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2 N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8 / T E X A S F i s h & G a m e

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

and Stephanie Ward and Roy and Ardia Neves.

ROY NEVESPUBLISHER

DON ZAIDLEEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CHESTER MOOREEXECUTIVE EDITOR

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

BOB HOOD HUNTING EDITORTED NUGENT BOWHUNTING EDITOR

LOU MARULLO ASSOC. BOWHUNTING EDITORREAVIS WORTHAM HUMOR EDITOR

JOE DOGGETT SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORKENDAL HEMPHILL POLITICAL COMMENTATOR

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

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

HERMAN BRUNE CONTRIBUTING EDITORWAYNE C. WATSON LEGAL AFFAIRS EDITOR

WALLY MARSHALL CONTRIBUTING EDITORBARRY ST. CLAIR CONTRIBUTING EDITORJIMMY D. MOORE NORTH HOTSPOTS EDITOR

CALIXTO GONZALES SALTWATER EDITORMARI HENRY CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

TOM BEHRENS TROPHY QUEST COORDINATOR

P R O D U C T I O N

JIMMY BORNEART DIRECTOR

LINDSAY WHITMAN GRAPHIC ARTIST

A D V E R T I S I N G

ARDIA NEVESVICE PRESIDENT/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

NICOLE MCKIBBIN NATIONAL MARKETING REP.DENISE RONQUILLE NATIONAL MARKETING REP.

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

SUBSCRIPTION/PRODUCT MKTG.

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MICHELLE WARDADMINISTRATOR

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

Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX 77267-9946 and atadditional mailing offices.

MEMBER AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS

www.fishgame.com

Staff box:0405 Staff box 10/3/08 9:05 AM Page 2

Staff box:0405 Staff box 10/3/08 9:05 AM Page 3

28 QUALITY BUCKS IN THE HILLCOUNTRYHill Country deer hunters should take a cuefrom Horace Greeley (Go west... ) and headfor some of the counties on the westernedges of the Texas Hill Country.

by Cliff Dodson

38 AMERICAS DUCK FACTORY A pilgrimage to Americas most productivewaterfowl breeding grounds, the MissouriCouteau region near Tuttle, North Dakota.

by Chester Moore

34 HUNTING MYTHSThree things likely to emerge from deercamps across Texas this fall: the combinedessence of fresh coffee and sizzling bacon,mingled sounds of snoring and cussinghunters, and conversation regarding mythsand misconceptions about hunting.

by Bob Hood

NOVEMBER 2008 Volume XXIV NO.7

ON THE COVERS:COASTAL: A typically irrepressableTexas angler fishes in the SabineLake area, amid storm debris lef tin Hurricane Ikes wake.

Photo by Gerald BurleighINLAND/NORTH: This monsterbuck would make the most sea-soned hunter s heart skip a beat.

Photo by Grady Allen42 LATE FALL LUNKERSRegardless of what your personal definitionfor a lunker largemouth is, well show youwhere on five top Texas lakes you are mostlikely to hook a November lunker.

by Barry St . Clair

54 TWO TIDE, FOUR TIDESHave you wondered why the Texas coastexperienes a high and a low tide on somedays, and two highs and two lows on others?Tides are the least understood aspect ofcoastal fishing. Hopefully this article willclear up some of the mystery.

by Greg Berlocher4 N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8 / T E X A S F i s h & G a m e

MYTH AND MYTHOS OFTHE TEXAS SAWFISH

THE TEXAS OFFSHORECHALLENGE

AND MUCH MORE...

Contents:0405 ContentsAlt 10/6/08 8:48 AM Page 4

COLUMNS


NOVEMBER 2008 Volume XXIV NO.7

8 Editors NotesIke, Energy,& Politicsby DON ZAIDLE TF&G Editor-in-Chief

22 CommentaryThe Truth About theHumane Societyby KENDAL HEMPHILLTF&G Commentator

24 Chesters NotesSave the SouthernFlounderby CHESTER MOORE TF&G Executive Editor

26 Doggett at LargeAdvice for theDeer Woodsby JOE DOGGETTTF&G Senior Contributing Editor

50 TF&G Test PilotCobia 216CC;Desperado 22 Outlawby JOE DOGGETTTF&G Senior Contributing Editor

52 Texas BowhunterBe Gung-Ho orJust Dont Goby TED NUGENTTF&G Bowhunting Editor

58 Texas FreshwaterFighting theGas Warby MATT WILLIAMSTF&G Freshwater Editor

59 Texas SaltwaterA Letter toMy Sonby CALIXTO GONZALESTF&G Saltwater Editor

60 Texas Deer HuntingDeer Stands and Rabbit Trailsby PAUL BRADSHAWTF&G Contributing Editor

62 Open SeasonRain andMouse Gutsby REAVIS WORTHAM TF&G Humor Editor

DEPARTMENTS

10 TF&G SPECIALREPORT

HURRICANE IKE:THE AFTERMATH12 pages of exclusive hurri-cane coverage from theunique perspective of TexasFish & Game: how this mon-ster storm will impact fishingand hunting in Texas (plusmore coverage in our AlmanacSection).

