Hunter's Guide: Junction TX & Surrounding Areas

JUNCTION

HUNTER’S

TX

& SURROUNDING AREAS

DEER Country 2015 -2016

7Published +( -81&7,21 ($*/( in Kimble County Since 1882

GUIDE

The best place to work, play, raise a family and retire!

FIRST STATE BANK has been providing banking services here for over 65 years, serving the local real estate market as “the #1 real estate lender,� promoting the business community, supporting the ranching industry and helping our community and our youth. Enjoy your stay in this beautiful county, and let us know how the friendly folks at First State Bank can help you.

FIRST STATE BANK offers a variety of loan types to serve you: real estate lending, home construction, consumer, home equity, as well as internet banking service.

The Friendly Bank

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In Business for 40 years.

Junction Automotive supply A complete source of automotive parts, supplies...

State Inspection Station Ĺ? Ĺ?

The friendly staff at Junction Automotive, from left, Ricky Alvarado, Jessie Rae Cantrell, Connie Moss, Kari Gass and Will Geddis invite y’all to come in and check out all they have in stock.

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PUBLISHERS MESSAGE

The staff at The Junction Eagle welcomes hunters and visitors to the best hunting country in the great state of Texas. While you’re here in the splendid “Land of Living Waters”, we want you to enjoy yourselves, forget about the shenanigans in Washington and have the most successful hunting experience ever.

Kimble County has a lot to offer hunters: whitetail deer, exotics, turkey, feral hogs, quail, javelina, bobcats, coyotes and red fox; and there are some of the finest folks here that you’ll ever meet anywhere.

We encourage you to shop with our advertisers. The local merchants who advertise in our Hunter’s Guide demonstrate they want, will work for, and appreciate your business. They have years of experience in stocking what you

need, and they go out of their way, with typical Hill Country hospitality, to make sure you are well served.

We hope visitors to Kimble County will enjoy this publication. We’ve attempted to give you some hunting information, info about local services, and a peek at our local history.

We hope you like this new format. The Junction Eagle’s graphics lady extraordinaire, Ashley Lundy, worked long and hard to bring you this special edition.

We think she did an excellent job for our advertisers and for you.

We offer a special thanks to Frederica Wyatt. She is a living encyclopedia of Kimble County history and gives generously of her time, talent, and knowledge.

Her weekly contributions in The Junction Eagle in her column “Meanderings” and our semi-annual visitor guides are invaluable. She doesn’t work at the newspaper, but she might as well, so great is her contribution. Stop by the Kimble County Historical Museum and tell her hello.

We are always grateful to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the enormous cache of information provided. In this Guide, we are pleased to publish the work of wildlife biologist Macy Ledbetter, Thank you for choosing to visit us. Be careful; have a great time while you’re here.....and come back soon!

Jimmy and Debbie Cooper Kistler owners and editors

CONTENTS

THE JUNCTION TEXAS AND SURROUNDING AREAS

HUNTERS GUIDE Home is the Hunter, Home from the Hills - pg 7 Excellent Bucks in Kimble County - pg 10 2015 Hunting Forecast - pg 12 Hunter & Landowner Ethics - pg 15 Field Dress for Success - pg 17 The Big One - pg 19 Long Live the Mighty Best in Your Belly - pg 21 Wild Game Recipes - pg 22 Patience. Practice. Persistence. - pg 24 Places to Set Your Sites on When Not Hunting 26 & 27 Exciting Events in Kimble County - pg 28 Lodging and Restaurant Guide - pg 29 Don’t Fall Prey to Buck Fever - pg 30 Estimating Whitetail Buck Age - pg 31 Does Supplemental Feeding Protein Pellets Really Work - pg 33 Deer Blind Location 101 - pg 35 Just the Other Day - pg 36 & 37 Lock Away Danger - pg 37 Safety First - pg 39 Seeds of Hope - pg 42 & 43 Facts About Deer You May Not Have Known - pg 46 The Allure of Antlers - pg 49 Scent to Help - pg 50 & 51

A WELCOME FROM STATE REPRESENTATIVE ANDY MURR On behalf of my friends and neighbors in Kimble County, I’d like to welcome you to Junction on the banks of the beautiful North and South Llano Rivers. Having grown up here, served as County Judge and now serving as our State Representative, I suppose my objectivity regarding the allures of Kimble County could be called into question. But in my humble opinion, you have chosen to visit the finest 1,251 square miles Texas has to offer, and we are all very happy that you did.

Now, I’d like to bring your attention to a few new pieces of legislation relating to firearms, hunting and property rights that may be relevant during your stay in Kimble County.

On January 1 of 2016, “Open Carry” will take effect and become state law.

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Put simply, anyone who holds a Texas Concealed Handgun License will now be able to openly carry a pistol, provided it is holstered, in the same places that previously allowed them to carry a concealed handgun. Businesses will still have the right to prohibit weapons on their property, however, so be mindful of any posted notices relating to guns on private property.

During the last legislative session, we also proposed a new constitutional amendment that will stipulate hunting and fishing as the preferred methods of managing wildlife across the state. If the amendment (Proposition 6) is ratified by voters this November, the right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife will be enshrined in the Texas Constitution for all time.

Finally, I was proud to be the author of a piece of legislation aimed at protecting those in the agritourism industry from frivolous lawsuits that could threaten their livelihood. Agritourism has taken off in

recent years throughout the Hill Country and the State of Texas. My bill says that those who operate a tourism-based business on their farm or ranch, like a cornmaze or a pumpkin patch, cannot be held liable for certain accidents that may occur such as twisted ankles, scrapes, bites, stings and other things that are a part of daily life in the country. I don’t believe that property owners should have to risk financial hardship because they chose to open up their property to paying visitors for entertainment and recreation, and I hope that you agree.

Once again, welcome to Kimble County. I hope your stay is pleasant and enjoyable, and that we will see you again in the years to come.

Sincerely yours, Andrew Murr Member Texas House of Representatives

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Jct. Tx Economic Development Corp. ..............................45 Junction Warehouse ................................................................... 6 Kevin Wall Dirt Work ................................................................ 16 Kimble County Farm Bureau ................................................18 Kimble Processing .................................................................... 32 La Familia Restaurant ................................................................. 9 Listing for Lodging and Restaurants ................................. 29 Llano Travel Center .................................................................... 9 Lowe’s Grocery and Market ................................................ 44 Lum’s BBQ ...................................................................................... 9 Milky Way ........................................................................................ 9 Motel 6 ............................................................................................11 Paddler’s Porch ............................................................................. 8 Pope Brothers Guide Service .............................................. 38 Quizno’s ........................................................................................... 9 R.D. Kothmann Real Estate ................................................... 25 Rabke’s Deer Processing ....................................................... 38 Rawhide Taxidermy .................................................................. 32 Rhino Linings Kerrville ............................................................ 20 Rhodes Brothers Taxidermy ................................................. 38 Robinson Plumbing ....................................................................18 Rodeway Inn of Junction ........................................................11 Roy’s Garage ............................................................................... 20 Secor Equipment ....................................................................... 23 Segovia Truck Stop/Restaurant ............................................. 8 Sheriff Hilario Cantu ................................................................ 45 Simon Bros. Mercantile .......................................................... 44 Simply Generations ................................................................. 34 South Llano Farm ...................................................................... 32 South Llano River RV Park & Resort ................................. 41 Spring Branch Trading Post ...................................................18 Spurs Liquor .................................................................................. 6 Subway ........................................................................................... 47 Surety Title Co. ........................................................................... 45 Texas Tech University-Jct ...................................................... 34 Trey Sullivan Real Estate ........................................................ 25 West Bear Creek General Store ......................................... 40 West Texas Gas .......................................................................... 34 Whitetail Junction Ranch .........................................................14

ABOUT THE COVER:

Bubba listens intensely for the sounds of approaching hunters. Clem to Bubba, "Quit worrying! They'll never spot us here...in our camo gear!"

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR LOCAL GAME WARDEN

Texas Game Warden Cody Buckaloo would like to wish everyone a successful hunting season. Warden Buckaloo reminds everyone that hunters need to make sure they tag their deer/turkey immediately upon killing and also to fill out their harvest log on the back of the license after each kill. Licenses must have the month and date cut out, and all information filled out immediately after the kill. Inked out dates are not accepted.

Also very important is to maintain proof of sex of the kill. For Whitetail deer it is the head of the deer harvested (skinned or unskinned) with antlers attached and for turkey it is a leg with the spur attached, or the bird, accompanied by a patch of skin with breast feathers attached and beard. Hunter education is also required for everyone over 17 years old. If you were born on or after September 1, 1971, Hunters Education is required. Hunters under 17 years old who are not Hunter education certified need to hunt with an adult who is either certified or exempt due to age. All landowners and hunters are encouraged to call Warden Buckaloo immediately at 325-215-9129 or the Sheriff’s Office at 325-446-2766 if they feel like they have a poacher or see a road hunter. Warden Buckaloo looks forward to working with the citizens and hunters of Kimble County.

Happy and Safe Hunting!

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Home is the hunter, Home from the hills Wild game hunting remains an integral part of life in Kimble County

By Frederica Burt Wyatt

T

he phrase, “home is the hunter, home from the hills”, contained in the requiem immortalized by Robert Louis Stevenson, may well echo along the rugged slopes, verdant valleys, and placid streams of Kimble County.

Hunting of wild game has been an integral way of life in this area of Texas since before pioneer settlers discovered the Native American “happy hunting grounds”.

Frontiersmen, with their Kentucky long rifles and other primitive firearms, had a two-fold purpose when setting out in quest of their quarry.

Of necessity, the meat helped fill the “larder” for the family’s existence, and the thrill of the hunt for whitetail deer, bear, buffalo, occasional antelope, along with other feral animals provided some exhilaration in the settlers’ oft-times drab and laborious lives.

Time has not revealed when the first recreational hunters were lured to the hill country in quest of the abundant wild game, but local legend relates Teddy Roosevelt and some of his Rough Riders of the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, in 1898, made a lengthy hunting trek from San Antonio to western Kimble County. The event will be forever memorialized by the selection of his name for the little village post office of Roosevelt.

The advent of motorized transportation expedited the hunting industry

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in the rural, and sometimes remote, areas of Texas. City residents found a respite from the daily hustle and bustle of their existence. Even many from out-of-state were fascinated by the tales of Texas’ abounding wild game and racks of trophy antlers.

They, too, found their way to the utopia known as Kimble County.

Locals and visitors, alike, anticipated the first day of each hunting season with enthusiastic anticipation, ever hopeful a cool “snap” might arrive to aid in their endeavors.

Camaraderie between fellow hunters was a common feature around open camp fires.

The sight of canvas tents and rustic huts dotted the backwoods scene, as hunting hopefuls accustomed themselves to the newly-discovered environment. The somewhat primitive conditions would eventually be replaced by hunting cabins with adequate conveniences, modern travel trailers, or similar facilities.

“Blinds”, often unique and sometimes elaborate, became a popular addition to many hunting leases.

Cold-storage facilities and dressing plants were vital attributes to the hunting industry, as well as hotels, motels, feed stores, and other commercial establishments. The influx of prospective hunters provided landowners with profitable earnings, and hunting became a boost necessary to vitalize rural Texas.

Importation of exotic game contributed to the excitement of the

hunting experience.

Novice huntsmen, eager for success, sometimes found it desirable to engage the services of local guides.

It seemed as if there was a striking similarity between some Texas hunts and African big game safaris.

Even unto the present time, hunting and its associated tourism continue to provide livelihood and vitality to Kimble County ranchers, businesses, and other residents.

Contests are still initiated, and competition is good-naturedly evident among visiting, as well as local, participants as they vie for prizes: for the first deer harvested each season, the largest trophy animal, and the most outstanding antler rack.

An annual Wild Game Dinner is only one of several events celebrating the amenities of the local area and its attraction to those who come our way.

Camaraderie around the campfire. Gordon Stewart Ranch, 1943 Left to right: Gordon Stewart of the State Game & Fish Commission, District Judge - J.B. Randolph, State Board of Commission Chairman - Weaver H. Baker, Texas Rangers Captain - Gully Cowsert, Governor of Texas - Coke R. Stevenson, Former Mayor of Junction - Emil Loeffler.

A photo from the November 17, 1966, edition of The Junction Eagle headlines “Over 800 Deer and About 60 Turkeys Stored in Local Plants After First Three Days of Season”

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MACY LEDBETTER GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

The Junction Eagle is fortunate to be able to include in this hunting guide, the photography and articles researched and written by professional wildlife biologist, Macy Ledbetter, who has a life-long passion for wildlife, habitat management and hunting. With a degree in Wildlife Ecology from Texas A&M University, Ledbetter has worked in the wildlife management field for the past twenty-three years managing properties throughout Texas and Mexico.

Macy operates his own wildlife consulting business, Spring Creek Outdoors, and with his wife Cathy, lives on their historic family ranch in northern San Saba County.

