February 24, 2012 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting by Lone Star Outdoor News

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Lone✯Star Outdoor News

February 24, 2012

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Reverse mentoring Friends share deer tracking adventure.

Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper

February 24, 2012

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Volume 8, Issue 13

Inside

❘❚ HUNTING

Air power Modern airguns are catching on with hunters. Page 4

A not-so-typical typical Mule deer set to be Texas Big Game Awards record. Page 5

❘❚ FISHING

LATE WINTER BITE: Kyle Druschel of Houston holds a fat winter trout near Port Mansﬁeld. Expect ﬁsh to feed wherever the water is warming near shorelines or submerged spoil banks. Photo by Mike McBride, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Spawn watch Bass are spawning on Falcon, and still staging on other lakes. Page 8

Hitting the surf

By Conor Harrison

Surf anglers are reeling in whiting, trout and redﬁsh while dodging rainy days. Page 8

❘❚ CONTENTS Classiﬁeds . . . . . . . Crossword . . . . . . . Fishing Report . . . . . For the Table. . . . . . Game Warden Blotter . . Heroes. . . . . . . . . Outdoor Datebook . . . Outdoor Business . . . Products . . . . . . . . Sun, Moon and Tide data

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Trout massing in Lower Laguna Madre

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Page 25 Page 24 Page 10 Page 24 Page 12 Page 17 Page 26 Page 18 Page 25 Page 24

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Lower Laguna Madre Capt. Mike McBride is known for putting clients on big trout, especially in late winter. McBride said this year

has been outstanding around Port Mansfield. “All remains well in Port Mansfield, with fishing just about as good as could ever be expected anywhere upon this blue earth,” McBride said, “weather permitting of course. An

unusual warm spell during January had our bigger trout dazed and confused, but we caught them by applying spring patterns rather than more traditional colder water efforts.” High numbers of ﬁsh have made choosing a pattern for

Vampire bucks — go ﬁgure

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them easier, McBride said. “The bottom line is that if the area looks good, it probably is,” he said. “The most consistent efforts, however, have been about kneeto-thigh deep near sand and grass edges bordering deeper water. Shorelines

with good breaks, ﬂats near deeper depressions and basically anywhere you see bait lined up with color changes and a few curious birds has held quality ﬁsh.”

White bass running in East Texas; rainfall churns northern creeks By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

GOOD EVENING: Although rare, occasionally whitetails appear with pronounced upper canines, thought to be a genetic throwback from their Asian ancestors. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Whitetails with upper canines roam South Texas

By Craig Nyhus LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Teen-age girls and their moms who watch “Twilight” movies, “True Blood,” “The Vampire Diaries” and other blood-

See TROUT, Page 18

sucking shows may want to steer clear of Frio County. The vampire bucks are there. Not really, but the examination of the upper

Fort Worth angler Nelson Jones looked at the muddy creek running into Grapevine Lake Feb. 19 and shook his head. “We had started to see the white bass showing up,” he said. “But good luck catching them in this water.” The water had risen and turned into something that resembled chocolate milk. Weekend rains in North Texas turned a lot of the area creeks into roiling, muddy messes.

See VAMPIRE BUCKS, Page 23

See WHITE BASS, Page 19

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Lone✯Star Outdoor News

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HUNTING

Not your daddy’s Daisy Big bore air rifles catching on with hunters, but not yet legal for game animals in Texas By Bill Miller LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS The 2,000-pound American bison was hit hard, having absorbed two shots behind the shoulder from a range of about 50 yards. But dropping this spot-andstalk buffalo on a Kerr County game ranch did not involve a magnum cartridge from a highpowered rifle. The hunter, Stephan Boles of California, used an air rifle. Airgun aficionado Eric Henderson of Sachse, who vid videotaped Boles’ hunt in 2007, said people are frequently amazed to learn large animals are taken with air rifles.

Photo by AirForce Airguns

“This is what I hear: ‘You mean like a BB gun, or like a pellet gun?’” he said. “I tell them, ‘Well, kind of.’” But unlike the popular “Red Ryder” youth model from Daisy, which ushered many a hunter into the shooting sports, modern “big bore” air rifles don’t shoot BBs. Henderson used a Quackenbush .457-caliber air rifle to take plains game in South Africa — the same rifle Boles used to drill the buffalo in both lungs with 510-grain bullets at 700 feet per second. See AIR RIFLES, Page 6

AIR AIRGUN SAFARI: Eric Henderson of Sachse shot this exotic mouﬂon ram with a .308-caliber air riﬂe in Clay County. Airguns, while powerful, have limitations; Henderson recommends that hunters to keep shots around 50 yards. Photo by Eric Henderson. ha

Ensnared Wire loops set for predators

WIRED: Steve Hudson removes a coyote caught in a snare — one of 35 set up on six-and-a-half miles of fence on his ranch to help control predators. His kit (right) includes bobby pins to hold the snares over holes in the fence. Photos by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

By Bill Miller LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS A hole in a fence is a rancher’s headache. But it’s also an opportunity, if the landowner is serious about trapping predators. Steve Hudson has a West Texas ranch with two partners, and they’ve high-fenced it to enhance white-tailed deer. Predator con-

trol, Hudson added, is part of the partners’ Managed Lands Deer Permit program. This ranch has sandy soil, which makes it easy for predators to dig beneath the fence and chase fawns. These gaps are where Hudson places wire snares. “All kinds of animals — coyotes and coons — were digging holes under our fence,” Hudson said. “My father-in-law said that’s the perfect place to snare animals coming through the fence. “I have 35 (snares) set up on sixand-a-half miles of fence. I probably catch anywhere between 15 and 25 a year.” Hudson estimated that his grand total is about 150 coyotes, 10 bobcats and 10 raccoons, some porcupines and even a badger, which dug a hole of about 6 feet wide and 4 feet deep. “I probably caught some hogs,” he said. “Quite a number of times, I’ve found the wire was broken, as

if a small hog went through it. “Other times it looks like something was packing a wire cutter. The end of the wire was clean cut and it wasn’t frayed. Sometimes the wires look like they’ve been bitten through, and I don’t think a coyote or a bobcat can do that.” Hudson doesn’t live on the ranch, so he confines his trapping to fall and winter when he is on the property nearly every weekend. Thus, he can regularly check the snares to ensure an animal doesn’t face prolonged suffering. He builds snares from parts purchased online from a trapping supplies company, which is about 25 percent cheaper than buying them preassembled. The snares are lightly fixed in place over the holes with bobby pins. His kit also includes spare parts and orange flagging tape to mark snare locations. See ENSNARED, Page 14

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Lone✯Star Outdoor News

February 24, 2012

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Hunter hopes muley will be new record By Bill Miller LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Fog clung to the West Texas landscape, providing easy cover for the big mule deer to sneak to and from an alfalfa ﬁeld. And it was this fog Dec. 11 on the McGuire Ranch in Gaines County that kept hunter Rick Meritt from believing that a unique trophy had just disappeared in the mist. Trail camera photos taken earlier and video footage from the morning hunt did not impress Rick — at ﬁrst. But the animal would ultimately score high enough to unseat the current top typical mule deer in the Texas Big Game Awards, which has not changed in 15 years.

SEE MORE ■ TBGA scholarships: Page 26

PENDING: Rick Meritt’s Gaines County mule deer buck, taken last December, has a net score of 197 4/8 — enough to be a new record, if conﬁrmed through the Texas Big Game Awards. Photo by Rick Meritt.

“You couldn’t see much,” Rick recalled of the soupy morning hunt. “He came out of the fog, then he stopped and thrashed a mes-

quite tree. Then he drifted back into the fog.” Rick is an East Texas businessman, but he’s well schooled in West Texas mule deer.

Park Cities Quail names Ted Turner as lifetime award winner Park Cities Quail has announced media mogul Ted Turner as its 2012 T. Boone Pickens Lifetime Sportsman Award recipient. The award will be given at PCQ’s annual dinner and auction March 8 at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas. Another highlight of this year’s auction will be a classic English pheasant hunt with rock legend Steve Winwood. The hunt will take place in Jan. 2013, at Winwood’s 1,000-acre Lower Dean Manor in the Cotswolds of Central England. Joe Crafton, PCQ chairman, said the group is proud to honor Turner with the Pickens award. “He has a global reputation as a conservationist and humanitarian,” Crafton said. “Ted is a man of action who uses his considerable resources and inﬂuence to make this world a better place. Lesser known is Ted’s passion for quail hunting.” Crafton said Turner owns several ranches and plantations, where he has restored habitat, funded research and “created opportunities for hundreds of youth and sportsmen to get outdoors and share his favorite pastimes.” Turner is chairman of the Turner Foundation, an independent foundation, which supports efforts for improving air and water quality, developing sustainable energy and protecting and maintaining wildlife habitat. — Park Cities Quail

Texas couple recognized for helping wild turkeys Dale and Kitty Bounds of Lufkin were recently presented the C.B. McCleod Award during the National Wild Turkey Federation’s convention in Nashville. The award is given each year to a NWTF volunteer who has dedicated his or her life to wildlife conservation. This year, a husband-wife team was the recipient. Dale joined the NWTF in 1987. He was a videographer for the U.S. Forest Service and tasked with documenting the ﬁrst effort to

In 2009, he downed a buck that netted 193 2/8 — the No. 2 all-time typical muley recognized by See MULEY RECORD, Page 26

reintroduce eastern wild turkeys in the Davy Crockett National Forest, located in East Texas. “It was my first exposure to the NWTF,” Dale said. “James Earl Kennamer (NWTF chief conservation officer) brought the turkeys from South Carolina via Delta Airlines. After that, I was hooked.” Dale chartered the NWTF’s Piney Woods Chapter, which has become a stalwart in Texas, according to Shawn Roberts, NWTF district field supervisor. “The Piney Woods Chapter has been a trend setter and bar raiser for the many local NWTF chapters in the state (and) in the country,” said Roberts. “They were the first chapter to raise $1 million for conservation. They were the first to recruit 100 NWTF sponsor members at a single fund-raising banquet.” Dale served as president of the Piney Woods Chapter for eight years. Kitty organized the first Women in the Outdoors event in Texas and coordinated it for four years. — NWTF

Quail Tech Alliance celebrates ‘Bird Dog Superbowl’ Feb. 18 turned out to be a wet day across much of the state, but that didn’t stop nearly 30 quail hunting enthusiasts from enjoying a fun day on the Esperanza Ranch East near Santo. The “Bird Dog Superbowl” featured a justfor-fun field trial and a fish fry. “It was a great day,” said Charles Hodges of Quail Tech Alliance, which sponsored the event. “We were plenty wet, but we still had a lot of fun.” The event was geared toward dog owners who haven’t been able to get out much this hunting season because of low quail numbers in Texas. “We asked people not to shoot quail this year,” Hodges said. “So we just wanted to give guys a chance to get out and work their dogs and educate people to what Quail Tech Alliance is doing. We had some good one-on-one time with the field biologists and got a lot of questions answered.” Dr. Brad Dabbert met with participants and answered questions about the status of quail and what the future may hold.

MUCH NEEDED EXERCISE: Quail hunters brought their bird dogs to Quail Tech Alliance’s “Bird Dog Superbowl” Feb. 18 near Santo. Because quail hunting was down this year, owners got to run their dogs in a just-for-fun ﬁeld trial. Photo by LSON.

“It gave everyone a good chance to talk about a lot of ideas,” Hodges said. “This is deﬁnitely an annual thing, and I’ve already had people e-mailing me about next year’s event.” — Staff report

Time to think about outdoor summer camps Deadlines to apply for youth outdoor summer camps are fast approaching, and there are some new offerings in the mix. The ﬁrst Texas Brigades Waterfowl Camp will take place this summer at BigWoods on the Trinity in Tennessee Colony, near Palestine. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist Jared Laing has been saving and freezing ducks of numerous species throughout the hunting season to be studied. “It’s at a good facility and we will have some wild ducks even though the camp is in July,” he said. “There will be wood ducks and whistling ducks around.” The Texas Brigades programs offer intensive

leadership skills training and wildlife development studies for quail (Bobwhite Brigade), quail and turkey (Feathered Forces), bass (Bass Brigades) and deer (Buckskin Brigade). The application deadline for all of the brigade camps is March 15. A different organization, the Outdoor Texas Camp, also stresses outdoor skills and it offers a waterfowl camp at the Haydel Duck Club near Lake Charles, La. Also offered are weeklong camps in hunting (including hunter education certification), fishing, deer hunting, saltwater fishing, river fishing, fly-fishing and archery. There is still time to apply, but many of the camps are filling up fast. For information on the brigades, call (210) 332-3560, or e-mail Helen Holdsworth at hholdsworth@texas-wildlife.org. The group’s Web site is www.texasbrigades.org. For information on Outdoor Texas Camps, call (830) 562-3354, (512) 217-1587 or e-mail OutdoorTexasCamp@yahoo.com. The Web site is www.outdoortexascamp.com. — Staff report

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Air rifles Continued From Page 4

investigator for the U.S. Treasury Department. The company grew from his garage to a manufacturing plant in southeast Fort Worth. McCaslin now ships airguns across the U.S. and overseas. “They’re catching on,” he said. “Gun guys will buy our stuff and shoot them more than their firearms, because the urge will take them to the backyard. They don’t need to go to the range.” Airguns, he added, improve marksmanship. “The recoil issue is not there, but everything else is,” McCaslin said. “You still have the same breath control, trigger control and concentration issues that you need to shoot a firearm. “You still need to understand trajectory and how to compensate for various ranges.” People who hunt with them need to understand their limitations, Henderson said. Lethal shots can be taken at a 100 yards, but he recommends half that distance. BLACK RIFLE: John McCaslin, president of AirForce Airguns of Fort Worth, shows one of his Condor air A lot of big bores are custom rifles, which sport a “tactical” look. “What has helped us a lot is that they turn heads,” he said. “People made from gunmakers like Dennis think they look wicked.” Photo by Bill Miller, LSON. Quackenbush of Urbana, Mo. That’s plenty enough short-range heavy-duty hand pump or air tank. These typically are single-shots that “I cannot hunt a squirrel with an air launch heavy bullets at velocities much power to kill a white-tailed deer, which Henderson has done in Missouri, but rifle in Texas,” Henderson said, “but slower than firearms. I can shoot a buffalo. It doesn’t make not in his home state. Compare Boles’ shot of 700 fps to a It’s currently illegal in Texas to hunt sense.” .30-06-caliber rifle, which can fire a 150John McCaslin, president of Fort grain bullet at nearly 3,000 fps. any game animal with airguns — everyWorth-based AirForce Airguns, also thing from a squirrel to a trophy buck. And although air rifles are powered by But Texas hunters can use them to take wants that changed. a burst of air, they’re still loud enough to He envisions petitioning the Texas spook an animal. exotics, like the bison, and other nongame species, including hogs and coyotes. Parks and Wildlife Commission to conSo there is no apparent advantage to Henderson, who hosts “Adventures sider legalizing airgun hunting of game hunting with airguns. Afield,” an Internet TV series (adven- animals. But that, said Henderson, is their appeal. His company makes futuristic looking turesafield.tv), wants Texas to become “People into archery and black powguns in calibers .20, .22, .25 and .177 — der will be attracted to air rifles,” he said. like Missouri. In that state, according to its hunting suitable for hunting small game. He is also “Hunting with an air rifle is more diffiregulations, deer can be hunted with air- thinking about developing big bore rifles. cult. It’s more fun because, in my opinMcCaslin started AirForce in 1998 as a ion, it is more sporting. guns “.40 caliber or larger, and charged from an external high compression part-time venture. It became fulltime in “It brings the challenge back into the power source” like an air compressor, 2006 when he retired as a Dallas-based hunt.”

