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2 J U N E 2 0 0 9 / T E X A S F i s h & G a m e

Published by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC.TEXAS FISH & GAME is the largest independent,family-owned outdoor publication in America.

Owned by Ron and Stephanie Ward and Roy and Ardia Neves.

ROY NEVESPUBLISHER

DON ZAIDLEEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CHESTER MOOREEXECUTIVE EDITOR

C O N T R I B U T O R SMATT WILLIAMS FRESHWATER EDITOR

BOB HOOD HUNTING EDITORTED NUGENT EDITOR AT LARGE

LOU MARULLO BOWHUNTING EDITORREAVIS WORTHAM HUMOR EDITOR

JOE DOGGETT SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORKENDAL HEMPHILL POLITICAL COMMENTATOR

DOUG PIKE SENIOR OFFSHORE EDITORCAPT. MIKE HOLMES ASSOC. OFFSHORE EDITOR

LENNY RUDOW BOATING EDITORGREG BERLOCHER KAYAKING EDITORSTEVE LAMASCUS FIREARMS EDITORPATRICK LEMIRE SALTWATER RIGS EDITORPAUL BRADSHAW CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

HERMAN BRUNE CONTRIBUTING EDITORWAYNE C. WATSON LEGAL AFFAIRS EDITOR

JIMMY D. MOORE NORTH HOTSPOTS EDITORCALIXTO GONZALES SALTWATER EDITOR

TOM BEHRENS TROPHY QUEST COORDINATOR

P R O D U C T I O N

JIMMY BORNEART DIRECTOR

LINDSAY WHITMAN YEATESGRAPHIC DESIGNER

A D V E R T I S I N G

ARDIA NEVESVICE PRESIDENT/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

NICOLE MCKIBBIN NATIONAL MARKETING REP.DENISE (RONQUILLE) BELL NATIONAL MARKETING REP.

1745 GREENS ROAD, HOUSTON, TX 77032PHONE 281/227-3001 FAX 281/227-3002

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TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & GamePublishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Texas Fish &Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or oth-erwise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no responsi-bility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1 year$19.00: 2 years $34.75; 3 years $48.50. Address all subscription inquiries to TexasFish & Game, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Allow 4 to 6 weeks forresponse. Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing address label whenwriting about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH& GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Address all subscription inquiriesto TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Email change ofaddress to: [email protected] Email new orders to:[email protected] Email subscription questions to: [email protected].

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34 MY JACK CREVALLE COULDWHIP YOUR SPECKLED TROUTAny trout angler who has had his tackledestroyed by a jack, or has spent most of amorning battling one instead of casting fortrout, knows which is the stonger fish.

by Capt . Mike Holmes

30 FEELING THE HEATThe political debate over Global Warmingaside, there is little contention of the factthat water temps in the Gulf of Mexico arerising. As a result , increased catches ofsnook, mangrove snapper, and even bonefishare seen up and down the entire Texas coast.

by Calixto Gonzalez

JUNE 2009 Volume XXV NO.2

ON THE COVERS:COASTAL: Every angler knows youcant pull a Texas-sized boatwithout a sturdy truck. But,even beach and bank anglerslike to have a rigged-out pickupor S.U.V. from which to pursuetheir particular fishing passion.

Photo by:Gerald Burleigh

INLAND/NORTH: Texas sportsmenarent just truck-dependent.Millions of acres of huntingland, hundreds of miles of beachand bay front, and thousands ofmiles of lake and river frontacross Texas make ATVs more ofa tool than a toy for Texans.

Photo by:Gerald Burleigh

ALSO IN JUNE:

54 ATV ROUNDUP Mid-size ATVs.by Bruce W. Smith

38 TEXAS STRIPER ROUNDUPFrom our 25th Anniversary Archives comesthis 1989 Oldie but definitely still relevant cover feature on Texas Striper hotspots.

by Morris Gresham

50 WHITETAIL BUCKS FROM BIRTHTO TROPHYOur YEAR OF THE DEER coverage continueswith this photo essay chronicling the life ofa trophy buck, from fawn to rutting monster.

by Chester Moore4 J U N E 2 0 0 9 / T E X A S F i s h & G a m e

24 2009 TRUCK ROUNDUPThe irony of the current automotive economicmelt-down is that the Big 3 U.S. auto makersproduced spectacular truck models for 2009.Times may be tough, but truck buyers havenever had a better selection.

by Dan Murphy

FEATURES

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Contents:0405 ContentsAlt 5/4/09 5:26 PM Page 5

COLUMNS


JUNE 2009 Volume XXV NO.2

10 Editors NotesFlounder Changes Highlight New Regsby CHESTER MOORE TF&G Executive Editor

16 Chesters NotesT Is For Texansand For Tiger?by CHESTER MOORE TF&G Executive Editor

18 CommentarySuburban Bluesby KENDAL HEMPHILLTF&G Commentator

20 Doggett at LargeThe Restorative Powers Of the Great Outdoorsby JOE DOGGETTTF&G Senior Contributing Editor

22 TexasWildPair Of Duecesby TED NUGENTTF&G Editor-at-Large

53 Hunt TexasA RetrieversLegacyby BOB HOODTF&G Hunting Editor

58 Texas FreshwaterAll Dressed Up For Frog Fishingby MATT WILLIAMSTF&G Freshwater Editor

59 Texas SaltwaterThinking Small,Winning Bigby CALIXTO GONZALESTF&G Saltwater Editor

60 Texas OffshoreThe Kings OfSundayby CAPT. MIKE HOLMESTF&G Associate Offshore Editor

62 Open SeasonTurkey Taleby REAVIS WORTHAM TF&G Humor Editor

DEPARTMENTS

8 YOUR LETTERS

12 TF&G REPORT

12 BIG BAGS & CATCHES

42 TRUE GREEN

49 TROPHY QUEST

61 TF&G ONCAMPUS

COLUMNS and DEPARTMENTS


LOVE FOR THE NUGEThanks so much for running Ted

Nugents column every month. It is always abreath of fresh air to see a celebrity of hismagnitude speak out on such importantissues and not be ashamed to be a hunter.Keep up the good work, Ted, and keep theNugent articles coming.

Bobby ShortVia email

When I pick up a copy of your magazineI always turn to two articles first: TedNugent and Chester Moore. I am not abowhunter but I love Teds take on huntingand I love Chesters take on all of the out-doors. It is great to have someone like Tedrepresenting hunting and taking such a seri-ous stand on drugs. Every day in the head-lines it seems like you hear of anothercelebrity overdose so it is nice to see a wildrock and roller find his wildness in the woodsnot from chemicals.

Lacey WilliamsVia email

A MESSAGE TO STATEOFFICIALS ON FLOUNDER

The new regulations affecting recreation-al fishermen will proscribe a daily bag limitof five fish and a closure of the fishery dur-ing the month of November. The new regu-lations would also call for a reduction incommercial fishermens limit from 60 a dayto 30, assuming also a November closure.

Two things seem to point to a differentsolution to the undeniable issue of thedecrease in the local flounder population.

The first is historical. When in the 1980sit was determined that the redfish and speck-led trout populations were in decline, therewas a very different solution implemented toremedy the problem. If I recall correctly, the

commercial fishery was completely closed forboth species along with a reduction of therecreational fishermens daily bag limit ontrout form 25 to 10. I do not recall thereduction on recreational limits of redfish.The rebound of both species has been great.Thanks!

The fact is the commercial fishermen arebetter than the recreational person. Howmuch more often do they limit out than therecreational angler?

It is astounding to learn that 100 com-mercial fishermen account for 50 percent ofthe total annual flounder harvest. They arehaving a huge impact on the fishery, giventheir numbers. If the regulation changes wereconsidered on this alone, it suggests closingthe commercial fishery would impact a verysmall group, while closing the season inNovember and reducing the bag limit forrecreational folks to five will affect thousandsof people. I recommend you close the seasonfor the commercial people for a year and seewhat impact it has.

The second is related to the first, butpurely economical. I fish the Galveston baysystem regularly during the season, as domany others. Ever been to Sea Wolf Park ona weekend?

I estimate my expenses in fuel, food, tack-le, and bait to be near $100 per trip. If youchange the regulations as described, I willmake the choice to do other things with mytime and money, before I make the trip tocatch five fish. You all are experts at calculat-ing these things on a large basis. How muchtax revenue is lost? How many bait sellerswill be affected? Launch fees? Park fees?The guys I buy from in Galveston need thebusiness.

Lastly, two observationsRecreational anglers limit out rarely.

Leave the season and limits as they are, andgive me a chance to have a great day once ina while.

The few commercial anglers taking somany fish are encouraged to target and takethe very fish you seek to protect. The restau-rants they serve desire plate size flounder.

Letters

ESSENTIAL FACTS Swine Flu: State says no known

feral hog linkThe swine flu dominated headlinesaround the world at the time of thisissues publication. In response toemails from readers concerned over aferal hog link to the flu, we have thefollowing information.

Officials with the Texas Parks andWildlife Department said there is noknown feral hog-flu connection andto continue using common sensewhen handling feral hogs. TheCenters for Disease Control andPrevention (CDC) said the following:

1. People cannot get swine flu fromeating pork or pork products. Mostinfluenza viruses, including the swineflu virus, are not spread by food.

2. Eating properly handled andcooked pork products is safe.

3. Preliminary investigations havedetermined that none of the peopleinfected with the flu had contactwith hogs.

4. The virus is spreading by human-to-human transmission.

For up to date information onswine flu and how it relates to theoutdoors community checkfishgame.com.