Few people in the industry are able to offer the perspectives and real world experiences he has to offer as he makes his recommendations real, practical and attainable. Macy can explain wildlife management processes in great detail and makes each individual step palatable and educational. Check out his consulting website at www.SpringCreekOutdoors.com to get connected with Macy for all your wildlife and ranch needs.

GREAT HUNTING

Excellent bucks in Kimble County this year!

All photos on this page are courtesy of Macy Ledbetter, www.springcreekoutdoors.com

by Macy Ledbetter

10

duties and camp cleaning chores for the rest of the season!

The bucks you see here are out there right now. I took the photos on this page this September, and they are available for harvest. Hunt hard, hunt fair and have fun, and should you be fortunate enough to place your tag on a big Kimble County buck, please email me quality field photos and a brief description of the buck so I may include it in next fall’s Hunter’s Guide.

My email address is Macy.Ledbetter@ gmail.com, and I look forward to seeing some great local bucks, and I hope you enjoy my photos throughout this guide. www.SpringCreekOutdoors.com

Macy Ledbetter, www.springcreekoutdoors.com

Macy Ledbetter, www.springcreekoutdoors.com

I have been very busy lately with deer surveys all over Kimble County. The rains have blessed the county and the improved range and nutritional conditions have been very good to the local deer herd. Bucks are supporting above average antler quality while the fawn survival rates are high this year, ranging from 80-100%. Body conditions are above average.

Expect deer movement to be strong early in the beginning of the hunting season because of the dry conditions and lack of acorns this fall. Food plot success may be marginal to poor due to dry conditions and late planting. If the armyworms don’t get them, the heavy browsing by a wide range of wildlife might.

Use your tags aggressively this fall to keep the population under control and healthy. The great spring and early summer rains have produced great antlers so don’t shoot too early on a middle aged quality buck, the mature ones are out there in most areas and a selective hunter will be rewarded with a real trophy. If your buddy shoots a quality middle-aged buck, not only should you use peer pressure to give him a hard time, but mandate he has firewood-cutting

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HUNTING

FORECAST

2015

FINALLY FREE FROM DROUGHT, TEXAS SEES BRIGHT PROSPECTS FOR FALL

By Steve Lightfoot Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine

Robert Stubblefield, photographed at Texas Tech University Center in Junction

JUST ADD WATER.

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A really good recipe can be that simple so long as the rest of the ingredients are already in place. The recipe for wildlife habitat is not as rudimentary, considering all the variables involved. But it is remarkable to see what materializes on the Texas landscape, how wildlife populations are affected and how fall hunting prospects are enhanced, just by adding water.

A half-decade of drought that left much of the state dehydrated in its dusty wake became fodder for the history books in May as rain gauges overflowed repeatedly during what turned out to be the wettest month ever in Texas. Beneficial rains slowly replenished lakes and aquifers and restored rivers and estuaries. While statewide rainfall totals for the month varied dramatically, from just an inch in extreme West Texas to more that 20 inches along parts of the Red River in North Texas, the results were measurable and apparent.

And, despite a rain-free July to remind Texans that this is still Texas and there are no guarantees when it comes to weather, recent Drought Monitor indexes for Texas still show most of the state drought-free compared with only about 10 percent of the state this time last year. So what does that mean for wildlife and hunting prospects this fall?

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DEER

TURKEY

Extremely wet conditions during nesting Generally speaking, white-tail deer, mule deer, pronghorn and bighorn sheep are faring season for turkeys may result in some highvery well as a result of the increased rain- er-than-normal nest predation, but favorable fall, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife conditions will result in higher-than-normal re-nesting success, particularly for Rio Grande Department biologists.

“We’re seeing a diverse buffet of deer turkeys, says Jason Hardin, TPWD upland foods where vegetation growth can be meas- game bird specialist.

“Turkeys were in great shape going into the ured in feet rather than inches this year,” says Mitch Lockwood, TPWD big game program nesting season due to an abundance of winter director. “Meeting nutritional demands of rains and early green-up,” he says. “A lot of antler growth, rearing fawns and building up years juvenile birds will forgo nesting in order body reserves for the rigors of rut as well as to put on weight and increase survival going the winter should be an easy venture for most into their second spring. However, almost all adult hens and many juvenile hens attempted big game animals this year.”

Unlike in recent years, deer won’t be to nest this past spring due to the favorable conditions.” searching far to find Despite flooding in highly nutritious diet “I have no reservations some bottomlands, Hardin of native weeds and suggesting antler quality will believes most turkeys browse plants. As a selective forager, deer be above average this year, escaped harm since they prefer native forages and with a good number of prefer to nest in upland areas. Many turkeys that high in protein and were not successful on bucks in the 5 1/2-year-old energy that are easily digestible. The forbs, age class I expect a number their first nesting attempt still had second and third a biologist term for of hunters to harvest some nests, many of which were weeds, fit that bill, and there are plenty exceptional bucks this year” successful. The extended nesting was not only due of them this year. For - Alan Cain to the abundance of raina wildlife biologist, fall early, but also the mild summer conditions spring rains as well as total annual rainfall are with temperatures remaining below triple digcritical factors in predictions for the upcoming season. When above-average winter and its through most of July.

“These mild summer conditions help to spring rains occur, hunters should expect a extend the nesting season longer into the sumgreat hunting season, and 2015 fits the criteria. mer,” Hardin explains. “Poult survival was Antler growth should be well above average, predicts Alan Cain, TPWD white-tailed also very good due to the green vegetation, tall deer program leader. Exceptions to this over- screening cover provided by an abundance of all excellent outlook may be in areas of East wildflowers and weeds, and a ton of insects.”

Hunters can expect a good number of jakes Texas where unusually wet years can result in across the landscape this fall and next spring, lower-than-normal fawn recruitment. and there are still good numbers of mature “I have no reservations suggesting antler quality will be above average this year, gobblers as well. and with a good number of bucks in the 5 1/2-year-old age class I expect a number of DOVE Texas’ most abundant game birds, the hunters to harvest some exceptional bucks this year,” Cain says. “The habitat conditions white-winged dove and mourning dove, statewide are much better than we’ve seen in should see production at or above last year’s years, and the abundance of native forage will level, according to Shaun Oldenburger, help bucks maximize antler growth this year.” TPWD dove program leader. Storms during the early nesting season likely resulted in some downed nests, he says, but since doves are prolific and re-nesting and summer conUpland and migratory bird species alike ditions should remain favorable statewide, are showing significant population rebounds. additional production should overshadow any Increased herbaceous vegetation provides val- early-season losses.

“Age-ratios (juveniles versus adults) in the uable cover, seeds, fruits and insects. harvest indicated very strong production in Upland game bird populations west of mourning doves across Texas last year: we Interstate 35 are known to capitalize on these favorable conditions with population expect similar or slightly increased production “booms,” particularly on the heels of a rela- this year with the improved habitat conditions tively good year like 2014. The exception across nearly all of Texas,” says Oldenburger. could be bobwhites in the costal prairie region “However, improved habitat conditions equal more food and water on the landscape, which that do not seem to do well during wet years. means hunters may need to spend more time All photographs on this page were taken by patterning mourning doves prior to opening Robert Stubblefield at Texas Tech University day in their area.”

Center in Junction

BIRDS

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Construction, Inc. Custom Homes and Buildings Design - Build Personalized Plan Service

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830-928-3531 HoffmanServices@hotmail.com 16

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by Kendal Hemphill

Mama always said, “When the deer falls, the fun’s over.” And most of us would admit that, unless we’ve bagged a sure enough trophy worth bragging about, there isn’t a lot of joy to be had once the game is on the ground. That’s when the work of field dressing and processing begins, and few get a thrill out of those jobs.

There are, however, a few things you can do to make field dressing and packaging your deer easier and less time consuming, and today I’m going to share with you some of the tips and tricks I’ve learned in 32 years of deer hunting, as soon as I think them up.

The easiest way to get your deer from the hoof to the freezer is to have someone else do the work.

Unless you are rich enough, though, to hire a professional deer processing person, this can be difficult.

My uncle, Bob Engdahl, told me he used to hunt with a fellow who never field dressed deer. He shot deer, of course, but he always managed to talk someone else into gutting them for him. Either he had forgotten his knife, or he had an injured hand, or he threatened to tell his buddy’s wife how much the lease cost, or something. He always had some excuse. But unless your hunting companions are deeply indebted to you, you will have to do your own field dressing.

Surprisingly, there are some misguided souls who hang a deer up in a tree to field dress it. I have no idea why anyone would do this, but I also have no idea why anyone would wear polyester pants.

Go figure.

It’s much faster and easier to field dress a deer while it’s laying on the ground, which is, conveniently, where you usually find dead deer. Start at the very back end of the deer, at the part you tell your children never to touch the cat, and work your way up the belly from there.

Another strange thing some people do, when field dressing a deer, is cut the pelvic bone. I have never figured out why they do this, since it isn’t necessary. It also isn’t necessary to cut the rib cage open, but some people do that, too. So there you go.

The most important item in field dressing is a

Field dress for

SUCCESS

good, dull knife. Some of you, no doubt, would rather use a sharp knife, under the pretense that it will cut better, and therefore make the job of field dressing a deer easier. Fine, but you should bear in mind that, the sharper the knife, the fewer fingers you’ll have when you’re done.

Sharpness is not necessary in a knife. Hundreds of years ago, before knives were invented, hunters never sharpened their knives, which stands to reason. They used rocks to field dress deer on the odd occasion when they managed to kill one, which wasn’t often, since telescopic rifle sights had also not been invented, so rifles were not very accurate back then. People went hungry a lot, which is why, you’ll notice, no one who was born before knives were invented is currently alive.

But some of you will insist on sharpening your knife before use, so I’ll describe here, at no extra cost, the proper method of knife sharpening.

The easiest way to sharpen a knife is, again, to have someone else do it for you. Many outdoor shops offer knife sharpening service for a nominal fee. ‘Nominal’ is a Latin word for ‘exorbitant price to charge idiots who can’t sharpen knives.’

If you’d rather not pay the nominal fee, you’ll have to sharpen your knife yourself. This is a difficult process, which involves a lot of time and blood and pain and unpleasantness. You will need a good whetstone, some oil, a dull knife, a large caliber bullet, and several bandaids.

Squirt some oil on the whetstone and spread it evenly with the blade of your knife. Grip the stone with one hand and the knife with the other. Then, holding the knife blade at a 10 to 15 degree angle to the surface of the stone, drag the blade across the grit as if you were trying to shave off the top layer of the rock. Make a few strokes with one side of the knife, then reverse the blade and make a few strokes with the other side. Keep doing that until the knife is fairly sharp, at which point you should allow the blade to slip completely off the end of the whetstone and cut a respectable gash in your other hand.

You should have put the bullet in your mouth

What you’ll need to sharpen a knife...

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earlier, to bite down on when you slice your hand open. Use as many of the bandaids as necessary, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a tourniquet handy.

But if you’d rather not go to that much trouble to get your knife sharp, there is an easier way.

Razor Sharp Knife Service, of Springfield, Missouri, offers a set of sharpening wheels that attach to any bench grinder with a ½ or 5/8” shaft, and take all the blood, pain, and unpleasantness, and also most of the time, out of the knife sharpening process.

The wheels are made of laminated cardboard, and each is about an inch thick and ten inches in diameter. One is a sharpening wheel, and the edge is coated with grit, sort of like sandpaper. The other is a buffing wheel, and has a much finer grit on its edge.

The Razor Sharp wheels make sharpening your knife a breeze, and are so easy to use the average idiot can sharpen a knife with them in less than a minute. I consider myself an average idiot, so if I can do it, so can you. They even include a CD with detailed instructions, for those who actually want instructions.

We’re out of time here, and never got around to actually field dressing your deer. But all you have to do, really, is open the deer up and take out the stuff you don’t want. It’s not rocket science, for goodness sake, and it takes less than five minutes with a sharp knife, and less than ten with a dull one.

I still maintain that a dull knife is the way to go, but if you insist on sharpening yours, the Razor Sharp wheels will do it in a jiffy. But don’t come crying to me when you end up missing several of your favorite fingers . . .

Kendal Hemphill is an outdoor humor columnist who never field dresses a deer if he can talk someone else into doing it for him. Write to him at jeep@verizon.net Read his columns and more in The Junction Eagle newspaper each week.

In case things go south...

17

ROBINSON

Plumbing & Septic Systems Mark Robinson Residential and commercial plumbing Septic system installation

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THE

BIG ONE

The story of “Britt” Allsups famous Kimble County harvested buck

By Frederica Burt Wyatt The morning of November 16, 1941, was the first day of hunting season in the hill country of Texas.

Henry Britton “Britt” Allsup, a Kimble County rancher, thought it might be a likely time to bag a deer.

He had spent thirty-nine of his fortythree years in the county and had harvested venison every hunting season as long as he could remember.

The opening of each new season was anticipated for days beforehand, and he always dreamed that some day he would bring in a “ big one”. More than once he had caught glimpses of

large bucks on the ranch he and his family had leased since 1929 from Florence Clement Blardone.

