Texas’ Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper Since 2004
July 9, 2021
New rules on deer breeders bring back feud By Craig Nyhus
Lone Star Outdoor News A June 22 emergency order from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has reignited disagreements between wildlife officials and deer breeders. The order requires an ante-mortem (live) test for CWD on rectal or tonsil tissue be conducted within the six months immediately preceding release, with the results show a finding of “not detected.” Texas deer breeders were dismayed by the order, particularly due to its timing. The last day deer could be released prior to the 2021 hunting season is Sept. 19, requiring the testing be done quickly; and catching and anesthetizing deer in the heat of summer increases the stress risk to the deer. Kevin Davis, a former TPWD employee and the executive director of Deer Breeders Corp, took a more direct approach. “This last round is the most egregious overstep by government that I’ve witnessed in 25 years,” he said. “It’s a broad stroke of creating rules under the guise of emergency. Even the documents says they have been trying to fight CWD since 2002 — that’s 20 years.” The positive finding stemmed from two ranches, with one case in Hunt County and several in a Medina County facility. The Medina County facility legally waited to provide a year’s worth of mandatory tests just prior to the deadline imposed by TPWD. Since that time, as of March 14 of this year, that regulation was changed to require tests be supplied within 14 days. “The problem got fixed March 14, and we supported it,” Davis said. “This could never happen again.” The order came after a June 14 letter from a coalition of landowners and wildlife researchers recommending robust testing and stringent movement restrictions. The positive deer were found in March, causing breeders to question the delay, and wonder what the actual emergency is. Neal Wilkens, a wildlife biologist and signatory on the coalition letter, said the decision is about what we can do to stem the traffic of deer being transported across the state while people sort things out with a reasoned mind. “The discovery of CWD is not the emergency,” he said. “The outbreak is far-reaching and the number of trace-outs, properties and the geographic area is huge.
Volume 17, Issue 22
First keeper and limit By Craig Nyhus
Lone Star Outdoor News Liam Kohleffel had been fishing on the Texas coast before, but only managed to land some small speckled trout and hardheads. Just before the July Fourth holiday weekend, that changed for the 7-year-old youngster from Boerne. On a trip to Port Mansfield with his parents and grandparents, the first morning started off slowly. “He didn’t catch anything that morning,” his father, Nick, said. After returning to the rented condo in the Port Mansfield Harbor, grandfather Theo Kohleffel got out the cast net and caught a bunch of mud minnows. “I checked the solunar table in Lone Star Outdoor News and saw a peak time in the late afternoon,” Nick said. “We went back out around 5 p.m. when the tide was falling.” The group parked the boat near the East Cut, known to local anglers, and walked along the north shoreline and threw free-lined mud minnows. “Liam caught two undersized reds, and then he caught three keeper reds,” Nick said. “People were coming through there fishing artificials and croaker and weren’t catching anything. There weren’t many mullet around, but it was full of mud minnows.” Back at the cleaning station, the group learned their
Liam Kohleffel, 7, landed his first keeper and limit of redfish while fishing in Port Mansfield with his father, Nick, and grandfather, Theo. Photo by Nick Kohleffel.
decision was a wise one. “One of the guides said we did better than most of them,” Nick said.
The next morning, on Liam’s first cast, he landed a 24-inch redfish. “He was jacked,” said his
father. “Of nine keeper reds in three days, he had four of them.”
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Shooters heading to Tokyo
Brian Burrows will compete in Men’s Trap at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Photo from USA Shooting. Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10 Saltwater Fishing Report . . Page 11 Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12 Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . Page 16 Products . . . . . . . . . . Page 19 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 20
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Lone Star Outdoor News Three Texas shooters will be in Tokyo, Japan for the Olympic Games. Phillip Jungman, of Caldwell, will compete in Men’s Skeet; Austen Smith, of Keller, in Women’s Skeet; and Brian Burrows, of Lewisville, in Men’s Trap. Burrows has been training near his home and will head to Colorado Springs to continue before heading to Tokyo. “I’m right where I want to be right now,” Burrows said. “I want to peak when I get there.” A difficult part of the trip will be the team having to go alone, as spectators,
even family, aren’t allowed. “It’s tough,” Burrows said. “I’ve been married four months. Kelsy was there when I made the Olympic team and ran out on the field and jumped on me. She’s seen the time and energy invested in it. And my parents got me shooting when I was a kid. When I thought about my Olympic experience, I envisioned them in the stands.” Burrows said an important part of the competition is getting to the starting line. Athletes will be tested daily for the first week while in Japan, and a greater risk may come from tracing protocols. “To get expelled for something like that Please turn to page 6
HUNTING
FISHING
Personal dove field (P. 4)
From the rocks (P. 8)
Brothers create sunflower field.
Angler uses artificials for big fish.
Fire ants and quail (P. 6)
Bass on Ray Roberts (P. 8)
Role in quail decline discussed.
Offshore structure and shallow bites.
