them to: henry.texassportsman@gmail.com and you may see them in an upcoming edition of Texas Sportsman Magazine!

SEND US YOUR PHOTOS Email them to: henry.texassportsman@gmail.com and you may see them in an upcoming edition of Texas Sportsman Magazine!

Story by Mike Cox n Photos Courtesy n Cartoon Courtesy cartoon-excellence.com

Beep Beep!!

THE PRE-HUNT On the morning of the hunt I wake up and make coffee.

Just before the coffee is ready I go to wake up Stacy.

She struggles to wake up but manages to get in the suburban with very little groveling.

I am impressed she is in good Stacy Santos and the author, aka “dad” spirits this early in the morning. This must be a sign of good things to come. male club and I am about to see what all She asks if it's always this early when this is all about.

I go to hunt ducks. I tell her yes, that we The new hunt lease members are have to be in the duck blind before the studying the maps. A small crowd is over ducks start flying. She nods then closes by the donuts and coffee. Amidst all the her eyes for the rest of the trip. I don’t commotion and confusion, I mange to find think she slept in the car. The eyes closed an empty table for us. Stacy sits down and I was more of a protest for having to be go to get a cup of coffee. awake at such an ungodly hour.

Stacy is taking in all of the sights and We arrive at the lodge and it is still very sounds of the hunting lodge. As I approach dark. This morning I see more than the the table with my cup of coffee in hand, she usual number of trucks and cars in the has that same smile from a little while ago. lodge parking lot. It is an early teal hunt Hunters can be overheard talking about and everybody is here for this hunt. I tell last season, all of the work they did to fix Stacy we are going in the lodge to have a up their decoys, the new gun, the old gun, little more coffee and wait for the rest of the new and improved duck loads, etc. our party: Dave and Peter.

Dave and Peter arrive and lucky for us We enter the lodge and step into a sea they bring the breakfast taquitos. Dave,

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times and test the water. At times they would introduce oxygen into the water from oxygen cylinders he had on their truck.

This keeps them very lively.

Not only do they do this with redfish, they raise trout as well. Unfortunately, the trout to the her area question the haveSo toback stay in they about are raised.

Most ofAn theinverter trout are released the upper lights. would workingreat on a regions of rope the Texas coast. couple of lightsgulf on her pontoon boat.

Just reminder. Keep just what can My onlya recommendation to her isyou if you eat. When I go out hunting for reds, it’s not shut offbut thethe engine, the lights run the kill, thrilldon’t of thelet chase.

That’s veryfishing long orshould they may beall calling me for ait how be at times.

Heck, tow. you an excuse to do it again. gives I could get into U.S. Coast Guard wiring recommendations about inverters, but this is not the place for that. For simply running a small device on a small boat, hook one up either to the cigarette lighter or connect directly to the battery. If you have the two-battery system with gated polarity, then you don’t have to worry about getting your boat started later.

As always, be safe and see you on the water.

See you next time and Know the Rules.

INVERT THIS (talking about inverters) KNOW THE INVERT THIS (talking about inverters)

Between May and December you may see a truck or two with some big square tanks on a trailer cruising down Padre Blvd and heading down one of the dead CAPT. STEWART end BY streets onALAN the west side of the island.

Don’t be alarmed. It is your friendly neighSince we have been on the subject of borhood Texas Parks and Wildlife Fish electricalguys. equipment, or at least equipment Hatchery that some kind ofthe electricity Outrequires of all the programs T.P.W.D.on have, one is,it in the best. boardthis whether bemy ACopinion, (alternating curThis is to raise redfish popularent)program or DC (direct current), I would like to tions all over Texas and release them in a talk about inverters. very systematic way.

Nowadays, things can run Last month, Imost was at one of the bigon releases in ouraown of batterieshere on board boatbackyard. or at leastTwo on 12 the guys working with this program were volts. doing their thing that they absolutely love A friend of mine recently purchased a to do. This certain day, they released more pontoon boat for family outings and wanted than 250,000 redfish fries into the Laguna more lights for120 ambience.

Madre.

That around equatessimply to about pounds I of fish about an to inch I have never recommended herlong. an inverter.

I figured seen so many redfish together like that in everyone knew what an inverter was and my life. This seems like a lot, however in a how it time, worked. friend didn’t have a clue. year's theyMy may release upwards of Simply put, it changes 12 volts to 120 volts. five million fries in the Laguna Madre.

This is something dothat every so often Well, technically they it isn’t simple. to keep the redfish population Years ago on larger yachts,abundant. they used to These reds will stay in the Laguna for have DC-driven motors to convert the 12v, about six years, mature and head out to the 24v or 32v into What 120v. Today, most Gulf to the repopulate. knocked my invertsocks ersisare solid-state devices that electronioff they can live up to 50 years.

Thesteps reason release12v at to these cally upfor andthe charges 120v. specific is thethis ecosystem.

Whileor Whylocations don’t we have at our house I was there, they took oxygen and saline

30

A First A father and son from New York make their first South Texas hunt.

who has two girls of his own, is pretty amazed to see Stacy in full camo. I had told him she was invited but I never confirmed she was coming for sure.

Dave an I are talking about what blind we might want to request when Stacy tap me on the shoulder.

“Dad!” she says to me and motions me over to hear what she is going to say.

“Why did we get up so early?” she asks.

This is one of those questions that cannot be answered so I just smile back.

‘Dad,” she says again, “We could have slept in a while longer.”

Again, I realize she was making a comment that needs no response.

“Dad,” she says one more time.

“Yes, dear,” I say with a smile.

“Is this some of that male bonding shit that I hear about?”

Dave, who has been hearing all of this, brakes into a full laugh.

Then he compliments her and tells her she has figured it all out. She has cracked the code. Stacy just smiles like she has found out what this hunting club is all about.

LUNAR TIMES These are the best times each day for hunting and fishing.

Arroyo City, an El Camino and

THE PROMISED LAND

Third-generation hunter (and New Yorker) gets a taste of Texas 24TH ANNUAL EXPO FOR:

ime flies from hunting and guiding whitetail hunts to cleaning reels and getting my boat ready for some fishing

Outsmarting the wily coyote (not Wile E. Coyote, below)

M

ike Bradshaw looked forward to February like many folks do the holidays.

For years a game warden stationed in Carrizo Springs, Bradshaw saved most of his vacation time for the second month of the year. Not that he didn’t like heading to the Laguna Madre for specks and redfish if he could find the time, but February was the only month he could count on things in his line of work being relatively quiet. Deer season would be over and spring turkey season still nearly two months ahead.