From staff reports


Letters:Layout 1 5/4/09 12:51 PM Page 8

T E X A S F i s h & G a m e / J U N E 2 0 0 9 9

If you reduce them to 30 a day (that is still alot of fish everyday), they have an incentiveto throw back the bigger fish. The very oneswe recreational guys take pride in catching.

Tommy CoughlinVia email

NO DAUGHTER STRIKES ACHORD

I am writing this email to you thankingyou for your article titled No Daughter LeftBehind. I myself have a one-year-olddaughter that my wife and I are so blessed tohave. She stole my heart the first time I sawher, and now it is to the point she has got mewrapped around her finger. The ideas thatyou talked about in your article reallyemphasized the importance of me presentingthe outdoor opportunity to her. I have manyfriends who have daughters and some arenot doing enough, if anything, to give themtheir outdoor opportunities. I am requesting,if it is allowed, an electronic copy of your

article. I have many people who I would liketo email this too, so that they can think abouttheir situations and hopefully make betterdecisions. I mainly wanted to let you knowthat my wife and I appreciated your article.

Eric CollinsVia Email

(Editors note: An electronic version of thestory was sent to Mr. Collins so he can sharethe story with others in hopes no daughtersare left behind.)

Loved your article, No Daughter LeftBehind in the May 2009 issue. Childrenare our pride and joy in life. I have a nephewwho was has muscular dystrophy and we fishevery chance we get. We live on the coast soit is perfect. When were out doors he lovesit. He is so happy it is as if the breeze ofthe bay and the sound of the waves crashingagainst the shorelines take all his pain awaywhen he is fishing. The excitement in hiseyes when he catches a fish is priceless.

Marina Armola FloresVia email

I have two daughters age 14 and 12 andthey love the outdoors. I just read your arti-cle and I can fully relate to this article frommy daughters learning how to swim at theage of two not in a swimming pool but inarea rivers and lakes, from crabbing and fish-ing in Sabine lake or area marshes, to hunt-ing deer in the Pineywoods, which I havetaken a deer in four years because I havegiven the deer on my lease to them. Theseare times that my wife and I would not tradefor anything and I praise God for giving usthe opportunity and means to be able to goand spend time in the outdoors as a family.Thanks for the article and I will try get mygirls to read this.

Spikes SturdivantVia email

Letters:Layout 1 5/4/09 12:51 PM Page 9


Note: Editor-in-Chief Don Zaidle is current-ly on leave and will return in July.

THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPART-ment (TPWD) Commission has adopt-ed a large series of fishing and huntingregulations that go into effect Sept. 1.

Due to the wide-reaching and complex natureof these changes we are dedicating this page tothe key fisheries modifications and coveringthose dealing with deer in our TF&G report.

Flounder regulations were a super hot issuewith TF&G readers over the last year, so let usstart there.

TPWD Commissioners voted to reducethe recreational bag limit from 10 to 5 fish,and the commercial bag limit from 60 to 30fish. Hook and line anglers will be permitted atwo flounder daily bag limit during the monthof November, with take by all other gear pro-hibited (namely gigging).

TPWD biologists said modeling suggeststhe new regulations will result in an increase ofspawning stock biomass of slightly more than80 percent over six years, with the majority ofthat recovery taking place in the first severalyears.

Public comments on the flounder regula-tions ran about 95 percent in favor of bagreductions and 90 percent against a Novemberclosure, said TPWD Coastal Fisheries Divi-sion Science and Policy Director RobinRiechers.

He noted that many persons opposing theNovember closure said they wanted a longerclosure that applied only to the gig fisheryincluding the months of October throughDecember.

Previous actions specifically impacting theflounder fishery have included establishinga 60 fish bag limit for the commercial fishery,a 10 fish bag limit and 20 fish possession limitand the establishment of the 14-inch minimumsize limit in 1996. In 1999 the Texas Legis-lature established a limited entry program for

finfish licenses which includes license holderswho predominantly fish for either flounder orblack drum. In 2006 the Commis-sion approved a change in the regulations thatmade the possession limit equal to the baglimit of 10 for recreational anglers.

Shark regulations also changed. Now theminimum length limit for those species allowedfrom 24 inches total length (TL) to 64 inchesTL, except for Atlantic sharpnose, blacktip,and bonnethead sharks which will retain thecurrent 24 inch TL minimum length limit. Forthe allowable shark species the bag limit willremain one fish per person per day and a twofish possession limit.

In addition a prohibited list (zero baglimit) will be established for the followingshark species: Atlantic angel, basking, bigeyesand tiger, bigeye sixgill, bigeye thresher, big-nose, Caribbean reef, Caribbean sharpnose,dusky, Galapagos, longfin mako, narrowtooth,night, sandbar, sand tiger, sevengill, silky,sixgill, smalltail, whale, white.

TPWD also changed regulations forgreater amberjack from 32 inches to 34 inchesTL, and establishing minimum size limitsof 16 inches total length for gray triggerfishand 22 inches total length for gag. The baglimit for gray triggerfish would be 20 per per-son and for gag grouper it would be set at 2per person with the possession limits beingtwice the daily bag limit, they reported.

The statewide regulations on alligator garwill also change Sept. 1 to a one fish per daybag limit. The bag will apply to both recre-ational and commercial fishing.

TPWD Inland Fisheries Division Direc-tor Phil Durocher told commissioners thatTexas has the best remaining alligator gar pop-ulations in the country.

We have a window of opportunity to sus-tain populations by limiting harvest to one alli-gator gar per day. Its a good first step towardmanaging gar into the future, Durocher said.

TPWD noted while research on the fish,

which can grow to more than 250 pounds, isstill in its early stages in Texas, biologists knowthat alligator gar are very long-lived animalsand take a long time to reach sexual maturity,with females attaining an age of 12 years anda length of about 60 inches before spawningfor the first time.

Commissioners also approved a changethat would allow paddle craft operators toreceive a saltwater guide license by demon-strating certification or proof of completion of aTPWD boater safety course and CPR/FirstAid training, and completion of the AmericanCanoe Association (ACA) CoastalKayak Day Trip Leading Assessment orBritish Canoe Union (BCU) Four StarLeader Sea Kayak Certification.

Water body specific regulations were put inplace for the following species and destina-tions.

Blue Catfish at Lake Lewisville (DentonCounty), Lake Richland Chambers (Navarroand Freestone Counties), and Lake Waco(McLennan County).

Changes approved by the commission con-sist of a 25 fish daily bag limit with a 30 to 45-inch slot length limit, and harvest of only oneblue catfish over 45 inches would be allowed.No harvest of blue catfish between 30 and 45inches will be allowed.

Largemouth Bass at Lake Ray Roberts(Cooke, Denton, and Grayson Counties) Thecommission approved changes will make LakeRay Roberts consistent with the statewide lim-its for largemouth bass of a 14-inch minimumlength limit and five fish daily bag limit.

Lake Texoma (Cooke and Grayson Coun-ties) For alligator gar, the commissionapproved a harvest closure in May to protectspawning adults in a portion of the lake that iswithin the Hagerman National WildlifeRefuge and a portion of the lake upstream ofthe U.S. Highway 377 bridge to the InterstateHighway 35 bridge. For blue and channel cat-fish the commission changed harvest regula-tions for blue channel catfish from a 15 per daybag limit to a 15 per day bag limit of whichonly one blue catfish 30 inches or greater maybe harvested per day.

Email Chester Moore [email protected].

by Chester Moore, Jr. | TF&G Executive Editor

Editors Notes

Flounder Changes HighlightNew Fishing Regs

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Editors Notes:Layout 1 5/5/09 11:16 AM Page 11

THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFEDepartment (TPWD) Commissionadopted a series of regulations thatexpand special buck antler restrictions

and liberalize antlerless harvest opportuni-ties in dozens of counties.

One of the biggest changes involves furtherexpansion of the departments antler restrictionregulations into 52 additional counties. Theseinclude new antler restrictions that define alegal buck deer as having a hardened antler

protruding through the skin and at least oneunbranched antler or an inside spread meas-urement between main beams of 13 inches orgreater; or six points or more on one antler.

New counties under the antler restrictionrule this fall include: Anderson, Angelina,Archer, Atascosa, Brazos, Brown, Chambers,Clay, Cooke, Denton, Ellis, Falls, Freestone,Grayson, Grimes, Hardin, Harris,Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hunt, Jack, Jasper,Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Liberty,

Limestone, Madison, McLennan, Milam,Mills, Montague, Montgomery, Navarro,Newton, Orange, Palo Pinto, Parker, Polk,Robertson, San Jacinto, Smith, Stephens,Tarrant, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker,Wichita, Wise, and Young.

The department is increasing the bag limitin most Cross Timbers and Prairies and east-ern Rolling Plains counties from three deer(no more than one buck, no more than twoantlerless) or four deer (no more than twobucks and no more than two antlerless) to fivedeer (no more than 2 bucks).

In addition, the department is increasingthe bag limit from four deer to five deer inPecos, Terrell, and Upton counties.

Another change increases the bag limitfrom three deer to five deer (no more than onebuck) in selected counties in the westernRolling Plains.

SNAPPERFREEPORTNicholas Shepherd, age 7, of Arlington,

Texas, caught his first red snapper while deep seafishing with his dad and Captain Elliots of the BigE out of Freeport.

REDFISHPORT OCONNORMike Marek caught this 44-inch redfish,

along with 6 others, in Port OConnor, Texas,while fishing with Wild Bill and Team Merlot.

