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Texas’ Premier Outdoor NewspaperMay 13, 2005 �Volume I, Issue 18�

HUNTINGNew Dove Zone?

See page 6

INSIDE

FISHING NEWSCatfish anglers across the stateare gearing up for the springspawn. Experts say mid-May tomid-June is prime time foranglers to take a crack atcatching a whiskerfish.

See page 8

Parents who bought their tikes aZebco fishing rod with cartooncaracters within the last fiveyears should take note of acompany recall.

See page 8

HUNTING NEWSTrophy hunters gathered to showoff their big bucks and boars atthe Los Cazadores Deer Contestawards in San Antonio.

See page 6

Did the British continue theirdominance of the sporting clayschampionship that bears theirname?

See page 7

NATIONAL NEWSConservation and wildliferestoration efforts get a big boostfrom hunters, anglers and boaterexcise taxes distributed to states.

See page 5

CONSERVATION UPDATEThe ivory-billed woodpecker,thought to be extinct for 60years, has just been hiding outin Arkansas.

See page 4

DEPARTMENTS

Product Picks Page 13

Wild in the Kitchen Page 14

Made in Texas Page 14

Texas Word Treasures Crossword Page 14

This Week’s Weather Page 15

Bordering Texas Page 15

This Week’s Fishing Report Page 16

Heroe’s Corner Page 17

Game Warden Blotter Page 17

Outdoor Datebook Page 19

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDPLANO, TX

PERMIT 210

DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME: Mark Menendez shows off his driving skills on Lake Fork as bad weather approaches. Turn to page 9 for expert driving and safety tips.

Silence Of The Toms

A TURKEY OF A SEASON: A trophy bird, like the one hanging from this barn door,wasn’t as common this spring season.

By Mark England

Come dove season thisSeptember, the sound ofshotguns will be heard for

the first time in two years onJohn Merrill’s ranch nearCrowley.

Merrill quit selling leases tohunters after they found them-selves being hunted by lawenforcement officers respond-ing to complaints of firearmsdischarged within the Fort

By Lynn Burkhead

By most accounts, whileplenty of hunters tagged aRio Grande or Eastern bird,the tale of this Texas turkey

season was a strange one indeedthat ended in much the same waythat it began — unusually cool,windy, and quiet.

Take the Texas Panhandle forinstance. On May 2, with tempera-tures primarily in the 30s, 4.7 inchesof snow fell in Amarillo as the finalweek of the spring turkey season ranits course.

Such conditions are reminiscentof the early season chill that greetedturkey hunter Jim Lillis of Sherman.

Lillis and his wife, Jan, recalledfinding near-freezing conditions asthey chased opening-day Rio

Grandes in Cooke County.The couple saw their turkey hunt-

ing fortunes rebound from thatquiet, chilly start. A couple of weekslater as they hunted nearSweetwater, the husband-and-wifeteam enjoyed a nice stretch ofweather and lowered the boom onfour loudmouthed toms carryingthick beards and sharp spurs.

While similar tales of gobbler-get-ting success have been heard fromvarious parts of Texas, not allhunters are looking in their cook-books for a favored wild turkeyrecipe.

The silence of the toms was deaf-ening for many a hunter.

T. Wayne Schwertner, an uplandgame bird specialist who serves asthe statewide turkey program leaderfor Texas Parks and Wildlife, said he

Continued on page 6

By David Sikes

Frustrated freshwater anglersflexed their political muscleto keep freshwater fishingstamp revenue off limits to

politicians trying to balance thestate budget.

But as of press time, itappeared their lobbying effortshad fallen short. A legislative con-ference committee had agreed toissue $15 million in revenue bonds

to be paid back over 20 years.However, that compromise muststill go to a vote.

The Texas Legislature is consid-ering budget proposals that wouldrenege on a promise made by TexasParks & Wildlife that freshwaterfishing stamp revenue would bespent directly on a new fish hatch-ery, for repairs or upgrades to oth-ers and for fishes that wouldreplenish reservoirs.

Now legislators want to fundthese improvements with bor-

rowed money, which would reducethe amount of money available forthe inland fisheries projects. Twopieces of legislation — Senate Bill 1and House Bill 1 — propose someform of what outraged anglers arecalling thievery.

The proposals are being debatedtogether by a conference commit-tee of members selected from theSenate Finance Committee andthe House AppropriationsCommittee.

HUNTING LEGACYSECURED BY LAW

Freshwater Stamp DebateAnglers rally to keep funds designated for fisheries

Continued on page 12 Continued on page 11

EDITORIAL OFFICES:9304 Forest Lane, Suite 114 South, Dallas, TX 75243

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Editor: DARLENE MCCORMICK SANCHEZ

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Lone Star Outdoor News, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice a month.A subscription is $25 for 24 issues. Copyright 2004 with all rights reserved. Reproduction and/or use of

any photographic or written material without written permission by the Publisher is prohibited. Printedin Addison, TX, by Midway Press. Subscribers may send address changes to: Lone Star Outdoor News, 9304Forest Lane, Suite 114 South, Dallas, TX 75243 or e-mail them to readercare@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE

HHoonneeyy KKiiddss

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Please get me this, I’ll promise to

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Lone Star Outdoor News Names New Editor I knew it was time to go fishing when the daffodils bloomed along the riverbank and the sunlight made the new

leaves on the trees appear an intense Irish green.

When I was a girl, beginning around age 5, my grandfather would take me to a riverbank near our home inVirginia to fish in the spring. Always, he held my hand as we walked down what seemed a long dirt path for littlelegs. I’d sit beside him on the riverbank dangling my legs over the water and holding tight to my fishing pole.

Those were some of my best memories of my grandfather — a tall, patient man who passed on his love of fishing to me. So it’s not so strange that I’m the new editor of Lone Star Outdoor News.

I was part of Lone Star’s original staff, serving as managing editor and writing. For the most part, my backgroundis in the daily news business. For the past 16 years, I’ve worked for publications in Texas, Florida and Connecticut.I got my start in Waco, Texas, where I broke the Branch Davidian cult story with a fellow reporter. Since then, I’vebeen all over the country. But now I’m home.

True, I’m not a native Texan — but Texas is where my heart is. Plus, my husband was born in this great state, sothat ought to count for something, too. I know I’ve got plenty to learn about the finer points of fishing and hunt-ing. Still, the way I see it, this will be a great adventure — and I hope you join me by becoming a regular reader. Iintend to use my experience to make the “News” part of our publication’s name stand out, while continuing toprovide outstanding writing and reporting.

—Darlene McCormick Sanchez

051305

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Page 4 � May 13, 2005

CONSERVATION UPDATE

By Lynn Burkhead

For Doug Jones, life is aboutwhat you leave behind, evenas an outdoorsman.And thanks in part to Jones’

hard work – and the hard work ofmany others across Texas – what isbeing left behind is a legacy ofwaterfowl hunting and wetlandsconservation efforts.

That much seemed apparent tothe crowd that attended the April30 dedication of the first TexasDucks Unlimited LegacyGreenwing Project at RichlandCreek Wildlife Management Area,an area lying between Richland-Chambers Reservoir and theTrinity River near Corsicana.

Jones, a district chairman for DUwho lives in Keller, helped lead theeffort to enrollthe project’s101 LegacyG r e e n w i n gmembers at acost of $200 peryoungster.

“ K n o w i n gthat we hadthis one (proj-ect) here atRichland CreekWMA so closeto theMetroplex, Ikind of took itupon myself tostart talking topeople and tellthem that thiswas somethinggreat for themto do for theirkids and theirg r a n d k i d s , ”Jones said.

Jones and other DU volunteerswere at the recent event, watchingthe unveiling of a bronze plaquethat formally dedicated the uniqueeducational wetland complex.

To them, the money raised forthis cooperative cost-sharing proj-ect between Texas Parks andWildlife and DU was money wellspent.

That’s because it’s money thatshould help to educate youthabout wetlands, waterfowl andwildlife for generations to come.

“What we built was a 15-acrewetland right behind the Richland

Creek WMA headquarters,” saidTPW biologist and WMA managerJeff Gunnels. “We’re going to usethat as a demonstration wetland.”

According to Gunnels, the unit,though small in overall acreage, isbig on educational potential.

“It’s for us to teach with,”Gunnels said. “Since it is right nextto our headquarters, we’ll be ableto take school children to tour itwith a place to park their schoolbus.”

“We will be able to take 350 to400 kids per year that we can takedown there and educate about wet-land ecology,” he added.

While conservation education isobviously one of the project’s pri-mary goals, it isn’t the only one.

Already, the project has been aboon to several species of migrato-ry waterfowl through the provi-

sion of food resources and protec-tive roosting cover that helps toshield the ducks from overheadavian predators like owls.

“This past winter, when it wasfull, on any given day, we were see-ing an average of 400 ducks perday,” Gunnels said.

The TPW biologist indicted thatas many as 300 puddle ducks –species like mallards, green-winged teal, and pintails – weredrawn to the seed-rich emergentvegetation that is nurturedthrough moist soil managementefforts on the wetland complex.

Another 100 diving ducks – pri-

marily ringnecks – were attractedto submergent vegetation likecoontail moss growing in the pro-ject’s deep-water component.

As with most DU projects how-ever, ducks aren’t the only speciesthat are benefited through thiswork.

Gunnels indicated that wadingbirds like great egrets, snowyegrets, and great blue herons willbenefit from both dead snags leftstanding and from the annualdrawdown efforts that exposecrawfish and other invertebrateson the wetland’s mud flats.

And that’s to say nothing of theliteral smorgasbord of shorebirdsthat are currently travelingthrough the region on theirnorthward migratory journey.

“In a calendar year’s time, whilewe might have been managing it

to provide winter-ing habitat forducks, the wetlandwill actually bene-fit a whole lot ofother wildlifespecies over thatyear’s time,”Gunnels said.

Lisa Harris, DU’ssenior vice presi-dent for youthe d u c a t i o n ,believes the proj-ect is a win-win sit-uation for every-one involved.

B e n e f i c i a r i e sinclude DU, TPW,Greenwing youth,and of course, thewaterfowl andwildlife.

“Being thereand seeing the par-

ents, the staff of TPW and watch-ing the kids out there on the proj-ect looking at wildlife and insectsand watching their participation, Ithink it was a real success,” Harrissaid.

Like a proud papa, Jones obvi-ously agreed.

“I’ve got three kids and they allcontributed,” Jones said. “When Ifirst heard about this, I didn’t evenask my wife (about contributing). Itold my wife, ‘I know it’s $600, butI think it’s the best $600 I canspend. It gives me a chance toleave something (behind) for mykids.’”

Greenwings Leave NorthTexas Wetland Legacy

Ducks unlimited project near Corsicana will serve asoutdoor classroom for hundreds of children while

benefiting ducks, egrets and great blue herons

WETLANDS: A worker adjusts a water-control structure. Photo by Lynn Burkhead.

By Darlene McCormickSanchez

In the world of ornithology, theivory-billed woodpecker hasreached the top of the peckingorder after making a stunning

comeback.The bird was not spotted for 60

years in the United States, prompt-ing experts to pronounce it dead asthe dinosaur. Then late last month,it suddenly appeared at Cache RiverNational Wildlife Refuge inArkansas, creating the kind of buzzusually reserved for rock stars orheads of state.

Bold headlines splashed acrossnewspapers, news releases from topgovernment brass and big-timeconservation groups hit theInternet – the woodpecker even gotits own Web link at the Cornell Labof Ornithology.

But it’s hard to ignore the ivory-billed woodpecker – known as thelargest woodpecker in the countryand the second largest in the world.Years ago, it thrived in the swampybottomland hardwood forests ofthe southeastern United States.

But as bottomland hardwoodforests disappeared with urban andagricultural development, thenumber of ivory-billed woodpeck-ers declined.

Now that the bird is back, itappears destined to be showeredwith money and attention.

Interior Secretary Gale Nortonand Agriculture Secretary MikeJohanns announced a multi-year,multi-million-dollar partnershipeffort to aid the bird’s survival.

“This is a rare second chance topreserve through cooperative con-servation what was once thoughtlost forever,” Norton said. “I willappoint the best talent in the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service and localcitizens to develop a Corridor ofHope Cooperative ConservationPlan to save the ivory-billed wood-pecker.”

The Corridor of Hope refers tothe Big Woods of Arkansas, an areaabout 120 miles long and up to 20

miles wide in eastern Arkansaswhere the ivory-billed woodpeckerhas been sighted.

“Finding a species once thoughtextinct is a rare and exciting event,and USDA is pleased to be a partnerin the effort to protect ivory-billedwoodpeckers,” Johanns said. “Atthe same time, we understand thathabitat conservation can impactlandowners. That’s why we’re goingto reach out to work cooperativelywith stakeholders so we can allshare in the joy of this discovery.”

Evidence of the ivory-billedwoodpecker’s existence was gath-ered during a year-long search inthe Cache River and White RiverNWF. More than 50 experts andfield biologists worked as part of theBig Woods ConservationPartnership, led by the CornellLaboratory of Ornithology atCornell University and The NatureConservancy.

At the Cornell Lab’s Web site, thewoodpecker’s discovery was a causecélèbre. A smorgasbord of behind-the-scenes details of the discoverywas available. Experts pored overaudio recordings. Eyewitnesses pro-vided accounts of when they sawthe elusive woodpecker. The siteeven provided a video showing agrainy image of the bird, reminis-cent of 1970s Sasquatch footage.

Meanwhile, conservation groupslauded the bird’s return whilepointing out their efforts in preserv-ing natural habitat are to be enjoyedby man, bird and beast.

Don Young, executive vice presi-dent of Ducks Unlimited, called theivory-billed woodpecker’s rediscov-ery a testament to the value of pro-tecting and restoring bottomlandhardwood forests.

“These areas are valued recre-ational locations for thousands ofpeople each year, includinghunters,” Young said in a newsrelease. “We stand ready to workwith the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService, U.S. Department ofAgriculture and others to ensurethat this species is protected andthe land is open for everyone’senjoyment.”

Ivory-Billed BeautyAlive After All

Scientists rediscover bird in Arkansas

Courtesy of David Allen/www.birds.cornell.edu

A TPW Report

Supporters of the Attwater’sprairie chicken, which has beenan endangered species since

1967, have donated $23,000 thisyear to the Adopt-A-Prairie Chickenprogram to help save the bird.

Attwater’s prairie chickens inhab-it the tall grass coastal prairies andhave been slowly edged out byheavy grazing, farming and urbangrowth, but with the help of grantsfunded through donations to theAdopt-A-Prairie Chicken program,the birds are being successfully bredand released.

“The highly endangeredAttwater’s prairie chicken is current-ly dependent on captive breedingprograms for its continued survival

in Texas,” said Mark Klym, TexasParks and Wildlife coordinator ofthe Adopt-A-Prairie Chicken pro-gram.

Grants, which were selected fromproposals by the Attwater’s prairiechicken Recovery Team, have beenawarded as follows:• The Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

received a $12,000 grant for itsDeveloping Additional BreedingPens project.

• An $8,000 grant was awarded tothe REV Project at Texas A&MUniversity in College Station,where graduate student EllenCollisson is developing a vaccinefor the reticuloendotheliosisvirus that has been significantlyinfecting the chickens.

• A $600 grant was awarded toeach of the following five zoos:

the Houston Zoo, the SanAntonio Zoo, Sea World SanAntonio, the Caldwell Zoo inTyler and the Abilene Zoo.“The Adopt-A-Prairie Chicken

program is a great way for people toget involved directly in the effort toconserve this highly endangeredbird,” Klym said. “Reintroductionprograms must work hand in handwith habitat restoration programs.Fossil Rim Wildlife Center has cer-tainly been a leader in the reintro-duction efforts.”

The number of chickens this yearwas about 40, with about 20 chick-ens at both the Attwater PrairieChicken National Wildlife Refugeand the Texas City Prairie Preserve.

The birds are radio tagged andtheir progress tracked after theirrelease.

ATTWATER’S PRAIRIE CHICKEN PROGRAM GETS $23,000

May 13, 2005 � Page 5

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NATIONAL NEWS

U.S. Fish and WildlifeService Report

The U.S. Fish and WildlifeService today announcedthat state fish and wildlifeagencies will share more

than $530 million in excise taxespaid by America’s recreationalshooters, hunters, anglers andboaters to support fish and wildlifeconservation and education pro-grams.

The agencies will use the moneyto support conservation programssuch as fish and wildlife monitor-ing, habitat improvement, acquisi-tion of land for habitat conservationand species protection, research,education, and other programs. Thefunds also will help pay for huntersafety, aquatic education and fishand wildlife-related recreation proj-ects. The funds are apportioned byformula under two federal assis-tance programs.