On that chilly morning in late 1941, while meandering up Wooten Draw, a tributary of Cajac Creek, Britt had no premonition his dream was to be realized that day. Near the headwaters of the draw, he suddenly espied what appeared to be two deer in the brush.

He fired two shots and, to his surprise, discovered his quarry was only one deer, and with antlers that made Britt’s heart skip a beat. Twenty-two almost symmetrical points on one head seemed unbelievable.

The deer was killed with an Army surplus (Enfield 30.06) rifle that Britt had purchased but never really liked nor appreciated until that eventful morning. The animal weighed one hundred and forty-five pounds after it was field-dressed. Alex Schleyer Taxidermy in San Antonio mounted the head without charge and awarded the hunter a prize of $25.00 for the largest set of antlers brought to them that year. Britt also received a rifle for killing the trophy deer.

Until his death in 1957, Britt was never able to surpass the luck he experienced on that day three weeks

before the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

The rack of antlers is presently on display loan in Kimble County Historical Museum. The whitetail deer, classified as a “hunter-taken” trophy officially designated as having “non-typical antlers” with a scoring of 213-1/8 by Boone and Crockett Club of Missoula, Montana. That organization maintains records of North American big game and was founded in 1887 by Theodore Roosevelt.

Nov. 1941, Kimble County Lillian Allsup, Britt Allsup Jr., Britt Allsup and the 22 pt. %XFN 3KRWR WDNHQ RQ WK 6WUHHW LQ -XQFWLRQ

See the famous deer at the Kimble County Historical Museum!

101 N. 4th St., Junction

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TED NUGENT’S HUNTERS’ RESPONSIBILITIES when preparing wild game for the eating

RESPONSIBILITY #1

Kill that critter cleanly. We practice like mad all year long, day in and day out so our arrows, bolts and bullets hit the vitals for a quick, clean, humane kill and a minimum adrenalin dump, which can negatively affect the flavor of game meat.

RESPONSIBILITY #2

*HW WKDW FDUFDVV FOHDQ DQG FROG $6$3 A walk-in cooler is mandatory here at home in Texas, but even in the usually cool air of our Michigan hunting grounds, hot days are not rare, so thorough gutting, hosing, skinning, quartering and hanging in 35-40º cold air is essential to quality venison.

RESPONSIBILITY #3

Age that sacred flesh! The only game that should not be hung and aged is hog, bear and rabbit, since trichinosis is always a possibility. All fowl and all big game should be quartered and hung in the cold for at least a week so the enzymes break down and the meat naturally tenderizes and flavors up!

RESPONSIBILITY #4

LONG LIVE

THE MIGHTY BEAST in Your Belly!

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Take extra care, time and effort to create palate stimulating, taste-bud throttling, scrumptious meals with a sense of creativity, showing ultimate respect for the hard earned flesh.

Sure, properly handled game meat only needs fire to be truly appreciated, but improvising and adapting for adventurous meals is how we go about it.

Our Kill It & Grill It cookbook is loaded with killer recipes, but here’s one we used last night much to the enjoyment of everyone seated at our table.

Everyone knows there is no wrong way to prepare backstraps, but this little ditty will make even the marginal cuts taste By: Ted Nugent spectacular. You can slice assorted meat ith majestic critters of every description and species shrapnel from the ribs, hind quarters, front tipping over at record numbers already this phenomshoulders, neck or any haunch, shank or enal hunting season of 2015, I thought for sure now slabbage. Doesn’t matter what configurais the time to celebrate the glory of such sacred life-sustaining tion or size the cuts, because they will all be flesh hitting grills and skillets all across America like we mean it. deeeeeelicious.

Kill It & Grill It is the title of Shemane’s and my wildTake these aged and game cookbook from Regnery Publishing from cooled venison shards many years ago, and according to the 25+ million (works for all big game, Facebookers I communicate with on a daily, even squirrel, rabbit, woodhourly, basis (in between morning and afternoon chuck, pheasant, woodhunts, of course) we have substantially and posicock, grouse, turkey, nutria, tively impacted many millions of hunters and nonducks, geese, cranes, snipe, hunters alike all across the globe as to the “sacredeverything!!) with all fat and ness” of our annual harvests. silver removed, float them I kid you not how we celebrate a Gonzo in a covered glass dish filled ThanXgiving every day at the Nugent ranch, since with 75% Vernors Ginger each and every meal is based on the truly sacred Ale, (which I have found in wildgame that we worked so hard to procure to fuel every city and every state our own sacred temples.

I have ever toured, which Nugent in concert with Our bodies are indeed sacred temples, and our means every city and every his signature Gibson God given gift of sacred temples deserves nothing state!!) and 25% good virgin Byrdland guitar. but sacred fuel, hence the perfection of the hunting olive oil, with a good dose of lifestyle. your favorite seasonings (we We hunt exotic critters all year in Texas, and, along with use garlic pepper and garlic salt, sometimes the indigenous game we kill and process throughout the year, I oregano, red pepper, crushed rosemary, assure you that each and every meal in our home is a taste-bud pummeled thyme, cumin, brushed sage, etc, orgy the likes of which no supermarket shopper will ever know. etc. Get creative!) and let soak for a few Pity the poor, poor supermarket consumers! hours or overnight.

JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

We tong the meat right out of the marinade onto a wood coal grill or even a cast iron skillet on the stove, and brown the meat to medium rare at the most.

We have put the meat with grilled or sautéed onions, garlic, peppers, shallots, celery, bokchoy, turnips, water chestnuts or whatever you prefer, over a gob of smashed potatoes or just with the veggies on the side, and everyone simply loves it!

We have also enjoyed this preparation in taco shells or tortillas. You simply cannot go wrong!

So, good hunting all, celebrate the spirit, celebrate the flesh, celebrate the miraculous tooth, fang and claw perfection of God’s natural creation, and kill ‘em and grill ‘em like you mean it.

If you put your heart and soul into every hunt, the beast is dead, long live the mighty beast in your belly and in your spirit! Happy ThanXgiving every darn day!

Reprinted with permission of Ted Nugent and Deer & Deer Hunting.

For all things Nuge, visit www.tednugent.com Ted Nugent is an award-winning musician and writer, with numerous best-seller books including “Ted, White and Blue: The Nugent Manifesto,” “God, Guns and Rock ‘n Roll,” and “Kill It and Grill It: A Guide to Preparing and Cooking Wild Game and Fish” with his wife, Shemane, among other books. Be sure to check out his website for more news on his latest music, thoughts and upcoming shows in 2015, and also at World News Daily, Newsmax and Daily Caller for more insights.

21

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Game Recipes GRILLED VENISON CHOPS ON WILTED GREENS AND SWEET POTATO PURÃ&#x2030;E WITH CAULIFLOWER CREAM SAUCE FERAL HOG CHOPS WITH GARLIC AND SAGE

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Cauliflower Cream Sauce Ingredients: Â&#x2021; VKDOORWV FKRSSHG Â&#x2021; *DUOLF FORYH Â&#x2021; 2OLYH RLO Â&#x2021; FXS GU\ ZKLWH ZLQH RU YHUPRXWK Â&#x2021; KHDG FDXOLIORZHU WULPPHG VWHDPHG Â&#x2021; FXSV FKLFNHQ VWRFN Â&#x2021; 6DOW DQG ZKLWH SHSSHU WR WDVWH Â&#x2021; FXS FKHVWQXW SXUpH Â&#x2021; FXS KHDY\ ZKLSSLQJ FUHDP Preparation 6DXWp WKH VKDOORWV DQG JDUOLF LQ D VPDOO DPRXQW RI ROLYH RLO XQWLO VKDOORWV DUH WUDQVOXFHQW $GG ZLQH &RRN XQWLO UHGXFHG E\ KDOI 3XUHH WKH FDXOLIORZHU LQ D VPDOO DPRXQW RI FKLFNHQ VWRFN LQ D EOHQGHU VWUDLQ WKURXJK ILQH PHVK &RPELQH ZLWK UHPDLQLQJ FKLFNHQ VWRFN DQG VKDOORW PL[WXUH &RRN XQWLO VOLJKWO\ WKLFNHQHG 6HDVRQ ZLWK VDOW DQG ZKLWH SHSSHU :KLVN LQ WKH FKHVWQXW SXUpH DQG FUHDP &RRN WR WKH GHVLUHG FRQVLVWHQF\ Author: Mark Paul and Stewart Scruggs, Chefs, Wink Restaurant Found on http://tpwd.texas.gov/exptexas/programs/ wildgame/

22

Ingredients: Â&#x2021; IHUDO KRJ FKRSV RU D ORLQ ODUJH HQRXJK IRU WZR Â&#x2021; FORYHV RI JDUOLF FKRSSHG Â&#x2021; WDEOHVSRRQV IUHVK VDJH FKRSSHG Â&#x2021; FXS ZKLWH ZLQH Â&#x2021; .RVKHU VDOW Â&#x2021; &UDFNHG EODFN SHSSHU Â&#x2021; 2OLYH RLO Preparation 6DOW DQG SHSSHU WKH SRUN DQG UXE DOO VLGHV ZLWK WKH FKRSSHG VDJH DQG JDUOLF +HDW WKH RLO LQ D KHDY\ VNLOOHW RYHU PHGLXP KLJK KHDW $GG WKH SRUN WR WKH VNLOOHW DQG FRRN DERXW PLQXWHV WR VHDU )OLS WKH FKRSV DQG FRRN DQ DGGLWLRQDO PLQXWHV XQWLO GRQH UHPRYH WKH FKRSV DQG VHW DVLGH WR UHVW $GG WKH ZLQH WR WKH SDQ DQG UHGXFH WR KDOI ZKLOH VFUDSLQJ WKH GULSSLQJV IURP WKH SDQ 6SRRQ WKH GULSSLQJV RYHU WKH FKRSV Courtesy Chris Houston, Feral Austin Found in Texas Parks and Wildlife 2015 Hunting Forecast

HUNTER HATCH CHILIE VENISON STEW Ingredients: Â&#x2021; WVS 0H[LFDQ RUHJDQR Â&#x2021; WVS VDOW Â&#x2021; FXSV YHJHWDEOH VWRFN Â&#x2021; WEVS YHJHWDEOH RLO Â&#x2021; FXSV ZDWHU Â&#x2021; WVS FXPLQ Â&#x2021; RQLRQ FKRSSHG Â&#x2021; EDNLQJ SRWDWRHV VNLQ RQ DQG GLFHG Â&#x2021; OEV YHQLVRQ VDXVDJH VOLFHG LQWR LQFK WKLFN PHGDOOLRQV Â&#x2021; WVS JDUOLF PLQFHG Â&#x2021; KDWFK FKLOH SHSSHUV URDVWHG DQG SHHOHG MXLFH UHVHUYHG Preparation /LJKWO\ FRDW D ODUJH VNLOOHW ZLWK YHJHWDEOH RLO DQG FRRN WKH VDXVDJH RQLRQ DQG SRWDWRHV XQWLO RQLRQV DUH WUDQVOXFHQW 7UDQVIHU PL[WXUH WR D ODUJH VWRFNSRW DQG DGG UHPDLQLQJ LQJUHGLHQWV &RRN XQWLO SRWDWRHV DUH GRQH DQG DGMXVW VHDVRQLQJV 6LPPHU DQ DGGLWLRQDO PLQXWHV ,I VWHZ QHHGV PRUH KHDW DGG SHSSHU MXLFH XQWLO MXVW VKRUW RI GHVLUHG KHDW OHYHO LV UHDFKHG +DWFK SHSSHUV ZLOO LQFUHDVH LQ KHDW ZLWK FRQWLQXHG FRRNLQJ Central Market - http://www.centralmarket.com

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23

Patience

Practice Persistence

Three top tips for improving your shotgun skills

by Heidi Rao Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine Of all the shooting sports, shotgunning may be one of the most difficult to master. Picking up a fast-moving target with your eyes and developing the proper lead and follow-through are skills that take a lot of patience, practice and persistence. Whether shooting a bright orange clay bird on a skeet, trap or sporting clays course or a real bird on opening day of dove season, your skills depend on practice.

24

The good news is there is always room for improvement. The bad news is there are no shortcuts to shotgun shooting success.

Gil and Vicki Ash of OSP Shooting School in Houston offer these triedand-true tips that are being adopted by hunter education programs across the country and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Tip #1: Get to know your shotgun.

Tip #2: Practice your gun mount.

The best place to practice is at the shooting range (find a range at www. wheretoshoot.org). If you cannot get to the range regularly, continue to handle your shotgun as often as you can. After work or school, or whenever you are home, take your unloaded shotgun out of its case and handle it. (You must still follow all gun safety rules, of course.

This rule surpasses all others: Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.)

Practice mounting your shotgun.

Work on your stance, swing and follow-through. Move around in different positions with your unloaded shotgun, depending on how you expect to be shooting. If you are a waterfowl hunter using layout blinds, lie down and practice sitting up to take the shot. If you will be in a blind or in an open field, practice sitting in a chair with your unloaded shotgun, then stand up to take the shot.

