Texas Wildlife Extra
E-MAGAZINE OF THE TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION
Back in 1991, TWA partnered with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to create the Texas Big Game Awards (TBGA) program to celebrate our state’s proud hunting heritage, the diverse big game species that call Texas home, and the dedication of our Texas hunters and landowners in making sure we continue to enjoy thriving populations of wildlife. What truly makes TBGA different than other deer contests around the state is that the program was designed, and continues to focus on, habitat; recognizing that great habitat equals healthy wildlife. Thirty-three years later we are proud to continue operating this program with the same guiding principles.
The competitive aspect of TBGA has always been a big draw for hunters and landowners being recognized for the fruits of the habitat management labor through the harvest of exceptional animals qualifying as scored entries in the program. This component of the program continues to go strong and has allowed us to compile a database of over 29,880 scored entries from around the state. Along with that, we continue to recognize new hunters through the first harvest and youth categories. These categories can be an excellent way to reinforce positive first experiences in the field for a youngster (or adult). As a matter of fact, I was fortunate to be able to hand certificates to my daughter (first harvest) and dad (scored entry) at the Bryan banquet this summer. It was a special night for our family and I can assure you that my daughter will never forget the proud feeling she had walking up to the stage to accept her certificate in front of a room full of happy hunters.
To celebrate TWA’s 40th anniversary in 2025, we are going to get back to basics and take our TBGA summer banquet trail back to eight events. This gives TWA members an opportunity to fellowship, recruit new members, fundraise for the organization and get TBGA in front of new people. We are extremely excited about it.
One of the common misconceptions about the TBGA program is that you must have an entry from the previous season to attend the summer banquets. This could not be further from the truth and we intend to make our membership and the public aware that everyone is welcome at these events. Our 2025 banquets will showcase all of our TWA programs and each will have its own regional flare. I’m hopeful many of you will make it a point to attend your local banquet this summer.
As you are planning out your fall hunting calendar, please make the time to vote in the November election. Now more than ever, we need lawmakers that understand the value of our natural resources and the landowners that steward those resources. Election day is Nov. 5 but you can vote early Oct. 21-Nov. 1.
Here’s to a safe and successful hunting season for you and your family. Thanks for being a TWA member!
Texas Wildlife Association MISSION STATEMENT
Serving Texas wildlife and its habitat, while protecting property rights, hunting heritage, and the conservation efforts of those who value and steward wildlife resources.
OFFICERS
Jonathan Letz, President, Comfort
Nyle Maxwell, Vice President, Georgetown
Dr. Louis Harveson, Second Vice President for Programs, Alpine Parley Dixon, Treasurer, Austin For a complete list of TWA Directors, go to www.texas-wildlife.org
PROFESSIONAL STAFF/CONTRACT ASSOCIATES
ADMINISTRATION & OPERATION
Justin Dreibelbis, Chief Executive Officer
TJ Goodpasture, Director of Development & Operations
Becky Alizadeh, Office Manager
OUTREACH & MEMBER SERVICES
Debbie Copeland, Director of Membership
Sean Hoffmann, Director of Communications
Nicole Vonkrosigk, Regional Membership Coordinator
CONSERVATION LEGACY AND HUNTING HERITAGE PROGRAMS
Kassi Scheffer-Geeslin, Director of Youth Education
Andrew Earl, Director of Conservation
Amber Brown, Conservation Education Specialist
Gene Cooper, Conservation Education Specialist
Sarah Hixon Miller, Conservation Education Specialist
Jared Schlottman, Conservation Education Specialist
Kay Bell, Conservation Educator
Taylor Cabler, Conservation Educator
Denise Correll, Conservation Educator
Christine Foley, Conservation Educator
Yvonne Keranen, Conservation Educator
Terri McNutt, Conservation Educator
Jeanette Reames, Conservation Educator
Louise Smyth, Conservation Educator
Jennifer Wade, Conservation Educator
Marla Wolf, Curriculum Specialist
Noelle Brooks, CL Program Assistant
Matthew Hughes, Ph.D. Director of Hunting Heritage
COL(R) Chris Mitchell, Texas Youth Hunting Program Director
Bob Barnette, TYHP Field Operations Coordinator
Taylor Heard, TYHP Field Operations Coordinator
Briana Nicklow, TYHP Field Operations Coordinator
Kim Hodges, TYHP Program Coordinator
Kristin Parma, Hunting Heritage Program Specialist
Jim Wentrcek, Adult Learn to Hunt Program Coordinator
Loryn Calderon, Hunting Heritage Administrative Assistant
TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION
Justin Dreibelbis, Chief Executive Officer
TJ Goodpasture, Director of Development & Operations
Denell Jackson, Development Associate
ADVOCACY
Joey Park, Legislative Program Coordinator
MAGAZINE CORPS
Sean Hoffmann, Managing Editor
Lorie A. Woodward, Special Projects Editor
Publication Printers Corp., Printing, Denver, CO
Texas Wildlife Association
6644 FM 1102
New Braunfels, TX 78132 (210) 826-2904
FAX (210) 826-4933 (800) 839-9453 (TEX-WILD) www.texas-wildlife.org
Texas Wildlife Extra
NOVEMBER 2024 | VOLUME 39 | NUMBER 7
David K. Langford
NOVEMBER
November 20
Wild at Work webinar, Texas Pond Basics: How to Get Started, featuring Dr. Todd Sink and Brittany Chesser with Texas A&M Department of Rangeland, Wildlife & Fisheries Management. Free and online at noon, register at https://bit. ly/TexasPondBasics
DECEMBER
December 16
8th Annual Houston Sporting Clays Tournament & Fundraiser, Greater Houston Sports Club. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/TWAClaysTourney
MAY, 2025
May 8, 2025
Texas Outdoorsman of the Year, Fort Worth Zoo. For information, contact djackson@texaswildlife.org or www.twafoundation.org
JULY, 2025
July 10-13, 2025
WildLife 2025, TWA’s 40th Annual Convention, J.W. Marriott Hill Country Resort & Spa, San Antonio. Mark you calendar, more information to follow!
FOR INFORMATION ON HUNTING SEASONS, call the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at (800) 792-1112, consult the 2023-2024 Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual, or visit the TPWD website at: tpwd.state.tx.us.
Please take a few minutes to complete our membership survey to help us improve your experience as a TWA member. Responses are confidential and upon completion by Dec. 1, 2024, you may enter to win a TWA YETI cooler. Thank you for choosing to be a TWA member! https://bit.ly/TWAmembersurvey We value your feedback!
TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION MEMBER SURVEY
During session 1, QuailMasters students were given softballs and taught how to utilize the Softball Habitat Evaluation Technique for managing bobwhite habitat.
QuailMasters Wrap-up and Hunting Forecast
ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY JARED SCHLOTTMAN, TWA CONSERVATION EDUCATION SPECIALIST
In the early hours of April 22 while most people were just waking to the sound of their alarm clocks, a group of 35 landowners, biologists and students listened intently for the recognizable “bob-white” whistle on the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch. These students of quail were conducting spring cock call counts as part of the yearlong QuailMasters program cohosted by Texas
Wildlife Association and the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation. This program was founded by Dr. Dale Rollins in 2005 to expose participants to the best quail habitat in the state of Texas and make them “masters” of the art and science of quail management. By the time October graduation comes, students will have practiced techniques for monitoring quail on their own properties and seen
...reports out of the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation appear promising across much of the state.
firsthand how habitat is managed around the state. QuailMasters is an intensive program that includes four inperson sessions around the state and expects students to complete homework, design a plant collection, attend virtual sessions, and read a plethora of quail related books, articles and webpages.
Despite the intensity of this workload, one of the first questions we hear from both past and prospective students is “when will it be coming back?” For folks interested in touring historic quail hunting ranches, or learning the principles and practices involved in sculpting quail habitat, or simply brushing up on plant ID and management, you’ll be glad to hear QuailMasters will return in 2026. As always, registration
for this fabled program will be limited and will likely fill up quickly. For those interested in learning more or participating in QuailMasters 2026, email jschlottman@texas-wildlife.org.
QUAIL HUNTING FORECAST
The transition from summer into fall means different things for different people. To some, it means the start of a new school term, to others it signifies the return of football season, and for many, buying a new license indicates that hunting seasons are just around the corner. As an avid bird hunter, I begin to anticipate annual bird hunting forecasts and breeding population results for the upcoming seasons. Many of our huntable bird species spend their spring and summer
QuailMasters Wrap-up and
breeding, which means by August/September, biologists begin to get a pulse on population estimates prior to opening hunting seasons. Roadside surveys are the primary method used by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to estimate quail populations around the state. Rainfall and habitat availability are often some of the leading influences in the fluctuations we see in upland bird populations year-to-year. When preparing for the upcoming quail season, both roadside survey data and yearly rainfall totals can be helpful in estimating individual population response on your property.
A mild winter across much of the Northern half of the state followed by early growing season rains led to increased bobwhite breeding capital and favorable range conditions heading into the breeding season. Despite hot and dry conditions through much of the summer, reports indicate healthy breeding production, especially in the Northern Rolling Plains and Edwards Plateau where numbers sit on par with or above the 15-year mean. Despite lower-thanexpected numbers from some ecoregions according to TPWD roadside surveys, reports out of the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation appear promising across much of the state. Throw in some much-needed late season rainfall to start September and things are shaping up to be a great quail season heading into 2025. To read the full TPWD report, visit Texas Bobwhite Quail Forecast - TPWD. Subscribe to the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation’s e-newsletter to receive Dr. Dale Rollins’ quail hunting forecast: HomeRolling Plains Quail Research Foundation.
Landowner Compensation Program
Securing Fences with an Unsecure Border
The Texas Attorney General is providing relief for property damages stemming from border crimes.
ARTICLE BY ANDREW EARL, TWA DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SOUTH TEXANS’ PROPERTY RIGHTS ASSOCIATION
As a TWA member and Texas landowner, you likely don’t need to be told the outsized toll of our nation’s border crisis on private property across the Lone Star State. This isn’t a new issue but has worsened significantly as illegal border crossings ballooned to over 300,000 monthly in 2024.
You’ve likely heard or experienced stories from friends or family finding gates and fencing destroyed, vehicles stolen, or piles of litter left in the wake of migrants moving north and toward metropolitan areas. Human and drug trafficking, extortion, theft and violence are causing South Texas landowners to forfeit property and personal freedom without justice or due process. Rural essential services are strained, working lands revenues are decreased, and a sense of security on one’s own property is lost.
A strong insurance policy helps compensate for some property losses, but increasingly landowners are forced to stomach the cost of restoring property damages that result from this cross-border crisis.
...increasingly landowners are forced to stomach the cost of restoring property damages that result from this cross-border crisis.
Here’s how it works:
• Landowners have 90 days to file a claim once an incident occurs. Multiple instances of trespassing require multiple applications.
• A police report is required when applying for funds.
• The program is a ‘payor of last resort’ meaning that for a claim to be eligible, it first must be denied for insurance coverage.
• Denied applications can file an appeal within 30 days of the OAG’s decision.
As lawmakers weigh reforms to address the worsening problem on our southern border, they must consider the real and psychological costs on Texas landowners. These are underreported, and not captured in federal estimates of the scope of this national emergency. We encourage the swift adoption of strengthened border security policies that stem this growing humanitarian crisis.
TWA is grateful to state and local law enforcement for their heroic work under current, unfortunate circumstances. Anyone impacted by instances of border-related theft, damage or violence is encouraged to report such cases to local authorities immediately.
More information and applications for compensation under the program are available here.
Fortunately, the 88th Texas Legislative Session brought a degree of relief, providing $20 million to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to make available to landowners who have been denied insurance claims for border-related property damages on agricultural lands. The Landowner Compensation Program launched in May and provides up to $75,000 in recompense for damages to real property that stem from border crimes.
Destruction of gates and fences have become much more commonplace in Texas over the past few years, especially in counties that border the Rio Grande.
Food service has become more important over the last several years as foodie-group cultures have continued to develop, placing more emphasis on what this should look like in a hunting camp. Quality meals and an enjoyable dining atmosphere are difference-makers.
A Key to Business Success Client Retention
ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY GREG SIMONS
It’s been said, “It’s more expensive to replace a customer than it is to keep one.” Indeed, there are many efficiencies to be gained by a business proprietor through the ability to convert existing business into repeat business. Client churn translates into increased demands on marketing dollars, potentially sucking the black from a business’s bottom line. Further, client churn is often symptomatic of problem sources, including problems that can lead to damaging business reputations through clients who are displeased with their experience, and as they say, “A happy client will tell a few of their friends, while an unhappy client will tell all of their friends.” You get the point. So, how do we create strategy for taking existing business and deliberately convert that into future business? How do we up our game, moving the needle from having reasonably good client retention to exceptionally good retention? In service-oriented industries, such as those businesses found in the outdoor recreational industries, these considerations should be central to the operating culture of the business. Let’s take a very condensed look at this proposition.
