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DECEMBER 2014 | VOL. 31 NO. 8 | $3.95
HuntinRiver Ducks:
FeatheryFlows!
5 Keys toCatchingTrophyCrappie
Wild in Texas:
Jaguarundi
ChristmasesPast:
HolidayHunts
Frozen Fish:Salt Strategies forPlummeting Mercury
www.FishGame.comTHE Texas Outdoor Authority
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www.FishGame.comPublished by Texas Fish & Game Publishing
Co., LLC.
TEXAS FISH & GAME is the largest independent,family-owned
outdoor publication in America.
Owned by Ron & Stephanie Ward and Roy & Ardia Neves.
ROY NEVESPUBLISHER
CHESTER MOOREEDITOR IN CHIEF
C O N T R I B U T O R S
JOE DOGGETT SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR DOUG PIKE SENIOR
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR TED NUGENT EDITOR AT LARGE LOU MARULLO HUNTING
EDITOR MATT WILLIAMS FRESHWATER EDITOR CALIXTO GONZALES SALTWATER
EDITOR LENNY RUDOW BOATING EDITOR STEVE LAMASCUS FIREARMS EDITOR
DUSTIN ELLERMANN SHOOTING EDITOR KENDAL HEMPHILL POLITICAL
COMMENTATOR WILL LESCHPER CONSERVATION EDITOR REAVIS WORTHAM HUMOR
EDITOR TOM BEHRENS CONTRIBUTING EDITOR GREG BERLOCHER CONTRIBUTING
EDITOR PAUL BRADSHAW CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CAPT. MIKE HOLMES
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR DUSTIN WARNCKE CONTRIBUTING EDITOR STAN SKINNER
COPY EDITOR LISA MOORE CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR JOHN GISEL
STRATEGIC ADVISOR
A D V E R T I S I N G
ARDIA NEVESVICE PRESIDENT/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
DAVID BECKLER NATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES LARRY DALTON
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR 1745 GREENS ROAD HOUSTON, TX 77032 PHONE:
(281) 227-3001 FAX (281) 227-3002
C R E A T I V E
ELLIOTT DONNELLYDIGITAL PUBLISHER
ANNA CAMPBELL GRAPHIC DESIGNER MELINDA BUSS GRAPHIC DESIGNER
WENDY KIPFMILLER-OBRIEN DIGITAL ISSUES DESIGNER
S U B S C R I P T I O N S
1745 GREENS ROAD, HOUSTON, TX 77032PHONE (800) 725-1134
ACTION SUBSCRIPTION FULFILLMENT
DUANE HRUZEKPRESIDENT
TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by
Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road,
Houston, Texas 77032. Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC.
All rights reserved. Content is not to be reprinted or otherwise
reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no
responsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts.
Subscription rates: 1 year $19.00: 2 years $34.75; 3 years $48.50.
Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 1745
Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for response.
Give old and new address and enclose latest mail-ing address label
when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX
77032. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME,
1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Email change of address to:
[email protected] Email new orders to: [email protected]
Email subscription questions to: [email protected].
Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX 77267-9946 and at
additional mailing offices.
Paid Distribution of over 90,000Verified by Independent
Audit
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DECEMBER 2014Volume 31 NO. 8
COVER:Family Traditions, Whitetail Revelations
Fathers and sons, uncles and cousins... family hunts not
only
validate the bonding nature of the sport, but campfire
conversations lead to shared learning experiences that make better
hunters.
Cover Photo and Story by Chester Moore
www.FishGame.com
Fathers and sons, uncles and cousins... family hunts not
only
validate the bonding nature of
STORY:
16
Features
COVER:
4 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M
E
F.L.E.X. ABILITYTF&Gs editor has developed a sys-tem for
targeting big fish of any kind. This article focuses on using
F.L.E.X. (Focus, Learn, Eliminate eXperience) tactics to catch big
crappie.
by Chester Moore
RIVER FLOWSFor waterfowlers unwillingor unableto pay high lease
fees, Texas rivers can provide hot duck action at an affordable
cost.
by John N. Felsher
CHRISTMASES PASTThe conversion of old 8mm home movies to DVD
brings on a rush of memories of Christmases past and holiday hunts
with a lost loved one.
by Reavis Z. Wortham
24
28
38
FROZEN FISHHere are a few alternative saltwater species to
target and tactics for anglers to use when the winter mercury takes
a dive.
by Calixto Gonzales
20
Table ofContents
Table ofContents
Table of
ALSO IN DECEMBER:
Wild in TexasDid you know that Texas is home to the jaguarundi?
This months Wild in
Texas photo essay looks at this exotic wild cat.
by Chester Moore
Did you know that Texas is home to the jaguarundi? This months
Wild in
Texas photo essay looks at this
STORY:
36
Wild in Texas
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InsideFish&Game
by Roy & Ardia Neves | TF&G Owners
Contents (continued)Columns
The Annual Blessings Audit
AS ANOTHER YEAR BARRELS TO A CLOSE, IT IS meaningful to stop for
a few moments and re ect on our lives, on the lives of those close
and important to us, and on the state of the world at this
particular juncture in history.
No matter whereor whenyou are, there will always be troubles.
Some people have it better than others. Some generations have it
better than others. But everyone has to contend with day to day dif
culties to some degree. Everyone and every time also has had some
measure of reason to be thankful. From a glass-half-empty
perspective, this means acknowledging that no matter how bad things
are, they could always be worse.
All forms of life are built for con ict and stress. Meeting
challenges might even be viewed as the essence of life. Stress is a
natural condition that every thing and every one has to deal with,
from a single-cell organism to the leader of the free world (and
well let you draw your own conclusions as to which of those two
examples handles it better).
We are de nitely livingas the old Chinese curse goesin
interesting times. Threats come at us from hordes of murderous
religious fanatics, drug cartels, exotic viruses, gun-wielding nut
jobs, a hostile climate and economic uncertainty, in an unrelenting
24-hour news cycle that lls our brains and competes unmercifully
with our personal daily stresses to make it all but impossible to
maintain a healthy blood pressure.
And yet, every day good deeds still get performed by individuals
and communities. Art is still created. Innovations and solutions to
vexing problems are engineered. Life goes on and, on balance, gets
better.
In our world here at TF&G, the past yearlike the last ve or
so before ithas certainly been interesting. Economics and the Print
is Dead movement have been our personal jihadist enemies. But
technology, creativity and the exhilaration of working hard have
kept us alive and ahead of our daily and systemic challenges.
Setting our particular struggles aside, we feel blessed to work in
an industry that champions the natural world and serves as its true
protector, and to work with people who keep us inspired.
Whatever your personal trials are at this time, we sincerely
hope you are able to look beyond them and nd your blessings. They
are there.
We wish you a Merry Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate
this time of year (just so it isnt one that glori es thugs, the
bullying of women and infringing the rights of others) and a Happy
2015, and beyond.
Texas Fish & Game is a family-owned business, and theowners
welcome your comments and questions. E-mail Roy and
Ardia Neves or Ron Ward at ContactUs@ shgame.com
6 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E
www.FishGame.com
9 Editors Notes by Chester Moore TF&G Editor in Chief
12 Doggett at Large by Joe Doggett TF&G Senior Contributing
Editor
13 Pike on the Edge by Doug Pike TF&G Senior Contributing
Editor
14 TexasWild by Ted Nugent TF&G Editor At Large
15 Commentary by Kendal Hemphill TF&G Politcal
Commentator
23 Texas Saltwater by Calixto Gonzales TF&G Saltwater
Editor
27 Texas Freshwater by Matt Williams TF&G Freshwater
Editor
31 Bare Bones Hunting by Lou Marullo TF&G Hunting Editor
41 Open Season by Reavis Wortham TF&G Freshwater Editor
46 Texas Boating by Lenny Rudow TF&G Boating Editor
48 Texas Guns by Steve LaMascus TF&G Firearms Editor
92 Texas Tasted by Bryan Slaven The Texas Gourmet
Texas Freshwater
Bare Bones
8 LETTERS10 TF&G REPORT10 BIG BAGS & CATCHES
32 TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
34 TRUE GREEN50 TEXAS TESTED52 FISH AND GAME GEAR
54 HOTSPOT FOCUS
62 TEXAS HOTSPOTS
70 TIDES & PRIME TIMES
75 SPECIAL CHRISTMAS SECTION
94 TF&G PHOTOS
Departments
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8 LETTERS10 TF&G REPORT10 BIG BAGS & CATCHES
32 TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
34 TRUE GREEN50 TEXAS TESTED52 FISH AND GAME GEAR
54 HOTSPOT FOCUS
62 TEXAS HOTSPOTS
70 TIDES & PRIME TIMES
75 SPECIAL CHRISTMAS SECTION
94 TF&G PHOTOS
Departments
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More on the BorderYOUR EDITORS NOTES IN THE September Fish &
Game was right on. Since the end of March, I have been working on a
huge landscape job near Langtry. Its a 17 mile trip down a dirt
road. I live in Lake Hills which is a little north of San
Antonio.
After I had been working there for about a month, My father came
to visit us to see his at the time 16-month-old granddaughter.
While he was here, his F250 Ford was stolen out of a motel parking
lot in the middle of the night.
The management of the motel was of no help which so ever which
lead us to believe they were in on it. three days later, it was
recovered by the border patrol about 10 miles from the ranch we are
working at in what they called a bail-out, where the border patrol
chased them until they wrecked the truck and everyone bailed. No
one was caught.
Two weeks after that, while we was har-vesting cactus on the
ranch for the landscap-ing, we came upon a spot, where we found a
couple of backpacks with some very worn clothes and a couple of
empty water bottles.
