September 16, 2015
www.FreestoneCountyTimes.com
| 1-B
THE
BUCKS
--Hunting Guide
Hunting, Fishing Licenses TPWD Reminds Hunters to Renew Licenses, Certifications Sportsmen gearing up for the upcoming fall hunting seasons are reminded to renew their licenses for 2015-16, available now. The current year Texas hunting and fishing licenses (except year-to-date fishing licenses) will expire Aug. 31. Every year, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department issues about 2.5 million hunting and fishing licenses through the agency’s 28 field offices, more than 50 state parks and at over 1,700 retailers across the state. Licenses may also be purchased online through the TPWD website at www.tpwd. texas.gov/buy or by phone at 1-800-895-4248. Call center hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please note that here is a required $5 administrative fee for each phone or online transaction but multiple items can be purchased during a single transaction occasion for the $5 fee. The online transaction system is available 24/7. For online and phone orders, a physical license will be mailed within three business days. During that time period, a transaction receipt will be provided via email that will be sufficient proof of hunting license that can be used for dove hunting, though it will not be allowed for the take of fish or wildlife that require a tag. Hunting and fishing regulations for the new season can be found in the 2015-2016 Outdoor Annual, available in booklet form at license retailers and digitally online at www.outdoorannual. com. Hunters and anglers can also download the free 20152016 Outdoor Annual mobile app on their Apple or Android devices. Mandatory Hunter Education Certification In addition to a hunting license, anyone born after Sept. 1, 1971, must successfully complete a hunter education training course or purchase a one-time deferral good for one license year in order to hunt legally in Texas. The certification is valid for life and is honored in all other states and provinces. Last year, TPWD certified a record 72,000 hunter education students, yet Texas game wardens still issued more than 3,400 citations and warnings last fall for hunters not meeting hunter education certification requirements.
Getting certified has never been more convenient. Hunters who need hunter education certification have several expanded contemporary options including a streamlined, oneday basic course and an option for anyone 17 years of age or older to take the hunting safety training completely online. A combination online home study and 4 to 5 hour skills field day course is also offered. More information on hunter education certification is available online at www. tpwd.texas.gov/huntered . Bird Hunting Requirements A Migratory Game Bird endorsement and Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification are also required to hunt dove or teal in September. HIP certification involves a brief survey of previous year’s migratory bird hunting success and is conducted at the time licenses are purchased. Duck hunters also need to purchase a Federal Duck Stamp. The cost of the duck stamp was increased this year to $25, plus applicable state and federal fees. There are other mandatory endorsements to consider at the time of license purchase. An Upland Game Bird Stamp ($7) is required to hunt all
non-migratory game birds, including turkey, quail, pheasant and chachalaca. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine’s Hunting Forecast The Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine’s free digital hunting issue is available now. This special issue includes the 2015-2016 hunting forecast for deer, dove, ducks and more. Wild game recipes and other tips are also included. It can be downloaded as a free app on iPad or iPhone or viewed as a digital version online at www.tpwmagazine. com/hunt/. Big Time Texas Hunts Big Time Texas Hunts provide opportunities to win one or more of nine premium guided hunt packages with food and lodging provided, as well as taxidermy in some cases. The crown jewel of the program is the Texas Grand Slam hunt package, which includes four separate hunts for Texas’ most prized big game animals -- the desert bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, mule deer and pronghorn. New this year is the Ultimate Mule Deer Hunt, where one winner will be the first to hunt on the recently acquired Yoakum Dunes WMA. There are several quality whitetail hunt packages available, as well as opportunities to pursue
TEAGUE
TACTICAL SUPPLY
Hunting Supplies! Ammunition in Stock! LAW ENFORCEMENT GEAR • UNIFORMS • DUTY BELTS • GUNS • FLASH LIGHTS • T-SHIRTS • BOOTS • CAPS
Monday thru Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
839 W. HWY 84, TEAGUE, TX
254-739-2551
COME SEE THE NEW
Kawasaki, Husqvarna, STIHL & YETI Coolers Dealer
304 S. May St., Madisonville, Texas (936) 348-9190 / (936) 348-9218 Toll Free (866) 617-6853 www.MadisonvilleKawasaki.com Follow us on Facebook!
