2024 Mar/Apr_TTHA Issue

Turkey Season Begins A

nother deer season has come and gone, and hunters now chase turkey gobblers. From what my deer hunting friends tell me, the past season had mixed results. The early part of the season was somewhat slow because rains had sprouted greenery all over, and deer were not regularly coming to feeders.

We all know what happens when deer disregard feeders—the harvest lags. Texas deer hunters sit in comfortable blinds, cradling fancy rifles with fancy scopes, hoping to get a shot at a good buck near the feeder. It’s amazing how far we have come with good rifles and ammo, big bucks, corn feeders and close shots taken from comfortable blinds. Texas deer hunting has never been better.

Deer hunting picked up in December, and the season was very close to normal, which means hunters took about 800,000 whitetails from a population of some five million. The usual majority of outstanding bucks came from South Texas, with a good scattering of big bucks from the rest of the state. Stories of some of those bucks may end up in The Journal.

Many of the 100,000 spring turkey hunters will get ready for the South Zone season starting March 16. North Zone hunters will have to wait until March 30 to chase the big Rio Grande gobblers. Wise hunters will check the seasons and bag limits where they will hunt.

Texas held its first spring turkey season in 1969 in Kerr County, the only county. A droughty period caused the closing of spring season in 1976, so I guess this will be the 54th spring season for Rio Grande turkey. From a weak start, when most hunters used a rifle because they did not know how to call turkey to the shotgun, the season has progressed into a major season where camo-wearing hunters call up gobblers for close shotgun shots. My last notes show about 50,000 to 60,000 gobblers and bearded hens get taken each March, April and May.

As a former Upland Game Leader with TPWD, I had a big hand in developing the spring season. Before, turkeys were taken by deer hunters in the fall and winter, and a wild shot from a .30-06 or .270 made hash out of a turkey breast. Today, spring hunters use shotguns for head and neck shots, and even the few who use small caliber rifles know where to shoot a gobbler and save the best edible parts of the turkey.

The early flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and the snakes are beginning to crawl. It’s a good time of year, when some folks start a vegetable garden, squirrel or turkey hunt, play softball or baseball, and hordes of people go fishing. I’m reminded of what Harley Berg used to say at the end of his Sunday TV show in Waco: “Keep ’em running, swimming, and flying by being good sports.” Let’s teach the kids Harley’s old saying, and go out and enjoy the outdoors.

Horace Gore

Dust

Faith Peña

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Are you just WILD about turkey hunting? Then this issue is for you. Be sure to read Jason Shipman’s fun story about young turkey hunters on page 78. If bowhunting is your thing, see The Draw on page 114. Brandon Ray’s article on page 42 gives you tips for locating turkeys and what gear to bring. You can read about the largest subspecies, the Gould’s turkey, on page 53.

There’s a turkey-related word puzzle on page 73, and we even provide step by step instructions on how to build your own turkey blind on page 113. Don’t forget to submit a photo of you and your turkey for Hunt’s End. See page 125 for details.

Spring turkey hunting is a great sport for young and old folks alike. We’ve got great stories to share, as well as turkey hunting advice. Be sure to share your story with us.

STANLEY RABKE

By Horace Gore

Stanley Rabke of Willow City is a pioneer of our hunting heritage. Stan and his wife Janet are outstanding citizens of Gillespie County, having lived in the Fredericksburg area all their lives. The Rabke name is well known, and for good reason. Stanley is a rancher and fire chief at Willow City, and Janet taught kindergarten and the fourth grade in Fredericksburg for 43 years.

Stanley was born in 1949, and was raised on the family ranch near Willow City. He went to the Willow City grade school through the sixth grade. After the local school combined with Fredericksburg schools, Stan finished school in Fredericksburg, and attended Texas Tech University for two years.

“I decided college was not for me, and returned to Fredericksburg and attended Austin Electronic School, taking welding and auto mechanics,” he said. “After graduation as a certified welder, I immediately went to work for Fredericksburg Machine Shop—a job that lasted 23 years.”

“As Dad and Mom got older, I moved back to the Willow City ranch. Janet and I were married in 1972, and had two children—Erin and Reagan. Now, we have five grandchildren—all beautiful girls, ranging in age from 20 to 8!”

The Rabke R Diamond Ranch had a lot of sheep in the early years when coyotes were not a problem. However, coyote predation caused the ranch to turn away from sheep and concentrate on having a large cattle operation. Stanley has been with the Willow City Fire Department for over 51 years, so between cattle, catering, deer processing, hunting leases, and being a fire chief, Stanley is a very busy rancher.

Stanley and Janet Rabke are friends of TTHA. They hosted TTHA youth hunts for lucky boys and girls.

Stan Rabke

The Rabke family has been involved with deer processing and catering for many years.

The meat processing business developed slowly as neighbors wanted their deer processed, and the catering started when Stanley and Janet married in 1972. Today, their Rabke Table Ready Meats, Catering and Deer Processing business goes strong.

Deer hunting has always been important to the ranch. When Stanley was in high school, the ranch took “day hunters,” which was a common way of deer hunting. Hunters came from everywhere to hunt whitetails in the Hill Country. Gillespie, Llano, and Mason counties were the top counties in the state.

Day hunting and lease prices varied, and a visiting hunter could rent a rifle with three to four shells for $1.50 per day. On Friday evening before the deer season opened the next day, a solid string of vehicles filled the major roads going to the Hill Country.

“At one time, Dad had some hunters who used muzzleloader rifles,” Stanley said. “I remember that those hunters liked deer liver. They camped and cooked in a large building where we eventually developed our catering facility, and the smell of fried deer liver was in the building for years!”

Stanley recalled deer hunting was different in his early days. “Back then there were no fancy blinds or deer feeders, and scoped rifles were rare,” he said. “Hunters would sit against a tree or in a brush blind near an oats patch and usually killed the first legal (fork antlered) buck that came along—does and spikes were verboten!”

The Rabke family high fenced the ranch between 1998 and 2000. “We wanted to manage our deer, and it was better for us to high fence than get all the neighbors and their hunters to let the

deer get older and better,” Stanley said. “It turned out to be one of the best decisions we ever made. With the high fence, we could control and manage our deer, along with exotics such as axis deer and blackbuck antelope.”

A wildfire in August 2022 destroyed a large part of the ranch’s deer habitat, and a lot of deer died. Stanley says that the deer herd is getting back to normal, but the habitat suffered from the fire.

“We’ve always had good Hill Country bucks on the ranch,” Stanley said. “During the 17 years, we have hosted the complementary Texas Trophy Hunters youth hunts, and some of the kids took very good bucks. We enjoyed every hunt with the boys and girls who won the R Diamond Ranch hunt by entering bucks in the Hunters Extravaganza deer contest and getting their name drawn from the hat!”

Stanley recalled one young lady who came on the free youth hunt several years ago and killed a trophy buck that scored 155 B&C—a buck that would have made a Houston deer hunter’s mouth water! Another young lady took a trophy blackbuck about three years ago that was a real beauty with heavy 21-inch spiral horns. The youth hunts have been a huge success.

The Rabke family has been good friends of Texas Trophy Hunters for many years, and we are proud to include Stanley Rabke as a pioneer of our hunting heritage.

Pass the Torch

Do your part to preserve our hunting heritage. Share your passion with the next generation. Pass the torch.

Stanley and Janet with their children, Reagan (center) and Erin (far right).

Past winners of Rabke youth hunts.

FENCE POSTS

NEWS ABOUT HUNTING, GUN RIGHTS, AND LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Hunting or Golf?

It’s a fact: More Americans play golf than hunt. In Texas, we often laugh at the notion of golf being more popular than hunting—after all, Texas is known as a hunting state. But a recent review of the two sports, and the fact that 90% of Texans live inside city limits, shows that golf is dominant over hunting by a wide margin.

On a national level, there are 11.4 million hunters and 25.6 million golfers. In 2022, 40 million golfers were worth $102 billion to the economy. At the same time, deer hunters were worth $21 billion, but all activities using firearms accounted for $149 billion.

Deer hunting is not cheap. The national average for a harvested deer is $1250, while the Texas average is $3,900 per deer. However, the high Texas price tag comes for the best deer hunting in America. Private ownership of Texas deer habitat makes for the best in hunt quality, safety, equipment security, and enjoyment. By the way—have you priced a round of golf lately?

In many ways, hunters and golfers experience the same challenge. Golfers want to break par, and hunters want the bag limit. The challenge takes both back to tee off or go to the field with a rifle or shotgun. If the golfer has a good score for 18 holes, or the hunter gets a buck or a limit of doves, the challenge has been met.

Dove and deer comprise the majority of license-buying Texans, adding up to 1.2 million hunting licenses sold to 800,000 deer hunters. This sounds like a lot of hunters, but Texas has some 22 million license-age residents, so when you check the figures, only 6% of Texans

buy a license, and only 4% deer hunt. Dove hunters add up to some 400,000 (2%), followed by small game, waterfowl, and varmint hunting.

With 27 million Texans living in town, and 3 million living rurally, it’s no wonder city-folks are looking more to golf as an outdoor sport as opposed to hunting. Most city dwellers have little contact with rural people—where hunting takes place. And there’s usually a golf course nearby, making it much easier to play golf than to find a place to hunt— especially to deer hunt.

If Texas follows the national trend, we have about twice as many golfers as hunters, and the game of golf is gaining every year. As a rule, young people follow their parents or close friends in choosing outdoor sports. Because fewer adults are hunting, it follows that their children will choose some other outdoor sport—and golf is waiting a short distance away.

Don’t get me wrong—there’s nothing wrong with golf. I’ve tried to be a golfer myself. But for some reason, I have always preferred the smell of gun powder to hitting a little ball with a big club, and wondering where the ball went.

—Horace Gore

Piebald Cow Elk Spotted in Colorado

A research trip turned into a magical moment for a wildlife biologist who caught a glimpse of a rare 1-in-100,000 creature in the western Colorado mountains. Montrose area wildlife biologist Evan Phillips captured images of the rare piebald cow elk while on a survey flight

in the southwestern part of the state, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a post on X, formerly called Twitter. The piebald trait which causes a unique pattern of white patches on an animal’s pigmented skin, hair, feathers, or scales, according to the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Take for example, a black dog, that has white patches on its fur. That dog would then be piebald.

Images show the unique elk at the end of a herd walking through the mountains.

While the trait happens in many animals, and is common in dogs and horses, it’s much rarer to see in elk and only occurs in about 1 out of every 100,000. According to CPW, Colorado has the largest population of elks in the world with over 280,000 animal. —Colorado Parks and Wildlife, via USA Today

Venison: America’s Healthy Red Meat

The Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca was the first to discover the qualities of white-tailed deer as he trekked across Texas in the 1530s. His early reports of sustaining on deer and turkey for six years show how important venison

was 500 years ago. Today, deer are still important to Texas, and rightly so. The Lone Star state has some 800,000 hunters who spend roughly 10 million days each year chasing whitetails, at a combined street value of $4 billion. Each season, deer hunters bring home about 15 million pounds of venison that is enjoyed in a variety of ways, from fried backstrap to roast, hamburger, sausage, and jerky.

Venison is a healthy red meat enjoyed by Texas deer hunting families and friends. It’s nutritional value outperforms other meat in leanness, less fat, and overall calories. Venison is high in amino acid, and is a rich source of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron, and zinc.

Deer meat is the perfect choice for protein, and is low in cholesterol and saturated fat. Three ounces of venison has 134 calories and is packed with B vitamins. Not only that—venison is tasty when cooked in a variety of ways.

Have you wondered how all these Texans eat so much delicious venison without any health problems, after all the adverse publicity about deer diseases? Well, it’s simple. Humans do not contract diseases from venison.

A 2017 study at the University of California, San Diego, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigations found a small loop on the human prion protein prevents it from being attacked by rogue prions such as chronic wasting disease. The importance of this research cannot be over-emphasized, because 12 million hunters and their families, along with thousands of needy folks in deer hunting states consume some 108 million pounds of venison each year.

Dr. Christine Sigurdson, senior author of the UC San Diego study, noted a small loop in the human prion protein structure blocks the deer and elk prions from binding, as the sequences were not complete. To test the hypothesis, Dr. Sigurdson and her team developed a transgenic mouse that expressed a prion protein identical to the human protein, except for the small loop that was swapped out of the cervid sequence. When the mice were exposed to the cervid (elk) prions, they developed CWD.

In contrast, control mice expressing

the normal human protein sequences with the small loop resisted infection when exposed to the same cervid material—just as humans do when they consume the millions of pounds of “America’s healthy red meat.” So, enjoy the wilds of Texas during the coming deer season, and take the kids hunting. It’s good for you, good for them, and hunting contributes to Texas wildlife conservation. —Horace Gore

Coast Guard, TPWD Seize Illegally Caught Red Snapper

The U.S. Coast Guard and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department intercepted five lancha crews and seized approximately 2,640 pounds of illegally caught red snapper in waters subject to U.S. law enforcement off southern Texas, Saturday.

Boat crews from Coast Guard Station South Padre Island and Coast Guard Cutter Jacob Poroo, in coordination with Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi aircrews, located and stopped a total of 16 Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing aboard four lanchas north of the Maritime Boundary Line.

After interdicting the lanchas, Coast Guard personnel seized 2,090 pounds of red snapper in addition to fishing gear and high flyers on board the vessels. Coast Guard crews detained the Mexican fishermen, brought them ashore, and transferred the detainees to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for further processing.

“Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing depletes our precious natural resources, disrupts our economy and threatens the marine environment,” said Coast Guard Capt. Hans Govertsen, commanding officer, Air Station Corpus Christi. “We are blessed to work alongside our local, state, federal, and international partners and are fiercely committed to stopping these illegal operations.”

Additionally, an Air Station Corpus Christi crew alerted a TPWD boat crew to the presence of another lancha crew engaged in illegal fishing north of the Maritime Boundary Line. The TPWD crew interdicted the lancha with four Mexican fishermen aboard and seized 550 pounds of illegally caught red snapper.

“This case is another example of Texas game wardens working with partners to protect and conserve Texas’ natural resources,” said Col. Chad Jones, Director of TPWD Law Enforcement. “We truly appreciate our partnership with the Coast Guard as we patrol the coastal waterways.”

A lancha is a fishing boat used by Mexican fishermen that is approximately 20-30 feet long with a slender profile, having one outboard motor, and is capable of traveling at speeds exceeding 30 mph. Lanchas are frequently used to transport illegal narcotics to the U.S. and illegally fish in the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone near the U.S./ Mexico border in the Gulf of Mexico.

If you witness suspicious activity or illegal fishing in state waters (from land to 9 miles offshore), please contact “Operation Game Thief” at 1-800-792GAME (4263). For all suspicious activity or illegal fishing occurring in federal waters (out to 200 miles offshore), please contact the U.S. Coast Guard at 361-9390450. —courtesy U.S. Coast Guard

TPWD Announcement on Fairfield Lake State Park

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced in December it will no longer pursue acquisition of the property previously occupied by Fairfield Lake State Park, now owned by FLG Owner, LLC.

“TPWD recognizes the importance of conserving our state’s natural resources and providing recreational opportunities for Texans,” said TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz, Ph.D. “However, TPWD must also responsibly manage the state’s fiscal resources in order to maximize the benefit of our parks for all Texans. The citizens of Texas have always shown strong support for expanded access to state parks, and I believe there is a promising future for outdoor recreation in our great state.”

With this decision, TPWD makes clear it does not intend to exercise its power of eminent domain in the future to obtain a portion of FLG Owner’s property, including all water rights. This means that there will be no efforts to establish a state park or any other use on FLG

Owner’s property.

“We want to thank the staff and visitors who made Fairfield Lake State Park such a special place for the past half century, as well as those who have supported the effort to save the park,” said Texas State Parks Director Rodney Franklin . —courtesy TPWD

SCI Receives $150k Grant from Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s Outdoor Fund

The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund has awarded Safari Club International a generous grant of $150,000 to enhance ongoing SCI advocacy efforts at every level of government on behalf of hunters and anglers. This pivotal grant will further fortify SCI’s mission to protect and promote hunters’ rights and interests both domestically and on the world stage.

SCI’s receipt of the grant marks a significant milestone in the longstanding partnership between SCI and Bass Pro Shops, heralding their shared commitment to protecting hunting traditions and advocating for sustainable and responsible wildlife management. The grant underscores the importance of collaborative efforts in safeguarding our hunting heritage, supporting ethical hunting practices, and expanding accessibility for individuals to participate in our hunting legacy.

The grant will be instrumental in advancing SCI’s multifaceted advocacy approach, which includes steadfast lobbying and grassroots activation at the local, state, federal, and international levels. Thanks to this critical funding, SCI will be able to increase its engagement with legislative and regulatory issues via effective tools, including but not limited to the Hunter Advocacy Action Center (HAAC). The HAAC provides a critical outlet for hunters to engage directly with legislators on relevant policy discussions, so regulation prioritizes the inextricable connection between hunting and the long-term sustainability of wildlife populations.

“SCI is immensely thankful for the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund grant, and the continued alliance

between our organizations, said W. Laird Hamberlin, SCI CEO. “These funds will bolster the effectiveness of our advocacy staff who address not only local and national concerns but also engage at the international level to promote sustainable hunting practices and wildlife conservation.”

Federal Lands held a legislative hearing on the EXPLORE Act. This legislation, which will bolster access for sportsmen and women and other users of public lands and waters, is strongly supported by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF).

“We are proud of our partnership with SCI and are excited that this grant, funded alongside support from our customers, will make conservation work possible,” said Johnny Morris, noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder. “We have a sincere appreciation and respect for SCI’s efforts across North America and look forward to continuing to make a positive impact on the future of our hunting traditions.”

—courtesy SCI

SCI Canada Opposes Uplisting of Eastern Wolf

Canada’s federal wildlife management department, Environment and Climate Change Canda, has proposed to list the “Eastern Wolf” as a threatened species under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, which is similar to the U.S. Endangered Species Act. A threatened listing would prohibit Eastern Wolf hunting on federal lands and likely would impact coyote hunting as well, due to similarity of appearance. SCI Canada submitted a comment letter in opposition to the proposed uplisting. No evidence suggests that the Eastern Wolf is declining in population; rather, the latest studies conclude that the total population is stable. Thus, a threatened listing is unwarranted. Further, the proposal does not adequately explain the impacts that a threatened listing would have on hunting, including for coyotes and other species.

—courtesy SCI

House CSC Co-Chair Introduces Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Package

On Nov. 29, Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Co-Chair and House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rep. Bruce Westerman introduced the bipartisan Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act (R. 6492). A day later, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on

While the EXPLORE Act contains many provisions of importance to sportsmen and women, CSF is particularly excited to see language that closely mirrors the Range Access Act (H.R. 1614). Specifically, this language will require the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to have a minimum of one free and public target shooting range in each of the respective districts. By providing dedicated, established target ranges, this legislation will improve opportunities to recycle spent ammunition and mitigate waste and pollution at non-designated ranges on USFS and BLM lands.

The EXPLORE Act will also provide assistance to federal agencies to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, which pose a serious threat to native aquatic ecosystems and the economy. Once established, aquatic invasive species are difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate, and significant resources must be invested annually on population management. Preventing harmful introductions before they occur is the most effective means to avoid the risk aquatic nuisance species present. For example, Zebra mussels alone cause $300–$500 million in damages annually to power plants, water systems, and industrial water intakes in the Great Lakes Region.