“The Federal Assistance in SportFish and Wildlife Restoration pro-grams reflect the deep commitmentour nation’s hunters, sport-shoot-ers, anglers and boaters have to con-serving fish and wildlife and theirhabitat,” Secretary of the Interior

Gale Norton said. “By supportingthese excise taxes, sportsmen andwomen are contributing criticalfunds — more than $9.5 billionover the past 67 years — for main-taining and restoring our fish andwildlife resources.”

The wildlife restoration appor-tionment for 2005 totals more than$235 million, with more than $46million going for hunter educationand shooting range programs. Theapportionment for sport fishrestoration for 2005 totals nearly$295 million.

Wildlife restoration funds aremade available to states based onland area — land plus inland waters,such as lakes and large rivers — andthe number of hunting licenseholders in each state. Distribution ofhunter education funds is based onthe relative population of each state.The federal agency distributes sportfish restoration funds to the statesbased on the land and water area —land plus inland water, plus theGreat Lakes and marine coastal areas— and the number of fishing licenseholders in each state.

Federal Assistance funds pay forup to 75 percent of the cost of eachproject while the states contribute atleast 25 percent.

Wildlife restoration is guided bythe Pittman-Robertson WildlifeRestoration Act of 1937 and is fund-ed by the collection of excise taxesand import duties on firearms,ammunition, and archery equip-ment. States use WildlifeRestoration Program funds to man-age wildlife populations, habitat,research, surveys and inventoriesand to administer hunter educationprograms.

Sport fish restoration is guided bythe Dingell-Johnson Sport FishRestoration Act of 1950 and is fund-ed by the collection of excise taxesand import duties on sport fishingequipment and tackle, trollingmotors, motorboat and smallengine fuels, and pleasure boats.States use sport fish restoration pro-gram funds to stock fish, acquireand improve sport fish habitat, pro-vide aquatic resource educationopportunities, conduct fisheriesresearch, and build boat ramps, fish-ing piers and other facilities neces-sary to provide recreational boatingaccess.

Please visit the Service’s Division ofFederal Assistance web site athttp://federalaid.fws.gov for state-by-state funding allocations.

Taxes Fund Conservation

The U.S. Fish and WildlifeService announced todaythat the 2005 Federal Duck

Stamp Art Competition, one of thenation’s oldest and most presti-gious wildlife art competitions,would be held outside ofWashington, D.C. for the first timein its 71-year history.

The next Federal Duck Stampwill be chosen in Memphis Sept.14-15.

Along with its move toMemphis, the competition will beco-hosted for the first time byDucks Unlimited and the GreaterMemphis Arts Council, creating aregionally unique collaboration ofart and wildlife, according to FWS.

A week of special events sur-rounding the competition beginson Sept. 11, including the DuckStamp competition and preview,which are free and open to thepublic, an exhibit of winning artfrom past competitions, artists’seminars, a family day and ajudges’ dinner. The week culmi-nates with the Ducks UnlimitedOutdoor Expo, set for Sept. 17-18 atthe International Agricenter nearDucks Unlimited headquarters.

“We are very excited to workwith Ducks Unlimited and theGreater Memphis Arts Council tobring the Federal Duck Stamp ArtCompetition to Memphis this

year,” said U.S. Fish and WildlifeService acting Director MattHogan in a prepared statement.“The Duck Stamp is one of theworld’s great conservation success-es, raising hundreds of millions ofdollars to fund important habitatacquisitions for the NationalWildlife Refuge System. We hopethat by bringing the competitionto the banks of the MississippiRiver, more Americans can beintroduced to the Duck Stamp andthe network of public lands it sup-ports.”

“This is a great opportunity totell the Duck Stamp story in an arearich in the traditions and history ofduck hunting and a commitmentto conservation,” said DucksUnlimited Executive Vice PresidentDon Young in a news release. “Thesale of Duck Stamps and wildlife artplays an integral role in providingmoney for restoring and protectingwaterfowl habitat. It’s a relation-ship that Ducks Unlimited mem-bers know well, and we’re excitedto work with the Fish and WildlifeService, the Greater Memphis ArtsCouncil and the Memphis Collegeof Art to tell the Duck Stamp story.Anyone can support wetlandsrestoration and protection ofwaterfowl habitat by purchasing aDuck Stamp. It’s that easy.”

“We are delighted to partner

with the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService and Ducks Unlimited tohost the oldest and most promi-nent U.S. government-sponsoredart competition,” added SusanSchadt, Greater Memphis ArtsCouncil president and CEO.“Given the high level of interest induck hunting and wildlife conser-vation in this region, we believethis will be an event that willattract many and bring nationalrecognition to the Memphis area.”

Jeff Nesin, Memphis College ofArt president, said the exhibitionwill give the community and city awonderful opportunity to see thevery best of closely observed workfrom nature. “We are very proud tohave it take place at the College ofArt,” he said.

The U.S. Fish and WildlifeService selects the judges’ panel,which is kept secret until the dayjudging begins. Competition judg-ing begins at 10 a.m. Sept. 14, andcontinues Sept. 15.

All waterfowl hunters 16 years ofage or older must possess a FederalDuck Stamp to hunt, but anyonecan enjoy its benefits. A valid DuckStamp provides free admission toany national wildlife refuge in thecountry that is open to the public.

For more information on theFederal Duck Stamp Program, visitwww.fws.gov/duckstamps.

AFTER 7 DECADES, PRESTIGIOUS WILDLIFE ART COMPETITIONMOVES FROM NATION’S CAPITOL TO MEMPHIS

Two South Carolina teenagerslost in the Atlantic withoutfood and water for six days

survived by clinging to the side oftheir small boat and drinking sea-water.

Josh Long, 17, and Troy Driscoll,15, were rescued after a fishing boatspotted them six miles at sea offBrunswick County in NorthCarolina, near Cape Fear, accordingto news reports.

The boys, both Charleston resi-dents, had been the subject of amassive search by the U.S. CoastGuard since they failed to returnfrom a fishing trip April 24.

Eddie Long, Josh’s father, saidin media interviews that theCoast Guard had given up any

hope of rescue. “They were preparing us for the

bodies to come up,” he said. The two teenagers said they used

a wet suit to stay warm at night.During the day they cooled off inthe ocean, but sharks would chasethem back onto their sailboat.

The teens had drifted more than100 miles from where they had putin to go fishing at Sulivans Island,S.C., according to news reports.The National Weather Serice hadissued a warning for small boats tostay out of the water the day theteens set out on their trip.

The teens apparently lost theirfishing tackle on the second daythey were at sea and couldn'tcatch any fish. Soon they were

fighting to stay alive.Their hopes of rescue faded as

the days passed. Each time theysaw a boat, they would stand ontheir boat and wave their paddlesand yell, but no one saw them.Once they awoke to find a largecontainer boat bearing down onthem, media reports said.

The teens thought at one pointthey had drifted across the Atlanticand were close to Africa. In reality,they were about 100 miles fromtheir launch point. But CoastGuard models had not anticipatedtheir position — something thatofficials want to study.

Miraculously, they came throughwith a few cuts, bruises and sun-burn.

TEEN-AGERS SURVIVED WIND, WATER, SUN AND SHARKSU.S. Coast Guard to study why lost boat outside computer projections

Page 6 � May 13, 2005

HUNTING

By Ralph Winingham

Trophies that huntingdreams are made of lined anentire wall of the Joe andHarry Freeman Coliseum in

San Antonio as Los Cazadores DeerContest paid tribute to one of thebest white-tailed deer seasons inrecent memory.

Nearly 300 shoulder mounts andother trophies, billed as the largestdisplay of Texas and Mexico deertaken in a single year, were viewedby hundreds of outdoor enthusiastsApril 23, during the first awards cer-emony for the contest since it wasmoved to Pearsall.

“There just wasn’t anywhere inPearsall where we could display allthe trophies, so we came to SanAntonio,’’ said Larry Weishuhn,heading a group of Texas WildlifeAssociation members who havetaken over the premier big buckcontest in the Lone Star State.

“We had more than 4,000 entries(during the 2004-05 season) and weare giving away 500 jackets — thatis more than any year in the historyof the contest,’’ he added. A deerhead must have a Boone andCrocket score at least 160 points tomake the hunter eligible for a covet-ed contest jacket.

“Good rains during the past threeyears and a good fawn crop aboutseven years ago, in addition to bet-ter management practices, havegiven us a tremendous big buckpopulation,’’ Weishuhn added.

At the start of the awards ceremo-ny that stretched well into thenight, Weishuhn said he was partic-

ularly pleased with the participa-tion of youngsters in the contestand at the coliseum show.

“I wish you all could have seenthe faces of these youngsters as theybrought in their deer,” he told thecrowd. “That is what we are allabout.’’

The contest has been paying trib-ute to successful hunters since itwas founded by Darwin Avant in1986. Avant sold the contest toWeishuhn, an outdoor writer,author and television personalityand a handful of other TWA mem-bers last April.

In order to expand the opera-tion, the facility was moved fromCotulla to Pearsall, just off ofInterstate 35.

The contest that literally means“The Hunters,” does not just honorbig buck hunters, but also presentsawards in several categories tothose hunters who have takendoes, spikes, hogs and turkeys.

One jacket winner at the event atFreeman Coliseum was CurtisSmith of San Antonio, who wonsecond place in the big hog contestwith a 258-pound boar killed inCoke County near San Angelo.

“It is really nice to have this inSan Antonio where we can get agood chance to see all these heads,”Smith said. “This is a really rareopportunity.”

Having a big hand in putting onthe display were Eric Buell andMark Warren, the taxidermists atLos Cazadores who cranked out 77shoulder mounts, 10 pedestalmounts and a life-sized mount forviewing at the event.

While a normal shoulder mount

can require up to six months to cre-ate, Buell and Warren were turningout the trophies in about 10 days tomake sure the exhibit would featuresome of the year’s best racks.

“We had an arrangement withthe guy tanning the hides and wewere finishing up about two shoul-der mounts a day,” Buell said. “I’mnever really completely happy withthe way they turn out, but there area lot of good heads here.”

In addition to the display of tro-phies, several dozen outdoor-relat-

ed representatives were displayingtheir wares to the crowd that flowedinto the coliseum.

Among the outfitters, all-terrainvehicle and clothing exhibitorsattracting attention was theSageCanyon Systems Camouflagebooth manned by Marc Overtonand John Presley of Fort Worth.

“We’ve just been in the businessfor about a year and this is a greatway for us to get out and meet thepublic,’’ Overton said.

He said their camouflage is hori-

zontally oriented, rather than thevertically oriented clothing forwooded areas, and provides bettercover for hunters in sagebrush andother locations where trees arescarce.

“We really appreciate this kind ofopportunity. We expect this willjust get bigger and better everyyear,’’ Overton said.

Ralph Winingham is an outdoorwriter and photographer based in SanAntonio.

BIGGER IS BETTER: Los Cazadores taxidermists Eric Buell, right, and Mark Warren show off a full body mount they created asone of nearly 100 of their trophies put on display during the contest award ceremonies. Photo by Ralph Winingham.

has heard sad turkey tales this sea-son.

While cautioning that the springturkey seasons have just concludedand that the final analysis isn’t in,Schwertner said that his impres-sion of reports from biologists andhunters that he has talked to so faris a season of mixed huntingresults.

“I’ve heard reports like that onboth Rio Grandes and Easternsboth,” Schwertner said.

Why is that?“Anything I’d say would be just a

guess, but I’ve heard a lot about theweather playing a factor,”Schwertner said. “Really what I’veheard is that they were gobblingearly, they were gobbling late, orthey were gobbling unpredictablyand it was a hit-or-miss proposition,not as much in place but in time.”

In other words, the birds could bewound up gobbling one day, onlyto fall silent the next day on thesame lease.

How about an early grade on therecently completed season?

“I’d hate to grade it this early,”Schwertner said. “I haven’t gotten alot of feedback yet, but I wouldprobably rate it as about average.But the jury is still out because all ofthe reports (aren’t in).”

But as always in hunting, therecent silence of the toms experi-enced by a number of Lone StarState hunters could turn into avocal one next spring should thetoms decide to talk turkey.

Lynn Burkhead is a frequentcontributor to Lone Star OutdoorNews and an associate editor forESPNOutdoors.com.

Continued from page 1

Turkey Season

Texas Trophies’Time To Shine

TOUGH TURKEY: A turkey hunter calls to birds but gets no answer last weekend.

By Lynn Burkhead

Agrowing population ofwhite-winged dove couldmean the creation of a newsouthern hunting zone for

Texas dove hunters this fall.Texas Parks and Wildlife officials

have proposed the creation of aSouth White-winged Dove Area inpart to address the rising numbersof white-winged dove in their coreterritory.

The new South White-wingedDove Area would generally befound within an area of deep southTexas bordered by a line runningfrom near Del Rio to San Antonio toCorpus Christi, then south alongthe Gulf of Mexico shoreline to theRio Grande River, and up the RioGrande River to near Del Rio again.

If approved by federal authoritiesthis summer, this new area wouldoffer dove hunting on the first twocomplete weekends in September –Sept. 3-4 and Sept. 10-11, 2005,specifically.

In addition, dove hunting wouldthen be allowed for 49 consecutivedays from Sept. 23 to Nov. 10, 2005and for 17 consecutive days fromDec. 26, 2005 until Jan. 11, 2006 ifthe green light is given by federalauthorities.

If approved, the new white-winged region would allow legalshooting hours of noon to sunsetduring the first two weekends ofhunting. That would then be fol-lowed by dove hunting’s standardhours of a half-hour before sunriseto sunset for the other proposedseason dates.

Bag limits would also take somegetting used to if the new dovehunting area is actually approved.

During the first two weekends ofhunting in the newly proposedarea, a total of 12 white-winged,mourning, and white-tipped doveswould be allowed in the daily aggre-gate, including no more than threemourning doves and two white-tipped doves per day.

For the remainder of the pro-posed South White-winged DoveArea season, the bag limit would be12 mourning, white-winged, andwhite-tipped doves in the aggre-gate, including no more than twowhite-tipped doves per day.

Why the new proposals? TPW wildlife program leader Jay

Roberson explains: “Basically, we’retrying to capitalize on a largerwhite-winged dove population insouth Texas,” Roberson said. “We’retrying to expand the white-wing(hunting) zone, which used to runalong the Rio Grande River corri-dor. Now, we’re trying to expandthat into half to two-thirds of SouthTexas.”

While the white-winged dove hasexpanded its range across much ofthe Lone Star State in recent years,Roberson indicates that the birdsare “back-building” populationnumbers into the core of their

range where numbers and densitiescontinue to increase.

“Basically, (we think) they’re anunderutilized resource for hunt-ing,” Roberson said.

If the new white-winged dovehunting zone is approved, the TPWbiologist is hopeful that such amove will ease frustration felt bysome hunters in recent years.

“It’s a way of easing the inequitiesand disparity for dove hunters onthe south side of Hwy. 90,”Roberson said.

As part of the changes, the usualSouth Zone that dove hunters havegrown accustomed to would bedropped and a new Southeast Zonewould be created.

The boundaries of the new zonewould include that portion of thestate lying within an area generallysouth of a line running from nearOrange to San Antonio to CorpusChristi.

So will federal regulators approvethe changes?

Roberson said the move will like-ly hinge on federal biologists’ con-cern for what type of impact theregulations would have on earlymourning dove numbers in thenewly proposed white-wingedhunting area.

“I suspect they’ll want some pret-ty expansive nesting studies in that

zone,” Roberson said. “They maysay two birds (mourning doves) orthey could come in and say no, notuntil more studies are done.”

In the northern two thirds of thestate, it’s pretty standard regulationfare.

In the North Zone, the agency isproposing a season of 60 consecu-tive days running from Sept. 1 toOct. 30, 2005.

The proposed daily bag limit forthe North Zone would allow 15mourning, white-winged, andwhite-tipped doves in the aggregateincluding no more than two white-tipped doves per day.

In the Central Zone, TPW is pro-posing a season of 60 consecutivedays from Sept. 1 to Oct. 30, 2005.That first split would then be fol-lowed by a late season split consist-ing of 10 consecutive days fromDec. 26, 2005, to Jan. 4, 2006.

As for daily bag limits in theCentral Zone, the agency is propos-ing 12 mourning, white-winged,and white-tipped doves in theaggregate including no more thantwo white-tipped doves per day.

Editor’s Note: For specific boundarylines and full details, see TPWD’sWeb site athttp://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/involved/pubhear/0405/reg.htm#2a.

May 13, 2005 � Page 7

By Ralph Winingham

Kidney pie and warm beercame out on top of barbe-cue and cold Lone Stars asGeorge Digweed from the

United Kingdom won the 2005World English Sporting ClaysChampionship here.