alligator, waterfowl, upland game birds, wild hog and exotics. Big Time Texas Hunts entries are available online for just $9 each at www.tpwd. texas.gov/buyentry, or for $10 each at license retailers or by phone. There is no limit to the number of entries an individual may purchase and all proceeds benefit conservation, wildlife management and public hunting. Deadline for entry is October 15. The program is made possible with support from Toyota, Texas Trophy Hunters Association and the Texas Bighorn Society. More details on all nine premium hunts can be found online. Lifetime Licenses Hunters and anglers can also take care of their licensing requirements for life with the purchase of a $1,800 Lifetime Super Combo, or they can enter for the chance to win a lifetime license through the department’s Lifetime License Drawing. Entries for the drawing cost $5 each and may be purchased at license retailers, by phone or online at www.tpwd.texas.gov/ licensedraw .There is no limit on the number of entries that may be purchased. Winners will be drawn on Dec. 30, 2015 and June 30, 2016. If you enter by Dec. 27, 2015, you will be eligible for both drawings.
Download the Offical App of Texas Smart mobile phone users are invited to use the Official App of Texas hunting and fishing, available for download on the AppStore for iPhones or Google play for Android phones. Whether afield or afloat, easily access Texas hunting and fishing regulations by using Texas Parks & Wildlife’s Outdoor Annual app. Once downloaded, the app may be used even without internet service. In the field or in a blind. --Find hunting season dates and bag limits for your county --See seasons and bag limits for all game animals --Review means and methods restrictions --Find public hunting lands --Apply for drawn hunts for mule deer, bighorn and other game --Read the latest hunting news from TPWD* On the water or on the shores. --See statewide bag and length limits --Find exceptions to statewide limits by water body --Find places to fish nearby --See tips for identifying bass and catfish --View weekly fishing reports* --Read the latest fishing news from TPWD* Licenses, stamps and permits. --See types of licenses, permits and stamps available --Find license retailers near you --Purchase licenses* *Some features require internet access.
y t i l a u Q e r e Wh Costs Less!
UNIVERSAL TRACTOR FLUID
VANCE BROS. AUTO SUPPLY 601 W. Lacy, Palestine a 903-729-5111 Monday - Friday 7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. & Saturday 7 a.m. - Noon
2-B | www.FreestoneCountyTimes.com
September 16, 2015
C&C WILD GAME PROCESSING “Old Fashion Smoke House”
COUNTRY STYLE SMOKED LINKS - JERKY BREAKFAST STYLE (MILD, MEDIUM, OR HOT) SUMMER SAUSAGE (REGULAR OR JALAPENO & CHEESE) GUTTING & SKINNING AVAILABLE
7 Days A Week 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Good Luck Deer Hunters!
Hunting --Eastern turkey season is closed in 11 counties and on national forest lands in Jasper County. --Eastern turkeys now reported electronically. --Mandatory harvest reporting will no longer be required in Wharton and Matagorda Counties during the 30-day spring turkey season, which opens there April 1. --Youth-only late turkey season is expanded by 12 days in counties having a fall Rio Grande turkey season, to run 14 days concurrently with late youth-only white-tailed deer season.
Open Thanksgiving Day!
426 Highway 287 South, Elkhart 903-764-1159 903-724-1185 903-724-5414
New FREESTONE COUNTY Regulations GAME MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION ANNUAL Announced Freshwater Fishing --In Braunig and Calaveras reservoirs, minimum length limit for largemouth bass is lowered to 14 inches. Daily bag limit remains at five. --On O.H. Ivie Reservoir, smallmouth bass minimum length limit is lowered to 14 inches. Daily bag limit is increased to five. --On Lake Nasworthy, largemouth bass length limit changes to prohibit harvest of bass 14–18 inches long (14– 18-inch slot). Daily bag limit remains at five. --On Falcon Lake, alligator gar daily bag limit is increased to five per day. --On Lake Texoma, in addition to the prohibition on the “take” of alligator gar during May from Lake Texoma from the U.S. 377 bridge (Willis Bridge) up-stream to the I-35 bridge, no person “shall fish for or seek to take” alligator gar in that area.