Some of the clothes were kids size. You could see where they
climbed the high fence to the ranch on the other side and got into
a truck. We saw the foot prints and tire marks. This spot was about
200 yards from where we have our trailers set up to sleep in.
About a month ago, while I was driving out to the ranch, I came
upon what looked like a truck broke down on the dirt road. The two
people outside the truck tried to get me to stop. I didnt and when
I drove past the truck, I saw it was just made to look like it was
broke down.
50 yards up the road, I saw a bunch of black bundles behind an
iron tree and it didnt take me long to fi gure out what was going
on. Its scary down there and you bet-ter watch out if you are by
yourself out there. Thanks for printing what you did. We all need a
heads up on whats going on down there.
Roger P.
MR. MOORE I FEEL YOU BASICALLY only brushed the surface in your
column regarding concerns down in the lower coun-try.
It is my belief it is only a matter of time before bad things
surface, the illegal immi-grants are becoming bolder by the day. A
good friend just sold his place in Webb County for the above
reasons.
I dont think anyone is really on top of the problem. I read
recently that in 2013 the Border Patrol averaged only 4.2 alien
arrests per Border Patrolman agency wide.
Bill NewsomBrush Country Field Deputy
The border situation as we both agree is a travesty. There are
so many facets to it we could dedicate an entire issue and not
scratch the surface. As an outdoor magazine we felt it was
important to address the key issues and make people who might not
oth-erwise be aware what is happening in many cases right here on
Texas soil.
CM
The Texas Lynx Stockings?DEAR MR. MOORE, I RECENTLY came across
your blog on The Texas Lynx and found it fascinating. Where do you
think the stories on actual Canadian lynx being stocked in Texas
came from?
Fred Pearson
I think they most likely started with some-one killing or seeing
a bobcat that was bigger than most and had longer ear tufts than
others they had seen. Bobcats are fi rst cousins of the lynx, so to
speak, so there is not a whole lot of difference; but I think that
is the basis of the legend.
By appearance, they are similar. They both have stumpy tails
about 4-5 inches
long, ruff of fur extending from the ears to the jowl and a
black-tipped tail. The colors are similar, from light gray to
brown. That is more common and is often spotted or streaked with
black. Their size is similar, from 65-100 cm (including the tail)
and weights range from 15-35 lbs. From here, we can get more
specifi c.
The bobcat looks more like an overgrown housecat. Most of them
do not have the distin-guishing extra-long tufts of hair on the
tips of its ears or the bigger, shaggy feet that help the Canada
lynx navigate in the deep snow.
Another characteristic is the tail. Although both have short
bobbed tails, the bobcats is banded with black stripes, and is
black at the top of the tip and white at the bottom. The lynxs tail
lacks banding and is completely black at the tip.
The range of the bobcat is from southern Canada to central
Mexico and tolerates the forest, mountains, swamps or desert
regions. The Canada lynx prefers forested areas and mainly lives on
the snowshoe hare.
There is a distinct correlation between the number of births of
Canada lynx and the num-bers of prey, the snowshoe hare. The bobcat
feeds on a more diverse diet of, rabbits, squir-rels, mice and
birds and sometimes deer, a trait that has contributed greatly to
their success.
We could fi nd no basis for the origin of Canada lynx stockings
in Texas as was dis-covered about the alleged timber rattlesnake
releases in the Piney Woods and published fi rst here in TF&G
in 2003.
CM
8 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M
E
Letters to the Editor
Send your Comments to:
EditorTexas Fish & Game1745 Greens RdHouston TX 77032Email:
editor@fi shgame.com
1412 Letters.indd 8 11/6/14 3:10 PM
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Editors Notes
Wild Wishes
IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT.
A sweet, young girl who had recently lost her father, got the
opportunity to pet and interact with her favorite animal,a
zebra.A few months earlier at church, the Holy
Spirit put it on my heart to ask her what her favorite animal
was and without hesitation she said zebra.
I promised her she would meet a zebra and here it was two months
later. Thanks to Donna McDonald of Jasper that was getting to
happen. It was the fi rst of several of what we call Wild Wishes
that my wife and I through our ministry, Childrens Kingdom
Ministries got to give in 2014.
We have dedicated every bit of time, energy and fi nance outside
of our jobs (mine at TF&G and hers as a teacher) to working
with children on behalf of the Lord. Its our passion and lifes
mission, and it started with my grandmother.
The late Ruby Pickard, founded an organization called My Wish
Inc. in 1982 to grant wishes to terminally ill children in
Southeast Texas. At eight years old, I accompanied her on that fi
rst wish where a little boy who simply asked for an American fl ag
to fl y over his home in Mauriceville.
That had a huge impact because at the time I would have asked
for something extravagant like a live elephant or the entire Star
Wars merchandise collection. But here was a boy my age with
leukemia wanting a humble fl ag. That event and being able to see
her give so many children happiness birthed a heart for kids even
while I was one.
This year we have opened the Kingdom Zoo: Education Center in
West Orange near my home and launched our Wild Wishes Project to
continue making the connection between the Creator and His
Creation.
Wild Wishes is important to us because it is a means of giving
hope and at Christmas this is something I want you to think
about.
How much hope is out there in the world?
How much hope is out there in the news, in popular culture and
on social media?
If you can fi nd any, please let me know.We have an opportunity
in a season that
even the most hardened person realizes is about giving to do
something special for others. If you know someone who is hurting or
maybe a child who has suffered or loss or is experiencing a
sickness, reach out and offer help.
Simply taking that person out to the duck blind or on a fi shing
trip during the Christmas break could do wonders for them. People
need to know that they matter. You might be the only person who
gives them that feeling by speaking to them, offering kindness and
letting them feel like there is something out there for them.
Our Wild Wishes Project is not about hunting or fi shing. There
are already won-derful programs that grant those types of wishes,
and we are not limited to terminal illness. We are also working
with kids who have suffered a loss, perhaps suffered abuse or
neglect and also include terminal illness.
In fact we granted a wolf-related wish to a wonderful little boy
suffering from a form of cancer (now in remission) thanks to our
friends at Exotic Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo as well as my
friend David Cleaver and his wolf dog, Lucy.
What its about is letting kids have some kind of safe, fun
encounter with wildlifeone that they might not realize is possible.
Who would think there are zebras in Jasper, Texas, for example?
Well, there are and our sweet friend got to meet one of
them.
Im a little uncomfortable writing about the charitable work Lisa
and I do because it is certainly not about us. Its about He who
sent us and the wonderful kids we work with, whether it be at our
Education Center, on a fi eld trip with kids or on a Wild Wish.
The fact is, I turn down most hunting and
fi shing excursions I am offered these days. The work I do
outside of this magazine is almost totally for this cause, and I
have no regrets. Seeing the smile of a child who has had a rough go
of it trumps shooting any big buck or catching the biggest fl
ounder.
Its also exciting to honor my grandmoth-er by, in a way,
continuing her work that blessed more than 250 kids in Southeast
Texas and Southwest Louisiana. A few days before I wrote this
column, I had the privilege of ministering to 13 kids from Buckners
Childrens Home at our Kingdom Zoo: Education Center.
They got to see and meet a bunch of rep-tiles, amphibians,
arachnids and mammals and spend a day in a fun, loving, faith-fi
lled environment. It was our fourth event with Buckner for the
year, and it reminded me that even the smallest of things matters
to a child.
One little girl couldnt help but laugh that our rat, Rita, is
hairless. Im used to the fact she was born that way but seeing that
beau-tiful smile at such a simple and admittedly silly-looking
creature serves as inspiration to keep doing this and take it to
new levels.
If you would like to support us with a tax-deductible end of the
year donation go to kingdomzoo.com and click on the Donate link.
Everything we do is made possible with donations. Or if you would
like to see how else you can get involved, visit the website or
e-mail me at cmoore@fi shgame.com.
Heres to you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful beginning to
2015. Most impor-tant, I hope you can give hope to someone else
whether they live across your street or around the world.
Hope lives in the hearts of those willing to give it.
E-mail Chester Moore atcmoore@ shgame.com
Listen to his weekly radio show Fridays, 6 pmon 560 KLVI
Beaumont (www.klvi.com)
by Chester Moore | TF&G Editor in Chief
Editors Notes
T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 |
9
1412 EdNotes.indd 9 11/6/14 3:12 PM
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Texans Convicted in Illegal Deer Breeding OperationTHE LATEST
CHAPTER IN A DECADE long series of criminal and wildlife dis-ease
investigations involving a former South Texas deer breeder ended
recently when a Corpus Christi area couple pleaded guilty to 50
charges of Unlawful Possession and/or Sale of Live Game
Animals.
Frank Thomas Shumate Jr., 51, and Kalub Rogers Shumate, 31, were
each assessed $14,127.50 in fi nes and agreed to surrender the
ability to apply for a deer breeder permit or a hunting lease
license for all time. Mr. Shumate also agreed to sur-render his
hunting license through the end of the 2015 license year and Ms.
Shumate
through the end of the 2017 license year.The criminal cases were
adjudicated
in the offi ce of Hon. Caroline Korzekwa, Karnes County Justice
Court Precinct 2.
Retired San Antonio attorney Rene Barrientos served as special
prosecutor in the case with approval and support from the Karnes
County Attorney. He also coordi-nated a global agreement in Travis
County District Court to resolve a pending civil case against Ms.
Rogers and recover $34,080 in restitution related to expenses
incurred by TPWD staff while conducting a deer herd inventory
inspection and disease sampling at a deer breeding facility
permitted to Ms. Rogers.
