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DEER ANNUAL INSIDE October 9, 2026

Texas’ Hunting and Fishing Newspaper Since 2004

Deer HUNTING

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Volume 23, Issue 4

Schooling starting Largemouth bass bite improving with variety of tactics working By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star Outdoor News Largemouth bass are starting to school up and gorge

themselves on baitfish as fall begins to make an appearance. Fish are being caught deep over offshore structure, as well as in coves and pockets up shallow and along the bank. A variety of bait presentations have been effective for anglers and fishing guides, and covering water has seemed to be the key to

success. Professional bass angler and instructional fishing guide Byron Velvick has been hosting interactive, live stream videos on all of his social platforms while fishing on Canyon Lake and Lake Dunlap recently. He said the fall bass bite is really starting to kick off on these

lakes, and he’s had the most success covering water with crankbaits, chatterbaits, and weighted flukes while looking for aggressive fish. “On Canyon Lake, I’m finding a lot of bass in bays, coves and pockets over bushes in 10- to 25-feet of water,” Velvick said. “A lot of the fish are suspended and holding

Collin Edwards caught this largemouth on a crankbait while fishing in a cove on Canyon Lake. Photo by Byron Velvick.

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Soggy archery opener Rain and cooler temps greet bow hunters By Cory Byrnes

For Lone Star Outdoor News Rain didn’t slow central Texas bowhunters during opening weekend this season. Austin Coleman came off a tough 2025 season and started this year with his firstever opening day buck. “I dropped my wife off at her stand that morning and then I went over to a stand that we call the hula hut,” Coleman recalled of the hunt. He sat in a tripod setup overlooking a tree line and feeder. He was in place just before light, and the shadows were playing games, much like they do with every hunter. “I kind of saw the head go down and come back up and then he took a couple of steps, and it’s like, man, that looks like a pretty good body deer,” Coleman recounted. Another 10 minutes passed before the

feeder went off and the deer took off back into the trees. Another smaller buck came in shortly after. “It kind of followed the same path,” he said. “Then the rain picked up and the bigger buck made his way back to within range. It’s kind of one of them things where I was like, man its the first day. I thought about it for five or six minutes, and finally he came to the right side of the feeder.” The deer gave him a good broadside, and he quickly decided. “I guess it’s time to release an arrow,” he said. It was a good shot and the deer only went about 70 yards. “My season ended within about 10 minutes,” he laughed. Coleman’s deer was a mature 8-point taken in Coryell County. Shawn Grisham was hunting in Callahan County and also faced rainy conditions on his opening morning hunt. “We had to take the Ranger in there bePlease turn to page 6

Hunters across the state dealt with soggy conditions on opening weekend, but many like Austin Coleman found success. Photo from Austin Coleman.

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Combo deal Dove and teal make for fine days of shooting By Nate Skinner

Layout blinds on a marsh island in the middle of a tidal flat did the trick during an early teal hunt on the lower coast. Photo by Skylar Matas.

Fishing reports . . . . . . . . . Page 10 Grip & Grin . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . . Page 12 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16 Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 22 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . Page 22 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16

INSIDE

CONTENTS

Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP

For Lone Star Outdoor News The folks from outdoor apparel and gear brand GameGuard hosted a dove and teal hunt out of La Pesca Lodge near Baffin Bay soon after the early teal season commenced. Boston Arthur, Ty Smith, and Tate Smith were guided by La Pes-

ca’s Capt. Justin “Storm” Brodnax. Over the course of the two day adventure, they enjoyed excellent shoots for both blue-winged teal and dove, and at times they were able to shoot both species during the same hunt. Ty Smith said on the first afternoon they took an airboat into the upper reaches of the Baffin complex and hunted out of layout blinds over a tidal marsh flat. “There were mourning dove flying everywhere as we got set up,” Please turn to page 6

HUNTING

FISHING

Alligator season (P. 4)

Running south (P. 9)

Hunters have successful gator season.

Baffin guides running to Land Cut.

Good start, tough finish (P. 4)

Crappie time (P. 8)

Teal season starts strong but fizzles at end.

Fish are on the move.

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October 9, 2026

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HUNTING

Good to start

Young hunter Bryce Kollatschny with a gator he shot this season. Photo from Mark Malfa.

Gatorbait Texas alligator season strong By Cory Byrnes

For Lone Star Outdoor News Texas outfitters report a strong, steady alligator hunting season. Jake Huddleston with H2O Outfitters reported a 100% success rate and filled 80 tags with clients this year. “It was pretty good. We never did get a cold front or anything, so that didn’t set us back at all. We never really had any rain during the alligator season, so logistically it made things pretty simple,” Huddleston said. “It seems to be holding about the same as before. Just a lot more smaller alligators. But we have a good population, for sure.” Huddleston said the bigger gators are around, you just don’t see them very much and end up catching a lot of mid-size gators. “Every year we still catch a lot of big alligators. It’s just you don’t seem them as often. What is typically seen are a lot of five to seven footers,” he said. “Those bigger alligators, they’re smart.” He and his clients hunt a stretch of river in the Tivoli area with baited hooks. He looks for areas where he thinks a big one calls home because they are very territorial, and then will bait the area over several days. “You’re just going to have to make an educated guess that this looks like a spot where there’s a big one, because they’re very, very hard to find,” he said. This year Huddleston and his clients harvested a 12-foot 10-inch reptile. “It was a spot that looked real good,” Huddleston said. “He was definitely spunky for sure.” Mark Malfa with Big Fish Bowfishing hunted property between Beaumont and Buena. Malfa and his clients harvested 31 alligators total this year. He also reports a very healthy population in his area. “I’m fortunate to hunt there. There’s no shortage of them,” Malfa said. Unlike most areas, Malfa is able to hunt alligators with archery equipment. He does not use the bait and hook method. “There aren’t many places that can do that,” he said. “It can make for an exciting hunt. We shot one that was a little over eight (feet). I had to get in the water. I thought it was going to be about knee- or mid-thigh deep. It wound up being just below my chest. I had to wrangle this thing out of the water.” The client made a tough shot through tall grass at a difficult angle. It was a good, clean shot, but Malfa wanted to ensure the alligator was harvested. “I didn’t want him to swim with the brush line and the line pull out,” Malfa said. The young hunter was able to successfully harvest the animal.

Teal hunters had generally good shoots to start the nine-day season, but reports of fewer and fewer birds as the season progressed was the norm. Photo by Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Blue wings thick for opener, tougher by end of short season By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star Outdoor News The nine-day early teal season came and went, seemingly in the blink of an eye, at the end of last month. Many reports indicated coastal prairies and marshes offered the most consistent decoying action for duck hunters. Some of the best hunts took place during the first few days of the season. Lots of hunters reported the birds becoming scarcer with the bright moon occurring during the closing weekend. Regional director of South Texas Delta Waterfowl and hunting guide Ryan Watson spent the early teal season in various places chasing blue wings. On opening morning, Watson hunted just south of San Antonio on a lake where he said two groups of four or five bluewinged teal came into his setup during the first hour of legal shooting light.

“The next morning, I hunted further south in Karnes County over a cattle tank with a buddy,” Watson said. “We had four teal come into the decoys about five minutes after legal shooting time and we knocked down three of them. Those were the only teal we saw during that hunt.” From there, Watson made a hunt over flooded rice, just east of Liberty in Chambers County with some friends, and they harvested their three-man limit in the first 12 minutes of legal light. “A buddy of ours had to drop his kids off at school, and showed up to join us at about 7:15,” Watson said. “We had already limited out and were just waiting on him to arrive. Over the course of about 15 minutes, he was able to shoot his six birds.” Watson then guided a group in the Crystal City area while hunting the edge of a small slough. “The group ended up strapping 18 birds that consisted of about a 50-50 mix of green wings and blue wings,” he said.

On the final day of the early teal season, Watson hunted Choke Canyon Reservoir with a friend. “We launched the boat at 3 a.m. to get to our spot before getting eaten alive by mosquitoes as we waited for legal shooting light,” Watson said. “We had birds start showing up about five minutes after legal light, and we ended up finishing with eight teal between the two of us.” Hunting guide for Red Bluff Prairie Hunting Club in Garwood, A.C. Barnett said their hunts to kick off the early teal season on opening weekend went great. “There were quite a few birds in the area, and most groups had limits or near limits of blue wings,” Barnett said. As the moon got brighter towards the closing weekend of the nine-day season, Barnett said the birds started to become more scarce. “I’m not sure where they went, but a lot of them left,” he said. “We still had some decent hunts, but it wasn’t hot and heavy by any means. If your group was able to shoot half limits during the Please turn to page 13

Finding his niche Short-form filmmaker finds hunting stories for social media By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

“I am the last guy I thought would ever be doing this,” said Andrew Thomas. The short-form documentary filmmaker was struggling to make ends meet, living in Fort Worth with a wife in Lindale, when he thought something had to change. “My wife was living two hours away and I wasn’t happy,” the owner of Andrew Thomas Visuals said. “I never grew up hunting and fishing. I had friends that did and I would just fall asleep in the blind.” On a 2-hour commute from Lindale to Fort Worth, he recently had an Please turn to page 19

Filmmaker Andrew Thomas has found a possible career interviewing former poachers and outlaws. Photo from Andrew Thomas.

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Grills ready Nilgai cook-off promises to be tasty time By Tony Vindell

For Lone Star Outdoor News Get your barbecue grills, charcoal or propane, ready to participate in the first ever cooking competition of the tasty Indian antelope the roams free in the brush country of South Texas. The all-you-want-to-know nilgai day will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17 at the South Texas Ecotourism Center at 501 W. State Highway 100 near Laguna Vista. Participants for the nilgai cook “anyway/your choice” must bring their own cooking equipment, and prizes will be awarded for the three best meals prepared on site. There is a registration fee $100 and the proceeds from the event will go to the center's educational programs. But there is more. The nilgai extravaganza will include a “last shot draw hunt” for archery and rifle hunts at the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. The drawings will take place on site and winning applicants must be present to win. There will also be activities for people of all ages such as face painting, archery demonstrations and other hands-on events. The cook-off will be held in con-

Nilgai antelope make some of the finest tasting venison of any game animal, and the upcoming cook-off should be a great time. Photo by Tony Vindell, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

junction with the Laguna Madre Market Days. Nilgai are members of the antelope family and were brought to this part of Texas by the King Ranch, which bought several of these game animals from the San Diego Zoo. Because the landscape was similar to the animal’s original home in India, they adapted well and are now known to range free in the thousands in mostly Willacy, Kleberg and Kenedy counties. However, the nilgai have also spread out to Cameron, Brooks and other South Texas counties. Many people swear the antelope is one of the best to eat as the meat

does not taste as gamey as some animals. Ed Meza, the ecotourism center director, said the cook-off is part of ongoing programs they have at the center to educate the public. “We opened the center four years ago and noticed there were quite a few nilgai around,” he said, “so we decided to work with the refuge and come out with this plan.” In fact, nilgai are regularly spotted in the early morning and evening hours across from the center and are also known to wonder throughout the facility’s property.

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Texans first to hunt Angola Dallas Safari Club President Rick Warren and fellow DSC Life Member J.D. Yates recently participated in Angola's first sanctioned safari hunt following an 18-year absence of legal, regulated hunting in the country. The journey Rick Warren began nearly a year earlier at the inaugural DSC Summer Expo & Foundation Gala, where representatives from Angola joined DSC and Conservation Force to announce that the country was taking the step of reopening to legal, regulated hunting. As part of the announcement, the Angola Hunters Association donated a 14-day plains game safari to be auctioned by DSC. Warren placed the winning bid, with funds raised through the hunt directed back to the Angola Hunters Association to support its work rebuilding a sustainable hunting program. As one of the first hunts following an 18-year absence, the trip came with challenges. The group encountered delays with firearms paperwork, a charter flight that never arrived and long drives across Angola, including traveling roughly 400 kilometers in a single day before reaching camp near dark. The hunting itself was equally challenging. Warren ultimately took a common waterbuck, while Yates found success with a Damara dik-dik. Over the course of their time in Angola, the hunt also included another common waterbuck, springbok, Angolan bush duiker and Southern impala. For Warren, however, the significance of the hunt extended far beyond the animals taken. "We were seeing the beginning of something that has the potential to provide lasting value to Angola's wildlife and its people," Warren said. "When properly managed, legal, regulated hunting creates an economic reason to maintain wildlife habitat, generates resources for management and anti-poaching efforts, supports local communities and gives wildlife tangible value on the landscape." —DSC

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Bow opener Continued from page 1

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Combo hunt Continued from page 1

Smith said. “In fact, there were so many, that we ended up shooting dove with our steel shot while we waited for the teal to start flying.” Smith said the dove activity remained steady the entire evening. In between volleys from blue wings willing to give their decoys a look, they ended up shooting near limits of mourning dove. “We ended that first evening hunt with threequarters of a full limit of teal, and almost everyone harvested a limit of dove,” Smith said. “I’ve got to say, that’s the first time I’ve ever harvested ducks and dove in the same outing.” The next morning, the crew went back out in Brodnax’s airboat to hunt teal in the marsh again. Arthur said the blue wings Tate Smith, picks up a dove he harvested with steel shot during an worked the decoys much afternoon hunt, between flights from blue-winged teal. Photo by better during that early Skylar Matas. morning sit. “We had one group of about 20 blue wings work really well and try to land in the decoys,” Arthur said. “Aside from that, it was mostly groups of two to four birds that came in cupped up and committed.” The action came to a halt quickly after sunrise, and they ended up harvesting half limits of teal before the birds stopped flying. They ended their trip with an afternoon dove hunt at the edge of a cotton field just outside of Riviera. According to Tate Smith, white-wings and mourning dove were pouring into the cotton all afternoon. “There were so many birds, you could really just be patient and take high-percentage shots,” Smith said. “We were able to finish off our limits over the course of an hour or so. Archery hunter Shawn Grisham found opening weekend success with this buck scoring 136 inches. Photo from Shawn Grisham.