CUSTOMER SERVICE AND PRODUCT DELIVERY
This one is a no-brainer, correct? Not so fast. I think some proprietors in this space tend to place too much emphasis on the harvest, while underestimating the importance of the array of other features that make up the whole of the hunting experience. Providing products and services that, at a minimum, meet the client’s expectations are the foundation of establishing a clear path for repeat business. So, what determines whether your product or service meets the minimum threshold? Fundamentally, some of this boils down to whether there are other options available to the market that offer equal or better prod-
ucts and services for less pricing. If your competition is offering better value for the dollar, then this will often result in a discerning public who weighs their options along the way, perhaps choosing to move their business elsewhere based on a perceived better buy for their dollar. A good rule of thumb is the adage of “under-promising and over-delivering,” while also making sure that that your marketing platform is not too milquetoast or lacking adequate salesmanship. Bottom line, happy clients are paramount when it comes to retention.
The array of other features, outside of game harvest, that the proprietor should focus on include things should as food service, cleanliness of facilities, friendliness, attention to details, and sound operating structure where the entire support team is marching in step with purpose and focus. These things do not generally happen by accident, so training and developing an operating culture that considers all of these things is central to achieving high performance regarding customer service and product delivery.
BUILD THE RELATIONSHIP
A key to high client retention hinges on relationship building. Developing loyal support from your clients not only allows you to retain their business, but ideally, you are building advocates for your company. Your ideal client is one that effectively serves as an outside salesman without being on the payroll. As I tell our support team, we want our clients to feel as though they are cheating on us if they do business with a competitor.
Relationship building with clients should be considered a process. Follow-up communication, thank you notes and birthday cards are great tools for cultivating these relationships. We send out photos to many of our clients and have also
Customer service is often launched at the administrative level with office staff who serve as a voice and point of guidance before, after and even during the hunt.
found that most of our clients enjoy seeing their photos built into our media tools. In the hunting and fishing business, harvest photos and catch photos are incredibly important to hunters and fisherman. They enjoy using photos to reflect on the adventure and they like sharing these images with their friends and family. From a retention standpoint, photos, thank you cards and occasional phone calls help build relationships and create ambassadors for your business. And remember, the most prized possession that we have is our name, so remember their name and address them by their name. The little things matter.
OFFER PRODUCT/SERVICE OPTIONS
A great way to retain existing business is by offering choices and variety. Through our hunting business, Wildlife Systems, Inc., we have a multitude of options for our existing clients to consider when they are planning their next trip. For the client who recently hunted whitetails with us, perhaps they are not interested in another whitetail hunt, so offering elk, mule deer, pronghorn, turkey and other hunting options allow us to potentially keep them in our circle, as opposed to them looking into possibilities with a competitor. Once your client uses the services of a competitor, there is a risk that they will develop a relationship with them, and it potentially short-circuits your ability to retain that business in the future. Product packaging is a way to take similar products and create different looks and different experiences, as a means of creating options. This is sometimes referred to as repurposing. Networking and outsourcing through other third-parties can also be a way to develop a broader menu for your existing client base, but you run the risk of the thirdparty not respecting their business relationship with you and effectively “stealing” your client.
MAKING LEMONADE
Perhaps some of the most loyal clients are those that either had a bad experience with your company or are simply
difficult clients to appease. All industries have these “tough customers.” Unhappy clients and tough customers present an interesting and sometimes challenging dilemma. Human nature is to want to wash your hands clean from such people. However, when a service-provider goes the extra mile and salvages these matters, especially with unhappy clients, this “twist of fate” can create a magical outcome. Many people, on occasion, have an innate desire to want to be coddled or “put up with” and it’s sometimes these same people that have a deep appreciation for someone who either went the extra mile or perhaps simply heard them out and ultimately “made things right” for them. This strategy for making lemons into lemonade is often a matter of using the F word when it makes sense. In this instance, F is for flexibility. A willingness to adapt to unpleasant challenges can often result in great outcomes. Simple things such as saying, “I’m sorry,” often cost you nothing, other than suppressing your pride. Providing concessions to earn an unhappy client’s confidence may be an alternative that has short-term financial costs, while yielding long-term gains. Be creative toward treating these difficult situations as an opportunity and over time your service culture will likely find that lemonade stands have a place in your business strategies.
THE FREE THROW
And last, but not least, be nice. Yep, it’s that easy. Be nice! Be kind! Humans being humans, the simple idea that people tend to reciprocate in a favorable way when they are treated nice, should be considered Business Service 101. So, be nice! You’ll likely see that this is a “gimme” when it comes to advancing the ball down the field regarding client retention.
The author, Greg Simons, co-owns multiple natural resource related businesses, including a company that specializes in the development of wildlife enterprises and wildlife management programs on private lands. For further information on that company, check out www.wildlifesystems.com
Understanding how to cater to young hunters is a huge step in capturing appreciation from parents and helps nurture strong relationships with family groups.
NRCS Texas Announces 2025 Sign-up Dates
Environmental Quality Incentives Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Texas announced fiscal year (FY) 2025 financial assistance opportunities for agricultural producers and landowners through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). While NRCS accepts conservation program applications year-round, producers and landowners should apply by Nov. 8, 2024, to be considered for FY 2025 funding.
Additionally, NRCS Texas will use the ACT NOW process for some EQIP funding pools. Through ACT NOW, NRCS can immediately approve and obligate a ranked application when an eligible application meets or exceeds a determined minimum ranking score.
EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers and forest landowners to address natural resource concerns. NRCS works one-on-one with producers to develop a conservation plan that outlines conservation practices and activities to help solve onfarm resource issues. Producers implement practices and activities in their conservation plan that can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil, and better wildlife habitat, all while improving their agricultural operations.
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)-EQIP will offer core conservation practices that directly improve soil carbon, reduce nitrogen losses, or that reduce, capture, avoid, or sequester carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrous oxide emissions, associated with agricultural production.
EQIP-Conservation Incentive Contracts (CIC) expands resource benefits for Texas producers through incentive conservation practices such as wildlife management, cover crops, nutrient management, conservation crop rotations, and prescribed grazing. Additionally, EQIP-CIC allows producers to target priority resource concerns on their property by offering incentive payments for a five-year contract without needing to enroll the entire operation into the program. EQIPCIC is designed to be a stepping-stone between EQIP and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), to help producers improve their level of conservation and earn benefits of longer-term conservation enhancements.
Landowners can also choose to apply for financial assistance to get help installing the conservation practices outlined in their voluntary conservation plan through any one of the programs mentioned above. Through Farm Bill programs, NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to help producers and landowners make conservation improvements on their land that benefit natural resources, build resiliency, and contribute to the nation’s broader effort to combat the impacts of climate change.