Earning the top gun title with ascore of 202 out of 225 targets thatincluded a 25-target shoot offbetween the top six competitors,Digweed bested a field of 604 com-petitors to continue England’sdomination of the championshipthat travels across the AtlanticOcean every other year. This isDigweed’s second victory in theU.S. competition.

Coming close to edging theEnglish at the shooting sport theyinvented was Joseph Carey of NewJersey, who tied with fellowAmerican Wendell Cherry with ahigh score of 184 out of 200 duringthe main event. Carey finishedthird overall, with the runner upposition going to Jamie Brightman,also from the United Kingdom, fol-lowing the 25-target shoot off.

“I trained very hard before com-ing here because I had not shot forabout six months,’’ Digweed saidafter his win May 1 at the NationalShooting Complex in western BexarCounty.

“The target presentations wereexcellent for this event. Every onewas hittable and every one was miss-able,’’ he added. He shot a 91 on thefirst day and a 92 on the second.

No U.S. citizen has ever won theWorld English championship. Inaddition to his two U.S. wins,Digweed is a multiple winner of theevent when it has been held inEngland.

Hopes of an upset by the “Yanks”

were fueled by a good showing onthe first day of the event, with threeAmericans and three Englishmenclaiming the top six high scores.

In addition to Carey, who is the2004 National Sporting ClaysAssociation national champion,and Cherry, the third U.S. topshooter was Anthony Matarese,also a native of New Jersey.

Digweed, Brightman and BenHusthwaite were the top threeshooters from the UnitedKingdom.

Sporting clays is a shooting gamedeveloped to simulate wild bird andgame hunting, with clay targetsthrown in a variety of angles andheights – even some bouncing onthe ground – to challenge even thebest shotgunner’s talents.

In the team competition, the U.S.five-man, junior, veteran and ladies’teams all won their divisions overthe U.K., Jamaican, Mexico andWales teams.

The three-day competition washeld April 29 through May 1 at thecomplex, which is the largest all-around shooting facility in thecountry.

Weather conditions during thecompetition were typical of thechanging South Texas climate, witha scorching 93 high the first day fol-lowed by lows in the 50s and gustynorth winds up to 30 miles per hourthe next morning.

On the third day, nearly idealshooting conditions with sunnyhighs in the mid-70s allowed shoot-ers from throughout the world todemonstrate their skills.

In addition to the 70 competitorsfrom the United Kingdom, therewere 16 from Wales; 14 fromMexico; 11 from Jamaica; threeeach from South Africa andCanada; and two each fromAustralia and Russia.

Jolly Good Shot Old Chap

State Agency Eyeing Potential Dove Hunting Changes Proposed regs would create new dove zones

ABUNDANT: White-winged dove populations are growing in urban areas.

Shooters from around the coun-try will converge on theNational Shooting Complex

June 7-8 in San Antonio for the 2005International Hunter EducationAssociation Benefit Shoot.

The annual event raises money tobroaden the scope of hunter educa-tion. In its sixth year, more than100 three-person teams are expect-ed.

The competition features twomain events: the Sportsman’sChallenge and the Team Event.Each event consists of 75 sportingclay targets, 50 trap and 25 skeet pershooter. Awards are given for bestindividual score and for best teamscore. One male and one femaleshooter will be presented the

Shooting Star Award, given to theoutstanding shooter who partici-pates in both the Sportsman’sChallenge and Team Event.

All money raised through thebenefit goes to support the IHEAand its endowment fund. With thehelp of the National ShootingSports Foundation and last year’sshooting event, the IHEA hasraised more than $1 million in fiveyears. IHEA is the official organiza-tion representing the interests of69 state, provincial, and federalhunter education coordinators,and 70,000 hunter educationinstructors who teach hunter safe-ty, ethics, and conservation toapproximately 750,000 studentseach year.

2005 NATIONAL BENEFIT SHOOT SET FOR NEXT MONTH IN SAN ANTONIO

BURSTING IN AIR: A clay target shatters when an expert hits his mark.

Page 8 � May 13, 2005

FISHING

By Lynn Burkhead

Blame it on Splash, the 121-pound, 8-ounce blue catfishthat Cody Mullenix pulledfrom the waters of Lake

Texoma in January 2004.That behemoth whiskerfish – an

International Game FishAssociation world record, a staterod-and-reel record, and one of themost popular attractions at theTexas Freshwater Fisheries Center inAthens – has helped to bring theLone Star State’s superb catfishingresources very much into angling’sspotlight.

And for good reason. While the catch of a world record

blue is certainly stop-the-pressesmaterial, the truth is that good cat-fishing opportunity exists virtuallyfrom one end of Texas to the other.

Take North Texas, for instance.That’s where Texas Parks andWildlife Department inland fish-eries biologist Bruce Hysmith saysthat anglers are gearing up for theannual whiskerfish spawn.

“Yep, it’s approaching,” Hysmithsaid. “During the spawn, they canbe found along windy banks, butthe best thing that they like isinflowing water on tributaries.They’ll really crowd into inflowingwater where they’ll move up in

there and look for hollow logs, rockoverhangs, and stuff like that.”

The key, as with most springtimefish spawns, is the water tempera-ture.

“For channel catfish, look forwater in the 75- to 78-degree range,”Hysmith said. “I would say that theblues would probably spawn a littlebit quicker than that since they areless tolerant of low oxygen condi-tions. The warmer the water is, thelower the oxygen content of thewater will be, so I’d look for (blues)to spawn first.”

In Hysmith’s opinion, catfishanglers in the northern part of thestate should be targeting the mid-May to mid-June time frame. Ofcourse, the farther south a whisker-fish angler is wetting a hook, theearlier the catfish spawn will be.

What are the best techniques foranglers to employ if they’re lookingfor a limit of tasty catfish filets?While the biologist admits that tra-ditional stink-bait catfish lures cer-tainly have their place, he preferssomething that isn’t quite sosmelly.

“I would use live crawfish,”Hysmith said. “The crawfish is a lit-tle cleaner and a little more user-friendly.”

That’s especially true when acrawfish is fished weightless, allow-ing it to move around and attract

the attention of a hungry whisker-fish.

“If you had to use a weight, I’d usea slip sinker so that the crawfishwould still have the freedom tomove about,” Hysmith said. “Don’tuse a real heavy hook since youwant that crawfish moving around.You don’t want him immobilized.”

Whatever the bait that a catfishangler chooses to use, it’s advisableto keep the hook well covered.

“If they feel the hook, they’ll spitit,” Hysmith said.

What time of day is best? Thebiologist recommends later in theday when dissolved oxygen is at itshighest level.

“I would pick the afternoon, theearly evening, or night on up until

midnight,” Hysmith said. “Frommidnight on, natural dissolved oxy-gen tends to decline and it might ormight not affect the fishing becausethey (may be less inclined to feed).”

While expansive water bodieslike Lake Amistad, Choke CanyonLake, Lake Livingston, PossumKingdom Lake, and Lake Texomacan all produce good catfishingaction, Hysmith encourages anglersnot to overlook smaller lakes inTexas.

In his region of the state, suchdiminutive waters as Lake CoffeeMill, Lake Davy Crockett, and LakeNocona are all top whiskerfish loca-tions that can be overlooked.

Also, Hysmith reminds anglersnot to overlook the countless farm

ponds or stock tanks scatteredacross every region of Texas. Suchspots provide many an afternoon ofangling delight as rod-and-reel tot-ing kids squeal, a red-and-whitebobber disappears, and the fight ison!

Keep in mind on such water bod-ies that since catfish will movearound, it often pays to wait themout if the action gets a little slow.

“Catfish will move around byschool size, so in other words, aschool of 18- to 20-inchers willmove around together,” Hysmithsaid. “You might be sitting on thebank not catching anything, but 10minutes later, you might startpulling them out one right afteranother.”

Catfish Time inTexas!

Spring whiskerfish spawnapproaching; good angling can be

found across much of the state

BOYS FISHING: Catfish season is great for kids looking for spring fun.

Kevin Sahadi and Kevin Shaw,both of Corpus Christi, caughta two-day total of four redfish

weighing 32 pounds, 7 ounces towin $37,500 in the Wal-Mart FLWRedfish Series Western Division inPort Aransas.

The event was presented byYamaha. The Sahadi and Shawteam earned $25,000 plus anadditional $12,500 for thepowered-by- Yamaha bonus award.Shaw and Sahadi were competingagainst a field of 117 teams.

“We’ve been on some fish in theSulfur Road Flats area for a monthnow,” Sahadi said. “I went thereeach day to be sure the fish werestill there in all types of weather,and then I’d leave them alone.”

Once the event began, Sahadisaid the team would begin themorning by casting Renegadetopwater lures and then switch tosoft-plastic offerings later in theday. Key baits for Shaw and Sahadiincluded D.O.A. CAL Series softplastics in silver mullet and electricchicken colors on an 1/8-ouncejighead, according to a FLW’s Website.

The team stayed in the samearea all day on both days of theevent. According to Sahadi, the

area was sandy and 2 to 3 feetdeep with scattered grass, wherethe redfish were gathered to feed oncrabs.

Rounding out the top five teamsare Kurt Kolida of Port Lavaca andMichael Shimek of Bay City, (fourredfish, 31 pounds, 12 ounces,$9,600); Steven Auld Jr. of Baytownand Jeff Larson of Friendswood (fourredfish, 29 pounds, 15 ounces,$5,475); Kirk Kuykendall ofHouston and Jeff Schneider ofBellaire (four redfish, 29 pounds,10 ounces, $4,475); and SkipperMock of South Padre Island andEddie Curry of Laguna Vista (fourredfish, 28 pounds, 1 ounce,$4,150).

Anglers caught a total of 167redfish weighing 867 pounds, 14ounces on the final day of the event.

The next FLW Redfish SeriesWestern Division event will be heldJune 24-25 in Grand Isle, La.

Named after founder of RangerBoats, Forrest L. Wood, FLWOutdoors administers nationaltournament circuits offering acombined $30 million in awardsthrough 214 events in 2005.

For more information on FLWOutdoors and its tournamentprograms, call (270) 252-1000.

Zebco has announced arecall of 1.5 million chil-dren’s’ fishing rods tainted

with lead paint.The recall is voluntary in

cooperation with the federalConsumer Products SafetyCommission.

Lead is toxic if eaten by youngchildren, and it can causeadverse health effects.

The recalled fishing poles arebrightly colored and feature pic-tures of cartoon characters onthe reels, including SpongeBobSquarepants and Dora theExplorer.

The rods were sold betweenAugust 2001 and March 2005 atdiscount department stores,sporting goods stores and toystores nationwide.

They cost between $9 and $13.The rods were made in China.

For more information callZebco at (800) 444-5581, ext.6217, between 6 a.m. and 2:00p.m. Monday through Friday.

LEAD PAINTFOUND ON KIDS’FISHING RODS Manufacturer cooperates

with federal safety agency

The National Marine FisheriesService has announced the re-opening of the recreational

fishery for red snapper in the Gulfof Mexico. For federal waters,which begin nine nautical milesfrom the Texas shoreline, the sea-son opened at 12:01 a.m. local timeon April 21, 2005, and remain openuntil midnight Oct. 31, 2005, whenthe recreational quota of 4.47 mil-

lion pounds is projected to becaught.

In federal waters, anglers shouldnote there is a 16-inch minimumsize limit and four fish daily baglimit, which includes the captainand crew of for-hire vessels. Texaswaters, within nine nautical milesfrom the Texas shoreline, are openthrough out the year, but with a 15-inch minimum size limit.

SNAPPER SEASON SETS QUOTA

ANGLERS REEL IN PAYDAY WORTH MORETHAN $1,000 PER POUND OF REDFISH

SNAP TO IT: The federal season for snapper ends in October.

Good dog.

Bring me myLone Star Outdoor News!

To subscribe, turn to page 2 or visit www.lonestaroutdoornews.com.

May 13, 2005 � Page 9

When the Going Gets Rough...Staff Report

Warm spring weather isbringing Texas boatersout again in numbersto pursue their water

passions. However, it’s also the season in

which Texas weather can turn on adime, and even the most experi-enced boaters can find themselvesin unexpected foul weather. Sowhat do you do when you’re caughtin a storm?

Get to shore as quickly as possibleis the rule of thumb – but that maybe easier said than done. Butexperts say there are several tech-niques that can help you get out ofa jam:

Reduce speed, put on a personalflotation device and plan your routeto shore. U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devicesare required by law for every occu-pant of the boat. For motorboatsunder 26 feet in length any occu-pant under 13 years of age isrequired to wear a life jacket anytime the boat is under way. TPW

and the U.S. Coast Guard reportthat about 85 percent of boatingfatalities are the result of the victimsnot wearing life jackets.

As for planning the route toshore, professional bass fishermanDean Rojas said to slow down andtake your time.

“Watch the wave and try to judgeif it’s going to get bigger,” Rojas said.“Tack back and forth, zigzag.Shorelines are usually calmer. Headfor shore and use protected shore-line to your advantage – don’tworry if it takes longer to get back todock. Know the water that you’reon – think about hidden dangerssuch as underwater treetops.”

Seat passengers on the bottom ofthe boat near the center line. Properweight distribution improves han-dling, and passengers are less likelyto fall overboard.

Secure loose items and haveemergency gear ready. Stow fishingtackle and secure items like coolersand tackle boxes. Rough water canmake loose items dangerous projec-tiles. Keep bilges clear of water. Aboat carrying water does not handleas well as it is designed to.

Head the bow into waves at abouta 40-degree angle. Driving parallelto waves can cause the boat to rockviolently from side to side, decreas-ing control. Of course, it also upsthe possibility of the vessel becom-ing swamped.

Donny Hancock of Skeeter Boats’pro team advises that if your boatmotor has adjustable trim, use it.

“Adjust the trim angle on yourmotor for the most comfortableride,” Donny said. “The less massyou have when you come over awave, the further down that bow isgoing to go. You want the forwardportion of the bow at the deepestpoint to be hitting the waves. Somepeople have a tendency to over-trim. If you are hitting the waves fur-ther back, say by the console, you’regoing to lose some fillings from yourteeth. You want to have the bestspeed for the smoothest ride.”

If the engine fails, anchor theboat. You cannot control a motor-boat when the engine fails. Dropanchor, remain calm and wait forassistance. Use a signal flare if one’savailable. And above all, don’tpanic.

SAFE DRIVING: Boaters on Texas lakes are likely to experience high winds before storms. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone StarOutdoor News.

Continued from page 1

Rough Water Boating

By David Sikes

Deep-sea angler FredHornsby is extra carefulthese days when negoti-ating the mouth of a

shrinking Port Mansfield Pass inhis offshore boat. But then, he’sfamiliar with the shallow spots andknows to hug the northern edge.

A handful of Hornsby’s fellowboat captains have been unable toavoid peril while motoringthrough this neglected waterwaybetween Port Mansfield and theGulf of Mexico. At least one boat,Hornsby said, crashed into thejetty rocks that guard this remoteSouth Texas pass.

Other large-boat owners haveaverted risks either by not usingthe pass altogether or by leavingPort Mansfield’s harbor for otherports where the U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers provides safer big-water access. Whether theseanglers return will depend on thesuccess of a desperate campaign tosave the pass.

“My customers want to knowwhat’s going to happen,” said RoyBrown, who owns a Port Mansfieldboat barn harboring 20 offshorefishing vessels. “Information ishard to come by and there’s noteven a sign out there to warnboaters of the hazard. It’s gettingto be a real danger. If we don’t getthe channel dredged this place willdry up.”

Brown said that about two yearsago, the Corps of Engineers posteda letter listing Port Mansfield Passas one of many mostly smallerrecreational or non-commercialpasses that it no longer would bedredging because of a fundingshortfall. The Corps of Engineers,which has maintained the pass for40 years, has not dredged the PortMansfield Pass since 1999, accord-ing to Port Director Mike Wilson,with the Willacy CountyNavigation District.

Parts of the once 16-foot-deeppass have silted in to maximumdepths of about seven feet, withmuch of the channel even shallow-er, Wilson said. This makes passagefor deep-draft vessels dangerousduring low tide or when swellspitch and roll the boats near thechannel floor. Navigation could beespecially treacherous when theseconditions converge, Hornsby said.

Couple this problem with a lin-gering bloom of brown algae thathas clouded mostly westernLaguna Madre waters near PortMansfield and it could be a toughsummer for this small communitythat relies heavily on visitinganglers to fuel its economy.

“There’s no other reason for PortMansfield to exist without thatchannel and the harbor,” Wilsonsaid. “We’ve already seen an exo-dus of big boats.”

Adding to Port Mansfield’s woes,sand is eroding rapidly along thejetty rocks that protect the pass’

northern bank, which marks thesouthern border of Padre IslandNational Seashore.