“Call us if you’ll be late, and we’ll wait!”
BANQUET
October 3, 2015 at the VFW Hall in Fairfield Business Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Doors Open for Banquet at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets $25 Children 10 & Under - FREE Includes meal, annual membership, drawing for 3 different guns, 10 & under youth gun raffle, 11-17 youth gun raffle, and other items. (Must be present to win.)
For more information, please contact: John Hill 903-391-9996 Tom Bonner 903-388-2087 Tracy Thompson 903-879-2793
Remember Hunter Education
Before Heading to the Field AUSTIN -- With hunting season right around the corner, it’s time to get your hunter education certification. To hunt legally in Texas, anyone born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, must complete a hunter education training course or purchase a onetime ‘deferral’, good for one license year. Because the minimum age of certification is 9 years old, hunters under the age of 9 must be accompanied by a licensed hunter in the field. Hunters ages 9 through 16 must either complete hunter education courses or be accompanied while in the field. Deferral purchasers must also be ‘accompanied’ which means to be within normal voice control of a licensed hunter 17 years of age or older who has completed hunter education or who was born before Sept. 2, 1971. Hunters 17 and up must complete hunter education courses. To hunt legally in Texas, anyone born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, must complete a hunter education training course or purchase a onetime ‘deferral’, good for one license year. Because the minimum age of certification is 9 years old, hunters under the age of 9
must be accompanied by a licensed hunter in the field. Hunters ages 9 through 16 must either complete hunter education courses or be accompanied while in the field. Deferral purchasers must also be ‘accompanied’ which means to be within normal voice control of a licensed hunter 17 years of age or older who has completed hunter education or who was born before Sept. 2, 1971. Hunters 17 and up must complete hunter education courses. To make this process easier than ever, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department now offers the option of completing training courses completely online for Texas residents 17 years and older. However, TPWD also offers three other convenient methods of getting certified: the basic, enhanced and advanced courses, which involve classroom and/or field time. The basic hunter education course is designed for novice and young hunters ages 9 and above and requires six hours of classroom instruction. The enhanced hunter education course is a combination of an online home study program and up to five hours of field
IGHT, IT’S YOUR R , YOUR DUTY F RSEL TO ARM YOU
training. The advanced hunter education course requires more than six hours of instruction and includes more content than the basic and enhanced courses. Each of the courses costs $15, and the passing grade for all courses is 75 percent. Since mandatory hunter education first started in 1988, the number of hunting accidents and fatalities has declined to fewer than 3 per 100,000 hunters. Incidents involving those who had completed hunter education courses are only in the single digits each year. To help improve hunter safety, choose from one of the many flexible options to get your hunter education certification now. For more information and to register for hunter education programs, visit http://www. tpwd.texas.gov/outdoorlearning/hunter-education. The certification is valid for life and is honored in all other states and provinces. Some federally controlled areas require all hunters using that site to have hunter education certification. In Texas, this includes Corps of Engineers property and most military reservations. Check with the specific area prior to going hunting.
Good Selection of New & Used Guns In Stock
BUY - SELL - TRADE - LAYAWAY On-Site Shooting Range 1 mile East of Teague, off Hwy. 84, PR 612
September 16, 2015
www.FreestoneCountyTimes.com
Fisherman’s Point
Avoiding Ticks is the Best Way to Prevent Diseases They Carry
Marina & Resort 50 Acres of Fun, Food & Fishing
ard We look forw to seeing you!