APPLYING FOR ASSISTANCE
Interested producers should submit applications to their local NRCS office by Nov. 8, 2024, to be considered for the 2025 ranking funding period. Visit the NRCS Texas Website for more details about EQIP or other technical and financial
assistance available through NRCS conservation programs or contact your local USDA Service Center.
HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED PRODUCER BENEFITS
Special provisions are also available for historically underserved producers. For EQIP, historically underserved producers are eligible for advance payments to help offset costs related to purchasing materials or contracting services up front. In addition, historically underserved producers can receive higher EQIP payment rates (up to 90% of average cost). NRCS sets aside EQIP, CSP and ACEP funds for historically underserved producers.
CONSERVATION PRACTICES AND CLIMATE
NRCS conservation programs play a critical role in USDA’s commitment to partnering with farmers, ranchers, forest landowners and local communities to deliver climate solutions that strengthen agricultural operations and rural America. States may prioritize a variety of voluntary conservation practices through these NRCS programs, including those that support climate-smart agriculture and forestry (CSAF).
Additional information is available on the NRCS Texas Website at www.nrcs.usda.gov/Texas or by contacting your local USDA Service Center.
Basketball sized clumps of little bluestem at rates of 500-750 clumps per acre.
Little Bluestem
ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY RICKY LINEX
Regardless of the type of game you are after this fall, you are very likely to walk through patches of a tall, reddish bunchgrass called little bluestem. Little bluestem is found in every vegetational region of our great state. Several years ago, I was walking with Rhett Johnson, retired Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCA) state range conservationist, on a ranch in Hood
County. Rhett parted the lower branches of an ashe juniper and said, “Look at those seedlings of little bluestem that can grow even under the shade of this juniper.” While the seedlings had only three or four leaves, if the juniper was removed, they would be the first grasses to become established. Natives like little bluestem are resilient, even immortal.
Above: Little bluestem seedlings surviving under dense shade of junipers.
Right: This pasture would warm the heart of every quail hunter lucky enough to follow bird dogs through the little bluestem cover.
This perennial tufted bunchgrass grows on stems 2 to 4 feet tall, occasionally to 6 feet. The color changes throughout the year with striking blue-green leaves and stems during early summer, gradually turning reddishbrown by late fall and through the winter. Leaf blades are flat and erect, six to 10 inches long and 1/8- to ¼-inch wide. Sheaths are mostly basal, strongly keeled or flattened, and may be hairy or smooth. All stems are flattened and may show purplish color when young. The slender spike-like seedheads are found in the upper half of the stem. Little bluestem reproduces by seeds, tillers, and short rhizomes, but fertile seeds of little bluestem are not produced yearly. Little bluestem is considered one of the highly desirable “big four” tall grasses along with switchgrass, Indiangrass and big bluestem. Little bluestem can produce from 1,500 to 4,000 pounds of dry forage per acre.
It has medium grazing value for livestock with highest protein levels of 8 to 9 percent occurring in June, with values decreasing throughout the growing season and dropping to a mid-winter protein level of 2.5 to 3 percent. The most productive grazing value occurs from March to July when plants are actively growing. Winter grazing can be productive if protein and mineral supplements are provided. Historically, little bluestem often made up 30 to 40 percent of the grass composition in climax range condition. Now, some pastures may approach a monoculture of little bluestem. This change in composition is due to grazing pressure and stocking rate over the past 150 years. Little bluestem is of little forage value for wildlife, although it provides excellent cover for ground-nesting birds and ideal fawning cover for deer.
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When describing adequate nesting cover for bobwhite quail a good rule is to have basketball-sized clumps of bunchgrasses scattered across the land at a minimum of 250-300 clumps per acre. Visualize 300 basketballs spaced across a football field, roughly equivalent in size to an acre, and you can see the difficulty a predator would have in finding a quail’s nest. If there were only 10 basketballs, or grass clumps, per acre the odds are now in the predator’s favor of finding the nest.
Rotational grazing and proper stocking rate will assist in getting proper grazing use of this grass. Little bluestem is weakened by continuous grazing when more than half of the total production is removed. Shredding of native range grasses is equivalent to heavy overgrazing and should be avoided at all cost. This desirable grass can be found on most soil types if the site is well-drained. It grows in open prairies, rocky outcrops and can remain a minor component of the plant composition even in heavy juniper dominated pastures. Little bluestem responds very favorably to prescribed burning. Seed is commercially available and should be included in most range seeding mixes. Contact your local NRCS, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, AgriLife Extension Service office or seed dealer for the cultivar of little bluestem best suited for your region of the state.
A Year of Progress and Pride Reflecting on 2024
ARTICLE BY DENELL JACKSON, TWAF DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE
As 2024 comes to a close, the Texas Wildlife Association Foundation (TWAF) proudly reflects on a year of remarkable achievements in wildlife conservation and education. Each December, we marvel at the passage of time and the progress made together in securing the future of Texas’ wild places. We hope you feel immense satisfaction in TWAF’s impact this year and eagerly anticipate exciting developments in 2025.
IGNITING CURIOSITY:
OUR CONSERVATION MISSION
The TWAF mission gives our donors a path to support Texas wildlife conservation and education programs through
funding. These programs, led by TWA, directly benefit local and state communities. In 2024, through the continued support of our generous donors and partners, the Foundation continued funding TWA’s Conservation Legacy Youth programs. These include Discovery Trunks, Wildlife by Design Classroom Presentations, Critter Connections Magazine, and Land, Water, and Wildlife Expeditions--all of which ignite curiosity about wildlife science and conservation in young minds. We also launched a new education initiative that expanded Conservation Legacy programs to the San Angelo region. Your support of this initiative paved the way for TWA to hire a dedicated conservation educator who will serve the Concho Valley.
PHOTO BY JONATHAN VAIL
No shortage of family and friends were on hand to congratulate Blair Fitzsimons (front row, third from right) for earning the 2024 Texas Outdoorsman of the Year Award from the Texas Wildlife Association Foundation.
On the adult education side, our Conservation Legacy Adult Education programs received increased funding to grow our Landowner Workshops and online resources. These tools help equip Texans who are new to land stewardship with critical skills to effectively conserve and manage their property and natural resources.
TWA’s Hunting Heritage programs are integral to preserve our cherished Texas traditions and way of life and continue to grow thanks to TWAF donors and supporters. In 2023 alone, your support gave 1,126 youth the opportunity to hunt on Texas lands, provided conservation education to 384,053 youth and adults and facilitated first-time hunts for nearly 125 adult hunters.