Wilson said the NavigationDistrict’s preferred solution for thepass itself would be to convincethe Corps of Engineers that theeconomic hardship of not dredg-ing is greater than the economicliability of maintaining the pass.But Wilson knows that militaryneeds and other priorities mayhave created insurmountablefunding constraints for the Corpsof Engineers.

Plan B would be to request U. S.Congressional help. Wilson saidthat dredging the pass would carrya price tag of between $1 millionand $2 million. Wilson is seekinghelp from U.S. Sens. Kay BaileyHutchinson and John Cornyn.

Hutchinson hopes to convincethe Corps of Engineers to shiftexisting funds to the PortMansfield project by convincingthem it should be a high priorityfor hardship reasons, according tospokesman Chris Paulitz.

“The Corps told us they’d lookinto it,” Paulitz said.

Part of Wilson’s argument to gar-ner aid involves a U.S. Coast Guardcutter that cannot float throughthe shallow pass. Historically this87-foot cutter that drafts 10 feethas used the pass to seek foulweather refuge in Port Mansfieldor for law enforcement operationsinvolving drug trafficking or illegalimmigration. The next nearestpass is Brazos Santiago Pass some30 miles south by water at PortIsabel.

Another option could be toapply for erosion-control moniesfrom the Texas General LandOffice. But this program has nomoney for future projects at thistime, according to GLOspokesman Jim Suydam. And evenwhen the program was viable, onlya fraction of requests were granted.During the most recent fundingcycle, the coastal erosion programdoled out $7.3 million for 20 proj-ects. The program received fund-ing requests for $36.5 million from77 projects.

Suydam said the GLO is pushingfor legislation that could revive theprogram, possibly by collecting a75-cent fee on each tire sold inTexas. Maybe if this passes, PortMansfield’s chances wouldimprove, Suydam said.

Meanwhile, Wilson hasappealed to Texas Parks & WildlifeDepartment, which uses the passto transport artificial reef materialinto the gulf, and the CoastalConservation Association for sug-gestions and he’s exploring thepossibility of a short-term fix fund-ed by local money. This would be along shot for the economicallydepressed community, local busi-ness owners said.

“My boat’s in there too,” busi-ness owner Brown said. “If I can’tget it out to go fishing then I’mgone too.”

Port Mansfield Left Hanging Out to Dry

Texas Parks and Wildlife is hold-ing six public meetings during Mayin areas hit hardest by golden algato discuss strategies.

Agency officials will provideupdates on golden alga researchprojects, discuss fisheries manage-ment plans and ask the public forinput.

Golden alga blooms during thelast six months have caused fish-kills in more than a dozen waterbodies in north-central Texas. Noneof the occurrences has resulted inserious impacts to the fisheries, butthey have provided researcherswith opportunities to study actual

events in hopes of finding solutionsto this naturally occurring threat.

Since 2001, golden alga fish-killshave occurred on two dozen reser-voirs in Texas. About 18 million fishhave been killed by golden alga dur-ing the last 20 years, most of whichwere either forage or rough fishspecies.

The alga releases a toxin that killsgill-breathing organisms such asfish and clams. There is no knownevidence of human health risks.

First discovered in Texas in 1985,golden alga (prymnesium parvum)was identified in a fish kill in thePecos River and has since been

responsible for fish kills in theColorado, Canadian, Wichita, Redand Brazos river systems as well.

Public meetings are slated for thefollowing dates and locations. Allmeetings start at 7 p.m.• May 17 — Possum Kingdom

Lion’s Club, 142 LaVilla Road,Lake Possum Kingdom.

• May 18 — Baylor CountyExtension Office, 500 N. Main,Seymour.

• May 24 — Annex 3 Building, 200N. Gordon, Granbury.

• May 25 — Lake Whitney StatePark Reunion Center, 433 FM1244, Whitney.

TPWD SCHEDULES PUBLIC MEETINGS ABOUT GOLDEN ALGA

SHALLOW WATER: Port Mansfield is becoming more difficult for boats to navigate.

Page 10 � May 13, 2005

ADVENTURE

By Ralph Winingham

ROCKPORT — This was a fishmission.

Not just the fish we weregoing to use for bait — those

speckled trout and redfish magnetsknown as croakers — but also thefish we were going to eat as part of aweekend escape to a Texas GulfCoast fishing hot spot.

This time of year is croaker seasonacross the bays and inlets scatteredlike play areas in a toddler’s dream-land. Anglers who favor live bait trav-el from throughout the country asfast and as often as they can to takeadvantage of this fishing paradise.

Croaker season normally runs

from about the middle of May untilthe end of August each year. It is thetime when the baitfish and naturalenemy of the nesting speckled troutreach their best fish-attracting size.

“Copano Bay is my favorite placeto fish. That’s the water that I knowbest,’’ said Capt. Petra Schultz as sheprepared to launch her boat in theearly morning light.

A veteran fishing guide who wasthe first Rockport woman to earnher captain’s license, Petra and herhusband, Capt. Don Schultz, workas a tag team to put their clients inthe best spots for free-lining livecroakers.

The night before at a dinnerorganized by the Rockport-FultonArea Chamber of Commerce, they

entertained the group with fishingstories as we all ate more shrimpand crab-stuffed grilled trout thanshould be allowed by law at Off theHook Restaurant.

The Green Hornets, as they callthemselves, explained that two setsof experienced eyes on the water atone time could greatly enhancetheir anglers’ success rate.

With our first goal of eating ourfill of fish accomplished at therestaurant overlooking CoveHarbor, the Schultz team was put onthe spot to achieve the next task ofconnecting us with some live ones.

After a short boat ride from thedock, Petra hooked up the first offive dozen live croakers that she hadbrought for bait.

“Just flip the croaker out there, letit set for about 30 seconds and thenpump your rod a couple of times,’’she said. “That will keep the croakerout of the oyster shells.’’

With no weight or floats to hin-der the croaker, the bait’s move-ments are more natural and drivetrout and reds into a feeding frenzy.

“You’ll know when you get a hit.Just keep the rod tip up and the linetight, or they will shake the hook,’’she said.

The words had barely reached ourears when a 17-inch trout slammeddown one of the baits and made afruitless run for freedom.

“That’s a good one to start theday,’’ Petra said as she dropped thetrout into the boat’s ice chest. Theaction was repeated about twodozen times, featuring mostly keep-er trout and a couple of nice redfish,before we headed back to the dockshortly after noon.

A bag full of fresh fillets on ice, wefinished our coastal fish quest witha stop at The Boiling Pot in Fulton,where Cajun boiled shrimp andcrawfish, along with corn on thecob and new potatoes, weredumped on our table for anotherseafood feast.

Seafood in our stomachs and fishfillets in our ice chests – now that isthe way to spend a weekend.

IF YOU GOCaptains Don and Petra Schultz, The Green Hornets, offer fishing tripsand have just opened their Hornet’s Nest for overnight stays by theirclients. They can be reached at (361) 790-9742 or on the web atwww.greenhornetguides.com.

Other fishing guides can be found at Coastal Bend's GuideAssociation at www.cbga.org.

Off The Hook Restaurant at 161 Cove Harbor North is accessible byboat or car and is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday throughSaturday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Their phone number is(361) 729-8300.

The Boiling Pot in downtown Fulton opens at 4 p.m. Monday throughThursday and 11 a.m. Friday through Sunday. Their telephone numberis (316) 729-6972.

Centrally located accommodations in Rockport include the Hoopes’House Bed and Breakfast at 417 N. Broadway (just across fromRockport Harbor and Rockport Beach Park). Listed in the state registerof historic places, the facility offers eight guest rooms and a fullcomplimentary breakfast. Operators Mike and Paula Sargent can bereached at (361) 729-8424.

Additional information on the area is available from the Rockport-Fulton Area Chamber of Commerce at (800) 242-0071 or www.rockport-fulton.org.

PARADISE FOUND: Sunset puts the finishing touch on a perfect day for fishing in Rockport, Texas.

Destination Rockport

BITE SIZE: Croaker season draws live bait anglers from across the country.

WAYS TO GO: Wading and kayaking are popular ways to fish coastal waters.

FREE ADVICE: Colorful bait stands line the shore at Rockport.

May 13, 2005 � Page 11

Continued from page 1

Perry signs billWorth city limits. The property, stillmostly rural, was annexed in the1980s.

A poacher apparently parked bythe road, walked up to the fenceline and began shooting, Merrillsaid.

“Obviously, residents calledpolice,” Merrill said. “I would have,too. Police came out, pistols drawn,and the first person they encoun-tered was a lease hunter with his 9-year-old son. He wasn’t arrested, butthey scared the living daylights outof him.”

But a new state law signed byGov. Rick Perry will change all that.Now hunters’ rights will be protect-ed for generations to come.

The new law will permit huntingon land annexed by cities, even if acity has an ordinance banning theshooting of firearms. The law,which adds “wildlife management”to the list of activities permitted onagricultural land, took effect May 3.It grandfathers in all land annexedsince 1981.

The law, formerly Senate Bill 734,sponsored in the House by Rep.Anna Mowery, R-Forth Worth, andin the Senate by Tommy Williams,R-The Woodlands, isn’t likely toturn annexed property into bad-lands.

Hunting with a shotgun must bedone on property that is at least 10acres; if you use a rifle or pistol, 50acres or more. And firearms can’t bedischarged within 150 feet of anoccupied structure or “in a man-ner” causing a projectile to cross theproperty line.

Dade Phelan, a legislative aide toWilliams, called the law “model leg-islation,” which he expects to becopied by other states.

“Cities and towns annex proper-ty that may not be developed foryears,” Phelan said. “But one daythe land can be used for dove ordeer hunting, and the next day itcan’t.”

Phelan sees the law as a balancingact. “There needs to be a good bal-ance between the property owner’srights and what the city needs to doto protect its citizens,” he said.“That’s what this bill is all about.”

Although the Texas MunicipalAssociation opposed the law,Phelan contends the law doesn’tleave cities defenseless.

“If someone is misusing a firearmor endangering anyone, a peaceofficer will be able to take action,”Phelan said.

One supporter of the law believesanother beneficiary of it will bewildlife.

“If you take away huntingincome from a landowner, forcehim to just depend on his incomefrom agriculture, he’s going to sellout to a developer and leave,” saidKirby Brown, executive vice presi-dent of the Texas WildlifeAssociation. “It’s the worst thing forthe habitat. We want to encouragewhat is already there, not diminishit.”

Merrill leases 2,500 acres of his3,000 acres for hunting. He restrictsbird hunters to shotguns and for-bids them to litter or build fires.

“The land will be hunted,”Merrill said. “I can guarantee youthat. The question is: Do you wantit hunted by lawbreakers or do youwant a controlled situation?”

Mark England is an award-winningDallas-based writer with more thantwo decades of newspaper experience.

A tpw report

Asix-month long investigationconducted by Texas Parks andWildlife's special operations

wildlife crimes unit came to a closeduring the last few days with LarryGrimland of the Dallas area beingcharged with 20 counts of illegallytrapping wild white-tailed deer fromhis Bosque County ranch.

Grimland was apprehended by TPWInvestigators Sgts. Adam Chrane andBrad Chappell for illegally deliveringand selling three whitetailed deer inBosque County, according to TPW.The next morning a search warrantwas executed on Grimland’s ranchwhere records were seized indicatingGrimland had sold numerous wildwhite-tailed deer for the last several

years, netting thousands of dollars.In a plea agreement reached,

Grimland has agreed to cooperate withinvestigators, pay $40,000 in fines andmake a $40,000 contribution to theOperation Game Thief fund. An addi-tional 45 charges have been filed against10 individuals that purchased illegaldeer from Grimland.

In a spinoff investigation, BosqueCounty resident David Deeley agreedto pay $10,000 in fines and make a$6,000 contribution to OperationGame Thief fund. Deeley was chargedwith five counts of illegally trappingwild white-tailed deer. Bryan Hanus, aBosque County deer hauler, wasarrested on felony arrest warrants for“felon in possession of a firearm, andtampering with physical evidence,”both 3rd degree felonies. Hanus wasplaced in the Bosque County jail with

bonds set at $10,000 per charge.The scope of this investigation

revealed illegal white-tailed deer com-merce over a significant portion ofTexas and showed the importance ofhaving a centralized investigativegroup such as TPW’s SpecialOperations Unit. The unit receivedinvaluable assistance from game war-dens throughout the state in conduct-ing interviews and taking statements.

Bosque County prosecuted thecases and game wardens PrestonSpiller and Mike Sibila provided theinitial lead.

Col. Pete Flores said, “This investiga-tion serves as a deterrent to those whoengage in the illegal commerce ofTexas’ wildlife resources. This case alsosafeguards the legitimate interests ofdeer managers and conservation inTexas.”

MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN DEER-TRAPPING CASE

On May 25 at the OmniSouthpark Hotel inAustin, the Texas Parksand Wildlife Department

will announced the statewide landsteward of the year.

The state will also recognize 11land stewards, including nine pri-vate ranchers in various ecologicalregions, plus a cooperative catego-ry recognizing landowners whoband together to help wildlife, anda corporate recipient, according toTPW.

The Lone Star Land StewardAwards program recognizes andhonors private landowners fortheir accomplishments in habitatmanagement and wildlife conser-vation. The program is designed toeducate landowners and the publicand to encourage participation inhabitat conservation.

For the first time since the pro-gram was created in 1996, TPW hasselected an urban city park as amodel of land stewardship. WhiteRock Lake Park in Dallas will be rec-ognized in the corporate category.

“It’s important that peopleunderstand the key to diverse andabundant wildlife is well-managedhabitats, and in Texas that occursmostly on private land, since 94percent of the Texas landscape isprivately owned,” said LindaCampbell, TPWD private landsprogram leader.

“However, wildlife conservationcan and does happen in publicparks and in urban and suburban

areas, as the White Rock Lakeexample shows. And those exam-ples are important to educate themajority of people who live incities, as well as to actually providesome valuable habitat for wildlifein urban settings.”

The importance of private stew-ardship to preserve history and cul-tural resources is also emphasizedthis year with the selection ofCibolo Creek Ranch as the Trans-Pecos eco-region recipient.

Land Steward programobjectives strive to:• recognize private landowners for

excellence in habitatmanagement and wildlifeconservation on their lands;

• publicize the best examples ofsound natural resourcemanagement practices;

• encourage youth education andparticipation in promotingresponsible habitatmanagement and improvedecosystem health;

• promote long-termconservation of unique naturaland cultural resources;

• promote ecosystem awarenessand acknowledge the bestconservation practices in thestate’s 10 ecological regions;

• enhance relationships betweenprivate landowners and Texasnatural resource agencies;

• illustrate the important role ofprivate landowners in the futureof Texas natural resources.

Statewide Land Steward OfThe Year To Be Announced

Dallas park receives honor for first time

Page 12 � May 13, 2005

Continued from page 1

FreshwaterIf TPW were to pay cash for the

proposed hatchery and repairs asintended, the agency and anglerswould save anywhere from $3 mil-lion to about $9 million, com-pared with the cost of issuingbonds to pay for improvements.This difference involves the esti-mated interest payments thatwould be paid out over the life ofthe loan, based on 4 percent inter-est rate.

The exact amount woulddepend on which type of bondlegislators decide to issue, accord-ing to Texas Comptroller CaroleKeeton Strayhorn, who went so faras to put out a press release urgingthe Legislature to keep its promiseto sportsmen and women.

“(Anglers) have a right to beupset that the funds they havepaid to fish will not be used fortheir intended and promised pur-pose,” Strayhorn wrote in an April25 letter to Texas Rep. EdmundKuempel, R-Seguin, who request-ed an accounting of the proposal.

Meanwhile, the freshwaterstamp revenue — $5 million annu-ally — would be stashed away inan account along with othersiphoned dedicated funds.

The state would use this accountto balance or certify its budget as aform of collateral. If the budgetgets really tight, however, thesemonies could be spent by legisla-tive action on projects other thantheir intended purposes.

The Texas Legislature orderedTPW to create a $5 freshwaterstamp in the first place as a way tofund hatchery needs. This stampfee would expire in 2014, thedepartment promised. But eventhis date could be extended, if talkin Austin turns to action.

So nothing, it seems, is what itseems, to hear officials of bassclubs tell it.

“We feel betrayed over this,”said Ed Parten, president of TexasBlack Bass Unlimited and presi-dent of Sensible Management ofAquatic Resources Team.

“Bass clubs bought into the orig-inal plan, and we helped TexasParks & Wildlife sell it. This is aslap in the face. If it passes, the

fishermen of Texas will never trustthe Legislature again,” Parten said.

The freshwater angling commu-nity appears to be split on whetherTPW — and specifically InlandFisheries Director Phil Durocher— should share blame and criti-cism for this legislative proposal.

