Hunting Texas Annual 2011

HOFFPAUIR POLARIS WARTHOG SHARPENERS

page 4 page 6

REALTREE CAMO GREYSTONE CASTLE

page 8 page 16

AVERY OUTDOORS NIKON SPORT OPTICS

page 22 page 27

DOVE FORECAST DOVE LEASES

page 11 page 14

WATERFOWL FORECAST

page 12

DEER FORECAST

page 20

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

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LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

Dove outfitters put you out there

Vortex Optics unveils Razor, Talon binoculars and Viper riflescopes

Your job is to make it count

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don’t envy the job of the dove outfitter.

Yes, if they can get access to some prime properties they can collect some money to pay for their planting and scouting efforts, especially on opening weekend.

But setting large groups of hunters in places where they are likely to get plenty of shots is tough.

What’s tougher can be dealing with those who can’t make the shots count.

A few years back, hunting the second weekend of dove season with a Central Texas outfitter, I realized dove outfitting would not be my calling.

The morning hunt was good for some and not so good for others. A group had the best area and some shot limits.

Another pair in that same area, though, had nothing good to say as we left the field with the outfitter.

“This sucks; there’s no birds here,” one of them said. “We only got seven between us.”

I looked down.

“Look at their feet,” I whispered to the outfitter.

The hulls of at least 300 shotgun shells rested on the ground.

“Seems like they got plenty of shots,” I said.

“They weren’t flying that high.”

“Comes with the territory,” the outfitter replied.

“You put them in the spot,” I told him. “It’s their job from there — we should all at least practice a little before the season to make it

count if we get the shots.”

The afternoon hunt posed another dilemma. Although the outfitter had explained the limits when we headed out both times that day, one shooter looked strikingly familiar to one of the lucky hunters who had limited out in the morning.

“I think that’s the guy from this morning who had the good hunt,” my hunting partner said. “He changed clothes and has a different hat on.”

“A double dipper. Are you sure?” I asked.

“Not totally,” he said.

We did finish our limits that evening, and we weren’t in the same area as the quick-change artist, so we didn’t know if he shot more. We were pretty sure he tried, though.

No game warden came by on those hunts.

We kind of wished one would have.

Story by Craig Nyhus LSONews.com Lone Star Outdoor News

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ptically, ergonomically, aesthetically — Vortex Optics’ new Razor HD binoculars offer the highest level of performance obtainable, earning them the flagship position at the top of Vortex’s extensive selection of binoculars.

Premium, hand-selected HD (High Density) extra-low dispersion glass delivers the ultimate in resolution and color fidelity, resulting in astonishingly sharp, high-definition images.

Lenses fully multicoated with Vortex’s proprietary XR antireflective coatings guarantee maximum brightness and glassing confidence during critical low-light periods of dawn and dusk.

O-rings are sealed and purged with argon gas for 100 percent waterproof and fog-proof performance.

Available: 8x42, MSRP $1,279; 10x42, MSRP $1,299; 8.5x50, MSRP $1,379; 10x50, MSRP $1,389; 12x50, MSRP $1,399.

And, when it comes to packing value into optics, Vortex offers the new Talon HD binocular series.

These open-hinge binoculars deliver the features and performance demanded by discriminating hunters, but at a midrange price.

Carefully selected High Density (HD) extra-low dispersion glass delivers impressive clarity, resolution and color accuracy. External glass surfaces are protected with ArmorTek — an ultra-hard lens armor that is chemically bonded to outer glass elements, providing a scratch-resistant, stainproof surface. Dust, dirt and smudges are easily removed without fear of scratching the optical glass beneath.

The rubber-armored magnesium chassis is rugged, lightweight and provides a secure, nonslip grip.

Twist-up eyecups offer a range of eye-relief options for comfortable, customized viewing.

Available: 8x42, MSRP $539; and 10x42 at MSRP $549.

For shooting optics, Vortex has upgraded its popular Viper HS riflescopes with an array of new features.

Built on tough 30mm one-piece machined aluminum tubes, these scopes deliver increased windage and elevation travel for optimal adjustment. A new optical system highlighted with a 4X zoom range provides magnification versatility. The eye box with increased eye relief gets shooters on target quickly and easily — because shooting opportunities can be measured in fractions of seconds.

XD (extra-low dispersion) glass guarantees sharp, crisp images from edge to edge. Lenses with XR coatings ensure superior light transmission, allowing hunters to take advantage of every minute of legal shooting time. Exterior lenses feature ArmorTek. Shockproof construction withstands recoil and impact from every angle.

Available: 1-4x24; 2.5-10x44; 4-16x50; 4-16x44; 4-16x50 LR; and 4-16x44 LR. MSRP: $459 to $639.

Vortex-The Fore of Optics www.VortexOptics.com

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

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Hoffpauir super store has ATVs, UTVs and more

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he Hoffpauir Outdoor Superstore, which sits on Texas 84 on the outskirts of Goldthwaite, is definitely worth the drive.

Owner Lee Hoffpauir bought the ATV and UTV dealership in 2007 because he was sold on Polaris.

“I always thought Polaris was the best product,” he said.

Plenty of Texans seem to agree.

They have made this dealership the go-to dealership for Polaris Rangers. Customers who visit the Outdoor Superstore will find a great selection of the popular Polaris models, as well as Cub Cadet products, Troy-Bilt mowers, New Holland tractors, Big Tex trailers, Haulmark trailers, Bush Hog implements and more.

But it is the Polaris Rangers that are the main attraction.

General Manager Nick Hamilton said customers like the four-wheel drive Ranger Crew 800 for its power, suspension, ground clearance and its ability to carry people.

The single-seat Rangers are also popular. And, he said, there has been a lot of interest in the electric vehicles.

RANGER CREW DIESEL ($13,999): This is a hard-working, smooth-riding ATV that will especially appeal to land managers.

It carries six adults in total comfort and is perfect for those who need diesel power.

It features an isolation-mounted, fuelefficient 24 HP YANMAR® diesel engine.

The ATV’s key features include four-

wheel independent suspension, 40 percent more range than the comparable gas model, improved dash/seat sealing for increased cab comfort, On-Demand True AWD to maximize traction, and 90 percent of peak torque at 1600 RPM for incredible low-speed pulling.

POLARIS SPORTSMAN 500 H.O. ($6,199): The Sportsman® 500 H.O. is the bestselling automatic 4x4 ATV of all time.

Its smooth ride and handling are legendary. For 2012, it’s also the best value 500, with your choice of red, green or new yellow. Top Features include a new, integrated front storage box that has 6.5 gallons of storing capacity, on-demand true AWD that maximizes traction, legendary smooth independent rear suspension, raised radiator placement and a full 11.25 inches of boulder-avoiding ground clearance. The towing power is also unbelievable, with a 1,225-pound towing capacity so you can tow trailers with material and equipment.

RANGER CREW EFI 500 ($10,299): This model boasts unmatched traction and seats up to four. It is another hunterfriendly model. Its 498cc twin-cylinder electronic fuel injection engine delivers a top speed of 44 mph. Key features include smooth independent rear suspension, 1,250 pounds of payload capacity, 1,250-pound towing capacity, on-demand all-wheel drive with Versa Trac, and 10 inches of clearance. As with all midsize Rangers, it will fit nicely in the back of a pickup truck.

RANGER CREW DIESEL

POLARIS SPORTSMAN 500 H.O.

RANGER CREW EFI 500

Hoffpauir www.HOutdoor.com 800.716.5402

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LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

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What is the Right Angle?

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common misunderstanding g with sharpening g is “angle.” For some e reason, everyone thinks that angle is the primary dynamic c in sharpening.

Truth is, most knives don’t even come from the factory with the same exact angle on both sides because they are sharpened by hand on machines.

The angle on the edge should be determined by use: 17 degrees for thin blades like fillet knives used for cutting soft, fleshy materials; and a wide, durable 25-degree angle for kitchen chopping g knives, pocketknivess and utility knives.

Sharpening systems like carbide scrapers have one preset angle (usually between 20-22 degrees) and require the user to apply equal pressure while pulling the blade through the device. And while they are great in the field for quick touch-ups, they do tend to scrape off too much metal. Fixed-angle sharpeners, like ceramic sticks, rely on the user to hold the knife at a consistent angle while trying to apply the same pressure throughout the stroke. These ceramic sticks don’t take off enough material to create an edge no matter how much pressure the user applies.

Angle, grit and pressure Angle is only 20 percent of sharpening dynamics and is determined primarily by blade use. Pocket and hunting knives get a wide bevel of 25-30 degrees for durability, while thin-bladed fillet knives require narrower bevels — 17-20 degrees — for cutting soft material like flesh and meat.

The “grit” of a sharpening surface is only 10 percent of the dynamic. How rough or smooth it is determines how much pressure you want to apply. Diamond sharpeners require less pressure due to the aggressiveness of the diamonds, while stones might require

a little more pressure depending on how dull press the knife is.

Which leads us to t the most common mistake when sharpening. sharpen It is the pressure that one applies that is really removing material in order to “get the edge,” tthus making pressure 70 percent of the sharpening dynamic.

You can sharpen at the ssame angle on both sides, but if you are not applying the same amount of pressure to both sides, you will either take off too little w material needed to reach tthe edge or apply too much pressure, which produces a “rolled or burred edge.”

A knife will only stay as sharp as the metal that holds the edge. Hard steel blades —pocketknives or hunting knives — stay sharper longer, while soft steel kitchen knives dull more quickly. The harder the steel, the longer the edge will hold.

Regardless of what knife you are sharpening, you must apply consistent pressure, while holding a constant angle throughout the entire stroke. This is an almost impossible task on a stone due to the inability to hold the exact angle while applying the same pressure.

scope, has a toothy, microfine serrated edge.

This is the edge you want for cutting through meats, vegetables, rope and skin, regardless of angle. It is the microfine serrated edge that is actually doing the cutting for you.