BLACK DRUMROCKPORTWally Chapa of Sugar Land, Texas, caught

and released this 42-inch black drum in Rockport.He was fishing with live shrimp.

1 2 J U N E 2 0 0 9 / T E X A S F i s h & G a m e

Big Changes Coming ToTexas Deer Hunting

TF&G Report

BIG BAGS & CATCHES

TF&G Report:Layout 1 5/4/09 1:01 PM Page 12

They also extended whitetail hunting from16 days to the full general open season inDawson, Deaf Smith, and Martin counties(three deer, no more than one buck, no morethan two antlerless).

Areas of the state having sufficient antler-less deer populations to warrant additionalhunting opportunity will be getting more doedays this fall. The department is increasingantlerless deer hunting in the following areas:

#from 16 days to full-season either-sex inDallam, Denton, Hartley, Moore, Oldham,Potter, Sherman and Tarrant counties;

#from 30 days to full-season either-sex inCooke, Hardeman, Hill, Johnson, Wichita,and Wilbarger counties;

#from four days to16 days in Bowie andRusk counties;

#from four days to 30 days in Cherokeeand Houston counties;

#from no doe days to four doe days inAnderson, Henderson, Hunt, Leon, Rains,Smith, and Van Zandt counties.

The department is also expanding the lateantlerless and spike season into additionalcounties. Counties affected include: Archer,Armstrong, Baylor, Bell (West of IH35),Bosque, Briscoe, Callahan, Carson,Childress, Clay, Collingsworth, Comanche,Cooke, Coryell, Cottle, Crosby, Denton,Dickens, Donley, Eastland, Erath, Fisher,Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hall, Hamilton,Hardeman, Haskell, Hemphill, Hill, Hood,Hutchinson, Jack, Johnson, Jones, Kent,King, Knox, Lampasas, Lipscomb,McLennan, Montague, Motley, Ochiltree,Palo Pinto, Parker, Pecos, Roberts, Scurry,Shackelford, Somervell, Stephens,Stonewall, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell,Throckmorton, Upton, Wheeler, Wichita,Wilbarger, Williamson (West of IH35),Wise, and Young. In Pecos, Terrell, andUpton counties, the season would replace thecurrent muzzleloader-only open season.

In East Texas, the department is establish-ing a muzzleloader season in additional coun-ties, lengthening the existing muzzleloaderseason by five days to be equivalent in lengthwith the special antlerless and spike buck sea-sons in other counties, and altering the muz-zleloader bag to allow the harvest of bucksand antlerless deer without permits if thecounty has doe days during the general sea-son.

New counties affected include: Austin,Bastrop, Bowie, Brazoria, Caldwell, Camp,

Cass, Cherokee, Colorado, De Witt, Fayette,Fort Bend, Goliad (North of HWY 59),Goliad (South of HWY 59), Gonzales,Gregg, Guadalupe, Harrison, Houston,Jackson (North of HWY 59), Jackson(South of HWY 59), Karnes, Lavaca, Lee,Marion, Matagorda, Morris, Nacogdoches,Panola, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine,Shelby, Upshur, Victoria (North of HWY59), Victoria (South of HWY 59), Waller,Washington, Wharton (North of HWY 59),

Wharton (South of HWY 59), and Wilson.The department is also adding one addi-

tional weekend and 10 additional weekdaysin January to the current youth-only season.

The department also established a onebuck only, antlerless by permit, nine-daymule deer season for Parmer County, thefirst ever deer season for that county.

Staff Report


16 J U N E 2 0 0 9 / T E X A S F i s h & G a m e PHOTO BY CHESTER MOORE, JR.

T Is ForTexas andFor Tiger?There is no animal on Earthmore beautiful than atiger.

THE STRIKING ORANGE/BLACK PATTERN,sleek muscular build and wild, glaringeyes reflect unbridled wildness highlight-ing a masterpiece of Creation and one

that has become a rare commodity.They are extremely rare in fact.Wildlife experts estimate there are less than

1,500 wild tigers left in India, the great catsformer stronghold with only remnant popula-tions scattered throughout China, Indonesia,Russia and a few other countries.

The last great hope for the species mightnot be in those distant lands but instead righthere in Texas.

It is centered on a unique and well-plannedbig cat refuge near Tyler known as TigerCreek.

You might know it from the 2002 AnimalPlanet show, Growing Up Tiger whichdocumented the first year of life of two TigerCreek cubs, Lily and Sarge.

Tiger Creek takes in big cats people havehad to give up due to ownership regulationchanges, those confiscated by law enforcement,some retired from circuses and even one for-merly owned by Michael Jackson.

Last March I visited the facility and spenttime with park director Terri Werner whoshows an obvious passion for tigers and theirwelfare both in captivity and the wild.

These cats have a lot stacked against themand it is important to take action to conservewhat we do have to ensure our childrens chil-

dren inherit a world with tigers, Werner said.She said an important part of Tiger

Creeks mission is to educate the public aboutthese iconic cats.

There is a lot of misinformation out thereand just a general lack of understanding aboutwildlife. We have people that come in andthink the tigers are female lions and others whojust cannot tell a lion from a tiger. Education isthe key to building the next generation ofwildlife stewards and we love to have peoplecome out and see these big cats in a safe settingwhere we will gladly take their questions andgive them honest answers, Werner said.

Tiger Creek is owned by the Tiger MissingLink Foundation. Its overall mission is to man-age captive tiger populations by genetic testingand inclusion in the American Tiger Registry.Zoo tigers represent only three percent of thecaptive tiger genome while the other 97 per-cent is in private holdings.

The goal is to bring these together tostrengthen genetic diversity in captive cats andcreate a figurative ark to ensure a future fortigers.

Unfortunately many people look at cap-tive held tigers outside of zoos as genetic junkand that is just not always true. We need totake a much closer look at what is in captivity

to ensure the species survival,Werner said.The fact this is happening inTexas should come as no sur-prise. Hunting ranches import-ed blackbuck antelope morethan 50 years ago which result-ed in more of them living herethan in their native India. Dittofor axis deer and nilgai ante-lope. In fact, the Indian govern-ment has imported Texas-bredblackbuck to repopulate theirown wild lands.It is interesting that many of theIndian subcontinents great ani-mals have been conserved byactions of people right here.

Tiger Creek is now stepping up tothe plate to take a stand for theirmost famous wild resident andhelping to ensure there is a future

for these iconic animals.Understanding that predators such as tigers

exist makes the wild a little wilder and theworld seem just a tad bigger. What a sad lega-cy we would leave our children if these mag-nificent creatures slipped into extinctionbecause people were either apathetic oradhered to an ideology that put agendas overtrue conservation.

It is a good thing there are people like thoseat Tiger Creek taking action and I must admitit makes me happy it is happening in Texas.

Texans have always led the way in wildlifeconservation and we have healthy populationsof game and fish to prove it. Now it is tigersreaping the benefits of this ecological ingenuity.

Whodda thunk?For information on visiting Tiger Creek, to

go http://www.tigercreek.org

(To contact Chester Moore, e-mail him [email protected]. You can hear him onthe radio Fridays from 6-7 p.m. on NewstalkAM 560 KLVI or online at www.klvi.com.)

by Chester Moore, Jr. | TF&G Executive Editor

Chesters Notes

Tigers are headed for extinction in the wild, which is why thefounders of Tiger Creek believe studying the genetics of cap-tive specimens is crucial.

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Chester's Notes:Layout 1 5/4/09 1:03 PM Page 17


SuburbanBlues

STARTING OUT AS A BRAND NEW GMC, Suburban it is hard not to get yourhopes up. I mean, we have been at thetop of the SUV food chain for half a

century, hauling the loads, packing the mailand looking great doing them. Plus, it is notuncommon for very important people to ridein Suburbans. Quite a few American presi-dents have parked their rumps in one.

Well, a guy can dream.Even if the presidential detail does not

work out, lots of Suburbans do great things.Some of us get armored and go to exoticplaces to carry diplomats around, and some-times we end up saving American baconwhen things go bad somewhere in the world.You never know what you will end up doing,as a Suburban.

So when I rolled off the line I had bigplans, even though I knew the odds wereagainst me. Most of us end up doing the soc-cer thing, or spending our careers crampedon city streets, wishing we werent the tallestvehicles around, so the pigeons would roostsomewhere else. I wanted more. I wantedwide-open spaces. I wanted to breathe freshmountain air. I wanted to splash throughrivers and streams, and maybe wade in saltwater.

But mileage is what happens while youremaking other plans. My first post was with abusinessman and his wife and kids in SanAngelo, Texas. It was not a bad job, per se.Most of the time I stayed in a garage at night,and spent my days in a parking lot behind abank or something. The soccer detail wasboring, but the kids werent allowed to eat inme, so it could have been worse.

That lasted about four years, and then Iwas traded in on a newer model. I sat at aSan Angelo dealership for a few weeks,pampered and lonely, wondering where Iwould end up next. And then, one fall day in2001, I was sold to the Hemphills.

The small, Central Texas town of Masonwas not so bad, and for a while things werenot much different than they had beenbefore. Of course, life in the country is bet-ter then in the city, and it is always nice to beneeded.

I took the Hemphill family on all theirtrips, but most importantly, I brought themback, every time. There were the usual week-end trips to San Antonio or Austin just forfun, but more than anything I enjoyed thetimes we went to the coast to fish, or to theLlano River, so the family could go canoeingor kayaking.