Then, in the summer, he’d be busy checking anglers. After that, of course, dove season began and his busy if vital conservation law enforcement routine started all over again.

But there was more to Bradshaw’s appreciation of February than it being a fairly quiet time of the year for a game warden.

He liked Cupid’s month because it’s a great time to go coyote hunting.

Eddie Ruiz 956-648-8467 Owner / Taxidermist

Exotic Game N. American Game

5115 S. US 281 Suite H Edinburg Tx. 78539

Salt and Fresh Water Fish Fiberglass and Skin Mounts

“Fast Turnaround Time”

26

14

12

14

MALE BONDING

COYOTE SMART

SAY CHEESE

Alberto Santos’ daughter learns a lesson in male bonding on a duck hunt.

If you’re going to go Coyote hunting, you need to be as smart - or smarter - than the wily animals.

Readers sent in photos from all over while hunting and fishing.

6

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What’s MY FavoritE? WATCH FEB. 28

FREE! TAKE ONE

FREE! TAKE ONE

T

ime flies from hunting and guiding whitetail hunts to cleaning reels and getting my boat ready for some fishing

trips.

I am often asked what I like to do the most - fish or hunt ? My favorite of all the options is quail hunting with trained dogs. There is something special when it comes to hunting like that. The crisp, cool early morning air is so invigorating. The excitement of the dogs and the hunters are at all-time highs. All of that combined with taping the newest show for The Fred Rodriguez is the Texas Sportsman and has decades of experience Texas Sportsman on FOX. and knowledge regarding hunting If you have never tried quail hunting and you and fishing. You can watch his show, like to dove hunt, deer hunt or just hunt, I highThe Texas Sportsman, on FOX in the ly recommend quail hunting. In my upcoming Rio Grande Valley at 11:30 a.m on Saturdays. show watch the dog handler, many Perez, as he guides us on the Margo Ranch with Rick and Carlos Margo. The show will air at 11:30 a.m, Saturday, Feb. 28 on FOX in the Rio Grande Valley.

In this show you will see how the dogs track the quail and how Manny controls his dogs.

It’s a great feeling when I see everything come together.

An especially exciting part is when you see one dog go on point and the second one come right behind and hold his point, commonly referred to as honoring the first dog. It is so exciting when the three hunters get ready and the quail come flying out in all directions.

Another part about hunting quail is cooking, and eating, them. Bacon-wrapped, stuffed and with breakfast sausage, a slice of monterrey jack cheese and a slice of Serrano pepper is a delectable meal.

In the end, whichever outdoor activity is your utmost favorite, do it with passion – and safety.

Remember to take your children with you and teach them the love of the great outdoors.

Manny also has trained deer-tracking dogs. Be sure and save his number because one day you might need it to track your trophy. To book a trip with Manny call (956) 460-2859.

Gotta Have It !!

Volume 2, Isssue 1. February 2015. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of the publisher. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are strictly those of the writers, photographers and contributors, and are not necessarily those of Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors or its publisher. Every effort has been taken to ensure the correctness and accuracy in the material published in this magazine. Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors reserves the right to edit, rewrite and refuse editorial materials and assumes no responsibility for accuracy, errors, omissions or consequence arising from it. Texas

8

Sportsman Tracking Outdoors shall be held harmless and indemnified against any third-party claims. Advertisements appearing in Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors present only the viewpoint of the advertisers. Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors is printed in the U.S.A. All correspondence to the publication become the property of Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors.

Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors is published by H&J Publications. Copyright 2014. To advertise in Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors call (956) 607-0853 or email joey.texassportsman@gmail.com

24TH ANNUAL EXPO FOR:

TEXAS HUNTERS & SPORTSMAN’S

Can You Beat The Best At HUBPHEST? INSIDE: WHAT IS HUBPHEST? SCHEDULE OF EVENTS BROUGHT TO YOU BY

EVENTS CENTER

ON THE COVER Arnie Segovia plans to defend his cook-off grand championship at the Pharr HubPhest . (tikitillmanphotos. com)

STAFF Henry Miller Publisher henry.texassportsman @gmail.com (956) 607-9210

Fred Rodriguez The Texas Sportsman fredrsportsman@yahoo.com (956) 776-4623

Joey Dowden Advertising Director joey.texassportsman @gmail.com (956) 607-0853

Tiki Tillman Photographer tikitillmanphotos.com (956)572-6132 David DeLeon Henry Miller Designers

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L E N D E R

MY FIRST SOUTH TEXAS HUNT Third-generation hunter (and New Yorker) gets a taste of Texas SUBMITTED BY RICH S. KIME I grew up in Woodstock, New York, in the Catskill Mountains.

I'm a third-generation hunter.

My dad has taken me hunting since I could walk. My father’s best friend moved down here in 1979. They have always stayed close friends.

My dad called his best friend in Houston, Mark, who invited my father and I (Rich and Rich Jr.) on a world class hunt with Fred Rodriguez.

My dad and I have always wanted to hunt in South Texas so we jumped at the opportunity. From our house in New York to South Texas was 1,800 miles - a 3,600-mile round trip. That shows what dedicated hunters we are.

The only thing on my mind was being able to bring my grandfather's Savage .308 and shooting the buck of a lifetime; when I did it brought a tear to my eye.

When Mark Waldron with Tranquility Development Group talked to Fred, the hunting guide, he guaranteed Mark I would shoot a big buck. Fred was a stand-up guy, and I was glad to have a guide such as him. I have never seen so many big racks in my life and I've been hunting for a long time.

I'd want to thank Gus Escobar for the help on the hunt and helping me choose my trophy buck!

I want to thank our hunting guides Fred and Gus, along with my father, Blake and Mark for the trio of a lifetime!

AT RIGHT: Rich S. Kime and his dad Rich M. Kime with a buck they harvested while on a South Texas guided hunt with Fred Rodriguez and Gus Escobar.

Eddie Ruiz 956-648-8467 Owner / Taxidermist

Exotic Game N. American Game

5115 S. US 281 Suite H Edinburg Tx. 78539

Salt and Fresh Water Fish Fiberglass and Skin Mounts

“Fast Turnaround Time”

10

MALE BONDING and my duck-hunting days

BY ALBERTO SANTOS During the time period when I lived in The Woodlands, Texas, I did a lot of duck and goose hunting. Every year, I would have a duck and goose lease and I would often take advantage of the lease. Sometimes I would hunt with clients; sometimes I would hunt with friends and family and sometimes by myself.

During duck and goose season, my hunting gear was always in the back of the suburban. During the duck and goose season I knew the forecast for the next 10 days at all times. If the weather forecast called for fog or low ceiling, I planned a hunt for that day. I tried to keep all my client meetings for the afternoons during the season so I would not have conflicts with my work.