cause the roads were too muddy,” Grisham said. He set up where he did because he had seen a buck in that area he had on his watch list. “I had set up a pop-up in some trees,” Grisham said. He had also seen a lot of hog sign recently. “I knew there were several pigs in the area, and to be honest with you, I really felt like the pigs would come in and I wouldn’t have an opportunity for the deer,” Grisham said. As light broke, he surveyed the area and did in fact see some hogs, but they were near the feeder waiting for it to spin. He prepared himself to shoot a pig. “I had switched arrows because I have hunting arrows and then I’ve got pig arrows. Because you know that if you shoot a pig, they’re going to break an arrow,” Grisham said. They didn’t stick around, however, a very large, heavy-racked buck walked into view. “I looked over my left shoulder and I noticed this deer coming out and I looked up and I caught his right main beam and his right brow tine, which I knew was taller than his left, and I was like, oh, that’s the deer I have on my list,” he recounted. In what felt like a lifetime, Grisham changed out his arrow again and waited for a shot opportunity. It presented itself while the deer crossed from left to right and cleared some more deer that had moved into feed. He let fly, and the old buck did not go far. Grisham’s estimated his buck to be about five years old and measured 136 4/8 inches with a 20.5-inch spread. David Nall’s opening weekend ended with back-to-back successful hunts in two different counties. On opening day, he spent his morning in Fayetteville County. “I went in about half an hour before light,” Nall said. “I saw a deer kind of pacing in the back tree line, and he looked like a larger one. I had three there that I would be willing to harvest if they came in.” Finally, enough light had made its way through the overcast conditions that Nall could make out what kind of buck he was seeing. “I could tell he was a large deer. I could tell he had some height to his antlers,” Nall said. The deer continued to pace outside of range. Finally, it came into the feeder. “That’s when I released my arrow. And when I did, he jumped my string,” Nall recalled. Although he didn’t see the impact, Nall felt good about the shot. “I waited about an hour. And then I went and looked at the arrow,” he said. “Everything looked like it was a good shot. To be sure, I gave it more time.” Nall found his first deer of the opener about 400 yards away after some tracking and backtracking. His first deer on thew property ended up being a mature 12-point. Nall’s second deer did not come as quickly. “I sat in the tree that morning in the rain for about four-and-a-half hours,” he said. “I took a lunch break before heading back out in for an evening sit. Maybe an hour, hourand-a-half range. So about four o’clock. I heard something below me. This big old boy; biggest bodied, oldest deer I’ve ever seen in person.” Nall marveled at the size of the buck. “His neck looked like a freaking tank man,” Nall said. “He was one of those deer you don’t see often. They are on and off cameras and move around.” Nall had an opportunity. He didn’t pass it up. “He steps out 34 yards broadside, and I took a deep breath and slung it,” Nall said. His shot hit home, and the deer took off running. Nall gave it time again as he did before. “He was probably a hundred, hundred and fifty yards away from where I shot him,” Nall recalled. Two bucks in two counties on opening weekend is not a bad way to start a season.

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FISHING

Reds steady, trout tougher along Upper Coast By Cory Byrnes

For Lone Star Outdoor News

Crappie are in a transition right now to fall patterns. Photo from Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Early stages Crappie headed toward fall patterns By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star Outdoor News Water temperatures across inland lakes are slowly beginning to cool down, and crappie can be found transitioning into the early stages of their typical fall patterns. A lot of fish are still being caught out deep over brush and timber, but some have begun to make a push towards shallower water. Overall, the action seems to be improving with each passing day. According to professional crappie tournament angler and fishing guide Daniel Koberna, he’s been finding isolated groups of crappie on Lake Ray Roberts in 6- to 12-feet of water around timber and root balls. “The larger crappie are pretty scattered, so I’ve been bouncing around some spots in the same general area that are holding small pods of decent sized fish,” Koberna said. “They will come up off the bottom to feed in spurts for short windows of time. Once they quit feeding, I just move to another spot to see if any are willing to come up and eat. Staying on the move has been the key to putting good numbers in the boat.” Koberna said minnows have been more effective recently at drawing strikes compared to jigs. “Right now, a lot of things have to go right for the fish to commit to a soft plastic or handtied jig,” Koberna said. “If you can get a minnow within 2 to 3 feet of where they are staging when they come up off the bottom to feed, you can usually get bit.” Most of the crappie Koberna and his anglers have been catching have been in the 11- to 13.5inch range. “There are much larger concentrations of crappie out deeper over main lake brush piles in 18- to 30-feet of water,” Koberna said. “A lot of these fish are undersized, though, so you have to weed through a lot of throwbacks to catch some keeper fish.” Crappie fishing guide Kyle Miers reported on the Fishing TEXAS Facebook page that the fall bite on Cedar Creek Lake is gaining momentum. “We are catching plenty of active white and black crappie, with some very nice fall fish in the mix,” Miers wrote in his recent post. “We’ve been fishing brush tops and a little standing timber in 10- to 14-feet of water, as well as timber in 18-to 26-feet of water.” Miers said 1/32-ounce jigs have been the ticket for producing consistent strikes. “Pitching jigs out across the structure and keeping the bait about 8 to 10 inches above the timber has been working well,” Miers said. Bent Rods Guide Service reported in a recent social media post that the crappie bite has been consistent during the mid-morning hours on Toledo Bend Reservoir. They said the best action has been taking place in 18- to 25-feet of water with shiners.

Upper Coast guides say redfish are holding steady, trout are transitioning and the best fishing of the season is here. In the Sabine Lake area, Eddie Hernandez with Golden Hook Guide Service reports, “We’re catching some redfish now in the back of the bayous on the Louisiana side of the lake. There’s an abundance of shrimp piled up back there.” He and his clients have been targeting the bayous and drainages farther back in Sabine Lake in skinny water. “There’s been so much shrimp back there, and when we see a couple of birds or just shrimp skipping across the water, then you’ll see fish hitting them from the bottom,” Hernandez said. The trout are transitioning, according to Hernandez. “Even though we haven’t had a cold front yet, the fish are in transition mode right now,” Hernandez said. “I think they go by the days getting shorter. Something triggers them, and that bite tapers off, and it has tapered off now.” He and his clients have now turned their attention back to the main lake where the trout will show up as the water temperatures start to drop. Look for shallow reefs, points, and drop-offs with deep water nearby. With all the bait in the water, anglers can use almost any bait they have confidence in to catch fish. Hernandez and his clients have been using soft plastics and jig heads. “We have just been keeping it kind of natural,” he said. He also recommended using some glow colors with chartreuse for good results. Of course, anglers will be successful if they use live bait. As the water temperature cools, Hernandez recommends going to a darker-colored bait like root beer or red shad. Both reds and trout will move to deeper water. “When the fish move deeper here, it can mean 10 inches deeper,” Hernandez said

Anglers are finding good catches of big redfish along the Upper Coast this month. Photo from Eddie Hernandez.

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Big wahoo Classic closes out lower coast season By Tony Vindell

For Lone Star Outdoor News The South Padre Island-based Wahoo Classic marked the end of the annual major fishing tournaments along Texas’ lower Gulf coast. The yearly tournament attracts dozens of boats and anglers who venture out into the Gulf waters in hopes of catching the tournaments biggest prize — a $10,000 check for the biggest wahoo overall. These fast-swimming pelagic fish are in abundance this time of year offshore of South Padre. Other prizes were given out for overall combined weight along with two other species: tuna and mahimahi. Additional prizes were also awarded for second and third place, for a challenger pot and numerous items donated by the tournament

sponsors. What caught the attention of spectators and tournament officials alike was the quality of fish caught and brought to the scales for the weigh-in. A number of big wahoo and mahi-mahi were caught and brought to the docks. Melinda Dunks, a weigh master who has been handling this year’s tournaments from Port Mansfield to the SPI-Port Isabel area, said these two fish species have been bigger than ever throughout tournament season. “Kingfish have been the number ones,” she said, referring to the sizes and weights of theses strong fighters that dominated the early season tournaments. “Now, it’s the mahimahi and the wahoos.” More than 20 boats registered for the event that had to be rescheduled once due to poor weather. That impacted the number of participants, as if often the case when weather delays a big tournament. Please turn to page 11

Kevin Callus holds up his winning wahoo which netted a $10,000 prize. Photo from Tony Vindell, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

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Baffin guides making the run to Land Cut By Nate Skinner

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Red grouper changes in Gulf NOAA Fisheries published a final rule to implement Amendment 62 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf. Amendment 62 will increase red grouper catch limits and modify management measures. This rule is effective as of October 2, 2026. This rule will: • Increase the Gulf red grouper annual catch limits (ACL) for the commercial and recreational sectors and set the commercial quota and the recreational annual catch target (ACT); The sector ACLs, commercial quota, and recreational ACT will increase each year through 2028, and remain the same thereafter • Remove the February 1 – March 31 recreational seasonal closure for shallow-water grouper species in federal waters seaward of the 20-fathom boundary; Gulf shallow-water grouper species include red grouper, gag, scamp, yellowmouth grouper, black grouper, and yellowfin grouper Catch limits for Gulf red grouper, including the overfishing limit (OFL), acceptable biological catch (ABC), total ACL, and sector catch limits. All weights are in millions of pounds, gutted weight. —NOAA

Cormorant bill filed U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) introduced the Responsible Cormorant Management and Control Act of 2026. The legislation requires the Secretary of the Interior to develop regional management frameworks for the take of double-crested cormorants. If adopted, the bill states that no later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary, in coordination with the applicable Regional Flyway Council, shall develop a regional management framework for the take of double-crested cormorants for each region covered by a Regional Flyway Council based on existing information. “Excessive double-crested cormorant populations are harming fisheries, aquaculture operations, and private waters across Texas,” Cruz said. “This bill gives Texans the tools they need to responsibly manage these populations.” —Staff report

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Many Baffin Bay fishing guides have been running down to the Land Cut to find numbers of redfish and trout willing to feed. According to their reports, high salinity levels and warm water temps have kept the fish in Baffin proper, lethargic. Rather than grinding through a tough bite, most have been making long runs to keep their clients hooked-up with fish. Baffin Bay fishing guide, Capt. Christian Schneider, said he’s been focusing on the drop-offs and ledges along the Land Cut and the mouth of Baffin to target keeper sized speckled trout lately. “Live croaker bounced along the edge of grass flats near the drop-off Speckled trout have been tough to catch inside Baffin proper, so many guides have has been producing the most con- been running toward the Land Cut to find better action. Photo by Skylar Matas. sistent bite from specks,” Schneider said. “You can still catch some decent trout in Baffin, they just don’t Higgins said there have been plenty of lower slot feed for very long after sunrise. Towards the mouth redfish and keeper black drum roaming flats along of the bay and in the Land Cut, the bite has been last- the south shoreline. He’s been focusing his efforts ing later into the morning.” there when he’s chosen to stay in the bay. Capt. Chris Munoz said he’s been running towards “The reds have been in small pods,” Higgins said. the mouth of Baffin and the Land Cut to fish the “Once you stumble across one, there’s generally a few deeper edges of grass beds for speckled trout and red- more nearby.” fish as well. Higgins said the redfish have been readily striking “The reds have been putting on a show for us late- soft plastics rigged on a 1/8- or 1/16-ounce jig head. ly,” Munoz said. “There's been good numbers of over- He said scented shrimp imitation soft plastics and sized reds along drop-offs with solid trout mixed in.” chunks of fresh dead shrimp have been doing the Baffin guide, Capt. Adam Higgins, admitted that trick for the black drum. the bite window inside Baffin Bay has been very slim, “There’s a ton of sight casting opportunities for at least in regards to speckled trout. both, redfish and black drum, right now,” he said. “You really have to capitalize on the bites you can “The redfish have been jumping all over soft plastics get first thing in the morning around sunrise, be- bounced right in front of their noses, and the black cause the trout in Baffin have been shutting down drum have been fairly consistent on plastic shrimp pretty quick, as the sun rises overhead,” Higgins said. and fresh chunks of shrimp.”

October 9, 2026

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LONE STAR FISHING REPORTS SALTWATER FISHING By Chuck Uzzle

PORT MANSFIELD •

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SABINE LAKE • • • • •

•

Speckled trout fishing fair to good Fish are moving all over the lake Some schooling activity along the east shoreline is producing keeper-sized fish Better trout are still coming from the deeper water areas High water has redfish and flounder pushed up against the shoreline grass in good numbers Black drum and sheepshead still good at the jetty on live shrimp under Coastal Pro rattling corks

• • •

• •

Redfish good as schooling activity increases and fish head for the Gulf passes Trout good over shallow grass beds and potholes on top-waters Sight casting up in the sand with soft plastics has been producing better fish Flounder staging along shorelines, edges of the Intracoastal and in the East Cut proper Good bite on paddletails, weedless gold spoons and live shrimp Snook and juvenile tarpon have also been caught

•

• •

•

High tides concentrating fish along protected shorelines When wind allows access to deeper open water reefs, the speckled trout bite is solid on soft plastics Redfish are hustling shrimp on the shorelines and back lakes Rattling corks with soft plastics and swim baits or paddle tails good choices for redfish action Flounder beginning to stage around the marsh drains

• • • • •

Tides almost two feet above normal Redfish in West Bay improves over shell Trout are best for waders right to the shore over reefs Soft plastics in pink and chicken on a chain have been good color choices Tripletail good on shrimp in both bays around crab pots

ROCKPORT • • • •

Trout fishing overall continues to be slow Live bait in deeper water over shell has been best bite The high tides have improved an already good redfish/black drum bite Flounder starting to move and are being caught in solid numbers by anglers throwing live mullet or shrimp

BAFFIN BAY

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND •

•

•

• • •

• •

High tides have kicked redfish into overdrive and provided very solid bite in deeper water near the spoil islands High water has the speckled trout scattered Makes them harder to pattern Best bite has been out a little deeper near scattered grass with concentrations of bait Forecasted north winds should help out the trout bite As water levels get back closer to normal and bait from the back lakes and marshes gets pushed out into open water, trout bite will improve

Runoff from recent rains has fish moving around looking for pockets of saltier water Deeper areas holding good water have been productive for both speckled trout and redfish Pink or white Mansfield Knockers have been good for quality trout Purple and chartreuse or purple and white ball tails under rattling corks also producing numbers of both redfish and trout near open water slicks

FRESHWATER FISHING By Vivian Leopold

•

•

• •

• • • •

• •

For Lone Star Outdoor News

Water level is 3.06 feet below pool at 85.6% full Water temps about 82 degrees Lake is in the fall shad-transition period Largemouth bass, fish around points, riprap, stump fields, water willow and places where shallow flats drop into deeper water Fish 4 to 8 feet early morning/cloudy with 3/8-ounce white/chartreuse spinnerbait, shad-colored squarebills, 3- to 4-inch paddletail swimbait and chatterbait/bladed jig. Mid-day, 8 to 15 feet with Texas-rigged 6- to 10-inch worm, football/jig around deeper structure and 4-inch paddletail on a 3/8- to 1/2-ounce jighead If bait or schooling, cast through the bait, using small swimbaits, lipless crankbaits or underspins. Bass in 12 to 14 feet during low-light periods, while fish can be found deep during brighter conditions. White bass, fish in 6 to 25 feet along creek channels 1/8- to 1/4-ounce white/chartreuse upderspin, 2- to 3-inch white paddletail, 1/2- to 1-ounce slab/spoon when fish deep Look for birds, surface splashes or balls of bait on sonar Crappie are in 8 to 20 feet Brush, timber, docks and other isolated structure best 1/16- to 1/8-ounce jig, 1.5- to 2-inch tube or curly-tail grub, chartreuse/ white, black/chartreuse and white or pink/white Channel catfish best depths are 10 to 25 feet around points, river channels Slow drifting suspended bait producing blue cats