903-389-5218
| 3-B
LIGHTHOUSE CAFE HOURS Monday----------------------------------Closed Tuesday - Thursday----------11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Friday------------------------11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Saturday-----------------------8 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday--------------------------8 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Warm days and sunny skies draw many people outdoors this time of year. The same environment also brings out the insects, many of which carry diseases. “It’s tick time in Texas,” said Glenna Teltow, a medical entomologist with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). “Ticks often are found in the same spots people like to visit – wooded, brushy and grassy areas.” "A bite from an infected tick can cause illnesses such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia and human ehrlichiosis. With prompt medical attention, these illnesses almost always can be successfully treated with antibiotics. But if people do not recognize the symptoms and seek treatment, the illnesses can
be serious, some even fatal," Teltow said. The most frequently diagnosed tick-borne illness in Texas is Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that can cause skin, joint, heart and nervous system problems. The disease usually begins with a characteristic “bull’seye” rash followed by fatigue, headache, fever, stiff neck and joint pain. Symptoms usually appear in 7 to 14 days. “Avoiding ticks is always the best prevention for any of these diseases,” Teltow said. “Keep ticks off pets and discourage unwanted animals such as rats, mice and stray dogs and cats around the home.” Other suggestions from DSHS: --If you are in an area with ticks, check your body carefully for them every few
hours. Ticks are small and can be hard to see, and they can attach to any part of the body. --Stay on trails, avoiding areas of overgrown brush and tall grasses. --Wear light-colored clothes so that ticks are more easily spotted. Protect skin from ticks by wearing a hat, longsleeved shirt and long pants tucked into boots or socks. --Use insect repellent containing DEET applied to the skin or permethrin applied to clothing. Follow label directions. Check pets frequently and remove ticks from them immediately. For more information, contact your local health department or the Texas Department of Health Services.
903-389-2423 230 FM 416 Streetman at Richland Chambers Lake
Prospects Bright for Dove & Early Teal Seasons Dove hunters will have more opportunity earlier in the season with dates and bag limits finalized recently by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved the 2015-2016 Texas dove season, including a 70-day season and 15-bird daily bag statewide, and a 16-day early teal and Canada goose season. The traditional September 1 dove season opening day in the North and Central Zones remains. The first segment in those zones will be five days longer than last season, closing on Sunday, Oct. 25. The season will reopen Friday, Dec. 18 and run through Friday, Jan. 1, 2016 in the North and Central Zones. In the South Zone, the first segment will be longer by two days compared to last year. The South Zone opens Friday, Sept. 18 and runs through Wednesday, Oct. 21. The second segment will run Friday, Dec. 18 through Friday, Jan. 22, 2016. The daily bag limit for doves statewide is 15 and the possession limit is 45. The Special White-winged Dove Area will be restricted to afternoon only (noon to sunset) hunting the first two full September weekends on Sept. 5-6 and 12-13. Hunting in this area will reopen Friday, Sept. 18 and continue through Wednesday, Oct. 21, and then reopen Friday, Dec. 18 through Monday, Jan. 18, 2016. During the early two weekends, the daily bag limit is 15 birds, to include not more than two mourning doves and two white-tipped doves. Once the general season opens, the aggregate bag limit will be 15 with no more than two whitetipped doves. “Age-ratios (juveniles versus adults) from last season indicated very strong production in mourning doves across Texas last year; we expect similar or slightly increased production this year with the improved habitat conditions across nearly all of Texas,” said Shaun Oldenburger, TPWD’s dove program leader. “However, improved habitat conditions equal more food and water on the landscape, which means hunters may need to spend more time patterning mourning doves prior to opening day in their area.” Duck hunters can anticipate improved conditions for the September early teal season as abundant rains have filled lakes and marshes for the first time in several years. With record numbers of teal expected to make their way into Texas during the