I had the hunt process so well developed that I could hunt ducks in the Katy-Brookshire Prairie in the morning and be dressed in a suit for an early lunch meeting in downtown Houston. I was also fortunate that my best clients were duck and goose hunters. So, it was not by accident that every now and then I would have a client meeting/duck hunt with a late breakfast (while they cleaned our ducks).

This is the time period when this Male Bonding event happened.....

GUILTY AS CHARGED It was one particular early teal season that my daughter, Stacy, was about 13.

She cornered me saying, “Dad, we have to talk.” Whenever my daughter leads in with this line, she wants to make sure I understand that what will follow is very important. She looks me in the eye and asks why “the boys” (her brothers) get invited to go duck hunting with me, and she was never invited. She accuses me of not treating her the same. I have to plead guilty. What else could I do?

I tell her that I had assumed she would not want to go but admit I was wrong in not inviting her. So, I quickly invite her to go on my next duck hunt.

We make the final plans to hunt on the following Saturday. I also invite my good friend and client, David and his son, Peter.

We are going to hunt the rice fields outside of Katy, Tx. GETTING READY I know that Stacy likes the outdoors because she has become a pretty good angler. She can fish as good or better than

12

the boys and she baits her own hooks. I know she will like the outing but she does not have any duck hunting clothes. On the Friday before the hunt we go to a sporting goods store to get her some camo. Upon entering the store, I quickly learn that shopping for camo with my daughter was not as easy as getting the boys something to wear on a duck hunt.

First, she wanted to look at all the camo patterns before she picked the one for her.

Then the camo pattern for her head band had to match the shirt. I quickly got a crash course on color, style, fit and what colors go with what others. When we could not find a belt to match the shirt, we had a minor crisis.

Fortunately we found a dark fudge brown belt that seemed to go with the camo she liked so it looked like the hunt was still on.

smokers were already into their third cigarette. The wannabe duck callers are tuning up their hail and feeding duck calls. Stacy carefully looks around then looks at me and just smiles. It is one of those looks that said, I know that I have entered an all-male club and I am about to see what all this is

THE PRE-HUNT On the morning of the hunt I wake up and make coffee.

Just before the coffee is ready I go to wake up Stacy.

She struggles to wake up but manages to get in the suburban with very little groveling.

I am impressed she is in good spirits this early in the mornStacy Santos and the author, aka “dad” ing. This must be a sign of good things to come.

She asks if it's always this early when all about.

I go to hunt ducks. I tell her yes, that we The new hunt lease members are have to be in the duck blind before the studying the maps. A small crowd is over ducks start flying. She nods then closes by the donuts and coffee. Amidst all the her eyes for the rest of the trip. I don’t commotion and confusion, I mange to find think she slept in the car. The eyes closed an empty table for us. Stacy sits down and I was more of a protest for having to be go to get a cup of coffee. awake at such an ungodly hour.

Stacy is taking in all of the sights and We arrive at the lodge and it is still very sounds of the hunting lodge. As I approach dark. This morning I see more than the the table with my cup of coffee in hand, she usual number of trucks and cars in the has that same smile from a little while ago. lodge parking lot. It is an early teal hunt Hunters can be overheard talking about and everybody is here for this hunt. I tell last season, all of the work they did to fix Stacy we are going in the lodge to have a up their decoys, the new gun, the old gun, little more coffee and wait for the rest of the new and improved duck loads, etc... our party, Dave and Peter.

Dave and Peter arrive and luckily for us We enter the lodge and step into a sea they bring the breakfast taquitos. Dave, of camouflage, waders and duck calls. The who has two girls of his own, is pretty

amazed to see Stacy in full camo. I had told him she was invited but I never confirmed she was coming for sure.

Dave an I are talking about what blind we might want to request when Stacy taps me on the shoulder.

“Dad!” she says to me and motions me over to hear what she is going to say.

“Why did we get up so early?” she asks.

This is one of those questions that cannot be answered so I just smile back.

‘Dad,” she says again, “We could have slept in a while longer.”

Again, I realize she was making a comment that needs no response.

“Dad,” she says one more time.

“Yes, dear,” I say with a smile.

“Is this some of that male bonding shit that I hear about?”

Dave, who has been hearing all of this, brakes into a full laugh.

Then he compliments her and tells her she has figured it all out. She has cracked the code. Stacy just smiles like she has found out what this hunting club is all about.

THE HUNT We go on to an excellent duck blind and

have a great hunt. The lease manager knew we had a very special guest so we got a comfortable duck blind with the sun to our backs.

We are treated to a beautiful sunrise and the sky is full of streaking teal. Words cannot adequately describe the beauty of a good duck pond at sunrise.

We are buzzed by some of the fastest ducks alive. There are far too many teal for us to shoot so we just sit and watch for awhile. No words are said but we all know this is why we wake up so early and endure the mud, cold weather and sometimes leaky waders.

Finally with shooting going on all around us, we get down to business. Stacy really enjoys the whole morning until we started bringing dead ducks into the blind.

Stacy likes seeing the ducks fly. She also enjoys seeing us shoot. But seeing dead ducks at her feet was not on her agenda.

She later tells me it was the ones that were twitching that gave her a problem.

Stacy got to see what duck hunting is all about and I am glad she got herself invited In hindsight, I should have invited her sooner. As I look back on this hunt I think I may have done some good.

When Stacy becomes a mom, I believe that I have laid the groundwork for a future grandson or granddaughter to get “Mom’s” permission to go on duck hunts with me.

I know that their mom will know what it is that draws us to the ducks and why hunters are willing to get up so early.

Post Script Stacy is grown up now and she has been on many hunts with me including a safari to Namibia. If you ask her, I bet she remembers her first duck hunt.

I do.

Alberto Santos is the owner of Santos Ranch LLC and Las Lomas Ranch. Visit the website www.santosranch.com for more information.

Story by Mike Cox n Photos Courtesy Texas Parks & Wildlife n Cartoon Courtesy cartoon-excellence.com

Beep Beep!!

Outsmarting the wily coyote (not Wile E. Coyote, below)

14

M

ike Bradshaw looked forward to February like many folks do the holidays.

For years a game warden stationed in Carrizo Springs, Bradshaw saved most of his vacation time for the second month of the year. Not that he didn’t like heading to the Laguna Madre for specks and redfish if he could find the time, but February was the only month he could count on things in his line of work being relatively quiet. Deer season would be over and spring turkey season still nearly two months ahead.

Then, in the summer, he’d be busy checking anglers. After that, of course, dove season began and his busy if vital conservation law enforcement routine started all over again.