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MATTHEW BA KER, 13, of Ro ckwall hunted uncle, Brett Gi during the Chris les, on a ranc tmas break wi h near Leakey vested this ex th his . During the ad otic Corsican venture, Matth ram. “Matthew that day,” Bret ew haralso took a ni t said. “It was ce whitetail do a great day! Bo e later th uncle and ne phew were thril led.”

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Barrientos to fund wildlife graduate students with $1 million gift Rene R. Barrientos, Eagle Pass native and La Salle County rancher, has joined with Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute to create the Educational Assistance Fund for Wildlife Graduate Students. Barrientos has committed $1 million to the fund that will offset the cost of tuition, books and fees for wildlife graduate students. Stretched over a 10-year period to provide $100,000 per year to graduate students, Barrientos’ vision is that his gift will help to diminish the accrual of debt and accelerate the professional career of those students whose passion is wildlife. “This gift is intended for deserving individuals who are the best we have,” Barrientos said. “Whether they choose careers with private enterprise, state or federal agencies or academic institutions, they are the ones who will inﬂuence the future of our native habitat and wildlife in South Texas.” Barrientos is a member of the Texas White-tailed Deer Advisory Committee and was the 2003 Lone Star Land Steward Award Winner in South Texas and a state-wide award winner for 2004. Dr. Fred Bryant, Executive Director of CKWRI, said the gift will help the institute to recruit and retain the best and brightest minds in wildlife disciplines. “Rene shares our vision of sending out the next generation of wildlife biologists and range managers,” he said. “And, when they leave here with their M.S. or Ph.D. degree, they won’t have to worry about a lot of debt hanging over them like a big black cloud. This is a very special gift.’’ —Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Texan named to RMEF board of directors Curtis Christiansen of Giddings recently was named one of ﬁve new directors of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation at its annual convention in Las Vegas. Christiansen has served RMEF in a variety of volunteer jobs including cofounder and past chair of the RMEF Dime Box Chapter, state chair and regional chair. He was honored in 2007 as a RMEF Chairman’s Award recipient. Christiansen also is a life member and habitat partner. —RMEF

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FISHING

South coast fishing on the rise By Antonio Vindell FOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Bouts of rain slowed February fishing in the Lower Laguna Madre area, but the clear days were very productive from Port Mansfield to South Padre Island. Speckled trout, red fish, black drum, sheepshead and whiting were biting on artificial and live bait. Luis Tijerina likes fishing at “the dead end,” where Texas 186 runs out of concrete in Port Mansfield. After a break in the weather, he scored with live shrimp. “I caught a 21-inch redfish, a

19-inch black drum and a 18-inch trout,” the Raymondville resident said on a recent day last week. “I caught them between 6 and 8 a.m.” Tijerina said he always uses live or dead shrimp because lures wear him out. The dead-end spot, which is at the end of the highway facing the bay, is his favorite place to fish. “I come here on and off all yearround,” he said. On the other side of Port Mansfield, 72-year-old Jim Heistand fishes from See SOUTH COAST, Page 16

HEADING TO THE BEDS: Ricky Boyd holds a bass from Falcon Reservoir caught recently with guide Tommy Law. On warm days, the bass are moving to the shallows, according to local guides. Photo by Tommy Law.

Spawn closing in as bass move into shallows By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Late winter bass ﬁshing can be unpredictable due to changes in the weather. A week of warm weather

heats water temperatures up and sends bass into the shallows. But a few days of cold weather, like that experienced across much of Texas in midFebruary, can just as quickly

send them deeper. “Two weeks ago I would say that was a deﬁnite,” said Robin Johnston at NeedMore See SPAWN, Page 16

MEAL QUEST: Jim Heistand, who moved to the Texas coast from Michigan, tries to ﬁsh every day at Port Mansﬁeld, hoping for at least two trout — enough for a meal. Photo by Antonio Vindell.

Surf anglers catching whiting up and down coast By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Twylia O’Shea, or Lee as she is known to her friends, has been fishing since she was 5 years old. The 66-year-old winter Texan remembers vacations when she was a child, fishing from her native Pennsylvania to Myrtle Beach to the Jersey Shore. It was on those trips that she honed her surf fishing skills, and she has been catching fish in the surf ever since. “I’m in Port Isabel right now,” O’Shea said. “I have to be honest, the surf fishing in January was pretty lousy. But the fishing was fantastic between September and December.” O’Shea said she has been catching mostly ladyfish, pompano, jack crevalle and whiting during winter from the beach. “In the past month the fish got kind of small,” she said. “It was almost like catching finger mullet. The water turned cold and the wind blew hard out of the east. It was difficult to get out and cast far enough and keep your weight on the bottom.” O’Shea reported that she had a successful outing from the beach on Feb. 20, when she caught a 20-inch pompano and a dozen whiting. “The bite is back on,” she said. O’Shea said she salts her baits, including shrimp and mullet, to preserve them longer and keep them on the hook. “It makes it like a gummy bear,” she said. “I can keep it in the fridge and not have to worry about it falling apart on the hook like a lot of frozen bait. We did meet a gentleman recently who fishes with an artificial bait called Fish Bites. “We purchased some and fell in love with it. It stays on forever.” O’Shea said she likes to eat whiting, even though some people on the coast think they are trash fish. Fans of whiting say they are delicious when fried using a mixture of corn and wheat flower or with commercial fish-fry ingredients. Whiting taste similar to pollock, according to angler Eddie Jimenez of Brownsville. “I caught nine whiting the other day and my friend caught seven using dead shrimp,” he said. “A week earlier I caught three black drum.” Jimenez said he usually fishes on the canal halfway between the Bahia Grande and the Port of Brownsville along Texas 48. Good reports of whiting being caught came from the 61st Street Pier in Galveston throughout February. Anglers were catching them on Carolina-rigged shrimp fished on the bottom. Multiple hook-ups of whiting have also been reported using shrimp on a multi-bait rig. Despite rough conditions and muddy water around San Luis Pass, anglers reported good catches of redfish and trout from the beach using dead shrimp. Editors note: Antonio Vindell contributed to this report.

SURF'S UP: Whiting has been the main catch for surf anglers along the Texas coast the past few weeks, despite some days of poor weather. Photo by Erich Schlegel, for LSON.

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February 24, 2012

Texoma fishing helped by summer algae scare? Some guides say yes By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS The end of the rod bent as the fish pulled tight against the 20-pound test line. Montana angler Donna Harrison put pressure on the fish and, a minute later, landed a chunky, 18-inch-long white bass. Guide Chris Carey remarked he’d seen more big white bass and stripers being pulled from Texoma this winter than ever before. The reason, he believes, was because the lake received

about half the normal fishing pressure during the summer because of a blue/green algae warning that scared people away. “What it did,” he said, “was allow them to grow. This was the first time in STRIPER TIME: Because of a blue/ green algae scare last summer, Lake Texoma saw less pressure and, according to guide Chris Carey, with this nice striper, the fishing improved because of it. Photo by Conor Harrison, Lone Star Outdoor News. See LAKE TEXOMA, Page 16

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Amistad gets 160 Christmas trees for fish structure A “fish-attraction” structure made of Christmas trees donated by a building supply retailer was installed recently at Amistad International Reservoir near the Governor’s Landing camping area. Collaborating on the project were Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Del Rio Home Depot and the National Park Service, according to a TPWD news release. Home Depot provided about 160 unsold Christmas trees, and National Park Service staff bundled them together and constructed concrete anchors. TPWD provided the expertise to identify the location to sink the trees, according to the news release. Compared to the bare lake bottom around it, the hump is a paradise for fish and anglers, TPWD said. “We selected a small hump off a point between the Diablo East boat ramp and the Highway 90 Bridge,” said Randy Myers, TPWD fisheries biologist. “We expect many species to be attracted to the area — largemouth bass, baitfish, sunfish and catfish.” — TPWD

Groups step up efforts to secure habitat on old offshore platforms By Bill Miller LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Conservation groups are marshaling efforts aimed at keeping obsolete offshore oil and gas platforms — considered prime ﬁsh habitat — from being completely dismantled in the Gulf of Mexico. These old structures support a variety of marine life like red snapper, ling and tuna, but the federal government has accelerated calls for their removal out of safety concerns.

About 650 platforms have been targeted over a five-year period, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The conservation groups, however, say that’s too many. Speaking out are various chapters of the Coastal Conservation Association and the Corpus Christi-based Saltwaterfisheries Enhancement Association. “One of our primary objectives is to do everything we can to maintain artificial reefs in the form of the old platform,” said

Mike Hurst of the SEA. “It’s senseless to remove it. It’s critical marine habitat.” Meanwhile, U.S. Rep David Vitter (R-La.) and U.S. Rep. Steve Palazzo (R-Miss.) have introduced bills aimed at keeping the structures available for ﬁsh habitat. State agencies have recognized the effectiveness of the artiﬁcial habitat. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department currently administers a “rigs-to-reefs” program. See HABITAT, Page 16

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TEXAS FISHING REPORT Sponsored by

HOT BITES LARGEMOUTH BASS

BRIDGEPORT: Good on jerkbaits along main lake points and watermelon candy worms around deeper docks. FALCON: Good on soft plastics and spinnerbaits in shallow areas. FORK: Good on black/blue or green pumpkin ﬂipping jigs — concentrate on the wood cover near creek channel bends. HOUSTON COUNTY: Very good on watermelon red Brush Hogs around points, boat houses and docks in 7 feet. JOE POOL: Good on Texas-rigged creature baits, lipless crankbaits, and smaller jigs — midday bite has been best.

WHITE, HYBRID, STRIPER

BELTON: Hybrid striper are good trolling lipless crankbaits, and on minnows and white riversides. White bass are good trolling lipless crankbaits, and on minnows and white riversides. CANYON LAKE: Striped bass are good vertically jigging minnows and Spoiler Shads. White bass are good on slabs along the main river channel. RAY HUBBARD: White bass are excellent on humps in 17–23 feet with hybrids mixed in.

CATFISH

BRAUNIG: Channel catfish are good on liver, shrimp, cheesebait and cut bait. Blue catfish are good on cut bait. CALAVERAS: Channel and blue catfish are good on liver, shrimp and nightcrawlers. COLEMAN: Channel catfish are good on stinkbait and cut bait. LIVINGSTON: Blue catfish are good on shad. TAWAKONI: Excellent in deep water drifting cut bait and fresh shad.

CRAPPIE COOPER: Good on minnows. GRAPEVINE: Good on minnows. LAKE O' THE PINES: Good on minnows and jigs.

ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 45–53 degrees; 7.65’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs, shaky heads and jigs. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and prepared bait. AMISTAD: Water clear; 54–58 degrees; 15.30’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, swimbaits and Senkos. White bass are fair on crankbaits, grubs and slabs. Striped bass are fair on crankbaits, grubs and slabs. Catfish are fair on cheesebait and chicken livers in 40–60 feet over baited holes. Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines and throwlines baited with live perch. ARROWHEAD: Water off-color; 42–51 degrees; 8.33’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs, jigs, spinnerbaits and shaky heads. White bass are good on slabs and minnows. Blue catfish are good on live shad.