A shaving edge has a very smooth edge with no serrations, and although it shaves the hair on your arm, it begins to dull as soon as you start using it, due to the fineness of the edge. Also, this edge is too smooth to cut through a tomato skin or plastic bailing twine. It is the roughness of the edge that slices through the skin of a tomato, and it is the roughness of the edge that cuts through rope or twine!

So when someone says their “axe can shave” the hair on their arm, it’s important to remember that no axe was ever intended to shave. It was meant to CHOP and that requires a wide bevel for durability, as well as a rough, toothy edge for breaking through the woody fibers.

Edge test The thumbnail test is the best way to determine if you have achieved a cutting edge. If you CHOP, gently place your blade edge on your thumbnail. If it sticks, you have a cutting edge. If the knife slips off your thumbnail in a particular spot, the edge has not been achieved.

Hopefully these tips will save you time, energy and frustration regardless of how you are sharpening and what you are sharpening.

Jonathan West is a trade-show representative for Warthog Sharpeners.

Shaving sharp vs. cutting sharp Why is it that everyone wants to sharpen their pocketknives until they shave the hair on their arms? That knife was made for cutting, not shaving.

A cutting edge, examined under a micro-

Story by Jonathan West Warthog Sharpeners www.V-Sharp.com 877.719.0123

Bigfoot?

No, just strange footwear in deer country

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omething wasn’t right.

Footprints were planted in the thirsty dust of a certain ranch in DeWitt County.

Who would be crazy enough to be barefoot out here on gravelly terrain studded by cactus needles, thorns and sticks?

Not the cattlemen or gauge readers who usually keep to their trucks. But these guys, after seeing the string of prints, might think this ranch is home to Bigfoot.

Don’t laugh.

The Sasquatch of the Pacific Northwest has a Lone Star cousin, according to Texans who track it. Just launch a Google search; you’ll see.

Reports of supernatural occurrences are not unheard of in DeWitt County. A few years ago it was ground zero for sightings of El Chupacabre, the mythical blood-sucking creature of south-ofthe-border folklore.

The “chupes,” however, were explained away as coyotes infected with sarcoptic mange. And, there’s a problem with this Bigfoot theory. These prints are only size 8 П⁄Ж.

Littlefoot?

No, it’s just me on my family’s ranch, out making a summertime scout for deer. But I wasn’t exactly barefoot.

I wore Vibram FiveFingers — glove-like footgear with toe “pockets” and a thin form-fitting rubber sole that is shaped exactly like the bot-

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tom of the foot.

Not your typical ranch wear, I know, but let me explain.

My wife and kids got into the “barefooting” movement a few months back, and the FiveFingers became their footgear of choice. Vibram says this design “mirrors the flex points and silhouette of your foot to propel your body forward and promote a more natural gait.”

That’s what my wife, Samantha, and daughter, Eden, like about their Vibrams, but my son, Avery, runs in them. He soon found, however, that his first pair was too big, so he replaced them and gave me his old ones.

It was a big deal for me to slip them on, because I thought they looked silly. Still do, actually.

I thought about the statement I’d be making.

Like, “Oh, look at me. I’m hip. Holistic. I’m wearing goofy slippers.”

But now that I’m in my 50s, I’ve found that my lower back hurts when I walk around in some shoes or boots. I’ve considered orthotics and other special insoles; some are pricey, but these FiveFingers cost me nothing.

I pulled them on and spent a Saturday cleaning house and doing yard work — and experienced no back pain!

Vibram says my model, the KSO, is suitable for hiking, running, boating, even yoga and Pilates.

But how about scouting for deer in the dog days of summer? I thought they had potential.

Retailers are selling stealthy, lightweight camo high-top “sneakers” to bowhunters who are serious about the stalk — kind of like Native

Americans who wore moccasins while closing in on game.

And that’s what I tried to do one Sunday evening in July.

I had been driving for five hours and I wanted to get out to see how the deer were making it in the drought. Plus, I like seeing them this time of year in their red coats, and with the bucks in velvet — the first preview of how their antlers might look in the fall.

But it was still around 100 degrees at 7 p.m., so I dressed lightly in cargo shorts, an Under Armour T-shirt, a boonie hat, and, yes, my FiveFingers. I grabbed my favorite old binoculars, a bottle of water and soon I was in deer country.

But I can say that the footgear did allow me to easily step over downed trees or around thorny brush. You feel big rocks when you step on them, but nothing pierced the rubber soles.

I didn’t see any bucks, but the does I saw, although lean, were healthy enough to scram when they noticed me sneaking closer to them.

Will I wear FiveFingers on the hunt? Probably not, considering other hunters will be in camp — old-timers who laugh at my black thermal underwear, likening it to modern dance attire. These guys still wear white, waffle-knit long johns.

Still, I think I’ll keep the Vibram in my bag — just in case.

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

Story by Bill Miller LSONews.com Lone Star Outdoor News

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

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Realtree patterns now used by more than 1,500 licensees

www.berettausa.com

www.stealth4x4.com

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The new Stealth Night Hawk, available in Realtree Hardwoods® redefines off-road electric vehicle styling, performance, range, agility, strength and speed.

It features a 72-volt, 30-horsepower electric motor and 130 foot-pounds of peak torque. The high-capacity, 12-volt, deep-cycle batteries provide you with a 30-plus-mile range on a full charge — more than enough for a day of hunting.

With the dash-mounted battery fuel gauge, you never have to guess if you have enough power to make it back to camp or your truck. The Night Hawk has an operating range of minus 13 degrees F to 125 degrees F, so your vehicle will remain in top operating condition year-round … no matter the weather.

The Night Hawk also features a high-performance forward and reverse switching system and onboard 13-amp charger/ maintainer. Thanks to its aircraft-quality, non-corrosive, heavy-duty, triple-wall aluminum frame, the Night Hawk can stand up to the wear and tear of hunting for years to come.

Other features include: rack-and-pinion steering; 25-inch Mud-Lite six-ply off-road tires; heavy-duty rear solid axle with shocks; 12-volt power outlet; marine quality compass; fourwheel disc brakes; trailer hitch with 2-inch receiver; and more.

Realtree also has the off-season covered.

If, after cleaning and storing your gear, you long for biggame exploits, then join the Realtree crew for “Monster Bulls 9.” This DVD features more than two hours of jaw-dropping bow, muzzleloader and rifle hunts for giant elk and other large-horned species.

Included are hunts with Bill Jordan, plus NASCAR drivers Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman and Elliott Sadler.

In addition to hunting tips and tactics, the DVD offers 14 elk hunts, a bowhunt for pronghorn with Michael Waddell, a bighorn sheep hunt with David Blanton, plus a mountain lion hunt with Jeff Smith of 7J Outfitters.

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n 1986, an archery products dealer in Columbus, Ga., aspired to create a more efficient camouflage pattern. Bill Jordan grabbed some paper and colored pencils and began sketching the bark of a giant oak tree in his parents’ yard.

Bill believed that by layering the images of twigs and leaves over a vertical bark background, he could create a three-dimensional appearance that would match a variety of terrain.

Now, 25 years later, the Realtree business has grown to include more than 1,500 licensees.

Numerous products covered with Realtree’s distinct patterns have been added this year. Included is the Beretta Xtrema2 shotgun, available in Realtree MAX-4™.

This “do-it-all” autoloader boasts reliability, recoil reduction, superior corrosion protection and simplicity of maintenance. supe Beretta’s unique self-compensating gas-operation system is B cconsidered the best and most reliable in the world. Recoil is significantly reduced, as the system automatically vents the excess gases of even the most powerful shells.

This shotgun also has a “reserve” of energy, introducing more gas into the cylinder and increasing the pressure until the action cycles.

The result is the most reliable, durable shotgun that performs time after time, every time.

store.realtree.com

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

Realtree www.Realtree.com

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

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How much action is your game camera getting?

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t’s not brain surgery. All scouting cameras are built to do one thing… take pictures of the action. Unfortunately, so many of them fail miserably, and most of us hunters don’t even realize it!

Native Outdoors will test over 50 different 2011 models this year alone. The goal: test each one for a minimum of two months (5,000-8,000 pics) recording battery life, picture quality (day and night), trigger speed, flash distance and, most importantly, THE ACTION each camera captures (or misses).

Detection zone (square footage) + Temp/PIR Sensor + Recovery Time = ACTION A camera’s detection zone is the area in which, when movement is detected, the camera is triggered to take a picture. Although you don’t hear much about this in the advertisements, it is the No. 1 determinant in how many pictures you capture. After all, no matter how fast your trail camera takes a picture, it really doesn’t matter if an animal never enters your camera’s detection zone.

Too wide a zone can help generate quick trigger times but can produce empty photos.

Too narrow almost always produces perfectly centered pictures with very few empty frames.

However, they also fail to detect a substantial number of animals that are in view of the lens, but don’t make it to the narrow detection zone.

Detection zones are tested by using a heat source to define the boundaries of the zone, which we flag and then calculate width and depth and ultimate square footage of the zone.

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A PIR (Passive Infrared) sensor is an electronic device that measures infrared (IR) light radiating from objects in its field of view. Apparent motion is detected when an infrared source with one temperature passes in front of an infrared source with another temperature.

All objects above absolute zero emit energy in the form of radiation. The term passive in this instance means that the PIR device does not emit an infrared beam but merely passively accepts incoming infrared radiation. The outside temperature changes have the greatest

effect on the performance. On cool days, the difference between a person (98 F) and the outside air is relatively large, giving an apparent increase in the performance of the sensor. At 45-80 F, the sensor should perform according to the stated specifications. If the temperature increases to 85 F+, the following changes occur: significantly decreases the detection zone (up to 50 percent); the distance a heat source has to move across the zones to activate the sensor increases; and the size of the heat source required to activate the sensor increases; the opposite occurs on cold days.

Recovery Time is defined as the minimum amount of time required to take the second triggered picture. This varies anywhere from as little as 0.5 second to a full 60 seconds.