2024 FUNDRAISING HIGHLIGHTS: STRENGTHENING OUR LEGACY
TWAF’s annual fundraisers are essential to this financial support. The James Green Wildlife and Conservation Initiative in Fort Worth and the 2024 Texas Outdoorsman of the Year (TOOTY) ceremony honoring Blair Fitzsimons in San Antonio raised significant funds for our Conservation Legacy and Hunting Heritage programs. During the TWA WildLife 2024 Annual Convention, we hosted a special luncheon to honor Larry Weishuhn for his lifetime achievements in con-
TWAF honored the Virgil James Powell families at the San Angelo Area Conservationist of the Year Gala held on Aug. 15 at San Angelo’s Bentwood Country Club.
Greg Simons, TWAF board member, explains the significance of the new San Angelo Conservation Education Initiative during the San Angelo Conservationist of the Year Gala held Aug. 15.
At the WildLife 2024 Annual Convention, TWAF hosted a luncheon where Larry Weishuhn was presented with a lifetime achievement award for his conservation and stewardship efforts.
PHOTO BY DAVID SMITH
The annual James Green fundraiser benefitting TWAF was held Oct. 10 in Ft. Worth.
PHOTO BY JONATHAN VAIL
PHOTO BY JONATHAN
Past recipients of the TWAF Texas Outdoorsman of the Year Award and Joseph Fitzsimons congratulate Blair Fitzsimons on her special night.
TWAF President Emeritus Steve C. Lewis shares an historical perspective of the Texas Outdoorsman of the Year Award at the San Antonio Country Club.
servation. Another key event was the San Angelo Area Conservationist of the Year Gala, which exceeded fundraising goals to expand conservation education into a new region. Thanks to attendees and donors at these events, fundraising goals for 2024 were exceeded.
A TEAM EFFORT: GRANTS THAT POWER OUR MISSION
While fundraising events are crucial to our success, we rely heavily on the support of grant partners to keep our mission viable. In 2024, TWAF submitted grant requests to our valued partners, whose contributions are essential. We are deeply grateful for the support of our generous grantors, including the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Horizon Foundation, Shikar Safari Foundation, DSC Foundation, NRA Foundation, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Weatherby Foundation, SCI San Angelo Chapter, East Foundation, Rotary Club of Corpus Christi, Elma Dill Spencer Foundation, Carter’s Country, Hamman Foundation and the G.R. White Trust. These partners, along with many others, play a critical role in ensuring the success of our conservation and education efforts across the state.
MAKE AN IMPACT: YEAR-END GIVING OPPORTUNITIES
As the year winds down and the holiday season approaches—when we traditionally embrace the spirit of giving—we are reminded of how much organizations like TWAF rely on the generosity of our supporters. Our annual end of year fundraising campaign will be underway soon and your donations directly impact Texas wildlife and the people who cherish it. Check with your tax advisor about how contributions made by Dec. 31 can serve as a tax benefit for 2024.
We have made it easier than ever to contribute through a variety of convenient methods. You can support TWAF by making donations online or by mail. Donating online is fast, secure and easy. Simply visit our website, www. twafoundation.org, navigate to the Giving page and follow the steps to make a one-time or recurring contribution. If you prefer to send your donation by mail, please send your donation to: Texas Wildlife Association Foundation 6644 FM 1102
New Braunfels, TX 78132
Dinner, an auction and live music from The Wilder Blue was on tap at the James Green Wildlife and Conservation Initiative event in Ft. Worth.
From left, Scott and Julie Kleberg, TWAF President Alan Curry and Sherri Curry showed their support at the James Green fundraiser on Oct. 10.
BY
In addition to direct donations, there are two often overlooked ways to give—IRA distributions and stock donations. If you’re 70 ½ or older, you may be able to make a taxfree gift to TWAF directly from your IRA. This method, known as a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), allows you to donate each year without counting the distribution as taxable income.
Another powerful way to give is through stock donations. If you hold stocks that have appreciated in value, you may be able to donate these shares to TWAF and avoid the capital gains taxes that you would incur if you sold them. For stock donations, please reach out to Denell Jackson at djackson@texas-wildlife.org to guide you through the process.
These alternative ways of giving are not only tax-savvy but also a meaningful way to contribute to Texas wildlife conservation and the future of the programs that benefit our state. Please confer with your tax advisor about which, if any, of these techniques work best for you and your situation.
TOGETHER FOR TEXAS: LET’S PROTECT WHAT WE LOVE
Thank you to our generous donors, 2024 brought tremendous progress. As we ring in the new year, your support is appreciated more than ever to continue safeguarding Texas wildlife, promoting conservation and preserving our cherished traditions. Whether through a donation, IRA distribution or stock contribution, your help ensures that Texans learn the importance of our natural resources and the valuable role landowners play as stewards. Join us in protecting Texas’ beauty and heritage for future generations.
PHOTO
JONATHAN VAIL
Carter Smith, Richard Hill and Dan Allen Hughes presented Blair Fitzsimons with the 2024 Texas Outdoorsman of the Year Award.
TWA 8th Annual Houston Sporting Clays TOURNAMENT & FUNDRAISER
72 Sporting Clays Targets Team Carts Ammunition Swag Catered Lunch & Beverages
December 16, 2024 9:00 am Registration Two-Person Flurry Raffle/Auction Opens
JOIN US for us for a day of shooting, fellowship, fundraising, food and more for TWA’s 8th Annual Houston Sporting Clays Tournament and Fundraiser. Experienced and novice shooters alike are encouraged to attend. Your participation helps sustain critical, direct support of the Texas Wildlife Association & TWA Foundation’s mission by providing a strong voice and education for Texas hunters, landowners, and conservationists.
Food and beverages will be provided to shooters and paid attendees.
Alcoholic beverages will be available to non-shooters and shooters once their shooting day has concluded.
WHAT TO BRING
Your Favorite Shotgun Ear & Eye Protection (Required)
ADDITIONAL GAMES
MULLIGANS:
6 Maximum Per Shooter @ $10/Mulligan Mulligans To Be Sold At Registration Two-Person Flurry Game: $40
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
10:00 am Safety Briefing & Instructions Shoot Begins 12:00 pm Two-Person Flurry Lunch & Drinks 1:00 pm Awards & Raffle Drawings 2:00 pm Conclusion of Event
The Season of the Painted Leaves
ARTICLE BY LARRY WEISHUHN
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LARRY WEISHUHN OUTDOORS
The time of yellow, red and brown leaves is upon us. For those of us who love the outdoors and hunting, it’s our time of the year. I’ll bet that you-like me--strongly believe that “my health is always better in November.” It is amazing how falling leaves, like fresh snow, coupled with crisp northerly breezes makes us yearn to spend time in a deer blind, stalk the woods and hills, or
grab a set of rattling horns and head to the brush. Truly, the influence of the Hunter’s Moon is upon us.