But there was more to Bradshaw’s appreciation of February than it being a fairly quiet time of the year for a game warden.

He liked Cupid’s month because it’s a great time to go coyote hunting.

A coyote’s ability to sniff and hear, along with its general intelligence, are its primary defenses.

As a younger man, he had done plenty of dove and deer hunting, but his passion for those pursuits had cooled. The way he saw it, hunting coyotes is the most exciting, most challenging way there is to spend time on a South Texas ranch.

Unless your scope is out of adjustment, hunting deer over corn from an elevated stand is not all that hard to do. But when it comes to coyote hunting, it’s the intelligent, stealthy coyote – okay, wily coyote -- that often lives to stalk another day.

Several years ago Bradshaw invited me to join him on a South Texas coyote hunt.

For reasons I’ll explain in a bit, I didn’t harm any coyotes, but I sure got an education from a master varmint hunter.

My schooling started over supper the night before our hunt.

Indians admired coyotes for their cleverness, Bradshaw began, but once people of European descent had settled Texas, ranchers and sheep men saw coyotes as a predator needing extinction. These days, biologists understand that coyotes have

their rightful role in the grand scheme of things, but most ranchers still think the best place for a coyote is hanging on a barbed wire fence.

Given his line of work, Bradshaw understood that better than most that everything in nature is connected. But he also saw first-hand the impact coyotes have on game animals.

“They will eat one out of two fawns, quail eggs, turkey eggs…just about anything except another coyote,” Bradshaw explained.

In addition to doing his bit for conservation, Bradshaw viewed coyotes as more than worthy adversaries. Hunting them is not easy, so beating a coyote at his own game is great sport.

Though a hunter will occasionally get an unexpected shot at a temporarily careless howler, the primary way to hunt coyotes is to call them in. That’s done by using a mouth or recorded call that imitates the sound of a distressed rabbit. To a coyote that amounts to a dinner bell.

But there’s more to it than that.

- The scientific name for coyote is Canis latrans, which means barking dog in Latin. The name coyote comes from the Aztec word coyotl.

- Coyote parents may supply live mice to their pups for hunting practice.

- When coyotes are about two years old, they select a mate and stay with that mate for life.

- Coyotes communicate in a variety of ways including barking, growling and howling, and often howl in chorus.

- When hunting, coyotes sometimes pursue prey in relays, enabling packs to run down animals that could escape a single coyote. The list of prey able to escape a coyote is short - this is due to the fact that these animals can run in bursts as fast as 40 miles per hour and they also can jump over a 8' fence. These animals can also travel up to 400 miles at a stretch, stopping only occasionally to howl for news.

Eddie Ruiz 956-648-8467 Owner / Taxidermist

Exotic Game N. American Game

5115 S. US 281 Suite H Edinburg Tx. 78539

Salt and Fresh Water Fish Fiberglass and Skin Mounts

“Fast Turnaround Time”

As Bradshaw explained, the first consideration is location. Pick a high spot (admittedly something of a challenge in South Texas); make sure you have your back against something (as in turkey hunting) and sit facing the wind.

Camouflage is mandatory, and what you wear needs to have been washed in unscented soap. The same goes for you. A coyote’s ability to sniff and hear, along with its general intelligence, are its primary defenses.

Coyotes do most of their predation at night, but in the winter, pickings are slim and they are more likely to be out and about during the day. Bradshaw preferred cool, cloudy days.

That describes the day we went out.

Bradshaw picked a spot for me, then set up 20 or 30 yards behind me. My .308 balanced on one of Bradshaw’s homemade

shooting sticks, I sat ready for action as my size 2X host began making like a fourpound jackrabbit in dire circumstances.

And then, having made one awful loud squeal followed by two or three lesser and more plaintiff cries, he went quiet as if the troubled rabbit he had been pretending to be had breathed its last.

My instructions had been to sit as still as I possibly could and look for the slightest movement.

Within 15 or 20 minutes, I spotted a coyote cautiously making his way in our direction. I waited as long as I could stand it and then tried to line up on him. Unfortunately for me but great for him, he proved way quicker than me and vanished back into the brush before I could even think about pulling the trigger.

Calling again in the same area is useless, so we walked back to Bradshaw’s

pickup and moved to a new location for the second stand of the day.

Once we got settled in the same sort of configuration as before, Bradshaw began sounding like another unlucky mule-eared hare. I never saw the coyote approaching, but Bradshaw did. The first clue I had that an opportunistic “brush wolf” had dropped by for a snack was the crack of Bradshaw’s .223.

Far quicker than me, Bradshaw had demonstrated that a human still stands at the top of the food chain – providing he’s learned how to outsmart a coyote.

(Editor’s note: Not long after retiring from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Bradshaw passed away unexpectedly on a fishing trip out of Port Mansfield.)

Far quicker than me, Bradshaw had demonstrated that a human still stands at the top of the food chain – providing he’s learned how to outsmart a coyote.

16

Four guys take the new HuntVe Switchback for a major test.

By the excitement you would think it was four kids in a candy store.

17

tikitillmanphotos.com

HUB: a center around which other things revolve or from which they radiate; a focus of activity, authority, commerce, transportation, etc...

Pharr’s HubPhest to be bigger, better and tastier than ever tikitillmanphotos.com

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For more information on HubPhest http://events.pharr-tx.gov/events/2015-pharr-hub-phestival/

A

s seen by definition, the hub is, among other things, the center of attraction. That being said, there’s no place that makes more sense than Pharr to run a festival celebrating the importance of being that center.

After all, that’s where the City of Pharr is located.

This year’s HubPhest, presented by the City of Pharr and Boggus Ford, will take place April 10-11, at the Pharr Fair Grounds. There will be the Heart of America Carnival, a food court, a farmer’s market, plenty of entertainment and, of course, the annual country cookoff.

“HubPhest started in 2005 as a celebration of Pharr’s unique position at Expressway 83 and Highway 281,” said Gary Rodriguez, Pharr Public Information Officer.

“It began as a community event to serve and recognize contributions that the City of Pharr has made to the Rio Grande Valley through history, back when agriculture was a big part of the RGV economy.”

A decade later and HubPhest is one of the most anticipated events in the Rio Grande Valley. Of course, a 2009 appearance by then-Texas First Lady Anita Perry didn’t hurt the event’s reputation in any way.

“That essentially solidified the value of HubPhest,” Rodriguez said. “Our elected officials have become more active in their vision and planning, to make it bigger and better – but still free to the public – as a way to provide quality entertainment without having to go to other cities to find it.