Largemouth bass are good on squarebill crankbaits, weightless worms, chatterbaits and Texas-rigged creature baits on shallow wood cover. CANYON LAKE: Water clear; 54–58 degrees; 9.88’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on white/chartreuse jigs, jerkbaits and pumpkinseed Texasrigged worms in 20–30 feet. Striped bass are good vertically jigging minnows and plastic shad. White bass are good on slabs along the main river channel. Smallmouth bass are fair on chartreuse curl tail grubs and watermelon tubes. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue tube jigs upriver. CEDAR CREEK: Water lightly stained; 47–53 degrees; 4.29’ low.

good on nightcrawlers. GRANBURY: Water clear; 52–56 degrees; 0.42’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon soft plastics, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. GRAPEVINE: Water lightly stained; 46– 52 degrees; 1.33’ high. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon Texasrigged worms, watermelon ﬁnesse jigs, lipless crankbaits and jerkbaits along main lake points. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are

HOT SPOT

ATHENS: Water clear, 47–52 degrees; 3.55’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on watermelon shaky head worms and black/blue football jigs around brush piles. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on prepared bait. BASTROP: Water clear; 54–58 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon spinnerbaits, crankbaits, lipless crankbaits and soft plastics. Crappie are good on minnows and pink tube jigs over brush piles. Channel and blue catfish are good on stinkbait, shrimp and nightcrawlers. BELTON: Water fairly clear; 53–56 degrees; 9.27’ low. Largemouth bass are good on nightcrawlers in coves. Hybrid striper are good trolling lipless crankbaits, and on minnows and white riversides. White bass are good trolling lipless crankbaits, and on minnows and white riversides. Crappie are good on minnows and white riversides. Channel and blue catfish are fair on doughbait and stinkbait. BOB SANDLIN: Water lightly stained; 48–34 degrees; 7.48’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on black/blue jigs, shaky heads with finesse worms and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are good on live minnows and jigs. White bass are good on Humdingers and top-waters. Catfish are fair to good on trotlines or juglines with Redneck’s Catfish Bait Soap. BRAUNIG: Water clear. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse crankbaits and soft plastic worms in the reeds. Striped bass are fair on liver and shad at Dead Tree Point and near the pier. Channel catfish are good on liver, shrimp, cheesebait and cut bait. Blue catfish are good on cut bait. BRIDGEPORT: Water lightly stained; 47– 53 degrees; 8.74’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jerkbaits along main lake points and watermelon candy worms around deeper docks. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are good on slabs (best action midday). Channel catfish are fair on cut and prepared bait. BROWNWOOD: Water lightly stained; 51–55 degrees; 13.81’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon jigs and crankbaits over brush piles in 10–15 feet. BUCHANAN: Water clear; 54–58 degrees; 30.35’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on pumpkinseed jigs, watermelon jerkbaits and Carolina-rigged lizards along break lines in 15–25 feet. Striped bass are good trolling watermelon/chartreuse striper jigs and perch-colored crankbaits. White bass are fair on slabs and minnows in creeks. Crappie are fair on minnows over brush piles in 12–20 feet. CADDO: Water stained; 47–52 degrees; 1.02’ high. Largemouth bass are good on black/blue jigs around isolated cover. Shad pattern lipless crankbaits in the same areas are effective. Yellow bass are good on minnows. CALAVERAS: Water clear. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon soft plastic worms, spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits near the dam. Channel and blue catfish are good on liver, shrimp and nightcrawlers.

Lower Laguna Madre The big trout bite is on, and with the five-fish limit in effect, the winter fishing has never been stronger. Reports of solid days with plenty of trout from the mid-20s and up are the norm when the weather cooperates. Throw soft plastics and top-waters to entice bites. Photo by Mike McBride. See related cover story. Largemouth bass are good on Texasrigged creature baits, shaky heads and black/blue finesse jigs around docks (green pumpkin soft plastics suggested). White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are good on live shad. Crappie are fair to good on minnows. Catfish are fair drifting cut shad. COLEMAN: Water clear; 53–57 degrees; 15.89’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse soft plastics and lipless crankbaits. Hybrid striper are good on minnows and chartreuse striper jigs. Channel catfish are good on stinkbait and cut bait. CONROE: Water fairly clear; 54–58 degrees; 6.53’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Striped bass are fair on minnows. COOPER: Water lightly stained; 47–52 degrees; 7.36’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse shallow crankbaits and Texas-rigged craw worms later in the day. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are fair to good on Sassy Shad and live shad. Catfish are good on prepared bait and cut bait. FALCON: Water stained; 58–62 degrees; 24.61’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics and spinnerbaits in shallow areas. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on shrimp, stinkbait, and cut bait. FAYETTE: Water clear. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin and redbug Carolina-rigged soft plastics and spinnerbaits off deep points. FORK: Water fairly clear; 47–53 degrees; 5.89’ low. Largemouth bass are good on black/blue or green pumpkin flipping jigs — concentrate on the wood cover near creek channel bends. Lipless crankbaits are effective as well. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut shad and prepared bait. FT. PHANTOM HILL: Water clear; 43–52 degrees; 9.87’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on shallow-running crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, Texas rigs and jigs. Crappie are fair to good on live minnows. White bass are fair to good on slabs and Rooster Tails. Catfish are fair to

good on slabs. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers and cut shad. HOUSTON COUNTY: Water clear; 55–59 degrees; 2.36’ low. Largemouth bass to 7 pounds are very good on watermelon red Brush Hogs around points, boat houses and docks in 7 feet. JOE POOL: Water lightly stained; 47–52 degrees; 0.34’ high. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged creature baits, lipless crankbaits, and smaller jigs — midday bite has been best. Deep brush piles are best later in day. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are fair to good on prepared baits. LAKE O' THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 47–51 degrees; 3.40’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged worms and lipless crankbaits along main lake points. Isolated cover is the key. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut shad. LAVON: Water lightly stained; 48–52 degrees; 4.88’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged creature baits, black/brown jigs and square-bill crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs around bridge columns. Catfish are good on cut shad and nightcrawlers. LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 46–51 degrees; 1.27’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on medium-running crankbaits and suspending jerkbaits along riprap near the dam. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are fair on slabs and Sassy Shad. Catfish are good on prepared bait. LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 55–59 degrees; 0.42’ high. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse crankbaits, soft plastics and spinnerbaits. Striped bass are good but small on spec rigs and troll tubes. White bass are fair on spec rigs and troll tubes in the north end of the lake. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue catfish are good on shad. MACKENZIE: Water stained; 44–53 degrees; 85.65’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs and slow– rolled spinnerbaits. Striped bass are fair to good on live shad. MONTICELLO: Water fairly clear; 72–88 degrees; 0.65’ high.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water lightly stained; 53–57 degrees; 0.14’ high. Largemouth bass are good on minnows. Crappie are good on minnows and white jigs. PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 46– 52 degrees; 3.79’ low. Largemouth bass are good on black and blue jigs, shaky heads and chatterbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair to good on slabs and minnows. Catﬁsh are good on prepared bait. POSSUM KINGDOM: Water fairly clear; 44–54 degrees; 10.67’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs, chatterbaits and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair to good on slabs and small swimbaits. Striped bass are fair to good on live shad. Catﬁsh are fair to good on nightcrawlers.

SALTWATER SCENE NORTH SABINE: Trout and redfish are fair while drifting mud and shell. Sheepshead are fair to good around the rocks. Runoff is flowing down the rivers with the recent rains. SOUTH SABINE: Redfish are fair on the edge of the channel on mullet and scented plastics. Sheepshead and black drum are good at the jetty on live shrimp. BOLIVAR: Trout are fair on the south shoreline on slow–sinking plugs. Black drum and redfish are fair to good at Rollover Pass. TRINITY BAY: Trout are good for drifters working pods of shad and mullet on soft plastics. Redfish are good at the spillway on crabs and mullet. The mouth of the Trinity River is fresh from recent rains.

PROCTOR: Water fairly clear; 51–55 degrees; 1.44’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon crankbaits and soft plastic worms off points. Channel and blue catﬁsh are good on live shad and minnows in 20–25 feet.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair to good on the south shoreline on slowsinking plugs. Whiting and sand trout are good on the edge of the Intracoastal on fresh shrimp.

RAY HUBBARD: Water fairly clear; 47– 52 degrees; 2.20’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged creature baits, square-bill crankbaits, lipless crankbaits and swim jigs are good around riprap also. White bass are excellent on humps in 17–23 feet with hybrids mixed in. Catﬁsh are good on prepared baits.

ON BAY: Sheepshead, Sheepshead WEST GALVESTON redﬁsh and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs. Trout are fair to good for wader on the shorelines in the afternoon. Flounder are beginning to show on the edge of the channel.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water stained; 47–52 degrees; 4.34’ low. Largemouth bass are good on shaky heads and creature baits around docks. Square-billed crankbaits are producing numbers as well. White bass are fair on slabs and live shad. Hybrid striper are fair on slabs and live shad. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on prepared bait and nightcrawlers. TAWAKONI: Water stained; 48–52 degrees; 4.12’ low. Largemouth bass are good on black/blue 1/2 oz. jigs and sun perch-colored chatter jigs. White bass are excellent on white slabs and tailspins — schooling on points early and late. Striped bass and hybrid striper are good on 4” to 6” white or shad pattern plastics in the shallows early then suspending deep during the day — drifting live bait is also producing. Catfish are excellent in deep water drifting cut bait and fresh shad. TEXOMA: Water fairly clear; 46–52 degrees; 1.43’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on suspending jerkbaits and medium-running crankbaits along rocky points with larger rock. Striped bass and hybrid striper are good on slabs. TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 53–57 degrees; 7.55’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on dark red soft plastics, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Channel and blue catfish are good on frozen shrimp, cut bait and stinkbait. TRAVIS: Water lightly stained; 53–57 degrees; 53.93’ low. Largemouth bass are good on smoke grubs, chartreuse jigs and watermelon crankbaits in 10–20 feet. Striped bass are fair on chartreuse spoons and minnows in 20–35 feet. White bass are fair on silver spoons and dark red crankbaits in 20–30 feet. WALTER E. LONG: Water lightly stained. Largemouth bass are fair on minnows. Hybrid striper are good on minnows and cut bait. White bass are good on minnows and jigging spoons. Crappie are good on minnows. WEATHERFORD: Water stained; 46–51 degrees; 3.00’ low. Largemouth bass are good on shallow-running crankbaits, shaky heads and Texasrigged creature baits — target any shallow cover. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. WHITNEY: Water stained; 52–56 degrees; 4.99’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and pink tube jigs. Catfish are fair on liver and stinkbait.

TEXAS CITY: Sheepshead are fair around rock groins on live shrimp. Mangrove snapper and whiting are fair from the piers. FREEPORT: Sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs. Redfish and black drum are fair to good at San Luis pass on cracked blue crabs. EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair for drifters on live shrimp and plastics over humps and scattered shell. Redfish are fair to good on the edge of the Intracoastal et et. on crabs and mullet. Some redfish have been found schooling e bay. y in the middle of the BAY Redfish WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Redfish are fair to good on the south shoreline in the guts and bayous. Trout, black drum and redfish are fair on shell on soft plastics and live shrimp. PORT O'CONNOR: Trout and redfish are fair on plastics over soft mud in waist–deep water in San Antonio Bay. Redfish are fair to good at the mouths of drains on soft plastics and slow–sinking plugs. ROCKPORT: Trout are fair on the edge of the ICW on plastic shrimp. Redfish are fair to good on the Estes Flats and in California Hole on mullet and shrimp. PORT ARANSAS: Sheepshead, black drum and redfish are fair to good at the jetty on fresh air to good around shrimp. Redfish are fair Pelican Island on scented plastics and mullet. Sand trout are good on shrimp in the channel. CORPUS CHRISTI: Redfish and black drum are fair to good in the Humble Channel on crabs and table shrimp. Trout are fair to good for waders in Oso Bay on soft plastics. BAFFIN BAY: Trout are fair to good in mud and grass on hard baits. Trout are fair to good in the guts along the King Ranch shoreline on gs. slow-sinking plugs. PORT MANSFIELD: Redfish are fair to good on scented plastics under a popping cork around grass holes. Trout are fair to good on mud along the edge of the ICW on hard baits. SOUTH PADRE: Trout and redfish are fair to good on the edge of the Intracoastal on scented plastics. Redfish, black drum and mangrove snapper are fair to good in the channel on shrimp and small plastics. PORT ISABEL: Redfish are fair to good on the edge of the flats on scented plastics. Trout are fair on the edge of the flats on shrimp and soft plastics.

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Returning the favor Angler, 15, boats pending junior state record Lucas, caught the pending state junior record striped bass Feb. 19 on Lake Tawakoni. The 31-inch striper weighed 14.34 pounds, which should eclipse the current junior state record 11.84-pounder, also caught on Tawakoni in 2011 by Jayden Randall. Lucas “Luke” Wooldridge, 15, was fishing on the boat of family friend, Greg Clark on Feb. 19, a Sunday. Several years ago, Clark’s son, Cody, caught the Lake Fork junior record largemouth bass while fishing on Tim Wooldridge’s boat. Sunday was payback time. “Greg invites us out a lot,” Tim Wooldridge said. “We met at the lake and checked three or four spots and scratched HECK OF A STRIPER: Lucas “Luke” Wooldridge holds the pending junior state out a few. Then about record striper caught Feb. 19 on Lake Tawakoni in the boat of family friend Greg Clark. The fish weighed 14.34 pounds. Photo by Tim Wooldridge. noon, Luke tied into the big one. He catches a lot of fish, so I didn’t By Conor Harrison pay a lot of attention at first. He said he had LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS a good one, and I was still thinking about a 5-pounder. What goes around comes around. That was the message from Wills Point resident Tim Wooldridge after his son, See PENDING RECORD, Page 15

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GAME WARDEN BLOTTER MAYBE THE DEER STEPPED IN FRONT OF THE TREE After receiving a call regarding shots fired from a county road, Harrison County Game Warden Todd Long and Harrison County deputies contacted four oilfield workers who claimed they shot a tree to settle a shooting bet. The investigation led to confessions about dropping off hunters to pursue a deer they shot at earlier. Two firearms were seized and citations issued for hunting from a public roadway, hunting during closed season and trespassing. Cases pending. BIRD IDENTIFICATION COURSE NEEDED Fayette County Game Warden Calvin Harbaugh was checking waterfowl hunters when one individual showed the warden his “sandhill crane” that he had harvested. The man was issued a citation for taking a great blue heron. TRESPASSER LEAVES MOUNTAIN OF EVIDENCE Milam County Game Warden Charlie Mayer received a call from a landowner who had information from another landowner regarding drag marks he found on his property. Mayer responded along with Bell County Game Warden Justin Valchar. The two wardens were able to find the drag marks and follow them back to where they originated. Along with the drag marks, there was deer blood and hair. Mayer and Valchar then followed the drag marks and blood the other direction to the back of a third property. There the trail ended and four-wheeler tracks began. The four-wheeler tracks led to a residence. The four-wheeler, along with a trailer with blood stains on the floor, was observed. The wardens made phone contact with the owner of the house. When the owner arrived and saw the evidence, he confessed. The individual was arrested and taken to jail for hunting without landowner's consent.