As daylight decreases, white-tailed and mule deer also change. Hormone levels increase, ultimately reaching annual highs. As a result, the rut is underway or about to begin across most of Texas. Just a few short weeks ago bucks were best buddies while in bachelor herds. Now, they barely
tolerate each other and fights are bound to occur, especially if does are in the area.
After bachelor herds disband, some bucks travel considerable distances to chase local does for weeks. Ultimately, most return to their home territory where they’ll spend the rest of the year. Other bucks are constantly on the move in search of receptive does while some remain close to home with only the occasional road trip. Like humans, each white-tailed deer exhibit unique behavior. No two are the same.
Scrapes, where bucks and occasionally does leave their calling cards, are visited day and night during the rut. Tarsal glands are tuft of longer hair on the deer’s hocks. These glands and the hocks will be darkly stained throughout the breeding season.
Years ago on a 20,000-acre South Texas ranch, a certain buck sported a unique white blaze on his left shoulder. From late winter through early fall, that buck would hang out inside the
come to me. Some charge in, wild-eyed and drooling. Others are cautious, wary and tend to slip in. Older bucks are often slow to respond.
I have set up where I could watch someone else rattling and have witnessed mature bucks approach from downwind and stand just out of sight of the hunter for 10 or more minutes before committing or walking away unseen. For this reason, after my last rattling sequence I will stay put for at least 20 to 30 minutes before moving on. If hunting with a partner, I will occasionally have him or her sit in an elevated deer blind so that they can see beyond what I can see on the ground.
Rattle where you can see bucks approaching. I usually set up with my field of vision focused primarily down wind and to my left and right. Ideally, senderos or shooting lanes will quarter left and right of downwind. Bucks responding to rattling horns will nearly always end up downwind because their livelihood depends so heavily on their
front gate. With the approach of the first full moon of November, called the Hunter’s Moon, the buck moved over 12 miles to the far corner of the ranch where he proceed to spend the winter chasing does. Come middle February, he returned to his home ground near the front gate. I watched that buck follow this pattern for five years. Conversely, I have encountered other bucks that never moved out of their 100 acre home base where they spent their entire lives.
One thing I enjoy most about November is that white-tailed bucks tend to respond to the sound of rattling horns. I dearly love rattling and having bucks
sense of smell. Even if they come in directly upwind they will always circle downwind so their nose can confirm the source of the sounds.
While I don’t often use deer scents, I will use a dominant buck sent while rattling. If someone in camp has taken a buck with stinky tarsal glands, I remove them and take them into the field when rattling. Those smelly tarsals and dominant buck scent help convince curious bucks that two are indeed fighting upwind.
Shooting rattled-in bucks is usually a quick and close range proposition. This is one of the reasons I use Stealth Vision’s 3-18x44 variable scopes. I can
crank them down to 3 power for a wide field of view and quick target acquisition. My rifle choices when rattling include the Mossberg Patriot chambered in 7mm PRC or a .450 Bushmaster, loaded with appropriate Hornady ammo. I’m convinced that these combinations like November as well!
Restoration of Native Vegetation in Areas Invaded by Lehmann Lovegrass
ARTICLE BY ANDRES SOLORIO-PULIDO, CARLOS E. GONZALEZ, JUSTIN T. FRENCH, LOUIS A. HARVESON, and J. SILVERIO AVILA-SANCHEZ
The Chihuahuan Desert region, which encompasses the Trans-Pecos, is one of North America’s largest and most biologically diverse ecoregions. The TransPecos supports a host of native plants and wildlife, with 268 native grasses and 447 woody plant species. However, human activities such as livestock overgrazing, fire suppression, and environmental factors like drought, have significantly altered the vegetation and wildlife of the area. The introduction of non-native species such as Lehmann lovegrass as a tool for erosion control and forage production for the cattle industry has further transformed the region, often leading to the dominance of invasive species over native plants and negatively impacting livestock and local wildlife. In particular, such changes in vegetation impact
species like scaled quail in the Trans-Pecos, which relies on diverse native vegetation for cover, food and nesting. Invasive plant species have a high capacity to spread and create monocultures, ultimately outcompeting native species and reducing biodiversity. These species are often more resistant to drought, fire and pests, making them highly adaptable to new environments. Non-native species such as Lehmann lovegrass have become widespread, covering millions of hectares in the American Southwest and disrupting native grassland ecosystems. Their fastgrowing, highly competitive nature leaves little room for native species to thrive, often reducing the availability of critical resources for wildlife that depend on a diverse habitat for survival.
Students collected data in the field to assess vegetation response, comparing native species to the invasive Lehmann lovegrass. They utilized 200 plots, each containing three transects, to measure plant cover and diversity as part of restoration efforts.
Our study investigated the best practices for controlling Lehmann lovegrass and restoring native vegetation in the Trans-Pecos. We focused on the effects of different treatments, including soil disturbance, seeding with native grasses and forbs (Figure 1), and a combination of both. Our study area occurred on 200 plots at Nine Point Mesa Ranch in Brewster County, Texas.
COMMON NAME (SCIENTIFIC NAME)
1 Plains bristlegrass (Setaria vulpiseta)
2 Sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus)
3 Green sprangletop "Van Horn" (Leptochloa dubia)
4 Sideoats grama “Brewster” (Bouteloua curtipendula)
5 Blue grama "Hachita" (Bouteloua gracilis)
6 Whiplash pappusgrass (Pappophorum vaginatum)
7 Native sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
8 Upright prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera)
9 Engelmann daisy "El Dorado" (Engelmannia peristenia)
10 Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella)
Figure 1. - List of native grasses and forbs used for the restoration efforts in combating Lehmann lovegrass.