• • • • • •

• •

•

• •

Water level is 44.49 feet below pool at 5.1% full Water temps 78 degrees, stained water Twin Buttes is fair overall, with best action coming from catfish Low lake level continues to affect bass and white bass patterns Channel and blue catfish best bet Fish brushy areas, submerged cover, creek channels and transition areas in 8- to 20-feet early morning and evening Best baits - punch bait, cut shad and fresh cut bait Largemouth bass slow, but opportunities around remaining structure and deeper cover Focus on points, creek channels and isolated brush early and late Green pumpkin worms, Junebug Texas rigs, shad-colored crankbaits and white spinnerbaits during low-light White bass action limited Watch for surface activity around baitfish, especially in the mornings

•

• •

• • • • •

• • •

•

Chrome slabs, white jigs and shadpattern swimbaits best Crappie inconsistent; target deeper brush piles and submerged structure in 12 to 20 feet using minnows or small chartreuse/white jigs

Cut shad, cut bluegill (where legally permitted), punch/stink bait for channel cats and chicken liver can work, but fresh cut bait is better. Flathead catfish more structureoriented Steep channel edges and creek-channel bends in 10 to 25 feet

WEATHERFORD

•

•

Use 1/16- to 1/8-ounce jig in white/chartreuse, blue/white or black/chartreuse or live minnows • Channel catfish most dependable bite • Fish in 8 to 20 feet, particularly around creek-channel edges and deeper flats • Use cut shad, chicken gizzards, blood bait and crawfish • White bass rated as fair

MARTIN CREEK • • •

• •

• • •

•

•

TWIN BUTTES

•

•

• • •

•

•

MATAGORDA BAY

•

•

GALVESTON/TRINITY BAYS •

ARLINGTON

• • •

Water level is 7.44 feet below pool at 59.9% full Water temps about 80 degrees Water clarity generally good, 4 to 6 feet visibility Largemouth bass population quite encouraging Gizzard shad abundant, providing forage Fish 3 to 8 feet early morning around docks, rocky banks and shallow points After sunup, move deeper to 8 to 15 feet In low light/cloudy conditions use spinnerbait or shallow crankbait Clearer days, switch to Texas-rigged worm, shaky head or drop-shot rig Green pumpkin, watermelon/red, Junebug best colors Crappie fishing good Fish man-made brush piles, docks and boathouses, marina/enclosed fishing docks and deeper timber/cover in 10 to 18 feet

Water level is 3.24 feet below pool at 80.1% full Water temps 84 degrees, stained to lightly stained Largemouth bass best early morning and late evening in 4 to 10 feet around grass edges, timber, points and creekchannel swings Mid-day, fish holding in 10 to 18 feet White or shad-colored spinnerbaits, Sexy shad or chrome crankbaits, green pumpkin and watermelon-red Texasrigged worms Use top-waters at dawn Crappie bite generally strongest during first few hours after sunrise Use white/chartreuse tube jigs, plastics and live minnow in 12 to 20 feet on standing timber, brush piles and bridge structure

Catfish – Evening fishing has been most productive. Pattern is good in 8-20 feet along creek channels and flats adjacent to deeper water. Best baits are cut shad, punch bait and chicken liver Sunfish and tilapia - Fish around vegetation and shoreline cover. Small worms, crickets and tiny jigs are producing steady action. Martin Creek is one of the few Texas lakes where tilapia are commonly caught

AUSTIN •

• • • • •

•

•

• • • •

Lake Austin scheduled for a 10-foot drawdown beginning in mid-October to help control hydrilla and allow shoreline maintenance Water level is -0.57 feet below pool at 96.3% full Water temps 83 degrees, relatively clear water; 4 to 6 feet of visibility Lake fishing fair to good, especially largemouth bass Largemouth bass fair to good Fish 5 to 15 feet around hydrilla, grass edges, docks and shaded shoreline cover. Drop-shot finesse worms, Neko-rigged creature baits, Texas-rigged stick worms and swim jigs and chatterbaits over submerged grass Green pumpkin, watermelon-red, shad colors and natural baitfish patterns. Topwater action can be excellent around shad schools Crappie fair; Look for brush piles, docks and deeper structure in 12 to 20 feet Minnows and white/chartreuse or jigs most productive Catfish action steady around deeper structure, creek channels Cut shad and punch bait remain best baits

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

Largemouth bite Continued from page 1

tight to the structure about 12 to 15 feet below the surface. The best action has come from chunking crankbaits.” Velvick said the bass he’s been catching on Canyon have been in the 3- to 5-pound range, with some fish pushing 6 pounds or more mixed in. “The key has really been getting your bait down in the structure,” Velvick said. “These fish have been hiding in the trees and bushes, and you’ve got to get your lure down in that stuff in order to catch them.” On Dunlap, Velvick has been finding fish in a little bit shallower water. “Square-billed crankbaits fished in 2 to10 feet along rocky banks and stretches with lily pad stems, have been super productive lately,” he said. “Flukes and chatterbaits have been working well on Dunlap, too, and we’ve been catching bass up to about 5.5 pounds.” Fishing guide and tournament angler Camron Wilkerson said he’s been catching bass on Lake Granbury on frogs up shallow and tight to the bank in small coves and pockets. He said the action has been persisting until the late morning hours. “Some of the bass have been so shallow that their backs have been sticking out of the water at times,” Wilkerson said. “Most of the fish are in the 2- to 3-pound range. If you find the right stretch, you can catch 6 or 7 fish in about a 400-yard span of bank. Rocky areas have been producing the best results.” Wilkerson said there have been some larger fish staging off the banks along drop-offs in coves and pockets. Crankbaits and soft plastics worked along the edges of Byron Velvick landed this bass on a crankbait while fishing over submerged bushes in a pocket on Canyon Lake. Photo from the drop-offs have been producing some larger bass. Central Texas bass fishing guide Ander Meine said Byron Velvick. Inks Lake has been holding stained water, and the best fishing has been taking place around offshore rock piles where schools of quality bass are feeding heavily on large gizzard shad. “Big top-water baits and large swimbaits are producing well around these schools of fish,” he said. “Finding areas holding large concentrations of gizzard shad has been the key to locating active bass.” Meine has also been on Lake Travis recently, where he said windblown, shallow transition areas with a mix of rock and brush have held the best action. “Three-inch paddletail swimbaits fished on underspins, along with urchin-style baits have been producing strikes around schools of bass patrolling for bait in less than 10 feet of water,” he said.

October 9, 2026

Page 11

Wahoo Continued from page 8

Anglers brought in several wahoo, along with tuna and mahi-mahi to the weigh in on South Padre Island. Photo by Tony Vindell, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

But the participating anglers brought in good-sized mahi and wahoo. Kevin Callus, a bartender at a local bar on the bay, took the grand prize posting a wahoo that weighed nearly 34 pounds. “We were about 40 miles offshore,” he said, after getting the check, plus other prizes for the biggest fish. “We caught it about noon.” The Wahoo Classic is the last major fishing tournaments held every year along the lower Texas gulf coast. Plenty of anglers took home fine tasting fish, and many more had a great time on the water and are already looking forward to next year’s tournament season.

Page 12

October 9, 2026

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

TEXAS SUN, MOON AND TIDES Moon Phases Houston

New

First

Full

Last

Oct 10

Oct 18

Oct 25

Nov 1

Solunar Sun times Moon times Dallas

2026 Oct

A.M. Minor Major

P.M. Minor Major

SUN Rises Sets

MOON Rises Sets

2026 Oct

A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

09 Fri 10 Sat 11 Sun 12 Mon 13 Tue 14 Wed 15 Thu 16 Fri 17 Sat 18 Sun 19 Mon 20 Tue 21 Wed 22 Thu 23 Fri

4:31 10:42 5:13 11:24 5:59 ----6:49 12:37 7:42 1:29 8:37 2:24 9:33 3:20 10:29 4:16 11:22 5:10 ----- 6:00 12:36 6:47 1:20 7:31 2:01 8:12 2:39 8:50 3:17 9:28

4:53 11:04 5:36 11:47 6:22 12:34 7:13 1:01 8:07 1:54 9:02 2:50 9:59 3:46 10:54 4:41 11:47 5:34 12:12 6:24 12:59 7:11 1:42 7:54 2:23 8:33 3:01 9:12 3:39 9:50

07:18 06:58 07:18 06:56 07:19 06:55 07:19 06:54 07:20 06:53 07:21 06:52 07:21 06:51 07:22 06:50 07:23 06:49 07:23 06:48 07:24 06:47 07:25 06:45 07:25 06:44 07:26 06:43 07:27 06:42

6:18a 6:17p 7:17a 6:47p 8:17a 7:19p 9:18a 7:55p 10:18a 8:35p 11:17a 9:19p 12:12p 10:08p 1:02p 11:01p 1:47p 11:57p 2:27p NoMoon 3:03p 12:55a 3:36p 1:53a 4:06p 2:51a 4:36p 3:49a 5:05p 4:48a

09 Fri 10 Sat 11 Sun 12 Mon 13 Tue 14 Wed 15 Thu 16 Fri 17 Sat 18 Sun 19 Mon 20 Tue 21 Wed 22 Thu 23 Fri

4:36 10:47 5:19 11:30 6:05 ----6:55 12:43 7:48 1:35 8:43 2:30 9:39 3:26 10:34 4:22 11:28 5:15 ----- 6:06 12:42 6:53 1:26 7:37 2:06 8:17 2:45 8:56 3:23 9:34

4:58 11:10 5:41 11:53 6:28 12:40 7:19 1:07 8:12 2:00 9:08 2:56 10:05 3:52 11:00 4:47 11:53 5:40 12:18 6:30 1:05 7:17 1:48 7:59 2:28 8:39 3:07 9:18 3:45 9:56

07:25 07:02 07:26 07:00 07:26 06:59 07:27 06:58 07:28 06:57 07:29 06:55 07:29 06:54 07:30 06:53 07:31 06:52 07:32 06:51 07:32 06:50 07:33 06:48 07:34 06:47 07:35 06:46 07:36 06:45

6:25a 6:21p 7:26a 6:49p 8:28a 7:20p 9:30a 7:54p 10:32a 8:32p 11:32a 9:16p 12:27p 10:05p 1:17p 10:58p 2:02p 11:55p 2:41p NoMoon 3:15p 12:54a 3:46p 1:54a 4:15p 2:53a 4:42p 3:53a 5:10p 4:54a

San Antonio

Amarillo

2026 Oct

A.M. Minor Major

P.M. SUN MOON Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

2026 Oct

A.M. Minor Major

P.M. Minor Major

SUN Rises Sets

MOON Rises Sets

09 Fri 10 Sat 11 Sun 12 Mon 13 Tue 14 Wed 15 Thu 16 Fri 17 Sat 18 Sun 19 Mon 20 Tue 21 Wed 22 Thu 23 Fri

4:43 10:54 5:26 11:37 6:12 ----7:01 12:49 7:54 1:42 8:50 2:37 9:46 3:33 10:41 4:28 11:34 5:22 12:01 6:13 12:48 7:00 1:32 7:44 2:13 8:24 2:52 9:02 3:30 9:41

5:05 11:16 5:48 11:59 6:35 12:46 7:25 1:13 8:19 2:07 9:15 3:02 10:11 3:58 11:06 4:54 11:59 5:47 12:25 6:37 1:12 7:23 1:55 8:06 2:35 8:46 3:13 9:24 3:52 10:03

09 Fri 10 Sat 11 Sun 12 Mon 13 Tue 14 Wed 15 Thu 16 Fri 17 Sat 18 Sun 19 Mon 20 Tue 21 Wed 22 Thu 23 Fri

4:56 11:08 5:39 11:50 6:25 ----7:15 1:03 8:08 1:55 9:03 2:50 9:59 3:46 10:55 4:42 11:48 5:36 12:14 6:26 1:02 7:13 1:46 7:57 2:27 8:37 3:05 9:16 3:43 9:54

5:19 11:30 6:02 12:13 6:48 13:00 7:39 1:27 8:33 2:20 9:28 3:16 10:25 4:12 11:20 5:07 ----- 6:00 12:38 6:50 1:25 7:37 2:08 8:20 2:48 8:59 3:27 9:38 4:05 10:16

07:47 07:20 07:47 07:19 07:48 07:18 07:49 07:16 07:50 07:15 07:51 07:14 07:52 07:12 07:52 07:11 07:53 07:10 07:54 07:08 07:55 07:07 07:56 07:06 07:57 07:05 07:58 07:04 07:59 07:02

6:47a 6:40p 7:50a 7:07p 8:53a 7:36p 9:57a 8:08p 11:00a 8:46p 12:01p 9:29p 12:56p 10:17p 1:46p 11:11p 2:30p NoMoon 3:08p 12:08a 3:41p 1:09a 4:11p 2:10a 4:38p 3:11a 5:04p 4:12a 5:30p 5:15a

07:30 07:10 07:30 07:09 07:31 07:08 07:32 07:07 07:32 07:06 07:33 07:05 07:33 07:04 07:34 07:03 07:35 07:01 07:35 07:00 07:36 06:59 07:37 06:58 07:37 06:57 07:38 06:56 07:39 06:55

6:31a 6:30p 7:30a 7:00p 8:30a 7:33p 9:30a 8:09p 10:30a 8:49p 11:28a 9:33p 12:23p 10:22p 1:13p 11:15p 1:59p NoMoon 2:39p 12:11a 3:15p 1:09a 3:48p 2:07a 4:19p 3:05a 4:48p 4:02a 5:18p 5:01a

Legend: Major=2 hours. Minor=1 hour. Times centered on the major-minor window. For other locations, subtract 1 minute per 12 miles east of a location, and add 1 minute per 12 miles west of a location.

