After a tough week of plumbing and electrical work, the little house on the blackland prairie is starting to take shape.

I can't wait to finish this project.

Labels: News, Russell Graves, Texas

Labels: News, Russell Graves, Texas

Most of the state parks approved for public hunting will be offered through the department’s computer drawings for a variety of game and hunting options, including new youth opportunities. Selected hunting opportunities on state parks comprise 1,676 hunt positions, including 253 for youth, out of nearly 5,000 total positions available in this year’s special drawings for hunts on public lands in Texas.

Three new park units are included in this year’s offerings: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Lake Texana State Park and Stephen F. Austin State Park. Three other units are returning to the hunt schedule, including: Pedernales Falls State Park, Pedernales Falls SP Annex and Mother Neff State Park. A complete summary of approved state park hunts, including hunt type and date, is available on the TP&W website.

Other state parks where public hunts will take place are: Atlanta; Big Bend Ranch; Brazos Bend; Caprock Canyons; Choke Canyon — North Shore Unit; Colorado Bend; Cooper Lake — South Sulphur Unit; Copper Breaks; Davis Mountains; Devil’s River; Devil’s Sinkhole; Enchanted Rock; Fairfield Lake; Fort Boggy; Garner; Guadalupe River; Guadalupe River Bauer Unit; Hill Country; Honey Creek; Huntsville; Inks Lake/Longhorn Caverns; Kickapoo Caverns; Lake Bob Sandlin; Lake Brownwood; Lake Mineral Wells; Lake Somerville Birch Creek and Nails Creek; Lake Whitney; Lost Maples; Martin Dies Jr., Possum Kingdom; Purtis Creek; Resaca de la Palma; San Angelo; Sea Rim; Seminole Canyon; South Llano and Tony Houseman.

To minimize conflict between park user groups, public hunts are offered during off-peak visitation periods, typically on weekdays in the winter months. A number of youth hunts are scheduled during school holidays.

During these events, signs are posted at parks alerting visitors that a hunt is in progress. The public is urged to contact the park or check the hunting calendar posted online before heading out during hunting season.

Applications for special drawing hunts to be conducted on state parks, wildlife management areas and other TP&W managed properties during the 2009-2010 season will be available in early July from department headquarters and field offices, and posted on the TP&W web site. Each hunt’s application fee ranges from $3 to $10 for adults and is free to youth, who must be accompanied by an adult hunter.

Deadlines to apply for public hunts are as follows:

Alligator, Youth Only Alligator — Aug. 5

Prong-horned Antelope — Aug. 12

Archery Deer, Archery Mule Deer, and Archery Exotic — Aug. 12

Private Lands Management Either Sex, Private Lands Antlerless/Spike- Aug. 12

Gun Deer (Either-Sex, Antlerless/Spike, Youth Only Either Sex, Youth Only Antlerless/Spike, Management Buck, and Youth Only Management), and Mule Deer — Sept. 3

Javelina, Youth Only Javelina and Guided Deer Hunt Packages — Oct. 6

Guided Gemsbok Hunt Packages and Exotic Only — Oct. 6

Guided Bighorn Sheep Hunt — Nov. 4

Feral Hog, Youth Only Exotic and Youth Only Feral Hog — Nov. 4

Youth Only Spring Turkey, Spring Turkey, Guided Scimitar-Horned Oryx Hunt Package- Nov. 4

Many parks will also provide hunting opportunities as part of the department’s Annual Public Hunting Permit program, which offers purchasers of the $48 permit hunting access to more than one million acres throughout the state.

Among the hunting opportunities available to permit holders are leased small game-hunting units, primarily for dove. Many of these hunting sites are leased from private landowners within close proximity to major urban areas. The permit also provides access to hunting for other species, including deer, feral hogs, waterfowl and small game.

The $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit is available for the 2009-2010 seasons on Aug. 15. Permits can be purchased wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold. Map booklets detailing public hunting units can be viewed on the department’s website beginning Aug. 15.

Drawn hunt information can also be found on the department’s website. For public hunting information or to request a free Drawn Hunt booklet, please call Wildlife Information at (800) 792-1112, option 5, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Labels: News, Texas

From the Hunting Wire...

The Texas Deer Association (TDA) welcomes deer enthusiasts to become Facebook Fans and share their excitement for whitetail and mule deer. TDA’s new presence on Facebook.com will increase communication opportunities for TDA and TDA members as well as sportsmen and deer enthusiasts across the country.