Furthermore, this legislation includes language that will help improve future federal land agency planning decisions and would enhance user planning efforts for the general public. Specifically, the Improved Recreation Visitation Data section directs certain federal land management agencies to capture various recreation visitation data. This section also establishes a real-time data pilot program to make available to the public real-time or predictive visitation data for federal lands, helping sportsmen and women with their trip planning efforts.

—courtesy Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation

DEER DISEASES

DESCRIPTIONS AND CONCERNS

By Dr. James C. Kroll

Only a few years ago, the average hunter could not begin to name a single disease afflicting whitetailed deer. Today, the “three letter” diseases of CWD (chronic wasting disease) and EHD (epizootic hemorrhagic disease) are commonly cussed and discussed on social media; leaving hunters confused and concerned about the future of whitetails and the healthiness of our beloved venison.

So, I thought my column this issue should be aimed at providing a primer on the most common deer diseases, hopefully reducing your worries about the future of our favorite big game animal and deer hunting. From the start, there is no way I can do this topic justice in the space allotted, so I will only discuss the common diseases I have seen over the last 50 years.

Common deer diseases

It should not come as a surprise that, just like humans, wild animals deal with a broad array of diseases and parasites. Some of these are no more significant than the common cold is to humans. While other diseases and parasites can kill deer.

The white-tailed deer has been around for a little over a million years. I personally own a jawbone from a deer found in Florida that was dated at 1.5 million years old. During that time, deer have had to outrun everything from saber-tooth tigers to dire wolves to man.

There are presently 35 million white-tailed deer in the U. S.

“There are presently 35 million white-tailed deer in the U. S. and some five million in Texas. They not only have survived incredibly efficient mega-predators, but also the insidious onslaught of bacteria, viruses, fungi, protists, and parasites. And most recently, a “new” type of pathogen, the aberrant prion. So, it’s naïve to ever think any of these will lead to the extinction of whitetails.”

and some five million in Texas. They not only have survived incredibly efficient mega-predators, but also the insidious onslaught of bacteria, viruses, fungi, protists, and parasites. And most recently, a “new” type of pathogen, the aberrant prion. So, it’s naïve to ever think any of these will lead to the extinction of whitetails. Yet, some of them still can be significant mortality agents. Let’s have a look.

The most common are bacterial diseases producing infec-

tions in wounds, from accidents and combat. Hoof rot, necrotic stomatitis (“mouth ulcers”) and lumpy jaw are the top three infections we encounter. Hoof rot is one of the most common both in wild and farmed deer, developing when there is an injury between the toes (hooves), especially where there are wet abrasive soil conditions. It is caused most often by Fusobacterium necrophorum bacteria, that produce a toxin that causes necrosis (death) of the soft tissues. The hoof swells to two to three times its normal size, splits open and oozes pus. Later, the infection may spread into the leg bones, making running, and even walking difficult. Obviously, the prognosis is not good, and often involves loss of the foot, and increased susceptibility to predation.

Abscesses may manifest themselves both outside and inside the body, most commonly on the neck, sides, and stomach. They develop when an injury becomes infected, producing a pus-filled bag under the skin. Eventually they either burst or are punctured and drain.

When the abscess occurs inside the brain cavity, the end result can be death. Most brain abscesses in bucks start with an injury to the pedicel during fighting. The pedicel becomes infected, then it spreads into the brain cavity via a cranial frac-

Dr. Kroll performs a necropsy on a deer liver. According to him, the “titan” of deer diseases is EHD, and its cousin bluetongue. The presence of dead deer in or near water is a sure sign that EHD has struck.

ture. The only way to recognize a brain abscess is from the strange behavior of an infected deer: disoriented, and maybe walking in circles or standing in place, as if blind.

Diarrhea and pneumonia also are common diseases in whitetails. Bacteria most often are the pathogen causing diarrhea, including Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, and Salmonella sp. Severe diarrhea can lead to dehydration, lethargy, severe weight loss and death. The tell-tale sign of diarrhea is fecal material caked down the back of a deer’s hind legs.

Protozoan diseases such as coccidiosis are another cause for diarrhea, and often are fatal. It occurs where deer tend to yard or congregate, contaminating the soil with coccidia spores; or, where deer and livestock intermingle. In some cases, however, diarrhea can also be caused by toxic plants, particularly those high in sulfur content.

Pneumonia is probably the disease most often mistaken as CWD, because it’s accompanied by weight loss. I see it more often in post-rut bucks in late winter, when disease resistance is low. Pneumonia can be caused by several organisms, including Pasteurella sp., Mannheimia hemolytica, Mycoplasma sp. and Fusobacterium sp. Pneumonia causes weight loss, and we find adhesions by the lungs to the ribs and/or pustules on the lungs. Pneumonia can be misdiagnosed, most commonly as tuberculosis, in absence of a culture test.

Important deer diseases

The “titan” of deer killers is EHD, and its cousin bluetongue (BTV). There are three recognized serotypes of EHD and 15 serotypes in North America. Of these, EHDV-1, 2 and 6 and BTV-3 are most common in whitetails. EHD first showed up in New Jersey and Michigan in the 1950s. The most deadly is the EHDV-6 reassortment serotype, which is exotic in origin. The virus is carried by a biting midge (gnat), which grows as a maggot in the mud associated with drying water holes, ponds and streams in late summer. Sick deer develop high temperatures, then go to water to cool off. The emerging midges feed on their blood, picking up the virus and spreading it to healthy deer.

There are three forms of EHD. 1) Peracute deer die rapidly, within 8-36 hours, often with few obvious symptoms. 2) Acute deer have extensive hemorrhages in the skin, heart and gut, as well as excessive salivation, nasal discharge and ulcers of the palate and rumen. 3) Chronic deer are sick for a few weeks, then get over the disease. They have shown some immunity that can be passed on to their fawns. Mortality can range from

a utho R photo

14-90%, with an average of around 40% in some areas. The presence of dead deer in or near water is a sure sign that EHD has struck.

Now, let’s discuss the “dreaded” CWD that has created so much turmoil over the last two decades. It’s one form of a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Translation: an individual can transmit it and it turns parts of your brain to a sponge!

CWD is a different kind of disease, caused by a misfolded molecule in the central nervous system, called a prion (pree-on). All mammals have prions in their nervous systems, the use of which is not truly known. The misfolded forms lodge in parts of the brain, damaging the tissues to the point of misfunction.

CWD has remained a rare disease, as are most TSEs. At this writing, the apparent infection rate in Texas is 2 in 1,000. Only a handful of deer are known to have actually died from CWD since 2012, when it was found in mule deer in Hudspeth County, Texas.

I could also have discussed anthrax and bovine tuberculosis (BTb), but not to minimize these, both are found only in very limited areas of North America. Anthrax is an acute and fast killer of deer, while bovine tuberculosis is a chronic killer. Anthrax is deadly to all mammals, including humans.

What you should know

Here’s what you need to know and be assured of from this discussion. First, even with the diversity of mortality agents in the whitetail world, there are more whitetails today than ever. Next, with the exception of anthrax, and in some cases BTb, there is little concern that humans will contract any of these diseases. It’s certainly not possible for humans to contract EHD or BTV, or CWD from deer.

In the case of CWD, after eating millions of pounds of venison in the U.S. for over 60 years, not a single person has contracted this disease. Scrapie— the same molecular profile PrPSc as CWD—has been known in sheep for three centuries, without a single human contracting this disease. Peer-reviewed science supports that human proteins are resistant to CWD prions. So, I hope this relieves some of your concerns about deer diseases. Go hunting, eat venison, and enjoy the outdoors!

TEXAS WHITETAILS IN 2024 What makes them tick?

By Horace Gore

Factors determining the volume of white-tailed deer herds in Texas to sustain all losses and keep deer at carrying capacity of the various habitats—Pineywoods, Cross Timbers, Edwards Plateau, Lower Plains, South Texas Plains, Coastal Plains—in 2024 include:

• Deer sex and reproduction

• High-fenced or open range

• Supplemental or natural nutrition

• Survival and recruitment of fawns

• Home range for yearling bucks

• Habitat quality of high-fence property

• Hunting

• Natural and man-made losses

Fawn survival and recruitment

Scenario: Two fawns (male and female) are born to a whitetail doe in each of the habitat types listed above. Their future depends on all these factors, which determine the life expectancy of a whitetail deer. Both fawns endure the same perils of living to recruitment into the herd. Major mortality factors for fawns up to three months age are abandonment at birth, nutrition, and predation. These three factors are the most probable causes of death in 50% of fawns.

Fawns that reach six months of age are somewhat protected by their ability to escape predation, but are subject to other natural and man-made losses until they reach about eight months of age and are recruited into

the herd—normally the following spring. Fawn loss up to recruitment (50% or more) depends on herd density, habitat, man-made loss, and predation.

Fawns that survive to 18 months are subject to natural changes in lifestyle. The doe fawns recruit into the female segment of the herd and remain in close proximity to the doe mother for a year in her home range. Yearling does look to their mother for food, cover, escape, and territory.

Male fawns that reach the yearling age (18 months)

are subject to harassment by older bucks, and most will retreat into the habitat until they are no longer harassed. This new safe haven becomes their home range for the rest of their lives. Although they may range in and out of outlying habitats during shortage of food or water, the only other thing that causes them to leave their home range is breeding.

When deer reach 18 months of age, their habitat becomes important with regard to fencing. Low fences

This buck has thrived in the cactus and brush country of South Texas.

Doe deer can be part of the harvest in all deer herds. A maximum take of as much as 30% of all ages can be sustained by fawn recruitment except in areas of unusual high losses from virus/disease and/or predation. As a rule, practical doe harvest hardly ever exceeds 50% on a given habitat because deer hunters are primarily interested in bucks. However, the taking of does accounts heavily for the 15 million pounds of venison consumed annually by Texas deer hunting families and friends. The present buck/doe harvest by Texas hunters amounts to an approximate 50-50 ratio.

High fenced deer herds are often controlled/managed by a substantial doe harvest because fewer does are needed to provide fawn recruitment to keep the managed herd replenished. Deer managers do not want the added expense of supplementing unneeded deer.

allow the deer to create their own natural home range, whereas high fences control their habitat choices within the confines of the fence.

Habitat variations

Deer on open range are subject to the natural carrying capacity of the habitat, which will include nutrition (seasonal or constant), water (seasonal or constant) and accidents or predation (seasonal or constant). Any one of the necessities of life—food, water, and protection—can determine the number of deer that can survive on a given open range habitat.

Deer confined by high fence are subject to the habitat characteristics enclosed by the fence, and are not subject to some man-made losses that open range deer endure. Large, fenced properties with all the necessities for deer survival do not affect confined deer as much as smaller fenced properties that may be lacking in a particular habitat requirement. These shortages/hinderances can be food, water, cover and individual deer contact—all controlling factors of a whitetail herd.

High- fenced habitats can have supplemental food, water and cover to increase the carrying capacity of the fenced land, but close proximity of dense deer herds can cause problems. Any fenced property less than the normal home range of bucks and does will present various social problems for deer, regardless of the amount of food and water. Space that affects feeding, breeding, fawning, and viruses/disease in a controlled deer herd will determine reproduction and longevity of both does and bucks.

Hunting practices

Hunting practices can affect deer herds on both open range and fenced habitats, but with modern seasons and bag limits, it is not practical to assume that deer herds can be over-hunted, except to affect buck quality.

The lower the deer numbers on quality habitat, the greater the fawn recruitment to bring the habitat back to carrying capacity. However, the number of bucks killed annually will affect the age structure of the buck segment, and hence, buck quality. In most situations, a buck harvest of over 20% will reduce age and antler development.

Open range deer are subject to more natural and man-made losses, and deer movement between ownerships may result in unacceptable hunting strategies. Open range deer can be baited for hunting, and are more subject to the need for game laws and bag limits that control harvest. Where ownerships are small, wildlife co-ops sometimes help control over-harvest.

Texas deer herds thriving

Since the 1960s, when trapping and transplanting of whitetails reached a peak, every nook and cranny in Texas that will support deer have varying densities of whitetails. About twothirds of the state’s 254 counties have a deer season, where a total of 900,000 deer, 16%, are harvested annually. Another 6% are lost to natural and man-made causes, making the total loss of whitetails per annum at 22%, which are replaced by fawn recruitment.

Texas is known far and wide as the America’s deer hunting capital. Some 800,000 licensed deer hunters converge on the timber and brush of the Lone Star state each fall and winter, taking an average of slightly over one deer per hunter. This is the highest hunting success rate in the nation, making the Texas deer industry worth $4 billion annually. Let’s keep it that way!

Editor’s Note: In the May-June issue, we’ll look closer at the Texas white-tailed deer herds and how they’re affected by fawn recruitment, habitat carrying capacity, hunting, and the effects of viruses and diseases.

The 12 hunters in this historic Hill Country deer camp photo are backed up by 21 bucks and two turkey gobblers.

This doe has both normal and melanistic fawns.

r MB P hotogra P hics

Glenda took her first trophy buck at age 77. This is her most recent buck. She plans to enter it in the Hunters Extravaganza Annual Deer Competition this August.

In October 2009, one of my sons and my husband died within two weeks of each other. My son died from an extended illness and my husband from a sudden heart attack. My family and friends did all they could to comfort me by keeping in touch to see if I needed anything. Because they were busy with their families and work, over time, checking in with me did not happen anymore.

My son, Glen, called one day to check on me as he would often do. He asked me how I was doing. I told him that friends would drop by during the week, but the weekends were busy for everyone. Weekends were becoming very lonely. He promised to try and fix that.

A week later, Glen called to tell me he had been getting the deer blinds ready for deer season and realized two chairs are in every blind. He told me to get ready to go to the deer blind with him. He said to bring a book or my Bible to read while he hunted so I would not get bored. He said he would take me to lunch and we could spend the day together after hunting. I

thought that sounded wonderful and was ready to go hunting with him.

The next day Glen told me the Hunters Extravaganza was coming to Fort Worth. He and my daughter-in-law, Pat, are TTHA Platinum Life Members Nos. 400 and 401. He told me their memberships would get us tickets to go to the show. He also said they have a wonderful church service at the show and asked me if would like to go. I told him I would love that!

After the service, we checked out every booth at the show. One of the vendors was selling crossbows. Glen asked if I would be interested in learning how to shoot one. I thought he was kidding, but soon realized he wasn’t.

A few days later Glen came to my house with a brand-new crossbow and told me we were going to the archery range so I could learn how to shoot it. He thought it would be better than trying to look through a riflescope with my glasses. He said if I could get comfortable with the scope on it then I would be more comfortable learning how to shoot a rifle for longer range hunting shots.

When we got to the archery store, they were really busy. Glen told me he promised the owner homemade banana pudding if they would get me set up and shooting my bow accurately. The owner was there when we walked in. He had that “what is this guy bringing this little old lady in to shoot a bow” look on his face. But the banana pudding was delivered, and things changed immediately. The owner had a special instructor for me.

The employees got my bow assembled and set up the target. Glen explained how to use the crosshairs on the scope and to slowly squeeze the trigger. My first shot was a little off center. Glen said I probably jerked the trigger. My second shot was a bull’s-eye because I remembered to squeeze the trigger. The young man helping us nicknamed me “Bull’s-eye Bullard.” Everyone practicing chimed in that it was a good nickname.

If they’re going to call you Bull’s-eye Bullard, you need to get ready to hunt! I was 77 years old when all this started. We practiced for several weekends, and finally, it was time to go hunting. We went to the ranch of a friend of my son and daughter-in-law to hunt exotic animals. Glen and my grandson, Tyler, would show me pictures of axis, blackbuck and fallow deer to teach me what we were going to hunt. I figured if they were

Glenda earned the nickname “Bull’s-eye Bullard” from her crossbow instructors.

taking me to hunt, they must believe I can do this.

When we arrived in Rock Springs, it was early enough to hunt that evening. We set up our ground blind overlooking a feeder in the thick South Texas brush. Some young deer and exotics came in to feed. After about 30 minutes they jerked their heads up and started leaving the spot.

I wondered what was happening when I saw antlers coming through the brush. It was a beautiful fallow deer. I looked at Glen and he gave me a thumbs-up. My crossbow was set up on shooting sticks and I waited until the deer was 20 yards from the blind.

I never experienced the feelings I had at that moment. People told me I would have adrenaline flowing through my veins. I’m not sure what that means but I can tell you I never felt so alive as I did in that moment.

The intensity of waiting for a moment that I never dreamed of when I was shooting those targets. The countless times Glen and Tyler showed me pictures of the animals, and pointing out the place behind the shoulder and saying, “Granny, that’s your bull’s-eye when you’re shooting an animal.”

The fallow deer finally stepped into range, and I squeezed the trigger. It surprised me when my shot went off. Glen was excited, saying, “Yes! Yes! Yes! You smoked him!”

I was not sure because the deer took off down the hill out of sight. Then suddenly, he came running back up the hill and past the blind until we heard him crash behind the blind. I kept saying, “Oh My God! Thank you, Jesus!” Glen and I hugged each other, and he told me how proud he was of me.

Finally, we calmed down and got out of the blind to look at my beautiful fallow deer. That was how I took my first trophy animal at 77 years of age. The mount on the wall is something special, but the chicken fried steak dinners I cooked are even more special to me, because I knew my family and friends were coming over to share the meal.

Since my first fallow deer hunt, I have learned how to shoot a rifle. I have taken animals with my crossbow and my rifle. The front cover of a Texas hunting newspaper said, “Crossbow Toting Granny gets her Elk.” I was 84 when I shot him.

They say he scored 380 inches. I’m not sure what that means, but I had to get a second freezer to hold the elk meat. My children and grandchildren had him mounted on a pedestal because my ceilings were not high enough.

Over the last 11 years I’ve been fortunate enough to complete the Exotic Slam. I’ve taken an antelope in New Mexico, a mule deer in Colorado, and several whitetail deer. My best deer finished in second place at the 2023 Hunters Extravaganza Annual Deer Competition in Fort Worth in August.

All this happened because my son didn’t want me to be lonely on the weekends. My son did more than that. If I’m ever feeling lonely on the weekend, I get a cup of coffee, go sit in my chair by my elk, and look at all the animals I hunted, remembering where I was and who was with me when I got each of them. You know, I’m not lonely anymore and can’t wait for my next hunting adventure.

Glenda with her son, Glen, who’s a Platinum Life Member, at last year’s Hunters Extravaganza in Fort Worth.

Glenda appears to have found a cure for loneliness—deer hunting.

Texas Trophy Hunters

As the author walked out to inspect his trophy, he realized it was the most fun and satisfying whitetail hunt he had been on in the last 20 years.

By Gary Roberson

the

Good Old Days

After hunting whitetails for well over 60 years, I had the opportunity to step back in time and hunt deer the way I prefer to hunt. As most of you know, I like to call critters, deer, turkey, and especially predators. If I am hunting whitetail deer, my preferred method is rattling.

I killed my first whitetail buck over 60 years ago while hunting on the family ranch in southern Medina County. The buck was a trophy, though he only had 6-inch spikes. In my opinion and Webster’s, a trophy is something gained or given in victory or conquest. Only the victor or hunter in this case, has the authority to designate something as a trophy. At age 7, the spike was a trophy to me. I killed this buck and three other trophies with my grandfather’s Winchester Model 94 .30-30, which made the hunt even more special.