There were plenty of long trips, too, overthe years. I took the family to Sipapu, NewMexico, for the Hemphill boys first skiingtrip. I hauled them all to Colorado and backseveral times, and once even took them toWashington, D.C., which was not easy, letme tell you. That town was built for Yugosand Hyundais, not big guys like me.

The trouble started when the boys got oldenough to learn to drive. Whoa. I figured,hey, I have seniority, but did that matter? Itdid not. The boys all learned to drive behindmy wheel, mostly on country roads wherethere were no other cars to run into, but still.I never complained, though, and taught allthree boys to drive.

Overall, it was a good job, and I feltappreciated. Then disaster struck. Mom ranme into a deer one evening about four yearsago, and things started going south. Theybought a newer vehicle, but kept me for thedirty jobs. I have been basically a huntingand fishing rig for a while now, but I cannotcomplain.

The trips are always interesting, and see-ing new country is always fun. We have been

deer hunting near the coast, dove huntingaround Uvalde, and camping all over Texas.No telling how many times they have slept inme, and I have pulled trailers till my bumperwas sore. The most exciting trips, though,are the blue quail hunts at Black GapWMA. The boys do most of the drivingthere, and spend more time looking for quailthan watching the road, so I never know if Iwill make it out of there alive.

The battle scars are adding up and, asthey say, it is not the years, it is the mileage.I have been hailed on a few times, and Dadwhacked a deer in me besides the one Momhit. One of the boys backed me into amesquite tree, and another one backed meinto a lawyer. Some of my knobs and switch-es are missing, and my windows dont all rolldown anymore. I have to work harder thanthe other family vehicles, and get less main-tenance.

This past March, for example, I took thefamily to Big Bend National Park for akayaking trip through Santa Elena Canyonon the Rio Grande, even though I was lowon transmission fluid. I got as far as Alpineon the way home before I had to complain.Even then I did not give up, and brought theHemphills home safely from what wasbound to be the last trip I will make.

OK, so I didnt get chosen for the presi-dential detail, or to haul an ambassadoraround Buenos Aires, but Ive had a goodrun. Being a hunting and fishing rig is thebest job a Suburban can have. It is what Iwas made for. It has not been an easy lifebut, looking back, I would have to say I haveenjoyed every minute of it.

Especially hitting that lawyer.

E-mail Kendal Hemphill at [email protected]

by Kendal Hemphill | TF&G Commentator

Commentary

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The RestorativePowers Of theGreat Outdoors

AS THIS IS BEING WRITTEN, SEVERAL LONG-TIMEfriends are departing on a fishing trip tothe Seychelles. The world-class fly-fish-ing expedition on a mother ship to a

remote island 1000 miles off the east coast ofAfrica is the stuff of dreams for any anglingadventurer.

Last summer, I was one of the recruits.But now I am not going. I cannot afford theticket.

My grand scheme when I retired as a full-time outdoor writer from the Houston Chron-icle two years ago was to travel more withrods, guns, and surfboards. Being single, withno major financial obligations, presumablyopened the door (as well as the passport) tothis vagabond lifestyle.

A graying and balding visage notwith-standing, I was all over the program until thesub-prime meltdown rocked the boat or moth-er ship, in this case. A re-evaluation of priori-ties was in order and the prospects of spend-ing 12k on a single fishing trip seemed a bitrash.

Vaya con dios, compares; catch one forme.

The economic downturn during the pastsix months continues to send ripples, if nottsunami-class waves, through the outdoorindustry. No one knows when the recessionor depression or whatever it is will bottom out,and no one has a clue where the economy isheaded. I have figured that much out by read-ing and watching the various news sources.

Texas Fish and Game demands copy acouple of months in advance of publication, sohopefully as you read this issue we are pullingout of the horrific slump. But I would not betyour 401K on it. It is entirely possible the sit-uation will be worse, not better, by summer.

But one thing we, you and I, have forrespite and solace in these troubled times isour great outdoors. And we do not have to gohalfway around the world to reap that reward.

For example, this should be a great yearfor saltwater fishing along the Texas coast.The bays survived without a major freeze kill,adding to the tally of consecutive mild wintersand allowing shallow-water stocks of finfishand baitfish to flourish.

Warm-water species such as snook, espe-cially, benefit from the on-going pattern, andspeckled trout and redfish continue to lookgood in all major bay complexes. Last sum-mers storms, even with all the havocwrought, and helped supercharge the baysand estuaries. Marine biologists agree that theflushing of storm tides is beneficial in the longhaul for inshore fisheries (look at the excellentredfish returns from post-Katrina marshes inLouisiana).

As another incentive, fuel prices areexpected to remain reasonable. Even if hikesoccur, it is unlikely they will threaten the $4-per-gallon numbers of last summer. Afford-able gas opens tremendous fishing potentialfor budget-minded anglers.

And fishing is here to stay. Angling isgoing nowhere but up. Drive-to destinationsprovides inexpensive recreation and, donecorrectly, the opportunity to reap severalmeals. And there are worse things to eat thanfresh fish.

When cost is an issue, do not forget thebuddy system. Three or four anglers can char-ter a guide and split the cost. This is a verydoable concept on the Texas coast. Thelarge center-console boats used by many bayguides easily can handle three or four rodswhen drifting (or anchored over a reef or on ajetty).

If the same guide-boat party wades, its ano-brainer. You hop over the side and fan out,plenty of room for all hands; in fact, havingseveral rods at work improves the chances oflocating fish. Worth note, wading for trout andreds is the king thrill for many seasoned plug-gers, far more satisfying than chunking from aboat. Many guides offer specialized wadingtrips and I suspect that if times remain tight,

the concept of taking four-to-a-charter willbecome more attractive.

But remember to shuffle; a stingray hit youdo not need. The excruciating pain throbbingup your leg only adds to the misery of watch-ing the latest Wall Street numbers.

For the budget with wiggle room for anexotic trip, some great deals for lodges, guideservices and air travel can be available duringthese hard times. The industry increasingly isbeing forced to discount prices. For example,air fares during the past two or three monthswere cut almost in half to some prime fishingdestinations. The logical reasoning is, better alow fare than no fare. Empty seats, both onthe planes and in the boats, are deal-killers.

I predict that the angler who pays attentionand shops around can come up with someamazing bargains during the remainder of2009. And, most likely, well into 2010;remember, many major trips are bookedmonths in advance and once the pre-collapsebookings play out, the services will be scram-bling to fill cancellations and open weeks.

One trump is having a flexible schedule tobe able to take advantage of last-minutedropouts. Perhaps the abundance of sparetime is a silver lining to being laid off (assum-ing your golden handkerchief can justify theluxury).

Most important, near or far, fishing is abalm for troubled times. It puts you onsparkling water and takes you at least for awhile from the depressing graphs and somberimages that we all are sick to death of seeingon CNN.

Incidentally, the restorative powers of fish-ing are not a particularly new discovery:

No life so happy and so pleasant as the lifeof a well-governed angler; for when the lawyeris swallowed up in business, and the statesmanis preventing or contriving plots, then we sit oncowslip banks, hear the birds sing, and possessourselves in as much quietness as these silentsilver streams which glide by us.

Izaak Walton: The Compleat Angler,1653

E-mail Joe Doggett at [email protected]

by Joe Doggett | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Doggett at Large

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Pair OfDeuces

MY EYES FELT LIKE LEAD GARAGE DOORS;very heavy and wanting desperatelyto close on their own from sheergravity. My last soul crunching con-

cert was way back on August 31, and otherthan two blitzkrieging ultra-rockouts in Renoto wrap up the spirit cleansing NugentRolling Thunder Tour 08, and my defiant6000th live performance (Good Lord inheaven!), I had hunted every morning andevery afternoon for forty-one days straight.And I was pooped. Plum tuckered out.Schnackered. Schnookered. Whacked.Whooped. Beat. Dead. Tired. Wore out.Bedraggled. Wounded. Zombied. Out ofgas. Running on empty. Frazzled. Gutshot.Sore. Gone country.

But alas: here I was, back up in a treestand yet again, ready to rock, bow andarrow in hand, spirit aglow with backstrapdreams overwhelming any fatigue I may oth-erwise be experiencing. Adrenalin is mydrug of choice, and like the other purelyorganic ingredients in my effervescent Amer-ican bowhunting Dream, fortifying for themind, heart, body and soul, red hot adrena-lin poured forth and coursed through mybody like a surge of white water rapids ani-mal energy. My predator spirit has a life ofits own, and if its September, October,November, December or January, baby, thisdog is hunting. Period. Case closed. End ofstory. Next.

I blinked like a long haul trucker after across-country hammer down, shook myhead, forced my eyes wide open and toldmyself to stay awake. The hunt is on! ThankGod almighty and live every wonderfulminute of that charging SpiritWild!

And its a good thing too, for my blood-shot eyes picked up a tiny glint through the

forest of live oaks, and three very handsomewhitetail bucks skulked along a grassy trail atthe edge of the rise on which I was perched,heading my way. Cool! Now my eyes wererocking like a twenty year old judging acheerleader competition, dedicated to notmissing a lick. My Martin Firecat bow roseslowly and my Scott release snicked onto thestring loop. And on the trio ambled. Bringit.

The lead buck was a beauty, as was thetwin buck number two. Both were mature tenpointers, and prime examples of the Knowl-tons Laguna Vista Ranchs professional man-agement discipline. I wanted one. But bucka-roo number three was even more impressive,sporting a tall, somewhat heavy eight pointrack with a handsome kicker off a tine. Thisone also looked like he may be a year olderthan his buddies, and as an invited guest of theKnowltons on a wonderful charity hunt theyhad donated, I figured I would try for the man-agement benefits of buck number three. Whata guy.