When shooting at a target, your shotgun becomes an extension of your arm. Finding and focusing on a target takes practice. Once you have mastered the skill of target location and focus, your shotgun should automatically locate the target because that is where you are looking — at the target. This reaction takes only a matter of seconds. If you have handled your shotgun frequently, this becomes automatic and instinctive.

A proper gun mount is critical to successful shotgun shooting. Practice often at home in a safe place, free of distraction and with plenty of room to move around. Mount your unloaded shotgun to your shoulder and cheek, over and over again. You’re trying to accomplish a fluid, smooth motion to the shoulder and cheek, with your eyes aligned naturally down the barrel, focused on the target without having to think about it.

One helpful exercise is to focus on the seam of your wall where it meets the ceiling. Imagine the seam as the path a clay target or live bird travels from left to right, or right to left. Next, insert a small flashlight into the barrel end of your unloaded shotgun and turn it on. Beginning at one corner, intensely focus on the seam. As your eyes slowly travel across the seam, raise your unloaded shotgun to your shoulder and cheek as you continuously move your eyes to the opposite corner of the ceiling. Swing your shotgun, following the “target,” as your eyes travel the line.

Continue this exercise slowly and with precision, so the movement of bringing your shotgun up to your shoulder and cheek embeds itself into muscle memory. This exercise is very revealing in showing how smooth — or not — your gun mount is.

Tip #3: Focus on the target.

Those four words seem so simple but are the main reason we miss. We lose focus on the target.

When you identify a target and begin your gun mount, your brain has the remarkable ability to recognize the target you are seeing. Your brain judges its speed, flight path and distance, then predicts where it is going. If you let your brain do what it is supposed to do, as you continue to focus on your target and mount your shotgun, your chance of success is great.

Any visual distraction away from the target interrupts the message your brain is receiving about the speed, path and distance of the target, and you miss. Looking at the barrel is the top culprit. Oftentimes, when shooters mount the shotgun, the movement of the shotgun barrel catches their eye and for that moment, they look away from the target, then quickly try to relocate the target, chasing it across the sky with their barrel. They miss every time.

Here’s an exercise you can practice to not get distracted by the movement of the shotgun barrel. Place three targets (cups, balls, shotgun shells) on a ledge or counter about 8 to 10 inches apart. Stand with your unloaded shotgun and focus on the center target. Keeping your eyes on that center target, slowly raise your shotgun and mount it to the left target. Lower your shotgun.

Continue to focus your eyes on the center target.

Slowly mount your shotgun to the right target.

Repeat often. This exercise forces you to “accept” your shotgun in your peripheral vision rather than taking your eyes off your target.

Know your shotgun, perfect your gun mount, focus on your target and let your brain do the rest.

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25

VISIT KIMBLE COUNTY

PLACES TO SET YOUR

WHEN NOT

SOUTH LLANO RIVER STATE PARK

1927 Park Road 73 Junction, TX 76849

Five miles from Junction on Highway 377 S

Entrance Fees Adult: $4 Daily Child 12 Years and Under: Free

(325) 446-3994

CITY PARK & COUNTY PARK Located along the South Llano River, just below the historic metal bridge that leads from town to Interstate 10. Â&#x2021; )LVKLQJ VZLPPLQJ GLVF golf, BBQ pits, picnic tables, pavilions, canoe launch, playground, basketball and volleyball courts

KIMBLE COUNTY LIBRARY & O.C. FISHER MUSEUM

208 N 10th St, Junction, TX 76849 Hours:

Mon., Tues. & Thurs.

9 A.M. -6 P.M Wed. - 9 A.M. -5 P.M. )UL A.M. - 4 P.M.

FREE WIFI Houses memorabilia of US &RQJUHVVPDQ 2 & )LVKHU a Kimble County native.

LOVERS LEAP Beautiful sunrise and sunset views over Junction at Lovers Leap hilltop.

Cross the South Llano Metal Bridge, take Loop 481 to the first â&#x20AC;&#x153;scenic viewâ&#x20AC;? which leads you to the top of the hill for a breathtaking view.

26

JUNCTION DEER TREE The Deer Horn Tree is a must photo opportunity in Kimble County. Sitting in front of Kimble Processing facing Main Street, it is composed of hundreds of deer antlers. It was erected in 1968 by the Kimble Business and Professional Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club.

JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

SITES ON,

HUNTING...

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY AND LLANO RIVER FIELD STATION 254 Red Raider Lane Home of the largest inland field station in Texas.

Drive by at dusk and see the many, many deer that call the campus home.

Call and schedule a tour of the campus!

325-446-2301

KIMBLE COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM 101 N 4th St, Junction, TX 76849 (325) 446-4219 0RQ )UL WR P.M. Weekend visits to the museum can be arranged by appointment. The museum houses a variety of local historic artifacts, the Gov. Coke Stevenson exhibit, WWI wartime memorabilia and many oddities.

FT MCKAVETT +LVWRULF 6LWH 5HHQDFWPHQWV 6WDU 3DUWLHV 7066 FM 864, Fort McKavett, TX 76841 (325) 396-2358 Open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission: Adults - $4 / 6-18 - $3 / DQG XQGHU )UHH

LONDON COMMUNITY London Community Hunter’s Breakfast Nov. 7 (annually first day of open season) Bake Sale - 8:30 a.m.

Breakfast 9:30 a.m.

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ROOSEVELT COMMUNITY Simon Brothers Mercantile & Backdoor Cafe 3861 TX-291 Loop (325) 446-2604 Hunter’s Appreciation Lunch Simon Brothers Mercantile Nov. 7, noon until food runs out! Serving sausage wraps, beans with fixings.

27

Join us in

JUNCTION, TEXAS for these

Y Exciting

2015-2016 Events! Y

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

Kimble County NRA

Twist-Off Rodeo

Family Fun Carnival

SATURDAY EVENING DANCE

Evenings in the Fall & Spring

COKE STEVENSON MEMORIAL CENTER

Usually Held 1st Weekend in June

Contact Derrick Ard for details 325.215.9425

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

Easter Pageant

Junctionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Annual

Banquet

Annually in March ___________________________________________

HILL COUNTRY FAIRGROUNDS

Softball Weekend

Annually, Easter Eve at dusk AMPHITHEATER BELOW LOVERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LEAP ___________________________________________

Cowboys & Cajuns Together Again

Co-Ed Softball Tournament

Usually Held 2nd Weekend in June Contact Judy Murr for details 210.913.4664 ___________________________________________

Freedom Celebration

JUNCTIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CITY PARK

Hunters Welcome Events 1st Weekend in November

Deer Hunting Season Opens FRI: Hunters Lunch WEST BEAR CREEK GEN. STORE FRI: Hunters Get Together

Annually in April

Annually July 4th ___________________

JUNCTION WAREHOUSE 6 PMâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;TELEGRAPH STORE

JUNCTIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CITY PARK

Starting on July 3rd

SAT: London Hunters Breakfast

LIVE MUSIC â&#x20AC;&#x201C; GREAT FOOD â&#x20AC;&#x201C; COME SPEND THE WEEKEND!!! ___________________________________________

FISH FRY AND OUTDOOR MOVIE EVENING __________________________________________

LONDON COMMUNITY CENTER

Continuing on July 4th

SAT: Hunters BBQ Lunch

Outdoor Women Gone WILD in Kimble County

MORNING

SIMON BROS/ROOSEVELT

PARADE ON MAIN ___________________

Hunters Fajita Lunch

Annually, 3rd Saturday in April April 16, 2016

FREE FIREWORKS DISPLAY! ___________________________

Live Concert HILL COUNTRY FAIRGROUNDS

SOUTH LLANO RIVER STATE PARK JUST FOR WOMEN! JUST FOR FUN!

___________________________________________

Kimble County Senior Center

Gun & Knife Show & Flea Market Junction A&M Club Scholarship Golf Tournament DINNER & SILENT AUCTION AFTER TOURNAMENT

www.junctionaggies.com fb.com/junctionaggies ___________________________________________

Boil

Annually, 1st Saturday in May

Boots â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Bangles Christmas Bazaar

Annual Hill Country Fair Assoc.

Annually, 2nd Weekend in November

Usually Held 2nd Full Weekend in August August 7-8, 2015 HILL COUNTRY FAIRGROUNDS DANCES & PARADE FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! ___________________________________________

Labor Day Weekend Celebration Annually, Saturday before Labor Day September 5, 2015 MUSIC & COOK-OFF

' # ) ' # K %"

___________________________________________

Contact Nol Dear 325.446.3154 ___________________________________________

London Community Fair & Fish Fry Lunch

Smart Choice Auto Parts

Family Festival Annually in May BBQ Cook-off, Flea Market, Music, Washer Pitching Contact Bill Simon for details, 325.446.3475

H C SPORTING GOODS

___________________________________________

CELEBRATE THE 4TH IN JUNCTION!!!

Kimble Kounty Kow Kick & Kook-Off

Annually in April

2nd Saturday in November

___________________________________________

Summer Classic Rodeo

Annually in April Contact Trish for details, 325.446.3621 ___________________________________________

Bluebonnet Casa Crawfish

' ) '). K ). % ' !$# ) !! #$ ' + '

Annually, 3rd Saturday in October Contact Claudette Primeaux 325.475.2219

COKE STEVENSON MEMORIAL CENTER ___________________________________________ Kimble County

WILD Game Dinner Annually, the Saturday after $ )&-#%0%)# 2 *0!( !,

Razor Dobbs â&#x20AC;&#x153;Outdoors Aliveâ&#x20AC;? Guest Emcee 2015 FOOD, PRIZES & LIVE AUCTION

___________________________________________

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Canâ&#x20AC;?dy-Cane Christmas Annually, 1st Weekend in December December 4-5, 2015 Donated canned goods benefit the Local Food Bank LATE NIGHT SHOPPING â&#x20AC;&#x201C; FRIDAY

Annual Lighted Christmas Parade FREE FAMILY MOVIES ON THE COURTHOUSE SQUARE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SATURDAY

Fort Worth Dallas

FOR EXACT EVENT DATES AND TIMES, VISIT:

www.junctiontexas.net OR CONTACT:

Kimble County Chamber of Commerce & Junction Visitor Information !$ '& ' ($ '!%$ ) ) # !" ($ '!%$ &! $ '

28

El Paso

10

Junction

35

San Antonio

Houston

37

Corpus Christi Laredo

AREA CABINS and CAMP GROUNDS AND RV PARKS BON TON ROULET CABINS ON THE RIVER 325/446-3154 10 miles South of Junction on US Hwy 377 S E-mail: dearnol@yahoo.com HAPPIE HOLLOW 325/446-3080 3 MILES South of Junction on US Hwy 377 S., on the South Llano River E-mail: mnwood@verizon.net PECAN SPRINGS CABIN 325/446-3583 2 Miles South of Junction off US Hwy 377 South on KC 170, on the South Llano River www.pecanspringscabin.com TERRA FIRMA CABIN 830/997-0249 in Kimble County 15 min. from Junction www.llanoriveradventures.com RED CREEK NATURE RANCH 325/475-2901 6.7 Miles North Off Hwy 377 N. at 6870 KC 372, London, TX www.redcreeknatureranch.com ILEE’S COUNTRY FISHING & CAMPING, 325/446-3604 1 1/10 mi. West of Roosevelt on KC 260 2 mi. off the headwaters of N. Llano River Y.O. RANCH 800/YORANCH, 800/967-2624 1736 YO Ranch Road NW, Mt. Home, TX www.yoranch.com COOL RIVER CABINS 866/41-RIVER 4 Miles East of Junction on Hwy 377 N on the Main Llano River www.seedsource.com/ecotourism/cabin.asp SOUTH LLANO RIVER CABINS 830/237-3502 9436 Hwy 377 South, 10 Miles South of Junction on the South Llano River SCHUSTER RANCH 432/349-9592 797 Dunk Road at Segovia (8 miles East of Junction off IH 10 Exit 465) www.schusterranch.com RECOMPENSE RANCH, 325/396-2181 Secluded historic Camp House on Headwaters of East Bear Creek COPPERAS CREEK CABINS & CAMPING 325/446-3289 8 Miles off IH 10 W at Ft. McKavett Exit on Copperas Creek FULL CIRCLE RANCH B&B/MERCANTILE 832/414-5606 5279 IH 10 (4 miles East of Junction off IH 10 Exit 462) MESA CABINS 817/565-3375 just 4 miles outside Roosevelt www.mesacabins.net VIEJO SPRINGS RANCH 830/683-4153 “Country Quiet with Modern Conveniences” Rocksprings, TX www.viejosprings.com

JUNCTION/NORTH LLANO RIVER RV PARK, a Good Sam Park 325/446-3138 or 877/446-3138 2145 N. Main on the North Llano www.junctionnorthllanoriverrvpark.com JUNCTION/SOUTH LLANO RIVER RV PARK, a Good Sam Park 325/446-3138 or 877/446-3138 At the SE Corner South Llano Bridge & Loop 481 www.southllanoriverrvresort.com SCHREINER PARK (JUNCTION CITY PARK) Located Along the South Llano River in Town. Swimming, Tables, Bar-be-que Grills, Small Covered Pavilion. No Hookups.