Sabine Pass, north Date Oct 9 Oct 10 Oct 11 Oct 12 Oct 13 Oct 14 Oct 15 Oct 16 Oct 17 Oct 18 Oct 19 Oct 20 Oct 21 Oct 22 Oct 23

Time 3:17 AM 3:31 AM 3:42 AM 3:47 AM 3:40 AM 12:16 AM 12:45 AM 1:57 PM 1:38 AM 1:42 AM 1:50 AM 1:58 AM 2:06 AM 2:14 AM 2:22 AM

Height 1.79H 1.76H 1.74H 1.72 1.73H 1.68L 1.77L 0.29L 1.85H 1.86H 1.85H 1.82H 1.79H 1.75H 1.71H

Time 9:20 AM 9:53 AM 10:27 AM 11:02 AM 11:39 AM 3:22 AM 3:01 AM 4:44 AM 2:57 PM 4:03 PM 5:08 PM 6:08 PM 8:08 AM 8:04 AM 8:22 AM

Time 4:00 PM 4:57 PM 5:50 PM 6:43 PM 7:40 PM 12:19 PM 1:05 PM 2:39 PM 5:19 PM 1:12 PM 11:08 AM 12:26 PM 12:51 PM 1:56 PM 2:52 PM

Height 1.94H 1.98H 2.00H 1.98H 1.94H 0.14L 0.20L -0.08L 1.25H 0.67L 1.73H 1.71H 1.48H 1.62H 1.78H

Time 9:43 PM 10:26 PM 11:06 PM 11:43 PM 9:19 PM 8:50 PM 10:41 PM 4:08 PM 7:47 PM 6:44 PM 7:21 PM 7:12 PM 7:01 PM 7:49 PM 8:35 PM

Height 0.98L 1.20L 1.40L 1.56L 1.76H 1.88H 1.84H -0.17L 1.20H 1.22H -0.17L 0.35L 0.65L 0.76L 0.91L

Time 4:17 PM 5:18 PM 6:12 PM 11:12 AM 11:46 AM

Height 2.00H 2.08H 2.13H 0.24L 0.18L

Time 10:28 PM 11:24 PM

Height 1.13L 1.34L

7:09 PM 8:17 PM

2.14H 2.13H

Galveston Bay entrance, north jetty Date Oct 9 Oct 10 Oct 11 Oct 12 Oct 13 Oct 14 Oct 15 Oct 16 Oct 17 Oct 18 Oct 19 Oct 20 Oct 21 Oct 22 Oct 23

Time 3:37 AM 3:49 AM 3:56 AM 12:14 AM 1:07 AM 12:22 PM 1:02 PM 1:51 PM 12:00 AM 1:22 AM 1:52 AM 2:09 AM 2:20 AM 2:27 AM 2:30 AM

Height 1.72H 1.70H 1.70H 1.53L 1.68L 0.17L 0.21L 0.30L 2.06H 2.05H 2.01H 1.95H 1.88H 1.82H 1.77H

Time 9:30 AM 10:04 AM 10:38 AM 3:58 AM 3:58 AM 9:28 PM 10:36 PM

Height 0.83L 0.58L 0.38L 1.72H 1.75H 2.11H 2.09H

2:48 PM 3:50 PM 4:56 PM 6:07 PM 8:21 AM 8:26 AM 8:37 AM

0.39L 0.49L 0.58L 0.69L 1.42L 1.23L 0.97L

Height 1.73H 1.65H 1.63H 0.43L 0.38L 0.38L 0.42L 0.47L 0.53L 2.21H 2.17H 2.10H 1.99H 1.88H 1.77H

Time 9:13 AM 9:31 AM 9:54 AM 6:42 PM 7:44 PM 9:06 PM 10:20 PM 11:23 PM

Height 0.95L 0.72L 0.54L 2.29H 2.27H 2.25H 2.24H 2.23H

3:20 PM 4:18 PM 5:25 PM 8:35 AM 8:16 AM 8:10 AM

0.59L 0.66L 0.76L 1.44L 1.28L 1.04L

Time 11:33 AM 3:18 AM 10:50 PM

Height 0.76L 1.01H 1.23H

1:48 PM 2:29 PM 3:18 PM 4:21 PM 5:31 PM 6:32 PM 7:21 PM 8:04 PM 8:44 PM 9:32 PM 10:38 AM

0.39L 0.40L 0.42L 0.44L 0.46L 0.47L 0.51L 0.57L 0.66L 0.79L 0.77L

11:42 AM 1:44 PM 3:00 PM

1.54H 1.63H 1.78H

7:05 PM 7:53 PM 8:41 PM

0.80L 0.95L 1.13L

Time 3:45 PM 4:53 PM 5:49 PM

Height 2.06H 2.18H 2.26H

Time 10:27 PM 11:45 PM

Height 1.29L 1.49L

Time 2:54 AM 2:56 AM 2:55 AM 10:23 AM 10:57 AM 11:35 AM 12:19 PM 1:12 PM 2:17 PM 12:19 AM 12:59 AM 1:26 AM 1:41 AM 1:48 AM 1:50 AM

11:36 AM 1:15 PM 2:28 PM

1.53H 1.66H 1.84H

6:43 PM 7:46 PM 8:45 PM

0.88L 1.02L 1.19L

Time 7:30 PM 12:05 PM

Height 1.06H 0.60L

Time

Height

9:27 PM

1.15H

Port O’Connor Date Oct 9 Oct 10 Oct 11 Oct 12 Oct 13 Oct 14 Oct 15 Oct 16 Oct 17 Oct 18 Oct 19 Oct 20 Oct 21 Oct 22 Oct 23

Time 5:02 AM 12:07 AM 12:38 PM 1:12 PM 12:13 AM 2:23 AM 3:31 AM 4:22 AM 5:07 AM 5:47 AM 6:18 AM 6:32 AM 6:10 AM 5:15 AM 4:04 AM

Time 2:17 AM 1:13 PM 2:11 PM 2:16 AM 3:42 AM 4:35 AM 5:26 AM 6:18 AM 7:08 AM 7:48 AM 8:14 AM 8:10 AM 7:44 AM 7:11 AM 12:28 AM

Time 1:37 AM 2:31 AM 3:23 AM 3:04 PM 3:31 PM 12:36 AM 5:18 AM 5:54 AM 6:27 AM 6:49 AM 6:36 AM 6:31 AM 6:31 AM 6:20 AM 12:04 AM

San Luis Pass Date Oct 9 Oct 10 Oct 11 Oct 12 Oct 13 Oct 14 Oct 15 Oct 16 Oct 17 Oct 18 Oct 19 Oct 20 Oct 21 Oct 22 Oct 23

Time 3:28 AM 3:25 AM 3:24 AM 1:09 AM 11:39 AM 12:17 PM 1:00 PM 12:45 AM 1:42 AM 2:21 AM 2:40 AM 2:44 AM 2:43 AM 2:39 AM 2:30 AM

Height 0.91L 1.16L 1.39L 0.32L 0.29L 1.75H 1.78H 1.78H 1.78H 1.77H 1.74H 1.69H 1.61H 1.52H 0.89L

Time 6:56 AM 6:53 AM 6:45 AM 11:22 PM

Height 1.51H 1.50H 1.52H 1.76H

Time 2:12 PM 2:27 PM 2:44 PM

Height 0.83L 0.59L 0.42L

Time 8:07 PM 9:23 PM 10:22 PM

Height 1.57H 1.66H 1.73H

4:08 PM 5:02 PM 6:17 PM 7:21 PM 8:17 PM 9:16 PM 10:17 PM 11:12 PM 1:02 PM 5:57 AM

0.33L 0.39L 0.43L 0.45L 0.47L 0.51L 0.59L 0.72L 1.08L 1.44H

5:25 PM 1:02 PM

1.30H 0.85L

6:44 PM

1.40H

Height 1.45H 1.44H 1.47H 1.47L 0.39L 0.40L 0.45L 1.80H 1.80H 1.77H 1.73H 1.67H 1.60H 1.52H 1.46H

Time 9:40 AM 10:07 AM 10:35 AM 3:23 AM 9:00 PM 11:09 PM

Height 0.86L 0.67L 0.52L 1.50H 1.79H 1.79H

Time 4:20 PM 5:29 PM 6:33 PM 11:05 AM

Height 1.69H 1.75H 1.79H 0.43L

Time 10:44 PM 11:50 PM

Height 1.16L 1.33L

7:39 PM

1.80H

1:51 PM 2:49 PM 3:55 PM 5:06 PM 6:17 PM 9:11 AM 8:43 AM 8:38 AM

0.51L 0.57L 0.63L 0.68L 0.75L 1.31L 1.18L 0.97L

11:48 AM 1:46 PM 3:14 PM

1.35H 1.41H 1.52H

7:20 PM 8:18 PM 9:15 PM

0.83L 0.95L 1.09L

Date Oct 9 Oct 10 Oct 11 Oct 12 Oct 13 Oct 14 Oct 15 Oct 16 Oct 17 Oct 18 Oct 19 Oct 20 Oct 21 Oct 22 Oct 23

Time 3:41 AM 12:06 AM 12:58 AM 1:00 PM 12:49 AM 3:15 AM 3:59 AM 4:41 AM 5:23 AM 6:03 AM 6:40 AM 6:54 AM 4:57 AM 3:56 AM 3:25 AM

Height 0.89H 0.86L 0.91L 0.53L 0.95H 0.94H 0.93H 0.91H 0.90H 0.88H 0.85H 0.82H 0.79H 0.77H 0.78H

Time 11:13 AM 3:32 AM 3:26 AM

Height 0.74L 0.91H 0.93H

Time 5:19 PM 11:51 AM 12:26 PM

Height 0.95H 0.65L 0.58L

Time

Height

9:03 PM 10:51 PM

0.94H 0.95H

1:36 PM 2:15 PM 3:06 PM 4:18 PM 5:42 PM 6:47 PM 7:37 PM 8:19 PM 8:57 AM 9:15 AM 9:51 AM

0.52L 0.52L 0.52L 0.53L 0.52L 0.51L 0.51L 0.53L 0.77L 0.70L 0.64L

11:38 AM 3:11 PM 4:42 PM

0.77H 0.78H 0.81H

9:01 PM 9:46 PM 10:39 PM

0.58L 0.65L 0.73L

Height 1.29H 1.32H 1.37H 1.40L 0.47L 0.47L 0.49L 1.62H 1.61H 1.59H 1.54H 1.47H 1.38H 1.33H 1.31H

Time 8:59 AM 9:28 AM 10:01 AM 2:33 AM 10:42 PM 11:58 PM

Height 0.90L 0.73L 0.60L 1.42H 1.60H 1.62H

Time 3:21 PM 4:32 PM 5:35 PM 10:36 AM

Height 1.53H 1.57H 1.59H 0.51L

Time 10:01 PM 11:05 PM

Height 1.12L 1.28L

6:42 PM

1.59H

1:32 PM 2:24 PM 3:21 PM 4:29 PM 5:46 PM 8:23 AM 7:45 AM 7:52 AM

0.54L 0.59L 0.65L 0.71L 0.77L 1.28L 1.14L 0.95L

10:53 AM 12:37 PM 2:06 PM

1.31H 1.34H 1.40H

6:52 PM 7:47 PM 8:38 PM

0.85L 0.94L 1.07L

Height 1.61H 1.62H 1.66H 0.50L 0.41L 0.37L 0.37L 0.41L 2.01H 2.00H 1.97H 1.91H 1.82H 1.74H 1.68H

Time 8:42 AM 9:08 AM 9:37 AM 7:12 PM 8:52 PM 10:28 PM 11:40 PM

Height 1.05L 0.83L 0.64L 2.05H 2.03H 2.02H 2.01H

Time 3:32 PM 4:47 PM 5:57 PM

Height 1.93H 2.01H 2.05H

Time 9:45 PM 10:55 PM

Height 1.41L 1.60L

2:00 PM 3:01 PM 4:06 PM 5:13 PM 6:20 PM 7:38 AM 7:39 AM

0.48L 0.57L 0.69L 0.83L 0.99L 1.42L 1.18L

12:50 PM 2:17 PM

1.65H 1.80H

7:23 PM 8:27 PM

1.16L 1.35L

Port Aransas Height 0.95H 0.97L 0.49L 0.42L 1.28H 1.31H 1.33H 1.33H 1.33H 1.31H 1.27H 1.21H 1.11H 1.02H 0.96H

6:36 PM

0.96H

10:46 PM

0.92L

Nueces Bay Date Oct 9 Oct 10 Oct 11 Oct 12 Oct 13 Oct 14 Oct 15 Oct 16 Oct 17 Oct 18 Oct 19 Oct 20 Oct 21 Oct 22 Oct 23

Date Oct 9 Oct 10 Oct 11 Oct 12 Oct 13 Oct 14 Oct 15 Oct 16 Oct 17 Oct 18 Oct 19 Oct 20 Oct 21 Oct 22 Oct 23

East Matagorda

Freeport Harbor Date Oct 9 Oct 10 Oct 11 Oct 12 Oct 13 Oct 14 Oct 15 Oct 16 Oct 17 Oct 18 Oct 19 Oct 20 Oct 21 Oct 22 Oct 23

High Island

Date Oct 9 Oct 10 Oct 11 Oct 12 Oct 13 Oct 14 Oct 15 Oct 16 Oct 17 Oct 18 Oct 19 Oct 20 Oct 21 Oct 22 Oct 23

Time 2:16 AM 2:22 AM 2:31 AM 12:28 AM 11:16 AM 11:58 AM 12:44 PM 1:19 AM 2:42 AM 3:33 AM 4:05 AM 4:12 AM 2:19 AM 1:31 AM 1:22 AM

South Padre Island Height 0.82L 0.65L 0.56L 1.13H 1.16H 1.15H 1.13H 1.10H 1.07H 1.06H 1.03H 1.00H 0.94H 0.89H 0.69L

Time 6:17 AM 9:39 PM

Height 0.88H 1.14H

3:17 PM 4:32 PM 5:48 PM 7:03 PM 8:16 PM 9:20 PM 10:09 PM 10:47 PM 11:20 PM 11:29 AM 11:34 AM 6:13 AM

0.51L 0.50L 0.51L 0.51L 0.51L 0.50L 0.48L 0.48L 0.51L 0.91L 0.81L 0.86H

Time 12:15 PM

3:02 PM 5:04 PM 12:03 PM

Height 0.77L

0.94H 0.95H 0.69L

Time 8:05 PM

Height 1.16H

11:53 PM

0.58L

7:14 PM

0.99H

Date Oct 9 Oct 10 Oct 11 Oct 12 Oct 13 Oct 14 Oct 15 Oct 16 Oct 17 Oct 18 Oct 19 Oct 20 Oct 21 Oct 22 Oct 23

Time 2:22 AM 2:13 AM 1:59 AM 10:10 AM 10:46 AM 11:26 AM 12:12 PM 1:03 PM 12:38 AM 1:26 AM 2:01 AM 2:18 AM 2:09 AM 1:44 AM 1:30 AM

Texas Coast Tides

Height 0.64L 0.41L 0.24L 0.14L 0.11L 1.75H 1.79H 1.95H 0.38L 0.45L 0.50L 0.56L 1.26L 1.02L 0.73

Deer HUNTING

texas AN N UAL 2 026

HOMEGROWN BUCKS SEE STORY ON PAGE 10

Advertising Section

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DEER HUNTING ANNUAL 2026

Lone Star Outdoor News

DEER HUNTING ANNUAL 2026

Lone Star Outdoor News

|3

Deer HUNTING

texas AN N UAL 2 026

LSON reporter Nate Skinner takes a moment with a very special buck taken on family land in South Texas. Read about the hunt on page 10.