With the golden South Texas sun shim-mering through the mesquite onto the shinygrey hide of the deer, I came to full draw as the

dominant eight-pointer entered a small open-ing at twenty yards. I let out a faint doe bleatwith my mouth, he stopped, and my 425-grainGoldTip deathray sliced clean through his ribsright where the good Dr. Backstrap ordered. Icould not have been more awake and alive!

I live for pretty arrows, and this mysticalprojectile was a beauty. Master SpiritWildVidCamDude Bobby Bohanon captured thejoy as we watched the buck tumble fifty yardsout, and the ceremonious recovery was spiritcelebration personified. This stuff never getspredictable or old, and we gushed love andrespect at the side of the beast.

As I turned over the stunning buck for pho-tos, we both saw the discoloration on the leftshoulder just one inch from the point of myarrow entry. It turns out that Mrs. KimKnowlton had put a hit on this buck elevenmonths ago, hitting the impenetrable ball jointof the shoulder, missing a perfect hit by lessthan an inch. Boy do I know that hit all toowell!

The beauty of it is proof that a non-vital hitby arrow does not harm or injure an animal.This buck exercised his healthy dominanceover the other two bucks, showed no limp

by Ted Nugent | TF&G Editor-at-Large

Ted NugentsTexasWild

The bulk of the game harvested by our Editor-At-Large goes to charities like local soup kitchens,homeless shelters and Hunters for the Hungry.

PHO

TO C

OU

RTES

Y TE

D N

UG

ENT

TexasWild Nugent:Layout 1 5/4/09 1:30 PM Page 22

whatsoever and was obviously in perfecthealth.

After quick photos, we hustled back toour stand for the last forty-five minutesof shooting light, fingers crossed for anothercrack. And lo and behold, fifteen minuteslater a pair of does cautiously tiptoed alongthe same trail as the bucks, and when thebiggest she deer hit my opening, I sent everybowhunters dream arrow into the vitals ofmy second Laguna Vista Ranch whitetail forthe day. Another lucky arrow put my doedown within sight as well, and we were ableto recover this prize in full daylight, an Out-door Channel TV show producers dream!A bowhunting double! Aint it grand!

The thrilling fall season throttled on withmany exciting hunts and many pretty arrowscaptured on SpiritWild video, and eventual-ly we found ourselves back in my old stomp-ing grounds of Michigan. Settling in a tallladderstand overlooking an eternal sawgrassmarsh, Michiganiac VidCamBabe JennyOlsen fired up the vidcam to capture thestunning spectacle that is the Midwest Octo-ber colorstorm before us.

Occasional deer could be seen far out inthe distance here and there, and then tawnyhide parted golden reeds thirty yards off myleft shoulder. A trio of big bodied swampdonkey does slowly snaked their way into thethick line of grey dogwood scrub, and whenthe first and largest cleared the tangle, myarrow was gone with a lovely THWACK,glowing Lumenok disappearing cleanthrough her ribcage. She bounded, tail flyingfor sixty yards where the dense understorygobbled her up. A smiling guitar playerrejoiced on an ambush well planned and anarrow well placed.

With more than an hour of shooting lightremaining, giddy as we were, we stayed put,I nocked another arrow and we hoped for themagical double.

Only a half hour went by and here we goagain. A very handsome pearl horned forkhorn buck moseyed down a swath straight forus, and we readied ourselves for deuces wild.

At twenty-two paces the little butterballbuck turned to his left and gave me a preda-tors arrow view of his vital triangle, and forthe second time this evening, my prayer for

the wildthings was answered. A bloodyarrow stuck in the much beyond where hehad just stood, and we watched the punc-tured backstrapper race to the apple ridgeand crash his last.

A double-double! Hallelujah and passthe extra garlic and butter.

Across the whitetails range, most gamedepartments are scrambling to reduce deernumbers. I have always looked at myself as agame department, and I am well on my wayto reducing deer numbers where I hunt.

If we chose our ambush setup wisely forwind, cover and optimal shooting opportuni-ties, doubles, even triples are possible for allthe right reasons. Some might say that thekill in anti-climatic to the hunt. I disagree. Tokill game consistently with the bow andarrow is without question rather climatic.The climax of a job well done and a wholelot of luck. Double that for doubles.

E-mail Ted Nugent at [email protected]


TexasWild Nugent:Layout 1 5/4/09 1:30 PM Page 23

PHOTO BY GERALD BURLEIGH24 J U N E 2 0 0 9 / T E X A S F i s h & G a m e

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by Dan Murphy


t is tough having a discussion ofAmerican pick-ups this year.There is that big elephant parkedin the middle of the room we are alltrying to ignore, mostly because wehave no idea how to deal with it.Gearhead types can figure out themost complicated injection systems,but economics do not rely on realworld rules, so we are stymied.Nevertheless, we will ignore the

elephant for now. The irony is that Chrysler and Ford came

out with spectacular half-tons this year. For tra-ditional Chevy/GM guys, you could say theystepped up to the bar set by theSilverado/Sierra over the last couple of years.The best news for truck guys, whether youwant to stay connected with all the latest gadg-ets and sit in a cab that resembles a gentle-

mens clubor you arelooking for a big hauling, big towing, solidAmerican pick-up, youve got the ultimate ofboth options to choose from.

We will start with the Ram 1500. Dodgedesigners did a complete re-do, but its stillimmediately recognizable as a Ram, which forthose of us who fell in love with its no-non-sense, big-rig front end, is a relief. The majorchanges are in comfort, styling and ride-quali-ty, plus a performance boost. The top-of-the-line engine, the new 5.7-liter V-8 Hemi, deliv-ers 390 horsepower with its revamped cylinderheads featuring high-flow ports, larger valvesand an increased compression ratio.

Variable valve timing and Dodges shortrunner valve active intake manifold help boostengine efficiency and torque to 407 lb/ft., upfrom 375. Performance tests rated the Ram at

60 in 7.6 seconds and15.6 seconds in the quar-ter-mile, topping out at87.7 mph.

Even with theincreased performance,the fuel economy is stillwithin reason in the -ton class, thanks to bothengine efficiencies andthe Multi-DisplacementSystem (MDS) that cutsback to four-cylinderoperation at cruising

speeds. The most noticeable differ-ence with the 09 Ram is in ride

quality. Dodge replaced the traditional rearleaf springs with a multilink coil system thatabsorbs bumps and reduces friction in thesystem. The result is an honest-to-Godsedan-like ride. What you gain in ride com-fort you lose in payload and towing capabil-ity. Top payload on the Ram is 1,910, butthat is on the smaller V-6 with a regularcab/long bed configuration. The numberdrops to 1,620 on the more versatile CrewCabs. Towing capacity tops out at 9,100lbs., though lower than the competition, isstill enough to tow most boats or toy haulers.

Bottom line: Dodge is to be congratulat-ed on one fine pick-up that updates the triedand true Ram without seriously diminishingits utility and rugged looks.

Fords F-150 is pure truck. While it is com-


1500 DODGE RAM

2009 GMC SIERRA


T E X A S F i s h & G a m e / J U N E 2 0 0 9 2 7

fortable and Ford upgrad-ed the interior finishes,there is no confusing itwith a sports car. Thecompany focused on itstradition of solid, function-al performance. The half-ton falls short of the com-petition in numbers with a320 horsepower ratingand 390 lb./ft of torque onthe 5.4-liter V-8.Admittedly, you do notget that G-force sensationthe new Ram delivers, but sluggish is not partof the of Fords vocabulary.

That whole built Ford tough thing comesin with the fully boxed, ladder-style frame withhydroformed components and throughwelded,fully boxed crossmembers plus high-strengthsteel, bottom line; it is the toughest frame intown. Great news for hunting and fishingtransportation that does double duty as a worktruck, not so much a weekday commuter.Payload starts low (1,390 lbs. for theSupercrew 4x4 with 145-inch wheelbase andsmaller engine) but tops out at a best in class3,030 lbs. Towing capacity is 11,300 lbs.,compliments of an upgraded tow/haul mode.Other towing assists include a new integratedtrailer brake controller that balances the per-formance of the truck and trailer brakes and aTrailer Sway Control.

The ride and handling on the new Ford

half-ton are truck-like, which is good since it is a truck. We did atest drive in a heavy wind, the kind that bendstrees nearly sideways which was the only wayyou could tell you were driving in wind.

We acknowledged the introduction ofToyotas entry into the honest-to-God half-tonmarket a few years ago and the Tundra hasdone nothing but amaze ever since. The2009, basically the same as the 08 with a fewextra package options thrown in, deserves theultimate compliment for a real full-sized truck:It looks and acts like an American truck. I donot think it is too much of a stretch to assumethat the development of the Tundra lit a fireunder the asses of the Big Three.

The top of the line Tundra, equippedwith a 5.7-liter V-8 records a horsepowerrating just a hair below the new Ram at 381but still in the general neighborhood of the

best in class Silverado. In the all-importanttorque rating, the Tundra hits 401 lb. /ft.All four of our half-tons are within strikingdistance in that category. Toyota offers amore sophisticated Variable Valve Timingsystem, 32-valve head and AcousticallyControlled Induction system, dual stageintake manifold and exhaust headers. Theresult is a very quick engine, hitting 60 mphin 5.68 seconds. We had a chance to takethe Tundra into the Eastern Sierra, whichunlike the western approach is pretty muchstraight up. Our ride took us from 4,000 to8,500 in roughly 15 miles. We were cruisingat 65 mph, hit the throttle on one of thesteepest sections of the road and there was ascary amount of power still available. Someof the credit for the performance has to go tothe 6-speed tranny.