Investigation into Mr. Shumates deer breeding activities began
in March 2004 and led to multiple charges in three coun-
ties. Two years later, his deer breeder viola-tions resulted in
10 convictions on criminal charges in Jim Wells County, fi ve
convic-tions in Nueces County and fi ve convictions in Webb County.
As a result of these fi nd-ings, Mr. Shumate agreed to relinquish
his Scientifi c Breeders Permit and liquidate all deer held in
captivity in his deer breeding facility in Nueces County.
In advance of losing his deer breeding privileges, Mr. Shumate
allegedly initiated a plan to have a new deer breeding facility
permitted in the name of Kalub Rogers on his property in Karnes
County, where he then transferred more than 100 deer from his
Nueces County facility.
Over time the TPWD Special Operations Unit received numerous
reports that Mr. Shumate was reportedly still in the
The TF G ReportThe TF G Report&
Big Bags CatchesBig Bags Catches&
Visit FishGame.com to upload your Big Bags & Catches Photos
and Vote for our next WinnersVisit FishGame.com to upload your Big
Bags & Catches
Hailey Hurlburt caught this 27-inch, seven-pound trout while
shing at the north end of Sabine Lake.
Mario Gomez (left) with a 9-point mule deer and Benny Rodriguez
(right) with a 12-point muley, both shot on the Terlingua Ranch in
Brewster County. They were hunting with Uncle Ed, the Redskins fan
in the center.
10 | D E C E M B E R | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E
1412 TFGReport.indd 10 11/6/14 3:13 PM
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deer business and was buying and selling deer for which he was
not legally authorized by TPWD.
An investigation revealed that Mr. Shumate conducted sales of at
least 78 white-tailed deer from Ms. Rogers deer breeding facility
to ranches for release into the wild for stocking purposes since
September 2010. Mr. Shumate received a minimum of $171,466 in
payments for white-tailed deer he unlawfully sold, which according
to records submitted to TPWD, were transported from Ms. Rogers deer
breeding facility. The investigation further indicated that Kalub
Rogers was holding a deer breeder permit in her name on behalf of
her husband Frank Thomas Shumate Jr.
Ms. Rogers facility came under addi-tional scrutiny in 2012,
initially as a result of a delinquent annual report required of all
permitted deer breeding facilities. Criminal charges were fi led
when a subsequent herd inspection and inventory revealed signifi
cant irregularities and discrepancies, including
162 inventoried deer that were missing from the facility.
During the herd inspection, TPWD wildlife
b i o l o g i s t s
noted the remaining deer in the facility to be in poor condition
and numerous decayed deer carcasses were observed throughout the
pens.
The observation of 142 deer of unknown origin was cause for
additional concern and tissue samples from several deer were tested
for both Chronic Wasting Disease and Bovine Tuberculosis. Neither
disease was detected.
Unscrupulous actions by these two individuals are not only a
threat to all the law-abiding deer breeders who are carefully
monitoring and managing their facilities, but also to the states
free-ranging deer, which can be exposed to unnecessary disease risk
from these illegitimate activities, said Mitch Lockwood, TPWD Big
Game Program Director. Captive and free-ranging deer are too
important to our state to have them compromised by the actions of a
few.
State Gives Deer Handling GuidelinesTHE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE
Department reminds hunters throughout the state to properly dispose
of deer carcasses to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases
in deer. This is particularly important for mule deer taken inside
the Chronic Wasting Disease Containment Zone, which covers portions
of Hudspeth and El Paso counties, and the surrounding High Risk
Zone.
Because many hunters process their own deer, they are key
players in slowing the spread of diseases such as CWD, said Ryan
Schoeneberg, Big Game Program Specialist with TPWD. One possible
way that disease can spread is by the transporta-
tion and improper disposal of carcass parts.
Deer can become infected with CWD if they come into contact
with
other infected deer or an environment contaminated with CWD
prions. Although CWD prions are ubiquitous throughout the body of
an infected
deer, they are known to accumulate in the brain, spinal cord,
eyes, spleen, and
lymph nodes.CWD was fi rst found in Texas in
Hudspeth and El Paso counties two years ago, and the disease
appears to be limited to those remote areas. This, in large
part,
is because of hunter diligence, restricting unnatural movement
of deer, and ongoing measures to monitor and sample for evidence of
the disease.
Hunters who take deer in the Containment Zone are required to
present the unfrozen head of the deer to a desig-nated check
station within 24 hours of take so tissue samples can be removed
for CWD testing. Additionally, hunters in this area should not take
whole deer carcasses out of the Containment Zone, or carcass parts
that contain brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, or lymph nodes,
according to Shawn Gray, mule deer program leader for TPWD. We
recommend hunters in the Containment Zone and High Risk Zone
quarter deer in the fi eld and leave all but the quarters,
backstraps and head at the site if its not possible to bury the
inedible carcass parts on the ranch or take them to a landfi
ll.
Hunters are urged to follow these safe handling
recommendations:
Proper Carcass Disposal Avoid cutting through bones, spine,
or
brain when processing deer carcasses.
If processing harvested deer in camp or at home, place carcass
parts in trash bags and properly dispose of them through a trash
service or landfi ll.
For taxidermy work, use a licensed taxidermist to assure proper
carcass disposal.
Safe Parts to Transport Quarters or other portions of meat
with
no part of the spine or head attached;
Hides or capes from which all excess tissue has been
removed;
Antlers, including antlers attached to skull plates or skulls
cleaned of all muscle and brain tissue.
For more information visit:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/diseases/cwd/.
From staff reports
T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | D E C E M B E R | 11
Deer Handling GuidelinesTHE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE Department
reminds hunters throughout the state to properly dispose of deer
carcasses to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases in
deer. This is particularly important for mule deer taken inside the
Chronic Wasting Disease Containment Zone, which covers portions of
Hudspeth and El Paso counties, and the surrounding High Risk
Zone.
Because many hunters process their own deer, they are key
players in slowing the spread of diseases such as CWD, said Ryan
Schoeneberg, Big Game Program Specialist with TPWD. One possible
way that disease can spread is by the transporta-
tion and improper disposal of carcass
the brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, and lymph nodes.
162 inventoried deer that were missing from the facility.
During the herd inspection, TPWD wildlife
b i o l o g i s t s
Nine-year-old Baker Wardell shot his rst Rio Grand gobbler near
La Pryor in Zavala County. Dad Ronald Wardell said it was a classic
story of pre-dawn anticipa-tion, frustration, and ultimately,
complete success. The tom came to Ronalds call near a hen decoy at
15 yards and the boy made the shot with his dads Remington 1100
magnum 12 gauge.
1412 TFGReport.indd 11 11/6/14 3:13 PM
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Stand Down
TAKING A STAND IS THE MOST POPULAR and productive method of
whitetail hunting in Texas. It has been for decades and with good
reasonthe
positives far outweigh the negatives in this admittedly
sedentary approach.
The hunter on stand, either in a box blind or perched on a
tripod, is in excellent position to fi ll a deer tag. Being hidden
while overseeing a promising intercept area allows the game to come
to you. You are able to glass an unaware deer, make an educated
decision, then wait for a high-percentage shot. Well, most of the
time.
Also important, the proper stand allows a rifl e rest for
deliberate bullet placement. And a clean shot isor should bethe
goal of every conscientious hunter. A fast offhand chance might
seem more dashing and sporting but maybe not so much if it wounds
and cripples and the deer is lost.
The typical box blind offers a measure of weatherproofi ng on a
raw or rainy day, and the easy access allows individuals of limited
physi-cal abilities to enjoy deer hunting. Oh, yesits also a fi ne
place to watch (and photograph) the random passing of wildlife that
most non-hunters seldom see.
The only negative to climbing into a stand (except maybe a swarm
of nesting wasps) is that a prolonged session can become boring.
This especially is true if the seat is uncomfortable and you are
under-dressed and the brush appears dead, void of game.
You can only admire fl uttering chee-chee birds for so long.
Being the keen hunter that you are, you try to talk yourself into
one more hour but the lingering minutes on a slow-motion wristwatch
can become a never-ending ordeal. If apex predators such as the
Tyrannosaurus rex hadnt been wiped out by the Ice Age, several
excruciating vigils in a barren deer stand certainly would have
done it.
The grip of impatience is tightened by our fast-lane mentality.
Several hours of sitting qui-etly and staring at nothing can be
diffi cultif not impossiblefor some hard-chargers.
Fortunately, options afoot are available. This is assuming the
lease allows hunters to leave designated stands.
Horn rattling, or clashing a pair of antlers together to imitate
a fi ght between two territorial bucks, originated in Texas and
remains steeped in lore and legend. The technique does work,
sometimes with dramatic results, but timing can be critical.
Rattling often is most effective dur-ing the early stages of the
rut, when dominant bucks are most competitive for available
does.
Weather also can be a factor. Cool, moist mornings with a light
wind from a constant direction are ideal; conversely, a hot
afternoon under a whipping wind is a poor draw.
You can successfully rattle from an elevated stand, especially
when attempting to draw unseen bucks from way over there, and dont
let anyone tell you otherwise. And rattling is a fi ne way to stoke
the fi nal 30 minutes or so during a deerless vigil. At least you
are doing something that might actually attract a buck.
But, for sure, rattling is best from the ground. Teaming with
another hunter is great, especially when you have the rifl e and
your companion totes the horns. A solo session will workjust have
the rifl e ready as you drop the horns. Either way, the scope
should be turned to its lowest power to acquire a close, fast
target.