Results indicate that biodiversity improves with the seeding of locally adapted native species and combined seeding-soil disturbance treatments. However, despite early success in recovering native vegetation, Lehmann lovegrass can quickly recover, especially in areas where it has already established dominance. Therefore, there is a need for strategic selection of restoration sites, such as areas with deeper soils and natural depressions where water accumulates during rains, which can help maximize the establishment of native species. Seed mixes must be selected from locally adapted resources for their suitability to the harsh and unique conditions of the region, prioritizing species that can compete with aggressive invaders like Lehmann lovegrass. Additionally, precipitation, particularly the timing and amount, poses a significant challenge to seeding operations in the Trans-Pecos, often
resulting in unpredictable outcomes for restoration efforts. All this, alongside grazing pressure from livestock and wildlife, must be factored in to promote the resilience and long-term establishment of native plant communities. Enhancing native plant abundance might require multiple treatments and a long-term commitment to monitoring and managing invasive species. Understanding invasive species dynamics and natural succession processes is crucial for determining the best approaches to restoration and making informed decisions that support native plant and wildlife conservation. Moreover, adaptive management is needed to account for the varied environmental conditions across the Chihuahuan Desert. Success is subjective, and may depend on adjusting management practices based on local microclimates, soil conditions, and historical disturbances, and developing long-term strategies to ensure the success of restoration efforts over time. Employing a combination of techniques, such as prescribed fire, mechanical removal, or selective herbicide applications, in conjunction with native seeding, may improve restoration outcomes in these challenging environments.
CENTER
A visible line of seeded native vegetation shows a positive restoration response, even in the presence of invasive Lehmann lovegrass. This demonstrates the potential success of restoration practices in rehabilitating native ecosystems.
Bartush Ranch
Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Programs
Safeguarding millions in water, flood prevention and ag productivity
ARTICLE BY BRITTANY WEGNER
This fall, the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute released the 2024 evaluation report for the Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program (TFRLCP) that includes key findings to support the program’s efforts to help safeguard the public benefits derived from working lands.
The report found that the program yields a 23-to-1 return where $23 worth of land value is protected for every $1 of
program investment. Findings from the study found that properties protected under the program have the potential to amount to:
• $590 million in ecosystem services over 20 years
• $22.6 million annually in coastal and inland flood prevention
• $16.4 million annually in water replacement savings
• $4.1 million annually in agricultural commodities
PHOTO BY MARY DEL OLMO
“Texas encompasses some of the most diverse and ecologically rich landscapes in the U.S.,” said NRI’s director, Dr. Roel Lopez. “These private farms, ranches and forestlands are under increasing land conversion pressure every day. Providing a mechanism to protect these open spaces and working lands is why this program exists.”
CUMULATIVE VALUE
Over 80 percent of the state is designated as privately owned working lands that supply food, fiber, water, recreation and overall healthier environments. Some of these derived benefits are easily quantified in economic terms— agricultural production, for example—but other values like clean water, wildlife habitat and flood control generally lack formal market structures that describe their value in terms of public funding. By conducting this assessment, we can better understand the program’s strength to protect our state’s future well-being.
Public benefits derived from working lands come from naturally occurring functions and products the environment provides, often termed ecosystem services. These include agriculture commodities, water storage and management, and recreation, but extend to many other essential services and products. It is important to consider the collective value ecosystem services provide on a continual basis to best
benefits our state.
SUPPORTING RURAL ECONOMICS
Texas depends on healthy and abundant natural resources to enhance quality of life for its residents as well as support the state’s job market, revenue and ability to meet consumer demand for natural products and recreation.
Working lands are significant contributors to our state’s economy, with a reported economic impact of $186.1 billion annually to the food and fiber sector and employment that makes up 14 percent of the state’s workforce. In recent years, the Texas food supply chain has been challenged due to the culmination of extreme weather events, the COVID-19 pandemic and even cyberattacks. These factors have disrupted food availability across Texas, further highlighting the importance of having in-state supplies of crop and animal products to ensure food security.
Rural land data indicates land fragmentation and conversion to non-agricultural uses are increasing at alarming rates. Texas Land Trends (2024) estimates that we have lost over 2 million acres of working lands in the last two decades and are currently losing more than 373,000 acres a year. Once lost to development, these lands will no longer produce food, fiber or the same level of environmental
Krause Ranch
assess how financial investment into land conservation
PHOTO BY ADRIAN VAN DELLEN
benefit as before. According to the analysis, the TFRLCP properties have the potential to contribute $4.1 million annually in agricultural commodities, such as food and fiber.
FOSTERING VITAL RESOURCES
Conserving water resources and preparing for future water demand is critical in assuring state prosperity and quality of life for all residents and natural systems alike. Undeveloped lands act as natural filters to clean water and direct it into our aquifers, reservoirs, streams and rivers.
Water is a fundamental resource, and some of the most challenging issues in our state involve water development, management and distribution. We are faced with meeting the needs of a growing population and industries, in addition to protecting the wellbeing of our distinct flora and fauna. Between water basins and aquifers, our state annually relies on about 17.7 million acre-feet of water these systems produce. Texas currently needs an estimated $80 billion in water management strategies to avoid potential water shortages by 2070. The state’s countless miles of rivers and streams also provide habitat for over 255 species of fish plus endemic aquatic species only found in Texas.
Inland and coastal flooding in Texas is a severe, recurring issue exacerbated by extreme weather events, rapid urbanization and inadequate land infrastructure, leading to significant environmental, economic and social impacts.
Notably, Hurricane Harvey in 2017 resulted in unprecedented flooding, causing around $125 billion in damages, displacing thousands of residents and leading to widespread environmental contamination.
Conservation of undeveloped, permeable lands helps to mitigate surface water declines and events of water excess by capturing rainfall, reducing runoff and increasing groundwater recharge. TFRLCP properties have the potential to capture significantly more water than developed lands, which could yield substantial water values and savings. We estimated these properties could annually support the water needs of 182,000 households, save $16.4 million in water replacement costs and provide $22.6 million in coastal and inland flood prevention.
Working lands remain central to the economic prosperity of the state, quality of life for Texans and health of local environments, yet we are currently losing about 1,000 acres a day to non-agricultural uses. State-led efforts to finance working lands conservation are timely, as investments made today will yield exponentially greater economic benefits than a similar investment would yield years from now due to the ever-increasing value of rural lands in the state.
Population growth is expected to increase by more than 73 percent (from 29.7 million to 51.5 million residents) between 2020 and 2070, with areas around urban centers and major highways likely to experience the bulk of
Santa Anna Ranch
PHOTO BY WYMAN MEINZER
associated residential and commercial development. The demand for land in these areas will greatly influence the market value of rural real estate, making it increasingly more difficult for first-time landowners to start new working land operations, or for existing ones to expand. This issue is amplified by an aging landowner population, as the majority (68 percent) are nearing or at retirement age and will soon be transferring or selling their property to new owners. The culmination of these pressures creates an uncertain future for the state’s rural landscape, drawing special concerns for our ability to ensure food availability and other essential products and services provided by these lands.