But Durocher denounced theproposal and said he didn’t see itcoming.

“We made a deal, and it lookslike we’re not going to be doing thedeal like we said we would,”Durocher said. “We’re concernedabout the credibility we have withour constituents. We promisedthem $50 million worth ofimprovements and now we’relooking at getting only $47 mil-lion. This was not our intention.I’m as frustrated as they are.”

Sparky Anderson, governmentrelations director for Texas BlackBass Unlimited, a group of 10,000independent anglers and affiliatedbass clubs, said legislators are con-sidering the path of least resist-ance.

Anglers for some time have notenjoyed the respect afforded a uni-fied, informed group of voters, hesaid. The freshwater stamp issuecould go far in adjusting attitudesin Austin, he added.

“Texas anglers are frustrated atnot being heard in Austin, and weplan to fix this,” Anderson said.“We need to start holding Texaspoliticians accountable.”

The Freshwater FisheriesAdvisory Board, a group withdiverse angling interests appointedby the TPW Commission to over-see the state’s management ofinland fisheries and to advise thedepartment on related issues, hassent a strong message to lawmak-ers, outlining their position clearlyon this issue.

In a formal resolution, the advi-sory board wrote that it “stronglyobjects to proposed action of the79th Legislature,” and “stronglyrecommends” that the initialintent of freshwater fishing stamprevenue be honored.

David Sikes writes about the outdoorsfor the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

Bass Pro Shops founder JohnnyMorris recently presented acheck for $650,000 as part of a

total $1.36 million donated to speedup construction on an educationbuilding for the Texas FreshwaterFisheries Center in Athens.

Morris pledged at an April 3,2004, banquet to match dollar-for-dollar, up to $650,000, funds raisedby April 16, 2005, by Schooling forBass, a Dallas support group headedby Richard (“Dick”) Hart. The vol-unteer group responded by raising$711,000, according to Texas Parksand Wildlife.

“This check isn’t from one per-son; it comes from a lot of people,”Morris said. “It comes from the peo-ple at Bass Pro Shops. It comes fromour customers.”

Formally called the Edwin L. CoxJr. Texas Freshwater FisheriesCenter, the facility combines visita-tion and outdoor education with aproduction fish hatchery. The fresh-water fisheries facility is part of theInland Fisheries Division of TPW.

The center’s director AllenForshage noted: “With completionof this new $1.5 million education-al facility, TFFC will have an out-door education center unmatchedin North America.”

Built as a joint venture betweenTPW, the Texas Parks and WildlifeFoundation, Inc., and the commu-nity of Athens, TFFC includes a wet-lands trail and more than 300,000gallons of indoor and outdooraquariums displaying dozens ofspecies of native fish, waterfowl, alli-

gators and amphibians in recreatedhabitats.

TFFC invites both individual andgroup visitation. Reservations arerecommended for groups of 10 ormore. Admission is charged. Publichours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdaythrough Saturday and 1-4 p.m.Sunday.

Other organizations and individ-uals contributing to the buildingfund were Kathie and Ed Cox Jr.,Eric Kincaid, ExxonMobilFoundation, Cain Foundation,Ginger Murchison Foundation,Hillcrest Foundation, Sheila andWalter Umphrey, Friona Industries,Hoblitzelle Foundation, Catheyand Don Humphreys, Texas GameWarden Association and J.B. KatzFoundation.

Bass Pro Shops Gives $650,000 toAthens Freshwater Fish CenterOutdoor education to be highlight of state-run facility

The Texans may have domi-nated day two at SamRayburn Reservoir in the sea-

son opener of the CITGOBassmaster Open Series, but thefinal round belonged to a pair ofOklahomans: Terry Butcher andJeff Kriet.

Butcher took home $53,316 anda measure of redemption for hisfirst BASS win, according toBassmaster’s Web site.

“I was so close at Clarks Hill,”Butcher said of the tour event onthe South Carolina-Georgia reser-voir where he finished third. “But Ifeel great winning this tourna-ment. I can forget all about those

close calls now.”Butcher, who finished with a

three day catch weighing 47pounds and an ounce, was ineighth place after the second day,but bagged a limit of 17 pounds, 1ounce on day three — goodenough to best Kriet (46-0) by a lit-tle more than a pound. Krietweighed in last, and his 13-pound,7-ounce limit made things inter-esting, but it was the fish that Krietmissed that will haunt him.

Butcher won the tournament byflipping a jig near willow trees andlooking for post-spawn fish. Mostof his bass came from less than 4feet of water.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m happyto finish second,” Kriet said. “ButI’m so frustrated right now becauseI lost this tournament on the sec-ond day. I lost a 5-pounder and a 3-pounder within 30 minutes ofeach other.”

Kriet was flipping a black Kinamicut-tail worm on light line aroundisolated bushes. He’s had a bevy ofclose calls lately, finishing in thetop 15 of each of the past four BASSevents, but never winning, and hislost fish left the door open forButcher at Sam Rayburn.

Texas’ own Jeff Buchanan, (44-7)a Rayburn guide, came in third tolead his home state.

OKIES PROVE THEMSELVES AT SAM RAYBURN 2005 CITGOBASSMASTER CENTRAL OPEN BUT TEXANS HOLD THEIR OWN

May 13, 2005 � Page 13

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elements provide more drag surfacefor smoothness and heat dissipation. The

titanium bail features a magnetic bail trip sothere is no spring to weaken or break. The Energy

Pti comes with a spare aluminum spool to allow aquick change to a different line weight. It’s availableat Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops and other sporting goodsretailers for about $129.95. For more information visitwww.quantumfishing.com.

BAY BEAUTY: The new Ibis from NewWater Boatworks is the bay boat for the discriminatingangler. Its sleek style is a head-turner. The 21-foot, 8-inch hull features foam-core compositeconstruction, and is available in two configurations, the Lamiflow™ or notched-transom. Thefuel tank has a 50-gallon capacity, and with a full tank and a 200 Yamaha engine, the Ibisdrafts only 5 inches. The Ibis comes with three storage compartments and a rod locker for sixrods The standard console is shown; a tournament console is available that includes a podhelm, recessed switches, a non-skid top and a 40-gallon release well. Every boatmanufactured by NewWater Boatworks is custom-built to order. For more information, visitwww.newwaterboatworks.com.

SERENITY NOW: Silent, economical and environmentally friendly, theSerene Fisher 17 goes where gasoline-powered boats can’t. A digitalelectric motor pushes the craft for up to 6 hours, powered by anExcide 12-volt deep cycle marine battery. The hand-laid fiberglasshull contains marine-grade flotation and the fiberglass deck andfloor feature non-slip surfaces for added safety. The Serene 17comes standard with a painted canoe trailer with 12-inch wheels,and a host of options is available to customize your boat. The basemodel sells for $4,995, and Serene will arrange for shippingworldwide. For more information, call (210) 561-5636 or visitwww.serenewatercraft.com.

IF YOU PLANT IT, THEY WILL COME: Now isthe time to plant that warm-season foodplot to attract and add size to deer andantlers. Lablab Plus from Tecomate isformulated to be the best warm seasonnutritional plot in existence. Itscombination of ingredients containsoriginal Lablab, ebony peas, foragesoybeans and WGF grain sorghum. Lablabplus is perfect for smaller plots because ofits unique mix of peas, each with differinggrowth rates, gives it the ability towithstand early grazing pressure. One 22-pound bag will plant 1 acre, and sells forabout $39.99. Available at farm-and-ranchsuppliers statewide. For more informationcall (956) 664-9402 or visitwww.tecomate.com.

FILLET AWAY: For the fishermanwho has everything, there’s TheRapala ProGuide RechargeableCordless Electric Fillet Knife. Itcomes with 6- and 7.5-inchinterchangeable blade lengths andis powered by a quiet, reciprocating-action motor. Two rechargeablebattery packs allow charging of onebattery while the other is in use. Thecharging base, a cutting board and acompact carrying case are all included.Available at Cabela’s and Target for$79.99 to $89.99. For moreinformation, visit www.rapala.com.

CALL ME: The Morwhistle from New VersionCalls is a new pintail, teal and drakemallard call. Its unique roller design allowsthe caller to blow wet without having toflutter the tongue. The call was tested over

a period of years before its introduction tothe marketplace, and the result is said to beone of the best calls introduced in years. It is

constructed of injection-molded, food-gradeplastic and will last a lifetime. The call

takes a standard hangar and has a non-glare camouflage finish. The price is

$21.99, and it’s available fromNew Version Calls (209) 827-

9153 or visitwww.newversioncalls.com.

LEAPING LIZARDS: Lizards are overtaking worms as the top soft plastic bait for big bass. The6” Moko Lizard from Wave Industries is one of the latest creations from Wave’s legendaryTiki-Man. The extra-lifelike action of this lizard sets it apart from the others. The MokoLizard is available in 30 different colors, including Tiki-Man’s unique swirls. Moko Lizardsare all salted and loaded with Wave’s special MoLoPo scent. Available at Academy Sportsand Outdoors for $3.16 for a package of seven lizards. For more information, visitwww.wavefishing.com.

Page 14 � May 13, 2005

OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT

Across3. Aberdeen hooks are this

color5. End of the day7. Mineral used in muskets8. Devices that make fishing

reels and trailer wheels spinmore easily

10. Machine that creates elec-tricity

12. A round entrapping devicethrown to catch baitfish

13. Axis deer and Corsican ramsare examples of this type ofgame

16. A two-part chemical glue17. Seawater with excessive salt

content18. Scientific name for a blue

crab's shell

Down1. Hooks and stingray's tails

have these2. Provides light and warmth at

night while camping4. A type of storm; common in

West Texas5. McMurtry wrote about this

lonesome bird

6. Wild flower, also known asIndian Blanket

7. Remnants of a past geologicage; often found near HillCountry streams

9. Insect with large hind legsfor leaping

10. Sound that a male speckled

trout makes when spawningfemales are near

11. Hexagonal wax structurebuilt by bees

14. Tree that hosts the larvalstage (caterpillar) of thesphinx moth

15. Opposite of shallow

Copyright 2004 Texas Word Treasures, Greg Berlocher. All Rights Reserved.

For crossword puzzle solution, see page 18

WILD IN THE KITCHEN MADE IN TEXAS

TEXAS WORD TREASURES Smart ShieldSunblock born of necessity finds nitch

By Ralph Winingham

They might be called flyingferal hogs in some circles, butthe new bird species falling tothe guns of Texas dove

hunters are better known by theirproper name, Eurasian collared-doves.

Slightly larger than white-wingeddoves, the Asia natives have migrat-ed across the country since the1970s when they were first observedin Florida.

Officials believe there are popula-tions of the doves in every county inTexas, and since they don’t fallunder federal jurisdiction, Eurasiansare considered as exotics in the LoneStar State. Just like feral hogs, there isno season and no limit for scatter-gunners who find them in abun-dant enough numbers to hunt.

A prominent black neckbandaround the back of their necks canhelp hunters identify the birds.Although their white tail is squaredoff like a white-winged dove, thecenter feathers are grayish in color.

The friendly folks who put on theLonesome Dove Fest in Karnes Cityon the South Zone opening dayeach year managed to bag a few ofthe Eurasians for the followingrecipe. Because the birds arebelieved to have migrated to Texasfrom Louisiana, it is fitting that thisdish features a Cajun flair.

Mourning or white-winged dovesare also good for this recipe, butthen again, dove season’s a long wayoff.

Crazy Cajun Eurasian Doves9-12 Eurasian dove breasts, de-bonedChef Ralph’s SuperSeasoning*1⁄2 cup seasoned flour1⁄2 cup olive oil 1⁄2 cup chopped onion1⁄2 cup chopped celery1⁄2 cup chopped bell pepper1 can (14.5 ounces) petite-dicedtomatoes1⁄4 cup tomato paste2 cups water or chicken broth1 tablespoon Worcestershiresauce3 green onions, including tops,chopped

Rinse de-boned dove breasts incold water and pat dry with papertowels. Flatten breasts with a malletand season with Chef Ralph’s onboth sides, then dredge in seasonedflour (reserve flour). Heat oil in alarge skillet over medium-highheat. Quickly brown flouredbreasts on both sides and set asideon a warm plate. Reduce heat tomedium low and add remainingflour to skillet. Simmer, stirringoften, for about five minutes, untilroux (flour and oil mixture) is lightbrown. Add onion, celery and bellpepper, stir well and simmer for fiveminutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomatopaste, water and Worcestershiresauce. Return browned breasts toskillet, making sure pieces are cov-ered with sauce. Cover skillet andsimmer about 15 minutes. Sprinklemixture with chopped greenonions just before serving overcooked white rice.

* Chef Ralph says: As a substitutefor Chef Ralph’s Super Seasoning, com-bine 6 tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoonseach of onion salt and garlic salt, and 1tablespoon each of black pepper, whitepepper and red pepper. Whirl in ablender until thoroughly mixed.

Ralph Winingham is a freelanceoutdoor writer and cookbook authorbased in San Antonio. To order hiscookbook The Campfire Chef: OldBoots and Bacon Grease or ChefRalph’s Super Seasoning, a universalflavoring for all kinds of recipes,contact him atrwiningham@juno.com.

Year ‘Round DovesThese big brutes may be an exotic species, but they’re a tasty one

By David Renfrow

When Harl Asaff was diag-nosed with and treatedfor skin cancer, she real-

ized that she would have to takeprecautions against sun exposurefor the rest of her life.

So Asaff and her husband, Jim,did something rather unusual:Instead of using the oily, sticky sun-creen products on the market, theydeveloped their own, ultimatelyleading to the creation ofSmartsShield Suncare.

The Dallas couple started out bydeveloping a checklist of qualitiesthe perfect sunscreen should have,and then partnered with a chemistto create it.

When they achieved their goal,they were so pleased with the prod-uct they thought everyone elsewould love it, too. So, in 1992 theystarted their own company.Initially, they targeted niche mar-kets, mainly government entitiesand private companies. Their prod-ucts are now distributed nation-wide and in Canada, Mexico andNew Zealand.

“We really got started with gov-ernment and industrial employersrequired by OSHA (OccupationalHealth and Safety Administration)to provide protection to theiremployees who work outdoors,”said Tyler Thomas, director of salesand marketing. “Now we supply tothe military, the Coast Guard, TPW(Texas Parks and Wildlife), evenNASA (National Aeronautics andSpace Administration).”

Although the company nowmanufactures and distributes anentire line of sun-protection prod-ucts, including some clothingitems, the flagship product is stilltheir sunscreen lotion. The lotion isaloe vera-based and completely oil-free.

The oil-free formulation turnedout to be a hit particularly with onegroup of outdoors enthusiasts —anglers. The non-oily lotionallowed them to keep a better gripon their equipment after sunscreenapplication than with the oiliercompetitors.

“Boat captains were telling usthat after lathering up with sun-screen, their customers were cast-ing and the rods were slipping outof their hands,” said Thomas.“They were losing money.”

Another claim to fame for theproduct is that it doesn’t harm baitin the live well, thanks to the non-oily content.

The company also offers a com-bination sunscreen and insectrepellent that an independent lab-oratory compared with productscontaining the chemical insectrepellent DEET. The testing labora-tory said that the SmartShieldproduct was “statistically equal inpreventing mosquitoes from prob-ing.”

Thomas declined to give exactannual sales numbers for the com-pany, but he said business is goodand getting better.

“We are a young company, con-tinuing to grow,” Thomas said.“We’re a Texas company, and we’reproud of that.”

Jim and Harl Asaff in their warehouse. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star OutdoorNews

May 13, 2005 � Page 15

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER

ARKANSASLargemouth Bass Favored

The Arkansas warm-water hatch-ery system - the largest run by anystate - will drop 1.3 million blackbass fingerlings into lakes andrivers this year. Don’t be alarmed:Black bass are doing fine on theirown, but sometimes they need alittle help.

About a third of Arkansas anglersand almost 50 percent of anglersfrom other states who fish inArkansas pick largemouth bass astheir favorite game fish. AndArkansas has plenty to go around.

Sometimes - because of fluctuat-ing water levels or temperatures, orlack of habitat and cover - theArkansas Game and FishCommission uses stocked fish tomaintain a population of large-mouth or smallmouth bass. Thefingerlings for stocking are raisedin four warm-water hatcheries:William H. Donham Hatchery atCorning, Joe Hogan Hatchery atLonoke, Andrew H. HulseyHatchery at Hot Springs and C.B.“Charlie” Craig Hatchery atCenterton.

The Hulsey Hatchery producesFlorida strain largemouth bass(Micropterus floridanus). Theother three hatcheries produce theNorthern strain largemouth bass(Micropterus salmoides).

The trick to this process is figur-ing out where these fish need to go.

District fisheries biologists keepup with bass populations by using“shoreline seining” to determinewhich lakes need to be stocked.