49 TROPHY QUEST

61 TFG ON CAMPUS



Ike, Energy,& PoliticsT

HE ELECTION IS THIS MONTH, AND Ioriginally planned to write about theHobsons choice the political partiesoffered up for presidential candidates.

Then Ike came along and change everymouses best-laid plans.

In this case, it turns out that hurricanesand politics have more in common than cre-ating havoc and destruction: energy. Ikedamaged or destroyed at least 49 productionplatforms in the Gulf, and the Departmentof Interior has said some will not be rebuilt.

Lets see... Gasoline costs $4 per gallon.OPEC holds the U.S. hostage with theimplied threat of cutting off the oil. The gov-ernment bans drilling offshore and in the richoil fields of Alaska. And now, producingplatforms in the Gulf that Ike damaged ordestroyed will not be rebuilt. Yep, thats ourgovernment at work, all right.

The Al Gore disciples want the govern-ment to fund pie-in-the-sky alternative ener-gy solutions, such as all-electric cars. Thataint going to work. You cannot tow a boat orhaul lawn furniture with an electric car. Andin Texas, a simple trip to the grocery store isoften measured in miles, sometimes tens ofmiles, not city blocks. The technology simplyisnt there.

Here is another newsflash: Current tech-nology limits the feasibly of wind as animmediate major source of power generation,with feasible utilization projected by theU.S. Department of Energy to year 2030 orbeyond.

It is clear that neither the environmental-ist nut-jobs nor congress understand the con-cept of conservation. Therefore, in hopes ofeducating maybe one or two in those camps,I offer a simple what if thought experi-

ment. Look closely at the photo above andponder these questions:

What if the U.S. government did some-thing that would make an immediate differ-ence in energy consumption, such as man-date that cities extinguish half of all street-lights (every other light along each street).

What if those cities used the resultingenergy savings to replace streetlights withhighly efficient LED technology.

What if the government mandated thatthe lights in all unoccupied buildings beextinguished after 10 P.M.

What if the government mandated that allilluminated billboards go black after 11 P.M.

What if the government funded develop-ment of vehicles powered by liquefied petro-leum gas (natural gas), which the U.S. hasin plenty.

How much energy would these measuresconserve? How much would pollution fromelectricity generation be reduced? How

much would our dependence on foreign oilbe reduced? How much would light pollu-tion be reduced?

Of course, we must remember we aredealing with a congress that, when gasolinecost $4 per gallon, diesel $5 per gallon, andcrude oil more than $130 per barrel, it bus-ied itself investigating steroid use by profes-sional baseball players, cheating in theNFL, and what al-Qaeda is posting onYouTube. And as I write this, said congressis scurrying to bail out all those campaignfund contributors in the financial industrywith a few hundred billion of our tax dollars.

Yes, lets remember the kind of people weare dealing withespecially when we stepinto the voting booth.

E-mail Don Zaidle at [email protected]

What is the costeconomically, ecologically, and politicallyto keep all those lights burning?

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How Hurricane Ike affectedyour hunting and fishing

THOUSANDS OF DEAD REDFISH LINED THEstreets of the Cove area in Orange County.From juvenile to oversized, their bronze-colored carcasses created a haunting con-

trast against the coal black asphalt, while somewere stuck in chain link fences. Along with men-haden, croaker, speckled trout, sheepshead, large-mouth bass, buffalo, and other species, they are thedramatic result of a massive fish kill brought on byHurricane Ike.

There were fish kills from Sargent inMatagorda County all the way to the Texas-Louisiana line on the Sabine River, saidWinston Denton with the Texas Parks &Wildlife Departments (TPWD) Kills andSpills Team.

When Gulf water, which is saltier thanthat in brackish marshes, stands for a fewdays, it kills the vegetation, choking out thedissolved oxygen. That in turn wipes outaquatic organisms, and upon draining, killsfish in surrounding waters. Ikes large stormsurge pushed seawater across most of theUpper Coast, and as waters receded, deadfish became an indicator of its massive reach.