NIGHT POACHERS TRY CROSSBOW THEN VEHICLE AS WEAPON OF CHOICE Near Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, Grayson County Game Warden Michael Hummert observed a driver parked on an oil field road near a wheat field. The vehicle was using the vehicle’s headlights to illuminate several deer that were standing in the field. Hummert then watched as the passenger of the vehicle retrieved a compound bow from the back seat. The subject began to stalk the deer using the nearby brush line as cover. As the subject got closer, the deer spooked and headed farther into the field. The sub-

RANCHER BUSTED FOR POISONING VULTURES A die-off of black vultures in Brazoria County was reported to District 1 Capt. Nick Harmon. A large number of dead or dying black vultures had been found in a U.S. wildlife refuge, as well as on adjacent reﬁnery property. Suspecting the use of poison in a baited carcass, Brazoria County Game Warden Jason Richers patrolled the area for cattle carcasses. The Brazoria County Environmental Crimes investigator requested a Department of Public Safety helicopter to survey the area from the air. The DPS chopper crew spotted a cow carcass with several dead vultures around it on a nearby ranch. The location was in Matagorda County, so Richers contacted Game Warden Clay Shock for assistance. The wardens drove to the location and gathered specimens to be used for testing. Shock was able to obtain a confession from the rancher, as well as directions to the location of a calf carcass (the carcass spotted from the air had not been baited) that had been injected with a poison that the rancher had hoped would thin the number of buzzards in the area. Several charges

ject then returned to the vehicle. The two occupants of the vehicle then drove through the wheat ﬁeld at a high rate of speed while the driver swerved at deer attempting to hit them with his car. With no luck, the subjects left the area and pulled onto a nearby county road. Hummert stopped the vehicle, and the two occupants immediately said they knew they were in trouble. Both subjects were arrested and placed in the Grayson County Jail on charges of hunting deer at night and hunting deer with the aid of a light.

of killing protected nongame birds were filed, which the rancher pled guilty to and paid fines totaling $1,000. Civil Restitution in excess of $12,700 is pending for 214 dead black vultures. UNDERSIZED CRAPPIE CATCHERS CAUGHT Tarrant County Game Warden Clint Borchardt stopped a boat on Eagle Mountain Lake. After checking the livewell, he determined that there were 21 crappie on board — 16 undersized. Appropriate cases filed. TRESPASSERS RETURN TO THE SCENE Milam County Game Warden Charlie Mayer received a call from an individual who was hunting and noticed drag marks near his deer stand. Mayer responded and was able to find where the deer had been killed. There was also fresh corn scattered around the area that the hunter said was not there the day before. Mayer decided to come back that evening, hoping the suspects would come back and hunt the spot the last evening of the season. Mayer, along with Bell County Game Warden Justin Valchar, waited in the brush that afternoon for their hunters. Three individuals showed up. One of the men

confessed to retrieving a deer from the adjoining property. The individual was filed on for criminal trespass. WARDEN HELPS RESCUE DUCK CAUGHT IN POWER LINE Freestone County Game Warden John Thorne received a call about a duck hung in a power line just outside Corsicana in a residential area. The gadwall drake was found with one end of a long piece of fishing line wrapped around his leg and the other end tangled in the power line. With assistance from the county commissioner and the power company, the duck was released without incident. A NEW BUT ILLEGAL WAY TO JUMP TANKS Williamson County Game Wardens Turk Jones and Joel Campos spotted a truck near a private tank. In the back of the truck were two males with shotguns and an unidentified driver. As they made their way through the pasture from one tank to the other, several ducks were flying over. The truck stopped and the two men jumped out of the bed of the truck. As soon as their feet hit the ground, they started shooting at the ducks. The wardens entered the pasture and stopped the truck. The two shooters

and the driver were cited for hunting ducks with the aid of a motorized vehicle. Cases pending. OWNER LEARNS THAT WARDENS HANDLE MORE THAN HUNTING AND FISHING CASES Williamson County Game Warden Turk Jones received a call from a local police department requesting assistance with a possible illegal burn. The burn ban had been lifted but a dark black plume was coming from the burn pit. When Jones arrived, he asked the property owner if that was his fire. The owner replied, “Yeah, but there ain’t no dead animals in it.” The contents included plastics, house shingles, cable with the insulation burned off, a tire and several other products that aren’t allowed to be burned. Jones issued the property owner a citation for violation of the Texas outdoor burning rule. The property owner was educated on the fact that game wardens handle more than just hunting and fishing cases. Cases pending. CAMERAS AID WARDENS IN POACHING, TRESPASSING CASES Harris County Game Wardens Jennifer Inkster and Kevin Malonson filed several criminal charges for the Harris County Flood Control District in Northeast Harris County. The property is approximately 1,400 acres and is posted for “No Trespassing.” The cases involve hunting in a county with a population of 2 million or more without consent, criminal trespass, evading arrest or detention, and operation of certain motor vehicles on or near public facilities. The aid of surveillance cameras assisted in apprehending poachers and trespassers hunting game with artificial lights, shooting rabbits from a vehicle and feral hog hunting. Surveillance cameras also caught several suspects in possession of white-tailed deer. Cases pending.

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Ensnared Continued From Page 4

PREDATOR SNARE: Coyotes take advantage of sandy West Texas soil to easily burrow beneath fences and attack fawns.Trappers use these gaps to set snares. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

Trappers typically anchor the ends of the wires to stakes or the fences. When predators slide through the holes the wires cinch down, snaring them. “Some people use leg-hold traps or spring traps,” Hudson said, “but I don’t like any of those because we still quail hunt out there and I don’t want to catch a dog by mistake.” Such considerations are appropriate for ethical trapping, said Don Hightower, a professional trapper in East Texas. He is also the public relations director for the Texas Trappers and Fur Hunters Association. These issues, he added, are important while setting snares on “low” fences. He explained that trappers look for predator tracks to determine where to put their

snares on ﬁve-strand fences, but they should avoid spots that also have hoof prints. “Does will go under the fence and so will bucks when they don’t have their headgear on,” Hightower said. “But if it looks like a place where you’ll catch a deer, abort it. “Use judgment.” There are even more steps that can be taken, like a “deer stop.” “It’s a clip on the snare,” Hightower said. “If a deer walks into it and it starts to tighten, it won’t tighten up right away; they can back out of it. “Also, most people use relaxing-lock snares, which are not lethal. If a coyote goes ballistic, he may end getting tighter than you want it to, but most the time everything will be alive. “That’s important to me because I don’t want to catch something I don’t want.”

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Several Texans take Billfish Foundation awards Stephen Gegenheimer of Corsicana took home two top prizes at The Billfish Foundation International Tag & Release Awards recently in Miami. Gugenheimer won the age 16-17 age class and the overall top youth angler awards. Other Texans recognized were John Richardson of Bellville for Pacific Billfish in the Top Tag Anglers category and Alolfo Grajales of Bellville and Jimmy Kitchell of Galveston in the Top Tag Captains category. In the Top Release category, Wayne Short of Corinth was recognized as a top angler and Wade Richardson of Bellville was recognized as a top captain.

TBF’s program, committed to billfish tag and release, helps supply valuable data. Since 1990, the captains and anglers have helped marine researchers in learning the migratory habits of the world’s billfish species. Each year, TBF members from more than 70 countries are invited to participate. The competition ran from Nov. 1, 2010 to Oct. 31, 2011 with “tagging data reports” and “release notification cards” generated from the temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. To be eligible to receive an award, active TBF members must have tagged and/or released five or more of a species to qualify. The Youth Program, created in 2001, requires a three-fish minimum in three age groupings. —The Billfish Foundation

Pending record Continued From Page 11

“But he was all over the boat, so I got the net. “Then the fish came up and he looked like he was 3 feet long.” Wooldridge said several boats were in the vicinity of the 46-foot ledge the group was fishing; boaters applauded and hollered when the fish was finally netted. “A guy pulled up with scales on his boat that he knew were accurate,” Wooldridge said. “We knew the lake record was around 11 pounds, so we were pretty sure this fish would beat that, even if the scale was off by a pound.” The fish was certified on scales in Wills Point and paperwork has been submitted to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “I knew it was a big fish when I hooked it,” Lucas

said. “I told them we’re going to need the net — only half the fish fit in the net. “I was proud that I caught the lake record, but the first time I started thinking about the state record was when my older brother sent a text saying we needed to check on the state record.” It turns out the Tawakoni record was also the current state record. “There was a lot of highfiving when we found out it was also a state record,” Lucas said. “I was with Cody when he caught his record fish, so this was pretty neat.” Tim Wooldridge said another good deed preceded the landing of the big fish. “As we were leaving Holiday Marina, we noticed someone way out in the lake on a sandbar waving at us,” he said. “It was a weird-looking deal with a boat nearby

but someone standing in the 48-degree water waving his arms frantically. “His boat had gotten stuck on a sand bar and the owner went into the water to try to push it off. He was unable to dislodge the boat and it appeared that he was trying to make it to shore by walking in on the sand bar with no life jacket on. “When we got to him he could hardly move. We got him back in his boat and towed it back to where his wife was waiting on him.” Tim said he was happy when Cody caught his record ﬁsh because he is a polite, well-raised young man, and to have his son catch a record on Greg’s boat just brought it full circle. “Luke is very patient and persistent,” he said. “I really enjoy watching my boy ﬁsh.”

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Spawn Continued From Page 8

Tackle Shop on Sam Rayburn Reservoir when asked if bass were moving into a pre-spawn position. “Some of them possibly are headed back, but with the recent cold front, it pushed them back down.” Johnston said the bass fishing has been “pretty good” on Sam Rayburn, despite the colder weather. “Lipless crankbaits in red and gold are working,” she said. On Lake Fork, guide John Tanner said the fish are definitely moving into a prespawn position. “The weather is dictating the bite right now,” Tanner said. “They are moving up and we are starting to catch them shallower. The bigger fish are beginning to move up.” Tanner said lipless crankbaits in red, black and blue jigs, Texas-rigged

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worms and any color spinnerbaits are catching bass. “The fish are really holding tight to the wood,” he said. “The more trees you can bump in a day the better. The mouths of creeks and lake points are also a good bet.” Tanner said with the recent cold snap, the spawn was pushed back to its normal date around the first week of March. Down south along the border, Falcon Reservoir has begun its recent trend for February by turning out a large number of double-digit bass. Falcon guide Tommy Law, who caught the current lake record last February, said the fishing is up or down everyday, depending on weather conditions. “There has been some spawning happening on warmer days,” Law said. “It happens as early as January down here. It is just so up and down right now because the weather is changing, which

South coast

Lake Texoma

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POST-RAIN PUSH: Trout and redﬁsh are bitting near Port Mansﬁeld. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

a retaining wall across from the local chamber of commerce office. “I generally catch one or two a day for a meal,” he said. “I fish pretty much every day, and trout is my favorite fish.” Heistand moved to the fishing community from Michigan, where he worked for General Motors, about a year ago. “I started coming down here in 1994 during the winter,” he said, “but we decided to sell our house to live here permanently.” In Michigan, Heistand fished for walleye and perch. He said he never uses live or dead bait, but instead throws lures and spoons. “When I fish here I use a red-andwhite tail and watermelon (colors),” he said, referring to fishing from the retaining wall. “But when I am in the bay, I use spoons.” On South Padre Island, about 25 miles to the south, anglers are reporting good catches of speckled trout, sand trout and whiting. Bait shop operators from Port Mansfield to Port Isabel said the fishing is picking up, largely because they started selling live bait this month. “We did not have live bait for nearly three months,” said an employee at the Port Mansfield Bait Shop, “but the rains early this month put a lot of fresh water in the bay and that helped the shrimp.”

is typical this time of year. “I think we still have a big wave (of spawners) coming, but I’ve also caught some fish that were post spawn.” Law said he is still fishing deeper water in front of spawning flats and looking for rocky points. “Rock is real important,” he said. “The fish are suspended and they are reacting to crankbaits bouncing along the rocks. There aren’t piles of fish anywhere, but that is also typical for this time of year.” Law said along with crankbaits, football jigs are catching fish. And despite the up-and-down fishing, the lake is the most crowded he has seen it in 40 years. “I put in at daylight today and there were already 40 boats at the ramp,” he said. “By later today, there will be 100 boats at the ramp. It has been super busy since Christmas.” Guide John Tanner, (903) 569-7451 Guide Tommy Law, (325) 439-6045

the 18 years I have been guiding that (the stripers) didn’t thin out and get skinny. During the summer, they almost refuse to eat. They will come up to the surface chasing shad, but so many boats see them and push them back down.” Carey said the lack of pressure also carried over to the bait — mostly shad — on Texoma. “Think about how many cast nets didn’t get thrown,” he said. “I think there is 35 percent more shad in the lake right now. It’s real simple. I know my guide service, Striper Express, lost 50 trips that I know of because of the scare. Conservatively, the lake probably saw 500 less trips this summer. “And that’s not counting all of the bank fishermen that didn’t come.” Carey said an explosion in big fish is the result — something he hasn’t seen since at least 2006. “That year we had a major peak,” he said. “But I think this year is going to explode. It’s just a phenomenal fishery and the stripers get so big so fast. I expect a lot of 20-pound fish and hopefully a couple above 30 pounds.” Texas Parks and Wildlife Department District Biologist Brian Van Zee said the scare could have a positive affect on the lake down the road, but, in his opinion, it was too early in Feburary to say one way or another. “I’m sure the blue/green algae warning had an impact on the utilization of the lake,” Van Zee said. “But we won’t see an impact on fish this early. I can’t say one way or another yet.” Van Zee added that any positive side effects of the scare could have been negated by the severe drought last summer.

Habitat Continued From Page 9

And federal agencies have encouraged such efforts. But in the fall of 2010, the Department of the Interior reiterated its “idle iron” policy that requires oil and gas companies to decommission and dismantle dormant platform structures. “As infrastructure continues to age, the risk of damage increases,” said Michael Bromwich, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement . “That risk,” he added, “increases substantially during storm season.” But groups like SEA have countered that these structures are not just

“idle iron,” but “a needed resource that enhances the marine habitat,” according to the group’s petition to members of Congress. “This will negatively affect tourism, ﬁsh harvest and economies of the communities on the Gulf Coast,” the petition stated. The groups also favor the practice of “reeﬁng in place” by plugging the old well and removing only the top part of the platform, about 85 feet below the surface. Hurst, however, said his group and others would like to preserve structure “through the full water column.” “If we can save the upper 85-foot portion, that would be outstanding,” he said. “The best habitat is up there, where most of the sunlight is.”