For Reunions or Large Parties, Please reserve at City Hall 325/446-3880 PETE’S PECAN PATCH/ LLANO RIVER RENTALS 7 mi. NE of Jct. on the Main Llano River 972/814-0213 petespecanpatch@outlook.com RV AND TENT CAMPGROUNDS MORGAN SHADY PARK 325/446-2071 or 830/459-7727 600 S. 6th Street, on the South Llano River www.morganshadypark.com ILEE’S COUNTRY FISHING & CAMPING 325/446-3604 1 1/10 mi. West of Roosevelt on KC 260 2 mi. off the headwaters of N. Llano River SCHREINER PARK (JUNCTION CITY PARK) 325/446-3880 Call City Hall to Reserve, On the South Llano River in Town (No Hookups) SMART CHOICE AUTO RV PARK 325/446-3475 401 College 30 amp & 50 amp sites available.

Long term sites available SOUTH LLANO RIVER STATE PARK 325/446-3994 For Information 1/800-792-1112 For Reservations 512/389-8900 Five Miles from Junction on Hwy 377 S. on the South Llano River www.tpwd.state.tx.us JUNCTION/NORTH LLANO RIVER RV PARK, a Good Sam Park 325/446-3138 or 877/446-3138 2145 N. Main on the North Llano www.junctionnorthllanoriverrvpark.com JUNCTION/SOUTH LLANO RIVER RV PARK, a Good Sam Park 325/446-3138 or 877/446-3138 At the SE Corner South Llano Bridge & Loop 481 www.southllanoriverrvresort.com ALOHA LLANO PRIMITIVE CAMPING 512/800-4660 10 min. out of Junction/Pet Friendly/Mt. Biking & Paddle Boarding Trips/Shuttle alohallano@gmail.com

CANOE, KAYAK, TUBE, PADDLE BOARD RENTALS and GUIDES JUNCTION TRUE VALUE HARDWARE 325/446-9101,1940 Main SOUTH LLANO RIVER CANOES & KAYAKS 325/446-2220 Located 6 miles from Junction on Highway 377 South on the South Llano River FUN IN THE SUN CANOE RENTALS 325/446-2905 830/459-7265 1606 College E-mail: bobmarlea@verizon.net TONY’S KAYAKS, 830/609-8836 830/609-8329 or 325/446-3360 315 US Hwy 377 South ALOHA LLANO (Stand Up Paddle Boarding) 512/800-4660 10 minutes out of Junction/Shuttle Available/Lessons, Tours, Overnighters In & Around Junction alohallano@gmail.com PADDLER’S PORCH, 713/397-5049 126 Flatrock Lane paddlersporch@gmail.com www.paddlersporch.com MOTELS America’s Best Value Inn - LEGENDS INN 325/446-8644 877/445-8444 1908 N. Main www.abvijunctiontx.com Email: thelegendsinn@gmail.com BEST WESTERN DOS RIOS, 325/446-3700 800/528-1234 244 Dos Rios Road www.bestwestern.com/dosrios RIVER VIEW INN 325/446-3730 IH 10 and Martinez Street Exit 457 ECONO-LODGE 325/446-2475 800/768-1872 IH 10 AT Exit 465 www.econolodge.com/ hotel-segovia-texas-TX LA VISTA MOTEL 325/446-2191, 2040 N. Main LAZY T MOTEL 325/446-2565, 2043 N. Main MOTEL 6 325/446-3572 888/4-MOTEL-6 200 IH 10 West at Exit 456 www.motel6.com THE HILLS MOTEL 325/446-2567, 1520 Main RODEWAY INN OF JUNCTION 325/446-4588 877/424-6423 2343 N. Main www.choicehotels.com/ires/html/ RodewayHome SUN VALLEY MOTEL 325/446-2505 866/446-2505 1611 Main E-mail: sun_valley_motel@yahoo.com

RESTAURANTS A & M GONZALES CAFÉ 325/446-4202, 1106 Main CHURCH’S CHICKEN 325/446-3148, 2349 N. Main www.churchschicken.com CITY SWEETS BAKERY & CAFÉ 325/446-2626, 605 Main COOPER’S BAR-B-Q & GRILL 325/446-8664, 2324 N. Main DAIRY QUEEN OF JUNCTION 325/446-2121, 2345 Main HAROLD’S FOOD MART/SHELL/QUIZNOS 325/446-3113, 2350 N. Main HILL COUNTY INTERNET CAFÉ 325/446-2760, 2005 Main ISAACK’S RESTAURANT 325/446-2629, 1606 Main www.isaacksrestaurant.com LA FAMILIA 325/446-2688, 1927 Main IVY’S LONDON GROCERY 325/475-2296 Downtown London, TX, on US Hwy 377 N www.londondancehall.com LUM’S BAR-B-QUE 325/446-3541, 2031 N. Main MAURICIO’S TAQUITOS 325/215-9142, 1101 Main MCDONALD’S RESTAURANT 325/446-8005, 2416 N. Main THE MILKY WAY DRIVE IN 325/446-2695, 1619 Main PICCADILLY CIRCUS PIZZA 325/446-4524, 1977 N. Main PILOT FLYING J TRUCK STOP 2342 North Main 325/446-2085 PLUMLEY’S COUNTRY STORE 325/4463986, 2341 N. Main www.plumleyscountrystore.com POPEYE’S LOUISIANA KITCHEN Every Tuesday 11am to 7 pm at 315 Main SEGOVIA TRUCK STOP RESTAURANT 325/446-3693, IH-10 East at Exit 465, 115 S. Segovia Access Road SONIC DRIVE INN 325/446-9200, 2337 N. Main SUBWAY 325/446-8989, 1014 Main THE DONUT PALACE 325/446-3536, 1815 Main TIA NENA’S REAL MEXICAN FOOD 325/446-4031, 2429 N. Main

“Land of Living Waters”

29

T

he misidentification occurred years ago by a teenage hunter, but the mistake still rings true many more seasons into adulthood.

Every time I think about the scenario, I still get a sinking feeling, and while I broke no law and did nothing illegal, I perpetrated a cardinal sin in hunting: I pulled the trigger on the wrong target.

Don’t get me wrong, our family processed the fat young whitetail buck and it provided dozens of meals — everything from sausage and steaks to stew meat — but the deer wasn’t the one I ultimately had hoped it would be, and the fault fell squarely on my shoulders for felling a specimen that couldn’t have been more than a couple of years old.

Like many hunters can attest, I too have gotten caught up in a case of “buck fever,” and rather than first inspecting the animal skulking through the brush with binoculars that November afternoon, I instead shouldered my rifle and decided without a doubt that it was another buck that I’d seen only hours before — a true mature deer that likely was at least two or three times as old as the former.

I could say that the deer’s headgear was mostly obscured by low-hanging oak branches, thicker and fuller that year due to heavier rains, and that the body sizes of the bucks were almost identical due to increased forage sources from said moisture at the right time. But that’s no defense.

I messed up, but like other learning scenarios in life, it provided an opportunity to glean the proper information from a mistake so that it doesn’t again surface.

Now that deer season’s upon us — those with archery gear got the first crack last month, and the general firearm season begins as usual the first Saturday in November — it’s time to focus on your objectives for the upcoming pastime that will include roughly 600,000 of your fellow hunters. In past generations, it wasn’t uncommon for hunters to harvest the first buck they saw, whether that deer had two points or 12, but in today’s age of high-fence hunting, high-protein feeding and game-camera action 365 days a year, most hunters are looking for bigger and better.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR Judging deer on the hoof is an easy proposition for biologists and land managers who spend most of the year around them, but for the average hunter, deciding how old a deer really is isn’t a walk in the park. It takes seeing a lot of critters and knowing what to look for. And as with my incident involving misidentification, few would criticize you for taking a younger buck, especially if it’s a

30

down year for headgear and you’re also looking to stock a freezer for the year with a variety of venison cuts. Still, it’s good to know the ins and outs and deer identification, which is rooted simply in biology, and as with aging of other species, there are notable characteristics that easily differentiate a mature buck from a youngster.

When inspecting a whitetail buck, the first aspect to examine is the overall body type. A younger deer will look lean and lanky, with a somewhat sleek appearance. This buck also would have skin that appears tighter than an older one and also would appear to have longer legs by comparison due to a lack of bulk. Younger deer seem more symmetrical to the naked eye as well.

The next places to check are the head and neck.

Most free-ranging young bucks obviously aren’t going to have the age to have produced larger antlers yet, but don’t let that fool you. Some younger deer can have the genes to put on big horns quickly. A younger deer’s face also appears leaner than that of an older buck, with what appears to be a straight nose profile. A younger buck’s neck also would appear leaner, though during the rut they will swell and grow as competition for does increases. However, this time of year across the state, the necks of younger bucks may not even be wider than the deer’s face, a sure sign of a young deer, and the necks of younger animals typically are more clearly defined as to where they end and the chest and shoulders begin.

Other places to check for indicators are the shoulder and chest, and on a younger buck they will appear to be as large and heavy as the hindquarters, if not a little smaller.

When it comes to a mature deer, it’s hard to not see the differences, especially if there is a younger buck nearby that can serve as a comparison. Older bucks undergo distinct changes as they age. Upon first overall glance, a mature whitetail buck will look much more muscular from head to toe, so much so that their legs almost appear shorter than those of younger deer.

In contrast to a younger buck, the mature deer will have sags, specifically in its skin and belly, and some older deer will sport a distinct potbelly.

Robert Stubblefield, Texas Tech University Center in Junction

by Will Leschper

Like the face of a younger buck, the mature deer will have distinct characteristics, notably a Roman nose with a much deeper and fuller profile, and it’s not uncommon for older deer to have a variety of wounds around the head area. The mature deer’s neck is fuller and appears swollen, especially during the rut, and typically appears to blend with the shoulders and chest. The shoulders and chest of an older deer also appear heavier and thicker than the hindquarters, with some deer having such a heavy front end that their front legs almost appear too short for their bodies.

One characteristic to look for is a deer’s tarsal glands, which during the rut look large and dark.

The back legs of some bucks appear almost entirely black, typically a tell-tale sign of an older deer.

The behavior to key on during the rut in particular is the dominance factor, with mature bucks chasing younger deer away from potential mates, in addition to constantly marking their territory with scrapes on trees and in the dirt.

The deer hunting forecast in Texas is great, with a number of huge bucks already being harvested in multiple areas of the state. Now that you know what to look for, perhaps this is the year you hold off longer on pulling the trigger and are rewarded with your best buck, too.

WILL LESCHPER’s work has been recognized by the Outdoor Writers Association of America and the Texas Outdoor Writers Association. Visit TexanOutdoors.com for more on Texas hunting and fishing.

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FACT OR FICTION:

Does supplemental feeding protein pellets really work Supplemental feeding in the form of pelleted feed is a valuable tool in the serious deer manager’s tool belt, as it provides two things: consistency and a higher level of nutrition.

As it’s name implies, supplemental feeding is something done to augment or increase the natural feed available to deer. Seasonal cycles, weather patterns and man-made disturbances can cause the nutritional value and availability of native deer foods to be unpredictable with a wide swings in quality. Supplemental feeding is a safety net or an insurance policy against periods of low nutritional value and/or availability. Of course, there are different degrees of supplementation and how it is used and its effectiveness, but a supplemental feeding program’s primary responsibility is to lessen the blows of low nutrition and keep the deer on a more level nutritional plane throughout the year.

Supplemental feeding is just that--a supplement. When the rains are right and the stars line up, we can’t even compete with Mother Nature. As you likely know, when it rains, deer won’t eat the protein. They eat it only when they need it, when the habitat is stressed or defoliated. In the pasture, the deer makes the choice to eat or not to eat protein. And their stomachs tell them when and how much to eat.

Some deer eat two bites and leave while others camp out and eat four to six pounds of feed per day. This is why the amount of protein on the bag means very little. Don’t get caught up worrying about the highest amount of protein. You need to worry about the quality of the feed, as a total package, so that when a deer does eat it, they get what they need and when they need it.

Protein feed is not the magic bullet. It simply is a supplement to level out the peaks and valleys of the nutritional swings the habitat typically goes through as the seasons or weather patterns change. It is not a “cure all” designed for a specific period of time.

It is meant to be used year around and to SLOWLY and STEADILY help the deer stay in top physical condition. By waiting until July or August to feed the bucks something extra or special is way too late.

A buck begins growing his antlers approximately one week after shedding the previous set. When he is malnourished or pulled down from the rigors of the rut and lack of rainfall, his body goes into a selfpreservation mode (thus why skinny bucks shed earlier) in order to stay alive. If supplemental feeding

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Macy Ledbetter, www.springcreekoutdoors.com

by Macy Ledbetter

was used during post-rut, the buck would not sink to such a low nutritional level, and his body would not have to play “catch up” from a nutritional perspective. As the body suffers, so do the antlers. Antlers are a bi-product of nutrition. Providing supplemental feed ensures that the buck will have enough to eat no matter what the native forage is providing so that his body will be healthy enough to support the growth of antlers to his full genetic potential.