In addition to visiting the TDA website (www.TexasDeerAssociation.com) hunters and deer enthusiasts can now share information with others through the acclaimed social networking site or to subscribe to receive online updates from TDA.

“Millions of people use Facebook everyday to keep up with friends and to share information, links and photos, and we are excited to be the first state deer association to provide education through social marketing techniques,” says Karl Kinsel, executive director of the Texas Deer Association. “Providing education about deer and deer management is a primary mission for TDA and we are dedicated to expanding our communication in as many venues as possible to share our knowledge and enthusiasm for whitetail and mule deer.”

To become a TDA Facebook Fan, simply go to www.facebook.com, visit the TDA page and click the link. Facebook fans can receive up-to-date information on TDA seminars and banquets, be the first to see new ‘online exclusive’ news, and to see photos of the some of the biggest deer in Texas.

By adding TDA to their fan list, users can interact by uploading pictures of their favorite whitetail and mule deer hunts, suggesting places to visit, sharing tips, recipes and other information pertinent to fellow hunters and deer enthusiasts. TDA’s Facebook page will also offer its fans direct links to other popular deer breeding web sites, keeping these helpful sites easy to find.

In a recent online survey conducted by the North American Deer Farmers Association, 56 percent of respondents said they belong to or regularly use Facebook, a percentage which was three times that of any other social networking site.

The TDA is the only non-profit organization solely committed to improving the quality of Texas deer herds through improved habitat, modern harvest strategies and genetic improvement. As a part of its public education efforts, the TDA publishes a full-color bimonthly magazine, Tracks, which updates TDA members on current legislative news, deer genetics and game management issues. The TDA also hosts an annual convention and trade show featuring a live deer sales, auction, golf tournament and other events.

To learn more about the Texas Deer Association or for membership information, visit www.texasdeerassociation.com or call 210.767.8300.

Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, the Texas Deer Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of Texas deer herds, and to developing ways to improve deer quality in Texas. For more information on the Texas Deer Association, call 210.767.8300 or visit www.TexasDeerAssociation.com.

Labels: News, Texas

I've never been a fan of pen-raised deer, but sometimes it's amazing how massive a particular buck can grow, regardless of how it happened. He's been dubbed Sudden Impact, and it's obvious why. Maybe I'll see one a third this size come November.

Cheers,

Brian

A couple of friends of mine got the outdoor bug and created a website for folks in my neck of the woods. They sent a photo of a buck that's been a frequent visitor on the deer cam they've set up in Ohio -- sorry, can't get more specific on the location than that. Looks like a pretty good one.

Apparently he shows up about 9 p.m. or so (Eastern time) but, as my luck goes, I haven't seen him. But I must admit, it's kind of addicting to sit around in the evenings waiting on a deer that I'll probably never kill let alone hunt. Still, beats watching "America's Got Talent."

Tony Hansen, Michigan Man

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission made some pretty significant changes to the upcoming deer season during a meeting in May to set the 2009-2010 hunting seasons. Outside of some zone changes, the agency changed the arrangement of Tennessee's muzzleloading season. What was once a split season in November and December, with modern firearm season in between, will now be a 14-day continuous season that will be open until the opening day of modern firearm season (Nov. 21).

Bryan Brasher at the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that some hunters are upset with the change, believing it will put too much pressure on the deer prior to the modern gun opener.

Now, I typically avoid regulation debates like the plague. I believe wildlife managers, as a general rule, are more qualified than myself to make decisions on what's best for their respective state's herd and hunters. Though I usually have opinions, I try to keep them to myself. But I have several opinions on this that I'll share.

For starters, I agree with Brasher in that this is basically a two-week early start for gun season, so gun hunters, theoretically, shouldn't have any reason to complain. Let's face it--most muzzleloaders just aren't primitive weapons any more. Sure, they only offer one shot, but I don't have to tell you bowhunters the difference in a compound bow and an Encore with 150 grains of powder, 3x9 scope and jacketed hollowpoint bullet. Not that there's a thing wrong with modern in-line muzzleloaders--I hunt with one myself, and they've helped get more people involved with the sport. That's a good thing.

The flip side of that is not every deer hunter owns a muzzleloader, and there's something sacred about the opening morning of gun season, when the deer are still "fresh" and haven't yet fallen into a pattern of avoiding the orange army. For some, opening weekend of gun season might be the only time they get to hunt all year. I know of several folks who fall into that very category, and I could certainly understand if they weren't pleased with this situation.

I'm sort of neutral since I still do most of my deer hunting in Kentucky, but I'd be interested in hearing what others think of this. You can read the entire TWRA press release here.

Will