Vol. 23, No. 1 Lake paLestiNe JaNUaRY 2012

Traditional lake-related activities have become increasingly difficult on Lake Palestine as the summer drought has carried over into the winter.

While the recent rains have helped, the diagnosis for 2012 is not very bright.

“We’ve had a rise in the lake level of approximately six inches over the last three weeks or so,” Upper Neches River Municipal Water Authority General Manager Monty Shank said. “Unfortunately, we cannot predict what the future will bring. During the last few weeks, we’ve seen some return to ‘normalcy’ with some good rains. However, some meteorologists are predicting the drought conditions to persist through 2012.”

When will the water return?Water Authority says lake is rising, unsure when it will reach normal level

WANDA NICHOLS PHOTOVan Voast pours a corn mixture into one of the feed troughs for his white Fallow buck, Chet, named after one of Santa’s clumsy reindeer in The Santa Clause 2 movie.

Fallow the leader

On a recent chilly winter morning while the dry earth

lapped up sprinkling rain drops, a scene at the ranch of Billy Van Voast and his wife of 37 years, Nancy, unfolded much like that from the movie Bambi.

Peering out from under the protective covering of trees and brush were the graceful, delicate, exotic creatures of his herd of Fallow deer.

Although seemingly tame, a quick movement by humans can send them scampering deeper into the woods. But when Van Voast brings out a feed bucket of corn mixture, they lose their inhibitions and make their way to the feed trough.

“I don’t feed them a lot of protein,” he said. “If you give them too much protein it makes their hooves grow too

fast and can cripple them.”Extra protein also increases

the antler growth. Van Voast said he leaves that to ranchers who may want to purchase the deer for game hunting purposes.

Van Voast said he and Nancy enjoy sitting on the front porch of their home perched on a hill

overlooking their property to watch the beautiful,

curious creatures.“That’s why I bought them,

just to watch them,” he said. “When the weather is right, they come right up, sometimes in the mornings, and then they come back in the evenings.”

Van Voast said he raises Fallow deer for the novelty and because they are more compatible to the white-tailed deer that roam his land.

“They interact well with the

WANDA NICHOLS PHOTOBring out the feed bucket and the usually skittish Fallow deer will follow you anywhere as Billy Van Voast experiences during feeding time.

Van Voast enjoys the novelty of raising unique deer species

“When the weather is right they come right up, sometimes in the mornings, and then they come

back in the evenings.”

- Billy Van Voast

See FALLOW• 4

BY Wanda nicholsadvertising@c-bstatesman.com

BY chad Wilsonnews@c-bstatesman.com

See WATER • 2

WANDA NICHOLS PHOTOWhile recent rains have helped Lake Palestine’s water level, authorities cannot predict what the future will bring. Pictured, the lake’s water level has fallen well below the old FM-315 bridge that runs parallel with the current bridge, south of Chandler. Normal levels cover the old bridge.

JAN LVN.indd 1 1/27/2012 3:30:02 PM