Being limited to only one picture every 60 seconds produces some serious gaps in your scouting capabilities. Cameras with quick recovery times and fast triggers never miss any activity and rarely produce empty frames, capturing multiple images of every animal that visits the camera site. Note: Recovery time

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

can vary based on user programmed resolution. Larger megapixel pictures use more storage space and require additional time to write to memory. Do not confuse recovery time with “burst mode,” which is a rapid succession of pictures regardless of an animal being present.

Put this all together and you have the inner workings of what it takes to capture the action.

Native Outdoors does the testing, analyzes the data and outputs the data in easy-to-read ranking systems. Go to: www.nativeoutdoors.com/ gamecameras.

Native Outdoors is your ultimate hunting and archery store with more than 30,000+ items and the best prices anywhere. Please visit the Web site at NativeOutdoors.com or stop in and check out the new space located at 7105 S Farm Road 548, five miles south of Royse City and five miles east of Rockwall.

Native Outdoors www.NativeOutdoors.com 877.650.7938

New Plano Manta protects modern crossbows

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he crossbow is experiencing a level of popularity the likes of which it hasn’t seen since the legendary medieval days. Even during the era that followed, Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) 603) and King James I (1603-1625) were said aid to be expert hunters with the crossbow. w. Just think how history could possibly have changed had today’s crossbows been available able then, along with the new Plano® Manta™ ™ crossbow case to assure ure their handing down from generation to generation.

The growth spike in these unusual looking bows on a rifle-type stock can be attributed to manyy things, but leading the e way is the fact that more ore and more states are relaxelaxing their bowhunting regulations to make the crossbow ssbow a legal option for many archery seasons seasons. As a result, several manufacturers have responded with state-of-the-art crossbows that are lighter, faster and more accurate than they’ve ever been.

Plano has also kept up with the evolution.

“Without a doubt, today’s crossbows have advanced rapidly from new technology in engineering and materials,” said Jesse Simpkins, marketing vice president at Plano. “The newest designs quickly outdistanced our original crossbow case configuration, but our ingenious new Manta now offers the perfect casing solution for all of them. You can trust it to carefully protect your finest and most intricate crossbow, whether tossed in the back of a pickup bed or going through airline baggage handling.”

The Manta benefits from Plano’s long and illustrious history of making high-impact molded cases for providing safe and durable storage care for guns and bows. Featuring the company’s patented PillarLock™ system for crush-proof protection, the Manta is appropri-

ately named after the sea rays it resembles, with their streamlined, winged forms and super-efficient body parts.

The Plano Manta is designed for versatility, meaning most any style of crossbow can be secured down into the case case’s customizable highdensity foam padding in key impact areas for the ultimate protection of stock and limbs. Its st multiple tie-down locations and straps inside fit crossbows of all sizes and sshapes to hold them securely in place. se The Manta’s “tail” adjusts as necessary for long and short stocks, further adding to the case’s flexibility in accommodating the country’s most popular cou crossbow brands and styles, including the th Ten Point GT Mag, Excalibur Excalib Exomax, Darton Lightning, Horton Vision 175, Hor Barnett Quad 400 and Ten Point Titan II. The unique case cas measures 44.75 inches long when fully extended, but can be collapsed to its shortest length of 33.125 inches for short-stocked crossbows. Its width is 38.75 inches and height is 13.125 inches, and the compact configuration ships at the same shipping rate as the Plano 1131 crossbow case.

The case hinges at the front to open and close like a clam for easy bow placement and removal. The lid has a built-in storage area for holding bolts and a quiver. Heavy-duty latches on both sides of the tail provide positive closure. Two handles and a removable shoulder strap afford convenient options for carrying and handling the Manta.

Classy looking in its sleek styling and black color, the Manta model 1133 retails for around $99.99.

Plano Molding www.PlanoMolding.com

Water, food keys to successful dove hunt

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lthough drought has taken a toll on much of the wildlife across the state, dove have weathered the heat better than most.

Texas has a resident population of more than 40 million mourning dove and many more million white-winged dove.

Because of this large local population and a dove’s ability to fly long distances to forage for food and drink, hunting should be good on properties with water and adequate grain.

However, many outfitters and lease owners in the western half of the state aren’t scheduling dove hunts this season due to a lack of water and crops.

“After contacting over 20 lease holders in West Texas, many lease holders are tepid in terms of the upcoming dove season,” said Nicholas Conklin, of Lone Star Outdoor News, who compiled a list of dove leases for this publication. “Because of the lack of rainfall this summer, many lease holders have been slow to fill their leases and some have opted out of participating in the upcoming season. Others have taken the wait-and-see approach for the coming weeks.”

The good news is that dove have been congregating in large numbers in the central portion of the state, especially near urban centers with food and water nearby.

And the drought has had one positive result. Ground cover has been scant, which makes it easier for dove to find seeds on the ground.

“Because our resident population is so high, even with projected low recruitment this year due to the drought, there will still be plenty of dove for hunters to harvest,” said Corey Mason, leading dove biologist for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Outfitters in the central portion of the state said their region is holding birds.

“Our dove are actually looking really good,” said Valerie Hernandez of Double H Outfitters in Frio County. “The drought has had an effect, but we are trying to keep crops in the field.”

Texas dove season in the North and Central Dove Zones will run from Thursday, Sept. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 23 and reopen Friday, Dec. 23 through Sunday, Jan. 8, with a 15-bird daily bag and not more than two white-tipped dove.

The South Zone dove season will run Friday, Sept. 23 through Sunday, Oct. 30, reopening Saturday, Dec. 23 through Monday, Jan. 23, with a 15-bird daily bag and not more than two white-tipped dove.

Story by Conor Harrison LSONews.com Lone Star Outdoor News

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

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Record-breaking waterfowl survey means great season, if there is water

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t is horribly dry in Texas, but northern states have had an unusually wet year, and hunters from the Panhandle to the Gulf Coast are excited about a potentially great waterfowl season.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s annual survey recently revealed the secondhighest pond count and a record 45.6 million ducks.

That’s the most since the survey was started in 1955.

Blue-winged teal, shovelers and redheads were counted at record levels, while mallard, pintail, canvasback and gadwall numbers were up significantly from 2010.

“For whoever has water, it’s going to be unbelievable,” said guide Bill Sherrill of Wharton.

And that’s why we say “a potentially great waterfowl season.”

Hunters and guides whose ponds are recharged naturally depend on rainfall, but the entire state is experiencing drought.

Consequently, those who can afford it pump water, but that can be pricey. Sherrill said it’s not uncommon for a guide to spend a few thousand dollars to pump water into a pond.

“It is well-spent money this year because it’s unbelievable how many birds there will be,” Sherrill said.

In Texas, the action will kick off Sept. 10 with the early teal season, which runs through the 25th. (The regular season dates were not yet announced at press time.)

The annual May-June survey estimate of 45.6 million breeding ducks is an 11 percent increase over last year’s estimate of 40.9 million birds.

Bright spots on this year’s survey were northern shovelers and blue-winged teal, which showed record highs of 4.6 and 8.9 million, respectively.

Northern pintail numbers went over 4 million for the first time since 1980. Scaup numbers were similar to 2010 and remain below their long-term averages.

Dr. Frank Rohwer, Delta Waterfowl’s scientific director, said northern states and

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LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

Canadian provinces had an uninterrupted wet cycle that began in mid-1994, but that was only part of the reason ducks numbers have skyrocketed in recent years.

Rohwer noted that millions of acres were set aside for dense nesting cover by the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Mange kept fox numbers in check.

“The eastern Dakotas have become the mecca for prairie ducks,” said Rohwer.

“Pintails have reversed their long-term decline, driven largely by very high counts in the eastern Dakotas.

“Blue-winged teal are off the charts — yikes.”

Also new this year is Texas’ first early Canada goose season, which will run concurrently with the early teal season.

Officials from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department noticed a growing population of resident Canada geese throughout northeast Texas.

The officials decided that an early Canada season would work because Texas has available hunting days within the federal framework for goose season in the eastern zone.

Hunters can shoot three Canada geese per day. The bag limit for teal is four.

“The framework for Canada geese is 107 days and we’ve never taken full advantage of those days,” said Dave Morrison, TPWD small game program director. “Because we have them and are allowed to take them, we will run a Canada goose season concurrent with teal season.

“There are some geese in northeast Texas that could provide an additional opportunity for Texas hunters to get a big and little combo during teal season.”

An early Canada goose season was not pursued in the western goose zone in Texas because that area only gets a 95-day season framework and all days are used during the regular goose season.

Story by Bill Miller LSONews.com Lone Star Outdoor News

Mud Buddy perfects backwater outboards

M

ud Buddy builds the largest horsepower mud motors in the world. While our competitors offer up to 36 horses, Mud Buddy has a full line of muscle motors like the new Black Death 4500 and 5500, HD 45 Mag, HD 6000 and the awesome Van-

the surface of the water. The results are simple — the ability to move larger boats and loads with a smile.

The HD Sport™ is Mud Buddy’s most popular frame design with an easy to steer, full-feature frame. The Sport is available in many engine sizes from the spunky Vanguard 23

guard HD 7000.

Mud Buddy is the original belt-driven surface-drive mud motor, first designed in 2001 by owner, Glenn D. Foreman.

Mud Buddy’s focus is performance, large selection and reliability. What makes the Mud Buddy most unique is its flat-drive frame technology — a combination of design and engineering that allows the prop to run more parallel to

to the powerful and impressive HD 7000. The Sport features an 8,200-pound Mercury electric-hydraulic trim unit, Mercury Tiger propeller and Mud Buddy’s tough and longlasting patented bearing drive.

The HD Sport is fun to run. It has a cast-aluminum outdrive, marine-powder coat finish, the only cast-aluminum belt-drive frame, and the trim and clutch controls are conveniently

located on the handle end, next to the driver. The Sport is powered by Vanguard engines and eagerly scrambles through mud, weeds and open water with enthusiasm.