After hunting two years with the Model 94, I graduated to a Savage Model 99 in .243 Winchester, another classic lever gun. In 1968, I purchased my first deer rifle, a Savage Model 110 in .270 Winchester with the left-hand action. Since that time, I have purchased many other deer rifles, all left-handed bolt-action rifles. Today, my primary deer rifle is a Ruger Hawkeye Hunter in 6.5 Creedmoor, topped with a Trijicon Accupoint 3-9X40 riflescope.

While I love the Hawkeye Hunter, and most of the bolt guns I’ve owned, there’s something romantic about the way a lever action rifle handles and feels when it’s slung over my arm. When Ruger purchased Marlin a couple years ago, I began patiently waiting to get my hands on one of the new Ruger made Marlins. Two months ago, I got my wish when a Marlin 336 in .30-30 Winchester showed up at my office. I began making plans to kill a buck with my new lever gun.

I decided the perfect deer hunt with this rifle would take place in the Hill Country, as this

locale was the mecca of whitetail hunting when I was a youngster and where I dreamed to hunt. Since rattling is my preferred method of hunting whitetails, the semi-open Hill Country terrain suited my style. A lever gun with iron sights would be perfect for this hunt, as most “rattled up” whitetails respond within 50 yards if you’re making the right sounds and are set up properly. A shot on a mature whitetail buck at that range is one I knew I could make, even with my 70-year-old eyes.

My target (trophy) buck would be a mature eight-point because 60 years ago, that’s what I dreamed of killing. I made arrangements to hunt on a Menard County ranch but was unable to get loose until the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I drove onto the ranch just before sunrise and immediately began seeing bucks chasing does. I planned to drive to the north side of the ranch and work back south, attempting to use the wind

The author took his earliest trophies with his grandfather’s Winchester Model 94 .30-30. This latest lever rifle is chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor.

of the Texas Trophy Hunters — THE VOICE OF TEXAS HUNTING®

to my advantage.

The first stand only yielded a 2-year-old eight-point, but on the second stand, business began to heat up. Two bucks, 3-yearold eight- and nine-pointers, responded from my right and I noticed they were looking to my left when a mature 10-point strolled out broadside at 25 steps. He approached the younger bucks and let them know he was he boss by arching his neck, flattening his ears along his neck and walking stiff legged.

Two more bucks showed up, one from my right and the other from straight away. All ended up downwind of me as they always do, but the buck lure was doing its job. None of them got spooked. In fact, they acted as if they didn’t want to leave.

One would think the sight of a 70-yearold man sitting at the trunk of a tree would send the bucks fleeing. But they seemed mesmerized. Evidently, they smelled what they liked and when I showed them my rattling horns by raising them up and down, they saw what they expected to see. Finally, the bucks lost interest and began drifting away.

The next spot was even better. Six bucks between 3 and 5 years old responded, all with eight to 11 points. Unfortunately, all of the eight-pointers were 3 years old, and I wanted a mature buck. I rattled 10 different stands that day and lost count of the number bucks that responded at somewhere over 30 but I hadn’t seen that really mature slick eight that I wanted. Tuesday morning, I was back in the hunt.

Three stands yielded 11 bucks, but not one old eight-point. It was almost 10 a.m. and the deer were bedded. I decided to make one last attempt on the northwest side of the ranch in some heavy shin oak brush where deer typically bed. I hid my pickup behind a big live oak and walked up a hill a couple hundred yards before sitting down against a large shin oak.

The breeze would carry the sound of my antlers in the direction of the denser cover. The sun was high but also in my favor. Since I was calling with the wind at my back, I sprayed an extra heavy dose of buck lure in the air and on the grass and bushes around me.

Two minutes into the stand, I saw a flash of something moving through an opening beyond a stand of shinnery. The deer was on a straight line to me. I could see his legs and lower body, but I could not see his head until he was approximately 70 yards. Finally, a mature buck showed up, and he appeared to be a main frame eight-point.

The buck stopped under the cover of shin oak at 65 yards, but he was looking straight ahead, and I was hesitant to take the shot. I tinkled the tips of the horns one more time, setting him in motion as he boldly cut the distance. At 30 steps, he began angling to his right, which would carry him directly

The author “rattled up” his mature eight-point whitetail buck to about 20 steps by making the right sounds and being set up properly. He was confident he could make the shot at that range, even with his 70-year-old eyes.

downwind of me. He cleared an agarita bush at about 25 steps as the Marlin found my bent knee and I steadied for the shot.

At 20 steps, he broke into the clearing totally broadside and I grunted him to a stop. The 140 grain Hornady LEVERevolution bullet found its home in the old buck’s left shoulder, almost knocking him to the ground. As he whirled, I could see blood squirting from his offside so I never ejected the brass, I knew it would not be needed. The old fellow made it about 35 steps and piled up.

As I walked out to inspect my trophy, I realized this is the most fun and satisfying whitetail hunt I had been on in the last 20 years. Little did I know going back to the good old days would be so rewarding.

Respect Mother Nature

By Will Leschper

From under my rain suit, I can tell the window has closed. Mother Nature is in control; no doubt about it. Eerie crackles spring forth from unseen hiding spots in the ghostly gray followed by a monstrous boom that carries near and far. Puffs of black stitched with creepy green hues hover precariously above the building chop. A slight breeze has given way to bristling gusts, the kind that chill and dishearten even on lukewarm days.

“We’ve got about two more casts.”

The taunt does not fall on deaf ears.

A lure retrieve later, a misshapen mass of white-hot energy materializes near the horizon, its radiant gleam burning a stirring glow on the landscape and leaving a shadowy warning in its wake.

“We done.”

***

As hunting and fishing enthusiasts, we play our games on Mother Nature’s terms. That means living with Texas weather variables of rain, snow, sleet, hail, lightning and heat on the water and in the woods. You can even throw in tornadoes, waterspouts and hurricanes, if you want to add to the list.

We control the other factors. You pick the destination, when you want to go and

The Texas Hill Country endured a historic freeze in December 2013 with many whitetails on the landscape facing ice and snow possibly for the first and only times in their lifespan.

how you want to prepare, but the wild card always is what weather will be thrown our way — regardless of whether the weatherman is right.

The late spring excursion to Lake Texoma previously mentioned was some years back and the trip was simply rushed. Fishing guide and friend Chris Carey of Striper Express Guide Service offered an outing on an off-day after fishing for 30 straight mornings, and I was quick to accept, knowing the forecast was not looking good. The morning started out with superb promise, as most days do when there are storms around. But after running only a short distance and plying a shoreline known for producing hefty smallmouths with crankbaits, it became clear we were on borrowed time.

We waited by his boat slip.

We left and grabbed a breakfast taco.

We came back and waited some more.

Ultimately, the game was called on account of rain — several inches in a couple of hours with no end in sight — but more importantly for the spiking columns of death that no fish is worth braving. Lightning simply isn’t a force to mess with, regardless of the circumstances.

Modern man has become adept at controlling everything around him, but getting beyond the cocooned barriers of the backyard shows us just how insignificant we are. It also lets us know we truly are blessed and that we need to appreciate the sunny days along with the other ones that aren’t as pleasant.

I’ve felt the sting of pelting rain along babbling high-country Colorado streams and waited out fast-moving storms that agitated already daunting Alaskan depths. I’ve seen a freakish gale blow apart a West Texas deer hunting camp and dump a half-foot of rain in mere minutes. I’ve been chilled to the bone on a summer day on the Texas coast when another cloudy mess sprang up from nowhere, soaking the whole operation and making for a harsh boat ride back as lightning sent us scurrying.

Each scenario reinforces two things about Mother Nature: You’re on her time and we are guests when it comes to the pursuits that we so deeply enjoy.

Sometimes you just have to hunker down. I’ve heard frightening tales of hunters and anglers basically getting stuck and having no other recourse than to hope and sometimes pray that things will turn out in their favor. A fishing guide on

the Texas coast once relayed an alarming account of having to rescue kayakers who paddled out onto redfish-rich flats on a morning that showed no cause for concern but ended with near hypothermic conditions. A storm simply rose from its slumber in that exact spot and left a trio of folks trapped on a spring outing with nowhere to hide from icy winds that spurred chop and forced them out of their crafts.

Fishing and hunting guides teach us an important lesson, too: Always be observant and cautious. Don’t go overboard and think that every blip on the radar or prognostication on the TV is going to always turn out, but stay vigilant and don’t press your luck. It’s also good practice to make sure you’ve got all the stuff you need.

Pack extra gear, food and water. That applies anywhere and everywhere.

When you’re thrown a curveball, take time to enjoy it, too.

I’ve had good discussions, enjoyed a sardine or jerky snack, and taken in some astounding scenery on outdoor breaks whether it’s on a Panhandle spring turkey hunt, an Alaskan fly dapping excursion, or a slow Central Texas deer outing.

Occasionally we try to cheat Mother Nature and she’ll let you know quickly when conditions are lousy or simply downright dangerous. If we’re smart, we’ll take the cues and either wait it out, hoping for a rainbow after the storm, or pack things up and call it a day.

“Know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em” as the late, great Kenny Rogers would preach.

Truer words have never been spoken.

Sometimes it’s not worth the gamble.

Wading Baffin Bay and other locales in the dead of winter for monster speckled trout can be downright excellent. Being prepared for inclement weather should also be on the menu, especially if you have to run 40 miles or more back to a marina.

Texas Panhandle quail hunts can be exceptional in moisture-rich seasons. They also can bring about bad weather and other natural hazards that should be planned for.

The Beloved .22 Rimfire

By Horace Gore

The .22 rimfire is a standard American rifle caliber that enhances the shooting skills of all Texas hunters. Many, if not all hunters, start out with a .22 rifle in their young days of hunting and shooting. Millions of .22 shells are fired in all kinds of rifles and pistols every year, and a good shot with a .22 is usually a good shot with a big game rifle. The benefits of shooting a .22 are accuracy, low recoil, minimal noise, and expense. Most households in America have at least one rifle or pistol in .22 caliber.

I have always enjoyed shooting a good .22 rifle more than any other gun. My early experiences with a .22 single shot were rabbits, squirrels, and pesky birds. Later, it was squirrels, jackrabbits, turtles, and various targets. I love squirrel hunting and shooting turtle heads with a good .22, and I carried an accurate .22 pistol for years, wasting a lot of ammo on jackrabbits, but feeling good about having the pistol when camping out in desolate places.

Historically, the rimfire .22 short was introduced in 1857 for a Smith and Wesson revolver. Later, the .22 long came along in 1871, and the popular .22 long rifle was developed by the Peters Cartridge Company in 1930. The .22 long rifle, with a 40-grain bullet, is America’s most popular cartridge for small game, target shooting and plinking.

My first .22 was a Sears Roebuck single shot that cost $6.15 from the Sears catalogue. The year was 1945, and my first conquest with the .22 was a cottontail rabbit that tasted good with biscuits and cream gravy. As a teenager, I caused the demise of many blackbirds that were stealing the chicken feed from my

Rhode Island reds. I’ve shot a lot of .22s since then, mostly at jackrabbits, squirrels, turtles and tin cans.

Some of my better .22s have been the Winchester Model 69A, 75 Sporter and 52 Sporter. I like the Marlin 39A lever action, and Ruger 10-22 auto. Two favorite squirrel rifles were a Winchester 63 auto with Lyman Alaskan scope, and a Ruger 10-22 with a 2½ Weaver. Both guns were “tack drivers.”

Many of the better .22 rifles of yesteryear are hard to find these days, and are expensive. However, the Ruger 10-22 automatic is an excellent rifle for almost any .22 rifle use. A good 2½- to 4-power scope makes it a good hunting rifle. Another good bolt action .22 is the Anschutz, a favorite of Al Brothers. Al and I killed and ate a lot of fox and gray squirrels with .22 rifles on the Guadalupe River.

Some of my pleasant evenings on the Kokernot Ranch in Gonzales County, were sitting on a high bank of the Guadalupe in my Rhino and shooting at turtles with a good scoped .22 rifle. The bullets splashing an occasional bait-stealing turtle or gar was a pleasant way to enjoy a .22 in the shade of a big cypress tree near the river camp house.

A .22 rifle for youngsters can provide many important points about gun safety. They learn about bullets, and where they go when fired. They learn what to shoot and not shoot. They learn how to aim, pull the trigger, with little recoil, and see the results of the shot at a can, paper target, or something floating in the water. Most youngsters like to shoot .22 rifles and pistols, and it is a good way to introduce them to firearms.

Once confirmed his buck was a “shooter,” Julio was more than happy to do his part for ranch management.

If you called Waylon Kusenberger a deer hunter, you’d be right on! The 12-year-old son of Glen and Trisha Kusenberger of Saint Hedwig, Texas, has been hunting deer and hogs on the Charco Marrano Ranch in La Salle County since he was 5 years old. His maternal grandparents, Phil and Jackie Hunter, have owned the Charco Marrano for more than 20 years, and Waylon grew up with a rifle in his hands. We won’t say how many deer and hogs he has killed, but it would be “many.”

Waylon’s nickname is “Julio,” and you hardly ever hear his given name around the ranch. When writing this story, I had to be reminded what his real given name is. So, from now on, we’ll just call him Julio.

“I guess Julio hates to get up before daylight in the morning?” I asked Julio’s other grandfather, Buddy Kusenberger. Buddy replied, “Julio likes to hunt. He will get up a 5 a.m. He’s ready any time there’s a hunt, whether it’s deer or hogs.”

Julio has some competition in the family. His three sisters “JoJo,” “Dodie,” his twin sister “LuLu” and little brother “Dino” are also deer hunters. But this story is about Julio’s big eight-point taken with “Papa Buddy” on the first day of the 2023 Youth Deer Season.

The season opened on Oct. 28, a week before the regular gun season. Papa Buddy and Julio were out on the Charco Marrano Friday evening before the season opened on Saturday, hoping to see a good buck for the next day’s hunt. They sat in one of the ranch blinds until dark, but saw nothing that excited them.

The youth season opened on Saturday, and Buddy and Julio were in a good spot, but a shooter buck didn’t show. They looked at deer all morning, and Julio was ready for a management deer. He would shoot Buddy’s 7mm Mag. if they saw the right buck.

The hunters gave up the hunt and went back to the ranch house for lunch. Julio wasn’t concerned that they hadn’t seen a good buck. He had hunted many times on the ranch, and knew chances were good they would find the right buck during the youth weekend.

The family ranch in La Salle County is well-known for the many

Julio’s big sister, Dodie (above) and his little brother, Dino. The Kusenberger kids are a competitive bunch, but all share a love and respect for everything outdoors.

big bucks taken there in past years. Jackie has taken both typical and non-typical B&C bucks. Her son, Travis, has taken several big wall-hangers. Julio’s mom and dad have arrowed several bucks on the ranch, with antlers that would fill a No. 2 washtub.

When the Saturday sun was about half-way down, Julio and Papa Buddy were back in a blind near a feeder. It was a good spot, and they saw several does and young bucks before sundown. They were about to give up when a big eight-point came out of the brush and walked down the sendero towards the feeder. They glassed the buck, and Julio called Uncle Travis to verify that it was a shooter. Travis gave him the go-ahead, but jokingly told Julio to shoot the buck close to the road because it was a big, heavy buck.

Before Julio could get a good shot, the buck jumped into the feeder pen. After a few minutes, Buddy realized the light was fading fast. “Julio, get ready,” he said. “I’m going to make some noise and get the buck out of the pen.” He yelled, but not too loud, and the buck paid no attention. Buddy yelled again, but the buck didn’t look up.

“Julio, here is what I’m going to do,” Papa Buddy said. “I will get the buck out of the pen, but he will probably jump the fence and run. When he does, I’m going to yell again to make him stop. When he stops, you shoot!” Julio stood ready, with the gun barrel out the window.

Buddy yelled loudly, and the buck lifted his head as Buddy made more noise. The buck jumped out of the pen and ran toward the brush, as Buddy yelled again. The buck stopped about 125 yards down the sendero, and Julio quickly put a 150-grain Winchester Ballistic Tip from the 7mm Magnum right where the neck meets the shoulder. The buck fell in his tracks.

Papa Buddy and Julio did a little celebrating in the blind and called for help. Buddy had already decided the buck was too much for him and Julio, and soon, help came to load the big buck in the truck. Buddy remarked, “Julio, you’ve killed a couple of 10-points, but this may be your best eight-point.” In the darkness, Julio just smiled. He was a happy hunter.

Julio’s Gramps Phil said this about the youth season: “Deer hunters like to get away during the season, but they should take advantage of the special weekend and take the kids hunting. We try to get as many grandchildren as possible to take management deer on youth weekend. Kids that hunt seem to do quite well, and we need more young hunters.”

We all agree, Phil.

Julio has come a long way from his first buck he shot with Grandpa Buddy. But two things are certain: He still hunts with his Grandpa Buddy and it still only takes him one shot.

A strutting gobbler on a Texas Panhandle creek bottom.

At first glance, the wide open, rolling prairies of the Panhandle appear like nothing more than marginal jackrabbit and coyote country. Look closer. River corridors winding through the vast emptiness support towering cottonwoods, willows and hackberries. Small creeks offer an oasis for game like deer and turkeys.

These isolated creek bottoms are home to secret populations of Rio Grande turkeys. The good news? These isolated flocks have far less hunting pressure on them than more popular Texas destinations like the Hill Country or South Texas.

Winter lasts longer in the Panhandle. It’s not uncommon to encounter frost and freezing temperatures on a spring hunt. I remember a cold April morning several years ago. As the sun tipped over the canyon walls, the tops of cottonwood trees echoed with turkey gobbles.

With my back to a gnarly juniper tree, shotgun over my knee and a box call in my lap, I watched as a flock of 20 birds came

like an angry mob down a two-track road. As the six big toms gobbled in the cold morning air, their breath looked like steam from a stove top. The nearby creek had chunks of ice drifting down stream. Icicles dangled from mesquite thorns. Cold!

My shotgun blast to claim the nearest gobbler shattered the still morning, but it only heightened their gobbling frenzy. While my bird flopped, the survivors just kept on gobbling and strutting as they slowly changed their course. Like a train’s smokestack, I could see their breath floating on the morning air each time a bird gobbled as the flock continued down the tracks away from me.

Today, turkey numbers in the Panhandle are lower than they used to be. Mostly drought is to blame. Excessive heat and no rainfall mean less nesting cover, no insects for poults to feed on, less green grass, nests are more vulnerable to predators, and even mature roosting trees die in a drought. Eventually, time and rain will heal the flock numbers. Experts say it takes

Brandon with a big Texas Panhandle gobbler from the 2016 spring season. Basic gear included a single-shot 20-gauge with fiber optic sights and a box call.

back-to-back wet years to see a substantial rebound in flock numbers. Until the rebound, a conservative harvest of mature gobblers is advised.