Photo by Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News

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Features: EASY, UNTIL IT’S NOT……………………………………………………………… 6 HOMEGROWN BUCKS HIT DIFFERENT………………………………………… 10 TEXAS DEER SEASON PREVIEW………………………………………………… 19

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Lone Star Outdoor News, ISSN 2162-8300, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice a month. A mailed subscription is $35 for 24 issues. Newsstand copies are $3, in certain markets copies are free, one per person. Copyright 2026 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 email them to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

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DEER HUNTING ANNUAL 2026

210.213.9700 DullnigRanches@gmail.com Lone Star Outdoor News

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|5

EASY, UNTIL IT’S NOT By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

Conor Harrison

Deer herd management means many different things to many different people. For some it’s supplemental feeding, for others it could be the decision to high fence a property. One thing most hunters can agree on is the need to shoot does. Keeping the correct number of deer compared to the carrying capacity of the land is of utmost importance, but that can get tricky as the season winds down and a large number of does still need to be taken. Does are pretty easy to hunt most of the time. Often they are the first to step out into a shooting lane or open field after a feeder goes off. Usually more than one doe will come into a setup at once, offering plenty of targets. But let one or two does hit the ground, and all of a sudden the remaining eight or 10 tags needing to be filled becomes a big challenge. It’s even harder when you are hunting on a well-managed ranch and the bucks have already begun dropping their antlers. What initially looked like a mature doe can very quickly turn into a mistake as the hunter walks up on one of the best 2-year-old bucks on the property lying there without his antlers. Mistakes can and do happen easily. Three of us were hunting a big ranch in West Texas last season trying to fill the doe quota before the season ended in two days’ time. The first couple were easy during the afternoon sit. Work at the skinning shed was completed before dinner and the number began to dwindle. Then reality set in. The does on the ranch figured out real quick they were now on the hit list, and sightings began dropping quickly the next morning. A few more were downed before lunch, and then it got real tough. A doe would stay hidden in the brush eyeing the blind intently before stomping and returning from where she came. Usually taking three or four more with her. Our group scratched and clawed for the next day and a half as we tried different things to find does. Spot and stalking feeders from a different direction, glassing trails in seldom-used areas of the ranch and rotating the blinds we were sitting at in hopes of catching a few mature does still out there. I wish I could say it got easier and we filled the entire quota. We came close but fell just short, even though we hunted as hard as we had all season while pursuing big bucks. Don’t let anyone tell you hunting does is easy, especially if they know they are being hunted. This upcoming season, maybe we shouldn’t wait as long to thin the herd a bit. In fact, I might shoot the first doe I see.

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|7

YOUR TEXAS HUNTING, SPORTING DESTINATION Perched atop a mesa just west of Fort Worth, Greystone Castle is a sight to behold. With four turrets peeking above the tree line, this majestic sight is one to be remembered. From its award-winning wingshooting program to trophy whitetail and exotics, world-class bass fishing and our national champion sporting clays instructor, there is something for everyone at Greystone Castle. The Gold Medal whitetail deer program offers an allinclusive package based on the opportunity to hunt the opening weekend of the season. Not restricted by score, it is an exclusive chance to hunt for the whitetail of your dreams. As evidenced by being named the Orvis 2015 Wingshooting Lodge of the Year, Greystone has mastered the art of bird hunting. The ever-popular mixed bag hunt includes quail, pheasant, chukar and Hungarian partridge. This upland walking hunt allows guests to experience great pointing dogs working over rolling terrain specially farmed for optimal bird habitat. The European pheasant hunt is a great way to get lots of shooting action and watch Labradors do what they do best — retrieve birds. The mallard hunts offer a great chance to improve your skills over water while the fastflying dove hunts offer an adrenaline rush every hunter craves. If you are looking for something different, you will find it in the exotic pasture full of animals from around the world. Species from Africa, Asia, South America and Europe roam the North Texas plains and thrive in the southern climate. Breeding herds of axis deer, aoudad, blackbuck antelope, sika and fallow deer mean there are plenty of trophies to be taken. For those looking to relax and enjoy the water, Greystone offers more than 120 acres of stocked bass lakes. From small private lakes to the 80-acre Thurber

Lake, every type of fishing opportunity exists. From fly-fishing to spincasters or simple hook and bobber, there is a method for everyone. Kayaks and paddleboards let you go off on your own adventure or you can jump on a pontoon boat to sneak to the honey holes. Two championship sporting clays courses, two 5-stands, a training course and a wobble deck challenges every level of shooter. Our new 400-yard rifle and pistol range offers steel targets at a variety of distances. Hone your skills on the new archery course featuring a tri-level static range and a three dimensional walking course. Or just enjoy the scenic hiking and biking trails. What appeals to Greystone visitors is its top-of-theline accommodations and gourmet meals. Guests enjoy 26 private rooms, gourmet dining from an executive chef, conference facilities, a swimming pool with a hot tub and a steam room. Along with this is the 2,600 square-foot pavilion facility with a custom bar, large seating areas, 65-inch TVs, carved limestone fireplace, Laser Shot, billiards and an overlook terrace with a custom outdoor fire pit. The ownership and staff are dedicated to creating one of the finest sporting experiences found anywhere in the world. Long-term habitat improvements and wildlife management have made Greystone an extraordinary hunting venue.

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DEER HUNTING ANNUAL 2026

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Whether you are looking for world class Bird Hunting, Sporting Clays, Trophy Whitetail Deer or excellent Exotic opportunities, Greystone Castle combines luxurious accommodations with Texas hospitality in an extraordinary setting. Contact us today for more information regarding our rates and packages.

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HOMEGROWN BUCKS HIT DIFFERENT

Nate Skinner

By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star Outdoor News There’s nothing like harvesting a mature buck with stick and string on a piece of ground that’s been in your family for decades. That’s exactly the situation I found myself in last October while hunting our family farm in Wilson County. When an old, brute of a 10-point was found lying at the end of a short blood trail, the feeling that came over me was indescribable. I got my first trail camera photos of the buck about two weeks prior, in a spot where I had an elevated bow blind overlooking a corn feeder in a draw at the edge of a creek bottom. Because the set-up was located in a low spot on the property, cell service in the area was poor. Therefore, I was using a traditional, check-and-pull-the-card style trail camera, rather than a modern day cellular camera. When I pulled the card and started scrolling through photos, the buck immediately captured my attention. To my knowledge, I had never seen the deer before. He had a decent set of antlers sporting plenty of character, but what really had me homing in on him was the fact he was a mature buck. I knew sneaking into the set-up without bumping him would be tough, as he had been showing up well before daylight in the mornings on camera. I waited until the wind was right to hunt the blind and made a plan to pursue him. On my first attempt at bow hunting the buck, I stealthily walked into the draw and got settled in the stand about an hour before the feeder was scheduled to go off at legal shooting time. Everything felt right, and I had a light, steady breeze

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blowing directly into my face. About 20 minutes before the feeder was scheduled to go off, I began to hear footsteps below me at the edge of the creek bottom. Looking through my binoculars, I could see the silhouette of what appeared to be a mature buck cautiously moving around in the predawn shadows. The minutes passed slowly as my heart began to race. It finally got light enough for me to confirm it was, indeed, the buck I was after. I picked up my bow and prayed he would relax and jump in the feed pen after the feeder went off. To my surprise, the buck just stood there, unstartled as the spinner plate began to spin and fling corn in all directions. He then slowly began to walk toward the feed pen. “This was it,” I thought to myself. I was confident he was about to jump in the pen and start eating corn. Instead, he stopped short of the perimeter of the pen, right behind a mesquite bush about 27 yards away. The branches of the bush were blocking his vitals. The buck just stood there looking around as if he had some sort of sixth sense that something wasn’t right. That went on for what seemed like an hour, but was actually only about 5 minutes. Then, without hesitation, the buck turned completely around and walked away into the woods from the exact same direction he came from. He never really gave me a good shot opportunity as he exited the scene. I was immediately deflated. I knew it would be at least another week before the conditions and the wind direction would be right to hunt the spot again. The next seven days seemed to drag on forever. The ideal conditions and wind direction finally

DEER HUNTING ANNUAL 2026

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prevailed, and I snuck back into the blind to give it another shot. This time, I got settled about an hour and a half before legal shooting light and the time the feeder was scheduled to go off. I was a bit disheartened when the feeder spun, and I still hadn’t seen any sign of movement before me. Then, out of nowhere, he appeared. For whatever reason, the buck seemed way less cautious than the first encounter I had with him. He waltzed right up to the feed pen, jumped in, and began eating corn. Before he turned broadside another, younger buck showed up and jumped in the pen as well. A few minutes passed before the 10-point finally turned, presenting me with an ideal shot. I drew my bow, and just as I came to full draw, the deer picked his head up. He must’ve heard me. I quickly found my anchor point, hovered the pin of my bow sight over the vitals and released the arrow. The deer mule kicked when the broadhead and arrow made impact and then jumped out of the pen and ran out of sight. That’s when my adrenaline began to kick in. Shaking, I picked up my binoculars and scanned the ground where he had been standing. I could see a decent amount of blood in the feed pen and felt confident I had made a lethal shot. Sure enough, the blood trail was solid, and the deer had expired and fell about 35 yards away from where he was standing. I had successfully arrowed and recovered a mature buck on the family property. It produced a feeling that will never get old and was an experience I’ll never forget.

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COME HUNT AT REATA RANCH IN GLENROSE, TX Last year's "antler drops" were 7x8, scoring 372 on biggest bull

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Since 1998, ForEverlast has been dedicated to creating innovative products for hunters and anglers who demand gear they can depend on. What began with a passion for the outdoors has grown into a diverse lineup of more than 100 unique products designed to help outdoor enthusiasts make the most of every adventure. From game processing equipment and deer feeders to fish feeders, wading gear, and outdoor accessories, we've continued to evolve while staying true to one mission b ­ uilding quality products that perform in the field. As we enter our next chapter, we're excited to introduce new innovations that reflect our commitment to serving the outdoor community. Leading the way this year is the all-new 600-pound Game Changer Feeder. Designed to make feeding easier and more efficient, it features a stand-and-fill design, rugged galvanized construction, an easy-slide lid, heavy-duty 12-volt digital control unit, NoWaste centrifugal force spinner, sight glass, and a durable skid-mounted base. With an MSRP of just $699, the Game Changer is built to become a favorite in deer camps across the country this fall. With ponds once again full across much of the state, now is also the perfect time to upgrade your fish feeding program. Our dependable lineup of fish feeders delivers quality construction, reliable performance, and exceptional value, everything you need to keep your fishery thriving season after season. For anglers heading to the coast, we're also proud to introduce our new Aqua Fishing Collection, featuring several new products designed specifically for coastal fishing while complementing our already popular lineup of fishing gear. At ForEverlast, innovation never stops. We're excited about what's ahead and grateful for the customers who have supported us for nearly three decades. Your trust continues to inspire every new product we build.

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Rifle hunting welcome DEER HUNTING ANNUAL 2026

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Dead Air Silencers Nomad Series the Hunter’s Premium Option August 2026 – Hunting season is almost here, and experienced hunters know that now is the time to line out the essential gear. If this is the year you want to add a suppressor to your big-game rifle, Dead Air Silencers, manufacturer of the next evolution in quiet, purpose-built suppressors, suggests the company’s Nomad series. The Nomad series includes five distinct models — including the all-new Nomad Ti OTB (over-the-barrel) — developed specifically to meet the needs of rifle hunters. Whether your adventures focus on close-quarter whitetail woods, high-country elk hunting, or long-range prairie country in pursuit of mule deer or pronghorns, the Nomad series has you covered. Nomad suppressors are the premium option that blend Dead Air’s advanced material and manufacturing technologies with mission-driven designs. Each model ensures the highest level of sound suppression, weight reduction, and overall performance for .22- through .30-caliber class centerfire rifle platforms. Whether your primary need is a suppressor with minimal weight, maximum noise suppression, exceptional maneuverability, or all the above, the Nomad series from Dead Air has you covered. Nomad 30 (MSRP $949) — Best allaround, hard-use option. At 14.5 ounces and 6.5 inches, the Nomad 30 offers an excellent balance of weight, size, and durability. Its 17-4 PH stainless steel

construction is full-auto rated and has no barrel restrictions, making it the most versatile choice for bolt-action and semiauto rifles, training, hunting, and generalpurpose use. It’s the practical choice for shooters who want one suppressor that can handle a wide range of applications. Nomad L (MSRP $999) — Best for maximum suppression. The 8.4-inch, 18.3ounce Nomad L prioritizes sound reduction, particularly with higher-pressure cartridges. Its longer design provides excellent sound suppression while delivering optimal performance across many different guns. Rated up to .300 Norma Mag, it’s ideal for precision shooting and users who prioritize maximum sound suppression over minimum weight and length. The Nomad L is fullauto rated and even handles sporadic mag dumps. Nomad Ti OTB (MSRP $1,049) — Best for hunting rifles where length and balance matter. The Nomad Ti OTB uses an overthe-barrel design that moves part of the suppressor over the barrel, adding only 4.6 inches to the firearm while weighing a scant 10.5 ounces. Rated for up to .300 RUM and 7mm Backcountry, it’s an excellent choice for hunters who want powerful suppression with minimal added length and excellent rifle balance. Its primary applications are big-game hunting and lightweight mountain rifles. Nomad LTi XC (MSRP $1,199) — Best for maximum lightweight performance. The Nomad LTi XC offers greater suppressor

volume and length than the Nomad Ti XC while maintaining an exceptionally low weight. Constructed from Grade 5 titanium and using advanced additive manufacturing, it features an enhanced two-stage coaxial baffle system to manage both low- and high-pressure cartridges. Compared with the Ti XC, the LTi XC prioritizes sound performance while still providing significant weight savings. It’s a great option for hunters and precision shooters who want maximum suppression without adding unnecessary weight. Nomad Ti XC (MSRP $1,099) — Best for lightweight, compact hunting and precision applications. The Nomad Ti XC is designed for shooters and hunters whose primary goal is building an exceptionally lightweight and maneuverable rifle, particularly for backcountry hunting. Like the LTi XC, it uses Grade 5 titanium, advanced additive manufacturing, and an enhanced twostage coaxial baffle system; however, its shorter 6.35-inch body (direct thread) and 7.4-ounce weight make it the lighter and more compact option. Light weight and maneuverability are the calling cards of the Nomad LTi XC. With fast approval turnaround and no tax stamp fee being the new norm for suppressor acquisitions, there has never been a better time to bring your hunting rifle up to modern performance expectations. You can enjoy a quieter, more comfortable, and safer field experience this fall with a Dead Air Nomad suppressor.