Country star Dustin Lynch is a main entertainment attraction. Heralded as the heir to George Strait’s throne, according to dustinlynchmusic.com. Lynch “combines his traditional influences with an edgy intensity that places him at the vanguard of today’s contemporary country scene.”

Lynch’s self-titled debut album his No. 1

on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.

The lead single on that album “Cowboys and Angels” exceeded platinum status. His most recent No. 1 is entitled “Where It’s At,” coming from his sophomore album.

HubPhest also has Easton Corbin, Costello and norteno sensations Los Tigres del Norte, among others, scheduled for the two-day festival.

“We want to, and have been able to, bring in high-quality entertainment that people from all over want to hear,” Rodriguez said. “We even had a lady from Chicago fly down here to listen to the Los Lonely Boys.”

The annual cookoff (see story on grand champion Arnie Segovia on next page) has grown into one of the most competitive across the state. What once had about 15 competitors now carries more than 100 teams vying for “Best Of” in several categories – beef brisket, pork spare ribs, fajitas, chicken and frijoles. The cookoff is an International Barbeque Cookers Association sanctioned event. The IBCA is an

association that seeks to develop competitive barbeque cooking internationally.

Rodriguez said that planning is critical to running a festival as large as HubPhest.

Unlike other festivals that may hire outside companies to run the event or consult, he said several departments from the city get together to take care of their specific areas.

“This gives us an added feeling of buy-in,” Rodriguez said. “We have certain benchmarks too - that nobody gets sick, hurt or lost. To us that’s a huge measurement for the success of an event. If you have 100,000 people attend but lose a 4-year-old you certainly have failed.

“One of the biggest accomplishments in 10 years of doing this is managing to satisfy all the criteria. We’re proud of that. We overplan and anticipate every contingency.

“This gives us a chance to be a good host, to hone our skills and to seek out other people’s needs,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a lot of work, but nobody dreads this event - we all look forward to it.”

Segovia prepared to defend cookoff crown Barbequing (also known as grilling or cooking out) is a weekend hobby in most of the United States - only for a few months out of the year in many places.

In Texas – and especially the Rio Grande Valley – it's something that has seeped into every native's bloodstream and, undoubtedly, is part of their DNA makeup.

For Arnie Segovia and his Smokin' Lonestar team a barbeque a day is just, well, a normal day. Arnie, his wife Terry and their team will be defending their Grand Champion title this year at HubPhest, April 10-11 at the Pharr Fair Grounds.

“It's just what I like to do,” Arnie said. “I grew up around grilling and its what our families do all weekend. We used to take turns barbequing for lunch at work. It's kind of a hobby. Some like to golf, some like to hunt, some like to fish – and we like to cook.

“And in cooking, if you win, it pays handsomely.”

Arnie knows that first-hand, having competed in about 200 cookoffs all around the state of Texas. His team has won just about everywhere (chicken is their winningest recipe), including a best-of-the best in Texas in a Cooking Shootout in Houston.

But Arnie and his team have had a knack for competition since their first time out. It came in 1998 in Houston at Bobby's on the Bayou. Their goal was simple – have fun and get a feel for what it would take to be competitive.

They ended up as the reserve grand champions.

“We got lucky,” Arnie said. “We were going their for fun. It's like they say, the

harder you work, the luckier you get.”

After that, the competition fever was at an all-time high and Arnie found himself on the road about once a month for the next six years – rain or shine, freezing cold or blistering hot conditions.

“There wasn't much going on in the Valley at the time,” Arnie said. “We would go to Dallas and Fort Worth, wherever we could do.”

The Segovias took a break from the competition for a few years as their children went through the teen years. But in 2011 they were back on the barbequing road. In the past two years they have competed in 55 events. Arnie said that's the key to being good – practice and work hard at home and compete as often as possible.

“You have to know what the people enjoy and the only way to do that is to get out there,” he said.

Segovia said the team generally keeps the same recipe at the competitions, tweaking the flavors based on the region and what the people their like. In the Valley, it includes more salt. In Central Texas it’s more sweetness.

Segovia gave a special thanks for Medina Real Estate in Weslaco, Ellis, Koeneke and Ramirez Law Firm in McAllen, Borderland Ace Harware in Weslaco and Dr. Hammond Vision Center in McAllen as his sponsors.

He also thanked Balde Garcis and ProPit in Edinburg for his pit.

“Winning HubPhest is one of our proudest wins,” Arnie said. “Having that grand champion division is great and we’re excited to go back and defend that.

2015 HUBPHEST ENTERTAINMENT (not all acts shows)

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APOGEE

5

T

1:40

2:05

5

T

FULL MOON

12:21

12:46

2:47

6

F

1:03

1:28

7

S

1:46

2:11

8

S

2:29

2:54

9

M

3:12

3:37

10

T

3:58

4:23

11 W 12 T

4:45

5:10

5:35

6:00

APOGEE

11:24

DAY

6

F

7

S

3:05

3:30

8

S

3:47

4:12

9

M

4:30

4:55

10

T

5:14

5:39

11 W

6:01

6:26

12

T

13

F

14

S

15

S

2:22

LAST QUARTER VALENTINE’S DAY

16 M 17 T

MARDI GRAS

18 W

NEW MOON

19 T

PERIGEE

20

F

6:50

7:15

7:42

8:07

8:37

9:02

9:34

9:59

10:33

10:58

11:32

11:57 12:30

12:55

1:27

1:52

2:23

21

S

2:48

3:18

22

S

3:43

4:12

23 M

4:37

5:05

5:30

5:58

6:23

24 T 25 W

FIRST QUARTER

11:38 12:03

CLOCK SPRINGS FORWARD

13

F

14

S

15

S

9:17

9:43

16 M 17 T

10:14

10:39

18 W 19 T

LAST QUARTER

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

6:27

6:52

7:21

7:46

11:11

11:36 12:08

PERIGEE

12:33

1:04

20

F

NEW MOON/SPRING BEGINS

1:29

2:00

21

S

EQUINOX

2:25

2:56

22

3:51

S

3:21

23 M 24 T

4:16

4:47

5:12

5:41

25 W 26 T

6:06

6:35

6:51

7:00

7:27

7:52

8:17

26 T

7:16

7:42

27

F

27

F

8:07

8:32

28

S

28

S

8:57

9:21

29

BEST

FIRST QUARTER

8:42

9:05

S

9:30

9:51

30 M 31 T

10:16

10:36

11:01

11:19

BEST MORNINGS OR AFTERNOONS

BEST MORNINGS OR AFTERNOONS

Visit us online: www.osoteloskincancer.com

Visit us online: www.osoteloskincancer.com

WHAT ARE LUNAR TRANSIT TIMES? Hunters, fishermen and farmers since ancient times have known of a certain relationship between the moon and nature.