Put another way, its a rookie mistake to lift 14X at a B&C
candidate closing fast through tangled mesquite at 30 yards.
A good rattling site offers a broken fi eld of view downwind the
random clumps provide cover for a circumspect buck while allowing
you to anticipate the action.
And pay attention when settling into your brushy hide. You dont
want to cozy down next to an irritable rattlesnake. Nor do you want
to sit in the middle of a fi re ant bed.
The great advantage of rattling from the ground is the ability
to utilize available covernot just for concealment, but for
imparting realistic sounds of fi ghting. Whacking branches,
thumping dirt, kicking rocks add realism.
The hunter on foot can spend several hours rattling, usually
easing from one promising spot to the next. Go slow, pausing often
to glass ahead. Each rattling stop warrants waiting and watching
before moving. How long at each sta-
tion depends on the situation, but rattling when bucks are
responsive is a great way to spend a day in the fi eld.
Just be cautious over the rifl e when the brush erupts; a so-so
young buck can appear awfully big as it charges into the horns.
So-called still hunting (walking through the woods in hopes of
fi nding game) usually is not the best game plan for a mature buck.
We tend to move too fast. Also worth note, the deer lives there.
Also worth note, have a look at those ears and that nose.
No, unless your family crest depicts Daniel Boone on one
escutcheon and Hiawatha on the other, attempting to bumble through
the brush and walk up game may succeed only in rout-ing a big buck
that might have been tagged by patient waiting and watching.
Theres one possible exception: If the weath-er is witheringly
cold, wet and windy, you might have a shot when still hunting
through thick draws and bottoms. Most deer bed down, reluc-tant to
move under such harsh conditions, and the rough weather helps mask
your approach.
Of course, this sounds good on paper, maybe not so solid out
there in the icy brush. A steaming bowl of chili and a football
game on the TV back at camp might be a more realistic call.
Spot-and-stalk is another option for the rest-less hunter. The
odds for success are better here because you know exactly where an
unwary deer is. Well, almost exactly. They do have four feet, but
youve got a major head start.
Most spot-and-stalk attempts originate from stands or lease
vehicles. A deer is located at considerable distance (a spotting
scope may help greatly in fi ne tuning things) and it remains only
to slip within shooting range.
Full camo helps but the idea is to stay hidden, using wind and
sun and terrain, and close the gap. Anything inside 100 yards is
ice cream but 200-plus is a legitimate poke with a scoped rifl
e.
This is assuming you had the forethought to tote a stable tripod
or bipodand the wisdom to practice off the sticks at a range.
Email Joe Doggett at
ContactUs@ shgame.com
12 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M
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Doggett at Large
by Joe Doggett | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor
1412 Doggett.indd 12 11/6/14 3:14 PM
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Pike on the Edge
by Doug Pike | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor
Wildlife Odd Couples
AN IDLE MIND OFTEN FOLLOWS WHIMSI-cal paths. I was reminded of
that when the following thoughts crept into my head one late-winter
evening:
For no reason, I pondered the marked similarities between
specifi c species of ter-restrial and aquatic life. If you think of
the plane on which air and water meet as a looking glass, it is
fairly easy to see some of the creatures that live on one side refl
ected in those that live on the other.
Take hardheads, for example. (And take all you wantnobody will
miss them.) The hardhead catfi sh is a generally despised,
potentially harmful waste of fl esh that never met anything it
wasnt willingenthusiasti-callyto bite.
My immediate thought as its counterpart was the cottonmouth, but
I actually respect snakes and do not share that feeling for the
hardhead. Ultimately, the nod went to sewer rats. City rats.
Garbage eaters, not fi eld mice earning their hardscrabble
existence on waste grain and wild seed.
Scale tipper for the sewer rat-hardhead play was that if you
were hungry enough, although you wouldnt like doing so, you could
eat either one. I couldnt eat a water moccasin.
Moving on to a more glamorous path, consider the Spanish and
king mackerels. Both are high-velocity, acrobatic predators that
take most of their meals at full speed.
This one is easy. The smaller and larger mackerels are to
schools of sardines and mul-let what falcons and hawks are to
meadow mice and pigeons. By water or air, the attacks of these
lightning-bolt predators are swift, and death of the prey is
instant or nearly so.
Somewhere near the bottom of the visible food chain, you will fi
nd shrimp in the bays and grasshoppers in the fi elds. Both can
seem amazingly agile to any of us who try to catch one by hand, but
neither is a match for the stabbing beaks of birds, rushing mouths
of big fi sh, or bullwhip tongues of lizards. Where shrimp and
grasshoppers live, almost everything bigger than them eats
them.
On the cuddly side, there is commonal-ity between crappie and
cottontails. Each is relatively delicate in its world and, as
prey, must constantly watch over its fi nned or furred shoulder.
Nervous by nature and prolifi c by same, white perch and bunnies
are the marshmallows of fi sh and wildlife.
I wanted to liken largemouth bass to bobcats, both being
opportunistic ambush feeders, but the latter tends to remain lean
throughout its life. A bass, on the other hand, becomes relatively
fat and lethargic in seniority, still capable of feeding itself but
more apt to take one big meal than six smaller ones. I will stick
with the comparison for lack of a better one but, in my mind, add a
beer belly to the cat.
There are solid matches in the world of biting, stinging
creatures. The fi rst is sting-rays and scorpions, both of which
respond to threat with a swift upturning of their tails.
Stingrays are much larger, of course, and capable (with a few
exceptions) of infl icting a more painful wound, but either can
ruin an outdoorsmans day with one swing of its tail.
No roll call of natural annoyances is com-plete without mention
of what most coastal residents call sea lice, which actually are
the pinhead-sized larvae of blue crabs. On the right spring tide,
they can be so thick in the surf that paddling a surfboard through
them feels as if you are pulling your arms through a giant bowl of
grits. They have tiny pincers with which to attach themselves to
any unsuspecting host that happens along. Hitchhikers, they are,
with a preference for dark, damp places. (Draw your own
conclu-sions.)
Their terrestrial mirror image, of course, is the chigger.
Evolution left no clues as to whether chiggers crawled to sea and
became crab larvae or crab larvae got tired of the marine life and
crept up the beach into the nearest open fi eld. It doesnt matter.
A few dozen of either can generate an excruciating, ceaseless itch
in places it is not polite to scratch publicly.
There are plenty moreblue marlins and lions, wahoos and
wolverinesfor which there isnt room here, but there is one more
that must be shared.
My favorite pair grow big and aggressive and fearless, and as
adults, individuals can defend themselves against anything they
might encounter. Each of their populations has risen steadily
through the past two, maybe three decades, and both like to feed in
the mud with their noses down and tails up.
As if either needed identifi cation after those descriptions,
they are the redfi sh and feral pig. And like all those other
animals, I am convinced each would be proud to be associated with
the other.
Email Doug Pike at ContactUs@ shgame.c
T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 |
13
Pike on the Edge
by Doug Pike | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor
On the cuddly side,
there is commonality
between crappie and cottontails.
1412 Pike.indd 13 11/6/14 3:15 PM
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When in Doubt, Ask the Nuge
LUCKY LUCKY ME, I HAVE BEEN blessed with the greatest human
con-nection available to mankind over my lifetime of hunting. I am
constantly
bombarded with communications from hunt-ers, fi shermen,
trappers and a whole slew of folks, mostly young, that want to know
how they can achieve the glowing high that I write about and
celebrate all the time on Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild TV. Its
legal, its pure, its universally available to Americans, and it is
obviously so much fun its intoxicat-ing in the ultimate good
way.
Here is a fi ne example of the questions I receiver on a daily
basis that I thought I would cover at this time.
With the engineered dumbing down of so much of America by so
much of our failed education system and scamming media, I thought
my response would be a good start-ing point for all of us to
counterpunch the abject ignorance and outright insanity run-ning
amok regarding hunting.
DEAR MR NUGENT, I HAVE HAD A dissagrement with a coworker over
my daughter bow hunting.
In August she bought her own bow and gear and started practicing
in our back yard. Her second time out hunting with me she shot a
doe. I was telling my coworkers about it and said later on that
night she started crying that she killed it. I told her she did
nothing wrong and they have hunting to cut down on the population.
I think shes going to be ok now.
She and her Mom dont like deer meat, but I do! Thats where this
starts. One of my coworkers doesent think she should be hunting
because she wont eat the meat. It really hacked me off enough for
me to write this letter.
I cleaned the deer and its at the proces-
sor now. I would like to get your thoughts on this if you have
the time. Her name is Nicole and she is 24 years old and a very
good kid.
Love your Spirit of the Wild TV show on Outdoor Channel, love
your music and how you stand up for our constitutional rights.
Mike Neargarten
DEAR MIKE, GOOD TO HEAR from you sir and thanks for thinking of
me. It is so very tragic that in the year of our Lord 2014 anybody
could possibly be aware of, or worse, much worse, pretend to not be
aware of natures sustain yield wildlife science. Hunting, fi shing
and trap-ping is perfect and pure, as we celebrate Thanksgiving,
giving sincere thanks for Gods natural annual renewable bounty.
To not hunt is cruel and irresponsible, for all the new
creatures born last spring and sustained all summer when
nutritional conditions are at their peak, cannot possibly survive
the death of that sustaining vegeta-tion through the dead of
winter.
Dear God, man. Who dosent know this? Must be an intentional scam
by our so-called education system and lying and nasty agenda driven
propaganda ministry media.