About Dead Air Silencers Founded in 2014, Dead Air Silencers has maintained performance objectives and reliability as the foundations of the company’s suppressor engineering and design. From the precision-engineered Sandman® series to the versatile Nomad® family and the groundbreaking KeyMo™ mounting system, Dead Air Silencers continues to set the standard for suppressor excellence. With a focus on real-world performance and customer satisfaction, Dead Air Silencers is dedicated to enhancing the shooting experience for hunters, competitive shooters, and tactical professionals alike.

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Adding just 4.6" to barrel length, the Nomad Ti OTB advances over-the-barrel suppressor innovation. Delivering the recoil reduction and sound suppression of a longer system, it maintains optimal balance and keeps the rifle compact for fast handling and confident control in the field.

OV E R -T HE BA R R E L

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L I G HT W E I G HT & I M P R OV E D BA L A N C E

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XENO C O M PAT I BL E

AC C O U ST IC PERFORMANCE

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EVERYTHING’S BIGGER IN TEXAS. EXCEPT the WHITETAILS. You know big deer, but Saskatchewan grows whitetails on a whole different scale. Trade high fences and feeder timers for deep timber, heavy-racked giants, and a wild northern pursuit you’ll never forget. Book your Saskatchewan hunt today

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sunrise/sunset 2026-2027 SEPTEMBER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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7:51 7:50 7:49 7:47 7:46 7:45 7:43 7:42 7:41 7:39 7:38 7:37 7:35 7:34 7:33 7:31 7:30 7:29 7:27 7:26 7:25 7:23 7:22 7:20 7:19 7:18 7:16 7:15 7:14 7:12

7:21 7:22 7:22 7:23 7:24 7:24 7:25 7:26 7:26 7:27 7:28 7:29 7:29 7:30 7:31 7:32 7:32 7:33 7:34 7:35 7:36 7:36 7:37 7:38 7:39 7:40 7:40 7:41 7:42 7:43 7:44

7:11 7:10 7:08 7:07 7:06 7:05 7:03 7:02 7:01 7:00 6:58 6:57 6:56 6:55 6:53 6:52 6:51 6:50 6:49 6:48 6:47 6:46 6:44 6:43 6:42 6:41 6:40 6:39 6:38 6:37

6:45 6:45 6:46 6:47 6:48 6:49 6:50 6:51 6:52 6:52 6:53 6:54 6:55 6:56 6:57 6:58 6:59 7:00 7:01 7:02 7:02 7:03 7:04 7:05 7:06 7:07 7:08 7:09 7:09 7:10

5:36 5:35 5:34 5:33 5:32 5:31 5:31 5:30 5:29 5:28 5:28 5:27 5:27 5:26 5:25 5:25 5:24 5:24 5:23 5:23 5:23 5:22 5:22 5:22 5:21 5:21 5:21 5:21 5:20 5:20

7:11 7:12 7:13 7:14 7:14 7:15 7:16 7:17 7:18 7:18 7:19 7:20 7:20 7:21 7:22 7:22 7:23 7:24 7:24 7:25 7:25 7:26 7:26 7:27 7:27 7:27 7:28 7:28 7:28 7:29 7:29

5:20 5:20 5:20 5:20 5:20 5:20 5:20 5:20 5:21 5:21 5:21 5:21 5:21 5:22 5:22 5:22 5:23 5:23 5:24 5:24 5:25 5:25 5:26 5:26 5:27 5:27 5:28 5:29 5:29 5:30 5:31

7:29 7:29 7:29 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:29 7:29 7:29 7:29 7:28 7:28 7:28 7:27 7:27 7:27 7:26 7:26 7:25 7:25 7:24 7:24 7:23 7:22

5:32 5:32 5:33 5:34 5:35 5:35 5:36 5:37 5:38 5:39 5:40 5:41 5:41 5:42 5:43 5:44 5:45 5:46 5:47 5:48 5:49 5:50 5:51 5:52 5:53 5:54 5:55 5:55 5:56 5:57 5:58

7:22 7:21 7:20 7:19 7:19 7:18 7:17 7:16 7:15 7:15 7:14 7:13 7:12 7:11 7:10 7:09 7:08 7:07 7:06 7:05 7:04 7:03 7:02 7:00 6:59 6:58 6:57 6:56

5:59 6:00 6:01 6:02 6:03 6:04 6:05 6:06 6:07 6:08 6:09 6:09 6:10 6:11 6:12 6:13 6:14 6:15 6:16 6:16 6:17 6:18 6:19 6:20 6:21 6:21 6:22 6:23

6:36

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. Abilene / 165 miles west / + 14 minutes Alpine / 405 miles west / + 24 minutes Beaumont / 160 miles east / - 13 minutes Corpus Christi / 35 miles west / + 3 minutes Austin / 55 miles west / + 5 minutes

Del Rio / 235 miles west / + 20 minutes El Paso / 555 miles west / - 23 minutes Houston / 170 miles east / - 5 minutes Laredo / 160 miles west / + 14 minutes Lubbock / 280 miles west / + 24 minutes

San Angelo / 215 miles west / + 18 minutes San Antonio / 95 miles west / + 8 minutes Tyler / 75 miles east / - 6 minutes

®

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Leica launches Geovid Max Leica Sport Optics USA has announced the Geovid Max 10x42, the most advanced rangefinding binocular the brand has built and Lone Star Outdoor News got a sneak preview last month. Engineered and built in Europe, Geovid Max (MSRP $3,999.00) combines optics, laser ranging, ballistics and navigation in a single instrument, giving hunters and long-range shooters a complete decision-making tool in the field rather than a collection of separate devices. Geovid Max is designed around convergence rather than addition. A next-generation laser engine, an all-new high-contrast display, embedded applied ballistics and open integration with leading mapping platforms work together as a single unit, so the user moves from spotting to ranging to a firing solution without changing tools. At the heart of Geovid Max is an all-new, bestin-class laser that ranges targets at up to 8,200 yards reflective and returns a reading in as little as 0.3 seconds. It is an eye-safe, invisible class 1 laser certified to EN and FDA standards. Scan and single-measurement modes, three selectable target modes (first, best and last) and an integrated angle sensor deliver equivalent horizontal range from 10 yards out to the full reach of the instrument. Geovid Max introduces what Leica describes as the industry’s brightest and most customizable display: a 640x480 pixel active-matrix microLED engineered for immediate readability in any light, from low dawn cover to bright open ground. Users can tailor the heads-up display, choose from selectable reticle shapes and read elevation and windage as holdover, click or unit corrections. “The display was so bright initially, I had to turn it down,” said David J. Sams, LSON owner. “The acronyms are all completely spelled out, so there is no guesswork, or having to look them up in the owner's manual.” Applied Ballistics Elite is embedded onboard,

so Geovid Max calculates a full firing solution, including wind and elevation, directly on any target ranged, with no connection to a phone or Kestrel required. The unit also computes WEZ (weapon employment zone) hit-probability in real time. Up to 30 rifle profiles can be stored through the Leica Ballistics app, and users can print custom dope cards for the range or the field. Onboard atmospheric, temperature and stationpressure sensors feed the ballistic solution automatically, while live wind updates can be drawn from a Kestrel or Calypso device. GPS target marking links to OnX, BaseMap and Google Maps, and the Leica ProTrack function guides the user back to a marked location. Firing solutions can be pushed to a Garmin or Apple Watch, a Kestrel or Kestrel HUD, extending the data beyond the binocular itself. “Some of the features were actually a bit too much for my old-school self,” Sams said. “But the more technologically-advanced younger generation will love these features.” Geovid Max delivers up to 91% light transmission through Leica’s Perger-Porro prism system and HDC multilayer and AquaDura coatings, for bright, high-contrast images with edge-to-edge resolution. The magnesium, nitrogen-filled housing is waterproof and built to withstand real backcountry use, making it, in Leica’s words, the toughest rangefinding binocular it has made. Geovid Max is the top tier of a three-model Geovid family, sitting above the technical-hunter Geovid Pro and the standard-hunter Geovid R. It is offered in a single 10x42 configuration in Flat Dark Earth and ships with a contoured neoprene carrying strap, front lens cover, eyepiece caps, a cordura case and battery. “I can’t wait to take these overseas,” Sams added. “When the PH’s in Africa see these, they are going to be ordering them like crazy."

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KIMBLE COUNTY

Easton 5.0 arrows hit hard

2026

Easton Archery has introduced the new Easton 5.0 hunting arrows alongside match grade 5MM half-out components, a state-of-the-art system engineered to elevate bowhunting performance. This advanced combination of lightweight arrows and precision components sets a new standard for accuracy, durability, and versatility. The Easton 5.0 is a lightweight, small-diameter carbon arrow built for bowhunters seeking peak performance. Featuring Easton’s 5MM acu-carbon technology, the 5.0 delivers unmatched consistency, enhanced penetration through reduced friction, and increased accuracy thanks to minimized wind resistance. With its lighter mass weight, the Easton 5.0 supports a wide range of setups, from ultra-fast speed builds to high-FOC configurations for maximum impact. Each arrow is crafted in the USA using high-modulus carbon fiber and Easton’s seamless acu-carbon process to ensure uniform spine and weight across every shaft. Available in six spine sizes (200, 250, 300, 340, 400, and 500), the 5.0 fits nearly all bowhunting setups. It also includes Easton’s redesigned 5MM microlite nock system for optimal string fit and tunability and comes factory-fletched with 2-inch Blazer vanes (standard) or 3-inch AAE hybrid stealth vanes (match grade). Complementing the Easton 5.0 arrows are the newly developed match grade 5MM half-out components. These patent-pending, two-piece components feature a sleeved impact collar fused to the post, providing unmatched durability and precision for micro-diameter arrows. The integrated alignment ring ensures perfect shaft fitment, enhancing accuracy and resilience in even the toughest hunting conditions. Easton 5.0 arrow features: • Seamless 5MM high-modulus carbon fiber with Acu-carbon construction • NEW Microlite 5MM nocks for enhanced tunability • Two 8-32 insert options: HIT inserts or 50-grain steel one-piece half-outs • HIT Collars included with match grade arrows • Factory helical fletched with precision vanes • Straightness tolerances: +/- .003” (Standard), +/- .001” (Match Grade) • Made in the USA Match grade 5MM half-out features: • Two-piece design with sleeved impact collar and post for superior durability • Molded alignment ring for precise shaft fitment Weight options: • 55-grain hard-anodized aluminum ($29.99/6-pack) • 75-grain dark nickel-plated steel ($34.99/6-pack) The combination of Easton 5.0 arrows and match grade 5MM half-outs delivers unmatched performance for bowhunters, offering enhanced accuracy, penetration, and resilience to handle the most demanding shots.

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RETAY ACE UPLAND ULTRALIGHT A DREAM TO SHOOT The Ace Upland Ultralight is attractive, stylish, and lightweight with serious smooth shooting. Weighing in at just 5.3 pounds for the 20 gauge and 6.3 pounds for the 12 gauge, the Ace Upland Ultralight is the perfect choice for fast-flying dove or fast-flushing bobwhite quail. The Ace Upland Ultralight — loveat-first-shouldering with quality to last a lifetime. Featuring the famous RETAY Inertia Plus/Rollover bolt system that eliminates out-of-battery misfires, bolt rattle and the AIRY Recoil System. The AIRY Recoil System revolutionizes

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shooting comfort with a design inspired by high-performance sports footwear. Integrated with an internal air pocket mechanism, AIRY absorbs and disperses recoil energy like never before. The result is a softer, smoother shooting experience — minimizing shoulder impact and maximizing control. Whether you're in the field or at the range, AIRY delivers consistent comfort and confidence with every shot. Key Features: Advanced air-pocket technology for superior recoil absorption Lightweight, durable, and ergonomically shaped pad ideal for long shooting sessions

and heavy loads. All Air Control Extreme Models feature a unique Removable Trigger Group system that allows you to quickly and easily remove the entire trigger group at the push of a button. This allows for easy cleaning or servicing, and makes RETAY the only semiauto shotgun you can truly clean in the field. Removing the trigger from the gun disables it so it can no longer be fired, so storing the trigger separately is also an added in-home safety feature. An extremely frustrating problem with the action on some inertia shotguns is the possibility of being jarred out of

DEER HUNTING ANNUAL 2026

Lone Star Outdoor News

battery, a problem that can cost you shot opportunities. RETAY'S exclusive “Inertia Plus” Bolt uses a patented “Rollover” internal torsion spring to forcefully rotate the bolt head into the battery and keep it from ever being jarred out of battery. This system promotes quiet closing, practically eliminates bolt rattle, and most importantly, means virtually no more missed shot opportunities.