In April, the hatchery systemstocked 1,130 adult Northern large-mouth bass into 36.5 acres ofhatchery ponds to spawn. Theponds were fertilized with organicand inorganic compounds to pro-mote zooplankton blooms, whichfeed the young bass. Spawning usu-ally occurs about May 1. The hatch-ery system has a production goal of700,000 Northern largemouthbass fingerlings. When they’re har-vested in the middle of June, thefingerlings will be about 2 incheslong.

After the harvest, adult bass arekept in several small ponds at thehatcheries and fed forage, a combi-nation of minnows, sunfish, gold-fish, tilapia, shad and crayfish.Between 25,000 and 30,000pounds of forage is fed to large-mouth bass brood stock each year.

The Hulsey Hatchery will stock550 adult Florida largemouth bassinto 30 acres of ponds to spawn,with a production goal of 550,000

fingerlings.Those fingerlings may be stocked

in Lower White Oak, MillwoodLake, Lake Columbia, LakeMonticello, Marion McCollumGreenlee Lake, Bois d’Arc Lake,Lake Atkins, Lake Conway, SWEP-CO Lake and Lake Chicot.

LOUISIANASpring Shrimp Season

The opening dates of the 2005Louisiana spring shrimp seasonwere announced at the May 5meeting of the Louisiana Wildlifeand Fisheries Commission.

The declaration of emergency,which established the season’sopening date, followed a presenta-tion of the latest biological andhydrological data compiled by theLouisiana Department of Wildlifeand Fisheries (LDWF) MarineFisheries Division and public com-ment from shrimpers and otherconcerned citizens.

Louisiana inshore shrimp sea-sons will open at 6:00 a.m. onMonday, May 23, in Zone one.Zone two will open at 6:00 a.m. on

Monday, May 16 and Zone threeon Thursday, June 2 at 6:00 a.m.

NEW MEXICOFree Outdoor Expo

People of all ages are invited tothe Albuquerque Shooting RangePark May 14-15 for the fourthannual New Mexico OutdoorExpo, where participants can learnnew outdoor skills and polish oldones – all for free in a safe environ-ment with experts as guides.

Sponsored by the New MexicoDepartment of Game and Fish andthe City of Albuquerque, the Expowill be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Activities will include .22 rifle,muzzleloader and shotgun shoot-ing and instruction, casting, a rock-climbing wall and archery. A4,000-gallon aquarium will be backthis year, stocked with a variety oflarge game fish. These fish willbecome star attractions severaltimes a day when anglers willtempt them with all kinds of luresand presentations.

This year’s newest attraction, acatfish pond, will give children achance to catch-and-release a lunk-er or two while they’re learning the

basics of fishing. The park is about 12 miles west of

the Interstate 40, Interstate 25interchange in Albuquerque. TakeI-40 west and exit at Paseo delVulcan (Exit 149), turn right at thestop sign, go four miles and turnleft on Shooting Range Road, thentravel three miles to the park.

For more information aboutNew Mexico Outdoor Expo, call(505) 841-8881.

OKLAHOMAFree Fishing Days

The Oklahoma WildlifeConservation Commissionapproved a resolution to designateJune 4-5 as Free Fishing Days inOklahoma and recognizes June 4-12 as National Fishing and BoatingWeek. Oklahoma was the first statein the nation to offer free fishingdays 23 years ago and has sincebeen followed by dozens of otherstates that have established similarfree fishing days.

“Free fishing days are a greatopportunity to introduce familyand friends to fishing,” said DavidWarren, information and educa-tion chief for the WildlifeDepartment.

BORDERING TEXAS

THIS WEEK’S FISHING REPORT

Prepared by J.P. Greeson, Bink Grimes, Kendal Hemphill and Karen Taylor for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Page 16 � May 13, 2005

CENTRAL BASTROP: Water stained. Black bass are fairon chartreuse/green spinnerbaits and shallowdiving crankbaits in 5 - 10 feet. Crappie arefair on minnows and red tube jigs. Channeland blue catfish are fair on stinkbait andnightcrawlers. Yellow catfish are slow. BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 69 degrees;0.51' low. Black bass are excellent on spin-nerbaits, June bug and dark soft plasticworms, and brush hogs. Hybrid striper are fairunder lights. White bass are good underlights. Crappie are good on small tubes andminnows in the rivers and near the 279Bridge. Channel catfish are fair on live bait.Yellow catfish are fair on droplines and trot-lines baited with live bait. BUCHANAN: Water clear; 68 degrees; 2.45'low. Black bass are very good on weightlesspumpkin/chartreuse Whacky Sticks, whiteTerminator spinnerbaits, and chartreuse/blueback crankbaits on flats and points in 4 - 8feet early. Striped bass are fair to good tightlining live bait and vertically jigging ∏oz. PerkMinnows and pearl Blade Runners from FlagIsland to Shaw Island in 28 feet. White bassare fair on Spoiler Shads, Blade Runners, andlive minnows in 15 - 25 feet. Crappie aregood on white 1/16oz. Curb's crappie jigs andminnows. Channel catfish are good on trot-lines. Yellow and blue catfish to 16 poundsare good on juglines and trotlines baited withlive and cut perch and carp. CANYON LAKE: Water gin clear; 68 degrees;1.02' high. Black bass are good on πoz. whiteTerminator spinnerbaits, πoz. Bleeding ShinerRat-L-Traps, and pumpkin/chartreuse WhackySticks along break lines of flats in 6 - 12 feet.Striped bass are fair on live bait at nightunder lights. White bass are fair to good onSpoiler Shads and pearl Blade Runners early,and on live minnows at night under lights.Smallmouth bass are fair to good on drop shotpumpkin Devil's Tongues, smoke/red SnapBack tubes, and root beer 3" grubs on ledgesand over rock piles in 12 - 25 feet. Crappieare good on minnows, 1/16oz. tube jigs, andCurb's crappie jigs in 8 - 10 feet. Channelcatfish are fair to good on trotlines baited withlive bait. Blue catfish are good on night-crawlers, minnows, and perch in 18 feet. COLORADO RIVER: (At Colorado Bend StatePark) Water clear. Black bass are slow. Stripedbass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappieare slow. Channel and blue catfish are fair ontrotlines baited with shrimp, nightcrawlers,chicken, and cut shad. Yellow catfish areexcellent on trotlines baited with live bait. GRANBURY: Water stained; 0.46' low. Blackbass are fair on watermelon/red and white softplastic worms with white/red flake tails.Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair onminnows and silver crippled herring spoons.Crappie are good on minnows and chartreusetube jigs. Catfish are good on nightcrawlersand stinkbait. GRANGER: Water murky; 68 degrees; 0.39'high. Black bass are fair on buzzbaits andspinnerbaits upriver. White bass are fair onslab spoons along main lake roadbeds.Crappie are good on 1/32oz. marabou jigs in3 - 15 feet. Blue catfish are good on cutbaitand shad. Yellow catfish are good on trotlinesbaited with live perch in the Willis Creek Parkarea. LBJ: Water stained; 68 degrees; 0.10' low.Black bass to 5 pounds are good onblue/chartreuse/white πoz. Terminator spinner-baits, weightless watermelon/red WhackySticks, and shallow running perch crankbaitstight to stumps and laydowns in 4 - 6 feet.Striped bass are fair on Spoiler Shads andπoz. white bucktails at night. White bass arefair early and good at night on 1∏" Li'l Fishiesand Blade Runners. Crappie are good onwhite and chartreuse 1/32oz. Curb's crappiejigs and minnows over brush in 2 - 6 feet.Channel catfish are very good on live bait.Yellow and blue catfish are good on trotlines. NAVARRO MILLS: Water murky; 0.16' low.Black bass are slow. White bass are slow.Crappie are fair on minnows. Channel andblue catfish are fair on doughbait. Yellow cat-fish are slow. PROCTOR: Water murky; 0.04' high. Blackbass are slow. Striped bass are good on shad.White bass are good on shad. Crappie are fairon minnows. Channel and blue catfish areslow. Yellow catfish are slow. STILLHOUSE: Water clear; 67 degrees; 0.21'high. Black bass are good on Carolina riggedsoft plastic worms and lizards. White bass aregood on minnows and silver spoons.Smallmouth bass are slow. Crappie are goodon medium minnows. Channel and blue cat-fish are fair on stinkbait, shrimp, and hotdogs. Yellow catfish are slow. TRAVIS: Water clear; 70 degrees; 0.50' low.Black bass to 4 pounds are good on red shadworms, Yum Dinger stickbaits, and smokegrubs in 6 - 22 feet. Striped bass are slow.White bass to 1 pound are fair on crippledherring spoons and smoke grubs in 20 - 30feet. Crappie to 1 pound are fair on minnowsand pink tube jigs in 12 - 25 feet. Channeland blue catfish to 10 pounds are good onfresh cutbait and shrimp in 25 - 45 feet.Yellow catfish are slow. WHITNEY: Water stained; 1.55' low. Blackbass are fair on watermelon/red and char-treuse spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and soft plas-tics. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fairon minnows and striper jigs. Crappie are goodon minnows. Catfish are good on stinkbait,liver, and nightcrawlers.

NORTHEAST ATHENS: Water stained; 67-72 degrees; nor-mal pool. Black bass are good on topwatersand buzzbaits early and late. Crappie are goodon jigs and minnows around brush and reedsin shallow water. Catfish are good on punchbait and worms around baited holes. BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 65-70 degrees;0.11' low. Black bass are good on Texasrigged pumpkinseed worms and topwaters.

Crappie are good on jigs and minnows in 3-6feet around heavy brush. White bass are goodon slabs, spoons and Rat-L-Traps around midlake humps. Catfish are good on punch bait in10-20 feet around channel ledges. BRIDGEPORT: Water clear; 66-71 degrees.Black bass good on Texas rigged worms andRat-L-Traps in 6-10 feet around main lakepoints and rock rip rap. Crappie good on min-nows and jigs around reed beds and stick-ups. White bass are excellent on slabs andlive shad in 12-15 feet around sandy pointsclose to deep water. Hybrid striper are excel-lent on live shad in 10-16 feet. Channel cat-fish are excellent in 10-15 feet on fresh shadand punch bait. CADDO: Water clear; 67-71 degrees; 0.38'high. Black bass are good on Texas riggedworms and topwaters in 2-5 feet aroundbream beds. Crappie are excellent on liveminnows in 3-6 feet along the river ledgeclose to Johnson 's Ranch Marina-larger crap-pie coming from the Louisiana side of thelake. White bass in the main channels oninline spinners and trolling with shad imita-tion crankbaits. Channel catfish are good onsmall live bream. Bream are excellent oncrickets, worms and small crawfish in shallowwater. CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 67-71 degrees;0.11' low. Black bass are good on Texasrigged worms around concrete structures.White bass are excellent on TNT Lures in 22-25 feet on main lake humps. Hybrid striperare good on Sassy Shad under the birds dur-ing late afternoon out from Key RanchEstates. Crappie are good on tube jigs andsmall minnows in 4-6 feet docks with brush.Catfish are excellent in 4-15 feet on freshshad and prepared baits out from windblownbanks and drift fishing in 18-24 feet. COOPER: Water stained; 66-70 degrees. Blackbass are good on Top Dog black/blue lizardsand Rat-L-Traps. Crappie are good on min-nows and pearl Betts Krinkle jigs with a slipcork in 3-6 feet. Catfish are excellent on trot-lines baited with live bait and in baited holeson punch bait in 8-16 feet along creek chan-nels. White bass are good on white bucktailjigs and chrome Rat-L-Traps. FAIRFIELD: Water clear; 68-77 degrees; normalpool. Black bass are fair on worms and Rat-L-Traps back in shallow water close to creekchannels. Crappie are slow. Catfish are excel-lent on small pieces of cut bait and punchbait around sandy points in 6-10 feet.Redfish are fair on large Rat-L-Traps and shadimitation soft plastics. Bream are excellent onworms in 2-4 feet. FORK: Water clear 67-71 degrees; 0.20' low.Black bass are good on watermelon seedFlukes rigged with a split shot or Carolinarigged green pumpkin lizard fished in spawn-ing flats. Most bass have spawned but someare still on nests. Crappie are excellent onminnows in 4-5 feet around heavy shorelinereeds and brush. Catfish are excellent on min-nows and Danny King's Punch Bait in 4-8feet. GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 66-70 degrees;normal pool. Black bass are good on plasticworms, Rat-L-Traps and spinnerbaits aroundriprap and pockets off the main lake. Crappieare fair to good on minnows around dockswith brush and around standing timber on thenorth end of the lake. White bass are good onTailHummers and TNT Lures around humpsand points in 15-25 feet. Catfish are good onprepared baits and fresh shad in 15-20 feetin baited holes. JOE POOL: Water stained; 67-71 degrees;0.13' low. Black bass are good around pointsnear the mouth of coves on Carolina riggedsoft plastics and Rat-L-Traps. Crappie aregood on live minnows and jigs around shore-line reed beds. White bass are good on TNTlures and TailHummers in 12-15 feet aroundmain lake points. Channel catfish are gooddrift fishing fresh shad and punch bait aroundpoints and humps in 10-20 feet. LAKE O' THE PINES: Water stained; 68-71degrees; 0.07' low. Black bass are good onplastic worms rigged Texas style and topwatersearly and late. Crappie are good on minnowsin 3-8 feet around brush and submergedbrush piles. White bass are fair on jiggingspoons and live minnows. Catfish are good in15-20 feet on blood bait and worms in holesbaited with soured grain. LAVON: Water stained; 67-71 degrees; 0.06'low. Black bass are good on Texas riggedlizards and worms around riprap and lay downlogs and brush in 3-8 feet. Crappie are goodon minnows in 8-15 feet around standing tim-ber and brush. White bass are fair on slabsand lead tail spinners, beginning to chaseshad along the banks during early morning.Catfish are good on punch bait and fresh shadin 4-8 feet around mid-lake points. LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 67-71 degrees;0.32' low. Black bass are good on spinner-baits and plastic worms around tire breakwaters and rock riprap. Crappie are good onminnows and jigs in 3-6 feet around reedsand shallow brush. White bass are good onslabs in 16-24 feet around main lake pointsand humps and under the birds. Catfish aregood on Danny King's Punch Bait and freshshad in 4-10 feet. MARTIN CREEK: Water clear; 68 degrees mid-lake, 78 at hot water discharge; normal pool.Black bass are good in 3-8 feet on WaveWorms fished weightless. Crappie are good onminnows in 4-8 feet over submerged brushand timber. Catfish are excellent on trotlinesand jug lines in 10 feet baited with cut baitand punch bait. MONTICELLO: Water clear; 68 degrees upperend, 77 degrees at hot water discharge; nor-mal pool. Black bass are fair on topwatersearly and late and plastic worms during mid-day. Crappie are slow. Channel catfish aregood on punch bait in 10-20 feet. PALESTINE: Water clear; 67-71 degrees; 0.19low Black bass are good on red shad wormsand Rat-L-Traps in 4-10 feet around pointsclose to deep water. Crappie are good on min-

nows and jigs in 2-6 feet around brush andstickups. Catfish are excellent on punch baitin 4-12 feet. White bass are good on slabs,spoons and Sassy Shads around mid-lakepoints. Hybrid stripers are fair on live shadand Sassy Shads. PAT MAYSE: Water clear; 67-71 degrees; nor-mal pool. Black bass are good on topwatersand soft plastic shad imitations. Crappie aregood on black/chartreuse Betts Crinkle jigsand small live minnows in 2-4 feet. Catfishare excellent on punch bait along submergedcreek ledges in 4-8 feet. White bass are goodon slabs in 12-20 feet around humps. Hybridstriper are excellent on large Rat-L-Traps andtopwaters around main lake humps and pointsin the Sanders Cove area. RAY HUBBARD: Water stained; 68-71 degrees;0.14' low. Black bass are good on lizards,worms rigged with light weights and Rat-L-Traps around rip rap. Crappie are good on jigsaround cattails in 2-6 feet. White bass aregood on slabs and jigging spoons in 15-24feet around Robertson Park and the HeathBoat Ramp. Hybrid striper are fair in 20 feeton live shad and perch. Catfish are good onfresh shad and punch bait in 15-20 feet onholes baited with soured grain. RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 68-70 degrees;0.05' high. Black bass are good on Carolinarigged centipedes in 8-15 feet around mainlake points with vegetation. Crappie are excel-lent on minnows and black/chartreuse jigs inshallow water back in creeks and along shore-line brush and reeds. White bass are excel-lent on spoons and slabs in 22-28 feet.Catfish are good on punch baits and freshshad in 12-20 feet. RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water stained; 68-72degrees; 0.16' low. Black bass are fair onCarolina rigs and Rat-L-Traps around mainlake and secondary points. White bass aregood on chartreuse slabs fished close to thebottom in 20-24 feet around submerged oilwell pads and points- follow the birds to thewidespread schooling action. Hybrid stripersare fair in the lower lake on Sassy Shad andslabs. Crappie are fair on minnows in 6-8 feetaround heavy brush and timber in feedercreeks around Oak Cove Marina. Catfish areexcellent on Danny King's Punch Bait andfresh shad in 15-20 feet around the 309Flats and the Rail Road Trestle. TAWAKONI: Water stained; 67-70 degrees;0.68' low. Black bass are fair on plasticworms and spinnerbaits around shorelinecover in 4-8 feet. Crappie are good on liveminnows jigs in 6-12 feet at the Duck CoveFishing Barge and around man made brushpiles. White bass are excellent on 1oz. whiteor chartreuse Holiday Slabs on humps outfrom the mouth of Wolf Cove. Striped bassand hybrid striper are good under the birds on4" Sassy Shad. Catfish are good on fresh shadand punch bait in 15-20 feet around pointsclose to the mouth of creeks TEXOMA: Water clear; 67-70 degrees; 4.40'low. Largemouth bass are good on spinner-baits and soft plastics rigged Carolina style.Smallmouth bass are good on crawfish imita-tion crankbaits out from rocky points. Crappieare good on minnows around docks withbrush. Striped bass are good on Sassy Shadand live bait, look for stripers staging onhumps adjacent river and creek channels.Blue catfish are excellent on Danny King'sPunch Bait and cut shad in the back of covesin 4-8 feet.

