Tomecek receives national appointment

The U.S. Department of Agriculture appointed Texas A&M AgriLife’s John Tomecek, Ph.D., to the National Wildlife Services Advisory Committee.

Tomecek, associate professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, is one of 20 committee members appointed. The committee, comprised of diverse stakeholders from across the fields of agriculture, wildlife management, animal welfare and public health, will provide critical guidance to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services.

Tomecek’s contributions to feral hog management are a prominent feature of his career. In addition to service as chair of the Texas Wild Pig Task Force, Tomecek was tapped to lead the National Wild Pig Task Force as chair-elect in 2021.

“I began working with pigs because I like addressing wildlife conflict,” Tomecek said. “Everyone in the wildlife conflict world has slowly turned their attention towards pigs — not because it’s what we all want to work on, but because it’s one of the most urgent issues right now.”

Tomecek was tasked with evaluating the effectiveness of this program not only in Texas, but across the country. The data will inform Congress of ways the program can be adjusted and improved.

“Objective, science-based data and expertise are crucial for elected officials in all levels of government to make informed decisions, and AgriLife Extension remains committed to providing this vital service,” Avery said. For example, after one conversation with a Wildlife Service agent, Tomecek implemented a research project monitoring coyote movements following feral hog removal. These findings will help ranchers plan calving operations to reduce coyote predation after feral hog removal on their property.

—Texas AgriLife

Continued from page 1 eat them first. Plus, my wife will fry them whole and they are very good to eat, along with fries and coleslaw.”

Evans fishes for the perch from an old bass boat with a trolling motor up front, allowing him to ease along the bank while strolling tiny hair jigs in 4-7 feet of water.

“Strolling is nothing more than slowly pulling jigs behind the boat,” he said. “It’s a tactic that produces a lot of bream, along with the occasional crappie. It’s a good way to locate bream on beds, too. If I catch one big bluegill while strolling, I’ll mark the spot and fish it with jigs, or worms and crickets.”

Years ago, guide Jim Morris began using the strolling technique to put his customers on enough panfish to go home and have a fish fry. He would use two rods rigged with tiny tube jigs in white, yellow or blue. He would bump troll them behind his boat in the many creeks and around some of the islands. It was a tactic that quickly caught on with a number of fishermen and is still a popular way to catch spawning bream and crappie.

Many T-Bend anglers fish red worms or a lively cricket on a No. 10 long shank hook.

“If the water is clear, you can actually see the bream on the beds,” Evans said. “That’s when I’ll rig up a tiny split-shot and long shank hook. Bream will not pass up a chance to eat a worm or a cricket.”

Fly fishermen are also joining the panfish party, often using a bead-head, slow-sinking streamer, or using a cork or sponge-bodied popper for a top-water bite from the aggressive panfish.

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