They knew that at certain times of the day the world of the animal kingdom came alive with activity. This knowledge had been passed on from generation to generation and used for their basic needs: planting, hunting and fishing.

Today we have come to understand the scientific basis for the moon’s biological effect on all wildlife and marine life. Very simply, it is peak gravitation of the moon that stimulates animal activity.

That’s why deer, cattle and marine life feed at the same time of the day or night.

This gravitational stimulus is at its greatest when the moon is directly overhead or on the opposite side of the Earth. A law of physics states that for every pull there is an equal and opposite push. In other words, as the Earth rotates on its axis, any location on Earth will each day pass under two peak gravitational forces occurring 12 ½ hours apart. These peak forces coincide with lunar transit times.

The following lunar transit times coincide with high tide and increased game and fish activity. Just like at high tide, animal activity increases, peaks, then decreases around transit times. This “window” of activity usually lasts 2-4 hours. What this all means is that the best hunting and fishing occurs when gravitation is greatest at transit times of the moon.

From Dr. Oscar Sotelo’s Lunar Transit Times, 20th edition

22

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Texas, Padre Island

February 2015

N 26° 04.1' / W 97° 09.4' Date

Day

1

Su

426pm

High Tide 1.2

High Tide

714am

-0.6

Sunrise

Sunset

Moonrise

Moonset

713am

612pm

432pm

519am

2

Mo

453pm

1.2

757am

-0.5

3

Tu

514pm

1.1

836am

-0.4

1002pm

0.9

712am

613pm

524pm

604am

712am

613pm

615pm

4

We

1230am

1.0

531pm

1.1

911am

-0.2

1016pm

645am

0.9

711am

614pm

706pm

723am

5

Th

133am

1.0

540pm

1.0

943am

-0.1

6

Fr

233am

0.9

544pm

1.0

1013am

0.1

1036pm

0.8

711am

615pm

757pm

800am

1102pm

0.7

710am

615pm

847pm

7

Sa

335am

0.9

544pm

0.9

1040am

0.2

835am

1134pm

0.6

710am

616pm

937pm

8

Su

446am

0.8

543pm

0.9

1107am

0.4

910am

709am

617pm

1027pm

9

Mo

615am

0.7

541pm

0.9

1213am

0.4

1135am

944am

0.5

708am

618pm

1119pm

1020am

10

Tu

819am

0.7

537pm

0.9

1258am

0.2

1205pm

11

We

527pm

0.9

148am

0.1

0.6

708am

618pm

707am

619pm

1212am

12

Th

110pm

1.0

243am

1139am

-0.1

706am

620pm

106am

13

Fr

145pm

1.2

1223pm

339am

-0.3

706am

620pm

201am

112pm

14

Sa

220pm

15

Su

254pm

1.3

435am

-0.5

705am

621pm

258am

207pm

1.3

531am

-0.6

704am

622pm

354am

16

Mo

306pm

325pm

1.3

626am

-0.6

703am

622pm

449am

17

409pm

Tu

351pm

1.3

720am

-0.6

837pm

1.0

703am

623pm

542am

515pm

18

We

412pm

1.1

813am

-0.5

856pm

0.8

702am

624pm

633am

622pm

19

Th

122am

1.1

427pm

1.0

905am

-0.4

928pm

0.6

701am

624pm

721am

729pm

20

Fr

248am

1.1

438pm

0.9

956am

-0.1

1009pm

0.3

700am

625pm

807am

834pm

21

Sa

413am

1.0

447pm

0.8

1047am

0.1

1058pm

0.1

659am

625pm

852am

939pm

22

Su

544am

1.0

453pm

0.8

1138am

0.4

1152pm

-0.1

659am

626pm

937am

1042pm

23

Mo

727am

1.0

458pm

0.9

1232pm

0.7

658am

627pm

1023am

1142pm

24

Tu

929am

1.0

458pm

1.0

1252am

-0.3

137pm

0.9

657am

627pm

1110am

25

We

1136am

1.1

156am

-0.4

656am

628pm

1158am

1241am

26

Th

102pm

1.2

303am

-0.4

655am

628pm

1247pm

136am

27

Fr

153pm

1.3

410am

-0.4

654am

629pm

138pm

228am

28

Sa

230pm

1.3

512am

-0.3

653am

629pm

229pm

317am

1150pm

1.1

Low Tide

Low Tide

©2015 FreeTideTables.com - For comparison only - Times are local - Tides in feet from MLLW