Surely everyone must know that deer, moose, bear, elk,
pronghorn, birds of every species, smallgame and critters by the
BILLIONS are slaughtered and left to suffer on our American hiways
EVERY year. What kind of soulless goofball is #1 unaware of that,
or #2 could possibly deny it, or #3 dare turn their back on our
responsibility to harvest the annual surplus in order to
respectfully utilize the sacred protein and balance the herds to
minimize such waste. Good Lord in heaven!
You did great guiding your daughter to be a hunter. Hunters are
the real conserva-tionists and ultimate environmentalists not only
safeguarding quality air, soil and water producing wildlife
habitat, but sharing more literally BILLIONS and BILLIONS of the
ultimate natural, organic, healthi-est meat available to mankind
EVERY YEAR! To be against hunting is to be against nature and to be
against healthy, thriving wildlife.
Nicole did good and we who know the truth thank her and salute
her.
Now just make sure you are handling and processing the venison
properly, clean, cold and aged, because if anyone doesnt like
venison, it can only be because it was mishandled.
You and Nicole and your coworker should check out my 1000s of
writings at tednugent.com and get up to speed on the truth, logic,
science, commonsense and hon-esty of how hunting is a win win win
win win for everybody and everything. Good hunting, goodluck,
Godbless & Godspeed! American venison
BloodBrothers, Ted Nugent & Family
Contact Ted Nugent at TNugent@ shgame.com
14 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M
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Teds TexasWild
by Ted Nugent | TF&G Editor-at-Large
One of my
coworkers doesnt think my
daughter should hunt because she
wont eat the meat.
1412 Nugent.indd 14 11/5/14 12:07 PM
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T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 |
15
Merry Christmas, PETA
EARLY IN MY WRITING CAREER I REALIZED that PETA was going to be
a big help to me. The groups efforts to control the actions of
others has been a con-
stant source of material, and pointing out the fl awed thinking
of these supposed animal rights advocates has allowed me to
illustrate why hunting and fi shing is essential to the continued
welfare of wildlife. Plus its fun to poke fun at the antis,
although its similar to swatting a fl y with a Pontiac.
A few years ago the PETA folks were advocating that all the
cows, pigs, chickens, and other domesticated stock in America
should be turned out to fend for itself. The idea, as put forth by
a PETA member in an interview with a SUN reporter, was that nature
would take care of the animals. And Im quite sure it would, in the
form of preda-tors.
Another option mentioned by a PETA member was for sanctuary
farms to be set up by the government, and paid for by the rice milk
and almond milk industries, so the freed animals could live happily
ever after. My impression was that the people in charge of the
alternative milk industries had not been consulted about the
plan.
There have also been efforts by PETA, in various states, to
erect memorials in highway right-of-ways where trucks hauling
livestock had wrecked, and numbers of animals had died. These
efforts have been largely unsuc-cessful, not because theyre
ridiculous, which they are, but because most states have rules
against unnecessary monuments in highway right-of-ways.
When a video surfaced in mid-2013 of a man kicking a squirrel
into Grand Canyon, PETA came out in force, and offered a
reward for information leading to the mans identity. I have to
admit I cant argue with them on that. While I have no problem with
hunting, I believe we are stewards of the wildlife on earth, and
should not be abusive or cruel, ever.
I also agree with PETAs opinion on zoos and circuses, most of
which are, in my opinion, cruel and inhumane. Keeping animals
locked up in cages shows them no respect, and I believe we have a
responsibility to honor the creatures over which we have dominion.
Entertainment at their expense does nothing for the animals, and
less for the people who enjoy it.
But PETA rarely wanders into the realm of credibility,
preferring to travel the paths of the ludicrous, as evidenced by
articles recently sent in by astute readers. One such article, from
the Portland Oregonian, addresses the issue of roadkill as
food.
While the very idea is repugnant to most of us, there are some
who have no qualms about gathering dead animals from roadways and
taking them home to eat. Incidentally, if you happen to be one of
those, please let me know, so I can make a note to respectfully
decline your dinner invitations.
This practice may have been encouraged by PETA, since the
article mentions that the animal rights group supports salvaging
roadkill so the animal carcasses dont just rot. Which makes it
sound as if PETA advocates eating the roadkill, which would
invalidate at least part of the groups goals. Plus its pretty
disgusting. The problem with PETA has always
been its contradictory nature. There are two main premises which
form the foundation of the PETA cult and yes, it is a cult. When
members blindly follow leaders who are get-ting rich from a cause
with nothing to offer society, thats a cult.
The group purports that people and ani-mals are equal, and
because of that we should not eat animals. However, its fi ne for
animals such as grizzly bears and wolves to eat other animals.
Other animals evidently have more priviledges than human animals
have. Who is equal here?
You cant have it both ways. You have to pick. The PETA cult
wants it both ways. You cant win an argument when the other side
gets to provide its own contradictions. Or, as Jesus put it, A
house divided against itself cannot stand.
Of course, PETA offi cials argue that humans should know better,
and we have a greater responsibility because we are more advanced
than the other animals. To which I would suggest that, if we are
equal with the other animals, why should we be held to a different
standard?
There is no truth in the PETA doctrine, only contradictions.
There is no common sense, only unsupported lies. There is no
fact-based creed, only emotional manipula-tion. The PETA house is
built on a faulty foundation.
The group is, however, entertaining, espe-cially during the
holiday season. The pleas to America to spare turkeys at
Thanksgiving and Christmas, in favor of vegetarian alterna-tives
such as tofu, are always enjoyable, if not very well-received. So,
in appreciation of the hours of diversion PETA has given us over
the years, I would like to wish everyone in their camp a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year.
I just have one question If tofu is so great, why do vegans
always claim it can be made to taste just like meat?
Email Kendal Hemphill at ContactUs@ shgame.com
Commentary
by Kendal Hemphill | TF&G Political Commentator
I believe we are stewards of the wildlife on earth.
1412 Commentary.indd 15 11/5/14 12:12 PM
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16 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M
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Fea 1-Whitetail Traditions-Moore.indd 16 11/5/14 11:50 AM
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I FELT LIKE A KID ON CHRISTMAS MORN-
ing. As I fi nished fi eld dressing a 20-inch-wide six
pointer that weighed in excess of 200 pounds, ranch
owner Robert Scherer and my Dad drove up.
Come see what your Dad shot, Robert said.
After loading my big buck in the truck we drove to
the edge of a fi eld. Lying on the ground was a massive,
massive buck.
It looked like something from Iowa or Kansas with
points shooting all over the place and a third
main beam.
Taking a nice buck as Dad took his biggest
buck ever was a lot to take in. It gave me the
best day of hunting in my life.
Story and Photosby Chester Moore
T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 |
17
The author and his father with Robert Scherer and the two big
bucks they took.
Fea 1-Whitetail Traditions-Moore.indd 17 11/5/14 11:50 AM
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These bucks were now a part of
a lineage of nice bucks taken by members of my family, namely my
father Chester Moore, Sr., my late Uncle Jackie Moore and his son
Frankalong with me.
Over the years when we gathered, the conversation often ended up
centered on deer and growing up. Frank and I loved to hear the
stories about their biggest bucks as well as their
misadventures.
My Dad tells the story of shooting a big nine pointer while
listening to the Dallas Cowboys play the Detroit Lions on a
Thanksgiving Day. He was sitting on a big rock overlooking a hill
listening to the game. Out walked a big buck paying him virtually
no attention. That was its last mistake.
My Uncle Jackie admitted to missing some distant shots at an
absolutely monster buck he said had a Christmas tree rack. He ran
out of bullets as it ran several hun-dred yards directly toward him
to stand less than 50 yards away.
Frank and I used to love that one.As time went on, we took bucks
of our
own, and then our interest in deer waned a bit. Frank found a
true passion for hog hunting, and I jumped head fi rst into duck
hunting, although we both still sought deer
just about every season.We both got back into it
in a big way back in 2011, and we both took nine-pointers.
I took mine while venturing down to Inez, Texas to hunt with
Diamond M Whitetails and was able to take a gorgeous tall, wide
nine-pointer on their low fence acreage in the middle of beautiful
scrub brush and live oak country.
Our conversations after that hunt led to an interesting
revelation. As we got to look-ing at the products we used to pursue
game, we realized virtually all of it has to do with overcoming the
incredible senses of these great animals.
In fact, a huge portion of our communi-cation over the years has
been how to get around these super senses.
The sense of smell of deer for example is legendary. There are
hundreds of products on the market and homegrown remedies for
eliminating human scent and appealing to hunger and sexual urges
through smell. Did you know however deer actually have two
noses?
According to a fascinating article put out by Dr. Karl V. Miller
from the University of Georgia, few hunters realize that a deer
actually has two noses.
The second nose is technically not a
nose, but it serves some of the same purpose. If you look on the
roof of the deers mouth you will see a diamond shaped structure
with a small passage leading into the palate. This additional nose,
called the vomeronasal organ (VNO), is similar to the Jacobsons
organ that snakes use to taste the air. Deer use the VNO
exclusively to analyze urine. When a buck sees a doe urinate, he
will often take some of this urine into his mouth and perform a
behavior called fl ehmen, or lip-curl.
This fl ehmen helps to introduce urine into the VNO. It is
interesting that this organ is not connected to the same part of
the brain that the nose is connected to. Instead it is con-nected
to the part of the brain that controls the reproductive condition
of the deer. What type of information the deer is getting is
unknown, but it is likely that odors analyzed in the VNO help get
the hormones pumping in the
buck and bring him into rutting condition.
When I got that information I sent a text to Frank as eagerly as
I did when I shot my big buck at Scherers ranch. He
has been working super hard to ensure he gets a buck with his
bow this year.He has
done everything, including putting out three stands around his
feeder so he can hunt it effectively with virtually any wind. He
has invested in 3-D camoufl age. He even took soil from beneath his
stand and put his hunt-ing clothes in it, thanks to a tip from
TF&G Bowhunting Editor Lou Marullo.