upcoming months, prospects should be good. A 16-day statewide early teal and Eastern Zone Canada goose season will run Saturday, Sept. 12 through Sunday, Sept. 27. The daily bag on teal remains six, with a possession limit of 18. Bag limit for Canada geese will be three and a possession limit of six in the Eastern Zone only. “Blue-winged teal numbers (8.5 million) are way above the minimum of 4.7 million needed for a 16-day season,” said Kevin Kraai, TPWD waterfowl program leader. “Conditions for teal across the state are excellent and hunters are urged to have their fingers crossed for a timely migration in the middle of September.” Hunters are reminded that licenses go on sale August 15 for the 2015-16 hunting seasons and can be purchased through the agency’s 28 field offices, more than 50 state parks and at over 1,700 retailers across the state. Licenses may also be purchased online through the TPWD website at www. tpwd.state.tx.us/buy or by
phone at 1-800-895-4248. Call center hours are Monday through Friday, 8 p.m. to 5 p.m. and there is a required $5 administrative fee for each phone or online transaction. The online transaction system is available 24/7. For online and phone orders, a physical license will be mailed within three business days. During that time period, a transaction receipt will be provided via email that will be sufficient proof of hunting license and required endorsements that can be used for dove hunting, though it will not be allowed for the take of fish or wildlife that require a tag. Hunting and fishing regulations for the new season can be found in the 2015-2016 Outdoor Annual, available at license retailers August 15, online at www. txoutdoorannual.com and via the free Outdoor Annual mobile app available for Apple and Android devices. In addition to a hunting license, anyone born after Sept. 1, 1971, must successfully complete a hunter education training course or purchase a one-time
EVERYTHING TO HELP YOU
BAG YOUR GAME
Mossberg
Remington
Remington
Savage
Browning
Ruger
Franchi
Weatherby
Stoeger
New & Used in stock
Shotguns Rifles Handguns
Special Orders & Layaways Welcome
Ammo Scopes Binoculars Knives Fishing Poles & Tackle Camping Stoves & Lanterns
We have Hunting & Fishing Licenses! Federal Duck Stamps too!
2007 Crockett Rd. Palestine (903) 723-8852
You can’t beat the savings!
deferral good for one license year in order to hunt legally in Texas. The certification is valid for life and is honored in all other states and provinces. More information on hunter education certification is available online at www.tpwd. state.tx.us/outdoor-learning/ hunter-education. A Migratory Game Bird endorsement and Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification are also required to hunt dove or teal in September. HIP certification involves a brief survey of previous year’s migratory bird hunting success and is conducted at the time licenses are purchased. Duck hunters also need to purchase a Federal Duck Stamp.
NORMANGEE, TEXAS
Deer Processing, Cattle Domestic Hog & Wild Hog, Hardwood Smoked Sausage, Summer Sausage, Snack Sticks & Jerky Available Year Round! All made with USDA inspected meats
Open 7 Days A Week During Deer Season! M - F 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
936-396-9300
OPENING DAY! Gun Season Kicks Off November 7th with a
COOK-OFF with Live Broadcast by KNES Texas 99.1
PRE-ORDER YOUR SMOKED TURKEY FOR THANKSGIVING! Custom Processing of Large Animals, Domestics, & Wild Game
Redemption MEAT PROCESSING “Where Quality Meets Integrity”
903-389-9964 180 FM 833 East, Fairfield
4-B | www.FreestoneCountyTimes.com
September 16, 2015
Deer Breeder Standards Plan Finalized Framework Addresses Chronic Wasting Disease Management, Industry Needs Texas deer breeders will be able to resume animal movements under a plan finalized today by staff of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC). The Breeder Deer Movement Qualification Standards Plan will take effect upon the filing of Emergency Rules by TPWD and will be in place through the 2015-16 Texas hunting season. Details of the plan are available online at www.tpwd. texas.gov/cwd. Key elements of the plan include: --A framework giving breeders who met previous movement qualified standards an option