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February 24, 2012

Page 17

HEROES SHARE AN ADVENTURE ■ Want to share hunting and ﬁshing photos with other Lone Star Outdoor News readers?

TINO MALOUF, 6, of Boerne was guided by his dad on his ﬁrst deer hunt last October in Blanco County. They stalked into range and Tino shot this six-point buck at 90 yards from the prone position with a .223-caliber riﬂe.

San Antonio resident RANDY WYATT downed this big mule deer buck Dec. 3 near Alpine. Its rack measured 196 inches.

E-mail them with contact and caption information to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com. High-resolution original jpegs only. Mail prints to Heroes, Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355.

ERIC RAMIREZ of Weslaco landed these redfish recently while wading the waters of the Lower Laguna Madre. He fished the cool morning with soft plastics. His limit measured 22-24 inches and all fish were caught on the flats.

While hunting with his family last November in Gillespie County, CADE STEPHENS, 9, of New Braunfels (left) shot his ﬁrst buck — an eightpointer. His shot was 105 yards with a .243-caliber Remington Model 700. Dad, RYAN, and little brother, BEAU, joined him for the photo.

Lake Texoma ﬁshing guide JAY STALEY recently caught this striper on his home lake. The ﬁsh was 38 inches long.

JORDAN BURGES, 13, of Cleveland got her ﬁrst deer recently in Blanco County with a .270-caliber riﬂe. According to a note from her family, “Her daddy has never been more proud.”

JOSHUA NEILL of Blanco was 10 during the youth season last October when he, along with his dad, TERRY, started catching glimpses of a ﬁne buck that made a habit of trotting over to the neighbor’s property. Their solution: a pile of salt blended with some dirt. Sure enough, the buck stopped to sniff and paw at it; then Joshua dropped him with his .223-caliber riﬂe.

TOWNSEND VOGT, 7, of Corpus Christi, killed his ﬁrst deer in November on property in Jim Hogg County. The doe was taken at 150 yards with a .22-250-caliber riﬂe.

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February 24, 2012

TOURNAMENT BRIEFS Louisiana duo take win on rainy Rayburn Fishing through torrential rains and rising waters levels, Louisiana anglers Jerry Silmon and Brett Hortman beat the field with nearly 30 pounds to win the Bass Champs East Texas tournament Feb. 18 on Sam Rayburn. Among the first to the scales, Silmon and Hortman weighed five fish for 29.61 pounds, then had to wait almost two hours to see if their lead held. It did. The pair caught their fish on a red lipless crankbait. “It started out rough this morning with the weather, but once we finally made it to our spot, we power poled down,” Silmon said. “We never left that spot, the fish were there. In the pounding rain we continued to catch, then cull, until 11:30. Our last cull was at 11:30. “At that point we had all of our weight.” The duo won by more than six pounds, easily defeating the other 218 teams and taking home the top prize check of $20,000. Nacogdoches, Texas teammates Jonathan Garrie and Keith Morris finished in second place with 23.33 pounds, and the Livingston, Texas team of Wade Ellis and Joey Martin III took third with 22.36 pounds. —Staff report

Paradise angler wins on Palestine Catching only four bass during a tournament is usually a bad sign. But not when one of those fish is a 7.59pound largemouth. Chase Markum of Paradise on Feb. 11 overcame cold, windy conditions on Lake Palestine to win an ABA Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series tournament. The event was the season opener for the East Texas Division 11. Markum caught only four bass all day, but it was enough to beat out 69 other anglers with a 16.22-pound bag. “I was simply looking for a place to get out of the north wind,” Markum said. “I was looking for tall trees that would block the wind so I could actually make casts and feel the fish when it hit. “About five minutes into the tournament, I had a 7.59-pounder on that hit a Rat-L-Trap in 2.5 feet of water. I just stayed in 2.5 feet of water all day and threw a Rat-L-Trap most of the day. Later, I threw a small grub at docks. “I only caught one bass in the afternoon.” Terry Peacock of Royse City finished second with a five-bass limit totaling 14.56 pounds.

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

In the Co-Angler Division, Kent Andries, 24, of Tyler only found two ﬁsh, but won the tournament with 10.46 pounds. He anchored his bag with a 7.69-pounder and collected $1,420. — ABA

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Trout Continued From Page 1 TROUT CITY: Minnesota angler Lynn Harker holds a nice, 26-inch trout he caught recently while ﬁshing with Capt. Dave Edwards near Laguna Vista. The duo had good success in mid February throwing Cocahoe Minnows on 1/4-ounce jig heads. Photo by Dave Edwards.

Ducharme and Carr take Amistad in Bass Champs tournament Jean “JJ” Ducharme had a good couple of weeks in February. The angler from Brackettville won the EverStart Series Texas Division tournament on Lake Amistad Feb. 2, and followed that victory with the Bass Champs South Region win Feb. 11 on the same lake with partner Gary Carr of San Angelo. “We’ve been on some good fish for about a month now,” Carr said. “This is a tough group to fish against. There are a lot of top-notch anglers. We just cranked them all day. (The fish) had moved up a bit since practice. We had been catching them in about 25 feet (of water), but we found them today in 15 to 16 feet.” Hitting multiple areas throughout the day, the pair boated a few fish early, then several more midday, and finally they were able to cull the rest of the afternoon. “We really had a great day and didn’t lose any,” Carr added. Their five fish totaled 30.54 pounds, winning the tournament by almost 3 pounds. The pair bested 227 other teams to win $20,000. Big bass honors for the event went to Tim and Judy Reneau with a 10.46-pound toad. —Staff report

Chapman survives on brutal Lewisville Brent Chapman clinched the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open on Lake Lewisville Feb. 12 by winning a tie-breaking fish-off against Josh Bertrand. Chapman caught a 6-pound, 5-ounce bass to win the title. The angler from Lake Quivira, Kan., and Bertrand, of Mesa, Ariz., were tied for the lead on day three and had to go into a tie-breaker fish-off. Before the fish-off, Chapman weighed in three keepers, and Bertrand brought one fish to the scales. That put them tied for first with 20 pounds, 9 ounces after three days of fishing. Chapman won a check for $52,160, but the tournament victory also brought him a berth in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Chapman’s home water: Grand Lake. — Staff report

McBride said lures also work with anglers who know how to find them. “It’s usually going to be one of a few simple techniques which will get us bit most consistently during Spring — plastic tails hopped low in the grass, Corkies stalled over sand pockets, or topwaters worked outside of rafting mullet.” Lower Laguna Capt. Mac Newton said he has been shut down by the weather, but guides he has talked to said the trout fishing has been good on days when the weather cooperates. “The trout are real hot,” Newton said. “I talked to a guide yesterday that had a good day catching a lot of nice ones in the mid-20s.” Newton said artificials and cut ballyhoo have been putting fish in the boat. “The trout are just in such good shape right

OUTDOOR BUSINESS

now,” he said. “I think the five-fish limit helped a lot, and I wouldn’t be opposed to going to a three-trout limit. A lot of people are releasing the bigger trout now, which helps also. “We’ve seen more big trout and redfish the past year than anytime in the last 10 years.” Capt. Dave Edwards said he has been focusing on the Texas 100 shelf near Laguna Vista for mid-20s trout. “There are a lot of nicesized trout,” he said. “Smaller trout are hanging on the shoals near South Padre and the shallow potholes aren’t producing a lot, but the quality is really good. There are a lot of trout in the area.” McBride agreed that the fishery is in great shape. “The entire system is full of life, and TPWD just announced that we have the biggest concentration of juvenile trout

on record,” McBride said. “The shear numbers of trout over 24 inches are inspiring to say the least, and when our five fish will outweigh most 10-fish stringers farther north, something positive has happened.” Mark Lingo, ecosystem leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife on the Lower Laguna Madre, said all bay systems in Texas had high trout counts. “In our bag seine collections in 2011, every bay system had the largest number of juvenile trout we’ve seen,” Lingo said. “On the Lower Laguna Madre, the change in bag limit has a lot to do with it and hatcheries have also ramped up production.” Capt. Mike McBride, (956) 746-6041 Capt. Mac Newton, (956) 873-0444 Capt. Dave Edwards, (956) 524-3002

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New hunting forum getting off the ground Rob Lay knows what it takes to get a successful Internet forum off the ground. Almost a decade ago, he started an auto trading forum in North Texas and watched it explode into a thriving community of likeminded people. He’s hoping to working up the same magic in his latest venture, FreeRangeHunter.com. “When I started the automotive one, people latched on pretty quick,” Lay said. “Now, everything has been done before and people have their own social communities. They’re comfortable with it and know the other guys’ personalities. “It’s an uphill battle that I see with a lot of forums.” FreeRangeHunter.com has been online since September, and the community is starting to grow, Lay said.

Texas wildlife manager wins national award For his dedication to wildlife and to the staff of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division, Randy Fugate of Falfurrias was recently honored at the National Wild Turkey Federation’s convention in Nashville. Fugate was given the Joe Kurz Excellence in Wildlife Management Award, which honors wildlife managers who have proven themselves as exceptional stewards of wild turkey populations and habitat. Fugate began his involvement with TPWD more than 38 years ago. He works closely with private landowners to ensure the success of many programs for the wild turkey and other wildlife. The Joe Kurz award is named in honor of a former Georgia Department of Natural Resources wildlife chief for his leadership and the vital role he played in improving wildlife management. —NWTF

White bass Continued From Page 1

“In another week or two it should really be time to get in here and catch those whites,” he said. “This place usually gets hot the first week or two of March.” Jones said Road Runners and small jigs work the best when the creeks become fishable. In East Texas, well-known Sabine River and Toldeo Bend guide Jane Gallenbach said her clients were on the whites and catching limits daily. “Both the males and females (bass) are here,” Gallenbach said. “The females are pretty full of eggs also.” Gallenbach also said Road Runners were putting fish in the boat. “The water level is workable,” she said. “We are still about 7 1/2 feet low, but we can get to places we sure couldn’t last summer, so it is getting a little bit better.” Guides on Lake Livingston said weather was also playing havoc with lake levels and water clarity, but the white bass run was going strong when they could get to the fish. One guide called it “an all-out pig fest before the rains.” Water temperature on Livingston has been hovering above 60 degrees — not normal for this time of year — making fishing “iffy,” according to one guide. Reports from South Texas on the Nueces River near Lake Corpus Christi stated that the males had started to show up, but water levels were still so low that anglers were worried that the run might not happen at all this year. No females were reported in the area yet. Solid reports of running white bass did come in from Cedar Creek, Tawakoni and the Neches River near Palestine at the Kickapoo Bridge. Guide Jane Gallenbach, (903) 693-4441

“My personal preference is low-fence hunting,” he said. “I don’t have any issues with high fence, but it is not my personal preference. I just see a lot of like-minded people out there and a lot of people that feel the same way I do. I saw an opportunity there to bring these folks together.” Lay said his site doesn’t throw stones at high-fenced hunters. In fact, the forum has a section for hunters who prefer high fence. “Texas is where high fence is the most accepted and the most popular,” he said. “Low-fence hunting is just our niche.” Lay said the site is an international forum and not totally Texas-based, or deer-based. The site has several forums, including one for outfitters, bird hunting, fishing and off-topic posts. “This is for all big game,” he said. “We are growing in small steps. Three to four new posts per day will slowly grow into 40 or 50 new posts each day. That is when people start checking it every day. “If we can get a couple hundred users posting regularly, that is when it really takes off.”

February 24, 2012

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February 24, 2012

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

Getting back on track Life lessons learned on the blood trail By Craig Nyhus Photography By David J. Sams LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS The hunter and guide approached the blind at the 2,100acre Highpoint Ranch near London, but first light had already arrived. Behind the blind were four deer that scattered off with the movement, stopping about 200 yards out. “See that one? He’s wide — he’s the one we’re looking for,” the guide said. “Let’s crouch down and get a rest on one of these shin oaks. Let’s see what they do.” Three of the deer moved away, but the widest buck stood still, then moved toward the blind and stared straight at it. “He’s coming toward us — get ready,” the guide said. “He’s facing straight at us,” the hunter replied. “Are you comfortable with a neck shot?” “Not from this tree.” “Let’s wait.” The buck eventually turned broadside. “Take him,” the guide said. The shot rang, followed by a loud thump. “He turned right as you shot,” the guide said. “Where did you hit him?” “Way too far back,” the hunter replied. “He turned away.” “Let’s get in the stand; we’ll give him an hour and then go look,” the guide said. The guide was 26-year-old Sawyer Wright. The hunter, on a dove- and duck-hunting lease near Sawyer’s home in Duster, met Sawyer when he was a 7-year-old silent visitor to the hunting camp. Sawyer’s father didn’t hunt much. His grandfather did, but was too busy working cattle and the farm to get out much. A few years later, Sawyer was tagging along with the lease members on bird hunts, and proved to be a better shot than most of the adults. When he started driving, varmints and other critters were regularly thinned by Sawyer “shining the light.” He killed a few deer in his high school and college years, and he became a top ranch hand working with his grandfather. But he was having trouble finding his way. “I kind of wandered for a few years there,” Sawyer said. The hunter and a friend met Bob Zaiglin, who heads the wildlife management program at Southwest Texas Junior College in Uvalde. Zaiglin described the program, his students and the jobs they found upon completion. “We know a young man we think would be perfect for you,” the hunter and his friend told Zaiglin. “He might need a little discipline at first, though.” “Send him to me,” Zaiglin said. Sawyer applied, was accepted and moved to Uvalde. He thrived in the program. “He was one of my top students,” Zaiglin said. Listening to Sawyer describe all of the plant life, information on whitetails, and other animals and terms the hunter and friend had never heard, gave them a sense of pride that they helped a young man find his place. While waiting in the blind, the hunter and Sawyer talked about the memories of his best friend, his grandfather. They See A LESSON, Page 23

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February 24, 2012

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February 24, 2012

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

LONE STAR MARKET

To advertise in this section, call Mike Hughs at (214) 361-2276 or e-mail him at mhughs@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

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PHOTO SESSION: After the adventure of tracking the buck, Sawyer Wright photographs his friend and mentor, Craig Nyhus, with his buck. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

A lesson Continued From Page 20

talked about his work at Artemis Outdoors, a deer management consultant firm based in Three Rivers, and about the summer Sawyer spent as an apprentice professional hunter at Numzaan Safaris in South Africa, where he honed his skills. “We learned how to track everything, especially ‘off track’ where there is no blood,” Sawyer said. “And it’s muddy from the rain so the tracks should be easier to find.” “Do you think there will be much blood?” the hunter asked. “Depends where the bullet went after it hit; it could have gone anywhere,” Sawyer said. The hour was up, and when the area of the shot was reached, the news wasn’t good. “There are bone fragments,” Sawyer said. “You hit some of the back leg.” Fair amounts of blood made the trailing easy — at first. After about 100 yards, a large amount of blood mixed with air was seen and helped ease their minds. “You caught some lung,” Sawyer said. “He should be close.” But he wasn’t. And the blood trail thinned, with small amounts observed every 30 to 50 yards.