Scouting and gobbler gear

When hunting a new piece of ground for the first time, scouting is important. First, talk to the landowner or ranch hand on where they see turkeys. Those day-to-day observations will be a helpful starting place. On the ground, walk by likely looking creeks or rivers. Turkeys often travel parallel to the creek channel throughout the day. Look for pitchfork-shaped tracks in the mud, spent feathers, drag marks from the stiff wings of a strutting gobbler and droppings. Investigate under large trees or clusters of cottonwoods on the creek for accumulated drop -

pings and feathers. If the ground under a large tree is littered with droppings, you can bet that’s a seasonal roost tree. Trail cameras set along the river can help pinpoint what time of day turkeys travel and how many gobblers are on the property. A couple feeders one half mile or more apart loaded with a mix of milo and corn will keep birds in the area. I mix feedstore chicken scratch blends with bags of whole corn in my feeders so both deer and turkeys get something they like.

My turkey-chasing gear list gets shorter every year. I used to wear a turkey vest, carry mouth calls, box calls, slates, owl hooters, crow calls, coyote howlers, multiple decoys, and on and on. No other sport has as many gadgets as spring turkey hunting! Today, I’ve narrowed it down to the essentials so I can travel light.

I have two mouth calls in my pocket and a box call in my backpack. That’s it! I also wear a sharp knife on my belt and quality 10X binoculars around my neck. In the wide-open landscape of the Panhandle, spot-and-stalk is almost as common as spot-and-call turkey hunting.

Spring turkey hunting is about getting close. I’ve taken gobblers with a 12-gauge, 20-gauge and .410. Each weapon will work if you know its limits. Take the time to pattern your gun at 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards.

Demand a minimum of 10 pellets in the head/neck kill zone on a turkey target before considering a shot at that distance. Most shots are under 25 yards when birds respond to calls, but when they don’t, it’s nice to have the extra reach from a tight choke tube and tight-patterning gun to reach out to 40 yards. I’ve been really impressed with the new TSS loads out of all shotgun gauges for both tight patterns and knockdown power.

I prefer a simple rig, either a single shot or an over-under. Most turkey chasers use a semi-auto with fiber-optic sights. I’ve tried semi autos and pump shotguns with scopes, but it just seems like something extra to potentially go wrong.

A scope with a lighted dot? No thanks. Batteries die, and like Murphy’s Law states, always at the worst time. It happened to me once with a strutting tom at 20 steps!

Emma’s 2023 spring gobbler

With modest turkey numbers in our favorite Panhandle creek bottom, we

When scouting new ground, look for tracks, feathers, droppings and strut marks. This photo shows tracks and the drag marks of a strutting gobbler’s wing feathers on a dirt road.

decided Emma and I would each take only one gobbler. Mine came in the afternoon on opening day, April 1. I sat solo in a blind by the creek with a single hen decoy as bait. I called, but nothing answered. An hour into my sit, three gobblers quietly wandered down the creek. At a scant 14 yards, my arrow claimed the biggest of the three.

Emma’s gobbler came on the afternoon of April 7. The high temperature was 68 degrees and light south winds made for ideal conditions to hear turkeys talking. On route to sit a blind near a corn feeder, we spotted the fanned-up tail of a strutting tom. He was guarding five hens in the shadows of a large cedar tree. We decided they would eventually come to the free corn, so we skirted their perimeter and got in the blind.

For two hours we sat. I sent a lonely yelp into the afternoon air every 15 minutes, but it was met with silence. The turkeys were not talking. We decided to get aggressive.

We ditched the blind and climbed a brushy knob to glass the river habitat. Most of the creek bottom was void of birds, but surprisingly, the same fanned-up gobbler and five hens were still under the same cedar tree! They had not moved or made a sound in two hours. The stalk was on.

On our hands and knees, Emma and I crawled through knee-high grass. Sand burrs and prickly pear needles stabbed

at our shins and elbows. Slowly, we closed the gap. We made it behind a bushy cedar tree.

Through the 10X binoculars I could just see the top of the bronze-colored fan of our target. “He’s 25 yards straight ahead. Ease around this cedar, stay low, and aim for his neck. Make sure the hens are out of the way when you shoot,” I whispered to my partner.

Emma sat up on her knees, with the flock immediately spotting her movement. The gobbler turned broadside, letting halfway out of his strut. The hens started to putt and headed south. When the big gobbler was clear, Emma tugged the trigger. Boom! The hard-hit gobbler went straight down with barely a flop. The fancy Beretta Silver Pigeon 20-guage coupled with Browning TSS ammo a deadly combination at 26 measured steps.

Emma’s big gobbler had 1-inch spurs and a 9-inch beard. He had the classic tan and bronze coloring on his tail common to the Rio Grande sub species. I estimated his weight at 20 pounds. We snapped a few photos on an old corral fence as the sun dipped behind the canyon walls. We were both thankful for another turkey adventure in the Panhandle and fried turkey nuggets for supper. With time and rain, hopefully there will be more turkeys to chase in the future.

Brandon and his 15-year-old daughter, Emma Ray, with Emma’s spot-and-stalk gobbler from April 2023 mentioned in the article.

Wanting a good place to hunt, Seth did it the old-fashioned way. He sent letters of introduction to a few landowners, as well as visiting others in person. His good manners paid off when he received a response to one of his letters.

Iwas sitting on a bed of needles in a thin stand of pines when I drew my bow. I could feel the additional tension in my back after a long morning of blue northern wind. My thumb release was cold in the hand as I looked down the tip of the arrow at a mature buck which had every indication of being my best buck ever.

Nearly two years of planning, hoping, working, and building relationships had led to this very moment. A moment I never expected. How was this even possible? So many thoughts run through your head in these final seconds before the shot. However, in this instance, the answer was, in fact, good ol’ southern hospitality.

Gaining permission

As an avid hunter with a busy schedule, I wanted to find more opportunities close to home so I could spend more time with my growing family. However, southeast Texas and the Gulf Coast are not exactly known for trophy whitetail hunting. I began doing my research and looking at different maps for potential property locations. My goal was to identify remote parcels of land that may not be in use or even potentially landlocked.

Access would also be key to a successful hunt, but that was arbitrary until getting permission to hunt was an actual possibility. Once I had identified some properties of interest, I sent out dozens of letters and began to visit the front door of a few landowners when I had the opportunity. Randomly interrupting someone’s day or potential downtime is not something I particularly enjoy. My goal is to always respect everyone’s privacy and personal property.

When I approached landowners, my first goal was to always let them know I had nothing to sell. Many folks are quick to dismiss your efforts and others are a little more polite before they tell you they are not interested. After several weeks of front porch conversations, I was starting to lose faith and believed that my efforts would unfulfilled.

Finally, at the end of a long, busy work week, I received a very special phone call from a gentleman who had received one of my long-lost letters from weeks ago. He called to let me know he appreciated my letter, and he would be happy to have me visit his property to show me around. Honesty, I was speechless. This man had extended a simple, good-hearted invitation, to come enjoy his beautiful property and required nothing of me.

I offered to help around the property, mend fencing, cut hay, and even feed cows. My offers were continuously denied as he would only state, “You have better things to do. Go spend time with those girls.” In honor of his kindness, I often did just that.

Scouting and prep

Over the summer months I would visit the property periodically to scout, walk some trails, and run a few trail cameras in order to figure out how deer would use this small piece of property. I saw evidence of some historical deer rubs, as well as a few twisted licking branches that showed promise of year-round or seasonal visits. I typically ended my scouting days with a visit to the barn to discuss the feed store gossip, local politics, and complain about the relentless Texas heat with the generous landowner. As those highly anticipated fall months drew closer, I had hung a few stands, put in some mock scrapes, and it became a reality that at least a solid nanny doe was certainly in the cards for me.

As usual, stand time was limited as October rolled around, but I continued to be patient with the small property. Warm temperatures and family commitments forced me to wait for the proper timing and conditions. I certainly did not want to pressure such a small parcel and ruin any chance to see what those peak November rut mornings would bring.

Seth owes his success to a kind landowner and a kind co-worker who let him leave early from his night-shift work.

Texas Trophy Hunters

The hunt

On Nov. 14, I convinced my co-worker to allow me an early release from a long night shift. This additional hour would give me the opportunity to slip in well before dark on the heels of a big front that had blown in that night. A little generosity and kindness towards co-workers can go a long way!

As I made my way up to my primary hang-on location, I noticed the wind was not as consistent as I had hoped. As the morning sun peeked through the timber, the whipping wind through those skinny pines made it evident the wind was anything but steady. A northwest wind had shown signs of east and even southeast turbulence, which threatened to jeopardize my shooting windows to the west and even my mock scrape. After a short internal argument with myself, I decided to abandon the hang-on set, and find a spot on the ground with a more consistent wind.

As I moved about 50 yards to the south, away from the treeline edge, the cold wet pine needles in the shadows of the underbrush seemed to make a perfect ambush location along with a more consistent easterly wind. The wet bark of the pine seemed to match my dark camo sweater perfectly as I took a seat the base of the tree. With my feet out front, I felt like old Huck Finn searching for a napping spot after a long day of adventure. However, I was looking for a different dream.

About 30 minutes after moving to my new location, I caught sight of two small bucks on the treeline just east of me. They were moving north and seemed to be catching scent from the upwind thicket. This was a great sign to see, but the beautiful bucks were not quite what I was hoping to find. It wasn’t long before I spotted a long set of legs through the underbrush and a deer moving the opposite direction along the same treeline.

A mature buck emerged and was working the same trail, but was headed south following whatever mature buck intuition drove him that morning. As he moved away, I gave him a little grunt to pique his interest. He stopped, turned his right ear back in my direction, and kept moving. The second grunt agitated him just enough, that he turned, and began to work a small licking branch about 60 yards away.

Once he was satisfied, he then began to work away from me before I hit him with the sometimes-controversial snort wheeze. This buck wasn’t afraid of whatever sent those grunts, and displayed some level of dominance in response. Once he heard the snort wheeze, that was enough to abandon his trek and begin to investigate what was in his timber. As he disappeared southwest of me, I anticipated he was circling up to get directly west of my position in order to use his ability to scent check before laying eyes on the agitator.

As he emerged from the edge, he took a long pause to stare, trying to find evidence of whatever was in the area. From my completely seated position, the buck could present a perfect strong side shot at the nine o’clock position. My cold muscles ached from sitting still on a windy cold morning, with the almost icy thumb release waiting for the final moment. The buck had drifted to the eight o’clock position during what felt like my last breath. I released the arrow on a slightly quartering angle shot. The rest as they say, is history.

Understanding the somewhat questionable nature of the shot, I decided to play it safe in the recovery. A game of patience no hunter enjoys playing. In the end, we found the 5-year-old buck within 150 yards of the shot location. A hunt that came to an end with my first ever deer taken in my home county, as well as my best archery buck ever. All made possible by a simple letter, and a little southern hospitality.

Wyatt Heffelfinger called this Gould’s gobbler back into range for his dad.

The Gould’s turkey of northern Mexico and the American Southwest is the fifth and largest turkey subspecies in the United States, but lesser known than Merriam’s, Eastern, Rio Grande, and Osceola. John Gould was the first to name this subspecies in 1856 and it was the last to be restored to its historical habitat in the Southwest. In addition to the massive Sierra Madre in Mexico, Gould’s originally occupied the isolated mountain islands of southern Arizona and New Mexico, but like many edible species at the time, they were eliminated in the U.S. portion of their range.

Getting Gould’s

In the 1980s, biologists from Fort Huachuca began the first translocations from Mexico to Arizona. Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) took over restoration efforts in the 1990s and I personally dropped the net on the first group of nine jakes captured in Mexico in 1994. As a regional wildlife biologist for AZGFD, I assembled and led the Southeastern Arizona Wild Turkey Advisory Committee to write a management plan in 2000 to restore Gould’s turkeys in the U.S. I held two meetings per year to guide translocations, habitat improvements, research, and other restoration actions. Being able to hunt a species is the surest proof of successful restoration, and

that was certainly the case with Gould’s turkeys when Arizona opened its first hunting season in 2003. The number of tags in Arizona grew steadily with the turkey population and they currently offer 79 tags that are available to applicants through a lottery-style draw. New Mexico removed Gould’s turkey off their state threatened list in 2022 and now offer four hunting tags.

Hard work pays off

We now have robust Gould’s turkey populations in all southeastern Arizona mountains. These years of hard work to collaboratively restore Gould’s to every block of suitable habitat paid off in a very personal way when I drew a coveted tag in 2014, exactly 20 years after dropping the net on those first Mexican birds translocated by AZGFD. Other field biologists and volunteers have done most of the groundwork to implement the management plan we wrote and they deserve most of the credit.

My tag was in the Catalina Mountains on the northern edge of the city of Tucson. This mountain has a paved road to the top and because it is mostly U.S. Forest Service land, it is a busy playground for the metropolitan area’s one million residents. Besides the volume of recreationalists enjoying their

Gould’s turkey habitat is steep and rugged with limited access to large areas.

public land, one of the challenges of this hunt is the steepness of the habitat that makes it difficult to simply walk around the forest and call turkeys. Even though most of it is public land, there are blocks of private land with houses and cabins all over the mountain and a law prohibits hunting within one-quarter mile of any building. You can guess where the turkeys like to hang out.

Wyatt helps Elsie meet Tom

I was determined to hunt this special bird with my greatgrandfather’s 1894 L.C. “Elsie” Smith side-by-side, Damascus steel, double hammer, double barrel 12-gauge. A great friend of mine had the cracked stock fixed on this family heirloom as a Christmas present to me. He also loaded up some No. 6 shot reduced-power loads with Pyrodex that was safe for firing in the 130-year-old Damascus steel barrels. My son Wyatt agreed to come along and help, which was special to me because it was Wyatt who got me into turkey hunting in the first place. We were mostly big game hunters, but when Wyatt was 10 years

old and a brand-new hunter education graduate, he told me he wanted to hunt turkeys because he loved dinosaurs so much. With the help of some friends and youth turkey hunting camps, we learned together and became quite good at it. After I called in both Merriam’s gobblers he harvested up to that point, he returned the favor on this hunt.

The fourth gobbler we talked to that day was a stubborn bird with commitment issues. He was hot to answer every hen yelp with a gobble, but would not cross a deep ditch between us and him at 50 yards. The reduced-power loads I was using meant I needed a 30-yard shot or closer. I thought he figured out a way around the ditch, but the hen he was with started walking away. Predictably, he followed her up an open, pine-covered hill. Wyatt called and called more aggressively but the tom kept gobbling as he walked out of our lives. When the tom neared the top of the hill I decided I had no choice but to try to sneak up the hill and make something happen on the other side. Wyatt called aggressively to keep him gobbling and cover my rapid stalk up the hill after him. The big tom answered him almost

Jim’s family heirloom 1894 L.C. Smith shotgun served him well in taking his first Gould’s turkey. That’s Jim’s great grandfather on the left.

every time, but then fell silent as I approached the top of the hill. Wyatt followed me far behind calling more aggressively to make it sound like the hen was following him.

As I approached the top of the hill, I started sneaking and carefully looking into the clump of pine trees where I last saw him when suddenly he gobbled in my left ear! He had circled back and surprised me because of Wyatt’s aggressive yelps from the bottom of the hill. I swung Ol’ Elsie to the left, put the bead at the base of his head and squeezed the front trigger. The shotgun roared with a belch of gray smoke and the turkey fell where it stood. The old heirloom did its job just as it did countless times on small game in my great-grandfather Frank’s hands. I am lucky I didn’t have time to think about the shot or I would have surely missed. The bird was 21 pounds, had an 11-inch beard, and 11⁄8 -inch spurs.

Epic hunt

I reserve a special place in my memory bank for this hunt for so many reasons. First, because it was made possible by our turkey restoration efforts. Second, I was able to share it with my son who is the reason I turkey hunt and he called this bird back to me. Third, I sealed the deal with a family heirloom shotgun fixed by a friend.

I take satisfaction in knowing that because of everyone’s hard work, and the steadfast support from the National Wild Turkey Federation, generations of Arizonans and others will be able to enjoy wild Gould’s turkeys in the American Southwest. It also pleases me greatly that just five years later, Wyatt was able to draw his own Gould’s tag in the same unit and took his own bird with a family tree that might stretch back to one of those jakes I netted in the mountains east of Yecora, Mexico.

The white tail and rump feathers of Jim’s Gould’s turkey is on full display.

Each year during the month of August, deer hunters of all ages from Texas, Mexico, and out-of-state, bring their bucks to the Hunters Extravaganza Annual Deer Competition in Houston, Fort Worth and San Antonio. Young hunters proudly enter their trophy—sometimes their first buck—hoping to win a prize. TTHA is proud to recognize some of these young hunters and their trophy bucks.

Tyler, an avid hunter and fisherman, took his first mule deer when he and his dad participated in a drawn hunt at Yoakum Dunes WMA.

Tyler Poole of Hankamer, Texas, has been deer hunting several years and has seven whitetails and one mule deer to his credit. The 12-year-old seventh grader at Abeka Christian Academy got the chance to go after mule deer in the Texas Panhandle when his dad, Jared, applied for a Big Time Texas Hunt with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Each year, TPWD makes a lot of good hunts available on Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and other places in Texas, and lucky hunters often come home with trophies of a lifetime.

Jared was accepted for the mule deer hunt on the Yoakum Dunes WMA in Cochran County, with Tyler as a guest hunter. The hunters gathered their guns and gear and traveled to Cochran County, where they met their guides at the WMA headquarters near the small town of Whiteface. Tyler carried his Ruger 6.5 Creedmoor and a pocket full of shells.

At dinner on the day of their arrival, Tyler and his guide planned a hunt on the vast 14,037-acre WMA. The West Texas area is home to a good population of mule deer, and the hunters would cruise the backroads looking for a good buck. Long stalks to get in position for a good shot are not uncommon, and Tyler found out how difficult it is to get in rifle range of a mule deer in the sand dunes of Cochran County.

On the first day, Tyler and his guide got close to a buck or two, but had no luck in the stalk. The next day, they went back after a good buck that they had seen the day before. The deer was unusual, because the G-2s did not fork, but the antler tines were long and Tyler wanted to test his 6.5 Creedmoor on the buck.

In the afternoon, the hunters spotted the buck they were after, and Tyler decided to try for a stalk that would give him a decent shot. After walking and then crawling through the shin oak brush for hours, Tyler finally got a good shot with his Ruger 6.5 Creedmoor at 170 yards. The buck went down, and Tyler had his first mule deer.

Jared had also taken a wide mulie buck, and both father and son returned to Hankamer, just east of Houston, with big smiles. The Big Time Texas Hunt for mule deer had paid off!

Tyler and his dad decided to enter their bucks in the 2023 Hunters Extravaganza Annual Deer Competition in Houston. Both bucks were outstanding, but Jared beat Tyler for Best Texas Mule Deer by a half inch! Tyler plans to take a whitetail during the 2023-24 season, and it might be a hunt with his new bow. Jared is a bowhunter, and Tyler plans to take up the sport.

“The Panhandle hunt was special for me and Dad,” Tyler said. “We both enjoyed the sandhill scenery, and the guides were great on the Yoakum Dunes WMA.”

The Houston deer contest was the first for Tyler—but probably not the last.

Tyler says he likes to hunt and fish, and has done a lot of both. He also likes Little League baseball. As for deer hunting, he likes it all—but prefers evening hunts. We at TTHA want to congratulate Tyler for his first mule deer buck, and hope it’s not his last.