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2026 DEER HUNTING OUTLOOK

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Texas white-tailed deer biologists indicate hunters can expect good numbers and opportunities for quality bucks during the 2026-27 season. Following three aboveaverage years of fawn survival, the Texas white-tailed deer population has climbed to an estimated 5.64 million. “Texas leads the nation in terms of number of deer hunters, annual harvest and deer population,” said Blaise Korzekwa, TPWD white-tailed deer program leader. “Even an average year in Texas is worth hunting and those landowners who properly manage the state’s natural resources have shown year after year that their management can pay off.” Rainfall and habitat conditions go handin-hand and fluctuate seasonally throughout the state. Nearly all of Texas started the spring in some form of drought, but late spring and early summer rain drastically improved habitat conditions. While late spring drought conditions improved throughout much of the state, areas in the Cross Timbers, Edwards Plateau, Eastern Rolling Plains and pockets of the Post Oak Savannah and Blackland Prairie fared better than other regions and should expect a slightly above average season. Pockets of South Texas and the Pineywoods didn’t receive the increase in habitat conditions in late spring but did receive rainfall and below-average temperatures mid-summer that should increase fawn survival. For many landowners and hunters, deer management doesn’t begin when the season opens. Healthy deer populations need good habitat and herd management, as well as spring rains from Mother Nature. By properly managing the land throughout the year, landowners are setting the stage for a successful deer season. Antler growth is directly related to rainfall between April and June, and the improved habitat that follows. This year, hunters should see slightly above-average antler quality for most of the state. Pockets of the Pineywoods and South Texas that missed out on the late-spring rains should expect average antler quality this season. Much-needed summer rain and mild weather helped more fawns survive this year. Ranches that manage deer populations through hunting and improving native habitat will see steady improvements over time. Although hunters can harvest a mature buck with a quality set of antlers in any area of Texas, there are a few regions of the state that typically produce a greater number of larger antlered bucks, namely the South Texas brush country and the Western Rolling Plains. Average Boone and Crockett (B&C) scores of a buck that is 5.5 years old or older is about 131 inches in South Texas and 133 inches in the Western Rolling Plains. Other ecoregions of the state can also produce exceptional bucks, with each ecoregion producing trophies every year and statewide B&C scores averaging 124 inches if the bucks survive to 5.5 years of age. The Edwards Plateau, commonly called

the Hill Country, has the highest deer population in the state with an estimated 1.973 million white-tailed deer in this ecoregion alone. Severe drought conditions in 2022 lowered the region’s population to 1.514 million white-tailed deer in 2023. Since then, consecutive years of exceptional fawn survival helped the population to steadily increase. Hunters looking for opportunities to see lots of deer this fall should put this area on the priority list. The area around Llano and Mason counties (Deer Management Unit 6) has the highest deer density in the region. Doe harvest is especially important in this area to relieve pressure on food resources. Despite what seems like perpetual drought conditions every spring, the Edwards Plateau has received adequate rainfall in recent years and is a great deer hunting region, especially for hunters looking for quantity of animals. It consistently produces one of the highest hunter success rates in the state. The South Texas Plains ecoregion is known for mature bucks and above average antler quality relative to most other areas of the state. For hunters seeking a once-ina-lifetime trophy, South Texas is often regarded as the premier big buck destination. Estimates show a population of nearly 478,000 white-tailed deer, and although drought conditions can limit growth from year to year, the population has been trending upward with slow growth over the last two decades. More-often-than-not drought conditions in South Texas leads to erratic fawn crops that keep population growth at a slow pace and require good habitat management and population management practices to produce the quality of deer South Texas is known for. Most recent survey data estimated the Pineywoods deer population at 334,414 and has remained very stable over the previous five years. The Cross Timbers ecoregion in north Texas has the second highest deer population in the state, with 924,242 white-tailed deer. The population in the Cross Timbers continues to increase due to exceptional fawn survival over the last three years. Because of the relatively consistent fawn production, buck age structure is generally well distributed across all age classes. However, hunters will likely see fewer 4.5-year-old bucks this year due to poor fawn recruitment in 2022, but every other age class will be well represented. Hunters focusing on mature bucks should not be disappointed with the upcoming season. The Eastern and Western Rolling Plains ecoregions have experienced population growth in recent years. In 2025, 42 percent of the buck harvest in the Western Rolling Plains was represented by bucks 4.5 years old or older, equal to the Eastern Rolling Plains and the second highest in the state behind South Texas. —TPWD DEER HUNTING ANNUAL 2026

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DEER HUNTING ANNUAL 2026

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THE NEXT GENERATION OF AMERICA’S FAVORITE HUNTING RIFLE

The Ruger American® Rifle Generation II; an update to the American-made rifle that has been the benchmark for accuracy, durability, and performance in bolt-action rifles for over a decade. Designed with customer feedback in mind, the Ruger American Rifle Generation II is available in a variety of calibers and is sure to become the first choice for hunters and firearms enthusiasts.

LEARN

MORE

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The acquisition, ownership, possession and use of firearms are heavily regulated. Some models may not be legally available in your state or locale. Whatever your purpose for lawfully acquiring a firearm – know the law, get trained and shoot safely.

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Teal

October 9, 2026

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TPWD quail surveys in

Continued from page 4

Dogs received plenty of work in the latest nine-day teal season. Photo by Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

final two days of the season, then you had a good hunt for the small amount of teal that were still around.” Luke Bledsoe of Speck Ops Waterfowl said they found a large concentration of teal on some sheet water from a leaking pivot in the middle of a field outside of Uvalde while scouting between the opening and closing weekends of the early teal season. The very next day, Bledsoe said the birds were gone. “It just seemed like the birds left with the full moon,” Bledsoe said. “We lost a lot of the birds we had in the area as the moon got brighter.” Reports from duck hunters on rice fields east of Houston indicated there were plenty of blue wings in the region for the opener. As the days wore on, many reported having tougher hunts.

Tomball welcomes Watchtower Watchtower Defense officially opened its new headquarters and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Tomball, on Tuesday, September 29, welcoming state representatives, local dignitaries, community leaders, industry partners, members of the media, and other invited guests to a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The ribbon-cutting marked an important milestone for Watchtower Defense, an entirely new company under new ownership and leadership, with a new facility, new equipment, a new product strategy, and a new vision for the future. Watchtower Defense acquired Watchtower Firearms' assets, but the company is not simply a renamed or rebranded version of the former company. Following the acquisition, the new ownership team conducted a comprehensive evaluation of every aspect of the business. As part of that transformation, Watchtower Defense relocated its headquarters and manufacturing operations to Tomball. The new state-of-the-art facility features advanced equipment and expanded production capabilities, giving the company the resources and flexibility to develop a much broader portfolio of firearms and related products.

Varying habitat conditions and weather patterns throughout the state resulted in fluctuating bobwhite populations by ecoregion. However, most ecoregions had an above average number of bobwhites seen per route when compared to the 15-year mean. South Texas experienced extremely dry conditions in the winter, but improved habitat conditions and rainfall resulted in multiple nesting attempts and good quail numbers continue to be reported by biologists in this region. Early spring through summer drought conditions in the Rolling Plains appeared to delay some nesting efforts and curb nest success. Fortunately, much needed mid-summer rains eased those conditions, and the regional trend ultimately showed only a slight decline in quail numbers compared to recent years. Highlighting regional improvements, biologists are reporting good bobwhite observations in Childress, Hall, Kleberg, Shackelford, and Terry counties. Extended late summer high temperatures and dry conditions have created some cause for concern. However, we still anticipate fair to good hunting opportunities going into the 2026-27 season. Cross Timbers forecast • Survey Results: average number of bobwhites seen per route was 2.66 compared to 0.94 last year; this count was above the 15-year mean of 1.45, and an increase from 2025 • 2025-26 Harvest Report: Hunters = 1,293; Days = 2,601; Harvest = 16,544 • 5-Year Harvest Average (2021-2025): Hunters = 868; Days = 1,940; Harvest = 7,302 Edwards Plateau forecast • Survey Results: average number of bobwhites seen per route was 4.67 compared to 1.28 last year; this count was above the 15-year mean of 3.15, and a welcome increase from 2025 • 2025-26 Harvest Report: Hunters = 3,104; Days = 12,768; Harvest = 18,463 • 5-Year Harvest Average (2021-2025): Hunters = 3,321; Days = 11,848; Harvest = 18,363

Gulf Coast Prairies forecast • Survey Results: average number of bobwhites seen per route was 7.50 compared to 4.40 last year; this count was above the 15-year mean of 6.98, and an increase from 2025 • 2025-26 Harvest Report: Hunters = 776; Days = 1,655; Harvest = 13,907 • 5-Year Harvest Average (2021-2025): Hunters = 769; Days = 2,595; Harvest = 8,128 High Plains forecast • Survey Results: average number of bobwhites seen per route was 6.56 compared to 4.44 last year; this count was below the 15-year mean of 6.76, but an increase from 2025 • 2025-26 Harvest Report: Hunters = 1,035; Days = 4,492; Harvest = 6,953 • 5-Year Harvest Average (2021-2025): Hunters = 1,434; Days = 5,923; Harvest = 14,615 Rolling Plains forecast • Survey Results: average number of bobwhites seen per route was 13.68 compared to 15.32 last year; this count was above the 15-year mean of 12.79, and a slight decrease from 2025 • 2025-26 Harvest Report: Hunters = 13,967; Days = 64,785; Harvest = 250,084 • 5-Year Harvest Average (2021-2025): Hunters = 9,492; Days = 41,249; Harvest = 96,962 South Texas forecast • Survey Results: average number of bobwhites seen per route was 10.17 compared to 12.70 last year; this count was above the 15-year mean of 9.92 and a slight decrease from 2025 • 2025-26 Harvest Report: Hunters = 23,019; Days = 115,857; Harvest = 333,286 • 5-Year Harvest Average (2021-2025): Hunters = 21,816; Days = 93,611; Harvest = 288,848 —Staff report

—Staff report

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GRIP & GRIN

Josh Quintero with a buck he took the opening weekend of archery season on a new lease.

Cooper Kiffe caught his first barracuda while trolling offshore with his dad.

Teddy Ash, 10, of El Campo, shot his first deer, this 8-point buck, in Jackson County last season.

SHARE AN ADVENTURE

n Want to share hunting and fishing photos with other Lone Star Outdoor News readers? Email them with contact and caption information to editor@ lonestaroutdoornews.com. Highresolution original jpegs only. Mail prints to Grip & Grin, Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355.

Rick Buferd, a founding member of CCA Dallas, caught this 30-inch trout in the Lower Laguna Madre.

Kinsley Benavides, 14, of Ganado shot this 8-point buck in Jackson County during the 2025 youth season.

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Reds

Continued from page 8

In Galveston Bay, Captain Allen Perdyra with Topp Dogg Fishing Guides said the reds and trout have been pretty good lately. He and his clients have been targeting a lot of structure with moving water. “I like a tide as long as it’s moving. I’ll move around to find where it’s moving,” Perdyra said. He has also been keying in on where the bait is located. Anglers should look for the birds actively feeding or where nervous water gives away the presence of gamefish. Perdyra and his clients have had most of their success on popping corks and live bait. “I usually try and fish about one to two feet off the bottom. That’s where the bigger fish usually are,” Perdyra said. Anglers should adjust their leaders accordingly for the best bite. Trout are following a similar pattern, but they are a little sluggish.

“The trout bite has been a little slow because we’ve had a lot of wind a couple of weekends, and then also a lot of rain, and the water temperature is so hot right now it’s been a little slower than traditionally, but when it cools off, it’ll pick back up,” Perdyra said. Right now, anglers targeting trout should look at structure like rocky shorelines and reefs with transitions to deeper water. In the back bayous of Galveston Bay, Clay Sheward with Buggy Whipping LLC reports the reds are still back deep in the marshes due to the higher-thannormal tides this year. Sheward and his clients have been getting out early to beat the crowds and staying out a little later once they leave. “The biggest thing is trying to get to the fish before a bunch of boats are running them around and kind of shutting them down,” Sheward said.

He has been keying in on bird activity to find them once he is out there. “Seagulls are always a gimme. Snowy egrets are probably one of the most popular ones I’ll look for, and then if you can spot them far enough away, black terns,” Sheward said. Once he determines there is likely activity, he stalks into position. “We’re not fishing anymore, we’re hunting,” Sheward said. With spooky fish in skinny water, it pays to be more discrete when getting ready to present your bait. He and his clients have been using primarily crustacean imitations in black and purple. Small baitfish patterns that sink slowly in natural colors have also been productive on the fish that are a little jaded from all the pressure. Lead the fish appropriately and hold on.

Sabine Lake has been rewarding anglers with good catches of redfish this month. Photo from Eddie Hernandez.

FFS returns to Bassmaster Elite Series Following a successful debut that delivered compelling competition and strong fan engagement, B.A.S.S. announced that the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series will continue using the same forward-facing live sonar structure introduced in 2026. The 2027 season will again feature a split between tournaments in which live sonar is permitted and tournaments where live sonar is not allowed. A coin flip will determine the technology designation for each tournament on the 2027 schedule. In additional news, for the first time ever, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic will also be included in the Coin Flip Show. The 2027 Classic field will be the first composed entirely of anglers who qualified under the 50/50 technology rule, making it a natural extension to apply the same format to the World Championship of Bass Fishing. One coin flip will determine the live-sonar rules for the next two Classics: If the 2027 Classic is designated a non-live-sonar event, the 2028 Classic will allow live sonar, and vice-versa. This ensures consecutive Classics will showcase both styles of competition. “The first season of the 50/50 format showed us that great competition is not defined by a particular style of fishing,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson. “Our anglers were challenged to demonstrate their versatility, and our fans embraced the opportunity to watch and learn from both forms of competition. Continuing the format in 2027 allows us to celebrate innovation while preserving the broad range of skills that has always defined the Bassmaster Elite Series. With the success of this structure in the Elites and because it is how our 2027 Classic contenders qualified, it was a natural fit to continue the framework and allow a coin flip to determine the format for the 2027 Classic.” —B.A.S.S.