Vampire bucks Continued From Page 1

jaw of a Frio County whitetail surprised Shiner Ranch manager Jason Sekula. “It had pronounced upper canines,” he said. After the ﬁrst set was noticed a few years ago, Sekula started looking more carefully at the upper jaws, which is not typically examined as closely because the lower jaws are used for aging purposes. “We have found a fair number, but we kill quite a few deer,” he said. At the 15,000-acre ranch, “we kill or transport 300 deer per year, but we had one or two with canines this year and two last year,” he said. “And that’s what we noticed.” Curiosity caused him as a wildlife biologist to look for research on the phenomenon, and he learned the trait was extremely rare, involving far less than 1 percent of the animals. “I would say that our percentage is a hair higher than elsewhere,” Sekula said. “I reviewed some check-station research, and it seems the southern states have a few more than the northern states.” Chris Huey, a wildlife biologist, consultant and ranch manager at the Chaparrosa Ranch in La Pryor, said he’s never seen the phenomenon. “I’ve been around at least 10,000 dead deer in my career — and we look,” he said. “I’ve never seen it.” Huey said he has seen pictures

Text messages to and from the friend, in another blind, told the story. “Shot one before getting to the blind. He turned as I shot and hit him too far back.” “Sounded like a solid hit from here — come get me, nothing going on here.” Later, the three studied the trail, now about 300-400 yards long. “He stopped several times and there was some clotting,” Sawyer said. “But every time he started again the clot blew out — look here.” “It shouldn’t be much farther,” the friend said. The hunter, though, was getting concerned. A small road crossed the path ahead. The friend noticed more blood and the trio was back on the trail. And after 100 more yards or more, the friend said the magic words. “You guys can stop worrying,” he said after two hours of meticulously studying and following the trail. “There he is.” The hug between hunter and guide told the story. Twenty years of time spent together, and now the student was educating the teachers. Back near the blind, the group observed the tree from which the hunter had taken the shot. “Look down,” the friend said. “There’s a huge scrape on this tree. Maybe that’s why the buck was so curious; you were standing on his scrape.” The hunter was me. The friend was Lone Star Outdoor News CEO David J. Sams. And the guide will remain a lifelong friend to both.

of the upper canines in magazines, but never in the wild. “It’s deﬁnitely a trait, but that’s all I know,” he said. Sekula checked with some of the large South Texas ranches to see if they were observing the canines. At the King Ranch and the Machen Ranch, managers reported one whitetail each with upper canines in the past six to eight years. “At ranches that large and well-managed, that would involve looking at thousands of deer,” Sekula said. Wildlife biologists at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute have heard of the trait, but like most have not seen it much or studied it. “It happens occasionally,” said research scientist Randy DeYoung. “And there have been a few reports of a concentration of the canines in certain areas. There was a report in San Patricio County in the 1960s of something in the neighborhood of 17 percent of the whitetails with canines.” The Quality Deer Management Association looked at the issue in 2002, and Executive Director Brian Murphy wrote of one theory: “Upper canines are a rare but documented phenomenon in whitetails, and researchers believe it is an evolutionary throwback to the ancestral form of the whitetail which occasionally surfaces today.” DeYoung said that was the most popular theory for the trait. Other researchers looked

back even further. A 1963 report by Lawrence Ryel from the Michigan Department of Conservation found upper canines were identiﬁed in whitetails from Central America to Saskatchewan, ranging from 0.14 percent of deer in New York to 4.2 percent in Florida. Ryel’s report also mentioned the frequency of upper canines appeared to increase from north to south as these teeth are more prevalent in Central American whitetails. The researchers referred to upper canines in ancestral deer and in some modern deer cousins. Elk, Chinese water deer, muntjacs (males only), musk deer, Peré David’s deer, sambar and tufted deer are said to be modern relatives of whitetails with upper canines. Since the researchers believe the whitetail evolved from deer that originated in Asia, and some of those early species had canines, they believe the genetic link has weakened but not completely disappeared. Sekula believes there are more deer with the trait, but they go unnoticed. “A lot of hunters don’t check the upper jaw,” he said. “And some may have seen it but not realized it was out of the ordinary.” Hunters may want to start looking, and if they come across a whitetail with upper canines, keep the skull — it’s rare. Except maybe at the Shiner Ranch, where it’s not quite so rare.

February 24, 2012

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February 24, 2012

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

Sun | Moon | Tides Texas Coast Tides Height 1.6H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H -0.1L -0.2L -0.2L -0.3L -0.4L -0.4L -0.4L -0.3L 2.1H 2.2H 2.2H

Time 10:02 AM 10:30 AM 10:57 AM 11:23 AM 9:30 AM 3:20 PM 2:54 PM 1:20 PM 1:33 PM 1:49 PM 2:04 PM 2:19 PM 7:46 AM 8:30 AM 9:15 AM

Height 0.5L 0.8L 1.1L 1.3L 1.6H 1.7H 1.8H 1.9H 1.9H 1.9H 1.9H 1.8H -0.1L 0.2L 0.6L

Time 4:17 PM 4:31 PM 4:41 PM 4:39 PM 11:46 AM

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Time Height 10:24 PM 0.2L 11:05 PM 0.1L 11:50 PM -0.1L 4:00 PM

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6:37 PM 6:01 PM 6:25 PM 7:01 PM 2:35 PM 2:52 PM 3:08 PM

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8:52 PM 10:32 PM 11:48 PM

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7:42 PM 8:26 PM

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Time 10:50 PM 11:31 PM

Height 1.3H 1.2H 1.2H 0.0L -0.1L -0.1L -0.2L -0.2L -0.3L -0.3L -0.3L 1.6H 1.7H 1.7H 1.8H

Time 10:28 AM 10:56 AM 11:23 AM 8:40 AM 10:17 AM 4:07 PM 3:41 PM 2:07 PM 2:20 PM 2:36 PM 2:51 PM 7:29 AM 8:12 AM 8:56 AM 9:41 AM

Height 0.4L 0.6L 0.9L 1.2H 1.3H 1.4H 1.4H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H -0.2L -0.1L 0.2L 0.5L

Time 5:04 PM 5:18 PM 5:28 PM 11:49 AM 12:12 PM

7:03 PM 6:27 PM 6:51 PM 3:06 PM 3:22 PM 3:39 PM 3:55 PM

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Time 11:24 AM 11:52 AM 7:48 AM 9:10 AM 10:47 AM 4:37 PM 4:11 PM 2:37 PM 2:50 PM 3:06 PM 3:21 PM 8:25 AM 9:08 AM 9:52 AM 10:37 AM

Height 0.2L 0.4L 0.7H 0.7H 0.8H 0.8H 0.9H 0.9H 0.9H 0.9H 0.9H -0.1L 0.0L 0.1L 0.3L

Time 5:34 PM 5:48 PM 12:19 PM 12:45 PM 1:08 PM

Height 0.7H 0.7H 0.5L 0.6L 0.7L

Time 11:46 PM 5:58 PM 5:56 PM 5:17 PM

0.7H 0.7H 0.8H

7:59 PM 7:23 PM 7:47 PM 3:36 PM 3:52 PM 4:09 PM 4:25 PM

0.8L 0.8L 0.7L 0.9H 0.8H 0.8H 0.9H

10:09 PM 11:49 PM

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Height 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H 0.1L 0.0L 0.0L -0.1L -0.1L -0.2L -0.2L -0.2L 1.1H 1.2H 1.3H 1.4H

Time 11:04 AM 11:43 AM 12:32 PM 8:17 AM 9:56 AM 11:49 AM 12:53 PM 1:29 PM 1:57 PM 2:20 PM 2:40 PM 7:43 AM 8:33 AM 9:24 AM 10:18 AM

Height 0.4L 0.6L 0.8L 1.1H 1.2H 1.2H 1.3H 1.4H 1.4H 1.4H 1.4H -0.2L 0.0L 0.1L 0.4L

Time 4:44 PM 4:55 PM 4:58 PM

Height 1.0H 0.9H 0.9H

Time 11:04 PM 11:34 PM

Height 0.2L 0.1L

8:58 PM 8:43 PM 3:00 PM 3:19 PM 3:37 PM 3:54 PM

1.0L 0.9L 1.3H 1.2H 1.2H 1.1H

11:04 PM

1.0H

8:43 PM 8:57 PM 9:22 PM 9:55 PM

0.8L 0.6L 0.3L 0.1L

5:26 PM 4:47 PM

Height 0.2L 0.0L 1.2H 1.3H

Height 0.1L

March 22

March 15

Date Time Feb 24 12:35 AM Feb 25 1:08 AM Feb 26 1:42 AM Feb 27 2:22 AM Feb 28 3:13 AM Feb 29 4:18 AM Mar 01 5:37 AM Mar 02 6:57 AM Mar 03 8:08 AM Mar 04 9:06 AM Mar 05 9:56 AM Mar 06 12:09 AM Mar 07 2:35 AM Mar 08 4:32 AM Mar 09 6:07 AM

Houston Height -0.1L -0.2L -0.2L -0.3L -0.3L -0.3L -0.3L -0.3L -0.3L -0.3L -0.3L 0.3H 0.3H 0.3H 0.3H

Time 6:33 AM 8:03 AM 5:26 PM 5:30 PM 5:28 PM 5:40 PM 6:16 PM 7:03 PM 7:57 PM 9:15 PM

Height 0.0H 0.0H 0.1H 0.2H 0.2H 0.3H 0.3H 0.4H 0.4H 0.3H

10:40 AM 11:21 AM 12:02 PM 12:43 PM

-0.2L -0.1L 0.0L 0.1L

Time 7:17 AM 9:41 AM 7:07 PM 7:45 PM 8:32 PM 9:25 PM 10:18 PM 11:09 PM 11:59 PM

Height -0.1H -0.1H -0.1H 0.0H 0.0H 0.0H 0.0H 0.0H 0.1H

10:33 AM 11:15 AM 11:54 AM 12:26 PM 12:38 PM

-0.2L -0.2L -0.1L -0.1L 0.0L

Time 12:42 PM 12:56 PM

Height -0.1L 0.0L

7:41 PM 5:15 PM 4:06 PM

0.1H 0.1H 0.2H

Time 1:01 PM 12:38 PM

Height -0.2L -0.1L

Time 6:14 PM 5:31 PM

Height 0.0H 0.1H

10:03 PM 0.1L 10:54 PM 0.0L 11:44 PM -0.1L

Date Time Feb 24 12:16 AM Feb 25 1:50 AM Feb 26 3:01 AM Feb 27 4:03 AM Feb 28 5:04 AM Feb 29 6:04 AM Mar 01 7:05 AM Mar 02 8:04 AM Mar 03 8:59 AM Mar 04 9:48 AM Mar 05 12:50 AM Mar 06 1:50 AM Mar 07 3:07 AM Mar 08 4:53 AM Mar 09 7:18 AM

Height -0.2L -0.2L -0.2L -0.2L -0.3L -0.3L -0.3L -0.2L -0.2L -0.2L 0.1H 0.1H 0.0H 0.0H 0.0H

Time Height 6:35 PM -0.1H 6:43 PM -0.1H

Date Time Feb 24 4:27 AM Feb 25 5:41 AM Feb 26 7:06 AM Feb 27 8:59 AM Feb 28 12:45 AM Feb 29 1:45 AM Mar 01 2:49 AM Mar 02 3:53 AM Mar 03 4:50 AM Mar 04 5:43 AM Mar 05 6:32 AM Mar 06 7:20 AM Mar 07 1:00 AM Mar 08 2:20 AM Mar 09 3:38 AM

Height 0.8H 0.9H 0.9H 1.0H -0.2L -0.3L -0.3L -0.4L -0.5L -0.6L -0.6L -0.4L 1.0H 1.1H 1.3H

Time 10:40 AM 11:21 AM 12:03 PM 12:57 PM 11:38 AM 12:59 PM 1:33 PM 1:57 PM 2:16 PM 2:33 PM 2:47 PM 2:59 PM 8:09 AM 8:59 AM 9:51 AM

Height 0.2L 0.5L 0.7L 0.9L 1.0H 1.1H 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 1.1H 1.1H 1.0H -0.2L 0.1L 0.4L

Date Time Feb 24 4:27 AM Feb 25 5:41 AM Feb 26 7:08 AM Feb 27 9:09 AM Feb 28 12:45 AM Feb 29 1:41 AM Mar 01 2:42 AM Mar 02 3:44 AM Mar 03 4:42 AM Mar 04 5:36 AM Mar 05 6:28 AM Mar 06 7:19 AM Mar 07 12:41 AM Mar 08 2:06 AM Mar 09 3:28 AM

Height 1.0H 1.0H 0.9H 1.0H 0.0L -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L -0.2L -0.1L -0.1L 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H

Time 10:40 AM 11:16 AM 11:48 AM 12:09 PM 2:23 PM 1:55 PM 2:07 PM 2:22 PM 2:35 PM 2:46 PM 2:55 PM 3:02 PM 8:10 AM 9:02 AM 9:57 AM

Height 0.5L 0.6L 0.8L 0.9L 1.1H 1.2H 1.3H 1.3H 1.4H 1.4H 1.3H 1.2H 0.0L 0.2L 0.4L