Texas Trophy Hunters

The Blacktails of Kodiak Island

by Eric Stanosheck

As I carefully maneuvered my last few steps around the alder patch, I found myself face to face with the heavy framed buck. The rut does funny things to deer, and this stocky Sitka blacktail questioned if I was there in Alaska to steal his doe. His defensive posturing towards me was quick, but memorable. My dad Tim and I were muzzleloader hunting for Sitka black-tailed deer in Alaska. After a connection of flights from DFW to Kodiak Island, we picked up powder and primers we had reserved locally, and boarded our final float plane flight to our destination. As we flew over

the snowcapped peaks of Kodiak Island to an isolated bay, I could feel emotions that went beyond adventure!

Jeff Maier, the lodge owner, met us planeside in his skiff and we proceeded to transfer all our gear and guns to the boat for the ride to shore. We were shown to our cabins and unpacked. Sighting in muzzleloaders and making waterproof “quick loads” were the No. 1 priority at the lodge. Jeff came in and said, “We have a few hours until dark, so I’d like you guys to hike up the mountain to get a feel for the terrain, and get acquainted with something important about Kodiak

Eric with his Alaska buck. Sighting in his muzzleloader and making waterproof “quick loads” were his top priorities.

Island: What you see is not what you get.”

The hike looked simple, but reality said otherwise. After a couple hours of fighting thorn brush we were barely halfway. Temporarily defeated, we headed back down to shower and eat dinner at the main lodge. The hike was a good humbling lesson for the challenging uphill distances on this hunt.

The next day we were dropped off by skiff at the mouth of a creek that ran into Uganik Bay. Three hours into the hunt we finally broke free of the devil’s club and alder jungles. Deer sightings were frequent, but the difficulty was finding a trophy buck in the constant rain.

A couple miles up the valley, a heavy antlered buck caught my attention and we decided to take a closer look. After a faceto-face encounter with the buck in thick brush, he disappeared into the alders. The days were incredibly short in Alaska, so we left the buck and quickly covered the distance back to our pick-up spot before dark.

The next morning we started our long hike in and found the buck and doe that we had seen the previous day. We closed the distance until we were directly above the alder patch where they had disappeared. The wind was howling at a fast clip and a brisk rain was falling.

The rain was blowing sideways as we carefully loaded our muzzleloaders, trying to keep everything dry and covered. We continued down the long vertical drop to the deer hidden in his alder fortress—Dad on one side, and me on the other. I would take the first shot at the buck and dad had free reign to take any shot he could get.

As I cleared the last alder, the two deer were alerted. I quickly took aim with my muzzleloader and put a bullet shoulder high, and the buck went down! Dad and I met and celebrated our success, admiring the new No. 24, as we would learn later, long-hunter muzzleloader record for a Sitka buck.

We took pictures during a weather break and loaded our packs with deer, and hiked back up the mountain to catch a good deer trail that led us to the creek crossing. At the last sliver of daylight, we found ourselves soaking wet and a long way from the beach landing. Once on the beach in the dark, we radioed camp for Jayson Cottle to bring the skiff.

The incoming tide, gale-force winds, and boulder strewn shoreline were a

“What you see is not what you get,” was the advice the lodge owner gave Eric and his dad about what would lay ahead on the Alaskan terrain.

deadly combination as Jayson guided the skiff to the beach and we quickly jumped in between waves. A huge wave threw me and 100 pounds of deer into the boat face-first, and almost launched Jayson out to sea.

The skiff was suddenly turned at a steep angle on the rocks and taking on water. We had to act quickly. It took every ounce of energy we had to fight the skiff at each wave, but after about 30 minutes we had the bow pointed away from shore. I held the skiff steady while taking waves to the face; dad bailed water, and Jayson got the prop and motor out of the rocks. I dove into the boat after feeling a thrust of the outboard motor, and we were soon out of danger.

The boat ride back to camp was fairly

quiet as we all realized the severity of the situation from which we’d just narrowly escaped. Dinner that night was a celebration of more than my buck—it was the fact we were all back in camp safely.

The next two days were spent in camp cleaning our guns, gear, and salt water-soaked clothes. On the final day of the hunt, Dad didn’t want any part of the skiff, so we left camp on foot for the day. Deer were plentiful, but nothing dad wanted. We did get a glimpse of a monstrous brown bear that morning.

The warmth of the cabin and dinner that evening were very satisfying after our long day of hunting. As I sat at the dinner table, I thought of an old line: “Life without adventure is no life at all. Enjoy it with your muzzleloader on the hunt.”

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Editor’s note: We listed the incorrect URL for this product in the January/February issue, so we’re listing it again with the correct URL. We apologize.

Fighting advanced stage cancer, award-winning journalist Bryan Hendricks flips the “bird” to death and goes turkey hunting. His adventures help him reconcile his son’s death, a friend’s suicide, and his own mortality. An unorthodox Arkansas backwoodsman, Bryan obeys inner voices. He heeds the beckoning of magic trees and magic barrels. He senses the spirit of a departed friend in a gobbler strutting in a field. He nearly causes a panic by wearing camouflage in a college library and triggers a divorce in an ill-fated float-fishing trip.

Unforgettable gobblers and real-life characters are Bryan’s wingmen in a heartwarming, heart-wrenching memoir told in the wry, riveting style that has captivated Bryan’s fans for decades. Find it on Amazon.

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Thermal monocular

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XS Sights introduces its new, photoluminescent Standard Dot Vent Rib Shotgun Beads for waterfowl and turkey hunting. The universal fit design utilizes a brass post and friction taper lock that will securely hold the bead on the barrel for countless hunts or thousands of rounds of clays.

Tactical utility crossbow

The new Hyper Raptor crossbow has a lightweight composite riser and measures just over 7 inches axle-to-axle cocked, and provides excellent maneuverability. Its pivoting limb pockets put less weight at the front of the crossbow, making a more durable shooting platform with reduced recoil and vibration. With its compact and energy-efficient design, it sends small-diameter HyperFlite arrows down-range with incredible speed, up to 410 fps and 142 foot-pounds of energy for maximum bone-crushing penetration. Visit barnettcrossbows.com.

Ultra-luminous compass

The Sun Company ProSight Map Compass has an adjustable declination scale to get precise readings, perfectly adjusted for magnetic north. Compass bezel rotates 360 degrees for easy bearings and the dial is ultra-luminous, making it the perfect compass for low-light situations. The protective cover keeps the compass safe from damage. Open the cover to reveal a full-sized sighting mirror. Includes a clinometer in the dial for measuring the height of any landmark. Other features include a jewel bearing, 3X magnifying glass, four map scales, inch and mm rulers, break-away safety lanyard, and silicone anti-slip foot pads. Visit suncompany.com.

360-degree trail cam

Stealth Cam’s Revolver covers six zones to deliver a complete panorama of its surroundings. This means users get a full 360 degrees of visibility, day and night, to ensure they never miss a thing—even deer passing behind where the lens is positioned. Thanks to a silent, pivoting motor, the camera offers the option to get more than just one photo from a single vantage when a zone is triggered. The camera responds quickly to movement, situating its lens in the correct zone to deliver high-quality images and videos in real time. When paired with Stealth Cam’s Command Pro app, users get an immersive experience. Optional t-post bracket included. Visit StealthCam.com for more info.

WE ARE TTHA MUST-HAVES

Fiberglass rifle stocks

While a bit heavier than AG Composites’ traditional carbon fiber stocks, their new fiberglass stocks will allow shooters to experience world-class design and manufacturing processes at a much lower price point. By using quality fiberglass material, AG Composites offer a robust, dimensionally stable platform for anyone looking to build a new custom rifle or replace an existing stock. The new fiberglass stocks will feature precise inletting, premium finish, quality components, and are 100% U.S.-made by military veterans. Visit agcomposites.com.

Double shotgun slips

agcomposites.com

Throom targets

Throom introduces its 6-inch target KnockDown Plate. This target system features six precision plates. Crafted for shooters of all levels, it’s the ultimate challenge for honing your skills. Shoot with virtually any rifle or handgun ammunition. The self-healing targets were designed to replace dangerous ricochet-causing steel targets. They’re seven times lighter than steel targets and are totally weatherproof. If your Throom target doesn’t provide completely splatter-free performance, they’ll buy it back—no questions asked. Visit ThroomTargets.com to learn more.

ThroomTargets.com

Designed to provide complete protection for your pair of shotguns, Rigby’s new handcrafted double shotguns slips offer the pinnacle of style and functionality in the field.

With two designs available, customers can choose between an exterior of full tan-colored leather or a rugged green canvas body, accentuated by dark brown leather, covering the toe, straps, handles and finishings. a thick fleece lining offers premium cushioning, with an inner leather sleeve holding each gun in place, preventing them from falling out of the slip when opening.

The full-length, sturdy YKK zipper on the exterior is surrounded by leather piping to prevent scratching, with a reinforced leather toe adding durability and double straps for the upmost comfort when carrying. Available in 28-inch, 30-inch or 32-inch barrel lengths. Each slip is made to order, and enquiries can be made by emailing: tony@johnrigbyandco. com. Visit johnrigbyandco.com for more info.

johnrigbyandco.com

So You Want to be a Guide?

Now that deer season is over, what do we do now, kids? I know a lot of you have come to our summer camps, youth retreats, hunts, etc., and have been inquisitive about becoming a hunting guide. Dozens of kids through the years have asked me to hold them a spot when they graduate so they can come and work hunts and fishing events at the Christian Outdoor Alliance. This past hunting season, I was looking for some help because we had multiple hunts happening each week, and finding qualified staff is very important to us. One of the things I had failed to do was put into words what I’m looking for and what all takes place on the ranches and the events. There is more to it than one might think, or at least that’s my experience.

My first job out of college was coaching college baseball and then I moved into administration in a private school. When I interviewed, I did not realize everything that would take place each day, nor did I realize the various jobs I would do working at a smaller private school. Each day I helped the kids get in and out of the carpool line and back in the cars in the afternoon. I painted walls, fixed plumbing, changed flats, cleared snowy sidewalks, and served lunch. My point is you can never be well-rounded enough. It’s a benefit to learn all types of trades so you can apply those to your home life and your working life. It will make you very valuable to your employer.

I want to share with kids, and some adult kids, the different things we do as “guides” on the ranches. You can never go wrong learning some plumbing skills because it seems we end up with plumbing issues that you can take care of in the middle of nowhere versus calling a professional. You do not always have that option,

and keeping a few plumbing parts around your camps can be huge when a water line breaks, a commode gets backed up, or the water heater goes out. This sort of thing happens more often than I like, but it’s part of the deal.

Another great thing to learn is some carpentry skills so you can tinker with the little things around the camp that need attention. I know this year alone I have patched up a few holes on deer stands, thanks to our

Shawn Koss (left) and Bill Koss.

local woodpeckers. On more than one occasion I have had to patch a roof or tack some siding. We have added decks and patio covers and all sorts of stuff to make the camps more appealing. It is a great skill to learn to go along with being a guide.

When it comes to electricity I go to the licensed professionals each and every time. I want to live and do not want to get electrocuted out of stupidity. However, it’s a good trade to learn so you can diagnose the situations and give your electrician friend some information before making the trip to your camp. Having an idea about what is going on is important so you can give some insight to the electrical troubles you’re facing.

I also recommend you learn how to run some big equipment such as a tractor so you can help clear roads, move dirt, or cut the senderos around the ranches. Knowing your away around some of the equipment will make you valuable on the ranch because there’s never a day that goes by when something does not need attention. We use tractors daily on the ranches that have them because they are great tools.

Another valuable tool as a guide is learning your way around a kitchen and learn to help clean dishes, cook meals, or just take out the trash. This is such a valuable part of being a guide and winning hunters’ stomachs will win their hearts. As I have grown as a guide I have put a lot of value into learning all kinds of wild game recipes to cook for our clients. I have the equipment on our home ranch to do some meat processing, and it’s rewarding work to package your own product. We enjoy packaging our own burgers, pan sausage and link sausage. There are lots of recipes

out there and all sorts of different avenues to purchase the equipment needed to process your wild game. In future stories I will share some great recipes for camp and your wild game dinners.

As a Texas guide, it’s important to learn your animal identification because a lot of different species roam the landscape. You also want to learn which animals have the best meat and what the trophy quality of each animal can be. The most common to learn are axis, fallow, blackbuck, sika, and aoudad. There are also lots of other great critters that are delicious and make great mounts like the nilgai, oryx, and buffalo. You can see a list of animals on our website and spend lots of hours looking at videos and pictures of these wonderful creatures.

You will need some quality optics so you can glass and find these animals while hunting. As we get into the fun part of our guiding job, we will need to spend lots of time in the field learning where the animals roam and start categorizing where you see the different things on the ranch. You will need to learn to score whitetail deer onthe-hoof because this is very difficult, and it is even more difficult to score a deer in a photo or video. I have been at this most of my life and I still miss these deer on aging and score. All you can do is your best and get all the help and tips from experienced guides that you can.

L-R: Jeff Carpenter, Brian Sagraves, Gus Sagraves, Josh Sagraves and Jarrett Robertson.

L-R: Logan Moon, Jac Chandler, Luella Tolbert.

Make sure you learn about guns, bows, crossbows, shotguns, fishing rods, tackle, etc., because you will be asked all sorts of questions about calibers, models, and makes. Please make sure you have a backup gun in case a client has trouble with theirs. It’s always a great idea to check the client’s firearm accuracy upon arrival at the camp. Things can happen and you do not want it to get bumped off.

There are lots of other things to do to become a guide, but a key ingredient is a great attitude and a willingness to make new friends. I have been blessed throughout the years to make some the greatest friends on God’s green earth and look forward to seeing them come back each year. It’s a very rewarding job and lots of time in God’s great outdoors. I would not trade it for the world.

Michael Marbach is the CEO of the Christian Outdoor Alliance, www.mycoa.org; 210-827-9802. COA’s mission is to guide youth and outdoorsmen to a relationship with Jesus Christ through experience in God’s great outdoors.

The author on a bird hunt.

Brian literally struck it big when he took this Roosevelt elk.

My wife and I went to Oregon for the archery blacktail opener with Mike Lee of Southern Oregon Blacktails.

Over the last decade, I’ve fallen madly in love with hunting these mysterious, unique coastal bucks of the Northwest. The Columbian blacktail can be found from California, all the way along the West Coast up into Southern British Columbia. I’ve been with Mike a number of times, but this time, I also had a Roosevelt elk tag and a bear tag in my pocket.

Over the first three days of the hunt, my wife Tracey had a very close call on a giant blacktail, but he ducked her string. On day 4, she connected on a mature buck, and I was super excited for her. Due to obligations with our kids, she flew back to Texas the next afternoon.

On our afternoon hunts, the prior three days had been slow, so we decided to go look for elk after we dropped my wife off at the airport. We looked all around the unit, scouting different spots quickly with glass. We stopped to check a watering point and suddenly spotted a lone bull way up on top of a mountain. He was moving quickly. Without bringing our packs or any preparations, we immediately started literally running up this mountain. There wasn’t a lot of daylight left and there was zero time to waste. On the way up, we spotted a black bear feeding on blackberries. He was almost in bow range, so I made a note that we may need to come back to this area later to look for a bear.

Within 45 minutes, we made it up to where we had seen the bull. It was early season,

so we called sparingly once we slowed our pace. Suddenly, my great friend and cameraman, Ryan Hoeft, whispered, “He’s staring at us!”

I very slowly eased my head over to peek around a tree. The bull was staring holes through my soul from 60 yards. My heart began to pound so loud I was convinced he could hear it. The bull began to flank us in an attempt to get our wind.

As he did, I had an opportunity to draw and shoot as he cleared the thick timber. The arrow was slightly deflected by poison oak stems that I didn’t see, so we gave the bull two hours before pursuing just after dark. The wait was completely unnecessary because the blood trail was intense, and we only tracked a short distance before the blood trail went from side hilling to straight down the hill.

As I panned my headlamp down the hill, I could see the top side of the bull 10 yards away. Suddenly, a pair of glowing eyes appeared in my light as a black bear stood and peered over the dead bull at us. Mike’s brother was awesome enough to bring our gear up to us before we started tracking, so with four of us present, we were able to scare the bear away and thankfully he had just barely begun to open the elk up. This was my first Roosevelt and he turned out to be a beautiful 6x6 that scored over 270 inches. For reference, the B&C Awards minimum is 275. The four of us packed this bull out in one very heavy trip. By the time we got back to the truck, got back to town, and hung the meat to cool, we only had time to shower before heading to hunt blacktails again that morning.

Tracey took a mature buck.

The morning hunt didn’t produce a shooter buck, but we decided to go spot-and-stalk a bear in the area where we had seen the bear the afternoon before. We hiked up until we had a good vantage point and almost immediately spotted a beautiful color phase boar. We adjusted our position to get on a well-used trail the bear seemed to be headed towards. Things got very Western when we realized the bear had actually picked the very trail we were crouched in.

He was ambling uphill straight to us at 30 yards as I came to full draw. It looked as though he would take a fork in the trail at about 20 yards and I would have a perfect, broadside shot. He leaned toward that fork and then turned back up the hill straight toward us again.

I could feel my face heating up. I realized I would have to decide quickly. The bear was now closing distance quickly and I was intently waiting for him to turn, even a little so I could send my arrow. Suddenly, it seemed too late to try scaring him away because a bear may attack if you surprise him at that close distance.

He was lumbering with his head down, which covered his vitals. Now at 15 feet and closing, I had no choice but to shoot him in the head. I used a G5 Montec, which I have extreme confidence in for its penetration. I know precision placement is important, so I focused carefully and shot.

In an instant the bear whirled and ran approximately 40 yards at full speed before expiring in a matter of just a few seconds. I turned around and saw Ryan’s and Mike’s eyes popping out of their heads! The arrow went through the bear’s skull, down through his heart and lodged in his stomach. The nock was barely visible on the front of his skull, and one of the most intense, attention-

grabbing moments of my life.

We packed the meat from that bear down the mountain that night. We got back to the truck at 1:30 a.m. By the time we got everything into coolers at Mike’s house, we only had an hour and a half to sleep before the morning hunt for blacktail.

We didn’t get an opportunity that morning, but as we reflected on our evening hunts for deer before the elk and the bear, we realized the wind was making a 180-degree switch about 45 minutes before dark. We began to wonder if that was why the buck wasn’t coming into our stand location. I decided that afternoon I would take a chance and wait for that wind switch before sneaking into my treestand. In the last few minutes of legal shooting light as I was daydreaming, I heard the tiny crunch of a leaf.

I slowly turned my eyes to the right and saw the buck standing alone at 16 yards. In a bed of leaves that sounded like walking on potato chip bags, this buck had gotten to 16 yards before I heard or saw him in the thick madrone timber. In the last moments of my last day to hunt, I went to draw when the buck lunged as he sensed my movement. He stopped at 20 yards, perfectly quartered away.

I focused intently on the very center of his vitals and shot my arrow. The placement was perfect. I heard the buck crash almost immediately in the dry forest bed. I exploded with excitement as I quickly called Mike and Ryan to let them know that I had just shot a giant Columbian blacktail. This was a buck we had hunted for two years, and he was the epitome of a ghost of the coast.

In a period of four days, my wife shot a blacktail, then I shot an elk, then a bear, then a blacktail. I don’t think we could repeat that performance in 100 lifetimes of hunting. Every bit of the meat was used by our family, friends, and a charity we support. I am beyond thankful to get to share these experiences with my family and amazing friends like Mike and Ryan.

Brian also took this Columbian blacktail.