The new HD Mini™ is the lightest full-feature surface drive available. The shortened belt outdrive and longer drive tube make this the best choice when running heavy vegetation and deep mud backwater areas. This frame design is balanced allowing the operator to easily lift the motor up and over logs and mats of grass. Mud Buddy has a 23 Mini with 9-inch prop for horsepower and prop size restricted tidal marshes.

Mud Buddy makes finding a mud motor model easy. Our lineup includes an unprecedented 85 models for 2011. If you like performance, quality and reliability in a product that is backed by a top-to-bottom warranty, check out this year’s exciting Mud Buddy.

Mud Buddy www.MudBuddy.com 801.352.8011

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

| 13

DOVE HUNTING LEASES

WEST TEXAS

J.P. Ranch, Jimmy Pool

ABILENE AREA: Hailey Ranch, Rob Hailey

325-548-2383

OZONA AREA: TK Hunting Group, Fred Keller

832-695-2368

ELDORADO AREA: X Bar ranch, Stan Meanor

888-853-2688

J&D Respondek Ranch

BALLINGER AREA: Richard Havlak Mike Fischer Brent Jones Scott Gerhart Tony Barrett Don Davis, Davis Ranches

325-895-0756 325-280-2956 325-365-1425 325-977-0860 325-786-4423 325-754-5093

ROCKWOOD AREA: Tom Hall

Fambro Ranch, Sammy Fambro J.A. Hurst L.D. Cox Matt Stockman Gerald Hurst Ana Chambers Craig Eraindson

HAMILTON AREA: Alan Schrank Eddie Abdou Leon Sutherland

NORTHWEST TEXAS BRECKENRIDGE AREA: David Hodges

Kuper Game Ranch M-Bar-H Lodge Mc4 Ranch Kevin & Terra McMahon Scotty Lawrence Mike Powell

254-559-2250 254-559-3981 254-559-4278 325-667-7975 325-356-3132 254-893-5149 325-667-7975 325-667-7004 940-736-1085

325-785-4414 325-636-3210 325-370-5081 325-348-8255 325-625-3015 325-636-3586 281-342-4626 281-615-3965 806-796-2406 806-787-6388

325-647-8126

254-386-3721 254-386-6314 254-485-2864 325-648-3498

SALADO AREA: Solana Ranch Day and season hunts, 254-947-8331

SOUTHEAST TEXAS HOUSTON AREA: Dove Day Hunts Katy, Central Zone; El Campo, South Zone $100. Call Mark, 281-728-6037. Also Dove Season leases, $150, www.doveclub.com

CENTRAL TEXAS BRADY AREA: Michael Whitworth LLANO AREA: Holden Ranch Long Ranch Miller Ranch

325 456-9875

512-477-1859 325-247-3132 325-247-3997 325-247-3657

Threadgill Ranches Llano and San Saba areas, with wheat, tanks and sunflower fields. Lodging available. Call Treye, 512-517-9259, www.threadgillranches.com GOLDWAITHE AREA: Clint Hammonds Doug Hopper BROWNWOOD AREA: John Greer Benny Rice Jackson Bibb Kirby and Susan Roberts Gerry and Edna Stearns Lee Smith Rocky River Ranch

325-451-4140 325-643-4389

Herman Moore

325-752-7279 325-348-3063 325-374-1535 325-998-1223 325-348-9267 469-951-5133 325-643-2700 325-642-1644 325-646-8835

COLEMAN AREA: First Shot Outfitters, Mike Wyatt

325-280-3676

Coastal Prairie LLC West of Katy, 100 total acres planted just for the doves: hybrid black oil sunflowers, brown top millet, German foxtail millet, sesame and milo. Call 832-466-9646, www.coastalprarieoutdoors.com

SOUTH TEXAS FRIO COUNTY: Arline Harris, Harris Farms

830-378-5465

MCALLEN AREA: South Texas Hay Farm

956-843-2602

TILDEN AREA: La Paloma Outfitters

210-286-7388

HONDO AREA: Paloma Pachanga

830-481-7919

Texas Star Ranch Near Moore, Texas, 45 miles south of San Antonio.

Lodging available, $85 per person. Call Kelly and Jo Ann Carroll, 830-570-4243, thetexasstarranch.com GEORGE WEST AREA: Circle 3 Outfitters

361-358-3103

BR Outfitters South and Central Zones: Uvalde, Sabinal and Concan. Lodging available. Call Charlie at 830279-3929, www.texasdovehunter.com

Do you have a deer lease that you’d like to list for FREE in Lone Star Outdoor News’ Texas Deer Season special section in October?

14 |

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

Leica ER Riflescopes pass the tests

L

eica has been manufacturing precision optical devices as long as any manufacturer — more than 160 years. They introduced their first commercially available binoculars more than 100 years ago, and have been at the forefront of the field ever since.

The current Ultravid HD binocular line provides amazing resolution in a rugged package designed to handle the toughest environments. They pioneered laser rangefinding with the development of the first laser rangefinding binocular, the Geovid, in 1991, still the favorite amongst serious hunters today. Given Leica’s rich history in optics, it was a certainty that their new ER Riflescopes would offer an amazing image, but how would they perform when mounted on a rifle?

At first glance, you note the sleek lines, and, as expected, the view through the scope is as crisp and brilliant as any you have ever seen. The scope offers great mounting versatility with ample space to accommodate nearly any mounting system. The Leica ER riflescopes also deliver nearly four full inches of eye relief, providing safe use with even the largest calibers. They are available in two power ranges, a 2.5-10x42 mm as well as a 3.5-14x42 mm model, and each is available in one of four different reticles situated in the second focal plane.

The ER scope models come equipped with standard windage/elevation adjustments or with low-profile external “target turrets,” both with clicks for 1/4 MOA adjustments. But again this stuff is all listed in the Leica catalog and on its Web site. The big question was: How would the scope hold up to the rigors of field use?

It’s hard, of course, to simulate years of hard use and abuse in a short series of tests, but we did our best to apply some serious pressure to the new ER scopes, before putting the stamp of

approval on their performance. Phase 1 was a bit of “shock testing” by submitting one of the first Leica 2.5-10x42 ER scopes to the effects of recoil provided by over 150 rounds of 300 Remington UltraMag cartridges! The scope zero held true and tight groupings were consistent at varying ranges throughout.

Following the shock test we moved to Phase 2 — temperature extremes. We removed the scope (using quick detachable rings and bases) and dropped it into a deep freeze for a day at below 10 degrees Fahrenheit with the windage and elevation caps removed. Twenty-four hours later, the scope was extracted from the freezer, wiped clean of frost, and checked for internal fogging. Nothing but a crystal-clear view.

The focus turned smoothly and the windage and elevation adjustments worked fine as well. We then fully submerged the still-cold scope into a five-minute bath at 110 degrees F. The water sheeted off the lenses upon retrieval. There were no leaks and still no internal fogging. Only one thing left to do — re-attach the scope and fire some more groups.

Not surprisingly, the scope had held zero.

While this is no substitute for the rigors of hard abuse in the field, I certainly feel comfortable trusting the success of my hunt to these new tools from Leica, without any fear of failure at that worst possible moment. I’m certain that in time the tales from the field will reflect this same level of performance and satisfaction from consumers using the Leica ER riflescopes.

Jeff Bouton is a marketing manager for Leica Sport Optics.

Story by Jeff Bouton Leica www.Leica-SportOptics.com

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

| 15

Greystone Castle named 2011-2012 Orvis Wingshooting Lodge of the Year

S

ince 1995, travelers on Interstate 20 have been wondering what it is they see as they approach the Thurber exit about 70 miles west of Fort Worth.

They’ve noticed the big Englishstyle castle that looms atop one of the majestic mesas... but have still questioned what it is. However, for avid wingshooters and sportsmen across Texas and the rest of the country — they know it’s Greystone Castle Sporting Club.

For more than a decade, Greystone Castle has been part of the Orvis family as one of their premier wingshooting destinations.

In fact, their name has become syn-

16 |

onymous with quality in the hunting industry. Recently, at a ceremony in Key Largo, Fla., Greystone Castle was named the 2011-2012 Orvis Wingshooting Lodge of the Year.

“We’ve been an Orvis-endorsed destination for many years,” said John Fredericks, general manager.

“This award is the culmination of our dedication to customer service and commitment to the sporting lifestyle. It’s truly an honor to be recognized.”

“All Orvis-endorsed lodges are associated with unsurpassed quality, dedication to providing excellent service, and authenticity in the product,” says Brian Long, senior manager of Orvis Sporting

Traditions. “The Orvis Wingshooting Lodge of the Year award sets a lodge apart from others in the industry. It shows Greystone Castle’s commitment to the sport and to the tradition of hunting.”

What’s both unique and compelling about Greystone is that it can be so many things to so many different sportsmen. To the upland gunner, large fields of sorghum, millet, and switch grass bring memories of great gun dogs, flushing pheasants, bobwhite covey rises and days in the field with friends.

For the big game hunter, it’s 6,000 acres that offer some of the best whitetail hunting in the country and more than 40 species of exotic

game. For the clay shooter, it’s the great sporting clays and pyramid five-stand courses that will test the best of shooters. And for the avid angler, their trophy bass lakes present year-round opportunities for tight lines on largemouth and hybrid stripers.

What appeals to all visitors at Greystone are its top-of-the-line accommodations and gourmet meals.

There are five elegantly decorated suites capable of hosting more than 30 guests, a dining room complete with a full-time executive chef, spacious conference facilities, a swimming pool with a hot tub, and, just outside the castle walls, a scenic lookout affords a breathtaking vista

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

of the entire estate.

The ownership and staff have been dedicated to creating one of the finest sporting destinations found anywhere in the world. Long-term habitat improvement and wildlife management has made Greystone an extraordinary hunting destination.