SOUTH AMISTAD: Water clear; 67 degrees. Black bassto 5 pounds are very good on watermelon seedand watermelon seed red soft plastics andspinnerbaits, and on topwaters early. Stripedbass are good on red fin topwaters and striperjigs near the dam and under birds. White bassare fair on slabs. Crappie are slow. Channeland blue catfish are fair on cheesebait andprepared baits. Yellow catfish are fair on livebait. BRAUNIG: Water stained; 85 degrees. Blackbass to 6 pounds are good on soft plasticsalong shorelines and structure. Striped bass to4 pounds are good on chicken livers and TonyAccetta spoons. Redfish to 15 pounds aregood on live perch and tilapia, and fair downrigging Tony Accetta Spoons. Channel catfishto 3 pounds are excellent on shrimp, liver,and stinkbait. Blue catfish are fair on chickenlivers, shrimp, stinkbait, and nightcrawlers.Yellow catfish are slow. CALAVERAS: Water stained; 84 degrees. Blackbass to 5.5 pounds are good on soft plasticworms and grubs around reed beds along theshorelines. Striped bass to 5 pounds are goodon chicken livers, shad, and spoons. Redfishto 18 pounds are excellent on perch andshrimp on the bottom. Catfish are excellent onnightcrawlers, shad, and liver in 10 - 20 feet. CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 75 degrees;0.04' low. Black bass to 10 pounds are goodon cotton candy YUM Wooly Hawg Craws,chartreuse/white Norman Fat Boys, and rain-bow trout Bomber Long "A's" on main lakepoints in 5 - 10 feet. White bass are fair onlive minnows, chrome/black Norman TinyTicers, and trolling white Bomber "A's" onmain lake points in 8 - 12 feet. Crappie aregood on white Curb's crappie jigs, chartreuseBerkley Blade Runners, and live minnows overbrushpiles and pilings in 2 - 6 feet. Channeland blue catfish are very good on Lewis Kingpunchbait, shrimp, and Redneck soap bait.Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines and juglinesbaited with hybrid bluegills, comets, and largeminnows. COLETO CREEK: Water stained; 84 degrees (77degrees at hot water discharge); 0.05' low.Black bass are fair on soft plastic worms in 8feet. Striped bass are slow. White bass areslow. Crappie to 1 pound are fair on minnowsin 8 - 10 feet. Channel and blue catfish arefair on trotlines baited with perch and liver.Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines baited withlive perch. FALCON: Water clear, 73 degrees. Black bassare good on 6" pumpkinseed worms in Willow

trees and Rapala divers on drop-offs. Stripedbass are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish aregood on shrimp, stinkbait, and nightcrawlers.Yellow catfish are slow. Mexican fishinglicenses and boat permits are required to fishin Mexican waters. Everyone in the boat musthave a Mexico Fishing License whether fishingor not.

SOUTHEAST CONROE: Water stained. Black bass are fair onchartreuse/blue spinnerbaits, crankbaits, andsoft plastic worms and lizards in 8 - 15 feet.Striped bass are slow. Crappie are fair on min-nows and blue and red Curb's crappie jigs.Catfish are fair on stinkbait, liver, and night-crawlers. GIBBONS CREEK: Water stained. Black bass aregood on watermelon/red spinnerbaits andshallow diving crankbaits. Crappie to 1 poundare good on minnows and green tube jigs.Catfish are good on stinkbait, minnows, andfrozen shrimp. HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained with clearshallows; 72 degrees; 0.57' high. Black bassare very good on June bug worms with darkblue flakes near the marina in 4 feet. Crappieare fair on live minnows around piers late.Red ear bream are excellent on live wormsaround piers. Catfish are slow. LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 71 degrees;0.01' low. Black bass are good on soft plas-tics. Striped bass are slow. White bass aregood on Charlie slabs, pet spoons, and hell-benders. Crappie are very good on minnows.Channel and blue catfish are good on shad.Yellow catfish are slow. SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 68degrees; 0.43' high. Black bass are fair onfiretiger/white spinnerbaits and crankbaitsalong shorelines in 1 - 5 feet, and on Carolinarigged soft plastics in hydrilla on main lakeflats. Crappie are fair on live minnows andpurple jigs around willows and in hydrilla.Catfish are good on trotlines and juglines bait-ed with live bait. TOLEDO BEND: Water stained north, clearsouth; 70 degrees; 1.40' low. Black bass aregood on white/green spinnerbaits andcrankbaits in hydrilla in 8 - 15 feet, and onwatermelon/red Wacky worms and Texasrigged soft plastics around docks and shallowcover near secondary points. Crappie are goodon chartreuse/green tube jigs in hydrilla.

PANHANDLE BAYLOR: Water lightly stained; 61 degrees.Black bass are slow. Crappie are slow on min-nows. Catfish are slow. GREENBELT: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees;23' low. Black bass are fair on white spinner-baits and green soft plastics or jigs along treelines and red crawfish crankbaits along mainlake points. Crappie are good on minnows andjigs. White bass are good on live bait and Rat-L-Traps along the dam. Smallmouth bass aregood on crankbaits and jerkbaits. Walleye aregood on live bait. Catfish are good on min-nows and worms. MACKENZIE: Water lightly stained; 55 degrees;64.25' low. Black bass are fair on white/char-treuse spinnerbaits and live bait. Crappie arefair on minnows and jigs. White bass andstriped bass are good on live bait and jigs.Smallmouth bass are fair on live bait. Walleyeare fair on live bait and chrome with blackback jerkbaits. Catfish are fair on minnowsand chicken liver. MEREDITH: Water lightly stained; 54 degrees;21.2' low. Black bass are fair on shad-coloredspinnerbaits and dark jigs near main lakepoints, rocks and brush. Crappie are good onjigs and minnows. White bass are good on livebait. Smallmouth bass are fair. Walleye aregood on jerkbaits and crankbaits along north-ern main lake points and along dam. Channelcatfish are fair on cut bait.

WESTALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 58degrees. Black bass to 8 pounds are good onshad-colored spinnerbaits, white tubes or jigsaround the brush. Crappie are good on min-nows and jigs in the brush. ARROWHEAD: Water muddy in upper end; 63degrees; 4.5' low. Black bass are fair aroundrocky areas and flooded brush on slow-rolledspinnerbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows andjigs - spawn beginning. White bass are fair onshad-imitation baits. Blue catfish are good oncut shad and prepared baits. All boat rampsare open. COLORADO CITY: Water clear; 60 degrees; .35'low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are slow.White bass are slow. Redfish are slow. Catfishare slow. FT. PHANTOM HILL: Water clear;61 degrees; .25' low. Black bass are slow.Crappie are fair on live bait. White bass arefair. Catfish are fair. HUBBARD CREEK: Water lightly stained; 60degrees; 11.5' low. Black bass are fair onshad-colored spinnerbaits and red crawfish orchartreuse/black back crankbaits along mainlake points and humps. Crappie are good onminnows and jigs. White bass and hybridstriper are good on minnows. Catfish are goodon minnows or cut baits. NASWORTHY: Water lightly stained; 62degrees. Black bass are fair. Crappie are goodon jigs and minnows. Redfish are fair. Whitebass and striped bass are good on minnows.Catfish are good on chicken liver and shad. O.H. IVIE: Water lightly stained; 63 degrees;21.25' low. Black bass are fair on Carolina-rigged chartreuse tipped soft plastics and livebaits along main lake points and shad-coloredspinnerbaits and chrome/blue back jerk baitsalong brush lines. Crappie are good on min-nows and jigs. White bass are good on livebait and small crankbaits. Smallmouth bassare fair on live bait. Channel catfish are goodon goldfish and cut baits. POSSUM KINGDOM: Water clear; 66 degrees;3.6' low. Black bass are fair in Rock Creekand Caddo areas. Crappie are slow on live

bait. White bass are good near Carter Bendand Island. Striped bass are slow on live bait.Blue Catfish are fair upper part of reservoir.SPENCE: Water lightly stained; 62 degrees;48' low. Black bass are fair on green pumpkinsoft plastics and shad-colored spinnerbaits.Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Whitebass are fair. Striped bass and hybrid striperare fair. Catfish are fair on live bait. STAMFORD: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees;4' low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fairon jigs and minnows. White and striped bassare fair on slabs tipped with minnows. Catfishare fair on minnows. WHITE RIVER: Water lightly stained; 61degrees; 17.75' low. Black bass to 7 poundsare fair on white big tubes, shad-coloredcrankbaits and junebug soft plastics aroundthe brush. Crappie are good on jigs and min-nows. Walleye are fair on minnows. Channelcatfish are good on live bait and cut baits. WICHITA: Water clearing; 65 degrees. Blackbass are slow. Crappie are fair in old yachtclub, American Legion and Lakeside Cityareas. White bass and hybrid striped bass aregood on large minnows, white twister-tails andghost minnows along dam and tight-lined nearthe spillway. Channel catfish are fair onshrimp, punchbait or shad. Boat ramps areopen.

COASTAL NORTH SABINE: Trout are good on the northspoil bank shorelines on black Top Dogs andSuper Spooks. Flounder are good on theLouisiana shoreline on mud minnows and redshad plastics. Redfish are good on live shadin the marsh. SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good on theReef on red shad and black Bass Assassins,Trout Killers, Sand Eels and StanleyWedgetails. Trout, sand trout, redfish andsheepshead are good at night from theCauseway pier on live shrimp and tandem-rigged Little Fishies. BOLIVAR: Trout are fair to good in protectedareas on topwaters and Corkies. Redfish andblack drum are good on cut-bait on thebeachfront and at Rollover Pass. TRINITY BAY: Trout are fair to good atSpoonbill Reef on red shad and glow/char-treuse plastics. Flounder are fair to good onred shad plastics tipped with shrimp in thebayous. Redfish, sand trout and black drumare fair on live bait at the Spillway. EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout and redfish arefair to good while drifting open shell on redshad and glow/chartreuse Bass Assassins,Trout Killers, Sand Eels and Hogies. Trout andredfish are fair to good on the south shorelineon plastics and live shrimp. WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair to goodwhile drifting deeper shell reefs on red shadBass Assassins, Sand Eels, Trout Killers andStanley Wedgetails. Trout are fair in the ShipChannel on live shrimp and croakers. TEXAS CITY: Trout and redfish are fair to goodoff the dike on live shrimp. Flounder are goodon the shorelines on mud minnows. Trout arefair to good on the Dollar Flats and reefs onred shad and plum plastics. FREEPORT: Trout are fair to good at San LuisPass on live shrimp. Sheepshead, gafftop andwhiting are good on fresh dead shrimp. Troutand redfish are good in protected waters ofChristmas Bay on live shrimp. EAST MATAGORDA: Trout are fair on liveshrimp, black plastics and topwaters on pro-tected shorelines. Redfish and flounder arefair in the grass around Hog Island on goldspoons and plastics. MATAGORDA: Trout are fair along the southshoreline of West Bay from Cotton's theMiddle Grounds on topwaters, red shad andpumpkinseed/chartreuse Bass Assassins, TroutKillers and Sand Eels. Redfish are fair inOyster Lake and around Shell Island on liveshrimp under a popping cork. PORT O'CONNOR: Trout are good on live shrimpunder a popping cork and electric blue/char-treuse and plum/chartreuse Bass Assassinsand Sand Eels around the protected reefs inSan Antonio Bay. Redfish are good in theback lakes on live shrimp, She Dogs and softplastics. ROCKPORT: Trout are fair to good aroundTraylor Island on croakers. Redfish and a fewtrout are good on live shrimp in protectedareas on the Estes Flats and in the CaliforniaHole. Trout are good on the reefs on Copanoon live shrimp. PORT ARANSAS: Trout and redfish are fair togood on the East Flats on live shrimp andcroakers. Trout and sand trout and gafftop aregood at the jetty on live shrimp. Red snapperare good offshore. CORPUS CHRISTI: Sand trout and gafftop aregood from the piers on shrimp, squid and cut-bait. Trout are fair to good near the Causewayon live shrimp. Trout are fair on topwaters atShamrock Cove. BAFFIN BAY: Trout are fair to good on the KingRanch shoreline on red/white plastics and liveshrimp. Trout, redfish, black drum and floun-der are good in the Land Cut on live shrimpand croakers. Redfish are good in EmmordsHole on live shrimp. PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are good in theIntracoastal on live shrimp and mullet.Sheepshead, flounder, black drum, whitingand croaker are good at the jetties. Trout andblack drum are good in the Land Cut on livebait. Trout and redfish are fair to good whiledrifting grass beds near the Saucer and ThreeIsland. SOUTH PADRE: Trout are fair to good at TwinBars on live shrimp under a popping cork. Troutare fair to good at Laguna Vista and AirportCove on live shrimp under a popping cork. PORT ISABEL: Trout, redfish and drum are fairto good at Un-Necessary Island and Gas-WellFlats on live shrimp under a popping cork andred shad plastics. Redfish are fair to good onlive shrimp and Top Dogs at Holly Beach andAirport Cove.

May 13, 2005 � Page 17

HEROES’ CORNER

ORPHANED DOLPHIN RESCUED• Game Wardens Will Plumas and

James Dunks, along with Capt.Ken Baker, assisted in the captureand transportation of a baby dol-phin that became isolated fromhis mother in a new marina builtin Laguna Vista. The dolphin,believed by National MarineFisheries Service biologists to beabout 20 pounds underweight,was captured using beach seinesand transported to Port Aransasfor rehabilitation. Because of thecritical condition of the dolphin,and time being an issue, anescort was provided from pointof capture to final destination inorder to avoid any delays due totraffic or unforeseen circum-stances.

BUT OFFICER, HE WAS TRESPASSING• Tarrant County Game Warden

Ronald Mathis made contactwith a man who had killed a RioGrande turkey two days beforethe season opened. The manstated that he was not hunting;he was only trying to protect hisproperty.

• Mathis also made contact with aman in Johnson County whohad killed two Rio Grandeturkeys a day before the seasonopened.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN• Limestone County Game

Warden Kurt Slaughter received acomplaint about road huntingand arrived on the scene to findfour people walking down theroad. As luck would have it, thedriver had run off the roadway

and gotten stuck. A rifle, spot-light, three rounds, and knifewere held for evidence. Threemen in the group were chargedwith public intoxication andhunting in a closed season (pub-lic road), and the female in thegroup was charged with con-sumption of alcohol by a minor.

BOATING ACCIDENT TEAM FORMED• Wardens Shawn Moore, Scott

Vaca, Penny Nixon and TurkJones are putting together a BoatAccident Investigation Team atthe request of Capt. RobertGoodrich. The team will respondto fatality or serious injury acci-dents and coordinate the investi-gation with local authorities onvarious lakes, including LakeTravis. They are in the process ofdeveloping equipment, responseprotocols and investigative pro-cedure guidelines to facilitate acomplete and thorough investi-gation into these types of inci-dents.

THE OYSTER CHRONICLES• Victoria County Game Warden

Travis Haug filed charges on twooyster boat captains for under-size oysters in San Antonio Bayrecently. The oysters werereturned to the reefs.

• Galveston County game wardensRay Canales, Robert Waggett, andCapt. Edward Tanuz caught twocommercial oyster boats harvest-ing oysters from prohibitedwaters. The two boat captainswere arrested and jailed.