The same benefits go for the does. If you provide an additional source of feed, the does will be healthier and able to carry, deliver and nurse a healthier fawn(s). Fawns that receive a good start at life get bigger and stronger and therefore increase their chances of survival, especially as winter approaches.

So, does supplemental feeding work? The answer is yes, as long as it is part of the bigger management plan. Here are some situations that illustrate what does and does not allow a supplemental feeding program to be successful: WORKS: Good quality feeders that keep out

moisture and are in a feed pen at least 60’ diameter to exclude non-target animals such as livestock, feral hogs and javelina.

DOESN’T WORK: Leaky feeders that let in moisture to spoil feed or placement in a feed pen so small that deer are afraid to jump in or only a couple of deer can get in at any one time.

WORKS: As many feeders as financially affordable spread evenly across the ranch. Even distribution means even use and keeps the animals spread more evenly across the landscape.

DOESN’T WORK: One feeder near the ranch house, or several feeders bunched up only compounds the problems.

WORKS: Keeping protein feeders filled from post-rut through shedding of velvet, year in and year out.

DOESN’T WORK: Putting protein out a couple months a year; maybe this year, maybe not.

WORKS: Placing protein feeders in areas of the ranch away from high traffic and near escape cover.

DOESN’T WORK: Placing feeders by the main roads with high traffic or in wide open fields.

WORKS: Use protein feeding as a part of your overall management program and after you have deer densities reduced to what the habitat can support.

DOESN’T WORK: Keep providing feed with no plan for reducing the additional deer you are growing with the feed and allowing population to go uncontrolled to the decimation of the native habitat.

WORKS: On small, low-fenced acreage, get all neighbors cooperating with harvesting and providing protein.

DOESN’T WORK: Be the only one in the neighborhood feeding protein while the neighbors are shooting every two year old buck that crosses the fence.

The immediate benefits of a proper supplemental feeding program include increased body weights. During the second year, fawn survival rates will improve sharply, and on or about year three, improved antler production will be evident on those young bucks raised on the feeding program. As you can see, supplemental feeding is a long-term project and should not be taken lightly or sporadically in order for it to really work.

For more information on this topic visit www.

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n o i t a c o L d n i l B Deer Blind placement is one of the most overlooked segments of deer hunting I regularly encounter. When selecting a suitable location, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think like a human, but like a deer.

Oftentimes, placing the blind for convenience is much different than placing it where it may offer the best chance for success. Deer, particularly mature bucks, use travel corridors -edges, drainages, creeks, tree lines and other screening covers to get from one place to the next. Outside of the rut and the accompanying brief lapse of intelligence, mature bucks stick close to these landscape features to offer maximum concealment as they travel. A well placed blind will be able to observe these corridors, perhaps more than one simultaneously, at a safe enough distance to avoid detection by the quarry, yet offering a high percentage shot distance.

Placing the blind too close to travel or feeding locations such as feeders or food plots will disrupt the animalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daily routine and minimize success significantly. Feeders should offer protective cover as animals travel to and from them as well.

Feeders in the wide open offer no such protection and create deer activity only under the cover of darkness.

Obviously, prevailing wind direction must also be taken into consideration. Cross or down wind from travel and feeding areas will ensure the best chance of success, and such locations must only be hunted when the winds are favorable. Hunting these locations when the winds are â&#x20AC;&#x153;not rightâ&#x20AC;? will only educate the animals and make them more wary of the area. Outside of the rut, most mature bucks will approach a feeding location downwind to scent-check the area for danger and for hot does before exposing themselves. If your blind is too close to the feeder, the buck will approach downwind of your location as well as the feeder, and you will be busted. If your blind is too far, you may be unable to make an accurate shot.

Since â&#x20AC;&#x153;how far is too farâ&#x20AC;? is highly variable, try to take into account your actual abilities and place the blind as far away from the feeder as you can confidently make the shot.

An often overlooked part of deer blinds is anchoring them to the ground. The winds are not always calm in Texas, so making sure your blind

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101

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by Macy Ledbetter

will be there next hunting season is a must. Tiedowns, anchors, guy wires, concrete posts and t-posts are required to, not only keep your blind upright, they will also help keep the blind steady when the moment of truth arrives and you have to make the shot.

There is an unwritten rule among ethical hunters and landowners that states that no hunting blinds will be placed along property lines. The appropriate distance requires common sense based on topography, habitat, line-of-sight and shooting direction. The same holds true for feeder placement. No neighboring landowner should be able to see your feeders or blinds and you should not be able to see theirs. If your property is small and irregular shaped, hunt only the center and perhaps a tower blind is not for you. If your property is large, concentrate on travel corridors away from the boundary line and out of sight of the neighbors.

Common sense and blind location not only makes hunting a safer and more enjoyable sport, but makes for much better neighbors as well.

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35

by Kendall Hemphill, excerpt from The Buck Never Got Here

H

e was born just the other day, during a war that was taking place halfway around the world. Proof, maybe, that life would still go on, that good things happen in a world where so much bad occurs. The beginning of something impossible to understand or describe, something that has to be experienced, lived.

Suddenly, because of this little boy, I saw things unnoticed for decades. Bugs became valuable entomological specimens to be gathered and studied. Snakes and spiders were no longer unpleasant pests, to be immediately disposed of. Cows, sheep, horses, dogs – all had to be watched, smelled, touched, tasted.

All had to be experienced.

A boy is a piece of existence quite separate from all things else and deserves a separate chapter in the natural history of man. ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Boy defined: Nature’s answer to that false belief that there is no such thing as perpetual motion. ~ Author unknown

After a while I realized he was a person. Maybe I had viewed a child as a sort of pet, at least until it was old enough to talk and go around without diapers. But this one, being present all the time, showed me he was much more than a dog or cat.

Two small arms to hold you tight, two small feet to run, two small eyes full of love for you, one small son. ~ Author unknown

Kendall Hemphill kneels with his youngest son, Leret, and the Aoudad Leret harvested near Brackettville about 4 years ago.

Just the other day, as I was leaving to go somewhere, he held out his arms for a hug. For the first time, I realized that I was important to him.

He wanted to be with me, to do things with me; he wanted us to spend time together. I’d had no idea.

He squeezed me around the neck, and things changed. Life changed.

Like it or not, this small person and I were inextricably entwined. Like marshmallows in hot chocolate, impossible to ever completely separate.

Of course, he had known that all along. I had just learned it.

Boys are found everywhere – on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around or jumping to . . . A boy is Truth with dirt on its face, Beauty with a cut on its finger, Wisdom with bubble gum in its hair, and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket. ~ Alan Marshall Beck

And frogs. Well, catching a frog was the equivalent of finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Nothing is as valuable to a boy as a frog, to be held, pocketed, petted, and made to hop. Lizards, though also wonderful, are difficult to obtain and more difficult to keep captive. And frogs have such a friendly, personable appearance.

To a boy.

Robert Stubblefield, photographed at Texas Tech University Center in Junction

36

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;God made a world out of His dreams, of magic mountains, oceans and streams, prairies and plains and wooded land. Then paused and thought, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I need someone to stand on top of the mountains, to conquer the seas, explore the plains and climb the trees.

Someone to start out small and grow sturdy and strong like a tree.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; And so He created boys, full of spirit and fun to explore and conquer, to romp and run with dirty faces and banged up chins, with courageous hearts and boyish grins. And when He had completed the task Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d begun, He surely said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a job well done.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? ~ Author unknown Just the other day the boy turned five years old. I gave him his first knife, a little Swiss Army model, to be wielded only under close parental supervision. His face showed this

was quite a satisfactory development, as he pulled out the various instruments and tried each one. Every boy needs a Swiss Army knife. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And he grew and grew strong as a boy must grow who does not know that he is learning any lessons, and who has nothing in the world to think of except things to eat.â&#x20AC;? ~ Rudyard Kipling His eighth birthday was just the other day, when he got a Red Ryder BB gun. Armed now with the tools necessary to become a great Nimrod, he set forth on Backyard Safaris after Dangerous Game. At night, our home now enjoyed much better protection.

Just the other day he shot his first deer, no doubt the most bittersweet experience in a young boyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life.

Respect for the animal tempers the joy of accomplishment, and lets the boy know this is not an act lightly undertaken, nor cavalierly dismissed.

Along with the power to provide for a

family comes the responsibility to be a good steward of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creatures. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There comes a time in every rightly constructed boyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life when he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure.â&#x20AC;? ~ Mark Twain Just the other day we went on our first overnight father/son float trip down the river. Time is suspended on the river, the world quietly waits elsewhere, and adventure is always just around the next bend. We turned over in the rapids, camped on a sandbar, cooked chili over a driftwood fire, and slept under the stars. He paddled his boat all the way, insisting he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tired.

At the take-out I asked him why he was bringing the small, smooth river rock with us. It was just a stone, no different from the thousands of others within sight. He said he would take it home and put it on his dresser, and keep it, and it would remind

him of the best time heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d ever had.

I turned away to tie the boats down.

That was just the other day; now he teeters on the brink of manhood.

Today he is in between, with feet too big and pants too short. He becomes more brilliant by the hour, while I lapse rapidly into senility.

Tomorrow, he will be gone. He will leave home, get an education, marry, and start a family. And when he has a child of his own, I will hold the baby, and my son will look at me strangely when I say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was just the other day, you know, that I held you like this . . .â&#x20AC;?

Kendal Hemphill is an outdoor humor columnist and public speaker. Write to him at jeep@verizon.net.

Read his columns and more in The Junction Eagle newspaper each week.

Lock away danger Proper gun storage is essential for safety

by Robert Ramirez Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine Those who enjoy hunting and shooting sports bear the responsibility of securing and storing their firearms safely when not in use. Safe storage protects you and the people around you. As a matter of fact, it is against the law to store, transport or abandon an unsecured firearm in a place where children are likely to obtain access to it.

Here are some safe gun storage principles to ensure that your firearm is secure and will be operational for your next outdoor adventure.

Gun Safety Storage Principles Â&#x2021; )LUHDUPV PXVW EH VWRUHG XQORDGHG 0DNH VXUH WKDW WKH DFWLRQ LV cleared, with the magazine removed or empty. Do not hesitate to ask a friend or hunting partner to verify the status of the firearm. Use a gun lock to render the action inoperable. Never rely on the gunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safety to perform this function. Â&#x2021; )LUHDUPV VKRXOG EH FOHDQHG DIWHU XVH ZLWK D OLJKW FRDW RI RLO EHIRUH storing. Â&#x2021; )LUHDUPV VKRXOG EH VWRUHG LQ D FRRO FOHDQ DQG GU\ JXQ FDELQHW RU safe. Desiccants can be added to the gun safe to keep moisture at bay.

Never store a gun in a scabbard or closed case because moisture can accumulate inside. Â&#x2021; 6WRUH JXQV KRUL]RQWDOO\ RU ZLWK WKH EDUUHO GRZQ 7KLV ZLOO NHHS WKH RLO from accumulating in the action or softening the wood gunstock. Â&#x2021; 5HIUDLQ IURP GLVSOD\LQJ JXQV LQ JODVV FDELQHWV RU ZDOO UDFNV DV WKDW FDQ serve as an open invitation for the firearms to fall into the wrong hands. Â&#x2021; $OZD\V VWRUH DPPXQLWLRQ LQ D FRRO GU\ SODFH WR SUHYHQW FRUURVLRQ DQG keep it separate from firearms.

By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your family will be safe and that your firearm will be ready to use for your next hunting trip.

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SAFETY FIRST Learning from the top three hunting risks.

by Nancy Herron Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine

Hunting is safe and getting safer.

Even if you were born before Sept. 2, 1971, take hunter education. You will learn something new, and you’ll join the ranks of more than a million Texas hunter education graduates who are safe, legal and ethical hunters.

With the advent of the hunter education course, fewer than three people per 100,000 hunters in Texas are injured in hunting accidents annually – a fraction of the rate of injury in football, biking or swimming.

But, with over a million licensed hunters every year, that’s still 20 or 30 people too many. All accidents are preventable. Experienced hunters who don’t take hunter education and get complacent about safety cause most of the problems. Every year, there is a tragic instance or two of unsupervised youth mishandling a loaded firearm. No one should be killed by carelessness, so let’s learn from our mistakes and make this season the safest one yet.

Here are the three most common causes of injury or death while hunting: 1. Careless handling of the firearm.

People drop, prop, shove or pull on a loaded firearm, not paying attention to where the muzzle is pointed. Sometimes the firearm falls or is knocked over by the hunting dog. Or, while reaching for a firearm, a hunter accidentally grabs the trigger or the trigger gets caught on something. A hunter stumbles and falls with a loaded firearm. The end result of all of these: The firearm discharges, hitting the hunter or companion, sometimes fatally.

Accidents result from not following the rules. Review these rules and practice them to save lives - yours, your friends’ and you family’s.

1. Point the muzzle in a safe direction at all times.

Never point at anything you don’t intend to shoot, even when you think the firearm is unloaded. Control the muzzle at all times. Never rest the muzzle on your foot.