For these reasons, the program’s mission to protect working lands from fragmentation and development is imperative. This program provides Texans with a tool to proactively maintain and enhance high-impact agricultural and ecological productivity derived from these lands. Continued support for the program would result in the conservation of more farm, ranch and forestlands that provide food, water and other essential benefits for all Texans. Read
2024 evaluation report on NRI’s website here:
Sycamore tree, Yellow Bluff Canyon PHOTO
HARRIS PEAK RANCH
POSSUM KINGDOM
You Win Some, But Mostly You Lose
ARTICLE BY JON BRAUCHLE
Being a game warden is easy sometimes. The stars align and, magically, you discover the motorist you stopped to assist on a dark and stormy night is really the pick-up man for a guy who just killed a trophy buck inside the fence line of El Rancho Costa Plenty. The best part about it all is that the guy who shot the deer is, with blood on his hands, in the passenger seat, and the 160-class Boone and Crockett head of the carcass that was left in the brush is in the trunk of the car.
Obviously, it doesn’t always work out that way. I was once told by a friend, fellow game warden and one of my mentors, the late Mike Fain, that we only catch the outlaw deer hunters who are unlucky, or dumb. In fact, when Mike caught someone in a similar situation to the one described above, he would often come right out and ask, “Are you unlucky or just dumb?”
It’s a valid question; one I turned around a bit and often asked of myself. Why am I not catching any outlaw deer
hunters? For self-esteem purposes, I always told myself I was unlucky.
Heck, I once had a doozy of a deer case laid right out in front me. All I had to do was put in the time. An informant told me that there was a guy in Port Mansfield shooting deer out of his yard with a crossbow in the wee hours of the morning. If you haven’t been to Mansfield, just know that there are trophy-class yard deer running willy-nilly all over town at all hours of the day and night. To top it all off, the suspect was an outlaw hunter very high on the area game wardens’ “dudes we’d really like to catch” list, so I was all in.
Maybe a little too far in.
I knew the folks who had a vacation home next door to my suspect, so I got their permission to use their house as a surveillance point. Each night for about a week, I’d go in plain clothes in my personal vehicle, park at another house down the street, and by cover of darkness, walk over and enter the home.
I never turned on a light inside that house. It was kind of like that last scene in Silence of the Lambs only with deer and no night vision. Unfortunately, the only room with a view of the suspect’s suspected killing area was the bathroom, and the only place to sit was the toilet. So, there I sat until almost sunrise for five consecutive nights.
The corn would already be on the ground outside his kitchen window by the time I got set up. Each night--usually about four or five times--I’d see him flip on an outside light and watch whatever deer were there for a while before turning the light back off and, presumably, going back to sleep. Every time he flipped that switch and lit up one of the more impressive Mansfield yard deer, I’d get a shot of adrenaline, but my potential poacher never shot a thing.
You know, things kind of get in your head and mess with you when you sit on the can that long and nothing happens. I got to thinking he knew I was there and was just jacking with me. Maybe that was so. On the fifth morning, I tucked tail and went home.
But my “if it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all” tale from the toilet is just one of thousands of game wardens’ stories about surefire count-them-chickens-before-theyhatch cases that didn’t go as planned. Retired Game Warden Jim Lindeman recalls a night--not long after he transferred from Kenedy County to Lampasas County in 1996--in which he, too, had it all laid out in front of him.
Everything was set up just like Jim had dreamed about before he had put in his transfer letter. You see, Jim had tired of tracking poachers through miles of sand and sackaweesti grass on the big ranches along the South Texas coast only to
You Win Some, But Mostly
find the place the poacher had stopped to pee and smoke a cigarette before hopping the fence and making his getaway via his pick-up man. He was ready to go sit up high on a hill and watch and wait until the poachers came to him. All he would need was a little live bait on the road, and there was always plenty of that in Lampasas County.
The moonlight was almost as bright as daylight. Driving around, he saw what game wardens would consider a classic road hunting buck: a ten point somewhere in the 115-120 B&C range. As luck would have it, he had a key to a nearby gate, so he shut off his lights and headed for a hiding spot behind it.
He found the perfect place. From inside the comfy confines of his patrol truck perched high on a hill, he could see the deer on the roadway below. Time to watch and wait. This was going to be too easy.
There wasn’t a lot of traffic. About every hour-and-ahalf or so, he’d see vehicle lights in the distance that would meander their way to his location but not so much as slow down when they got near that buck.
Hours went by. It was getting late--or early, rather. Jim watched until the buck tired of eating and just laid down by the side of the road. Even better. Like a squirrel running in front of a dog on a walk in the park, the situation was such that no self-respecting road-hunting hill country redneck could pass it up. It was bigger than them.
Just as Jim’s head began to bob around 3:00 a.m., headlights appeared on yon horizon, and they were headed his way. As the vehicle, a truck, neared the deer, the driver hit the brakes and slowed down. This had to be the one. The truck went on up the road a ways and stopped. As he watched through binoculars, Jim began to narrate in his head what he knew was happening inside the truck.
“OK… they stopped, they’re getting out the gun and they’re gonna turn around and come back. Time to get ready.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of what could become a problem.
“$#1+!! – more lights!”
Headlights appeared from the same direction the truck had come from, and they too, were headed toward the deer. It didn’t take long for Jim to realize this new vehicle was a semi-truck. Meanwhile, the first truck had turned around and was slowly headed back.
“They’re waiting for the semi to go by…”
Jim swung his binoculars toward the buck. It was still bedded down. He stayed glued to it as the semi neared.
Long Term Hunters Wanted!
• Rancho Rio Grande - Del Rio, TX
MLD 3, $15.50/ac, Hwy 277 Frontage, water, electric.
– 26,000 ac, will divide into 11,300 ac & 14,700 ac
ο Axis, Whitetail, Duck & Quail
ο Some Improvements
ο Live Water: Rio Grande River, Sycamore, San Felipe & Zorro Creeks
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SMACK! The buck sprung up and leapt right in front of the semi. Jim not only saw it all; he heard the impact. The driver never slowed down. When the potential poachers drove by moments later, there wasn’t much of that buck left for them to look at, so they turned back around and went on their way. Jim tucked tail and went home.
And so it goes in continuing cat-and-mouse saga of game wardens and poachers. Sometimes you get pats on the back and maybe kudos from the Executive Director in the next Parks and Wildlife newsletter, but most of the time you tuck tail and go home. But game wardens are, for the most part, an optimistic bunch. Oh sure, some might use the word obsessive instead of optimistic, but either way, you can bet that no matter the outcome, game wardens will keep at it. Even though they know. You win some, but mostly you lose.
200 yards…… 100….. 50…. 20... 10.. “NOOOOOO!”