The Tundras brakes are bigger, the pay-load just under a ton (1,905) and the tow

2009 TOYOTA TUNDRA

FORD F-150


rating at 10,800 lbs., lags behind the newFord by 500 lbs. With a fully reinforced lad-der frame, the Tundra does not offer theheady work truck credentials of the Ford,but the Toyota is lighter weight. This is oneof those considerations that depend entirelyon how you intend to use the vehicle. Thesame applies to ride and handling. TheTundra rides like a truck (as opposed to theRam), but a nicely stiff (when unloaded)responsive truck with a reassuring feel of theroad.

Again, all four of these half-tons provideall the interior toys you can imagine andmore than I would ever want to bother with,especially when heading out of town. Whowants to realize the real world is just a tweakof a button away on a fishing trip?

Truck watchers have predicted that thetraditional half-ton will become the tow-vehi-cle of choice, bridging the gap between thecurrent consumer half-tons and commercialheavy-duty work trucks. The numbers onthe Ford and Tundra as well as the Ram,but to a lesser degree, seem to live up to thatprediction. But, then there is the 2009Silverado/Sierra half-ton and its new 6.2 V-8 with 403 horsepower and 417 lb./ft oftorque, mated with a six-speed tranny. Thispackage delivers best in class performance,easily.

While Ford and Ram successfullyreached the bar set by the GM half-ton backin 06 (and the Toyota Tundra which put a

real scare into the domestic truck industry),GM had no choice but to move that bareven higher. With a maximum towing capac-ity of 10,600 lbs., it lags a bit behind theFord. The 6.2-liter engine, though the hefti-est of the options, with a 3.42 rear axledelivers a tow rating of 9,300 lbs. Go figure.

Like Dodge, GM looked at its half-toninteriors and found them lacking. The com-pany has successfully addressed the issuewith the latest redesign, providing a higherlevel of comfort and easy to reach (and fig-ure out) controls. Like the Ford, however,the concentration is on functionality andcomfort without going overboard. Muddyboots and salivating dogs will be right athome in the cab.

I am going out on a limb here, especiallyin light of my professed ignorance of eco-nomics. My guess is that the American BigThree are realizing that trucks are not com-muter vehicles, they are not Soccer Momvehicles (the new crossovers are absorbingthat segment of the market), they are trucks.They are meant to be seen on constructionsites, hauling boats and campers into thecountry or to the shore, doing ranch workand heading out into rough terrain. For that,I am grateful.

PHOTO BY LISA MOORE

Trucks are an important component of the otudoorslifestyle in Texas. They allow hunters and anglers toreach wild, remote areas and haul valuable cargoranging from tackle boxes to retrievers.


PHOTO BY STACEY LYNN PAYNE30 J U N E 2 0 0 9 / T E X A S F i s h & G a m e



The boon and bane ofa warmer coast

by Calixto Gonzalez


ene Arredondosmornings off fromwork start prettymuch the sameway each time. Herolls out of bed 10minutes before hisalarm clock goesoff at 4:30 a.m.He brushes his

teeth, washes his face and combs his hair,slides into a grubby pair of shorts of an oldpair of khakis, pulls one of his estimated 50Guy Harvey T-shirt and slips into theBirkenstocks a hippie ex-girlfriend gave him.

Before hitching-his boat, Arredondo sitsat his computer, logs on, and checks the cur-rent conditions on Lower Laguna Madre.He is most interested in the water tempera-ture.

If the water is 70 degrees or better, Imon the road in five minutes, he said. If itgets too far below say, 65, then I go back tobed.

Ive been on the road a lot the last fewyears, Arredondo added, The water does-nt get below 70 very often any more.

That Warm FeelingYou can blame it on a series of mild win-

ters, global warming, the end of a mini-IceAge, solar flares, or rampant socialism, but

there is little doubt that Texas coastal watertemperatures have increased over the last sev-eral years. Fair weather waders who have usu-ally waited until late April or early May forwaters to hit the magic number of 70 degreeshave seen their inaugural trips to their favoritespots scheduled earlier and earlier on the cal-endar.

I fish the The Targets, Community Barin Port Mansfield, or Ill hit the High SchoolShoreline, Laguna Vista, or north of theConvention Center in Port Isabel and SouthPadre, Arredondo said.

Im too old to go wading in cold water,even with waders. I used to wait until springto get out there because the water was warm-ing up. Last year, I was making trips inMarch. I was already out there in Februarythis year.

Ocean temperatures in general haveinched upward 2-3 degrees worldwide overthe past decade. In habitats such as Upperand Lower Laguna Madre, Matagorda Bay,Sabine Lake these warmer water tempera-tures are felt more acutely because fresh tidalflows from the Gulf of Mexico flush the bayswith warm water. This is especially true withLower Laguna Madre, where the famedMansfield Pass was recently dredged open,thus increasing the flow of Gulf water onto thegrassy flats.

Warmer bays can be both a benefit and ahindrance to many Texas saltwater game fish.

Heating Things Up

Warmer waters can be a big advantageto some species of fish, said Texas Parksand Wildlife Department (TPWD) LowerLaguna Madre Ecosystem Leader MarkLingo.

The increase in temperature has led toan expansion of the northernmost range forgrey (mangrove) snapper and the threespecies of snook we have in Texas.

The expansion of the natural range ofboth fish means that the reproductive viabil-ity of both species increases, which meansthat both fisheries will stabilize and grow(some wags will quip that mangroves dontneed any help with reproductive viabilitysince they seem to be everywhere).

Weve evenly started to hear reports ofbonefish landings in the Lower LagunaMadre, Lingo said. Those are warmwater fish, so that tells you that temperatureshave increased some.

Warmer water also means that there is anextended growing season for game fish,which means that they will grow biggerfaster. Lingo said that allows more fish to


PHOTO BY DUSAN ZIDAR

TPWD biologists said bonefish have been reported in Lower LagunaMadre due to warming trends. The flipside is some common specieslike flounder are actually restricting their range due to warmer water.


reach sexual maturity sooner and increasesthe spawning biomass of a species such asspotted sea trout and redfish, as well as theafore-mentioned snook.

Warmer coastal temperatures alsoenhance fishing opportunities for anglers,especially shore-bound ones. As popularspecies follow warmer water closer to shore,they become more accessible from popularbank spots and fishing piers earlier in theseason. Last year, jetty anglers up and downthe coast experience a Spanish mackerel biteas early as the first week in March due to themoderate weather and water temperatures.Usually, March is drum and sheepsheadseason around the rocks. The smack blitzwas an added bonus that rock hoppers wel-comed with open arms and coolers.

Be CoolWarmer coastal waters are not a panacea,

however. Balance dictates that there is alwaysan inverse to any situation. In this case, theprice is a bit steep.

An increased growth rate means a shorterlifespan, Lingo said.

Fish take longer to grow and mature incooler waters, but they also live longer. Inwarm water temperatures, they can burnout sooner.

Moreover, some fishs biorhythms aremore sensitive to water temperature, mostnotably flounder.

Flounder are the opposite of snook andgrey snapper, Lingo said. Weve seen thatas the northernmost range of those two hasexpanded, the southernmost range of floun-der has retreated.

Flounder reproduction is adversely affect-ed by increased water temperature, accord-ing to Tonya Wiley, TPWDs CoastalFisheries Division Outreach Specialist forthe Upper Texas Coast. Flatties need thecooler temperatures of winter for viable andeffective reproduction, and the recent moder-ate winters and resultant warmer water tem-peratures have served as hindrances.

Warmer water temperature decreasesegg hatching success and increases predationon larvae and early juveniles, Wiley said.

Moreover, warm water adversely affectsthe flounder spawning population by skew-ing numbers male.

Temperature also has an effect on thesex determination. Warmer water tempera-tures create more males than females,Wiley said.

It is easy to see how that can underminethe reproductive viability of any species.Fewer females means fewer eggs, whichmeans fewer flounder eventually recruitedinto the fishery. Stack that over a period ofyears, and you have a fishery in a downwardtrend.

TPWD is able to take some actions toreverse the trends that are caused by warmerwater temperatures. Management of sizeand bag limits can provide relief to fisheriesstressed by both environment and increasedfishing pressure. Aggressive restocking pro-grams help these same fisheries recover morequickly.

If it all works out, then the only downsideto warmer water temperatures could beincreased traffic at the boat ramp or yourfavorite bank spot.




PHOTO BY CHESTER MOORE, JR.



by Capt. Mike Holmes

PHOTO BY CHESTER MOORE, JR. PHOTO BY CHESTER MOORE, JR.PHOTO COURTESY OF NOAA

any years ago, I was returning from a successful solo

shark fishing trip a few miles out of San Luis Pass,

and decided to do a little trolling down the surf line.

Dropping a pair of gold King Getter metal plugs

fished off 30-pound tackle behind me, I set a course to

the east while looking for

bait schools.


Almost instantly I had a hard hit, andfound myself in a wrestling match with some-thing strong and determined. After clearingthe second line as best I could, I fought thefish for what seemed like a very long time. Itwas so strong I was thinking maybe tarponand hoping to see a silver missile clear thewater. When no jump came, I began to sus-pect another shark and a good one. Finally,I could see color beneath the surface, andwas able to gaff my prize one handed andhoist it aboard.