Brian’s well-placed head shot caused him to have some heartpounding excitement. The nock is barely visible in the photo.

Hunters

Spring is a great time of the year! The Texas summer heat is not yet upon us, and the weather during spring is generally mild, with crispy sunny mornings. Mother Nature puts on her best dress with new grass, green leaves, wildflowers, and singing birds. It is the perfect time to enjoy spring turkey hunting.

Calling up a wary gobbler can be challenging. The exchange

of calling and the return gobble makes for exciting competition between the hunter and the hunted. Soft hen yelps on a box call, enticing a thunderous response from an approaching tom, is the very thing that draws hunters to the woods to chase spring turkeys. Baked turkey and dressing or fried turkey breast are two treats of the hunt.

Add some young hunters to the mix, and you have all the

Hunter Shipman with his first trophy gobbler.

makings of a great time. In this story, I set out with all three of my kids after spring turkeys. Nothing is more rewarding than hunting with your children and teaching them about the outdoors.

Hunter gets a gobbler

It was spring of 2023, and my oldest son, aptly named Hunter, who absolutely loves to hunt, was 8 years old. Although he is young and just getting started, he is somewhat of a natural with his 20-gauge single shot shotgun. He has taken a couple of deer but really enjoys bird hunting, and so a spring turkey hunt was on. Brooke, 10, and Tristan, 6, would go along for the excitement of the hunt, and the portable blind was big enough for all of us.

Early before sunrise we picked a likely spot and set up the blind amongst some oaks, not far from the Atascosa River bottom. We strategically placed the hen decoy in a small opening within 20-gauge range and were ready. The sun began to peak over the horizon, waking everything up for the coming day.

We tried our owl locator call and got an immediate response from a group of gobblers. Hunter’s wide-eyed look of approval was all the encouragement needed. I quickly switched over to the hen call and let out three soft yelps. Several toms answered quickly. Being careful not to call too much, we waited motionless, as quiet as a mouse.

The anticipation was building. Three more soft yelps provided another quick reply, and this time closer. “We knew turkeys were coming to us and I was getting kind of nervous,” Hunter said. After a couple more loud gobbles, the turkeys emerged on the opposite side of the clearing. “They were strutting, and I had my eye on the biggest one,” Hunter said.

The toms homed in on the hen decoy as they closed the distance. “Now, Daddy?” whispered Hunter nervously. “Hold on,” I replied. “Let them come all the way in.” They made it to the decoy and Hunter could hardly contain himself any longer as he pulled back the hammer on the single shot 20-gauge.

“Ok, now,” I whispered. The words barely made it out—then BOOM! The shotgun roared and everything scattered except for Hunter’s big bird that went down for the count. Hunter ran over to inspect his prize gobbler. “I was so excited to get a turkey with Dad. It was my first turkey,” Hunter said. The smile on his face said it all as we snapped photos. A cherished memory was made on a great morning.

Brooke Shipman with her first trophy gobbler.

Hunter and Brooke aren’t ones to complain about getting up in the wee hours of the morning to go hunting. Meanwhile, their younger brother, Tristan, eagerly awaits his chance to take a turkey when he’s ready.

Brooke’s turn

After seeing Hunter’s success, my daughter Brooke expressed interest in trying for a turkey of her own, to which I happily obliged. At my house, no one complains about getting up in the wee hours of the morning to go hunting or fishing. Brooke, Hunter and Tristan were all ready to go the next day at morning light.

We were in “turkey country” well before sunrise. I tried our owl locator call and heard a distant gobble. As the sun came up, we made our way in that direction and set up where I thought the gobbler would be. We called and waited. We called and waited some more, with no turkey responses.

We gathered our blind and gear and hurried to another location. We quickly set out our hen decoy and got in the blind. There was plenty of activity and we could hear turkeys, so we skipped the locator and went straight to the hen call. I called out a few soft yelps and the response was overwhelming. Gobblers responded from all directions as we were surrounded by turkeys. We had found the spot!

I rapped the hen box call a few more times and watched the kids faces light up with excitement as the gobblers responded. “It was really neat listening to the turkeys as Daddy called them in,” Brooke said. The birds were coming to the call, and I could see them approaching. I momentarily lost sight of them

and let out a couple of very soft yelps. The response was quick and loud, as a group of four big-bearded toms gobbled near our blind.

They were all dandy gobblers coming right in, making a beeline to our little hen decoy. The big toms covered ground quickly, and were soon strutting around the decoy hen. “The one on the right,” I whispered to Brooke, as she wasted no time cocking the hammer on the old single shot 20-gauge.

Commotion erupted as the shotgun blast interrupted the calm morning silence. The big tom was leveled at the shot, going down in a spectacular cloud of dust at a mere 19 steps. We quickly went over to the bird and Brooke knelt down to inspect her gobbler. “I was so excited and happy to get a turkey and I can’t wait to go again,” she said.

It was all smiles as we took photos. I’m not really sure who was prouder at that moment. It was another great morning and hunting memory made with the kids. My youngest, Tristan “T. Gauge,” who is now 7, isn’t quite ready to get behind the gun, but it certainly didn’t keep him from going along last spring for the excitement of the hunts. He expects to get his turn at turkeys and doves and ducks in a year or two. Who knows what hunting adventures lie ahead for the Shipman kids!

The historic freeze in February 2021 had a detrimental impact on the overall speckled trout fishery but the numbers have rebounded as evidenced by keeper fish like this one caught by Brian Barrera.

Spring on the Texas Gulf Coast is a time of plenty for hunters and anglers alike.

Thanks to a temperate climate that other portions of the state lack, March, April and into May provide better weather conditions conducive to pursuing numerous fish species from trout, redfish and flounder in the salt to largemouth bass, catfish and crappie in freshwater reservoirs. Throw in what can be exceptional gobbler hunting as well as the myriad exotic species creeping around and you’ve got a great mix in both worlds of cast and blast.

Here’s a rundown of spring outdoor pursuits in South Texas that you can’t miss out on:

Get salty

The obvious draw of the coast is the hundreds of thousands of acres of saltwater habitat, home to diverse fish populations that can be caught using dozens of means and methods. The fishing pressure in the paradise that is Rockport has never been higher, but nearby Aransas Bay and Copano Bay have long been the destinations of choice for avid anglers. The shallows of Aransas Bay are prime for wade fishing, allowing anglers to get close to tailing redfish, hungry schools of speckled trout and the occasional but much welcome flatfish, which surprisingly will rise to hit a number of baits drawn across sandy “potholes” dotted with a variety of sea grasses.

The Texas turkey hunting forecast is always good in moisture-rich years though hunter success rates are much lower than for other species such as deer.

You can’t overlook using natural baits for success, and local bait shacks carry live croaker and shrimp for the angler hoping to increase their chances. The prime way to enjoy a day of catching – regardless of the species – is to use shrimp and a popping cork, which stimulates game fish activity and has been used for decades.

The area from south of Corpus Christi to past Baffin Bay is an ecosystem suited to speckled trout — and big ones, too. If you had to pick one area to focus on, whether you prefer to fish from a boat or wade, the top portion of the “Mother Lagoon” is your best bet.

The channels of the Intracoastal Waterway often hold fish, as the critters move deeper when temperatures dip and come up shallower onto the flats when it gets warmer. Live bait remains a staple of trout fishing, and catching your own can be done with a cast net, simply by patrolling shorelines early in the morning in search of roving mullet or piggy perch. You’re also in luck if you prefer artificials, including spoons and paddletail soft plastics.

Talk turkey

The area south of San Antonio up to and including saltwater bay systems and into the heart of the brush country is the epicenter of some of the best spring turkey hunting in the country. The general spring gobbler season starts two weeks

earlier in South Texas counties than in the northern zone, an aspect of turkey hunting biologists chalk up to the birds farther south hitting peak gobbling activity sooner due to the climate and typical conditions in the spring. The good part about Texas turkey hunting is we’ve got the highest population of the Rio Grande subspecies – roughly half a million birds when range conditions are good and provided adequate nesting conditions for more birds. According to the most recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department small game harvest estimates, about 65,000 turkey hunters killed about 25,000 birds last season overall, which is a mere fraction of the overall population.

If you’re able to get in on a turkey hunt, plan to put in time scouting – and if you’re lucky and set up a hunt with a guide or outfitter – they usually will have already put in the hours to find obvious roost and travel sites. It should be noted that overall turkey hunter success rests at about 40% during the past decade, according to TPWD studies and hunter data, though having boots on the ground can swing the odds much more in your favor.

Go exotic

Deer season gets the attention and accolades in South Texas but there are other species that can be pursued all year, especially in the spring as things warm up. The price of hunting certainly has gone up in recent years but all of these and even more can be had for a big game hunt right now: nilgai, axis, blackbuck, plenty of other African species that are thriving here in Texas, and even wild hogs and the diminutive javelina, which isn’t related in any way to the feral pigs that are destroying the native landscape.

Each of those hooved species, with the exception of javelina, has no bag limit. This year’s javelina frameworks in the southern zone that spans south and west of San Antonio run through the end of August with a bag limit of two per license year and opens back up Sept. 1 anew. The “skunk pig” or collared peccary can only be found in Texas and parts of New Mexico and Arizona, and though many folks may turn their nose up at them, they can offer an exciting hunt. They also are fit to eat even though they get a bad rap for having a large and pungent scent gland on their back.

If you had to specifically target one species, which typically offers less of a hit on the pocketbook, go after feral hogs, which can be eradicated using multiple means and methods and is needed to help even in some small way to keep that booming population from doing even more damage.

Stay fresh

While saltwater angling gets the headlines, don’t overlook the freshwater fishing opportunities across South Texas and

down to the Mexican border. The San Antonio reservoirs –Braunig and Calaveras – are excellent locales to catch huge redfish that were stocked by state biologists in addition to stocked catfish.

Farther south, Choke Canyon Reservoir near Three Rivers is noted as a great largemouth bass fishery supplemented by stocking efforts, including the offspring of fish that were entered into the ShareLunker breeding program. Lake Corpus Christi, near Mathis, also is a great place to catch limits of channel and blue catfish, in addition to bass, crappie, white bass and big alligator gar. Coleto Creek Reservoir

near Victoria is another lunker largemouth lair, in addition to having solid numbers of crappie, catfish and white bass. Much farther south is massive Falcon International Reservoir, which at one time was considered the best largemouth fishery in North America and has become known now as much for huge alligator gar. Falcon sits both inside the U.S. and Mexico and as such features vastly different regulations depending on which side you’re fishing, though a license is still needed if you’re fishing the Mexican side. In all these locales, a guide can help lessen the learning curve, and in the case of Falcon, it’s advised for safety reasons.

Javelinas don’t have great eyesight and offer an opportunity for youngsters to have a good chance of success at killing the most distinctive wild game in Texas.

Crabbing should be at the top of your list if you’re near the coast this time of year and it’s a great, low-impact way to introduce kids to the outdoors – and bring home fine eating.

Be crabby

Fall and early winter typically can feature the best conditions for racking up big counts of blue crabs and stone crabs.

However, spring can be pretty good, too, and bringing home a mess of tasty crustaceans can be done using simple gear.

Crabs may be harvested for food or bait with a valid fishing license and a saltwater fishing stamp endorsement, but those taken for personal use may not be sold. There are no public waters, seasons or times closed to crab harvesting other than during abandoned crab trap removal program dates in February.

There is no daily bag or possession limit for blue crabs and stone crabs. The legal size at which a blue crab may be harvested is when it measures 5 inches across the widest point of its body, from tip to tip of its spines. A legal stone crab is defined as one with at least a 2½-inch claw, measured from the tip of the claw to the first joint behind the immovable claw. The larger claw is the only portion that may be retained and you must return the body of the crab to where it was caught. The crab’s claw will regenerate, typically within a year, according to TPWD.

Hans prepared for the possibility of taking a trophy elk by bringing along nine coolers to pack the meat. He wound up filling eight of those.

Bagging a trophy elk had been on my bucket list for years. I had entered drawings in different states, but not being a resident made it tough to draw a tag. After an unsuccessful elk hunt in New Mexico, I wasn’t optimistic.

When I went to a hunting show in Dallas in January 2022, I had low expectations. I ran into an old friend who told me about some hunting opportunities. He said his property in Pennsylvania has an elk herd. I never really thought about elk being that far east. Surprised and curious, I booked a hunt with him in August that same year.

I contacted my lifelong hunting and fishing partner, Shannon Goodwin, from Birmingham, Alabama, and asked if he would like to join me. He was more excited than I was. That fall, my wife and I made the 1,900-mile journey towing a trailer with all of our equipment, including nine large ice chests.

I picked up Shannon in Birmingham and dropped my wife off in Georgia to visit an old friend. Then, the two of us set off for central Pennsylvania. Our outfitter was Quest Haven Lodge in Tyrone, Pennsylvania. We arrived late and got settled in. The next morning, we met our guide, Heath Walk.

To make this bucket list hunt even more challenging, I really wanted to take an elk with my bow. I packed my Barnett cross -

bow and brought along my .300 Win. Mag., just in case.

The countryside our guide took us into had lots of rolling hills and timber. Our first morning out he had us sit over a small lake, but as the sun rose, so did the fog. Very quickly our visibility became less than 100 yards. By 11 a.m. we saw a few elk silhouettes through the grey fog, but it wasn’t clear enough to do a stalk on any elk. We returned to the lodge and got some lunch and rested a bit.

That afternoon, Heath put us on the same hill overlooking the lake and a food plot while he went to scout another area. Half an hour later, he returned and told us he had an area he wanted us to try. We packed up and followed him. We entered a wooded area still damp from the morning fog and set up. It wasn’t long before I caught a glimpse of my target.

I’ve seen elk in the wild before, but nothing this massive in both body and antlers. We worked our way forward through the trees and brush. Heath spotted him about 30 yards away and we worked to get into a position to take a shot. Before we could get set up, the elk stepped into a small opening.

We could tell the elk knew he wasn’t alone, so we froze behind a large fir tree. We had a standoff. For 30 minutes we watched him and he watched us. With daylight fading fast,

Fog surrounded Hans as he began his search for his trophy elk.

Heath finally suggested we back out quietly and return in the morning to try again.

Trying to sleep that night was rough. All I could think about was getting within 33 yards and not having an opportunity to take the shot. But that’s hunting. Patience is the key. Having hunted all over the world, I’ve learned not to force anything. An opportunity will come again.

The next morning was crisp and clear. After breakfast we headed out. Heath put Shannon and me in a blind overlooking a food plot. As the sun rose we kept a constant vigil. About 30 minutes later, Heath returned and told us he found the elk we had hunted the night before.

We went back to the same bottom where we picked up the trail. We would get within 50 yards but the wind picked up and the elk would bust us. Again, we got within 50 yards but the trees and brush were

too dense to shoot through. For two miles we tracked him but didn’t see him at all until Heath spotted him in the middle of a food plot.

By that time, the fog had moved in and the elk stood 125 yards away. My chances of getting close enough to use my crossbow were slim.

As I looked through my binoculars, I saw him facing straight toward us. I had to decide to either try to work around the food plot or take the shot with my rifle. If we spooked him again, the opportunity might never present itself again. I decided to use my rifle.

I’m not a fan of shooting game head on, but it was my only option. I took the shot and he turned to his right. Heath told me to put another round in him, and I did. He walked three steps and dropped. When I walked up to the elk, I couldn’t believe what I saw. He weighed approximately 1,100 pounds and was an 8x7. He had 60-inch main beams with 12-inch bases and scored around 505 inches. We had to use a front loader to get him onto a trailer.

To experience this with my lifelong friend, Shannon, and my guide, Heath, is a memory I will never forget. Many thanks to Shannon, Heath, and the entire lodge staff for a memory of a lifetime. By the way, I filled eight of the nine coolers.

Hans with his friend Shannon Goodwin.

New Crossbows for ’24

BY JOHN GOODSPEED

The sky is the limit for the onward progression of high-technology being built in to the ancient design of the hunting crossbow.

One shoots arrows up to 500 fps, or feet per second, while featuring an electric cocking motor and an optional scope with a built-in range finder with calibrated digital aim points.

Two other manufacturers also feature crossbows with range-finding scopes.

All that technology comes at a price, of course. The most costly tops $4,000.

Many models are much more reasonable, with one going for $399.99 that shoots at speeds up to 405 fps. Those kinds of speeds and faster are common among this latest crop of crossbows.

Another manufacturer promises nickel-size groups at 50 yards with two models.

Refinements also continue with triggers, quietness, cocking and de-cocking, reduced vibration and recoil and compact size to accommodate hunters in tight spots.

Prices listed are manufacturers’ suggested retail prices.

Barnett Crossbows

www.barnettcrossbows.com

The latest from Barnett packs a lot of features — including speeds up to 410 fps — in a petite package with a modest price. It is $599.99 without the crank cocking devise. Draw weight is 214 pounds. With a lightweight composite riser, it measures 7¼ inches axle to axle when cocked. Pivoting limb pockets put less weight on the front of the crossbow while reducing recoil and vibration. Like all models in the Hyper series, it is paired with Barnett’s exclusive and patent-pending 20-inch, 0.204-diameter HyperFlite arrows that provide a greater ballistic coefficient. The new Halo System eliminates cable crossing and cam lean for a balanced string travel and improved accuracy. The Soft Lok Floating Bristle Arrow Retainer System and CNC machined aluminum flight track provide consistency. A metal-injected molded trigger and TriggerTech Frictionless Release Technology provides a three-pound pull. Pre-installed string suppressors reduce recoil, vibration and noise. Proper scope-to-eye alignment is provided with an adjustable length-of-pull buttstock and a padded, adjustable cheek rest. The reticles on the 4X36 illuminated, multi-reticle scope with flip-up caps are calibrated to yardages based on arrow speed. It weighs 7.12 pounds. The package includes a side-mount quiver, three 20-inch HyperFlite arrows with field points, integrated sled-style rope cocking device and lube wax.

Hyper Raptor, $699.99

CenterPoint Archery

www.centerpointarchery.com

One of CenterPoint’s latest crossbows, this model with quad limbs provides speeds up to 405 fps and a Whisper Silencing System with an ergonomic fit thanks to an adjustable butt pad. The silencing system quiets down major points of vibration using string stops, limb dampeners and string silencers for stealth and stability. Designed for hunters, the black crossbow’s compound frame that measures 15 inches axle to axle cocked allows maneuverability. The CNC machined aluminum rail and cam system provides smooth firing and repeatable shot placement. A ball-bearing retention spring allows consistent arrow tension. Draw weight is 220 pounds. The crossbow weighs

7.27 pounds and is 33½ inches long. Accessories include a 4X32 illuminated scope, parallel quiver, rope cocker, rail lube and three 20-inch 0.003 arrows.