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October 9, 2026

FOR THE TABLE *email LSON your favorite recipe to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

Teal poppers Season your teal breasts with your favorite seasoning. Cook bacon halfway done. Quickly sear both sides of the duck breast in a hot skillet. Let it rest for a few minutes, then slice the breast into thin pieces on a slight angle. Line up your bacon vertically and lay on your slices of duck breast (also vertically). Place one to two pickled jalapenos on top. Roll those all up together and add three or four per skewer. Throw back in the skillet and cook until your bacon is nice and caramelized. Add a small dollop of cream cheese. —Staff report

Skinless teal breasts Pickled jalapenos Thick cut bacon Your favorite seasonings Cream cheese Salt and pepper Bamboo skewers

Lemon garlic halibut For the mixture 2 Tbsps. salted butter, softened to room temp 1 Tbsp. freshly chopped chives 2 Tbsps. garlic cloves, minced 1/8 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 Tbsp. juice from fresh lemon 1 Tbsp. grated lemon peel For the fish 2 Tbsps. olive oil 2 1-inch thick each halibut fillets, about 8 ozs. Salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small pan, combine all lemon garlic and stir to fully combine. Set aside. Use paper towels to pat-dry all excess moisture from the fillets. Evenly sprinkle both sides of fillets with pinches of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat, add the fillets to pan and cook until browned on one side, about 3 mins. Flip fish fillets over to the other side, turn stove off, and immediately transfer pan into hot oven. Let fish roast about 5 or 6 minutes. Do not overcook. A minute before fish is done cooking in oven, cook small pan of prepared lemon-garlic mixture over medium high heat, constantly stirring, just until melted and bubbly, and pour mixture over the cooked fish. —Staff report

LONE STAR OUTDOOR PUZZLER Solution on Page 22 ACROSS 1. Biggest of North American deer 5. Offshore fish attractors 7. Deep-water fishing technique 8. Western deer species 11. Central portion of the state called this 16. Stink pig 17. A national preserve in SE TX 20. B&C and P&Y are examples 22. Youngsters place to brag 25. Usually mid-October in the deer woods 27. Tasty part of the deer 30. A hunter's friend during the season 31. Fun to gig along the coast 32. Walking quietly through good areas 33. When waterfowl head south 34. Hog panels are commonly used to build 35. Texas just had a good season on this animal 36. A versatile tree stand 37. A float on a line

Puzzle by Conor Harrison, Lone Star Outdoor News

DOWN 2. Texas' most common gamefish 3. Primitive firearm 4. A place to relax each fall 6. An unethical hunter 7. Temp break in water column 9. Popular bow brand 10. Slang name for panfish 12. Stiffer line at the end 13. Type of bullet 14. South Texas antelope 15. Ribeye of the sky 17. Ribeye of the bay 18. Could be blue- or green-winged 19. Need to draw in Texas 21. Famous property in South Texas 23. Name of famous deer area 24. Supplemental feed type 26. Famous fishery along coast 28. Party town along coast 29. Famous rifle maker

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October 9, 2026

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Filmmaker Continued from page 4

epiphany that he wasn’t going to sit in traffic. He prayed for a new opportunity, and it came less than 10 minutes later in the form of a phone call from an associate in Lindale offering Thomas a filming job. “He was my only client on retainer, and I found myself waking up at 4 a.m. to go film content in a duck blind,” Thomas said. “It didn’t pay much but I learned and applied my style of story driven shorts to make content for social media.” Thomas had a video gain 100,000 views, up from about 2,000 views and he realized there was a viable market for short Andrew Thomas Visuals Youtube page has multiple videos of interviews he has conducted with hunting outlaws around Texas. Photo from YouTube. form hunting stories. “I started posting those ing. I realized the criminal aspect of hunt(hunting video shorts) and kept getting ing was very appealing to people. For me, views,” he said. “I started really looking at and I’m not a hunter, there is a real draw to what kind of videos were getting the most it. People got away with it a long time ago views and what content was getting looks. and I’m hoping the format keeps working.” I found Charles Beatty, the famous King Thomas said he’s had lots of cool moRanch poacher, and his shorts were getting ments with God since his channel has startlots of people looking at them.” ed to take off, and a recent trip this summer Thomas started to lean into the paranor- to South Texas netted a bunch of interviews mal outdoor angle, but could not get the that turned into short vidoes. traffic on social media that he was looking “I met with a bunch of guys like Ernie for. He finally went viral for a short video he Butler, Marvin Strakos and several more forproduced featuring Ducks Unlimited and mer outlaws,” he said. “I’ve reached out to some paranormal stuff using AI and other a bunch of game wardens, as well, because techniques. I want to cover both sides of the issue. The “I spent up to 30 hours on some of those wardens tell me they want to talk but they short videos,” he said. “I tagged everyone have to be a lot more careful about what and tried to do it right. It wasn’t getting they can say.” many views and I was just defeated. It had Thomas said the statute of limitations about 100,000 views and then it just clicked has long expired on the wildlife crimes and shot up to 19 million, and that took me committed back in the 70s and 80s, when over the edge. I really leaned into Bigfoot his subjects were poaching deer on the King and the paranormal.” and Kenedy ranches in South Texas in an The initial paranormal success did not era where getting caught by local cowboys last, however, and soon he was back to liv- patrolling the ranch could mean death. ing on credit cards trying to get the next Thomas said the only issues he has run video to go viral. Thomas said the various into are from people mentioned in the stosocial media platforms all pay differently ries told during the interview who might for views, with Facebook paying up to $2 not want to be associated with old poachper 1,000 views while YouTube often only ing stories. pays 40 cents per 1,000 views. “The whole law scene, if you are going to He again turned to God, asking if this was talk about someone and mention names, his career path. Then he had a dream where that’s when things can get a bit hairy,” he he began interviewing old game wardens said. “I’ve learned to edit out some details and poachers. When he awoke, he called to help smooth things over. One person Kennie Prince, a former game warden, and mentioned a game warden by name who he set up an interview. said used to kill people. I had to edit some Once Thomas began posting short ex- of that out. Thankfully, nothing has bitten cerpts from his interview, things finally us yet.” started to take off. For now, Thomas hopes his short videos “I started getting about five views per sec- continue to go viral and generate views. Go ond, then 10, then 12,” he said. “I yelled to to the YouTube or Facebook channel Anmy wife, ‘We did it!’ and we started celebrat- drew Thomas Visuals to watch the shorts.

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October 9, 2026

LoneOStar Outdoor News

NATIONAL

INDUSTRY Midway USA seeking MidwayUSA is hiring a Product Information Specialist in Columbia, Missouri to develop and maintain product information, specifications, and media on their website. The position offers a salary range of $55,000-$71,500 with comprehensive benefits and opportunities for professional development at the family-owned outdoor retailer.

Davidson’s hiring Davidson's, a 90-year-old firearms distribution leader headquartered in Prescott, Arizona, is hiring a Call Center Sales Manager to direct sales teams and mentor Account Executives. The position requires 5+ years of B2B sales management experience, firearms industry knowledge, and onsite presence in Prescott, with a starting salary of $90k-$100k plus comprehensive benefits.

Kurtenbach returns The Outdoor Sportsman Group announces Joe Kurtenbach's return as editor in chief of Shooting Times, replacing Joel Hutchcroft. Kurtenbach brings over 15 years of industry experience, including previous roles at American Rifleman, Guns & Ammo, and Silencer Central.

PRADCO acquires Kent PRADCO Outdoor Brands has acquired Kent Outdoors, a portfolio of watersports and marine safety brands established in 1959, including HO Sports, Hyperlite, BOTE,

O'Brien, Connelly, Liquid Force, Onyx, and others. Kent's leadership team, including President CJ Vlahovich, will remain in place as PRADCO supports product development and future acquisitions.

Steiner Optics expands Steiner Optics announced that Clyde Armory in Athens, Georgia, is now an authorized dealer for the Steiner Overwatch Program, offering special pricing on select Steiner optics products to qualified military, law enforcement, and first responders. Founded in 1991, Clyde Armory operates locations in Athens and Warner Robbins, Georgia.

NBE Foundation appoints The National Bowhunter Education Foundation appointed Aaron Nickson as Arkansas State Chairman, Richard English for California, and Alan Jones for Washington state. These state chairmen will work with local game and fish professionals to provide IBEP/ICEP bowhunter education courses and serve as liaisons with local bowhunters.

Bleeker Street appoints Bleecker Street Publications announced Karen Hunter as editorial lead for Gun University and contributing editor for Athlon Outdoors. Hunter brings over a decade of firearms industry experience, extensive instructional expertise through The Hunter Academy, and hundreds of published articles to the role.

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MINNESOTA

Duck Stamp chosen The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced that Robert Hautman of Delano, Minnesota, has won the 2026 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest with an acrylic painting of a Long-tailed Duck pair. This is Hautman's fourth time winning the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. The winning artwork was selected from 331 entries during the two-day competition, which was hosted by Ducks Unlimited at its national headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee. The winning artwork will appear on the 2027-2028 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, commonly known as the Federal Duck Stamp. Since its inception in 1934, the Federal Duck Stamp has become one of the nation's most successful conservation programs, generating more than $1.3 billion to conserve over 6 million acres of wetlands, benefiting migratory birds and countless other wildlife species. — DU

COLORADO

SCI, SAF sue state Safari Club International and Sportsmen's Alliance Foundation announced the filing of a lawsuit challenging the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission's July 2026 adoption of a rule reducing the daily harvest limits for Colorado furbearers to two animals. The complaint alleges the Commission's last-minute decision to slash furbearer harvest limits failed to provide sufficient public notice or opportunity for comment. The lawsuit alleges that the Commission violated Colorado's State Administrative Procedure Act and its statutory wildlife management obligations. Those laws require agencies to give the public notice of proposed actions and an opportunity to comment, and they require final actions to remain consistent with the proposals presented for public comment. The Commission instead abandoned the publicly noticed proposals debated in the weeks before the meeting and during more than an hour of public comment, then adopted a dramatically more restrictive limit based on an unrepresentative survey conducted by Commissioner Rebecca Niemiec. —SCI

FLORIDA

State seeks comment on African pompano The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wants to hear from anglers about African pompano. We invite you to attend an upcoming virtual public workshop to contribute your feedback on potential updates for the management of African pompano. Each virtual workshop will include a presentation on pompano biology, the status of the fishery, current regulations, and potential updates to commercial and recreational management. After the presentation, the public can ask questions and provide public comments on possible regulation changes. Feedback from these workshops will be considered ahead of a proposed final rule hearing anticipated for the March 2027 Commission meeting. For more information on these workshops, visit FWC Saltwater Workshops page. —FWC

OKLAHOMA

Changes proposed, comment needed Each year, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation proposes changes in Title 800, the administrative rules that apply to hunting, fishing and Wildlife Department operations. The public comment period for 2027's proposed rule changes is open now until 4:30 p.m. Nov. 6.

Many proposed changes are simple housekeeping matters, while some are more substantial. Among this year's rule change proposals are: • Allowing resident lifetime fishing license holders to convert to a lifetime combination fishing and hunting license by paying the current lifetime combo license price minus the price they paid for their lifetime fishing license • Removing the aggregate limit and harvest limit for crappie for "Close to Home" waters and allow for crappie size and bag limits to be adjusted through Wildlife Commission resolution • Expanding legal methods of take for hunting at Department-owned lakes • Adding a two-day waiting period for nonresidents buying a deer license after the season opens • Removing the license requirement for youth trapping and hunting of furbearers • Exempting lifetime license holders from the need to buy a black bear license. • Opening small game hunting opportunities at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. • Updating hunting season dates at Camp Gruber Training Center to be consistent with statewide regulations —ODWC

PENNSYLVANIA

Deer season opens For archery deer hunters, it's about to be the best time of the year. Pennsylvania's statewide archery deer season opened on Oct. 3, 2026, and runs through Nov. 20, 2026. Deer hunters can harvest one antlered deer per license year, and an antlerless deer with each required license or permit. After regular firearms deer season, archery deer season reopens Dec. 26, 2026, and runs through Jan. 24, 2027. "It's hunting season here in Pennsylvania and we have a lot to look forward to in the weeks and months ahead," said Steve Smith, Game Commission executive director. "Thank you to all our hunters for being on the front lines of conservation. Good luck, have fun, and hunt safely." On the heels of last year's historic legislation, 2026-27 marks the first Pennsylvania hunting season with Sunday hunting expanded to include all Sundays that fall within the seasons start and end dates, with the exception of migratory game bird seasons. —PGC

MARYLAND

Beretta USA honors employees Last week, Beretta celebrated 500 years of history in its birthplace of Gardone Val Trompia, Italy. This milestone provided an opportunity to celebrate the people who have helped carry that legacy forward, as more of Beretta USA's longest-tenured employees traveled to Italy for a special experience recognizing their dedications and contributions to the company. Representing 20 to 46 years of service, the tenured employees were brought together from across Beretta USA to experience Beretta's heritage and celebrate their own place in the company's history. Several began their careers at the company's Accokeek, Maryland, facility and later relocated to Gallatin, Tennessee, helping build Beretta's U.S. manufacturing operation and witnessing the company's evolution firsthand. The group also included two employees who each spent more than four decades with Beretta, marking 45 and 46 years of service. Their careers represent nearly five decades of Beretta USA history and an extraordinary level of commitment to the company. —Beretta USA

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

October 9, 2026

Page 21

Ball and Buck opens in Dallas Ball and Buck, the Boston-based hunt and fish lifestyle brand, plans to open a permanent store at the Inwood Village shopping center in Dallas. It represents its second store after opening a location in Nashville this past August. The Dallas store, measuring 4,500 square feet, opened on October 8. The opening comes after the outdoor lifestyle brand found success hosting temporary pop-ups in the area. “We’ve found an appetite for Photo from Ball and Buck our pridefully crafted products here because Texans are known not only to participate in the kind of outdoor activities our typical shopper appreciates, but to also value the kind of mindful heritage that shapes every product, every detail, and every decision we make,” said Mark Bollman, founder and CEO. “The name flips Washington’s quote to ‘Ball and Buck’ as my revolutionary stance against disposable products because we don’t just create products, we craft legacies with the highest quality outdoor gear on earth built to outlast those that buy it.” Ball and Buck plans to open a third location in Fort Worth in early 2027. — Staff report

Bass fishing hall of fame inducts five The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame welcomed five new members during its annual induction ceremony at the White River Conference Center, celebrating the achievements and lasting contributions of some of the sport's most influential figures. The Hall of Fame's Class of 2026 includes legendary finesse fishing pioneer Don Iovino, tournament trailblazer Pam Martin-Wells, international bass fishing icon and Texas resident Takahiro Omori, boat manufacturing innovator Rick Pierce, and tournament organization visionary Mike Whitaker. In addition to recognizing the 2026 induction class, the Hall of Fame presented the Ray Murski Lifetime Achievement Award to Hall of Famer Bill Dance for his extraordinary impact on the sport as a competitor, educator, promoter and ambassador. —BHOF

EWA, others help kill bill The Exotic Wildlife Association was contacted about HR 181, which was voted out of the House Committee on Natural Resources on September 15, 2026. HR 181 would require that all captively managed animals under human care that are on the endangered species list be treated as if they were wild born, and in their native habitat. If captively managed animals under human care are treated the same as the endangered and critically endangered species in their native ranges, the resulting permitting process alone will cause unreasonable hurdles for the animals and owners/ranches and create extremely poor welfare and living conditions for these animals that are currently thriving under human care. EWA worked with Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, and both organizations wrote letters opposing HR 181 to the House Committee on Natural Resources and the author. The Committee has confirmed that they plan to take no further action on the bill.   —EWA

Page 22

October 9, 2026

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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