2012 Feb-Mar 24 Fri > 25 Sat 26 Sun 27 Mon 28 Tue 29 Wed Q 01 Thu 02 Fri 03 Sat 04 Sun 05 Mon 06 Tue > 07 Wed > 08 Thu F 09 Fri > 10 Sat > 11 Sun 12 Mon 13 Tue 14 Wed

A.M. Minor Major 6:46 12:35 7:34 1:23 8:23 2:12 9:13 3:01 10:03 3:51 10:53 4:41 11:43 5:30 12:06 6:19 12:53 7:06 1:39 7:52 2:25 8:38 3:11 9:24 3:58 10:11 4:47 11:00 5:41 11:54 6:39 12:25 8:41 2:27 9:45 3:31 10:50 4:35 11:53 5:38

P.M. Minor 7:07 7:56 8:45 9:36 10:27 11:18 ----12:31 1:19 2:05 2:51 3:36 4:23 5:13 6:07 7:06 9:10 10:15 11:20 -----

Major 12:57 1:45 2:34 3:24 4:15 5:05 5:55 6:44 7:32 8:18 9:04 9:49 10:36 11:26 ----12:53 2:55 4:00 5:05 6:07

SUN Rises Sets 06:52 06:16 06:51 06:16 06:50 06:17 06:49 06:18 06:48 06:19 06:47 06:19 06:46 06:20 06:45 06:21 06:44 06:21 06:43 06:22 06:42 06:23 06:40 06:23 06:39 06:24 06:38 06:25 06:37 06:25 06:36 06:26 07:35 07:26 07:34 07:27 07:32 07:28 07:31 07:28

MOON Rises 8:05a 8:38a 9:12a 9:49a 10:30a 11:14a 12:03p 12:56p 1:52p 2:52p 3:53p 4:56p 6:00p 7:05p 8:11p 9:19p 11:28p NoMoon 12:34a 1:37a

Sets 9:01p 9:55p 10:49p 11:43p NoMoon 12:36a 1:27a 2:17a 3:05a 3:50a 4:32a 5:12a 5:50a 6:28a 7:07a 7:48a 9:33a 10:23a 11:17a 12:14p

Dallas

11:30 PM -0.1L

2012 Feb-Mar 24 Fri > 25 Sat 26 Sun 27 Mon 28 Tue 29 Wed Q 01 Thu 02 Fri 03 Sat 04 Sun 05 Mon 06 Tue > 07 Wed > 08 Thu F 09 Fri > 10 Sat > 11 Sun 12 Mon 13 Tue 14 Wed

A.M. Minor Major 6:51 12:41 7:39 1:29 8:29 2:17 9:18 3:07 10:09 3:57 10:59 4:46 11:48 5:36 12:11 6:24 12:59 7:12 1:45 7:58 2:31 8:43 3:16 9:29 4:03 10:16 4:53 11:06 5:46 ----6:44 12:31 8:46 2:32 9:51 3:36 10:56 4:41 11:58 5:43

5:49 PM 4:58 PM

0.0H 0.0H

Time 4:17 PM 4:06 PM 3:45 PM 3:00 PM

Height 0.6H 0.7H 0.8H 0.9H

Time Height 10:34 PM 0.0L 11:11 PM -0.1L 11:54 PM -0.1L

7:58 PM 8:09 PM 3:08 PM 3:14 PM 3:16 PM

0.8L 0.6L 1.0H 1.0H 1.0H

11:30 PM

0.9H

San Antonio

8:32 PM 9:03 PM 9:41 PM

0.4L 0.2L 0.0L

Time 4:08 PM 3:58 PM 3:41 PM 3:14 PM

Height 0.8H 0.8H 0.9H 1.0H

Time 10:36 PM 11:15 PM 11:57 PM

Height 0.2L 0.1L 0.0L

7:40 PM 7:51 PM 3:06 PM 3:06 PM 3:03 PM

1.1L 0.9L 1.0H 0.9H 0.8H

11:05 PM

1.2H

8:16 PM 8:49 PM 9:28 PM

0.6L 0.3L 0.0L

2012 A.M. Feb Minor Major 24 Fri > 6:58 12:48 25 Sat 7:46 1:36 26 Sun 8:36 2:24 27 Mon 9:25 3:14 28 Tue 10:16 4:04 29 Wed Q 11:06 4:53 01 Thu 11:55 5:43 02 Fri 12:18 6:31 03 Sat 1:06 7:19 04 Sun 1:52 8:05 05 Mon 2:38 8:50 06 Tue > 3:23 9:36 07 Wed > 4:10 10:23 08 Thu F 5:00 11:13 09 Fri > 5:53 ----10 Sat > 6:51 12:38 11 Sun 8:53 2:39 12 Mon 9:58 3:43 13 Tue 11:03 4:48 14 Wed ----- 5:50

South Padre Island

Freeport Harbor Date Time Feb 24 4:51 AM Feb 25 5:52 AM Feb 26 6:58 AM Feb 27 12:10 AM Feb 28 12:55 AM Feb 29 1:51 AM Mar 01 2:57 AM Mar 02 4:05 AM Mar 03 5:08 AM Mar 04 6:03 AM Mar 05 6:54 AM Mar 06 12:27 AM Mar 07 1:38 AM Mar 08 2:44 AM Mar 09 3:50 AM

March 8

March 1

Legend: Major=2 hours. Minor=1 hour. Times centered on the major-minor window. F=Full Moon, N=New Moon, Q=Quarter > = Peak Activity. For other locations, subtract 1 minute per 12 miles east of a location, and add 1 minute per 12 miles west of a location.

New

Last

Port Aransas, H. Caldwell Pier

San Luis Pass Date Time Feb 24 5:32 AM Feb 25 6:37 AM Feb 26 12:27 AM Feb 27 1:12 AM Feb 28 2:03 AM Feb 29 3:02 AM Mar 01 4:06 AM Mar 02 5:09 AM Mar 03 6:05 AM Mar 04 6:55 AM Mar 05 7:41 AM Mar 06 1:05 AM Mar 07 2:15 AM Mar 08 3:24 AM Mar 09 4:34 AM

Full

First

Rockport

Galveston Bay entrance, south jetty Date Time Feb 24 5:02 AM Feb 25 6:07 AM Feb 26 7:18 AM Feb 27 12:16 AM Feb 28 1:07 AM Feb 29 2:06 AM Mar 01 3:10 AM Mar 02 4:13 AM Mar 03 5:09 AM Mar 04 5:59 AM Mar 05 6:45 AM Mar 06 12:35 AM Mar 07 1:45 AM Mar 08 2:54 AM Mar 09 4:04 AM

Solunar | Sun times | Moon times

Moon Phases

Port O’Connor

Sabine Pass, jetty Date Time Feb 24 4:15 AM Feb 25 5:20 AM Feb 26 6:31 AM Feb 27 7:53 AM Feb 28 12:41 AM Feb 29 1:40 AM Mar 01 2:44 AM Mar 02 3:47 AM Mar 03 4:43 AM Mar 04 5:33 AM Mar 05 6:19 AM Mar 06 7:03 AM Mar 07 12:58 AM Mar 08 2:07 AM Mar 09 3:17 AM

LSONews.com

P.M. Minor Major 7:13 1:02 8:01 1:50 8:51 2:40 9:41 3:30 10:32 4:20 11:23 5:11 ----- 6:01 12:37 6:50 1:24 7:37 2:11 8:24 2:56 9:09 3:42 9:55 4:29 10:41 5:19 11:31 6:13 12:00 7:12 12:58 9:15 3:01 10:20 4:06 11:26 5:11 ----- 6:13

SUN MOON Rises Sets Rises Sets 07:01 06:18 8:09a 9:10p 07:00 06:19 8:40a 10:05p 06:58 06:20 9:13a 11:00p 06:57 06:21 9:49a 11:55p 06:56 06:22 10:29a NoMoon 06:55 06:22 11:13a 12:48a 06:54 06:23 12:01p 1:41a 06:53 06:24 12:54p 2:30a 06:51 06:25 1:51p 3:18a 06:50 06:26 2:52p 4:02a 06:49 06:26 3:55p 4:42a 06:48 06:27 5:00p 5:21a 06:46 06:28 6:05p 5:57a 06:45 06:29 7:12p 6:33a 06:44 06:29 8:20p 7:11a 06:43 06:30 9:30p 7:50a 07:41 07:31 11:39p 9:34a 07:40 07:32 NoMoon 10:22a 07:39 07:32 12:47a 11:15a 07:37 07:33 1:51a 12:12p

P.M. Minor Major 7:20 1:09 8:08 1:57 8:58 2:47 9:48 3:37 10:39 4:27 11:30 5:18 ----- 6:08 12:44 6:57 1:31 7:44 2:18 8:31 3:03 9:16 3:49 10:02 4:36 10:48 5:26 11:38 6:20 12:07 7:19 1:05 9:22 3:08 10:27 4:13 11:33 5:18 12:05 6:20

SUN MOON Rises Sets Rises Sets 07:04 06:28 8:18a 9:14p 07:03 06:29 8:51a 10:08p 07:02 06:30 9:26a 11:01p 07:01 06:31 10:03a 11:55p 07:00 06:31 10:44a NoMoon 06:59 06:32 11:28a 12:48a 06:58 06:33 12:17p 1:40a 06:57 06:33 1:09p 2:30a 06:56 06:34 2:06p 3:17a 06:55 06:35 3:05p 4:02a 06:54 06:35 4:07p 4:45a 06:53 06:36 5:09p 5:24a 06:52 06:37 6:13p 6:03a 06:51 06:37 7:18p 6:41a 06:49 06:38 8:24p 7:20a 06:48 06:38 9:32p 8:01a 07:47 07:39 11:40p 9:47a 07:46 07:40 NoMoon 10:36a 07:45 07:40 12:47a 11:30a 07:44 07:41 1:50a 12:28p

P.M. Minor 7:33 8:22 9:11 10:02 10:53 11:43 12:09 12:57 1:45 2:31 3:17 4:02 4:49 5:39 6:33 7:32 9:35 10:41 11:46 12:19

SUN Rises 07:23 07:22 07:21 07:20 07:18 07:17 07:16 07:15 07:13 07:12 07:11 07:09 07:08 07:07 07:05 07:04 08:02 08:01 08:00 07:58

Amarillo 2012 A.M. Feb-Mar Minor 24 Fri > 7:12 25 Sat 8:00 26 Sun 8:49 27 Mon 9:39 28 Tue 10:29 29 Wed Q 11:19 01 Thu ----02 Fri 12:32 03 Sat 1:19 04 Sun 2:05 05 Mon 2:51 06 Tue > 3:37 07 Wed > 4:24 08 Thu F 5:13 09 Fri > 6:07 10 Sat > 7:05 11 Sun 9:07 12 Mon 10:11 13 Tue 11:16 14 Wed -----

OUTDOOR PUZZLER | By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen ACROSS 1. Indian name for deer 6. Main fin on a fish 9. The arrow receptacle 10. Sounds made by the wild turkey 11. A hunting quarry in Africa 12. Type of fishline with many hooks 14. Install a drag on this to tire fish 15. Venison 20. A fish guiding organ 21. The bowmaker 22. A good bait for bear traps 25. A wildfowl at bed having young 27. A fishing lure 29. A good trap bait 31. A young quail 33. The dall is one 34. A clay pigeon ejector station 36. Usual routine of game or fowl 37. The tip of a bullet 39. Of the sunfish family 41. Hunter's quarry in Florida 44. Act of stringing a bow

Solution on Page 26

Major 1:22 2:11 3:00 3:50 4:41 5:31 6:21 7:10 7:58 8:44 9:29 10:15 11:02 11:52 12:20 1:19 3:21 4:26 5:31 6:33

Sets 06:36 06:37 06:38 06:39 06:40 06:41 06:42 06:43 06:44 06:44 06:45 06:46 06:47 06:48 06:49 06:50 07:50 07:51 07:52 07:53

MOON Rises 8:28a 8:58a 9:31a 10:06a 10:45a 11:28a 12:16p 1:10p 2:07p 3:09p 4:13p 5:19p 6:26p 7:34p 8:44p 9:55p NoMoon 12:06a 1:14a 2:18a

Sets 9:33p 10:29p 11:25p NoMoon 12:21a 1:15a 2:07a 2:57a 3:44a 4:27a 5:07a 5:44a 6:19a 6:54a 7:30a 8:08a 9:51a 10:38a 11:30a 12:28p

FOR THE TABLE Baked venison steak

45. They are found above tree line in Rockies 46. A type of camp fireplace DOWN 1. Name for a certain bass 2. The spread of a shot shell 3. Of the strength of a fishline 4. The rifle stock 5. Lab name for fish eggs 6. Arrow does this because of wind 7. Term for a crack in a bow stave 8. Prepare for another shot 13. May be an eagle's prey 16. Female bighorns 17. A graceful wildfowl 18. Handy item to have in strange areas 19. A wildfowl nighttime perch 20. Valued part of some game 23. A good walleye bait 24. Act of fish hitting a hook

Major 1:01 1:49 2:38 3:27 4:17 5:07 5:56 6:44 7:32 8:18 9:04 9:50 10:36 11:26 ----12:51 2:52 3:57 5:01 6:04

2 lbs. venison round steak sliced and marinated in buttermilk then washed clean 1 tsp. salt 1 diced onion 1 tsp. pepper 1/2 box sliced mushrooms 1 tbsp. ﬂour 1 minced garlic clove 1 chopped bell pepper 1 tbsp. bacon fat or olive oil 1 cup red wine or sherry

Salt and pepper eight to 10 pieces of venison steak and roll in ﬂour. Place in baking container and sauté in hot oil until brown. Add all other ingredients and stir. Bake in oven at 300 degrees for 45 minutes. Add water as needed. Serve with buttered carrots and rice or mashed potatoes. — wildgamerecipes.org

Spicy sweet pepper catfish 2 6-ounce catfish fillets Salt and pepper to taste All purpose flour 2 1/2 tbsps. olive oil 1 medium thin-sliced onion

26. A breed of setter 28. This controls a shot spread 29. A type of sight 30. A grouse species 32. Name for salmon species in Wyoming

33. Name for a certain ﬁshing lure 35. Large on a muley 38. Bucks with single antlers 39. Buck domain marks on tree

trunks 40. Device on a reel to tire a ﬁsh 42. The point of an arrow 43. Best lure color to attract ﬁsh

1/2 large diced green bell pepper 1/2 large diced red bell pepper 2 1/2 tbsps. white wine 1/2 tbsp. chopped, drained, canned pickled jalapeño chilies

Season the fillets with salt and pepper and dust lightly with flour. Sauté fillets until golden brown — about four minutes per side. Transfer fish to plates and keep hot. Add 1/2 tbsp. oil, onion and bell peppers to same skillet and sauté about four minutes. Add white wine and jalapeño chilies, salt and pepper. Stir for one minute, then pour over fish and serve. Serves 2; can be doubled. — easyfishrecipes.com *E-mail LSON your favorite recipe to news@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

LSONews.com

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

February 24, 2012

Page 25

PRODUCTS FLOATING DOCK: Pond King constructs its docks with moisture-repelling composite deck boards framed by galvanized 12-gauge steel with 14-gauge C-purline bracing on 16-inch centers. A concrete 8-foot-wide base holds the dock bankside without cables or pipes, while the floatation is achieved by maintenance-free encapsulated Eagle Floats that are bolted to the frame. Prices start at $2,995 for the basic split-level T model and run up to $17,989 for the 14- by 20-foot deluxe dock with awning. The 12- by 16-foot deluxe model with railing (pictured) sells for about $14,965. The floating decks can be customized with such accessories as access ramps, benches, tables, fish feeders and more.