This coupled with the unique castle facility and outstanding customer service makes Greystone Castle a place without equal.

Greystone Castle Sporting Club www.GreystoneCastle.com 254.672.5927

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

| 17

Yamaha Grizzly 700, Grizzly 550 now assembled in U.S. Grizzly 550

2012 model all-terrain vehicles get design and performance upgrades

Y

amaha’s top selling all-terrain vehicles, the Grizzly 700 FI 4x4 and Grizzly 550 FI 4x4, feature upgrades that solidify their places as the most off-road capable and durable machines in their classes.

Also new for 2012, both machines are now being assembled in the U.S. for worldwide distribution out of Yamaha’s Newnan, Ga., factory.

The new 2012 Grizzly 700 and 550 receive new textured plastic body panels that increase durability and decrease wear over the life of the machines.

New Maxxis tires with a tough, aggressive tread pattern add to the machines’ unmatched performance in extreme terrain. The updated suspension includes new gas-charged rear shocks with a high-quality damping feel and improved bump-absorption performance. The front suspension has also been updated and optimized to match the rear.

Both Grizzlies are offered with Yamaha’s industry-leading Electric Power Steering (EPS). Yamaha was the first manufacturer to put EPS on an ATV — a still relatively new

18 |

Grizzly 700

technology makes for a more comfortable tte chnology that m ride and reduces ffatigue.

Yamaha’s EPS ssystem has the perfect balance of light steering, allowing the rider to still feel feedback from the terrain. As the rider turns the handlebars and the torqueand speed-sensing EPS system detects the twisting force put on the handlebars and wheels, the electric motor then responds with the appropriate amount of assistance. The harder you turn, the more the EPS assists.

In addition to EPS, Yamaha’s Grizzly ATVs boast the industry’s toughest Ultramatic™ automatic transmission system. Its dualspeed gearing makes full use of the powerband under a variety of riding situations, and the automatic centrifugal clutch maintains constant belt tension for reduced belt wear and the industry’s most natural feeling allwheel engine braking.

Yamaha’s three-way On-Command® system, featuring push-button 2WD, 4WD and 4WD with differential lock, provides allfour-wheel drive. The push-button system is easy to engage, giving the rider control and confidence over the machine’s power delivery.

The Grizzlies’ engines feature a forged piston for reduced weight and added durability, while an aluminum cylinder body with ceramic composite coating offers reduced weight, increased cooling ability and additional wear resistance.

The roller rocker arms reduce friction in the valve train, which allows the engine to rev more freely and leads to better overall performance and improved throttle response.

Of course, the ultra-convenient electric start

feature continues to make firing ng the liquid-cooled, four-valve SOHC OHC C power plant to life a snap.

The Yamaha Fuel Injection system (YFI) improves throttle response throughout the powerband, helping the rider take advantage of the Grizzlies’ low- to mid-range power.

YFI offers unmatched performance at high elevation and in frigid weather as the system is able to detect and compensate for changes in altitude and temperature.

The more precise fuel delivery offered by the YFI means clean power delivery, better throttle response and improved fuel economy under a multitude of riding situations. In addition, YFI means no choke and easier cold weather starting.

An open-gate shifter found on the left side of the handlebars allows the rider to easily switch between high, low, neutral, reverse and park. This is also easy to see on the multifunction LCD display, which offers dual trip meter, speedometer, hour meter, odometer and clock, in addition to the gear selection, fuel level indicator, On-Command™ indicator and EPS and fuel injection indicator lights.

Comfort and convenience were also incorporated throughout the Grizzly 700 and 550.

The air box is located on the top of the engine providing easier service access for the rider, and the fuel tank is placed under the seat for maximum centralization of mass. Keeping the ride comfortable while also allowing for maximum terrainability is a fully independent and adjustable front and rear suspension with 7.1 inches of travel up front and a class-leading 9.5 inches in the rear.

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

The Grizzlies’ wide-arc Th he Grizzl z ie es’ s w ide-arc A11.8 inches arms provide 11.

1 8 in nch ches of ground clearance. more e usable grou ound clearan a ce e What’s more, the Grizzly 700 and 550 offer unmatched braking feel and power with four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes engaged by separate front and rear controls with hydraulic master cylinders mounted on the handle bars.

The rear brake also has a right-foot pedal control.

The Grizzlies also have a thick, plush seat and full floorboards for comfort and protection from the elements. The design of the floorboards also allows for better drainage of mud and water. Two water resistant storage boxes — one under the seat and another in the right front fender — offer plenty of storage. This is in addition to the 99 pounds and 187 pounds of carrying capacity on the front and rear racks, respectively, and the 1,322 pounds of towing. The ATV’s SecureMount rack system offers superior fit and finish with genuine Yamaha accessories that are designed to fit with factory quality.

The Grizzly 700 and Grizzly 550 are also available without EPS. The 2012 models are available in Hunter Green, Steel Blue and Realtree™ AP camouflage. In addition, the 2012 Grizzly 700 FI with EPS is available as a special edition in metallic sandstone with cast aluminum wheels, painted body panels and special graphics. (Specs, price and availability subject to change without notice. ATVs with engines greater than 90cc are recommended for use only by riders age 16 years and older.)

Yamaha www.Yamaha-Motor.com

Sunrise-Sunset September

October

November

December

September 2011 to May 2012 January

February

March

April

May

Date-Day Rise Set

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1 Thu 7:00 2 Fri 7:01 3 Sat 7:01 4 Sun 7:02 5 Mon 7:03 6 Tue 7:03 7 Wed 7:04 8 Thu 7:05 9 Fri 7:05 10 Sat 7:06 11 Sun 7:06 12 Mon 7:07 13 Tue 7:08 14 Wed 7:08 15 Thu 7:09 16 Fri 7:10 17 Sat 7:10 18 Sun 7:11 19 Mon 7:11 20 Tue 7:12 21 Wed 7:13 22 Thu 7:13 23 Fri 7:14 24 Sat 7:15 25 Sun 7:15 26 Mon 7:16 27 Tue 7:17 28 Wed 7:17 29 Thu 7:18 30 Fri 7:18

1 Sat 7:19 2 Sun 7:20 3 Mon 7:20 4 Tue 7:21 5 Wed 7:22 6 Thu 7:22 7 Fri 7:23 8 Sat 7:24 9 Sun 7:25 10 Mon 7:25 11 Tue 7:26 12 Wed 7:27 13 Thu 7:27 14 Fri 7:28 15 Sat 7:29 16 Sun 7:30 17 Mon7:30 18 Tue 7:31 19 Wed 7:32 20 Thu 7:33 21 Fri 7:34 22 Sat 7:34 23 Sun 7:35 24 Mon 7:36 25 Tue 7:37 26 Wed 7:38 27 Thu 7:39 28 Fri 7:39 29 Sat 7:40 30 Sun 7:41 31 Mon 7:42

1 Tue 7:43 6:36 2 Wed 7:44 6:35 3 Thu 7:45 6:34 4 Fri 7:46 6:33 5 Sat 7:47 6:32 6 Sun 6:47 6:32 7 Mon 6:48 5:31 8 Tue 6:49 5:30 9 Wed 6:50 5:29 10 Thu 6:51 5:28 11 Fri 6:52 5:28 12 Sat 6:53 5:27 13 Sun 6:54 5:26 14 Mon 6:55 5:26 15 Tue 6:56 5:25 16 Wed 6:57 5:25 17 Thu 6:58 5:24 18 Fri 6:59 5:24 19 Sat 7:00 5:23 20 Sun 7:01 5:23 21 Mon 7:01 5:22 22 Tue 7:02 5:22 23 Wed 7:03 5:21 24 Thu 7:04 5:21 25 Fri 7:05 5:21 26 Sat 7:06 5:20 27 Sun 7:07 5:20 28 Mon 7:08 5:20 29 Tue 7:09 5:20 30 Wed 7:10 5:19

1 Thu 7:10 5:19 2 Fri 7:11 5:19 3 Sat 7:12 5:19 4 Sun 7:13 5:19 5 Mon 7:14 5:19 6 Tue 7:15 5:19 7 Wed 7:15 5:19 8 Thu 7:16 5:19 9 Fri 7:17 5:19 10 Sat 7:18 5:19 11 Sun 7:18 5:20 12 Mon 7:19 5:20 13 Tue 7:20 5:20 14 Wed 7:20 5:20 15 Thu 7:21 5:20 16 Fri 7:22 5:21 17 Sat 7:22 5:21 18 Sun 7:23 5:21 19 Mon 7:24 5:22 20 Tue 7:24 5:22 21 Wed 7:25 5:23 22 Thu 7:25 5:23 23 Fri 7:26 5:24 24 Sat 7:26 5:24 25 Sun 7:26 5:25 26 Mon 7:27 5:25 27 Tue 7:27 5:26 28 Wed 7:28 5:26 29 Thu 7:28 5:27 30 Fri 7:28 5:28 31 Sat 7:28 5:28

1 Sun 7:29 5:29 2 Mon 7:29 5:30 3 Tue 7:29 5:31 4 Wed 7:29 5:31 5 Thu 7:29 5:32 6 Fri 7:29 5:33 7 Sat 7:29 5:34 8 Sun 7:30 5:34 9 Mon 7:30 5:35 10 Tue 7:29 5:36 11 Wed 7:29 5:37 12 Thu 7:29 5:38 13 Fri 7:29 5:39 14 Sat 7:29 5:40 15 Sun 7:29 5:41 16 Mon 7:29 5:41 17 Tue 7:28 5:42 18 Wed 7:28 5:43 19 Thu 7:28 5:44 20 Fri 7:28 5:45 21 Sat 7:27 5:46 22 Sun 7:27 5:4 23 Mon 7:26 5:48 24 Tue 7:26 5:49 25 Wed 7:26 5:50 26 Thu 7:25 5:51 27 Fri 7:25 5:52 28 Sat 7:24 5:53 29 Sun 7:23 5:54 30 Mon 7:23 5:55 31 Tue 7:22 5:56