Darton Archery

www.dartonarchery.com

This crossbow promises speed, silence, accuracy, adaptability and aesthetics and delivers with 50-yard, nickel-size groups and 420-plus fps with a 400-grain arrow. Also new is the Renegade 370 ($999.99); more on that later. Draw weight on the Outlaw 420 is 205 pounds. It measures 9¾ inches axle to axle cocked and weighs 9 pounds. Trigger pull is 3.8 pounds. Designed around an AR15-platform stock, it features a picatinny rail grip, a picatinny rail for the scope, silent crank and rope cocker, a patent-pending foot plate for cocking, high-energy reverse-draw dual synchronized cams, Sims Limb Savers and a patented barrel dampener. The photo shows the Black Eagle 2.5-10X50 crossbow scope with speed dial, which is included in the Pro Package ($400 upgrade for $640 in products). It includes Conquest Talon 5 matte quiver, six Black Eagle Executioner 22-inch 0.001 arrows, six 100-grain field points, scope rings and a Toxin crossbow case. The Hunter Package ($200 upgrade for $400 in products) includes a Black Eagle 1.5-5X32 illuminated crossbow scope with speed dial, scope rings, four-arrow Darton quiver, six Black Eagle Executioner 22-inch 0.001 arrows and six 100-grain field points. The more compact Renegade 370 also promises 50-yard nickel-size groups but at 370-plus fps with a 400-grain arrow. It measures 10½ inches cocked and weighs 8.9 pounds. It comes with many of the same features as the Outlaw 420 including the AR15-platform stock. The Renegade 370 also comes with the Pro Package and Hunter Package with the same items and price as the Outlaw 420’s.

Outlaw 420, $1,299.99

Dagger 405, $399.99

Excalibur Crossbow

www.excaliburcrossbow.com

Excalibur is known for its classic recurve crossbow, and this model shown in Mossy Oak Bottomland carries on the tradition in a compact and lightweight package. It weighs 6.4 pounds without accessories and shoots arrows up to 360 fps thanks to the Micro High-Output Express Limbs. The overall length is 31½ inches. Draw length is 14¼ inches while draw weight is 15 pounds with an optional crank. CeaseFire ensures the crossbow will not fire unless an arrow is loaded, the safety is off and the trigger is pulled. The trigger system performs like a match-grade rifle trigger. It comes with an ambidextrous cheek piece. It is packaged with accessories including an Overwatch scope, 30mm rings, R.E.D.S. Suppressors, SDS System, Rebolt Quiver, four ProFlight 16½-inch arrows, four 100-grain field points and a rope cocking aid.

Wolverine, $1,099.99

Gearhead Archery

www.gearheadarchery.com

The X16 Target, similar to the best-selling X16 Tactical, was inspired by the competitive nature of the Archery Shooters Association crossbow class. Any AR15-style grip and buttstock can be attached to the X16 platform. The X16 Target still shoots a nocked arrow, it’s easy to cock, lightweight and balanced. It features a TriggerTech 2.1-pound, single-stage trigger. Unlike the X16 Tactical, though, it lacks a takedown function for portability. The power stroke is 16 inches. It measures 14¾ inches axel to axel cocked. It’s available in 75-pound, 90-pound and 125-pound draw weights. It shoots up to 350 fps with the 125-pound draw weight with a 325-grain arrow. It weighs 6¼ pounds. An accessory package for $279 includes a Plano Spire Bow Case, Hawke Scope, rings and three arrows.

Mission Crossbows

www.missioncrossbows.com

This stalwart member of Mission’s lineup would be a good fit for anyone new to crossbows with its many user-friendly features including the RSD (Removable Silent Draw) System that applies equal tension to each side of the bowstring during draw to enhance accuracy while reducing the effort required to cock it. The RSD is easy to install and remove, and the system features a one-button de-cocker. The RSD is ambidextrous. It weighs 6.9 pounds, measures 10½ inches axle to axle cocked and 30¼ inches in length. Plus, it shoots arrows up to 335 fps. Built off the accurate SUB-1 platform, the SUB-1 LITE features the Benchmark Fire Control with a 3.3-pound match-grade trigger and a rifle-inspired stock. The pistol grip can be swapped to any AR15-style grips. Length of pull is adjustable from 14½ inches to 15¾ inches. The comb height has a range of 1¼ inches. The 80-percent let-off cams use two concentric string tracks to eliminate horizontal nock travel. The flight track stops vertical nock travel. A two-stage arrow retention arm allows smooth loading while applying the downward pressure necessary for a secure hold. The crossbow is available in Black or RealTree Edge.

SUB-1 LITE, $1,899

Ravin Crossbows

www.ravincrossbows.com

Yes, the price tag is big, but so are the features. First, it shoots 500 fps. Second, it comes with an electric cocking motor that also can de-cock at the push of a button. Third, a twist of the turret on the 1-8X24 scope dials in the yardage.The Versadrive Cocking System uses an internal screw drive to move the Trac Trigger Firing System back and forth while a clutch eliminates over-cocking and also allows cocking and de-cocking to be stopped or resumed at any time. It comes with a charger and removable battery. The Electric Drive System consists of a motor that attaches to the stock that can be removed for transport or storage. The silent cocking system includes a bearing that eliminates noise. The scope features 10 illumination levels in red and green and fully coated lenses. An optional Xero X1i Crossbow Scope is customized for most Ravin models

X16 Target, $1,299.99

by Garmin ($1,899.99). After sighting in at 20 yards, digital aim points are calibrated. The XK7 package includes a Ravin scope level, six Ravin 0.001 R500 Series 400-grain arrows, quiver with mounting bracket, a removable draw handle and sling mounts.

TenPoint Crossbow Technologies

www.tenpointcrossbows.com

The Burris Oracle X Rangefinding Crossbow Scope finds another home in the TenPoint line with this model, with speeds up to 450 fps and a 6½-inch axle-to-axle measurement when the quad limb bow is cocked. The laser rangefinder is activated by a wireless remote and can range game up to 200 yards while calculating the angle of the shot. The reticle includes a digital reticle. The crossbow features two new items — scope struts, which increase strength for a solid foundation for the optic, and a Sentry Bowhanger, which allows it to be tucked away without the broadhead sticking in the dirt. Features include the ACUslide for silent cocking and de-cocking, the S1 Trigger, a two-stage zero-creep design with a 3½-pound pull, and a padded cheek rest. The crossbow is 33 inches long and weighs 7½ pounds with the ACUslide. Draw weight is 300 pounds..

Wicked Ridge Crossbows

www.wickedridgecrossbows.com

The manufacturer calls this the working man’s reversedraw hunting crossbow because of the features and price. Measuring nine inches axle to axle cocked, it shoots up to 400 fps with a 15½-inch power stroke and the Reaper Cam System. It comes pre-sighted at 20 yards and with a ready-to-hunt package that includes a scope and mounts, ACUdraw PRO cocking devise, a three-arrow detachable quiver, three Wicked Ridge arrows with practice points and a noise-dampening string-stop system. Weight without accessories is 7.6 pounds. Draw weight is 175 pounds. It’s 32¼ inches long.

RDX 400, $899.99

Xpedition Crossbows

xpeditionarchery.com

This package features the new Sig Sauer Sierra3BDX 2.5-8X32mm riflescope, which features SIG’S Ballistic Data Xchange (BDX) Optics System, an integrated rangefinder and riflescope that utilizes Applied Ballistics Ultralight and Bluetooth. The free Sig BDX app for Android and iOS allows for crossbow ballistic profiles to be sent via Bluetooth to a Sig Kilo BDX rangefinder or BDX scope. When targets are ranged, the ballistics are combined with distance, slope, temperature and pressure to calculate the aim point and displayed in the rangefinder. The crossbow flings arrows up to 420 fps thanks to quad limbs, a 190-pound pull and a power stroke of 15 inches. Cocked width is 8 inches. It’s 36 inches long and weighs 7.7 pounds. The package includes three Xit-20 bolts with a clip-on nock system, a five-arrow quiver, crank and rope cocking devices and assembly tools.

Xpedite 420 Sig BDX Combo, $1,688

R500E Sniper XK7, $4,024.99

Stealth 450 Oracle, $2,849.99

Since before we learned to wear skins, sleep in caves and hunt with sharpened sticks, man has had a unique relationship with bears. We’ve feared them, admired them, imitated them, eaten them, learned from them—and hunted them.

That’s as true today as ever and there’s no better place in the world to meet your first or next bear than Alaska. Alaska has more bears than not just anywhere else in America, but in the world. There’s a phrase I love and hear often from the Alaskan guides I run into at outdoor shows anywhere in the Lower 48, but especially in Texas.

“We love Texans. Because every Texan wants a big bear!”

So, for your big bear, come to Alaska.

We’re talking about black bears and brown or grizzly bears. Browns and grizzlies are the same species, distinct depending

on where they live. Brownies are within 75 miles of tidewater, and grow huge eating salmon, while grizzlies are mountain/forest bears and true apex predators.

A big black bear will “square” six feet, a giant closer to seven. Ten-foot brown bears are the holy grail, but anything over eight feet is respectable. Grizzlies with lesser rations in the mountains fall in between. But at close range they ALL look big!

Alaska has plenty of polar bears too, but they’ve been off limits for decades except for limited traditional subsistence hunting by Alaska Natives.

Alaska bear seasons are long and generous, September through June for black bears in particular. Alaska regulations are vast and complex, so always confirm before you go and as you hunt. But there are really two seasons—spring and fall— and I’ve always preferred the spring season.

Lee shot this big Alaska black bear a couple of decades ago on a grassy Southeast Alaska beach as the bear was feeding on grass. This is classic terrain, with a grassy meadow between beach and timber.

First, it’s the first hunt of the year, after six long months since the last moose and caribou hunts. The May days are long, snow is receding or gone, spring life is bursting out all over, fishing is picking up and it’s just a glorious time to be in Alaska. Fur quality is also excellent until the bears start rubbing, which can leave big bare patches of hide without hair.

The quality of bear meat is better in the spring, before they’ve found any carrion. A fall bear that’s been gorging on rotted salmon might be the foulest beast alive.

Although we’ve always eaten the bears we shot, I’ve never pretended that I’m hunting them for food. Frankly, there’s something unique or primal about hunting an animal bigger, stronger, and certainly very capable of turning the tables on you.

Spring also allows midday fishing for king salmon and halibut. The bears tend to feed early and late—May in Alaska offers 16 hours or more of daylight—so there are midday hours for trolling and bottom fishing.

Finally, removing a big bear early in the year saves the lives of many moose and caribou. In the spring, hungry bears become true apex predators focused on baby moose and caribou. In Alaska, most moose calves are born in a narrow window of a few days in late May. And as soon as the calves starts hitting the ground, the brown bears in particular and some black bears turn into ferocious predators.

Alaska researchers have documented that some grizzlies become specialists and will kill a calf a day for a couple of months. That obviously represents a lot of moose that never grow up to feed families in Alaska. A few springs ago, a brown bear killed twin moose calves a few feet from my Anchorage back door.

So spring, ’tis the season.

Nonresident hunters must hire a guide to hunt brown bears or grizzlies in Alaska,

but can hunt black bears without a guide. With or without a guide, spring hunting is all about the groceries, as in bear groceries.

Alaska bears will come out of hibernation, depending on weather and snow, between early April and mid-May. The large boars are out of hibernation first. Having not eaten for six months, the only thing they’re focused on is food, so the spring hunt really breaks down to hunting logical food sources.

In Southeast Alaska, I’ve always had success in May scouting along beaches where new grass is lush. For the first few weeks after hibernation, bears gorge on new grass to reset their digestive system.

You can cruise the shoreline by boat, glassing for bears, but you can’t legally shoot from the boat. I prefer to find a likely shoreline either at first or last light, anchor, and slowly walk or glass the grassy areas. Elsewhere in the state, new growth often appears first in avalanche chutes or landslides that have cleared a hillside. Glassing landslides is very effective for finding interior bears.

Bears evoke a primal fear in many people but I neither ignore nor dwell on the risk of hunting bears. Yes, bears can and will kill you. Every year, one or more Alaskans die in the jaws or under the claws of a bear. But it’s almost never a hunter. It’s

While brown bears can be any color from blonde to dark chocolate brown, this interior grizzly with guide Caleb Martin displays the classic dark legs and blonde coat.

usually when a bear is defending a moose or caribou kill or when encountered suddenly and surprised in thick cover.

Rifle selection is pretty easy. You can kill any bear with any deerworthy rifle, under ideal conditions. You can certainly kill any bear alive with a .30-06 with stout bullets. I personally have always used a .300 Win. Mag. with great success, but the last grizzly I shot on a caribou hunt was with an ’06 and it died just as fast.

Ideal is defined as an unaware bear, neither too close nor too far, on which you can make a solid chest shot from a solid rest. Rush it and make a bad shot and you’ll want more gun, no matter what you’re carrying. Bears are like feral hogs in that aspect.

Using a seaworthy craft to prospect for bears, then going ashore to stalk and hunt is a time tested Alaska tactic.

Once alert, hurt or angered, they take a lot of killing because they have a very high pain tolerance, and they’ll fight instead of fleeing. I’ve looked in the eyes of a couple of wounded grizzlies at close range and it’s a soul searing experience you’ll never forget. The key is making that first shot count.

I offer a couple of thoughts on shooting your bear. First, never take a moving shot, a snapshot, or an unsupported offhand shot. Where that bullet lands will have a lot to do with

the rest of your day, and maybe rest of your life! While I try to break both front shoulders, a solid hit behind the shoulder and through both lungs will dispatch them faster, but usually won’t drop them in their tracks.

But the second rule is that, as long as that bear is moving, you keep shooting. I’ve never seen a bear shot yet that didn’t drop, roll, and then bounce back up. Once they get their feet under them, they can cover ground at blinding speed, whether running for cover or charging you. Take your time from a solid rest and make that first shot count. That’s more important than whether you’re shooting a .243 or a .458 Win. Mag.

There’s one more reason to take your time that has nothing to do with making the shot. It’s a moment like few in hunting. Savor the cold air, the overhanging mountains and timber, the eagle cry or raven croak, the smell of salt air and spruce forest. Admire that magnificent animal and place as you’re in the moment of perhaps the most exciting hunt of your life.

Savor the moment. And make that shot!

A big black bear’s front paws and claws dwarf an average mans hands, and may weigh twice as much too.

Spring Exotic Hunting

World-class hunting within Texas’ borders

By Judy Jurek

Allison Ashley Riley shot this aoudad from her home’s deck high above Lake Amistad.

Exotic game animals in Texas thrive across much of the state’s terrain and climates. So much so, in many areas they now roam free—not confined by high fences. Any animal not native to the Lone Star state is an exotic. Large, small and in-between animals from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia have adapted and flourished throughout Texas. Exotics are legal year-round, so all you need is a hunting license, landowner permission, and you’re good to go.

The original Y.O. Ranch was one of the first to high fence and import exotic species back in the 1930s. The famed King Ranch imported nilgai in 1926 and again in 1930. Today, they range across much of South Texas. The nilgai is not a fence jumper, but these large antelope either knock the fence down or crawl under it. It’s astonishing how quickly these large animals can escape, seemingly disappearing into thin air.

Exotic hunting in Texas gives you the adventure without the expense, time and trouble of traveling around the world. That’s one reason hunting these unusual creatures continues to grow in popularity. Many species are not cheap, but you don’t incur the costs of traveling abroad, plus there are no shipping costs to get your animal(s) home.

What should you hunt and where? That’s the hunter’s call. Do you want a trophy that’s unusual for your home or office wall? A different dining choice? Some exotics taste delicious.

Do you want a large animal or something more petite like the blackbuck? A truly stimulating species to hunt like the aoudad, or somewhat of an easy target like the Caribbean Barbado sheep? Bowhunting for some exotics is preferred for several reasons that entice bowhunters.

Are you willing to rough it on foot, travel by horseback, or require five-star accommodations? The more you ask for, the more it will cost. Some hunters arrive to pursue one exotic type, but decide on another once they actually see various species. Some ranches specialize in certain animals (King Ranch nilgai) while others have a cornucopia of exotics (Hill Country ranches).

The list of exotics available in Texas is too long to name. Some

ranches offer special package hunts when their numbers need thinning. Let your fingers do the walking on the tell-all internet to find the perfect place to hunt your exotic choice. Look through this Journal for ranches offering exotic hunts.

There’s no guarantee for a kill on open range, whether it’s a trophy class or otherwise. In some cases, if you wound an animal, you pay if the animal is found or not. The hunting ranch size may influence how densely populated and the wariness of their exotics. Each species has its assets and liabilities with regard to hearing, sight, smell, and alarm signals. For example, the spotted axis deer barks very similar to a dog.

Some species come to feed like whitetails, while others are strictly browsers or grazers. Several species rut in spring such as nilgai and aoudad yet others may breed year-round. There are animals with antlers, some with horns, and a few where

Nilgai, also known as blue bulls, inhabit several ranches in deep South Texas.

females also sport headgear.

As mentioned before, many exotics roam freely all across Texas. This author has seen aoudad crossing roadways from Del Rio to Van Horn as well as along the Colorado River in central Texas’ Brown County. The North African aoudad goes where it wants to go.

It’s interesting that some species may respect only a few strands of wire while others must be secured by heavy-duty fencing. Like nilgai, some go under fencing; others jump even high fences; and a few go through tight barbed wire like it’s nothing.

Axis, fallow, and sika deer are continually escaping high fences in the Hill Country. Axis deer compete with whitetails because their food habit range is much greater. Graceful, elegant spiral horned blackbuck antelope are small, and are often kept inside low fences. Axis, nilgai and aoudad are presently the most popular among today’s exotics hunters.

It’s best to know something about your exotic species before the hunt. Are you a good shot at long range? Do you need a steady rest every time a shooting opportunity presents itself? Is

Among the most popular exotics hunters pursue in Texas are axis deer (above), nilgai and aoudad. For all these large animals, be sure to consider what you’ll do after your trophy hits the ground. Will the ranch handle your quarry, or will you have to dress, skin, process, and deliver it to a taxidermist? Large dead animals are difficult to manage.

your rifle caliber big enough for a nilgai or aoudad? Have you practiced enough to take an exotic with your bow?

Don’t forget to plan ahead once your quarry hits the ground. Will the ranch handle your trophy, or will you have to dress, and skin, process, and deliver it to a taxidermist? Large, dead animals such as nilgai and aoudad are difficult to manage. Remember, when scouting for an exotic hunt, the only dumb question is the one not asked!

From the Panhandle’s Palo Duro Canyon to the mountains of West Texas, the Hill Country, or the South Texas’ plains, somewhere you’ll find the exotic of your dreams. The hunting adventure of a lifetime awaits, and it’s all up to you!

My Bass Brigade Experience

By Kaylee Scott

Howdy, my name is Kaylee. I’m from Miles, Texas, and I’m a Bass Brigade graduate. Last year, my grandma and dad mentioned the Texas Brigades summer camps to me, and I was instantly hooked on the idea of hopefully getting to attend one of these. So as soon as registration opened, I applied. With a bit of research and help from my dad, the Angelo State University range and wildlife professor, I started writing my essays.

In our application process, we had to list the top three camps of our choice. My top pick was the Bass Brigade, then the Buckskin Brigade, and then the Bobwhite Brigade. I was lucky enough to be accepted to my first choice in my first year. After a few months, the time for camp came. I excitedly packed my bags and got prepared for a very long yet enjoyable week.

The day of camp finally came. My dad dropped me off and I excitedly headed up to my room. After everyone had settled in, we headed into the classroom. The first thing we did when we got started was name our “school.” My school chose the Bluegill Barrage. I don’t know where we came up with that, but we all agreed. The other group names were The Punchy Piranhas, Bass Bros, and Kickin’ Bass.