The answer?Great! I was worried enough about the
fi rst nose and the eyes and ears now I have to worry about
appealing to or avoiding a second one. Yikes! LOL.
I am blessed to have been born into a hunting family that gladly
took their children into the great outdoors. I am blessed because
our family has very serious deer hunting tra-ditions, though never
verbalized, which have been passed down.
Hundreds of thousands of other Texans have similar stories and
deeply held beliefs and traditions regarding deer hunting. This is
what has helped make Texas the number one deer hunting state in the
nation.
I have always loved the pursuit of white-tails and stand with
all hunters who hit the fi eld happy to simply collect some venison
but are always pursuing that big, heavy antlered buck.
were now a part of a lineage of nice bucks taken by members
of
We both got back into it in a big way back in 2011, and we both
took
nose, but it serves some of the same purpose. If you look on the
roof of the deers mouth you will see a diamond shaped structure
with a small passage leading into the palate. This additional nose,
called the vomeronasal organ (VNO), is similar to the Jacobsons
organ that snakes use to taste the air. Deer use the VNO
exclusively to analyze urine. When a buck sees a doe urinate, he
will often take some of this urine into his mouth and perform a
behavior called fl ehmen, or lip-curl.
This fl ehmen helps to introduce urine into the VNO. It is
interesting that this organ is not connected to the same part of
the brain that the nose is connected to. Instead it is con-nected
to the part of the brain that controls the reproductive condition
of the deer. What type of information the deer is getting is
unknown, but it is likely that odors analyzed in the VNO help get
the hormones pumping in the
buck and bring him into rutting condition.
shot my big buck at Scherers ranch. He has been working super
hard to ensure he
gets a buck with his bow this year.He has done everything,
including putting out three stands around his feeder so he can hunt
it
These bucks were now a part of
just about every season.We both got back into it
nose, but it serves some of the same purpose. If you look on the
roof of the deers mouth you will see a diamond shaped structure
with a small passage leading into the palate. This additional nose,
called the vomeronasal organ (VNO), is similar to the Jacobsons
organ that snakes use to taste the air. Deer use the VNO
exclusively to analyze urine. When a buck sees a doe urinate, he
will often take some of this urine into his mouth and perform a
behavior called fl ehmen, or lip-curl.
into the VNO. It is interesting that this organ is not connected
to the same part of the brain that the nose is connected to.
Instead it is con-nected to the part of the brain that controls the
reproductive condition of the deer. What type of information the
deer is getting is unknown, but it is likely that odors analyzed in
the VNO help get the hormones pumping in the
buck and bring him into rutting condition.
gets a buck with his bow this year.He has done everything,
including putting out three
18 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E
PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE
The author and the big buck he took whilehunting with Diamond M
Whitetails.
Fea 1-Whitetail Traditions-Moore.indd 18 11/5/14 11:50 AM
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Also Available at Amazon.com
Fea 2-Deer-Digital.indd 28 9/24/14 5:41 PM
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20 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION: TF&G
Fea 2-FrozenSaltwater.indd 20 11/5/14 11:57 AM
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BY GOD ITS A great day to be alive! shouted Captain Larry
Corbett over the roar of his outboard.
No it isnt, wailed my wife Sandie.
Its explitive cold!
She was right. It was very cold. Cold
enough to make your cheeks burn and
the snot in your nose to freeze up. It was
an unfriendly 39 degrees that morning
when we had gotten up at oh-dark-thirty
to drive to Port Isabel to meet Larry at his
dock. Had we not planned this trip weeks
in advance and had it not meant the only
chance at a fishing trip for weeks, Sandie
and I wouldve canceled and
stayed in bed.
T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 |
21
Fea 2-FrozenSaltwater.indd 21 11/5/14 11:57 AM
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We eased up to a piling along the Queen Isabella Causeway and I
fastened a line to it. We each baited up with live shrimp (only one
bait shop in town actually had any for sale) and sent them to the
bottom. The braided line detected vibrations as my hap-less
crustacean fl ipped and kicked as some unseen predator zeroed in on
it. Then the line started feeling heavy, and then it moved off. I
set the hook hard. Sandie and Larry did likewise almost
simultaneously.
All three of us were hooked up to jumbo, quarrelsome sheepshead.
By the time we had used up an entire quart of shrimp two frigid
hours later, we had a triple limit of sheepshead, several
keeper-sized speckled trout, and a handful of beautiful black drums
that approached the upper end of the slot limit.
Its still expletive cold, Sandie said as we turned the boat
toward home.
Cool TimesLiterally hundreds of thousands of words
have been composed about cold weather fi shing. There is no
denying that there are
plenty of fi shing opportunities for the anglers with stout
hearts and warm clothing. Many anglers actually circle the coldest
months on the calendar as their prime fi shing period.
These anglers are focused on trophy trout, and for good reason.
Jim Wallaces former state record 13 pound 11 ounce speckled
trout pounced on a Corky in the middle of February, 1996.
Wintertime is big
trout time in Texas.Many anglers, however, dont have
the stamina, wherewithal, or desire to go through the physical
tribulations of doing what is normally required to score a career
trout in winter (long wades for hours, or even days for a single
strike that may never come). They would much rather fi nd a few
cooperative fi sh that will stretch a line and make them forget
about the cold.
If Im going out into the cold, I dont want to sit there all day
for one fi sh, said Captain Billy Castro. If Im going to run out in
the winter, Im focusing on more plentiful fi sh. There are a ton of
different fi shing opportunities that dont involve mak-ing 10,000
casts for one fi sh.
Castro and other anglers target fi sh that are more active in
colder climes, such as the underrated sheepshead. These toothy
critters aggregate in good numbers year around, but theyre most
active when water temperatures dip below 70 degrees. The
prison-striped fi sh start congregating along piers, seawalls,
jetties, and causeway pil-
ings during the winter months. The fi sh are in staging mode for
their spawn, which occurs in late February and through March. When
you locate these con-gregations, you can catch a quick limit of
chunky sheeps in short order and be back at the dock with a hot cup
of coffee.
Live shrimp are hard to come by when weather gets really cold
(lower than 50 degrees). When water temperatures take a
corresponding dip, shrimp bury themselves deep in warm mud and are
hard to reach with
trawl nets. When you can locate live bugs, theyre tough to beat
for sheepshead.
The best method to fi sh them is to rig a free shrimp rig, which
is a split shot 12-16 inches above a hook (usually a #2 Eagle Claw
X-tra Long Shank is best). Flick the bait as close to the structure
as you can.
Keep an index fi nger on the line to detect a pickup. Once you
feel the fi sh move off with the bait, set the hook.
Castro has a different technique for win-tertime sheepies. He
uses a two-drop rig that is specifi cally designed for crappie. The
rig has two stiff wire stagings to which you attach snelled hooks.
A 1 ounce bell sinker on the bottom snap fi nishes the rig.
I have better contact with this rig, said Castro. I can also
cast it with heavier bait-casting tackle, which gives me better
power to pull fi sh away from pilings and rocks.
Bang the Winter Drum
Another fi sh that makes great winter quarry is the black drum.
The Texas win-ter drum fi shery is legendary. Past issues of Texas
Fisherman, a predecessor of this magazine, were fi lled with
pictures of happy anglers with giant black drums pushing upwards of
50 pounds. These big, gnarly brutes cruise in and out of passes and
chan-nels all winter long. The big runs are usually after the fi
rst big cold front of the year, and again towards the end of
winter.
Big black drums are a very proletarian fi sh. Anglers fi shing
off piers, jetties, and the shoreline have as much of a chance to
latch onto a big one as an angler cruising a ship channel in a
boat. You can catch them with a variety of rigs ranging from trout
tackle all the way up to boat rods and surf gear, although anglers
who target them specifi cally tend to use heavier tackle.
A classic technique is to set up in a pass or channel edge and
fi sh along the bottom with either a dropper rig or a Fish Finder
(Carolina) rig baited with fresh shrimp or crab chunks. The latter
should be hooked through a leg socket and out the top of the shell
point. That way, the bait doesnt spin in the current.
Big drums are not averse to taking lures. A large Gulp! Shrimp,
DOA Shrimp or similar soft bait rigged on a -3/8th ounce jighead
and dragged along the bottom is the best choice. Dragging is a
literal term. Its much more effective to keep the bait in con-tact
with the bottom than hopping fi nishes the illusion.
Once the fi sh picks up your offering, you wont notice the cold
as much!
22 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M
E
Winter is Big Trout time in Texas. But not many anglers have the
stamina for that sports thousand-to-one cast-to-catch ratio in
frigid conditions.
Queen Isabella Causeway and I fastened a line to it. We each
baited up with live shrimp (only one bait shop in town actually had
any
trout pounced on a Corky in the middle of February,
Bang the Winter
Another fi sh that makes great winter quarry is the black drum.
The Texas win-ter drum fi shery is legendary. Past issues of Texas
Fisherman, a predecessor of this magazine, were fi lled with
pictures of happy anglers with giant black drums pushing upwards of
50 pounds. These big, gnarly brutes cruise in and out of passes and
chan-nels all winter long. The big runs are usually after the fi
rst big cold front of the year, and
PHOTO: GRADY ALLEN
Fea 2-FrozenSaltwater.indd 22 11/6/14 3:16 PM
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T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 |
23
Do It Yourself
WHEN I WAS 12, MY GRANDFATHER gave me a lure-making kit for
Christmas. It wasnt very elabo-rate. It was a couple of molds
for
soft plastic tails, a pint of Plaistisol and a couple of dye
colors.