2. Swinging on game.

This most often happens while hunting waterfowl and dove, especially in September.

Hunters are side-by-side, shotguns up and following game birds flying overhead. In the excitement of the moment, someone follows the bird beyond his or her safe zone of fire (the area or direction in which you can safely fire a shot) or steps forward into someone else’s zone of fire. A shot is fired, and the victim gets hit, sometimes fatally.

3. Shooting from or around a vehicle.

Shooting from inside a vehicle or propping a gun over the roof or the hood of a vehicle can be dangerous. Grabbing a loaded firearm in the cramped quarters of a vehicle can easily lead to an unintended discharge. Looking through a scope, the hunter is deceived because the aim is far away; nearby, the barrel is lower than the scope. The hunter ends up shooting into the cab of the vehicle, or into someone standing near the vehicle.

SAFETY FIRST

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2. Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.

“I didn’t realize it was loaded” are hollow words you never want to have to say when someone was shot or killed because of your actions. Every time you pick up a firearm, control the muzzle and check to see if the firearm is loaded. Be sure the chamber and magazine are empty and that the action is open until ready to be fired.

Then, still treat the firearm as if it were loaded.

3. Be sure of your target, what is in front of it and beyond it.

Make sure your target is fully visible and in good light. Look at what is in front of the target, and where your shot will go if it travels beyond your target.

Determine that you have a safe backstop or background. Since you don’t know what is on the other side, never take a shot at any animals on top of ridges or hillsides. Know how far bullets, arrows and pellets can travel. Never shoot at flat, hard surfaces such as water rocks or steel because of ricochets.

4. Keep your finger outside of the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.

Your finger should remain out of the trigger guard until the instant you are ready to fire. Keep the safety on, but don’t let that substitute for safe firearm handling.

39

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The Adjunct Reunion is not an annual event, but check our website & Facebook for more information on future reunions.

We are committed to raising scholarship money so that any student from Junction who aspires to attend Texas A&M University will have the resources available to them.

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Seeds of HOPE

Nurseryman Bill Neiman harvests native seed to restore Texas prairies.

by Camille Wheeler Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine

A

s a child growing up on the rural outskirts of Dallas in the 1950s, Bill Neiman loved to plant himself beneath the native horse apple trees in his family’s backyard.

Water hose in hand, he created rivers and lakes for his imaginary little people in the make-believe cities he built in the dirt.

The young Neiman spent summers barefoot, walking through pastures to explore the tall grasses around Bachman Creek and Bachman Lake. He dug in the dirt with his grandmothers, nurturing vegetable gardens and flowerbeds. As a teenager, Neiman traveled yearly with his father to New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness, where they slept on the ground, made hot tea from wild mint and seasoned freshly caught trout with watercress, nuts and berries.

By Neiman’s 19th birthday, the seeds of destiny that someday would yield the operations of his Native American Seed farm and a partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department had

42

clearly been sown: He would work with land, plants and water.

In 1973, Neiman borrowed a rake, a shovel and a lawnmower to start a landscaping business in Argyle, northwest of Dallas. Five years later, in neighboring Flower Mound, he launched a bigger operation: Neiman Environments Nursery and Landscape Construction Company.

But by 1985, at the age of 30, Neiman was questioning everything about his business. Haunted by a brutally hot 1980, when his non-native landscapes succumbed to drought, Neiman realized he was growing the wrong kinds of plants. The surrounding countryside was virtually covered with alien species. No one, it seemed, knew where to find native vegetation.

Disconnected from his childhood roots, Neiman was at a crossroads. The turning point he desperately sought came on March 30, 1985, during a native plant landscaping seminar held in Dallas at the Texas Agricultural Research and Extension Center, which was locally known as the Renner Station. Hosted by the Native Plant Society of Texas, formed four years earlier, the seminar featured keynote speaker Sally Wasowski, an author whose first native landscaping book was set for release that April.

Neiman sat alone near the top row of the auditorium confronting a painful truth: Everything about his role in the conventional American landscape paradigm, every non-native species that he planted in a customer’s yard, every drop of water that went toward keeping insanely thirsty exotics green for green’s sake, was a mistake.

On the stage below, Wasowski challenged the audience: Where could native plants be found? Who could be trusted to grow them?

Shocking even himself, Neiman sprang to his feet.

“I can do it!” he shouted as every head in the

Touch the earth and quietly listen. 150 years ago only native plants grew here...

Bill Neiman listens to the pollinators on Goldenrod. crowd turned to stare up at the 135-pound landscape contractor whose booming, crow-like voice didn’t match his grass-stalk-slender frame. “And I will do it! I have a nursery. I’m in Flower Mound, Texas, and I’m converting the whole thing to native plants.”

Wasowski had never heard of Bill Neiman.

“We all looked at each other and thought ‘Who is this guy, and will we ever see him again?’ ” she recalled in a phone interview.

The answer was yes. Neiman kept his word, com-

JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

The next year, Neiman shut down his Flower Two such partnerships continue at the Houstonpleting his nursery’s conversion to native plants by the late 1980s. Wasowski, who went running to get Mound nursery, moving full-time into harvesting area Sheldon Lake State Park and Environmental Neiman’s name after the seminar, became one of seeds on native prairie remnants. In 1995, Bill, Jan Learning Center and at San Jacinto Battleground and their children, Emily and Weston, ages 12 and State Historic Site, where TPWD biologist and his first customers.

The transition wasn’t easy. Neiman and his wife, 6, moved to the Hill Country, eventually establish- natural resource specialist Andy Sipocz strategizes Jan, dug up native plants and roots from Denton ing a permanent home for Native American Seed with Neiman’s team.

Since Neiman’s initial visits to Sheldon Lake County sites being paved over by urban sprawl. on a farm northeast of Junction on the Llano River.

Seated at the intersection of a handful of Texas’ State Park in 2004, Native American Seed’s work, They hand-collected native seeds to grow starter in part, has involved wetlands restoplants. And they bought an old church ration via the planting of live roots bus, removed its seats and traveled to into marshes. And in cooperation with Central Texas, bringing home native the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension plants from visionary nurseries.

Service, the U.S. Environmental Their efforts were producing amazProtection Agency, the U.S. Fish and ing results. In the morning, Neiman and Wildlife Service and Texas Master his crew would deliver native plants Naturalist volunteers, wetlands covered to a customer’s home for landscaping. up by agricultural land use decades That afternoon, before the men had ago are being re-excavated with the finished cleaning up, bugs, birds and “Sheldon-Sipocz” method that Sipocz butterflies were already zooming into pioneered. the yard, wildly attracted by the new Sheldon Lake State Park’s intricately vegetation. connected wetlands and prairie need There was no doubt in Neiman’s many more years of recovery, Sipocz mind: There was a crash in habitat. says. Yet the swift return of wildlife to Wildlife was starving for native plants. the park is “like magic,” says Sipocz, Nearby, a few pockets of wild prairie who again is seeing American bitterns remained where native seeds could be and bobcats, among many other aniharvested. Neiman figured that in the The Indian Blanket Moth's burgundy forewings and yellow head and thorax back of a pickup truck, he could load make them extremely well camouflaged when feeding or resting on the blos- mals, thriving in tall native grasses.

In nearby La Porte, the San Jacinto enough native plants to landscape a soms of Indian Blanket. This colorful little moth is completely dependent on the Battleground Conservancy, the Shell yard in an afternoon. Or, in that same native wildflower Indian Blanket as its sole host plant, and this relationship Oil Company and Texas Master pickup bed, he could load enough bags must be the result of a long process of coevolution.

Naturalist volunteers are providing of harvested seeds to plant 40 acres.

The future was at stake. Neiman resolved to start 10 ecoregions, Native American Seed specializes in support for the restoration of the San Jacinto restoring Texas’ native prairies. Otherwise, genetic the harvest and sale of wildflower seeds and prairie Battleground to its 1836 appearance, when Texas information would be lost. The seeds were the only grasses native to the Texas-Oklahoma-Louisiana soldiers crawled through waist-high native grasses bioregion. As a research laboratory for seeds har- to take Mexican Gen. Santa Anna’s encampment by things holding it.

In 1988, Neiman pulled an Allis Chalmers com- vested off-site, the farm provides vivid examples of surprise and seize the decisive victory of the Texas Revolution. bine with a Farmall Super M tractor to harvest how native habitat sustains wildlife.

During the extreme drought conditions of 2011, In 2013, Native American Seed meticulously Flower Mound’s 12-acre namesake, The Mound, sacred Native American ground cloaked with 350 clouds of painted buntings descended on rows of planted a mixture of native grasses and wildflowers native plant species. Neiman had a new offering: an Texas cupgrass (Eriochloa sericea), surviving on its on 110 acres of the site with a tractor and seed drill. ecosystem in a bag. That same fall, he introduced nutritious seeds. Milkweed varieties grown on the The size, scope and precision of Neiman’s convoythe business name Native American Seed, selling farm support migrating monarch butterflies, whose traveling operations set the team apart. seeds in Mason jars. numbers are plummeting these days.

“It’s not easy planting prairie soil. That’s why we In 1989, in a project funded by TPWD, the The Native American Seed story is one of con- use folks like Bill,” Sipocz says.

Nature Conservancy and Collin County, Neiman nections, with none more critical than Neiman’s Neiman, now 61, encourages us all to read the conducted his first native prairie restoration, plant- collaborations with TPWD. Through harvesting, land: to understand what grew there 150 years ago ing seeds he harvested within a 15-mile radius on prairie restoration and educational outreach, Native without human interference.

60 acres of the Parkhill Prairie Preserve. He could American Seed has provided help to dozens of state “People can rebuild this,” he says. “All is not rebuild an ecosystem from itself. park facilities over the past 27 years. lost.”

All photos on this spread are courtesy of Native American Seed, www.seedsource.com

JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

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Facts about

deer

that you may

by Macy Ledbetter White-tailed deer, mule deer, blacktailed deer, elk, axis deer, fallow deer, and moose all belong in the Family Cervidae.

This family of deer is characterized by an absence of a gall bladder, feet are actually four toed (dew claws count as toes), all have 32 teeth (except the elk), and the males grow antlers.

There are 30 different subspecies of white-tailed deer in North, Central, and South America. White-tailed deer are also ungulates, which means they have a hoofed foot as well as ruminants which means they have a four chambered stomach and chew their cud.

A deer’s eyes are large and set on the sides of their heads to give them a 310 degree field of vision. They also have a tapetum lucidum, which is a reflective layer of pigmented specialized epithelial cells in the back of their eyes which collects available light to allow deer to see better at night and is responsible for the “eye shine” present in many nocturnal animals.

Deer have pilo erector muscles in the skin that raise the hair coat up, much like humans get “goose bumps”.

This is to increase air space for insulation and also used in behavorial posturing (primarily among bucks).

Deer deposit fat first in bone marrow, kidney and pelvic areas. Fat is deposited last over the ribs, brisket, tail and head. Deer lose fat in the reverse order.

Deer have approximately seven glands that are very important in their daily lives. The forehead gland is most active on bucks during the rut, but also used as a business card of sorts for identification purposes.

The preorbital gland is located in front of the eyes and is used primarily to deposit scents for territorial marking. The interdigital glands are located between the two larger hoofs and are used for tracking each other or communicating to a large group of deer (a buck follows a doe’s scent this way or when a deer stomps its feet to warn others of danger). The metatarsal glands

46

not have known

are located between the knee and foot along the inside of the rear legs and are thought to be used for circulatory and thermoregulation purposes. The tarsal gland is located along the inside of the hind legs just inside the knee area and is used to identify individual deer, express dominance and breeding conditions, and other smelly responses. The gland actually reacts to the urine when deposited on the hair to produce the musky odor that most hunters are so familiar with. The vomeronasal glands are located within the nostrils and upper palate of the mouth and are used for taste and smell and the receptors are sensitive to non-volatile compounds so that they can gauge a deer’s reproductive status. The pineal gland is located in the brain and detects changes in day length, or photoperiod. This gland influences the pituitary gland to produce hormones that influence not only antler growth, shedding of velvet and the hardening of the antlers, but also male and female reproductive cycling.

The four chambered stomach of a deer includes the reticulum, rumen omasum and abomasum. The reticulem is the first compartment of the stomach, a honeycomb looking thing that simply holds and collects swallowed material. The reticulum is the fermentation vat with the large papilla (hair looking things) on the wall to increase absorptive and mixing surface area. The omasum absorbs fluids with its many folded pouches (which increase surface area and grinding ability) and the abomasumsis considered the true stomach where glands produce acids which finally digest the contents.

Beyond the stomach, the small intestines are where the primary nutrient absorption occurs, and the fluids are finally absorbed in the large intestine.

The liver produces bile since there is no gall bladder, and digests the fats and detoxifies any substances such as toxins that are eaten in certain plants.

Deer are seasonally polyestrous, meaning they only cycle during certain times of the year and usually come into estrus (heat) on 28-day cycles.

Gestation period is 199-201 days.