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Phase

Full

1058am 3rd

New

1st

Texas, Padre Island

March 2015

N 26° 04.1' / W 97° 09.4' Date

Day

1

Su

259pm

High Tide 1.2

High Tide

2

Mo

323pm

1.2

3

Tu

341pm

1.1

4

We

1246am

1.1

353pm

5

Th

144am

1.1

6

Fr

237am

7

Sa

8

Su

9

Low Tide

Low Tide

Sunrise

Sunset

Moonrise

Moonset

652am

630pm

320pm

402am

1.0

651am

631pm

411pm

444am

0.9

650am

631pm

502pm

523am

841pm

0.8

649am

632pm

553pm

601am

0.2

902pm

0.7

648am

632pm

643pm

636am

934am

0.4

925pm

0.6

647am

633pm

733pm

711am

0.9

1005am

0.5

952pm

0.5

646am

633pm

823pm

746am

0.9

1136am

0.6

1124pm

0.3

745am

734pm

1014pm

921am

450pm

0.9

1211pm

0.7

744am

734pm

1106pm

958am

1.0

441pm

0.9

1202am

0.2

1256pm

0.8

743am

735pm

1159pm

1038am

931am

1.1

413pm

1.0

1247am

0.1

212pm

0.9

742am

735pm

1124am

1.2

140am

0.0

741am

736pm

1253am

1206pm

1246pm

1.3

241am

-0.1

740am

736pm

148am

1257pm

Sa

139pm

1.4

347am

-0.2

739am

737pm

242am

152pm

15

Su

218pm

1.4

456am

-0.2

738am

737pm

336am

251pm

16

Mo

249pm

1.4

603am

-0.2

737am

738pm

428am

354pm

17

Tu

313pm

1.3

708am

-0.2

817pm

1.0

736am

738pm

518am

458pm

18

We

1229am

1.2

330pm

1.2

810am

-0.1

837pm

0.8

735am

739pm

607am

604pm

19

Th

201am

1.2

342pm

1.0

909am

0.1

908pm

0.5

734am

739pm

654am

710pm

20

Fr

322am

1.3

351pm

0.9

1006am

0.3

947pm

0.2

733am

740pm

740am

816pm

21

Sa

440am

1.3

358pm

0.9

1102am

0.5

1031pm

0.0

732am

740pm

826am

922pm

22

Su

559am

1.3

402pm

0.9

1159am

0.7

1120pm

-0.2

731am

741pm

913am

1025pm

23

Mo

721am

1.3

402pm

1.0

101pm

0.9

730am

741pm

1000am

1127pm

24

Tu

851am

1.3

1212am

-0.3

728am

742pm

1050am

25

We

1027am

1.4

109am

-0.3

727am

742pm

1140am

1226am

26

Th

1153am

1.4

210am

-0.2

726am

743pm

1232pm

121am

27

Fr

1257pm

1.4

317am

-0.1

725am

743pm

124pm

212am

28

Sa

141pm

1.4

427am

0.0

724am

744pm

216pm

300am

29

Su

213pm

1.4

536am

0.2

804pm

1.0

723am

744pm

307pm

343am

30

Mo

236pm

1.3

640am

0.3

802pm

1.0

722am

744pm

358pm

423am

31

Tu

1219am

1.2

737am

0.4

816pm

0.9

721am

745pm

448pm

501am

609am

-0.2

700am

-0.1

809pm

745am

0.0

823pm

1.1

826am

0.1

359pm

1.0

902am

1.1

400pm

0.9

329am

1.1

358pm

525am

1.0

455pm

Mo

630am

1.0

10

Tu

750am

11

We

12

Th

13

Fr

14

1137pm

1028pm 252pm

1.1

1.1 1.3

©2015 FreeTideTables.com - For comparison only - Times are local - Tides in feet from MLLW

Phase

Full

1120am 3rd

New

1st

SEND US YOUR PHOTOS Email them to: henry.texassportsman@gmail.com and you may see them in an upcoming edition of Texas Sportsman Magazine!

26

SEND US YOUR PHOTOS Email them to: henry.texassportsman@gmail.com and you may see them in an upcoming edition of Texas Sportsman Magazine!

9 PORT MANSFIELD PAVILION

SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2015

ENTRY FEE: AMATEUR DIV. $200, GUIDE DIV. $400

Families, Amateurs and Pros Welcome Full-time Guide -- 20+ years experience

BODE’SBayFishing Capt. Walter Bode (956) 832-3761

Port Isabel / South Padre Island, Texas www.bodesbayfishing.com 28

Arroyo City, an El Camino and

THE PROMISED LAND

BY BRENT JOHNSON

M

y first memories of going to Arroyo City were riding in my uncle’s El Camino with the window cracked just barely so as to suck out the cloud of cigarette smoke that never really seemed to go anywhere except the cab of that car-truck.

We lived in McAllen, which is about an hour or so away, but seemed longer to a kid in a smoke filled El Camino. I always got excited when I saw the big silos of Port Harlingen coming around the bend, I knew adventure was close at hand. Then over the Rio Hondo bridge I’d look out at the mighty Arroyo Colorado and its sea creatures below. We’d always take the straight away on the way in, but always take the long way with its curves and whoop-dwhoop canal banks on the way home. My uncle Doss used to put the hammer down going over those canal banks and it felt like my stomach was in my throat when we went airborne.

It was always fun around ol’ Doss. He had a fish camp on the Arroyo, and he and aunt Nancy took me fishin’ many a time. If my aunt wasn’t there, his burly kid-hazing buddies that talked boastful smack of who was the better angler were there. Some of these guys made their own tackle. You had to be tough around this lot, no sissies to be seen! One day I was hammering the hard heads until my uncle came down and said “better be careful with those catfish son!”

Wouldn’t you know he jinxed me right away as I was taking one off the hook. Right away I felt the searing pain of salt venom going into my thumb. But a little monkey blood later and I was back to fishing on the boat with the big boys.

Back then we threw live shrimp under a popping cork, and sometimes on the bottom with a weight. We didn’t have the shallow running boats you see today. We had a beast of a boat known as the Queen Mary. She was a 21-foot Boston Whaler that needed 15 inches to get up on a plane.

Caught many a fish off her bow. Lunches on the boat usually consisted of Vienna sausages with mustard and crackers and sometimes a can of sardines. I wasn’t kidding about hazing, I think the food was part of it. It’s funny how I love that stuff today though. How things have changed.

Nowadays I throw mostly artificial. I think partly because I’m too impatient to keep hooking bait, but also because I’m a grinder. I cast non stop all day constantly

30

searching for a sea monster. I can’t help it, it’s in my blood. I will fish from sun up to sun down, and repeat until it’s time to return to the real world. Fishing the Laguna Madre never gets old, and I hope it never does.

February is prime time fishing if you don’t mind cooler temperatures. Fish are fattening up to prepare for the spawn this time of year. It’s not uncommon to catch numbers of large trout with fat bellies. I took a 22-inch trout to the cleaning table and found a 12-inch mullet in its stomach.

This is one of my favorite times of the year to fish.

Corky Fat Boys and Kelly Wigglers are my baits of choice. Slow retrieves, slow wading, and fan casting are smart technique. If bait is present the fish are there. When a big trout bites you will know it because they attack with aggression amplified by the cold. Catch, photo, and release are in order for fish of this caliber. Big trout don’t taste near as good as the little ones do, and they will breed more offspring to keep our fishery strong against increased fishing pressure. Bigger trout need to be handled with care as their mortality rates are more fragile. While photographing the catch it is important to only take the fish out of the water for brief moments concentrating on keeping their gills wet. We have a top five World Class fishery in the Laguna Madre and it needs to

stay that way for future generations.

They say Heaven is where we all want to go when we pass. I sure hope Heaven has an Arroyo City and my uncle is waiting there with an El Camino to take me to the Promise Land. See you on the water my friends.

Photos Courtesy CCA Marine Development Center

PLEASE RELEASE ME, LET ME GO

Marine Center releases more than 250,000 redfish into Laguna Madre

BY CAPT. ALAN STEWART

would introduce oxygen into the water from oxygen cylinders they had on their truck.

This keeps them very lively.

Not only do they do this with redfish, they raise trout as well. Unfortunately, the trout have to stay in the area they are raised.

MostSoofback the trout released in the to herare question about theupper regions of the Texaswould gulf coast. lights. An inverter work great on a Just a reminder. Keep just what you can couple of rope lights on her boat. eat.

When I go out hunting forpontoon reds, it’s not My only recommendation to her is if you the kill, but the thrill of the chase. That’s shutfishing off theshould engine,be don’t lettimes. the lights run how at all Heck, it gives you an to be do calling it again.me for a very long or excuse they may tow.