I spent hours mixing, cooking, and pour-ing tails. I will admit
that I made more mess than tails, and the lures I did pour
wererough. Id be lying though if I didnt admit that I had a
blast.
There was something really cool about making my own lures. They
never caught anything, but that may be more due to the fact that
its hard for a 12 year old who lives in a mid-sized city to fi nd
very many opportunities to test lures. It made enough of an
impression on me that, though those molds are long gone, the itch
to make my own lures would tickle the back of my mind now and
again.
You cant deny that the idea of design-ing and manufacturing your
own lures does have its appeal. For some, it can be a simple
pastime to while away bad weather days and winter doldrums. Other
anglers can fi nd lure making as a means to accommodating a
spe-cifi c need or situation. Still others may be try-ing to, as
Larry Dahlberg, host of the popular television show The Hunt for
Big Fish puts it, build a better mousetrap.
For the ones who do make a better rodent catcher, it can turn
into a full-blown business venture, as it has for Jay Nichols,
owner/designer of Down South Lures and the Southern Shad.
In recent years, the hobby of lure-making has become a
full-blown grassroots movement that has more than a few devotees.
The key is the availability of materials for molding, designing,
and manufacturing of home-grown artifi cials and the relative ease
of using these products.
When consumers discover how easy it
is to use our products, they become big fans, says Mike Faupel,
of Alumilite (www.alumilite.com, www.makelure.com, 800-447- 9344).
There is so much you can do, wheth-er its pouring soft plastics, or
even designing your own hard baits, you are limited only by your
vision.
Some of Dahlbergs more popular seg-ments on his show are Larrys
Workshop, where he shows viewers simple steps to design lures,
discusses the principles of rod making, and other nifty
do-it-yourself ideas and tech-niques any angler can use in their
own fi shing endeavors.
He shows step-by-step instructions to use Alumilite products to
make everything from soft plastics such as his original Mr.
Whiggley to Alabama rigs, topwater plugs, and even marlin lures.
The steps are simple and easy to follow. The sheer variety of lures
that anglers can make is remarkable.
Anglers are starting to push the enve-lope of what they can
design, says Faupel. Freshwater anglers are developing lures that
simulate specifi c local forage for all sorts of species from bass
to muskie to walleye. Weve had customers whove designed jerk-baits,
swimbaits, dropshot worms, and grubs. Saltwater fi shermen have
designed both soft plastics and hard baits for stripers and redfi
sh, and for sea trout farther south.
The lure-making craze isnt just limited to a few anglers with
time on their hands and some ideas theyre dying to try out. Faupel
said that lure making clubs are springing up around the country.
Some schools, espe-cially in the Midwest, have established stu-dent
organizations dedicated to lure-making (which is a truly novel way
to implement some of the essential elements of various voca-tional
curricula that various education plans require). Faupel pointed out
that one high school in Minnesota sells lures and Christmas
ornaments they make to raise funds for a stu-dent trip to Lake of
the Woods.
Another quality of lure making that can make it attractive to
some anglers is the relative economy of the activity. Molds can be
used ad infi nitum. Soft plastics that fi sh mangle can be melted
down and re-poured.
You can take the same basic body design and create variations
such as paddle tails, ball tails, thumper tails, and
curlytails.
Anglers who want to pour traditional baits can fi nd
after-market molds on various web-sites such as Amazon and E-Bay.
YouTube is the lure-makers best resource with too many different
how-to videos to count.
Modern technology in its various forms has made the lure making
process easier and more accessible to the fi sherman with a stout
heart and ambition. The question is, what do you want to make?
Faupel said.
Next month, I will walk readers through the process of creating
a mold and pouring a soft plastic. Well see how idiot-proof the
process is. If this idiot writing these words can do it, then
anyone can.
I love my barbecuea lot. Steaks, brisket, fajitas, and redfi sh
on the half shellyou name it, and I will grill it.
With that in mind, Im always on the hunt for products that will
help me with grill more effi ciently. Perhaps my greatest diffi
culty has been lighting a fi re and keeping it lit.
I prefer to avoid using lighter fl uid because I hate the smell.
Building a fi re from twigs to logs is time-consuming and is a
problem if I only have briquettes on hand. Still, Ive got to have a
good fi re to prime my coals.
Fire starters by Grate Chef is an effective solution. Each fi re
starter packet carries a petroleum-free, environmentally safe, fl
am-mable material that lights when wet, burns at 1,500 degrees and
will light either wood or charcoal.
The one-inch square packets can be easily stowed for transport
by even the most spartan camper and can be a real life-saver.
Grillers will be especially pleased with the lack of petroleum
residue that can taint even the best ribeye. Each package contains
eight fi re starter packets.
Visit GrateChefs website for further infor-mation,
www.Gratechef.com.
Contact Calixto Gonzales at ContactUs@ shgame.com
Texas Saltwater
by Calixto Gonzales | TF&G Saltwater Editor
1412 Saltwater.indd 23 11/5/14 12:01 PM
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24 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E
PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE
Program Developed by CHESTER MOORE
Fea 3-FLEX Crappie.indd 24 11/5/14 12:20 PM
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FOUR YEARS AGO, I DEVELOPED A system for targeting big fish of
any kind. It is called F.L.E.X. Fishing and it involves a
scientific, system-atic approach to angling.
F.L.E.X. stands for Focus, Learn, Eliminate, Experience and it
is these prin-ciples that drive my fishing and have made a major
difference in success especially for big fish since 2011.
I will be blogging about this system and hold some F.L.E.X.
clinics online at www.fishgame.com in 2015 so I thought this would
be a great time to give you a teaser for what is coming and we
would
like to start with my favorite freshwater fish: crappie.
THE FOLLOWING ARE NOTES from my F.L.E.X. Fishing online crap-pie
series we will debut at fishgame.com in February that shows you the
deep level we are going to for the pursuit of big slabs and other
fish with this system we will be giving you in 2015 by giving you
unpar-
T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 |
25
5 Keys toCatching Trophy
CRAPPIE
Fea 3-FLEX Crappie.indd 25 11/5/14 12:20 PM
-
alleled access to not only this system but information most have
never seen on Texas top game fi sh.
Diet/Metabolism A LITTLE-KNOWN fact is that
mature crappies eat their own young. The bigger the crappie, the
bigger the young they can consume. Consider crappie-patterned tube
jigs, etc. when seeking monster crap-pies.
THE METABOLISM of crappie slows dramatically in winter and in
super hot periods of summer in shallow water bod-ies and those with
little current fl ow (due to low dissolved oxygen). It has an
especially large effect on white crappies. When seek-ing
trophy-sized slabs during these periods remember the fi sh will not
actively chase your bait/lure. Use a slow, subtle presenta-tion to
trick big, wary fi sh into biting.
YOUNG BLUEGILLS are a favor-ite prey item of larger crappies.
These tiny perch can be caught in traps and could pres-ent a way to
get bigger fi sh to score when they seem to turn their nose up to
shiners.
ANGLERS seeking really a big crap-pie should avoid baiting brush
piles. Baiting draws in catfi sh, stripers and other predatory
species that not only can eat the crappies themselves but also
outcompete them for food. When these types of predators are
lurking, large crappies will stay in the cover and not leave. The
cover itself is the main drawing card for larger crappies.
Ecology A STUDY conducted in Ohio showed
that crappie activity increased at dusk, peaked at night and
declined at dawn and remained low throughout the day. Peak
movements occurred when measurable light intensity approached
zero.
BLACK CRAPPIE are fairly salt-water tolerant and can do well in
brackish marshes and rivers. Since these areas receive very little
fi shing pressure and are rich in forage items, they can yield
trophy fi sh. Consider targeting the brackish zones of well-known
crappie producing systems to fi nd big, unpressured fi sh.
LOW DISSOLVED oxygen levels have a dramatic effect on crappies,
especially blacks. It can kill them before it harms many other
species. In summer, seek areas with depth or high water fl ow as
the mature crap-
pies are the fi rst to seek a change in location due to water
quality issues.
ANGLERS seeking trophy white crappies should focus on moderately
turbid water bodies. In clearer water, black crap-pies tend to
dominate whereas white crap-pies thrive in environments that are
more turbid. Avoid super murky areas as studies have shown whites
can tolerate them, but tend to avoid them.
Senses STUDIES have shown the lower the
water temperature the better a crappies vision gets. This is
because the cool water helps the fl ounders eye cells function
better. In cool, clear water, you will have to use stealthy
techniques to consistently bag big, wary crappie.
CRAPPIE EYES are designed to look up which is why it is so
important to get bait or lure right in the strike zone. If you go
too deep, they will not see it.
X-Factors MINNESOTA researchers found
most of the biggest crappies on their study lakes were fi rst
generation white/black crap-pie hybrids although they all appeared
to look like black crappies. They said it is not unusual for fi rst
generation hybrids to grow to large proportions. Consider lakes
with healthy populations of both crappie species when seeking large
blacks. Your trophy fi sh, however, could actually be a hybrid.
RESEARCHERS at the worlds larg-est fi shing tackle company Pure
Fishing have found the crappie to be the smartest of the popular
freshwater species in North America. They respond quickly to fi
shing pressure, line visibility and color even more so than bass as
they mature.
I FOUND by hand feeding crappies while div-ing that the very
largest specimens will blow a hard jet of water at a prey item
before striking. When you get a hard thump on a shiner, wait a
couple of seconds to set the hook or you could be setting it on
nothing.