(940) 668-2573 www.pondking.com

BODY & HAIR SOAP: This “huntress-approved” soap by Dead Down Wind utilizes skincleansing enzyme technology that eliminates odor from skin and scalp. The soap is part of a line that includes laundry, body and ﬁeld products that work together to provide optimum scent control in the ﬁeld. The Body & Hair Soap sells for about $9 for a 16-ounce bottle. (816) 421-4397

CONDO DECK: The manufacturer of the Sportsman’s Condo line of hunting blinds, Southern Outdoor Technologies, has introduced its new Condo Deck. The 36-inchwide-by-40-inch-long landing area offers hunters a transition zone between the ladder and the blind and can be easily attached to any Sportsman’s Condo blind. Its oversized handholds make it easy to enter and exit the condo. The 54-pound deck sells for about $250. (662) 295-5702 www.sportsmanscondo.com

TRINOVID TRI T INOVID BINOCULARS: BIN NOC CULARS: Leica LLeica Sports Optics O s has ha as updated its favorite fa avo orite entry-leventry lev el binoculars biino oculars for hunters. The new Trinovid 8x42 BR and 10x42 erss. T BR models mod offer exceptional engineering and m performance. Featuring magnesium housing, perfo orm the are lightweight and durable. e binoculars b They a stainless steel center hinge and They have h large with four stops and generous larg ge eyecups e eye relief. re elie The prisms feature a “PP40” phase correction coating plus a mirror layer that incorre ect crease cre eas light transmission and image brightness. ness. The binoculars sell for about $1,500.

Q KNOT: Anglers can be a little more organized with the Q Knot and the Q Knot Pro by UT Wire. The reusable multipurpose ties can be used for just about anything, including organizing line or other boating essentials. At home, the Q Knot is especially useful in taming those tangles of unsightly cords. The stretchable Q Knot features nonslip, gripping teeth that lock to bundle multiple objects safely and effectively while the Q Knot Pro tie has slanted triangular teeth that make it grip harder for those heavy-duty tasks. A 25-count package sells for about $9 for the Q Knot ties or $10 for the Q Knot Pro ties. (877) 838-2040

(800) 222-0118 www.leica-sportoptics.com

TEXAS BIG BITES

CLASSIFIEDS DESERT HIDEOUT Private: 3 bedroom, 1 bath, waterfront home. On Falcon Lake. Great hunting and ﬁshing. $60,000 cash. (512) 777-9377

165 ACRES ONE HOUR FROM AUSTIN $3500/acre includes house, workshop, and barn. Great dove, deer, and hog hunting. (512) 658-7114

JIM'S ASPHALT PAVING Rural ranches, oil ﬁeld roads. Hot mix, crushed asphalt, caliche, seal coating. Serving all of Texas. (817) 600-8717

LAKEFORKLODGE.COM Recognized as one of the top ﬁshing lodges in North America. Also booking upland bird, duck, deer, and hog hunts. (903) 473-7236

DECOYS WANTED WOODEN Duck and Goose. Top prices paid. Ask for David. (214) 361-2276

THE RETURN OF 481: Landon Glass of Jarrell caught this 13.03-pound bass Feb. 14 on Lake Austin, which is the same ﬁsh that was caught two years ago and labeled No. 481 in the ShareLunker program. Its new name: ShareLunker 528. Photo by Ryan Fontana, TPWD.

TAXIDERMIST BILLINGTON RANCH billingtonranchtaxidermy.com (254) 793-2120

$30 FOR ONE YEAR Great gift for your outdoorsman. 24 issues for one year. www.LSONnews.com

LAKE AUSTIN ROCKS: Three of the first five ShareLunkers caught this season were from Lake Austin. Wes Hayden’s 13.22-pound bass, ShareLunker 527, was hooked on Feb. 11 in about 5 feet of water. The angler from Round Rock was flipping a jig with a soft-plastic craw near an overhanging tree. “She thumped it, and I set the hook,” Hayden said. “Then she started dragging me all over the place.” Photo from Wes Hayden.

DEER LEASE WANTED Lone Star Outdoor News is looking for a hunting and ﬁshing lease with all hunt and ﬁsh rights. Central or Northwest Texas. Camphouse is needed. (214) 361-2276

184 ACRES MILLS COUNTY Ag. exempt, awesome views, oaks and native pasture. Electricity, 2 wells, pond + barns. Great deer hunting. $3200 acre. Visit doglegranch.webs.com

SOUTH PADRE FISHING Reds, Trout, Flounder, Snook. Everything supplied but food and licenses. Multiple trip discounts. Call Capt. Thomas for details or CDCT12005@aol.com. (956) 551-1965 CANADA Trophy bear, moose and grouse hunts. World class fishing. Licensed outfitter. www.callofthenorth.com (800) 801-4080 GREAT GIFT Game Warden Blotter Book LSON's #1 Best Selling Book. Buy it today. $14.95. www.LSONnews.com LEARN TO FLY FISH CASTING LESSONS Lessons by a certified casting instructor in Dallas. Group lessons available. (214) 677-6307 SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUN Smith & Wesson Elite Gold 20-gauge, 26” BBL, English stock. In box, never fired. (214) 361-2276 x 201

$1 PER WORD

20 word minimum 2 issues minimum

Classiﬁed C Order Form

Page 26

February 24, 2012

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

LSONews.com

DATEBOOK February 24-26

March 2-4

B.A.S.S. Bassmaster Classic Red River, Bosier City, La. bassmaster.com

Los Cazadores Hog Tournament 2012 Marranos Muertos, Pearsall (830) 334-5959 loscazadores.net

Trout Unlimited Guadalupe River TU Troutfest 2012 Rio Raft Resort, Canyon Lake (210) 654-6220 grtu.org

Texas Dog Hunters Association 7th Annual TDHA Hallettsville Hunting Expo Wilbur Baber Memorial Complex, Hallettsville (361) 798-5135 tdha.org

February 25

March 3

Borger Ducks Unlimited Dinner Graceland East, Borger (806) 898-6389 ducks.org

Mule Deer Foundation 1st Annual Fund-raiser Parker County Sheriff's Posse Event Center, Weatherford (817) 565-7121 muledeer.org

February 29-March 3 Lake Fork Carp and Buffalo Challenge Lake Fork (315) 427-7109 wildcarpcompanies.com

February 29-March 4 Houston Fishing Show George A. Brown Conv. Center (713) 853-8000 houstonﬁshingshow.com

March 2 Ducks Unlimited El Paso DU Dinner Al Maida Shrine Temple, El Paso (915) 227-0363 ducks.org

March 2-3 Texas Deer Association TDA Spring Gala Banquet and Auction, Grapevine (210) 767-8300 texasdeerassociation.com

Dallas Woods and Waters Club 33rd Annual Banquet Plano Center, Plano (214) 570-8700 dwwcc.org Ducks Unlimited Anna/Hurricane Creek Banquet Hurricane Creek Country Club, Anna (214) 478-9512 ducks.org

Executive Editor Craig Nyhus Editor Bill Miller Associate Editor Conor Harrison Associate Editor Mark England Graphics Editor Amy Moore Business/Products Editor Mary Helen Aguirre Operations Manager Mike Hughs Accounting Ginger Hoolan Web site Bruce Soileau

National Advertising Mike Nelson Accounts Manager Advertising Sales Jaimey Honea Founder & CEO David J. Sams

Contributors Kyle Carter Alan Clemons David Draper Wilbur Lundeen Aaron Reed

Erich Schlegel David Sikes Scott Sommerlatte Chuck Uzzle Ralph Winingham

Advertising Call (214) 361-2276 or e-mail editor@lone staroutdoornews.com to request a media kit.

For home delivery subscriptions www.LSONews.com (214) 361-2276

Lone Star Outdoor News, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice a month. A mailed subscription is $30 for 24 issues. Newsstand copies are free, one per person. Copyright 2012 with all rights reserved. Reproduction and/ or use of any photographic or written material without written permission by the publisher is prohibited. Subscribers may send address changes to: Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355 or e-mail them to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

Puzzle solution from Page 24

Ducks Unlimited Boerne Dinner Kendall County Fairgrounds (210) 710-0153 ducks.org Ducks Unlimited Greenville/Hunt County Dinner National Guard Armory, Greenville (214) 476-8662 ducks.org

March 15 Dallas Safari Club Annual Meeting Wyndham Hotel, Dallas (214) 980-9800 biggame.org

March 15-17 North American Deer Farmers Association 23rd Annual NADFA Conference, Dallas (330) 454-3944 nadefa.org

March 23-24 Ducks Unlimited Arlington Casino Night St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church, Arlington (469) 446-4176 ducks.org

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Bass Management Workshop Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, Athens (979) 845-2604 tpwd.state.tx.us

March 23-25 March 8 Quail Coalition Park Cities Dinner and Auction Frontiers of Flight Museum, Dallas (214) 632-7460 parkcitiesquail.org

Golden alga bloom March 1 deadline to hits Brady Creek Lake apply for latest TBGA A toxic bloom of golden alga was found scholarships recently in Brady Creek Lake near Brady, a popular destination for bass, crappie, and catfish. This is the first time Brady Creek Lake has been struck by this harmful alga, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. This type of alga, which doesn’t hurt humans or other mammals, has caused substantial fish kills in more than a dozen lakes in West and North Central Texas since 2001. Included have been E.V. Spence and Possum Kingdom reservoirs. TPWD officials on Feb. 13 received complaints of dead fish floating on Brady Creek Lake. Biologists conducted a fish kill count and collected water samples the following morning. “Some lakes that are hit with golden alga tend to be affected year after year, and the fisheries are severely impacted,” said Mandy Scott, assistant fisheries biologist in TPWD’s San Angelo Inland Fisheries Management office. “But, other lakes, like Sweetwater or Whitney, experience blooms once or every few years, and the fisheries are able to rebound.” —TPWD

Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Deer Associates Meeting J.W. Marriott Resort, San Antonio (361) 593-4120 ckwri.tamuk.edu

Deadline is March 1 to apply for the 12th Annual Texas Big Game Awards (TBGA) Wildlife Conservation College Scholarship Program. More than $15,000 will be awarded in college scholarships for the 2012-2013 school year. All applicants must be agriculture or natural resource-related majors. One $1,500 will be awarded in each of the eight TBGA Regions, and the overall top scholarship applicant will receive a $3,000 college scholarship. Any entering college freshman (graduating high school senior), or entering college sophomore, or entering college junior is eligible to apply for one of the available scholarships. The scholarship applications will be reviewed and ranked by a statewide scoring committee using set criteria. Applicants do not have to participate in the TBGA to be eligible for the scholarships. To download the application, visit www. TexasBigGameAwards.org. All applications must be postmarked by March 1. — TBGA

SCI North Texas Chapter Outdoor Expo Show Bass Pro Shops, Grapevine (940) 612-1928 scinorthtexas.com

Muley record Continued From Page 5

the Texas Big Game Awards. That deer was also taken from the McGuire Ranch. He didn’t take one in 2010 because he couldn’t find one he liked. But Rick, who operates Outback Wildlife Feeders in Gilmer, accelerated his mule deer quest in 2011. Before the Gaines County hunt, he took three big bucks in Nevada, Idaho and New Mexico and two more in the Big Bend region of Far West Texas. The scores ranged from 187 to 218. Before arriving on the McGuire Ranch, Rick hunted the Jicarilla Apache Reservation in New Mexico where he got a buck that scored 194. Fog persisted when he returned for the afternoon hunt on the McGuire Ranch, but the big deer re-emerged from the haze. This time was different. The five-by-five buck looked much bigger. And there was no mistaking that this was the same deer. Rick identified it by one G3 being shorter than the other. “He came out 45 minutes before dark and he was totally different coming to us instead of walking away,” Rick said. “There was no doubt then that we were going to shoot it.” The trophy was taken at 411 yards with a 180grain Nosler Accubond bullet fired from Rick’s .30-378 Weatherby Magnum. The deer’s gross score was 209 7/8, and the net was 197 4/8; Rick hopes that will be enough to be the new first-place record holder in the Texas Big Game Awards. David Brimager of the Texas Wildlife Association, which oversees the awards program, said the score is high enough to be No. 1. The current titleholder is the Potter County buck harvested during the 1996-1997 season by Mickey VanHuss. That deer’s net score was 196 5/8, according to TWA records. Brimager said he was waiting for Meritt’s paperwork to arrive at the TWA office in San Antonio. But while Rick awaits word on that, he is faced with a downside. His buck from 2009 will no longer hold second place. “This one,” he said of his latest Gaines County trophy, “bumps it down to third.”

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Lone✯Star Outdoor News

February 24, 2012

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February 24, 2012

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

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