1 Wed 7:22 5:57 2 Thu 7:21 5:58 3 Fri 7:20 5:59 4 Sat 7:20 6:00 5 Sun 7:19 6:01 6 Mon 7:18 6:02 7 Tue 7:17 6:03 8 Wed 7:16 6:04 9 Thu 7:16 6:05 10 Fri 7:15 6:06 11 Sat 7:14 6:07 12 Sun 7:13 6:08 13 Mon 7:12 6:08 14 Tue 7:11 6:09 15 Wed 7:10 6:10 16 Thu 7:09 6:11 17 Fri 7:08 6:12 18 Sat 7:07 6:13 19 Sun 7:06 6:14 20 Mon 7:05 6:15 21 Tue 7:04 6:16 22 Wed 7:03 6:17 23 Thu 7:02 6:17 24 Fri 7:01 6:18 25 Sat 7:00 6:19 26 Sun 6:58 6:20 27 Mon 6:57 6:21 28 Tue 6:56 6:22 29 Wed 6:55 6:22

1 Thu 6:54 6:23 2 Fri 6:53 6:24 3 Sat 6:51 6:25 4 Sun 6:50 6:26 5 Mon 6:49 6:26 6 Tue 6:48 6:27 7 Wed 6:46 6:28 8 Thu 6:45 6:29 9 Fri 6:44 6:29 10 Sat 6:43 6:30 11 Sun 7:41 7:31 12 Mon 7:40 7:32 13 Tue 7:39 7:32 14 Wed 7:37 7:33 15 Thu 7:36 7:34 16 Fri 7:35 7:35 17 Sat 7:34 7:35 18 Sun 7:32 7:36 19 Mon 7:31 7:37 20 Tue 7:30 7:37 21 Wed 7:28 7:38 22 Thu 7:27 7:39 23 Fri 7:26 7:39 24 Sat 7:24 7:40 25 Sun 7:23 7:41 26 Mon 7:22 7:42 27 Tue 7:20 7:42 28 Wed 7:19 7:43 29 Thu 7:18 7:44 30 Fri 7:16 7:44 31 Sat 7:15 7:45

1 Sun 7:14 7:46 2 Mon 7:13 7:46 3 Tue 7:11 7:47 4 Wed 7:10 7:48 5 Thu 7:09 7:48 6 Fri 7:07 7:49 7 Sat 7:06 7:50 8 Sun 7:05 7:51 9 Mon 7:04 7:51 10 Tue 7:02 7:52 11 Wed 7:01 7:53 12 Thu 7:00 7:53 13 Fri 6:59 7:54 14 Sat 6:58 7:55 15 Sun 6:56 7:56 16 Mon 6:55 7:56 17 Tue 6:54 7:57 18 Wed 6:53 7:58 19 Thu 6:52 7:58 20 Fri 6:51 7:59 21 Sat 6:49 8:00 22 Sun 6:48 8:01 23 Mon 6:47 8:01 24 Tue 6:46 8:02 25 Wed 6:45 8:03 26 Thu 6:44 8:04 27 Fri 6:43 8:04 28 Sat 6:42 8:05 29 Sun 6:41 8:06 30 Mon 6:40 8:07

1 Tue 6:39 8:07 2 Wed 6:38 8:08 3 Thu 6:37 8:09 4 Fri 6:36 8:10 5 Sat 6:35 8:10 6 Sun 6:34 8:11 7 Mon 6:34 8:12 8 Tue 6:33 8:13 9 Wed 6:32 8:13 10 Thu 6:31 8:14 11 Fri 6:30 8:15 12 Sat 6:30 8:16 13 Sun 6:29 8:16 14 Mon 6:28 8:17 15 Tue 6:27 8:18 16 Wed 6:27 8:19 17 Thu 6:26 8:19 18 Fri 6:25 8:20 19 Sat 6:25 8:21 20 Sun 6:24 8:21 21 Mon 6:24 8:22 22 Tue 6:23 8:23 23 Wed 6:23 8:23 24 Thu 6:22 8:24 25 Fri 6:22 8:25 26 Sat 6:21 8:25 27 Sun 6:21 8:26 28 Mon 6:21 8:27 29 Tue 6:20 8:27 30 Wed 6:20 8:28 31 Thu 6:20 8:28

7:52 7:51 7:50 7:48 7:47 7:46 7:44 7:43 7:42 7:40 7:39 7:38 7:36 7:35 7:34 7:32 7:31 7:30 7:28 7:27 7:26 7:24 7:23 7:22 7:20 7:19 7:18 7:16 7:15 7:14

7:12 7:11 7:10 7:08 7:07 7:06 7:04 7:03 7:02 7:00 6:59 6:58 6:57 6:56 6:54 6:53 6:52 6:51 6:50 6:48 6:47 6:46 6:45 6:44 6:43 6:42 6:41 6:40 6:39 6:38 6:37

Houston . . . . . . . . . . 170 miles east . . . . subtract 5 minutes Abilene . . . . . . . . . . 165 miles west . . . . add 14 minutes Laredo . . . . . . . . . . . 160 miles west . . . . add 14 minutes Alpine . . . . . . . . . . . 405 miles west . . . . add 24 minutes Lubbock . . . . . . . . . . 280 miles west . . . . add 24 minutes Beaumont . . . . . . . . . 160 miles east . . . . subtract 13 minutes San Angelo. . . . . . . . 215 miles west . . . . add 18 minutes Corpus Christi. . . . . . 35 miles west . . . . . add 3 minutes San Antonio . . . . . . . 95 miles west . . . . . add 8 minutes Austin . . . . . . . . . . . 55 miles west . . . . . add 5 minutes Tyler . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 miles east . . . . . subtract 6 minutes Del Rio . . . . . . . . . . . 235 miles west . . . . add 20 minutes *El Paso is in Mountain Time Zone.

El Paso*. . . . . . . . . . 555 miles west . . . . subtract 23 minutes <— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —— — — — Clip for your camp ✄ — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — >

Times given above are for Dallas. For other locations, subtract 1 minute per 12 miles east of Dallas, and add 1 minute per 12 miles west of Dallas. The table below gives adjustments for some Texas cities. Information provided is the longitudinal distance from Dallas and the time adjustment for sunrise and sunset.

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

| 19

Tough range conditions, but plenty of bucks come fall Antler quality may be down, but management programs could make up the difference

S

ometimes deer hunters have to seek good news as if it were a trophy buck.

The summer of 2011 certainly offered that challenge, with day after day of triple-digit heat, withering wildlife habitat and worries about the potential for a drought-induced die-off of Texas whitetails.

“There’s not anywhere in the state not affected by the drought,” said Alan Cain, white-tailed deer program leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

“I don’t know if one area worse than any other,” he added, “but the Hill Country and South Texas may feel it worse than East Texas.”

And the Trans-Pecos region, arid by nature and scorched by wildfires last spring, was suffering badly, Cain said.

Fawn survival was expected to be low

20 |

statewide, just like in the most recent parched summer of 2009, Cain said. That will be noticeable three years from now with fewer adult deer to hunt.

But as dire as conditions were in the summer of 2011, Cain had not yet received any reports of deer carcasses littering the landscape.

Going into August, adult deer seemed to be holding their own.

“I haven’t heard of any major die-offs,” Cain said. “We may start seeing that, but not like a wide-scale population decline.

“I hear people talk like that, but it hasn’t happened.”

That means there will be plenty of bucks to hunt come fall, but with one drawback.

“Antler quality,” Cain predicted, “is going to be down compared to last year when we

had good vegetation and deer were coming into the season in good shape.

“Obviously, the grass, weeds and forbs are pretty bad right now. But there is brush, so they’ve got stuff to eat out there; it’s just not the best quality.

“I think deer are going to come to feeders more readily. It’s another food source, and they’ll be looking for some quick bites.”

Cain said landowners who manage for drought have healthier deer on their ranches.

Supplemental feeding, food plots and the planting of drought-resistant browse all help.

It’s also important to make sure ranches aren’t overpopulated with deer. That’s why, Cain said, landowners should seriously pursue their harvest goals this deer season.

“When you do good management it buffers against these bad years,” Cain said.

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

“I’ve been on some properties where they expect a 40- to 50-percent fawn crop, which is amazing in a year like this.”

Cain said management programs can be expensive.

“I realize those guys got a lot of money and big acreages,” he said of the successful ranchers. “But that doesn’t mean that multiple owners can’t form wildlife management co-ops and collectively manage wildlife together.”

These groups, he explained, help landowners pool their resources, “and function basically like a big ranch.”

Go to LSONews.com for more information.

Story by Bill Miller LSONews.com Lone Star Outdoor News

Family lasts forever W

e hear it time and time e again — take your kids hunting and fishing or get them outdoors and there is no way they will ever drift off the right path in life.

Well, my children don’t have much choice but to get outdoors. It is our way of life and it is what feeds our inner soul as a family and, quite honestly, our company.

The times that we have spent outdoors are times that we all cherish, but on a recent trip to Rockport with my parents along, that role got reversed just a bit.

It was a Sunday evening and a picture-perfect day was upon us on Monday so I asked my mother (68 years young) if she had ever been out fishing and if she would like to go. My dad always enjoys being with the grandkids, but mom has always stayed back and not been able to enjoy what my family has come to love so much.

Mom agreed to join us the next morning so we went down to Seaworthy Marine and picked up a one-day fishing license for her.

Our trip to Baffin Bay the next morning was set.

We got an early start and headed down to Bird Island to put in. I was debating whether or not to run all the way to Baffin or to just stay on the Laguna, but we headed south with a little persuasion from Ty, my oldest son who loves fishing the rocks.

We pulled into my favorite spot as the sun rose at our backs. I

ForEverlast helps families catch fun, and fish

ForEverlast serving Texans for more than a decade Now with more than a decade in business, ForEverlast, Inc. goes by the slogan, “We Live Hunting and Fishing.”