to move and liberate deer. Movement qualification is also dependent on administrative compliance with deer breeder permit regulations and statutes. --Enhanced options for closelymonitored herds with a status of “fifth year” or “certified” in the TAHC Monitored Herd Program. There are no additional release site requirements for ranches that receive deer only from these herds. --Additional Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing in deer breeding facilities. Under the plan, the vast majority of the 1,300 permitted deer breeders in Texas can gain movement qualified status by testing two
or fewer animals. -- There will be CWD testing requirements for a proportion of deer that are harvested on some release sites. The goal of the Movement Qualification Plan is to provide deer breeders with options prior to the September 22 deadline for movement and liberation of bucks and before the 2015-16 hunting season. This is just one of many steps Texas is taking to mitigate the spread of CWD after it was detected in deer from a Medina County deer breeding facility earlier this summer. “We have received and tried to be responsive to the extensive feedback from the state’s many and varied
deer management interests in developing this revised plan,” said Carter Smith, TPWD Executive Director. “In the development of this framework, both agencies are balancing the need to minimize the risk of unwittingly allowing the movement or liberation of Chronic Wasting Diseasepositive deer on the Texas landscape while adopting reasonable movement qualification standards that allow qualified deer breeders to begin moving and liberating captive deer. The complexity associated with the development of this framework is immense.” A joint agency CWD Working Group will now focus efforts
on developing individual herd plans for affected deer breeders and develop a plan for strategic sampling of hunter harvested deer from free-ranging populations this fall. “Our goal was to protect the health of free-ranging and captive breeder deer, while maintaining business continuity for the breeder industry,” said Dr. Dee Ellis, TAHC Executive Director. “We believe this plan accomplishes those goals.” Factors such as level of connectedness to the index facility, level of testing in the TAHC Monitored Herd Program, relative percentage of the overall herd that has
been tested, and variable liberation criteria are all being considered in development of the herd plans. The TAHC and TPWD are continuing the investigation of the index facility in Medina County, where 42 deer have been euthanized and tested for CWD. “The results from the partial testing of the animals in the Index Facility, as well as samples from the CWDexposed herds, are important to making reasonable, prudent, and responsible decisions for the remaining captive herds, neighboring landowners, and wild deer,” said Clayton Wolf, TPWD Wildlife Division director.
OFFERS WORLD WIDE FIRST CLASS The Sportsman's Memory Shop offers World TAXIDERMY SERVICES Wide First Class Taxidermy Services
8:00 am - 5:00 pm Mon.through Fri. 8:00 am - 12:00 pm Sat. Expanded Hours During Deer Season
30 Years Experience Our motto has always been "We Bring 'Em Back to Life".
THE SPORTSMAN'S MEMORY SHOP 13639 US Hwy. 287 North Grapeland, TX 75844 Phone: 936.687.2945 Email: taxidermy07@windstream.net
Our motto has The Sportsman's Shop Our mottoMemory has always beenoffers "We Bring 'Em Back to Life". Sportsman's Memory Shop always been World Wide First Class Taxidermy Services 13639 US Highway 287 N · Grapeland SHOP THE SPORTSMAN'S "We Bring 'Em Back to Life". MEMORY
Buck for Bucks! 13639(936) US 687-2945 Hwy. 287 North Grapeland, The Sportsman's Memory Shop began in TX 75844 Phone: 936.687.2945 Bring photo of your deer kill for 1980. Bobby Shaw and Robin "Trap" Email: taxidermy07@windstream.net
our CONTEST!
Don’t Miss Out!
Coppedge from East Texas started the \ business as two friends with similar interest in hunting, fishing, and taxidermy. We Our experience includes not only All photo entries of deer, harvested in Freestone County, alonganimals with the successful are the recipients of over 30 State, Nafrom East TexasCounty andTimes. the United States, hunter, will be published in the Freestone At the conclusion of the bu tional, and World season, competition awards the Publisher from will pick all a favorite, that world hunter will including be awarded a $100 prize. overandthe Canada That’s a Buck for a Hundred Bucks! through the years. Africa, Australia, Russia, New Zealand, AfSubmit photos to Freestone County Times or email to news@freestonecountytimes.com ghanistan, England, France and Spain.