It was a jack crevalle that later weighed inat a whopping 17 pounds, foul hooked just

above the tail. A jack hooked anywherefights harder than most fish, to give one theadvantage of being always headed awayfrom the angler, with no chance to turn itshead, is to sign on for punishment.

I have caught many other jack crevalles,most larger, but this 17 pounder went on mywall. Many coastal fishermen consider jacksa waste of time, but I consider them a finesportfish, always worthy of pursuing and atrue light tackle trophy. It does not take a lotof expensive gear to catch them, or a lot offuel. They can be caught from the beach, offpiers and jetties, in river mouths and passes,and around near shore oil rigs and shrimpboats.

Any fish in the jack family will be a fight-

er and the crevalle just happens to be aninshore species that is not picky about whatit hits.

The stigma against fishing on purpose forjacks in Texas comes from the fact that theyare pretty much inedible and Texans like tocatch something to stink up the grease.

On the east coast, in Florida, however,crevalle are thought of as a sporting species.Probably their most commonly known closerelative is the brutal amberjack, which reach-es much larger sizes and is quite good on thetable. Other, more celebrated cousins ofthe crevalle include permit, African pom-pano, and rainbow runners.

Having weighed a lot of jackfish, in myopinion the average specimen caught by


PHOTO BY CHESTER MOORE, JR.

Anglers throwing soft plastics and topwatersfor speckled trout often find themselvesengaged in a long battle with a jack crevalle.


Texas anglers will run 23 to 25 pounds. Thelargest I have personally seen on the scaleswas a hulking 27 pounder. The reason somany larger are reported is because theyfight so damn hard the angler cannot believethe fish could be under 30 pounds and doesnot consider weighing something he was notfishing for in the first place.

With this said the long standing staterecord for Texas is listed at over 50 pounds,and the current world record was caught offSouthwest Pass, Louisiana, in 1997 byLeon Richard and weighed a staggering 57pounds, 14 ounces.

In springtime, schools of marauding jackscan be spotted working shoals of mullet inclear surf. The jacks dont actually showthemselves, but they run through the mulletlike a mowing machine through tall grass,spraying mullet high above the waters sur-face. When an angler can reach them with along cast or from a boat, either live mullet ora big bloody chunk of cut mullet will enticehard strikes. Some of the bigger jacks will befound a bit further offshore, mixed withkings and sharks behind a culling shrimpboat. We catch jacks trolling in state waters,

but they will not be found very far offshore.While any lure of the Russell King Gettertype seems particularly attractive to them,gold is one of my favorite colors.

It is almost impossible to pull a goldRussell Lure past a jack without getting aviolent strike. Big jacks will also hit varioustrolling jigs and large lipped plugs.Chumming can attract jacks, which will thentake a variety of live baitfish or fresh cut bait.

In the surf or from a pier, the same heavytackle used for bull reds and smaller sharksis what we need for jacks. I am talking abouta 10 to 14 foot, heavy action fiberglass rod,mounting a good reel of whatever type youprefer holding as close to 300 yards of 30-pound test line.

From a boat, tackle and line strength canbe lighter, but a proper 20-pound outfitworks best. It is possible to catch fairly largejacks on trout tackle, especially from aboat in shallow water, but it will take a sometime. Jacks are flat sided and blunt nosed,they turn their bodies sideways as they fightagainst a tight line to increase the waterresistance. They normally make a strong firstrun and then settle down to slug it out. An

experienced surf angler will not feel the headshakes of a bull red, just throbbing power. Iam an advocate of using tackle strongenough to put pressure on the fish, and notprolong the fight. This makes a live release abetter possibility. Jacks, however, almostnever come in until they have literally foughttheir hearts out, and unfortunately, few willsurvive a release.

Although they cannot be eaten due to thestrong red meat, cut bait from jacks is excel-lent bait for snapper and grouper, and a larg-er piece is one of the best baits for big sharks.

Any speckled trout angler who has hadhis tackle destroyed by a jack in the surf orinside a pass, or who has spent most of amorning battling a jack on light tackleinstead of casting for trout, will have nodoubt which is the stronger fish.

Instead of treating jacks as trash fish,we should be looking at them as a premiergame fish, one with no bag limits or seasons.For myself, I am very proud of my littlejack on the wall.




by Morris Gresham

PHOTOS BY GRADY ALLEN

MAY 1989

lthough boating anglers catch a majority ofthe striped bass from large reservoirs, inTexas, bank anglers do have a chance atthese fish. The following are some popularlocations for catching these hard-fightingsaltwater imports.

Texoma Tailrace The tailrace pool below the dam at Lake

Texoma probably provides the most famousfresh water bank fishing in Texas. Duringprime fishing periods, anglers line the shore-lines, shoulder to shoulder, for a chance attrophy stripers. Many successful anglersbecome addicted. Thats what happened to



SPECIAL FEATURE

Johnnie Prestridge, a Dallas anglerwhose addiction to the sport nowdraws him toward Texoma onevery free day.

Most of the people just starting out getfrustrated because they just CANNOTmake the long casts with standard tackle,Prestridge said. I use a 13-foot surfcastingrod, a Diawa400ARL spinning reel, two tofour ounces of weight and 12- to 15-poundtest line. I use the light line because it is eas-ier to throw. You have to make casts of 100

to 125 yards, try-ing to hit an areaabout 20 by 40 feetin size.

Why does Prestridge fish in crowdswhere he must rely on cooperation frommany individuals to land any fish he hooks?Probably because he almost always catches

his five fish limit and he releases anythingsmaller than ten pounds! His largest fishwas a 28-pound striped bass, but his regularfishing partner, Bob Daniels, took a mon-strous 32-pounder.

The style of fishing is different fromanything else Ive ever done, Prestridgesaid. The amount of people, the small

Big fish is the enticement of many Texasanglers to striped bass fishing.


space, the amount of fish caught and the sizeof fish caught. I have seen five or six peoplefighting fish at the same time and when youhook one of any size, youd better be readyto spend 20 to 30 minutes fighting it. Youvegot the current, the rocks and the other fish-ermens rods and lines to dodge.

The best times are early morning and lateafternoon, but many anglers fish all nightwhen conditions are right. Usual luresinclude two-ounce Pencil Poppers, weightedcorks above 114-ounce jigs and live bait.

We use the weighted cork and jig a lotwhen the tailrace is on or the generators arerunning, Prestridge stated. You can shootit out into the fast water and drift it downthrough the fast water. We look for the back-washes that you can cast into and float thelure around in a circle.

The Pencil Popper is real good whenthey first turn the water off and the currentslows down, he claimed. A big flat spotwill form that is perfect for top waters andtheyre the most exciting! A striper will hitthe lure to stun it and knock it way out of thewater. Then they hit it a second time when ithits the water again. The hardest thing to dois make you wait until the fish hits it a sec-ond time. Your natural instincts tell you tojerk, but youll miss the fish if you dontwait.

Texas anglers should note that the specialLake Texoma fishing license does not extendto the river below the dam. Anglers on theTexas side of the river must have a validTexas fishing license. Anglers on theOklahoma bank must possess an Oklahomalicense.

Possum Kingdom Tailrace The pool below Morris Sheppard Dam

on the Brazos River also affords excellentbank fishing. Although the scenery is quitedifferent from that at Texoma, the methodsand results are similar. A restricted area thatkeeps anglers 500 feet from the dam necessi-tates long casts, but the strong-of-arm canexpect big stripers. Roger Huddleston, aMineral Wells angler who has been fightingPossum Kingdom tailrace stripers for severalyears, also releases fish below the 10-poundmark.

It takes a good cast to get up there wherethe fish are, Huddleston claimed. Usually300 to 350 feet will work. In the lowerhole, about a quarter mile below the dam,fishermen can use standard bass rods toreach the fish good enough. If the water isnot moving, on calmer mornings the PencilPoppers or big Boy Howdys work well. If

the tailrace is running, jigs or stick baits willproduce. However, I like to top water fishmore than anything. Ive caught a 19-pounder and a 20 lb., 5 oz. fish and mybrother Mack caught one that weighed 38pounds three years ago on a Pencil Popper.

Lake Lewisville Beaches Quite a few people are catching hybrids

off the beaches at Lake Lewisville,McCabe noted. Similar to the striper fish-ery off Whitney beaches.

During the month of March, hybridsstart coming around the banks, lake resi-dent James B. Phillips concurred. A lot offellows seine ghost minnows, put three orfour on a hook, and wade out to catch a lotof nice hybrids. Theyre out just about as faras you can throw with a spinning outfit- 150to 200 feet out. The good action usuallyends here about the end of March.

Lake Whitney Beaches There is excellent bank fishing off the

sandy beaches at Lake Whitney in thespring, says Roger McCabe, striped bass

program leader for TPWD. If you cancatch

An incoming wind with good wave actioninto the swimming beaches, there is excellentstriped bass action. The bait that is mostpopular is native ghost minnows, what peo-ple call silver sides. You can seine thosethings up in the same area at that time of theyear. They dont have to be live bait. Youcan wad them on the hook like you would tofish for catfish. Throw out there, tight lineand wait for them to hit. Its very popularand very productive. Ive done it myself for anumber of years.

When we used to fish all night long,McCabe continued, the white bass wouldsometimes move in and start pestering us.Wed go to cut bait, like cut shad, and thewhite bass would leave us alone. Sometimeswed pick up the largest stripers of the nighton cut bait.