THE TERM paper-mouth is often used for crap-pie but in reality
that is only descriptive of white crappies. Black crappies have
fairly
hard mouths. Be extremely careful to always use a net to land a
trophy crappie especially whites.
CRAPPIES literally inhale baitfi sh. Many times anglers using
jigs put on tiny hooks so the fi sh swallow it. Unfortunately, they
tend to miss many fi sh, especially big ones, which are wary about
anything that does not seem safe to them. By using larger jigs and
jigheads, they have a better chance of getting a hook in the roof
of the crappies mouth when it exhales.
Confi dence in F.L.E.X.
I will never recommend fi shing so you can watch the sun rise
over the water or any other of a dozen clichs common in the
out-door media. Fishing is about catching fi sh. The other stuff is
wonderful, but there are less expensive and time consuming ways to
see and experience those.
There goes that word again experi-ence. It is crucial in this
process and allows one dream to form another and the cycle to
continue. Never think you have climbed all of the mountains because
there is always another waiting on the horizon.
Just like there is a monster crappie waiting for me on a deep
drop-off at Toledo Bend. I think I will go practice what I preach
and show that fi sh what F.L.E.X. is all about.
Am I that confi dent? Yes.And if you follow these principles
that
we will unleash in 2015 you should be too. Now, go out there and
catch that fi sh of your dreams.
26 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M
E
est fi shing tackle company Pure Fishing have found the crappie
to be the smartest of the popular freshwater species in North
America. They respond quickly to fi shing pressure, line visibility
and color even more so than bass as they mature.
by hand
jet of water at a prey item before striking. When you get a hard
thump on a shiner, wait a couple of seconds to set the hook or you
could be setting it on nothing.
paper-mouth is often used for crap-pie but in reality that is
only descriptive of white crappies. Black crappies have fairly
Now, go out there and catch that fi sh of your dreams.
T E X A S F I S H & G A M E
Watch formore F.L.E.X.instruction at
FishGame.com
Fea 3-FLEX Crappie.indd 26 11/7/14 10:13 AM
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T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 |
27
A Christmas list for the Angler in Your Life
CHRISTMAS IS JUST AROUND THE COR-ner. If youre looking to score
some serious points with a guy or gal who likes to wet a hook every
now and
then, take my advice and forget designer jeans this year and buy
him or her something to use when they are playing their favorite
game. It makes no difference if the angler in your life is a
crappie freak, a bass buff or a catfi sh nut, there are plenty of
cool gifts out there that are sure make them crack a grin when the
family gathers around tree on Christmas morning.
Heres list of possible gift ideas every angler is sure to
appreciate:
1) GUIDED FISHING TRIP: A GUID-ed fi shing trip is a great
present because it eliminates the need for dragging a boat and
other gear to a strange place and then hav-ing to worry about fi
nding fi sh once you get there. Finding the fi sh is the guides
job, and the good ones will always have a viable plan of attack
before you get to the lake. I know a lot of great fi shing guides.
Here are a few I can recommend:
BASS: Toledo Bend or Sam Rayburn, Tommy Martin, 409-625-4792;
Stephen Johnston, 409-579-4213; Fork, Gary Paris, 903-763-2801,
Mark Stevenson, 903-765-3120.
TROPHY CATFISH: Cedar Creek, Jason Barber, 903-603-2047; Dallas
area Lakes, Chad Ferguson, 817-522-3804; Texoma, Cody Mullennix,
903-815-0273; Tawakoni, George Rule, 214-202-6641.
Stripers: Texoma, Bill Carey, 903-786-4477.
CRAPPIE: Toledo Bend, Stephen Johnston; Sam Rayburn, Larry King,
936-872-3952.
2) NEW SHADES: EVERY ANGLER will appreciate a new pair of
sunglasses to protect their eyes on the water while help-ing to
reduce sun glare. Some sunglasses even have built-in readers to aid
weak eyes in tying knots, changing hooks, etc Some good upper end
brands to look at include Costa Del Mar, Oakley, Maui Jim and
Bolle. Strike King and Typhoon offer qual-ity shades at a greater
value.
3) MULTI-TOOL: GREAT FOR THOSE moments when you need a specifi c
tool like a screwdriver, pliers, cutters, saw or fi le in a clutch.
A quality multi-tool will have all those tools and more in a nifty
fold-up package small enough to fi t in the palm of your hand. You
can fi nd some good ones at leatherman.com or sogknives.com.
4) HAND-HELD GPS - GPS IS THE way of the water. If the angler on
your gift list hasnt gone there yet, you can lead the way with a
nifty hand-held unit from Low-rance or Garmin. The units allow for
mark-ing trails on the water, fi shing hotspots and for using
various mapping chips for precision navigation. Check them out at
lowrance.com and garmin.com.
5) FISHIN DUDS: WHEN THE weather turn nasty, good foul weather
gear is a must. During the winter months, you need something that
block water and wind from getting in while remaining breathable
enough to keep you comfortable. There are number good foul weather
suits out there. Im particularly fond of Frabills FXE Storm Suit, a
high-quality jacket/bib combo that features leak-proof zippers,
padded knees, a waist cinch, reinforced wear areas and sealed
seams. The whole outfi t is treated with DuPont Tefl on fabric
protector. frabill.com.
6) EVERY ANGLER NEEDS A GOOD scale in the boat to weigh the big
ones. Berkley and Rapala make some great digital models designed to
provide accurate read-ings right down the ounce. One of the most
advanced scales Ive seen in recent times is the Rapala Tournament
Touch Screen Scale/Culling kit. The digital scale weighs individual
fi sh up to 15 pounds and allows anglers to maintain an accurate
weight total of the fi sh in their livewell. Feature a large touch
screen, ambient temp gauge and an on/off backlight for use in low
light condi-tions. Runs for up to 400 hours on two AA batteries.
rapala.com or purefi shing.com.
7) STOCKING STUFFER IDEAS: Everybody likes a stocking stuffer or
two, and they neednt be expensive to be appreci-ated.
For bass fi shermen, a few new H2O XPRESS crankbaits and maybe a
few packs of worm hooks and tungsten sinkers are good ideas. For
crappie or cat fi sher-men, you might consider a good fi llet
knife, either standard or electric. Some other good choices include
a few extra spools of line, a rod tip repair kit, dry box/bag for
the cell phone or maybe a new sheath for holding pliers, scissors
and other tools.
Happy shopping and Merry Christmas!
Email Matt Williams at ContactUs@ shgame.com
Texas Freshwater
by Matt Williams | TF&G Freshwater Editor
A guided trip is a
great present.
1412 Freshwater.indd 27 11/6/14 3:18 PM
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28 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E
PHOTOS: BACKGROUND, CANSTOCK;INSET, JOHN N. FELSHER
Fea 4-RiverDucks.indd 28 11/5/14 12:25 PM
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ALTHOUGH TEXAS SPRAWLS
across nearly 300,000 square
miles, relatively little opens to pub-
lic hunting, particularly for ducks.
Many Lone Star waterfowlers lease
expensive hunting property, but riv-
ers can offer a cheaper alternative.
Rivers and other navigable
waterways belong to the public, so
sportsmen can usually hunt almost anywhere in the
main channels and backwaters. However, adjacent
lands may remain private, so check to avoid trespass-
ing. In the right spot, though, hunting along rivers
can often provide sportsmen incredible shooting for
little more than the cost of the gasoline required to
get there.
Some Texas rivers have decent waterfowl hunt-
ing, advised Kevin Kraai, Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department waterfowl biologist in Canyon. Rivers
are largely untapped resources for people looking for
public waterfowl hunting, but because so much land
in Texas is privately owned, access can be difficult.
When rivers rise, people often find some very reward-
ing hunting on rivers if they put in the effort.
To hunt successfully on rivers, sportsmen must
scout before and during the season. Many river
runners scout and hunt from the same small, camou-
flaged boats. If they find a place they like, sportsmen
can toss out a few decoys, hide the boat in available
cover or erect a pop up commercial blind and begin
hunting in minutes. Sometimes, sportsmen might
hunt from several spots in one morning.
story byjohn n. felsher
T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 |
29
Texas Rivers can providehot duck action at aN Affordable
cost
Fea 4-RiverDucks.indd 29 11/6/14 3:19 PM
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One day, people might see thousands of ducks everywhere and
another day hardly anything, said Dave Morrison TP&WD biologist
in Austin. Its been my experience hunting rivers that the best
shooting occurs when the water rises and gets into the back-water
areas.
A river can rise and fall very quickly. A major thunderstorm can
turn a placid stream into a raging torrent almost overnight. Low
water concentrates birds, but ducks may go elsewhere if water
levels drop too low. During high water periods, birds may spread
out or depart entirely if they cant reach food.
Nothing concentrates birds along a river channel like a hard
freeze. When fi elds, ponds and marshes freeze, birds cannot land.
Currents keep rivers relatively ice-free. When everything else
freezes over, a fl owing ribbon of water looks mighty tempting to
any duck looking for a place to land.
With the most abundant water, the best river hunting naturally
occurs in eastern Texas, but the Red River along the Texas-Oklahoma
border can provide outstanding action. The second largest river
basin in the southern Great Plains, the Red rises in the Texas
Panhandle and fl ows 1,360 miles until it hits the Mississippi
River. Many ducks use rivers like the Red to navigate during their
annual migrations.
The Red River system probably has the best river waterfowling
hunting in Texas, but it can be diffi cult to access, Kraai
recommended. The Brazos River is also a good duck hunting stream.
Its a little easier to navigate than other waters in that part of
Texas. Some s