To serve the hunting community, this Hallettsville-based company offers a wide range of products.

Included are: game feeders and accessories (timers, extension kits, spinners); snake guards, boots and chaps; field-care accessories (hoists, gambrels, tripods, skinning tools and jaw extractors); and a stand that doubles as a game camera pedestal or a bow hanger.

could see the sand beds that lay before us as we drifted in close be to the rocks with the th beautiful grass beds lining them. them It looked as if we were in for a good morning.

I anchored the power pole, ggot ready for the first cast and tthen slung into one of the sand pockets. Before I could hand p the rod to someone and get th another one ready, I had a hit, an so I set the hook.

The calm water exploded.

T I offered the rod to my wife but before I could make the exchange the fish made a run exch straight at us. I reeled as fast as straig could, trying not to lose the first I cou fish oof the day.

The fish surfaced about 20 feet front of the boat and looked like in fron a yardstick painted with silver and black dots. The net was soon retrieved, and I landed my largest fish to date, a 31 1/4-inch trout.

It could not have been more fitting than to have done that in the presence of with my wife, Amy, my two boys, Ty and Layne, and, most especially, my mom and dad (with an exclamation mark on my mom).

Earlier this year, she fought off breast cancer with the strength of a teenager, and here we were all celebrating God’s great gift of the great outdoors together with a trophy that will last forever.

Unfortunately, my mom has now been diagnosed with another form of cancer, but, thank goodness, it is very treatable. I know she will handle it like a trooper.

The old saying is true: Taking kids hunting and fishing will definitely keep them on the right path, but let us not forget those who made us who we are — our parents.

Let’s share the gift of the outdoors with them as well.

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

Story by Billy Gerke ForEverlast www.ForEverlast.com 361.798.1530

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Avery camo stands out in mix of fields Developers polled pro staff for tips to match environments

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very Outdoors Inc. is the nation’s leading manufacturer of waterfowl hunting accessories. Starting with the Quick-Set® Waterfowl Blind in 1994, Avery® has seen its line of products grow into a complete onestop shop for anything related to duck and goose hunting.

In 2000, Avery® introduced the GREENHEAD GEAR® brand (in short known as GHG®) to the overall lineup.

We have been approached in recent years by hunters nationwide who asked us to expand our efforts into other areas, including big game, turkey and upland hunting.

We have only scratched the surface in these areas, but, rest assured, as we have done for the waterfowl

hunter, we will continue to develop and produce many quality products for all hunters.

Today, with well over 300 products among the Avery® and GHG® lines, we are more committed than ever to seeing that quality, effectiveness and value remain our top three priorities.

In an effort to help hunters be more effective in the field, Avery® has developed three waterfowl camouflage patterns that are specifically designed for the environments most hunted. Waterfowl hunting environments are as unique as the birds and those who hunt them.

Since unique environments are a given in waterfowl hunting, we felt that situation-specific camouflage patterns would only be natural for effective concealment.

To create the waterfowl-specific patterns, the folks at Avery® polled their 200-man pro staff to find the most common habitats where waterfowl are hunted. The results won’t be a surprise to many waterfowlers.

In terms of dry land hunting environments, agricultural crops, such as corn and wheat, were the most popular, followed by other lightcolored grains. Secondly, marsh areas consisting of cattails, phragmites, tules, and wetland grasses were found to be the most common aquatic waterfowl hunting environments. Lastly, buck brush, willows and flooded timber were found to be another popular hunting environment, especially in southern regions.

KW-1® was the first pattern to be developed. It was developed to hide ground blinds in harvested fields

but was found to be highly effective in light-colored terrain such as grasses and other wetland vegetation as well. Marsh Grass® was next, and the name says it all. It was patterned after the narrow leaf cattail due to its wide range and the fact that it shares a common leaf size with phragmites, tules and also flooded corn. BuckBrush® followed third in the development.

It was designed from a duck’s view (the air). A combination of blurred and in-focus brush over a slightly darker background produces the most effective depth and neutral tone “woods” waterfowl pattern ever created. Avery® proudly offers KW-1®, BuckBrush® and Marsh Grass® across all of its product lines available to hunters.

In addition to Avery’s camouflage

patterns, the GHG® brand has extended the line by developing the Pro-GradeTM Series Duck and Goose decoys. GHG® now offers 32 newly designed Pro-GradeTM mallards, wigeon, blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, wood ducks, Canada geese and specklebellies. All Pro-Grades feature exceptional body styles with trueto-life detail, precise anatomy and ultimate realism. These decoys also offer a wide variety of unique body styles and head positions to create the most realistic look. After hours of analyzing photos, the GHG® staff was able to create the most realistic and complete line of production decoys ever offered!

Avery Outdoors www.AveryOutdoors.com 800.333.5119

<— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —— — — — Clip for your camp ✄ — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — >

DOVE North Zone and Central Zone Sept. 1-Oct. 23 and Dec. 23-Jan. 8 South Zone Sept. 23-Oct. 30 and Dec. 23-Jan. 23 Bag limit: 15 birds and not more than two white-tipped doves.

Special White-winged Dove Area Sept. 3-4, 10-11, Sept. 23-Oct. 30, Dec. 23-Jan. 19 The daily bag limit in the SWWDA during the first two weekends is 15 doves in the aggregate, to include no more than 4 mourning doves and 2 white-tipped doves. Once the general season opens, the aggregate bag limit will be 15.

EARLY TEAL-ONLY

Sept. 10-25

EARLY CANADA GEESE

Sept. 10-25 (Eastern Zone Only)

ALLIGATOR 22 counties & special properties Remainder of the state

Sept. 10-30 (by permit only) Apr. 1-June 30

PRONGHORN ANTELOPE (By permit only)

Oct. 1-9

WHITE-TAILED DEER Archery-Only Season Special Youth Season* General Season Late Antlerless and Spike Muzzleloader (57 counties) MULE DEER Archery-Only Season General Season

Oct. 1-Nov. 4 Oct. 29-30, Jan. 2-15 North Texas (209 counties) South Texas (30 counties) North Texas (106 counties) South Texas (30 counties) Jan. 2-15 Oct. 1-Nov. 4 Panhandle (38 counties) SW Panhandle (11 counties) Trans Pecos (19 counties)

JAVELINA Northern (43 counties) Southern (50 counties)

Oct. 1-Feb. 26 Sept. 1-Aug. 31

PHEASANT Panhandle (37 counties) Chambers, Jefferson & Liberty counties

Dec. 3-Jan. 1 Oct. 29-Feb. 26

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Nov. 5-Jan. 1 Nov. 5-Jan. 15 Jan. 2-15 Jan. 16-29

SQUIRREL Special Youth Season** East Texas (51 counties) Other Open counties

Sept. 24-25 Oct. 1-Feb. 5, May 1-31 Sept. 1-Aug. 31

LESSER PRAIRIE CHICKEN No open season for lesser prairie chicken.

QUAIL Statewide (all counties)

Oct. 29-Feb. 26

RIO GRANDE TURKEY Archery-Only Season Fall Season Special Youth Season* North Zone (122 counties) South Zone (26 counties) Brooks, Kenedy, Kleberg, & Willacy counties Spring Season North Zone (101 counties) Special Youth Season* South Zone (54 counties) Special Youth Season* 1-Turkey Bag Limit (11 counties)

Oct. 1-Nov. 4 Oct. 29-30, Jan. 21-22 Nov. 5-Jan. 1 Nov. 5-Jan. 15 Nov. 5-Feb. 26 Mar. 31-May 13 Mar. 24-25, May 19-20 Mar. 17-April 29 Mar. 10-11, May 5-6 Apr. 1-30

EASTERN TURKEY+ Spring-Only Season East Texas (28 counties)

Apr. 15-May 14

CHACHALACA Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties

Oct. 29-Feb. 26

RABBITS and HARES No closed season.

Nov. 19-Dec. 4 Nov. 19-27 Nov. 25-Dec. 11

In addition to a hunting license, a migratory game bird stamp endorsement ($7) is required to hunt any migratory game bird, including mourning dove (a Federal Sandhill Crane Permit also is required to hunt sandhill crane). An upland game bird stamp endorsement ($7) is required to hunt turkey, quail, pheasant or chachalacas. See County Listings in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual for specific county regulations and more detailed information. *In all counties that have an open season for those species. ** In all counties that have an Oct. 1-Feb. 5 and May 1-31 open squirrel season. + Rio Grande and Eastern Turkey may be hunted in these counties.

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

DOWNLOAD Charts for season C d dates, sunrise aand sunset may b be downloaded aatt LSONews.com.

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

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Wildcat Creek Resort offers comfortable quail hunting

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he Wildcat Creek Quail Hunting Resort in Detroit can provide hunters with more than 800 acres of some of the most beautiful land in Northeast Texas.

With the season only a few weeks away (Oct. 1 and runs through March 31), the time is now to book an exciting hunt and make memories that will last a lifetime.

The lodge has more than 10,000 square feet of space and is nestled on the shore of the 16-acre Old Mitchell Lake. Some of the resort’s many amenities include a pro shop, pool table, card tables, satellite TV and highspeed internet.

Located two hours northeast of Dallas, the Wildcat Creek Resort can provide any hunter with a unique chance to harvest birds, without having to travel far.

Managed full-time by a staff of 11, the Wildcat Creek resort seeks to provide

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hunters with the premier hunting experience.

All hunts are equipped with custom-designed hunting buggies for comfort and enjoyment. The buggies make getting in the field almost as much fun as the hunt itself.

The bird dogs live at the ranch and are trained on-site by the resort’s house trainers. The dogs hunt year-round in order to stay sharp and to assist the hunter as much as possible.

WCR guides are highly skilled and will accommodate any needs in the field. They strive to ensure the utmost level of safety and fun during a hunt.