The fishes stuckin fences werepushed inland by thetide surge and foundthemselves swimming in residential neigh-borhoods, and fences acted liked like gill-nets, capturing those attempting to swimthrough them.

The large storm surge exposed a lot ofpeople to fish kills because of the unusualplaces the fish were deposited. Its an uglyand smelly reminder of the storm, Dentonsaid.

These kills are among the many unfortu-nate results of Hurricane Ike. Hitting the

Texas coastSeptember 13, ittook not only humanlives and habitations

but caused serious damage to coastal ecosys-tems and infrastructure crucial to anglersand hunters.

Wildlife & Habitat DamageThe surge that caused the fish kills inun-

dated several wildlife management areas(WMA) and national wildlife refuges(NWR). These include Murphree, CandyAbshire, Lower Neches, and Hurst


Hurricane Ike, photographed from the InternationalSpace Station. Photo courtesy of NASA

Dead fish lined the streets of Orange Countywell past the bondary waters of Sabine Lake.

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WMAs, along with the McFaddin, TexasPoint, Anahuac, and Moody NWRs.

TPWD officials said it would take agood while to estimate the overall impact,but longtime division staff member andMurphree WMA Superintendent JimSutherlin said two days after Ikes strike thatthe situation was similar to Hurricane Carlafour decades ago.

The Murphree area looks like the Gulfof Mexico, Sutherlin said. Wildlifeimpacts to everything that doesnt fly will besignificant like it was back in the early 1960swith Hurricane Carla. I expect a great

reduction in reptiles and amphibians, partic-ularly alligators, but also snakes, frogs, allthe things that move on the ground in thecoastal plains.

We need to assess the full impacts, andthat will take some time. It will set plantcommunities back to very early successionalstages, and well see big changes in the land-scape for a couple of decades when thiswater comes off. Thats something well seeas our careers mature, and the young peoplestarting careers in wildlife ecology now willfollow it as we followed Carla.

A number of erosion control, saltwaterbarrier, and wetlands enhancement projectsreceived major damage and setbacks, includ-ing a long-running program on the LowerNeches WMA in Bridge City, the regionshardest hit community. An area reclaimedfrom saltwater intrusion, thick with water-fowl-friendly vegetation, disappeared under9 feet of seawater. TPWD officials were notsure how long it would take the area torecover or what kind of permanent damageoccurred. There are dozens of similar situa-tions along the coast.

At the time of this writing, a multi-agencystate and federal natural resource damageassessment group was tracking more than 26contaminant spills in storm-affected areas.

Danny Robbins of the Associated Press

A wrecked shrimp boat and bloated burroalong the shores of Trinity Bay show the levelof carnage exacted by Ike.

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Ike announces his impending arrival at theGalveston Sea Wall, pounding the structurewith mountainous waves heavy with thesands of what had been miles of beaches.

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(AP) reported Denbury Onshore LLC ofPlano filed with the Texas RailroadCommission that 900 barrels of oil werespilled in one location and 143 barrels inanother: Both spills occurred in ChambersCounty, one of the areas most affected by Ikewhen it slammed the coast with top winds of110 mph last weekend. The spills are two ofthree that have been reported to theRailroad Commission, which deals with

land-based drilling.Some of the oil from the two spills coated

vegetation, but most dissolved in the flood-water.

On the nearby McFaddin NWR in

Jefferson County, a sheen of oil baffledrefuge officials, who believe the leaking mostlikely came from ruptured drilling equip-ment. Tim Cooper, who heads the refuge,said the leak could have serious impact on

Gator Rescue

ITS CATASTROPHIC. CHESTER, YOU WONTbelieve what Im seeing right now. So far driv-ing down 73, Ive seen at least 150 dead alli-gators and that is from the vantage point of

the road. I cant imagine whats out in the marsh-es and rice fields.

Usually upbeat and enthusiastic, alliga-tor expert Gary Saurage spoke those wordsvia cell phone with a somber, yet deter-mined tone.

The co-owner of Gator Country, a reptileattraction west of Beaumont, Saurage is inthe business of housing live alligators for com-merce. Now he is doing it for conservation.

Soon after Hurricane Ike hit, Sauragebegan surveying Southeast Texas marshesfor its impact on wildlife.

Everywhere you go, there are dead anddying alligators, he said. These gatorsneed fresh, clean water just like everythingelse, and right now, there just isnt any out

there with the seawater from the stormsurge in the waterways. On top of that, youhave all kinds of chemicals in the water, sothat makes the situation even more desper-ate for these animals.