• Galveston County game wardensRay Canales, Bobby Kana, Fred

Ruiz and Robert Waggett, alongwith Capt. Edward Tanuz, BillRobinson, Chief of FisheriesEnforcement, and David Blevinswith the FDA, caught five com-mercial oyster boats harvestingoysters from prohibited waters.All five boat captains were arrest-ed and jailed.

• Chief Bill Robinson, Maj. LarryYoung, and Capt. HenryBalderamas met with DavidBlevins of the Food and DrugAdministration to review patrolsof commercial oystering inAransas and Copano Bays.Blevins was impressed with thehigh number of patrols beingconducted and documented bythe game wardens.

• Aransas County Game WardenScott McLeod and Capt. HenryBalderamas found a commercialoyster boat preparing to unload acargo that contained 60 percentundersize oysters. A citation wasissued and Capt. Balderamasaccompanied the boat back outto Aransas Bay to unload the ille-gal cargo. During this samecheck, about 20 sacks of under-size oysters that were also miss-ing the certification tags werefound at the dock. Since no oneclaimed the sacks, they were alsoreturned to Aransas Bay.

AN OPEN AND SHUT CASE• Galveston County Game

Warden Bobby Kana received aletter from the SeniorEnforcement Attorney withNMFS advising him of the finaldisposition on a case that he

made last year. Warden Kanabuilt this case against a localshrimper for a bay TurtleExcluder Device violation, andthen turned it over to NMFS offi-cers for prosecution. The violatorended up paying $2,500 for hav-ing a sewn-shut TED.

THEY PAID DEARLY FOR DEER• Kinney County Game Warden

Henry Lutz received final disposi-tions on a couple of county courtcases this week. A defendant fromthe Houston area who Lutzcaught killing several deer atnight pleaded guilty, paid a$4,000 fine and had his huntinglicense suspended for two years.This was a companion case inwhich the other defendantalready had pleaded guilty, paid a$4,000 fine, had two guns forfeit-ed and lost his hunting licensefor three years.

THAT’S RIGHT, THEY’RE NOT FROMTEXAS• Game Warden Max Hartmann of

Gillespie County has beeninvolved in an extensive investi-gation involving five huntersfrom Louisiana. The investiga-tion began in December of 2004when Hartmann was checkinghunting camps in the White Bluffarea of Kimble County. When hechecked for licenses of a group ofout-of-state hunters, theyshowed him two lifetime resi-dent hunting licenses, and tworesident hunting licenses.Because the deer in the hunters’possession were all properly

WARDEN ASSISTS INSHOOTING CASE

A warden responding to aroutine call about a rifle spottedin a trash heap ended uphelping police in the shootingcase of Canton High School’sfootball coach.

The coach, also athleticdirector, was shot April 7 atclose range inside the fieldhouse by a 45-year-old man,who fled in a pickup. Thesuspect was arrested at 2 p.m. inNorthwest Smith Countywithout incident. Severalweapons were with him,including handguns and assaultrifles.

Meanwhile, the coach wasflown to Tyler where he waslisted in critical condition.

At 5:15 p.m., after theincident was winding down,Van Zandt County GameWarden Tim Walker wasdispatched to a county roadnorth of Canton to a reportedpile of trash with a rifle on top.Walker arrived and found anassault rifle with bayonet, alicense plate belonging to thesuspect’s pickup and variousgun cases. He secured the scenefor Texas Rangers.

Besides Walker, officers fromarea police departments, sheriffoffices, the district attorney’soffice,Texas Department ofPublic Safety, Texas Ranger andSWAT teams helped in the case.

Continued on page 18

GAME WARDEN BLOTTER

Want to share your great hunting or fishing adventure with the Lone Star Outdoor News family? E-mail your photo, phone and caption information toeditor@lonestaroutdoornews.com, or mail to: Heroes’ Corner, Lone Star Outdoor News, 9304 Forest Lane, Suite 114 South, Dallas, TX, 75243.

CLINT WETZEL, breaking the 8-lb mark on Lake Fork.

WHIT GENTRY poses with 10-inchbearded Tom taken at 140 yardswith a scoped rifle, Jacksboro.

Lake Fork fishing guide, BRIANDUPLECHAIN, posed with a 10.4-pound largemouth bass he caughtrecently on a Wave Worm, Tiki-Moko, Watermelon Red. The fish wascaught in six feet of water and thenreleased. Duplechain reports thatmany fish have finished the spawnand are moving into deeper water forpost spawn action. The males are stillshallow protecting the young fry butthere has been some good top wateraction out deeper.

MATT MCCULLOUGH and son ROBERT (age 6) with a big hybrid he caught. Wewere trolling on Cedar Creek Lake. Robert reeled the fish all the way in and Inetted it. The fish was released.

FEATURED HERO

GUS WHEELER, 8, poses with harvested bird taken in southTexas. 8 3/4 inch beard.

WILL BLOUNT, 10, with a channel catfishhe caught at a freind’s farm pond inJack County.

Page 18 � May 13, 2005

Crossword puzzle solution from page 14.

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND WaterfrontProperties on the Laguna Madre andGulf of Mexico. Call: David A. LohseReal Estate, Inc. (956) 761-6699

SOUTH TEXAS — Brooks, Duval, JimHogg County Ranches. Call: David A.Lohse Real Estate, Inc. (956) 761-6699

COLORADO PRIVATE LAND HUNTSGuided hunts for Elk & Mule DeerComfortable lodging (719) 232-7652mike@colparkoutfitters.comwww.colparkoutfitters.com

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GENERATION DUX, A DUCKS UNLIMITEDbook, takes an oft-hilarious look at thenew generation of waterfowl hunters.Delivered for $28.00 includingshipping, tax and handling. Call toll-free (866) 361-2276.

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CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Continued from page 17

Game Warden Blottertagged and they were in an areaof the county where there was noradio or phone communication,Hartmann obtained identifierson all the hunters. The landown-er was a member of a wildlifemanagement association andhad the hunters complete ahunting lease record book,which provided an excellentresource for follow-up. Thisthree-month investigation pro-duced five second degree feloniesfor tampering with a govern-mental record by falsifying alicense with the intent todefraud. Also, 24 white-taileddeer killed in Kimble County bythe five hunters could result in24 Class C misdemeanor chargesfor hunting without a valid non-resident license, restitution on alldeer, plus Lacey Act violations fortransporting the deer across astate line. Orange County GameWarden Ryan Hall, ChambersCounty Game Warden DonnieRobertson and Lt. Game Warden

Remy Broussard of Louisianahelped in the investigation.

AWASH IN TROUBLES• Burnet Game Warden Chris

Davis was checking fishermen onthe upper end of Lake Travis andfound two Liberty Hill men withsuspicious stories about whoowned the boat they had. Davischecked out the registration andfound that the wrong Texas num-bers were displayed on the vessel,and the HIN numbers were diffi-cult to read. After extensive inter-views with each subject, the menfinally said they had found theboat several years ago after a risein the water level, and put theirold registration numbers on theboat to use it. Davis seized thevessel and discovered the boat,motor and trailer were stolenfrom Llano County in 2000. Theoperator was arrested andcharged with no fishing licenseand registration violations. Thesame man was found to be on

probation from WilliamsonCounty and the warden turnedthe case over to the Llano CountySheriff’s Department.

BIG SKY WARDENS COME TO LONESTAR STATE• Dallas County Game Warden

Tom Carbone assisted twoMontana game wardens with aninvestigation into illegal gameanimal hunting. The Montanagame wardens were in the Dallasarea investigating 10 people oncharges of killing illegal gameanimals and running illegal out-fitting in Montana. While inTexas, the Montana game war-dens filed 10 cases and collectedaround $4,000 in fines from sev-eral Dallas area hunters. Theyhave more cases to file once theyget back in Montana and expectmore fines to stem from theinvestigation. Van Zandt CountyGame Warden Steve Stapletonalso assisted the Montana war-dens.

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May 13, 2005 � Page 19

OUTDOOR DATEBOOK

MAY 1-31: Fishing on the Rio Grande,Black Gap WMA. Twenty-five campsavailable along the Rio Grande. Fishinglicense, and for ages 17 and older, anAnnual Hunting or Limited Public UsePermit required. For more information,call (432) 376-2216 or (432) 837-3251 during normal business hours.

MAY 14, 28: Wild Boar Hunt, FennesseyRanch. Hunters are placed in African-style brush blinds at daylight to huntRussian boar on our private 4,000-acreranch. Limited spaces and habitatmanagement make this hunt run 98percent success rate. Bring an ice chestto pack home your meat. Daylight-dark;fees $150 Texas State Park Passmembers, $160 non-members;reservations required (361) 529-6600.

MAY 14: First T.R.E.E.S. Team BassTournament and Kids Bank Fish, LoydPark at Joe Pool Lake, Grand Prairie.The Trinity River EnvironmentalEducation Society, a non-profitorganization dedicated to preservingand protecting the Trinity RiverWatershed, hosts the first of what willbe an annual event for fun and fundraising. The Kids Bank Fish begins at8:30 a.m. and prizes will be givenhourly. Entry cost is $10 per person.The Team Bass Tournament begins at6:30 a.m. with pre-registration to startat 5:30 a.m. Go towww.burlesontx.com for moreinformation or call (817) 451-6860.

MAY 14: CCATS and the City of WestTawakoni Catfish Tournament, WestTawakoni. The tournament entry fee is$50 per team, open tournament. Theevent will run 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Call thecity at (903) 447-2285, or visit

www.ccatfishing.com for moreinformation.

MAY 14: Fourth Annual Carp FishingEvent, Cedar Hill State Park. Test yourfishing skills fishing for golden carpwith the Carp Anglers Group. Somefishing tackle available for use or bringyour own equipment. 9 a.m.-noon; callto confirm program (972) 291-3900.

MAY 14: Media Bass 2005 Team TrailsCentral Teams Tournament, LakePalestine. Friday registration is 6 - 8p.m. at Porter’s Sporting Goods onHighway 155 South. Entry fee andmembership fee required. For moreinformation, call Gordon Stauffer at(972) 222-2207.

MAY 14: National Wild turkeyFederation Hill Country Chapter TexasHunting Heritage Banquet, Turner Hall,Fredericksburg. For more information,contact Ed Harlow at (830) 997-7510.

MAY 14: Media Bass 2005 Team TrailsNortheast Teams Tournament, LakeTawakoni. Saturday registration is at 5a.m. Take-off and weigh-in are at LakeTawakoni State Park. Entry fee andmembership fee required. For moreinformation, call Eldon Stout at (972)222-3751.

MAY 18: Dallas Safari Club MonthlyMeeting, Bent Tree Country Club,Dallas. Annual member trophycompetition awards. Cocktails at 6:30p.m., dinner at 7:15 p.m. $35 perperson before May 16, $40 after May16; children $15. For moreinformation, call (972) 980-9800 or(800) 946-4868.

MAY 14: Shimano Fishing Tour, Fun-n-Sun, Hurst. Learn techniques and tipsfrom the experts at Shimano. Registerfor prizes and test out the gear. Formore information, call (817) 280-0480.

MAY 14: Bellaire Ducks UnlimitedDinner, Bellaire Banquet Center,Bellaire. For more information, contactBuzz Darilek at (713) 661-6264, Tom

Kane at (713) 664-4842 or e-mailjamesdarilek@sbcglobal.net.

MAY 14 -15: NASCAR Days, Bass ProShops, Katy. Fun and games for theentire family. Come and test your skillswith the casting contest - put the plugin the target and spin the wheel forgreat prizes. There will also be a 1/18scale race track set up so the kids cancompete in Time Trials on the electrictrack. Younger kids can spend a fewminutes at the coloring station, usingfree coloring sheets and crayons orparticipate in the mini-wind-up carraces. For more information call (281)644-2200.

MAY 16: Shimano Fishing Tour,Academy Sports and Outdoors,Grapevine. Learn techniques and tipsfrom the experts at Shimano. For moreinformation, call (817) 410-4200.

MAY 17: Shimano Fishing Tour,Academy Sports and Outdoors, NorthRichland Hills. Learn techniques andtips from the experts at Shimano. Formore information, call (817) 428-1618.

MAY 19: Coastal ConservationAssociation Tomball/Magnolia Banquet,VFW Hall, Tomball. 6 - 10 p.m. CallRobert Taylor at (713) 626-4222 formore information.

MAY 19: Coastal ConservationAssociation Inland Chapters AustinBanquet, Austin Music Hall, Austin. 6p.m. - 10 p.m. Call Robby Byers at(713) 626-4222 for more information.

MAY 20: Ducks Unlimited WestHouston Dinner, Farm and Ranch Club,Houston. For more information, contactMatthew Boane at (281) 496-9226 ore-mail mboane@earthlink.net.

MAY 20-22: Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Workshop, Texas BaptistEncampment. This three-day weekendworkshop provides participants with achance to learn new outdoor skills in afun and relaxing atmosphere. Classtopics are diverse and participantsneed not have any experience to enjoy

themselves. We teach classes inkayaking, camping, outdoor cooking,birding and more. Come join the fun.10 a.m. May 20 through 1 p.m. May22; fee $185 per person; reservationsrequired. For more information visitwww.tpwd.state.tx.us/edu/baow/ or call(512) 389-8198.

MAY 21: Media Bass 2005 Team TrailsEast Teams Tournament, Lake Tyler.Entry fee and membershiip feerequired. For more information, callAaron Palmer at (903) 856-5473.

MAY 21: Wal-Mart Kids’ All-AmericanFishing Derby, Galveston Island StatePark. Bring your gear and have funfishing. Open to kids 15 and underwith prizes given and a chance to winstate and national prizes. 10 a.m. - 2p.m. For more information, call (409)737-1222.

MAY 21: Media Bass 2005 Team TrailsArkaTex Teams Tournament, WrightPatman Lake. Entry fee andmembership fee required. For moreinformation, contact Chad Cranford at(870) 898-6296.

MAY 21: National Wild TurkeyFederation Katy Prairie Chapter TexasHunting Heritage Banquet, GreatSouthwestern Equestrian Center, Katy.For more information, contact KarlaChando at (281) 644-2252.

MAY 21: First Lake Colorado CityHydroBike Race and Relay, LakeColorado City State Park. Teams of fourwill compete. Early registration $20before May 8th, $25 after; reservationsrequired (325) 728-3931.

MAY 21: Media Bass 2005 Team TrailsSoutheast Teams Tournament, LakeConroe. Saturday registration is at 5a.m. Take-off and weigh-in are at AprilPlaza Marina. Membership required,$30. Entry fee to Media Basstournaments is $150 per team of two.One place is paid for every five teamentrants. For more information, callRay Ford at (972) 336-0731.

MAY 21: National Wild TurkeyFederation Blackwater Prairie ChapterTexas Hunting Heritage Banquet,Fletcher Warren Civic Center, Greenville.For more information, contact JamesHandley at (903) 455-1631 or e-mailtxlawdog35@yahoo.com.

MAY 21: Media Bass 2005 Team TrailsSlot Lakes Team Tournament, RayRoberts Lake. Entry fee andmembership fee required.For moreinformation, call Eldon Stout at (972)222-3751.

MAY 21: Shimano Fishing Tour ExtremeEdge Kayak Fishing Tournament,Galveston. Hosted by Fishing TackleUnlimited, Houston. This is a three-fish (flounder, redfish, trout) catch,photograph and release event. Entryfee is $125 from 13 days before thetournament until the captain’s meeting.For more information call Rick Robertsat (877) 621-1010.rick@extremeedgefishing.com.

MAY 24: Ducks Unlimited Canton FunNight, Canton on the Mountain,Canton. Speakers include TXDUDistrict chairman Doug Jones & ETXRegional Director J.E. “Yaxoo” Thomas.Enjoy burgers, hot dogs. For moreinformation, call Paul Bridgefarmer at(903) 567-4164 or e-mailpaulbridgefarmer@txfb-ins.com.

MAY 26: Ducks Unlimited Metrocrest(Addison) Dinner, Addison ConventionCenter. For more information contactRob Gokey at (972) 234-3933.

MAY 26: Basic Canoe Skills Clinic, InksLake State Park. First-time boaters,learn the skills needed to enjoy a canoetrip. The clinic will focus on the basicsof canoeing—paddling, steering andstabilizing the canoe. Wear footwear thatcan get wet. Space is limited. 2-3 p.m.Call (512) 793-2223 for reservatons.

MAY 26: Coastal ConservationAssociation Lower Coast LaredoBanquet, Laredo Civic Center, Laredo.6 p.m. - 10 p.m. Call Robby Byers at(800) 626-4222 for more information.

HAVE AN EVENTTO PUBLICIZE?

E-mail it to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com.Events must be open to the public.