Other services include a fully lit trap range for evening use.

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

Other activities include fishing, sporting clays, archery and a shooting range (for sighting rifles). Safety instruction classes are also available and mandatory during the first visit to the resort.

Contact us today and begin planning your quail hunting experience of a lifetime.

Year-round services include off-season lodging for rehearsal dinners, weddings, receptions, corporate meetings and retreats, family reunions and class reunions. We also offer meeting and party facilities with fully catered meals.

Contact us today and begin planning your quail hunting experience of a lifetime. For reservations, please e-mail WCR at: info@wcrquailhunting. com, or call 903-674-2000.

Wildcat Creek Resort www.WCRQuailHunting.com 903.674.2000

Cabela’s introduces Bow and Rifle Pack Perfect for carrying all gear necessary for hunt

W

eighing less than 3 pounds, the new Cabela’s Bow and Rifl R e Pack is a lightweight, dependable workhorse designed to carry all the gear you need for a successful hunt.

The pack is constructed of durable CT450 Pack material that is soft, quiet and retains its supple feel and quiet characteristics in temperatures well below zero.

The ergonomic back panel is i lined with mesh to dissipate body heat and sweat. Air mesh padding in the lower back and hip padd areas oof the belt softens the feel of a fully loaded pack. Two attachment straps securely hold a bow, rifle or crossbow. crossbow The foldout bow-cam/butt stock sup support is adjustable through a wide range rang of lengths.

The large main compartment offers cubic inches of storage space and 2,200 cubi

features a mesh organizer panel. Two smaller zipper-closed pockets are on the sides, including one with a pass-through slot behind for toting longer objects, such as a tripod or shooting sticks.

The removable Summit Pack is the perfect size for packing essential gear when you need to lighten the load to go the final distance and finish the hunt.

The pack is available in four camouflage patterns and a ScentLok version. It includes a removable 70-ounce water reservoir.

MSRP: $149.99 for the regularr pack; $169.99 for the Scent-Lok version. For more information, go to www.cabelas.com.

There are three Cabela’s stores in Texas: the new one in Allen, U.S. 75, exit at Stacy Road or Exchange Parkway, arkway, 214-383-0502; in Buda, at Exit 220, just off of Interstate 35, 512-295-1100; 00; and in Fort Worth, Exit 65 off Interstate ate 35W, 817-337-2400.

Cabela’s www.Cabelas.com 800.626.6074

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

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Great morning defines success in the woods, even without a kill

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he day had started out like so many before it that fall — hot and muggy.

Not exactly the type of weather you expect to see a big buck, but the rut was rolling in the Hill Country and I had seen several good bucks on the small, low-fenced ranch I was hunting.

I snuck into the natural ground blind built in the middle of a large cedar tree 30 minutes ahead of first light. Before me was a convergence of trails from the fields behind my location heading to bedding areas in the thick stuff.

I didn’t have to wait long before several does made their ways from the field down the trail in front of the blind. They hung around a few minutes before jerking their heads up and peering behind them — a telltale sign a buck was hot on their heels.

Sure enough, a young buck came trotting down the same path with his nose to the ground and grunting with each step. The young deer pestered the does for a few minutes before they tired of him and headed into the thick cedars.

Does continued to work through the area for the next hour — all getting harassed by the young buck who must have thought he was king for the morning with all of the available ladies.

Several more young bucks joined the party — a tall-racked 6-point and a wider 8-point. Both of these deer needed at least a year before

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they could be harvested, so I sat back and enjoyed the show. It was like watching a bunch of teenagers at a high school dance.

All of the deer moved into the cedars, and the day was rapidly heating up, so I decided to do a quick rattling sequence to try and entice a mature deer into range.

After a few grunt calls, I hit the horns together for a minute or so before sitting back to see what would answer.

Right on cue, several of the younger bucks bounded out of the cedars looking for the commotion.

There were three bucks within 20 yards of the blind looking confused. Finally, all three peered behind the blind at the same time — something was coming from behind me.

Like most mature deer, the big buck circled downwind of my hiding place and proceeded to march down a trail that led him right past the cedar tree — at 3 yards.

As the big 8-pointer walked past, I could hear him crunching leaves he was so close. At spitting distance, he got a nose full of human scent. It’s hard to fool a big deer

that close, even wearing scent-eliminating clothing. Before I even had a chance to draw my bow, the big deer was putting serious distance between himself and my blind.

I laughed quietly about the cool encounter and reminded myself this ranch held lots of bucks.

The three young bucks were still looking confused as ever in front of the blind before they slowly headed back into the cedars.

Several hours went by before I thought about heading home.

But before I did that, I rattled one more time to see if another cruising buck would respond.

After the rattling sequence, I got my bow ready. It didn’t take long.

I heard him coming before I saw him. The big buck that I had plenty of trail camera pictures of came from left to right in front of my blind, grunting the whole way. He was also close — less than 10 yards and moving with a purpose.

I knew I wouldn’t have much time on

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

this deer. As he came into full view I drew the bow back as silently as possible.

Unfortunately, big bucks at less than 10 yards usually see any movement, especially at eye level.

The buck caught the movement and trotted through both shooting lanes before stopping at 20 yards to look behind him.

Of course, he picked an angle that put him right behind a cedar limb. I held at full draw for nearly a minute hoping the buck would step left or right.

Instead, he did what big bucks maddeningly do a lot of the time; he walked straight away from me — never offering a shot.

As I let down, it was with mixed emotions. I had just experienced an awesome morning watching several big deer and lots of rut-crazed young bucks. I hadn’t connected — hadn’t even loosed an arrow. But the morning was still a huge success.

I love watching deer at close range, even if I don’t get a shot at one of the big bucks I’m hunting.

It’s hard to be disappointed when you have two Pope and Young deer within 10 yards. That is a successful day in the woods anyway you slice it.

It’s not all about the harvest.

I wish more hunters today felt the same way.

Story By Conor Harrison LSONews.com Lone Star Outdoor News

Nikon adds new optics to popular ProStaff lineup ProStaff® Riflescopes

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ikon’s line of ProStaff® riflescopes gives hunters and shooters the power and versatility they need for any hunt and leaves them with money in their pockets.

No matter what, rest easy knowing that these are Nikon through and through with proven optics, ruggedness and precision.

“Our ProStaff series of riflescopes have always been an incredible value for the consumer, and now the hunter and shooter can get incredible light transmission and cutting edge, high-end features without breaking the bank,” said Jon LaCorte, senior product marketing manager. “They are simply priced well below the features they carry.”

The ProStaff series features a fully multicoated optical system, up to 98 percent light transmission, spring-loaded Zero-Reset turrets and precise ¼-MOA click adjustments.

Like all Nikon scopes, the ProStaff series is protected by Nikon’s exclusive full lifetime warranty.

The new ProStaff 3-9x50 packs in the optical performance and adjustment features preferred by hunters across the country. Nikon’s fully multicoated optics combined with a huge 50mm objective keeps you hunting as long as possible and helps you find the target faster in low-light, low-contrast situations.

The new 4-12x40 offers the superb optics, new Zero-Reset turrets, magnification and field of view to put virtually any shot in your comfort zone. The perfect riflescope for hunters who travel the country and demand the right mix of versatility, power and performance.

The proven and trusted ProStaff 3-9x40 gets a technology upgrade that will satisfy even the most demanding of hunters.

Thanks to bright new optics and remarkable Zero-Reset tur-

rets, the all-new 3-9x40 models have what it takes to fit most any hunting style: enough power for the longest shots and a wide field of view for thick brush or timber.

The scopes are available in matte, silver and APG Realtree® camo.

The new ProStaff 2-7x32 with Nikoplex is an obvious choice for compact rifles because of its smaller size, yet it is packed with all the performance features that make it perfect for virtually any rifle.

With superior optics, precise ¼-MOA hand-turn Zero-Reset turrets and quick-focus eyepiece, the ProStaff 2-7x32 is ready for virtually any hunt.

ProStaff Riflescopes are compatible with Nikon’s Spot On™ Technology to maximize longdistance accuracy with any cartridge.

Nikon’s popular ATB binocular series adds the ProStaff® 7 to its lineup. Featuring 8x42 and 10x42 models with fully multicoated, bright, high-resolution optics that are built into an ultra-rugged, waterproof, fog-proof body, the full-size binocular delivers big-time performance that will fit any hunting style.

The new Nikon ProStaff 7 waterproof binocular is tough as nails and can go anywhere and take whatever you — or nature — dish out along the way. Long eye relief (15+mm), turn and slide rubber eyecups and a smooth diopter adjustment are just a few of the userfriendly features on this binocular.

The rubber-armored body features sleek new contours for a sure grip, and lead- and arsenic-free Eco-Glass. Add aluminum high-reflective multilayer prism coating and waterproof, fog-proof performance and you have a really great value in a binocular.

Nikon has engineered the optical system in the ProStaff 7 ATB to deliver close focus distances of just over 13 feet for all models. And the field of view ranges from 330 feet in the 8 power to 314 feet in the 10-power model. In all magnifications, an ergonomic body design allows for extended viewing sessions in total comfort.

The Nikon ProStaff ATB is priced at $189.95 for the 8x42, $199.95 for the 10x42 and $209.95 for the 10x42 Realtree APG model. Each is backed by Nikon’s 25-year limited warranty and no-fault repair/replacement policy.

Nikon Inc. is the U.S. distributor of Nikon sports and recreational optics, world-renowned Nikon 35mm cameras, digital cameras, speedlights and accessories, Nikkor lenses and electronic imaging products.

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011

For more information on Nikon’s full line of riflescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, fieldscopes and laser rangefinders, contact: Nikon Sport Optics, 1300 Walt Whitman Road., Melville, N.Y., 11747-3064.

ProStaff®7 Waterproof Binocular

Nikon www.NikonHunting.com 800.645.6687

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LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS ✯ Hunting Texas Annual 2011