I could get into U.S. Coast Guard wiring recommendations about inverters, but this is not the place for that. For simply running a small device on a small boat, hook one up either to the cigarette lighter or connect directly to the battery. If you have the two-battery system with gated polarity, then you don’t have to worry about getting your boat started later.

As always, be safe and see you on the water.

See you next time and Know the Rules.

INVERT THIS (talking about inverters) KNOW THE INVERT THIS (talking about

Between May and December you may see a truck or two with some big square tanks on a trailer cruising down Padre Blvd. and heading down one of the dead end BY streets onALAN the west side of the island.

CAPT. STEWART Don’t be alarmed. It is your friendly neighSinceTexas we have been onWildlife the subject borhood Parks and Fish of Hatchery electricalguys. equipment, or at least equipment Outrequires of all the programs T.P.W.D.on that some kind ofthe electricity have, this one is, in my opinion, the best. board whether it be AC (alternating curThis program is to raise redfish popularent) all or DC I would tions over(direct Texascurrent), and release themlike in ato talk systematic about inverters. very way.

Last month, Imost was at one of the bigon Nowadays, things can run releases here in our own backyard. of batteries on board a boat or at leastTwo on 12 the guys working with this program were volts. their thing that they absolutely love doing A friend of mine recently purchased a to do.

This certain day, they released more than 250,000 fries into the Laguna pontoon boatredfish for family outings and wanted Madre.

That around equatessimply to about pounds I more lights for120 ambience. of fish about an inch long. I have never recommended to her together an inverter. seen so many redfish likeI figured that in everyone knew what an inverter was and my life. This seems like a lot, however in a year's theyMy may release upwards of how it time, worked. friend didn’t have a clue. five million in the Laguna Simply put,fries it changes 12 volts Madre. to 120 volts.

This is something they do every so often Well, technically it isn’t that simple. to keep the redfish population abundant.

Years larger yachts, theyfor used to These redsago willonstay in the Laguna have DC-driven motors and to convert theto12v, about six years, mature head out the Gulf to the repopulate. knocked my invertsocks 24v or 32v into What 120v. Today, most off they can live up to 50 years. ersisare solid-state devices that electroniThe reason for the release at these cally steps up and charges 12v to 120v. specific locations is the ecosystem.

While Why don’t wetook haveoxygen this at and our saline house or I was there, they

www.rgvprolighting.com

RULES

BY CAPT. ALAN STEWART

Since we have been on the subject of electrical equipment, or at least equipment that requires some kind of electricity on readings along it with several other tests board whether be AC (alternating curto make certain of current), a successful release. rent) or DC (direct I would like to They even pumped into the tanks some talk about inverters. water from the Laguna to neutralize the Nowadays,along mostwith things run on temperature thecan ph level.

These batteries on board a boat or at least 12 readings are done with a Y.S.I. deviceon called a refractometer, which measures the savolts. lineAand oxygen levels.

Everything is done friend of mine recently purchased a very scientifically. YSI Inc. is a developer pontoon boat for family outings and wanted and manufacturer of sensors, instruments, more lights around simply forplatforms ambience.for I software, and data collection environmental water quality monitoring use this on other things? recommended to her an inverter.

I figured and testing.

Well, the amount of inverter drain youwas have on everyone knew what an and The farms are located in the Corpus youritbattery isn’t worth inverting everyhow worked.

My friend didn’t have a clue.

Christi Sea Center and they have a Rething all theittime.

Your12 battery will drain Simply put, changes volts to 120 volts. search center in Palacios, Texas as well. very quickly.

Inverters on large boats All of these ponds will generate more or than Well, technically it isn’t that simple.

30 million fries year. yachts are used for small appliances liketo Years ago onalarger yachts, they used this trip from one ofor thesmall ponds, a On blender or adown small television have DC-driven motors to convert the 12v, they said they would have to stop several refrigerator.

24v or and the test 32v into 120v. Today, most inverttimes the water.

At times they ers are solid-state devices that electronically steps up and charges 12v to 120v.

Why don’t we have this at our house or

KNOW THE

RULES

Captain Alan Stewart owns and operuse this on other things? ates Stewart Training Center and holds a Well, the amount of drain you have on Master license with the U.S.C.G. Stewart your battery isn’t worth inverting everyTraining Center is located at 39572 Loop thing all the time. Your battery will drain Rd. Bayview, Tx. 78566. very quickly. Inverters on large boats or yachts are used for small appliances like a blender or a small television or small refrigerator.

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Los Cataneros Del Valle Gar and Catfish Date: February 27 - March 1 Time: 3pm Where: Weslaco Contact: Ramiro Mendoza Phone: 956.472.5018 12th Annual Smokin’ on the Rio State Championship Cookoff Date: February 27-28 Time: Register Feb. 26 5-7pm Where: Mercedes Livestock Showgrounds Contact: Linda Mancillas Phone: 956.756.9339 Second Annual Fish 4 Autism Date: April 18 Time: Call for details Where: Arroyo City Contact: Mireya Chavez Phone: 956.212.8181 9th Annual Big Dog Status Date: May 3 Time: 5am Where: Port Mansfield Pavillion Contact: J.R. Rodriguez Phone: 956.357.8944

34

Texas Sportsman Magazine Calendar of Events Texas Sportsman - South Texas Golf Fish and Chips Date: May 30-31 Time: Call for Details Where: Port Isabel – South Padre Island – Tierra Del Sol Contact: Fred Rodriguez Phone: 956.776.4623 City of Pharr Police Athletic League Fishing Tournament Date: June 5-6 Time: Call for details Where: Port Mansfield Contact: Sara Guerra Phone: 956.402.4725 Third Annual Full Pop Invitational Date: June 6-7 Time: 4pm Where: Port Mansfield Pavillion Contact: Frank Enriquez Phone: 956.369.0211

75th Annual Texas International Fishing Tournament Date: July 29 – August 2 Time: Call for details Where: Port Isabel - South Padre Island Contact: Kristi Collier Phone: 956.802.3475

WANT TO HAVE YOUR EVENT/FISHING TOURNAMENT PLACED IN OUR CALENDER OF EVENTS? SEND INFORMATION TO: joey.texassportsman@gmail.com FOR ADVERTISING YOUR EVENT/ TOURNAMENT CALL (956) 6070853.

Save The Date Friday, April 24, 2015 Harlingen Country Club 2ND ANNUAL

BLUE SUNDAY GOLF SCRAMBLE www.bluesundaygolf.com Blue Sunday is a Child Abuse Prevention Initiative founded in Harlingen.

Go to www.bluesunday.org for more information on this ever-important cause

36