After that, the camp volunteers explained to us what a “gold hook” is. It’s a short, inspirational quote you had to memorize and then explain what it meant to you. Along with that, it was also a competition between the groups to see which school’s members would finish first. My gold hook was, “A brook would lose its song if it had no rocks.”—Anonymous. What my gold hook means to me is you can’t try and do everything by yourself. We need good people to help us in this world.

Another thing we did when got there was a pre-test, and to be honest, I didn’t know anything. Soon after that, we rotated through a few stations outside to learn about freshwater fish species. The most memorable thing was getting to do a bass necropsy. I had never filleted a fish or done a necropsy before, so I learned a ton of information. While at another station, I also learned the Guadalupe bass is the state fish of Texas. After dinner, I assumed we would be

(Left photo) Cadets dissect a fish to learn its anatomy. (Right photo) Cadets learn about water quality and how to properly tie knots.

Cadet Kaylee Scott.

allowed to go to bed, but I was wrong. After we ate, we went back to the classroom and did a leadership game, learned the plant of the day, talked about posters, reviewed the upcoming day’s plans, and watched a slideshow of the day’s activities.

Day 2 started bright and early, and it felt way too soon. But it ended up being my favorite day of all. It was Creek Day. Creek Day was my favorite for many reasons, one of those being because we got to get in the water.

One of the stations we went to was cast netting. It was super fun, but difficult at the same time. Because I was in the first group, we caught the most fish. We caught bluegill, shad, and red sunfish.

After that, we talked about water turbidity and a few plants near the shore. At the next station, we got to look at macroinvertebrates that live in the water. It was super cool to look at because I never knew how many critters were in the water with me. Finally, we got to go electrofishing. We shocked quite a few bluegill and other small fish. Later that evening we did plant of the day, a leadership game, worked on the rafts we were starting to build, and did a trivia game. Then, we headed off to bed.

Day 3 came early yet again but I was a bit more ready for the day. We marched in the morning, loaded up on the bus, and headed to the lake. While at the lake, we electrofished off the TPWD boat, learned to tie knots, tested water cleanliness, and learned about the types of nets and their purposes. After all of that, my school got to go out with Gary

Klein and learn about GPS systems on the water. It was super fascinating because I didn’t know that existed.

Then we headed back to eat lunch and do some more classroom work. That afternoon, we got to make a jig and finish up building our rafts. We also learned about fly fishing and did a little fishing of our own.

On day 4, we did most of our competitions and some stations as well. We had a casting competition, tested our rafts, had our fishing tournament, as well as a mock radio interview and tying flies. We also had to prepare and present our poster, as well as participate in a mock stakeholder meeting as well.

At the end of the evening, we realized none of us had done our posters. We were supposed to work on them throughout camp, but my group got behind and that did not happen. We ended up staying up till almost 2 a.m. to finish our posters.

On our last day of camp, I was more than exhausted. But I pushed through, as I knew it would be a short day. That morning after breakfast, we packed and got ready for our graduation and drilled down on our marching. Our parents came, we had lunch, went through our graduation ceremony, and left. I slept for 18 hours solid when I made it home, but I loved every minute and plan to attend a different camp next year.

Texas Brigades is a conservation-based leadership organization which organizes wildlife and natural resource-based leadership camps for participants ranging in age from 13-17. Its mission is to educate and empower youths with leadership skills and knowledge in wildlife, fisheries, and land stewardship to become conservation ambassadors for a sustained natural resource legacy. There are multiple camps scheduled in the summers, focusing on different animal species while incorporating leadership development. Summer camps include Rolling Plains and South Texas Bobwhite Brigade, South and North Texas Buckskin Brigade, Bass Brigade, Waterfowl Brigade, Coastal Brigade, and Ranch Brigade. Visit texasbrigades.org or call 210-556-1391 for more information

Cadets learned how to properly “cast net” for fish.

Electrofishing is an important survey method used to sample fish populations.

By Brandon Ray

Bowhunting turkeys cool thing to do in the spring THE BOWHUNTER’S BIRD

It was opening day last year, April 1, and I was headed for a Panhandle creek for an afternoon hunt. Pre-season scouting revealed a flock of turkeys traveling daily down a dusty two-track road that paralleled the creek. Tracks, spent feathers, and wing drag marks in the red dirt confirmed the birds were there. I set a single hen decoy in front of my blind and settled in with an arrow nocked at 3 p.m. The

temperature was 72 degrees. It was a fine spring day.

I called every 15 minutes. The wind rustled the leaves on the cottonwoods along the creek, but the turkeys were silent. An hour into my sit, I looked up and saw three gobblers walking in my direction down the creek. They never made a peep, but they were clearly focused on my decoy.

The bird with the biggest body was on

the right. He stopped at 14 yards to gawk at the plastic hen. Already at full draw, I purred with my voice to get his head up and alert. The green sight pin steadied, then the arrow was gone. The carbon missile caught the gobbler in the neck, dropping him instantly. The handsome Texas Rio Grande had an 8-inch beard and 1-inch spurs. As if the day couldn’t get any better, I found two fine whitetail sheds on my walk back to the truck!

This is the blind and decoy setup the author used on a spring hunt in April 2023.

The setup

Twenty years ago, ground blinds changed the game for spring turkeys. Well-made, pop-up blinds became extremely popular. They meant bowhunters could stay concealed better than just hunkering down in a bush, and they were easy to take down and move if needed. It also meant the hunter was more comfortable in the shade on a hot day. A dark blind allowed a little bit more room for error to move and adjust when a turkey was close.

Scouting dictates where I set my blinds. In my area, turkeys roost in cottonwood trees along a river corridor. I usually set the blind 200-300 yards from the primary roost in a clearing or edge of a road. A second blind placed further down the creek is a better ambush for midday or afternoon hunting.

Pitchfork-shaped tracks, wing strut marks, spent feathers and droppings tell the tale of where turkeys pass every day. A trail camera can help pin down what

time of day is best. In times of drought, a blind set near a windmill or dirt pond is effective. Patience is the most overlooked, but necessary tool of a turkey bowhunter. If I’m confident turkeys are in the area, I often sit in a blind all day. I’ve had good luck using Double Bull blinds from Primos.

I prefer to set blinds a couple of weeks before the season. When I hunt, all the windows are closed except the primary window I plan to shoot out of. Keep things dark in the blind and stay at the rear of the blind away from the window where sunlight might light up a bow limb. I prefer a blind set facing north or south, so the rising or setting sun is not shining through the windows early and late in the day. A soft blanket covers the floor to reduce dust and muffle any foot shuffling.

Depending on how much gear I want to lug to the blind, I carry one and sometimes several decoys. Last year, I had success with one upright hen placed 10

yards from the blind. I’ve also had luck with a larger spread; two hens and a jake mounted on top of a bedded hen. Place the decoys close, no more than 10-15 yards from the blind.

Make sure they are in an opening or lane where they are easily visible to a passing gobbler. Sometimes I call often, if a gobbler is talkative and fired up. Other times, when the woods are silent, I call once every 15-30 minutes. Just a few soft yelps in case a wandering gobbler is close. I prefer a box call and mouth calls.

Bow and arrow

For tight quarters in a ground blind, a short axle rig is ideal. Although these days almost all hunting bows are much shorter than they used to be. Something in the 29- to 34-inch axle-to-axle length is very maneuverable. I typically shoot off my knees so there’s no chance of the upper cam hitting the blind’s roof.

You don’t need a heavy draw weight to kill a 20-pound gobbler. A smooth draw

Here’s a close-up of the three-blade 100-grain broadhead the author prefers for head/neck shots on turkeys.

The author with his opening day, 2023 Texas Panhandle gobbler described in the opening paragraphs. The gobbler was ambushed from a pop-up blind near a creek. A single hen decoy lured the gobbler within range.

and the ability to hold it for an extended amount of time, waiting for the right shot angle, are more important. My turkey bow is usually set between 55-60 pounds. I prefer a single pin sight for simplicity and a clean sight picture. I rarely send an arrow past 20 yards at a spring turkey, so my single pin is set for 20 yards, and I practice with it at 10-30 yards to know where to hold. A short stabilizer, QAD drop-away rest and a ¼-inch peep sight complete the rig.

I’ve shot a lot of turkeys in the past 30 years using fixed blade, mechanical and specialty head-lopper style broadheads. In my experience, shots to the body too often result in a wounded bird. It’s more difficult to visualize the vitals on a turkey, whether he’s strutting or standing, than it is on a broadside deer. My preferred angle for a body shot is a gobbler standing, not strutting, and facing away. An arrow placed in the center of that pear-shaped, back silhouette kills quickly.

However, the head and neck is my favorite shot. If you keep shots close, 10-20 yards, the head/neck shot is deadly. Aim for the middle of the neck, giving yourself some room for error high or low. Use specialized, large cut turkey broadheads with the right arrow/fletching for a head/neck shot. Birds either drop dead or the shot is a miss. None of the meat is wasted either.

After years of experimenting with different arrow/broadhead setups for head/neck shots, I have a lot of confidence in my current choice. I use a stiff carbon arrow, usually one size stiffer than recommended on an arrow spine chart, and I fletch it with three, 4-inch feathers. I often use real barred wing feathers from last year’s turkey in a right helical Bitzenberger jig. I leave the arrow a little long so with the broadhead it clears the front of the riser and sight with no contact. I use heavy 95 grain steel inserts with a 100-grain point for increased front-of-center (FOC) weight.

The three-blade, 100-grain Bullhead from Magnus has been my preferred turkey head for a few years now. Last year’s arrows weighed 462 grains including the point. A projectile like that is deadly on a head/neck shot. A few arrows with regular fixed blade broadheads ride in my quiver in case a random feral hog wanders down the creek or I want to take that back, facing away body shot on a gobbler. A few standard Slick Trick or Wasp Dart broadheads ride in my quiver for this task.

Texas has lots of turkeys. If you haven’t tried spring archery hunting, make this the year to use your turkey tags. With the right blind setup, the right bow and arrow, and the right shot angle, success rates run high on trophy gobblers.

GROUND BLINDS FOR TEXAS TURKEY

By Horace Gore

Wild turkey have keen eyesight that is challenging to a spring turkey hunter. I’ve often said, you can sing the “Star-Spangled Banner,” and it won’t disturb a close gobbler, but you can move your trigger finger or blink your eyes, and he’s gone. A good blind is as important in spring turkey hunting as the camouflage you wear. Here are two blinds that work well on Texas turkey.

Lone hunter turkey blind (for shotgun)

Sometime in the mid-’70s, I was hunting spring turkey with a friend who showed me his homemade portable blind and how to set it up. He loaned me the blind to take a nice gobbler, and when I got back to Austin, I made an exact copy of that blind to take about 40 more spring gobblers. This blind is carried and put up during the hunt.

Think about a turkey hunter sitting on the ground, legs out front, shotgun laying alongside, and the barrel pointed forward. The blind extends forward 4 feet on each side of hunter, with 2 feet of material across the back against a tree trunk or solid object. The hunter sits lengthwise inside the blind, with open visibility toward decoy hen in front.

Materials needed: four 1-inch wooden dowels, 36 inches in length; 10 feet of 36-inch sheer, see through camo cloth; staple gun and 3⁄8 -inch staples, a hand drill and ¼-inch drill bit; Elmer’s glue, and four 6-inch spike nails (heads removed). The blind will be shaped 4'x2'x3' with two 4-foot camo sides, and a 2-foot camo back (a 2'x4' rectangle with open front).

Build the blind as follows: Drill a 1-inch-deep hole in the center of each wooden dowel. Add glue to the hole, and insert the headless end of nail deep into the dowel hole. The sharp

end of the nail will be exposed about 5 inches. Insert nails in all four dowels.

Staple camo cloth to dowel, about four to six staples, from top

The author notes turkeys have very keen eyesight, which makes hunting them challenging.

to bottom. Roll the dowel one turn in the cloth and completely staple again. At 4-foot length, staple another dowel to the inside of the cloth. Go 2 feet farther, and staple dowel inside cloth. Then to the end of cloth and staple to dowel. Roll the dowel one time and staple again top to bottom. There are no shortcuts!

You should now have a cloth blind 4 feet long on each side, and 2 feet across the back. As made, the blind will hide a hunter sitting on the ground with legs forward, with the back against a tree or solid object. The blind can be rolled up for easy carry, using a removable loop of nylon cord at each end to slide over the shoulder.

To set the blind up, find a good spot with a good, solid backing such as a tree. Push the dowel nails into the ground, making a 2-x4-foot rectangle with the 2-foot back of the blind against the tree. The hunter sits on a thin cushion for comfort on the ground inside the blind with feet forward and gun beside the leg. It’s important to wear camo from head to toe with dark or camo socks. You cannot be overly camouflaged.

With the blind set up, pace off 25 steps and set up a decoy hen so that it is visible from the blind. The hunter will wait until the gobbler comes to the decoy hen before firing. If necessary to shoot at either side, gun barrel can be laid over the side of the blind.

Duo hunter hanging blind (shotgun or bow)

This is a good blind for two hunters with shotgun or bow. It involves 16-20 feet of 60-inch see-though camo material, clothes pins or clips to attach material to brush limbs all around, two 12-inch sitting stools. Of course, both hunters will wear camo from head to toe. This is a blind for a gun or bow, that is used with a decoy hen, and can be put up before the hunt and left up for several hunts. Hunters should look through the blind material, rather than over the top.

Find a good place with ample brush to hold the blind, and clear out a spot. Cut excess brush with clippers, and attach the camo material to limbs with clothes pins/clamps, etc. so that you have a square or round blind that is 5-feet high, but touches the ground all around. The camo material must be set to a height of 5 feet all around to hide the sitting hunters inside.

Set the decoy hen up about 20 steps, visible from the blind. Enter the blind before daylight, or at 5 p.m., and sit on the stools. The shooter will slowly take aim (bow or shotgun) at the gobbler as the other hunter slowly pulls down the edge of the blind with a gloved finger. The hunter must be ready to shoot immediately

Hunting hints that work

If possible, always use a “turkey” broadhead, or a shotgun—20-, 16-, or 12-gauge—with full choke, and No. 4 or No. 6 high velocity loads. Set up the blind where you know there are turkeys, near a roost or gobbling tom at daylight, or one hour before sunset in the vicinity of a roost or gobbling toms. Once you get into the blind, remain quiet except for calling, and don’t get out for any reason. Patience is rewarding.

Get comfortable in blind and make three or four yelps on the call every 3-5 minutes—use your watch—until you hear a gobbler answer your call. When you see the gobbler is coming, stop calling and wait for a shot. In the morning, it may be as late as 7:30 to 9 a.m., when one or more gobblers appear. In the evening, a gobbler may answer and come to your call just at

sundown, so stay put until dark.

Hunting with lone hunter ground blind

Get comfortable in the blind, and don’t swat at mosquitoes or grab worms or bugs on your neck! When you hear a gobbler, answer him by making three yelps on your call until you know that he is coming then stop calling.

Pull your knees up and place the shotgun on a knee, stock to shoulder, ready to shoot. Be patient—the gobbler(s) will come in 5 to 15 minutes. Do not shoot until gobbler comes to the decoy, and always shoot at the head/neck.

Hints for two hunters in hanging blind

Hunters should sit quietly on stools and make three or four occasional yelps until a gobbler answers and comes to the decoy hen. Shooter takes aim sitting on the stool, as other hunter slowly pulls down the side of the blind with his finger. Shooter must shoot immediately, with gun hunter aiming at the turkey’s head. Arrowed turkey may fly a few yards.

Don’t hesitate to hunt in late afternoon. I’ve killed twice as many evening gobblers as early morning, and the morning turkeys were killed long after daylight, between 7:30 and 9.

Young jake gobblers may not gobble or strut at all, but simply come silently to your call or the decoy hen. There may be more than one-- shiny-dark, long legs, and a 1- to 3-inch beard. If you don’t want a jake, make some movement or noise that will cause him to leave, but continue to stay in the blind and continue your calling until about 10 a.m. or 8:30 evening (DST).

Chad Denman with a 1997 Rio Grande gobbler taken in Gonzales County.

YOU WILL NEED:

• 3 lb. venison rump roast

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup

• 2 beef bouillon cubes

• 4 medium potatoes, cubed

• 3 carrots, cut in chunks

• 1 medium onion, quartered

• Seasoning as noted (salt, black pepper, cumin)

• Water

Do you have a favorite Wild Game recipe that you would like to share with our readers? If so, please type or print recipe and send to: Texas Trophy

VENISON POT ROAST

DIRECTIONS

Season meat with salt, pepper and cumin rubbed into meat. Let meat set while cutting veggies.

Place roast in a hot skillet and sear meat on all sides.

Remove meat from skillet and place in a slightly greased pot with oven-proof lid (or foil).

Add one can mushroom soup and one can hot water; add bouillon cubes.

Place potatoes, carrots and onion around meat. It’s best if veggies are covered in soup/water.

Cover pot with lid or foil; place in middle of 350-degree oven, and cook for 4 hours.

Serve with salad, bacon grease seasoned Frenchcut green beans (or favorite side) and hot biscuits or Texas toast.

Fish and game move in search of food in cycles relative to the moon’s location to the Earth. The time spans listed are the prime or major period times to start each day and along each time zone meridian of longitude 75° (Eastern), 90° (Central), 105° (Mountain) and 120° (Pacific). To determine the feeding cycle time for fishing and hunting in the area you plan to fish or hunt, advance the sum of 4 minutes for each degree west and back up 4 minutes for each degree east. The next prime feeding cycle (not listed on the calendar) will be approximately 121⁄2 hours later. There are minor periods that occur between the prime or major periods. The moon’s phases are shown as New, First Quarter (FQ), Full and Last Quarter (LQ). The feeding times are not a cure-all. Weather and other environmental conditions affect wildlife feeding activity.

WILLIAM BROOKSHIRE: nine-point buck, scoring 130 B&C, taken 12/29/2022 in Bee County.

GEAR: .22 Creedmoor.

OUTFITTER: family.

PARKER CREWS: scimitar oryx taken 10/16/23 in San Saba County.

GEAR: Winchester long-range .243; 87-grain V-MAX ammo; Nightforce scope.

OUTFITTER: Barnes Keith Ranch.

TESSA MASSON: bobcat taken 10/29/23 in Austin County.

GEAR: great grandmother’s 6mm rifle.

OUTFITTER: family.

KHILEY EVERETT: whitetail 11-point taken with 207⁄8-inch inside spread, scoring 1733⁄8 B&C, taken Feb. 2022 in Atascosa County.

GEAR: 6.5 Creedmoor, 120-grain Barnes ammo, Swarovski scope.

OUTFITTER: family ranch.

BO BROOKSHIRE: eight-point buck, scoring 130 B&C, taken 12/22/22 in Runnels County.

GEAR: .22 Creedmoor.

OUTFITTER: family.

LOU DULIEN: aoudad taken 4/3/23.

GEAR: Hoyt Carbon RX-7, Easton Axis 6.5mm broadhead, Spot Hogg Triple Stack sight.

OUTFITTER: London Oaks.

CALEB VILLARREAL: whitetail eight-point with 19-inch spread taken 11/17/23 in Brooks County.

GEAR: 6.5 PRC, Zeiss scope.

OUTFITTER: family ranch.

KRISTINA BRABSTON: axis taken 12/3/23 in Frio County.

GEAR: .270.

OUTFITTER: G2 Ranch.

Texas Trophy Hunters Association Round-Up ads

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