Males are only fertile when they have hardened antlers, infertile the remainder of the year. www.SpringCreekOutdoors.com

Robert Stubblefield, photographed at Texas Tech University Center in Junction

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by Mike Cox Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine

While most hunters today primarily view whitetailed deer as a source of lean meat and trophy racks, the antlers grown and shed every year from the foreheads of bucks are more than just symmetrical (or sometimes not) calcium formations intended by nature as a means of self-defense and as a symbol of genetic quality. Since before recorded history, antlers — either taken from harvested deer or picked up after they have been shed — have comforted and benefited man as spiritual icons and cultural artifacts ranging from tools to art.

Following the sacred deer, the first people emerge from the serpent-filled underwater world in the west. Lighting their way with torches, they walk east toward what they will come to call Dawn Mountain. Once they reach the high ground, the deer that willingly led them from the abyss beneficently sacrifices itself.

When the deer falls, its carcass suddenly blooms with peyote buttons. The vision-producing plant even grows from the tips of the deer’s antlers. Eating the deer, the people become gods and the world begins.

— Creation Myth

ANTLERS

Asian medicine.

In 1881, German-Texan Albert Friedrich tired of working for someone else as a bartender and bellhop and decided to go into business for himself.

With adult-like promotional acumen, the 17-year-old Alamo City teenager opened a saloon on Main Plaza in San Antonio.

At some point early in that venerable establishment’s history (it’s still in business), young Friedrich had a great marketing idea. Since many of the cowpokes and others who came to town had little more than a change of shirts in their saddlebags and even less in their pockets, Friedrich came up with the notion of offering a free drink to anyone who brought in a set of antlers he could hang on the wall of his saloon. As word spread of this arrangement, the watering hole acquired a Texas-size collection of antlers that appealed to the growing tourist trade.

When Prohibition put most saloons out of business starting in 1922, deer antlers helped keep the Buckhorn open for business. Friedrich continued to

use his still-growing collection of antlers to entice visitors. Instead of topping off beer mugs, the entrepreneurially minded San Antonioan sold lunches and nonalcoholic drinks. He also opened one of Texas’ first curio shops, a big draw being his hall of horns.

Expanding on her husband’s concept, Emilie Friedrich started swapping free drinks for rattlesnake rattles — minus the snake, of course. She then transformed rattles into souvenirs that out-of-state visitors could hardly resist taking home to show how wild Texas was.

Hearing the brittle clacking of antler-on-antler, a buck thinks another buck is fighting a rival for the favor of a nearby doe. Against what should be his better judgment, the opportunist buck lopes to the scene expecting to win over the fair lady, only to be felled by a waiting hunter who has set down his rattling horns and picked up his rifle.

And so, yet another set of antlers either goes up on the wall or gets turned into some other form of cultural artifact.

Macy Ledbetter, www.springcreekoutdoors.com

The allure of

Somewhere between the take-a-deer-or-go-hungry days and the taming of the Texas frontier in the final quarter of the 19th century, the size of a buck’s rack became a matter of hunter pride and bragging rights.

The formation of the hunter/conservationist group Boone and Crockett Club in 1887 by avid hunter and future “big stick” President Theodore Roosevelt happened about the time that hunting began its transition toward being more of a sporting activity than strictly a means to acquire meat on the cloven hoof. The club developed the numerical antler scoring system still used today.

For hunter-gatherers, a deer’s antlers amounted to the Home Depot raw material section of the day.

The heavy end of a deer antler made a good knife handle, and the sharp tines could be used as awls.

Pieces of antler also came in handy for digging and flint-knapping. These days, deer antlers are used mostly for ornamental purposes. One hunter’s blog lists 51 things that can be done with antlers, the last (or should it be first?) being merely looking at them and remembering a great hunt. Some uses include: jewelry, buttons, drawer pulls, letter openers, wall hooks, lamp bases, dog chew toys and

JUNCTIONTEXAS.COM

49

SCENT TO HELP Trained dogs lead hunters to wounded deer

while they work a blood trail across hilly, brushy ranchland near Hamilton.

As the team disappears over a hill, I remind myself that Bliss is a little

by Henry Chappell younger than I am. And Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine my daughter. And she’s five months pregnant.

Don’t worry, we aren’t unt deer long enough, and it’ll evenhunting out of season. Kya tually happen.

Maybe you simply shot the buck is following a trail laid 12 poorly. Maybe he jumped as you squeezed the hours before, part of a trigger. In any case, the deer bolted, and you test sanctioned by United Blood Trackers (UBT). A didn’t see him fall.

After a half-hour wait, you follow up. Sure deer hide awaits at the In the training, deer blood is dribbled along a trail for the dogs to enough, you find blood spots, but the trail disap- end of a winding trail. follow. pears after a few yards. A careful search turns Between “first blood” and worked as a hunting guide for several years. the end of a (minimum) 800-yard run, the testers up nothing.

“I wanted an all-around ranch and hunting You mentally replay the shot and try to con- had dribbled a maximum of 8 ounces of deer dog,” she says. “I did some research and found vince yourself that you just nicked him. But you blood from a squirt bottle. The trail had been laid the blue lacy, and just wasn’t prepared for the know the truth. If you don’t find him, coyotes out with a GPS, so the testers knew every turn. energy and prey drive. Before that, I had a Lab, Kya splashes across a creek. Marlo Ondrej, the and he was like ‘doe-de-doe-de-doe.’ Just laid will.

You could call in your buddies to help with UBT judge, nods and says, “Good girl.” back. I was completely in the dark as to how to Marlo shows me the blood spots after Kya control her [Kya].” the search, but that’ll take time, and the trail is growing fainter by the second. You’d best mark moved on. Dry and pale in the late morning sun, She sought the help of Mike Chittum, a Fort they could’ve passed for natural coloring on the Worth-area hunting dog enthusiast. After six the blood spots and bring in a tracking dog.

Hunting deer with dogs is illegal in Texas, but grass and rocks. I wouldn’t have seen them on weeks of obedience training, Kya returned home using as many as two trained dogs to recover my own. Eight ounces of blood spreads awfully to start serious tracker training. wounded deer is legal in all counties except a thin over 800 yards.

“The biggest thing is to trust your dog,” Bliss Young Kya looks uncertain in the high grass says. “Most of the mistakes I’ve made on trails few in East Texas.

On a warm March day, I try to keep up with at the base of a hill. After a few minutes Bliss have come from second-guessing Kya. You have Bliss Lay and her dog Kya, a young blue lacy, brings her back across the creek to “last blood.” to build their confidence by not setting them up Kya regains her intensity and crosses the creek to fail.” again. Back in the high Bliss started training Kya’s puppies on a hotgrass, she tries working dog trail at five weeks. air scent more than ground “We started on a two-foot trail,” she explains. scent this time. After a “I laid out a thick line of blood and let it warm short search, she finds the up a little, and then laid pieces of hot dog on deer hide. High-fives and it. You just slowly make it longer. As they get whooping all around. Kya older, make sure to have a big reward at the end, sniffs the hide excitedly not in the middle. They have to finish the trail to while Bliss fusses over her get their reward.” newly credentialed trackBefore her UBT qualification, Kya had already ing dog. found two deer under actual hunting conditions, Back at the barn that one after a 400-yard trail. serves as test headquar“I had shot a deer — not the greatest shot,” ters, Bliss talks with me Bliss says. “I had no idea where she went, but about Kya, hunting and Kya found her really quick.” blood tracking. Born and As we talked, other dogs and handlers awaited These beagle/feist puppies play in the East Texas woods, honing raised in a ranching and their skills for the day they can become tracking dogs. While early hunting family, Bliss now testing. I noticed a German shorthaired pointer, a Rhodesian ridgeback, a wirehaired dachshund, a training is important, basic obedience should be instilled in a dog ranches with her husband German wirehaired pointer and, of course, other before heading afield for serious training, let alone real tracking. near Stanton. She has also

H

50

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lacy dogs.

Wherever you find more than a few lacy dogs, you’re likely to find Marlo Ondrej, surely the world’s No. 1 lacy advocate. A lifelong hunter, hunting guide and hard-core dog nut, Marlo manages the Covered Gate Ranch near Uvalde. Since 1998, she has owned and maintained the Lacy Game Dog Registry.

Marlo’s first tracking dog was an Australian shepherd mix.

“He just happened to be awesome at it,” she says. “But I knew that it was just happenstance and that I’d need to find a dog bred for the job.”

Research led her to the blue lacy. After she’d gotten involved with lacy dogs, she learned that she’s a great-great-granddaughter of Frank Lacy, one of the breed’s founders. Thanks to Marlo’s lobbying, the Texas Legislature designated the blue lacy the official state dog breed in 2005. Although “blue” or slate or gunmetal gray is the color most associated with the breed, lacy dogs can also be yellow, red or tri-color.

“For Texas conditions, lacy dogs are ideal,” Marlo says. “Their short hair is perfect in our heat and in brushy, thorny country. They’re big enough and gritty enough to run off-lead, have a good nose and are very intelligent.”

Marlo’s first advice for beginners: Study Tracking Dogs for Finding Wounded Deer by John Jeanneney (www.born-to-track.com). “It’s the bible of blood tracking,” she says. “After that, it’s exposure and consistency.” Her lacy dogs get plenty of both.

Marlo stresses that while early training is important, basic obedience should be instilled in a dog before heading afield for serious training, let alone real tracking.

“But you have to make the training fun, get the dog up to a high energy level and make sure he knows why he’s out there,” she says.

“Otherwise, he’ll think he’s just stumbled across some scent and there happens to be a deer hide at the end of the trail.”

A.J. Minns, a dog handler in Hunt, puts it this way: “When a dog is successful, handlers need to be acting like kids on Christmas morning. It has to be fun.”

Ten years ago, A.J., a longtime deer hunter, had to call in a tracking team. The dog work impressed him so much that he decided his next dog would be a tracker. Research led him to the Bavarian mountain scent hound and, ultimately, a trip to Poland to fetch home a puppy — Triton.

“The breed was developed in the mid1800s, specifically for tracking wounded game,” A.J. says. “Triton is a very methodical tracker — much slower than lacy dogs and some of the other breeds — but he really shines on an old track.”

Sure enough. Most years, Triton and A.J. track down 20 to 30 deer.

Texans can run deer-tracking dogs offleash. In many states, dogs must be kept onleash, a less-than-satisfactory approach when the deer can still run.

Robbie Hurt, a South Texas rancher and houndsman, recovers around 60 wounded deer every season. More than half of those deer are still alive and have to be brought to bay.

“We’d almost never catch a deer if we had to keep dogs on a lead,” he says.

Robbie runs a pack of bobcat hounds and Marlo Ondrej runs a blue lacy on a scent trail duralways keeps a pair of deer dogs on hand. ing a field test in Hamilton in which dogs underHis first deer dog was a hound/border collie went training and certification for tracking. cross. Although some of his deer trackers are hounds, he likes hound/cowdog crosses tracked the deer into a dry valley while Robbie because they’re gritty enough to bay a big buck. followed their progress with a GPS tracking Robbie’s dogs learn on the job. He sets up no collar. After two mountain crossings — and a artificial blood trails. He simply introduces the distance of nearly 10 miles — the dogs brought young dog to blood and encourages him to do the buck to bay so that it could be dispatched what comes naturally, although he usually starts by the hunter. a young dog with an experienced dog.

That’s exceptional dog work under harsh “My pair of deer dogs usually consists of a conditions. Even the best dogs can’t pull it off solid dog and an up-and-coming dog,” he says. every time. Fortunately, they’re rarely called on “Just watching my older dog, I can see when my to do so. Deer mortally wounded by a rifle shot young dog gets off-track ,and I can correct him.” rarely go more than 500 yards.

Like most handlers, Robbie wants his dogs “Hunters can help a tracking team by being silent on the trail to keep the deer on its bed as honest with themselves,” A.J. Minn says. “If long as possible. Although hounds aren’t known you’ve made a bad shot, you know it the instant as paragons of obedience, Robbie expects his you pull the trigger. Mark the spot the deer was deer dogs to handle well. standing when you hit him, note the direction “The thing I worry most about is one of my he ran, and don’t walk on the blood trail. The dogs getting off on a neighboring second you realize there’s a problem — that’s property when the hunters haven’t the time to contact a tracking team.” alerted the landowner and gotten permission to pursue. That’s about Hitting the Trail the only time I’ll put my young The best way to learn about training dog on a lead,” Robbie says. “I blood-tracking dogs is to attend seminars don’t want to get into a trespassing and tests held by breed clubs and tracking organizations: situation.”

United Blood Trackers Just how effective can deerTexas Lacy Game Dog Association tracking dogs be?

Lacy Game Dog Registry A few years back, at daybreak, For a list of tracking teams in your area: Robbie started his dogs after a Texas Blood Trackers wounded mule deer in the dry United Blood Trackers Trans-Pecos, near Sanderson.

For county-by-county regulations regardBavarian mountain scenthounds such as Triton are bred to The track was 48 hours old. The ing the use of tracking dogs, consult the dogs picked up the blood trail and track wounded game.

TPWD website, www.tpwd.

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