If two lakes 100 miles apart have actionfrom the banks, what about the other striperand hybrid lakes between the two? Hmmm.


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When the stripers are actively feeding theaction can be unbelievable big fish right andleft; but, when inactive, it can be a long dayon the water with no fish.



TF&G FIRST

THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM ISteaching visitors to hunt and to huntwell, especially by reducing woundingloss. Officials with the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service (Service) support a goal ofreducing wounding loss to 10 percent orless.

I want birds to go home in the bag or tokeep flying. Wounding is wasting aresource, said Tom Reed, National hunt-ing and fishing coordinator.

Wounding is a problem for several rea-sons, according to Reed. People might onlyhunt a few times each year rather than manytimes as in years past and they might not betaking time to hone their skills.

He has put together clinics that teachhunters how to improve their odds in thefield and that give retriever demonstrationsto show how important dogs are in reducingwounding loss.

We want to focus on a quality hunt thatrespects wildlife. Pulling the trigger shouldnot be the most important part of the experi-ence. Staff Report TG

Service SeeksTo ReduceWounding Loss

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This Month Is For the DucksWe are in the middle of the nesting season andat a time when biologists are getting a goodidea of what the fall flight will look like. Thisis an extremely crucial time for the birds.The crucial nature of this time is more thanjust the season but also changes happening in

the prairie pothole region of the Midwestand the wintering grounds of Texas.There is more stacked against waterfowlthan ever from biofuel to saltwater intru-sion of marshes but there are dedicatedpeople ready to stand up for the birdsright now.One of Texas Fish & Games key con-servation partners, Ducks Unlimited(DU) will hold its state convention inLeague City June 26-28 at South ShoreHarbor. In honor of this important DU event, weare dedicating this edition of True Greento the ducks. All of these stories featurethe very latest in waterfowl conservationinformation. We are the leaders in water-

fowl coverage in this great state and fully know the importance of saving habitat.I will be at the DU convention and look forward to meeting many of you who share my

passion for waterfowl. Next month, True Green goes back to covering a wide variety of sub-jects but this month it is for the ducks only and we feel you will enjoy this in-depth look atcrucial issues facing our hunting heritage. by Chester Moore, Jr. TG

RIGHT NOW, NATURE, WATERFOWL MANAGERS,

CONSERVATION GROUPS AND THOSE WHO ARE

DESTROYING OUR HUNTING HERITAGE THROUGH

DEVELOPMENT AND POLITICS ARE DECIDING THE

FUTURE OF WATERFOWL HUNING.

The author is a passion advocate for waterfowl conser-vation and believes the future can be bright for ducksif all those who pursue them pull together to make adecisive stand on important issues.

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The use of retrievers greatlyreduces the loss of woundedwaterfowl and contributes toconservation. When hunterslose birds they often shoot moreresulting in more birds taken.

True Green.qxd:Layout 1 5/4/09 4:36 PM Page 42

BAYER CROP SCIENCE (BCS) ANDDucks Unlimited (DU) believewinter wheat has an importantrole to play in sustainable agri-

culture on the prairies and have joinedforces to launch a North American pro-ject called Winter Cereals: Sustain-ability in Action.

By working with Ducks Unlimited,we want to expand the practice of grow-ing winter cereals across the prairies inCanada and the United States, saidBill Buckner, head of North Americaand President and CEO of BCS.

We recognize winter wheat is anexcellent crop that provides economicadvantages to growers when included incropping rotations while also enhancingwaterfowl and other wildlife habitats.

The prairies of Canada and theUnited States provide Texas with thevast majority of its annual duck migra-tion.

Collaborating with Ducks Unlimit-ed under the Winter Cereals: Sustain-ability in Action program, BCS willmake a commitment of $20 million overfive years to:

Enable significant research to devel-op new winter wheat varieties adaptedto prairie climatic conditions while pro-

viding grower incentives, technical sup-port and education programs;

Promote improvements and researchin agronomic practices; and

Conduct waterfowl and environmen-tal research to ensure a sustainablehabitat and production system.

As leaders in the agriculture indus-try we see this initiative as an importantand tangible part of delivering on ourcommitment to sustainable agriculture,Buckner said.

Winter wheat has gained a footholdon North Americans prairies withgrowers. New varieties, improved mar-keting options and the agronomicadvantages provided by winter wheathave made it an attractive choice formany growers.

The goal of DU and BCS in thisinitiative is to support this trend byinvesting in innovations and grower pro-grams, he said.

From a waterfowl conservationstandpoint, one of the key limiting fac-tors for continental waterfowl popula-tions is a lack of nesting cover on theprairies. DU Canadas research hasshown that the density of hatched nestsin winter wheat fields is 24 times greater

Predator ControlCan BoostNest Success

RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY DELTA WATER-fowl shows predator control can havea huge effect on the nesting success ofducks.

According to a Delta study, in 2004,they had eight 36-square-mile predatorblocks covering 184,320 acres scatteredacross the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) ofNorth Dakota. Each site had a professionaltrapper who removed nest predators like rac-coons and skunks during the breeding sea-son.

Five of the eight sites were monitored fornest success and two of those were pairedwith untrapped (control) sites which con-tained similar habitat and densities of breed-ing ducks, Delta reported.

The Cando site in the drift prairie ofnortheastern North Dakota reported aremarkable 86 percent nest success, thehighest in the 10 years Delta has conductedlarge-scale trapping. Overall the trappedblocks averaged 57 percent nest success.

Delta pointed out that scientists say ducksmust achieve 15 to 20 percent nest successin order to maintain the existing population,but scientific research showed that acrossmuch of the PPR, nest success had slippedbelow that level by 1990.

Staff Report TG

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DU Teams With Bayer ForWinter Wheat

Continued on page 44


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Filling nest boxes with cedarand other aromatic woodchips can help to reduce nestpredation by maxing thescent of the birds.


than in spring wheat. Nest boxing important for wood ducksBy Chester Moore, Jr.Nest boxes for wood ducks have been a

crucial part of waterfowl conservationsince the early 20th century when theywere used to boost populations of thebeautiful bird reduced due by markethunting.

Although wood ducks are abundanttoday, nest predation is still a problem,showing that nest box programs whichwhen done properly reduce predation canaid local populations.

A study on wood duck and hoodedmerganser nesting success conducted bythe University of Georgia showed that ratsnakes alone destroyed four percent of allwood duck nests in the study area. Andthat included the hens.

The death of an incubating hen has agreater potential impact on the populationthan the loss of a clutch or the loss of indi-vidual hatchlings because that hen canmake no further contribution to the popu-lation. Black rat snake (close cousin to our

Texas rat snake) predation on incubatingWood Duck and Hooded Merganser hensand nests could have a significant impacton the reproductive success of populationsusing natural cavities in southeastern riverswamp ecosystems.

A later study conducted by the Uni-versity of Georgia showed the black ratsnake, readily circumvented predatorshields and was the only known nestpredator during the five years of observa-tion.

This species destroyed 24 of 76 nests(32 percent) initiated from 1973-1975.

Texas Fish & Game photographerGerald Burleigh has been building andputting out nest boxes for many years andsaid he has had few problems with snakesand other predators due to the use ofcedar.

I use cedar chips in the nest boxeswhich help mask the scent of the ducks andreduce the temptation of snakes. Snakeswill get them every once in awhile but it isnot as prevalent as it was before I startedusing cedar.

Staff Report TG PHIL ROBERTSON, KNOWN TO MILLIONS OFwaterfowlers as the Duck Comman-der, believes federal refuges are a bigproblem in waterfowl management.

A big part of the problem according toRobertson is that most of the refuges are inthe flyways and wintering areas, not in theprairie pothole or duck factory regionwhere they nest.They are putting refuges in the wrong

places, Robert said.According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Most of the more than 520National Wildlife Refuges and additionalWaterfowl Production Areas managed bythe Fish and Wildlife Service are locatedalong the migratory flyways, serving asbreeding and wintering grounds and asrest stops for these birds.For example, in the duck factory of the

upper Midwest, the National WildlifeRefuge System manages just two percentof the landscape, yet 23 percent of theregions waterfowl breed there.

It doesnt make sense to have all of thisrefuge land in areas where the ducks win-ter if youre trying to do something aboutduck production. They keep telling us weare losing crucial breeding grounds butthey keep buying refuge land down in thewintering areas, Robertson said.

Chester Moore, Jr. TG

Statewide production has dropped 62 per-cent over the last 30 years, but in Orange, Jef-ferson, Chambers, Liberty, Galveston andBrazoria Counties, it has dropped 73 percentand much of that been in the last 12 to 15years.

In 2002, the combined rice acreage ofthose counties was only 57, 336 acres.


Continued on page 46

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ONE OF THE BIGGEST FACTORS CONTRIBUTINGTO OUR LACKOF WATERFOWL SUCCESS AND THELACK OF ON THE TEXAS COAST HAS BEEN RICEPRODUCTION.

Loss Of Rice, Hunting PressureKey In Duck Abundance

Duck CommanderCalls For DuckFactory Refuges

TF&G FIRST

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DU Continued from page 43


Today waterfowl represent just a third ofthe bird species banded each year butroughly 87 percent of all reported recoveriesare of waterfowl, taking Audubons tradi-tion into the 21st century.

This reflects the important contributionsof waterfowl hunters in harvesting andreporting banded birds. Most waterfowlbanding studies are conducted throughcooperative ventures involvi

Documents

June 2009