Saurage and his crew have so far cap-tured 39 alligators, brought them back to

1 2 N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8 / T E X A S F i s h & G a m e 1 2 N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8 / T E X A S F i s h & G a m e

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waterfowl and other migratory bird habitatboth at McFaddin and the Anahuac NWRwhere the oil was flowing.

All we know is wildlife doesnt respondwell to oil, Cooper told the AP.

Papco Inc. reported a spill near SabinePass, but it was less than two barrels, and at thetime of this writing, officials believed it unrelat-ed to the mysterious sheen at McFaddin.

Reports of alligators and snakes in yardsand even houses were common after thestorm, as were free-roaming cattle, whichwere verified everywhere from the wilds ofHigh Island to downtown Galveston.

These cattle posed a two-fold threat. Thegreatest was to motorists colliding with unex-pected animals on roadways. The secondwas many of the cattle were unnaturally

aggressive due to consuming saltwater. AfterHurricane Rita, there were numerous inci-dents of cattle charging people and vehicleswhen they were in this strange saltwaterinduced aggressive state. The same situation

exists due to Ike.Even more unusual than saltwater-

induced rage in cattle was a tiger loose onthe Bolivar Peninsula. It was an escapeefrom an exotic animal center, and TPWDgame wardens eventually brought it to safety.Its owner, Michael Ray Kujawa, stayedbehind to take care of the animals, butretreated to a nearby church for safety whenwater came into his home. He swam there

Gator Country, and are working to rehabili-tate them: Were putting them into anenclosed one-acre pond and are going tonurse them back to health and release themback into the wild once they and the habitatare ready.

While catching alligators is alwaystricky, Saurage has it down to an art.Electrical tape is used to hold the jaws shut,since alligators have very little strengthopening them. Post-Ike that was problemat-ic.

Most of the gators had oil all overthem, so we used sandpaper to get a surface

we could tape up, and that was no fun.And I have the bite marks to prove it,Saurage said.

Taking alligators from the wild requiresspecial permitting, but local officials slashedthrough the red tape in a concerted effort toaid the dying animals.

State representatives Mike Hamiltonand Alan Ritter got the ball rolling,Saurage said. After they learned of whatwas happening, they really came through bysetting the wheels in motion for the recoveryproject. Then Monique Slaughter, whoheads Texas Parks & Wildlife alligator pro-gram, gave me the green light to save asmany as I could. I also have to give creditto state trooper Droddy and game warden

Robbie Smith for their understanding in anunusual situation during an even moreunusual crisis.

Saurage said although exact damageestimates are not in, it is obvious theregions gator population took a hit, andthat he and his partners are ready to help inany way they can.

Alligators are very important to us. Wewould like to do what we can to help con-serve and restore the wild populations, andwe are happy to be able to help after Ike,Saurage said. Sometimes, even alligatorsneed a helping hand.

Chester Moore

T E X A S F i s h & G a m e / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8 1 3

These photos (above and opposite), acquired from the U.S. Geological Survey, show the Crystal Beach areaon Bolivar Peninsula before and after Hurricane Ike. Yellow arrows mark features that appear in each image.In addition to the loss of houses, the evidence of inundation here includes eroded dune face and sanddeposited well inland of the shoreline.

Gary Saurage and the crew at Gator Country helpedrescue alligators hurt by Ikes saltwater intrusion.

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with a full-grown African lion that weath-ered the storm with him.

Infrastructure ImpactsAs Ike came ashore, there was no

doubt it would cause major damage toinfrastructure along the coast, but fewwere prepared for just how muchharm it would do to facilitiesimportant to outdoorsmen. Twocoastal parks, Galveston andSea Rim, suffered catastroph-ic damage. Facilities at SeaRim near Port Arthurappear to be a total loss.At Galveston Island, Ikecaused heavy beach ero-sion and swept away state parkfacilities.

Seven other state parks and the LaPorteregional office suffered significant damage,ranging from downed trees and power linesto storm surge flooding and wind damage tobuildings and facilities. The parks includeLake Livingston, Martin Dies, the SanJacinto Battleground/Battleship Texas,Huntsville, Daingerfield, MartinCreek Lake, and Mission Tejas.

Four state parks sustained moder-ate damage: Brazos Bend, SheldonLake, Village Creek, and CaddoLake. Some parks sustained onlylight damage: Goose Island,Mustang Island, Stephen F. Austin,Fanthorp Inn, Washington on theBrazos, Fairfield Lake, Tyler, andAtlanta. Storm surge flooding and wind,with widespread downed trees and fencing,significantly damaged the San JacintoBattleground. The park store and Battleship

Texas restrooms were flooded, and the sitewell house destroyed, among other damage.

At Murphree WMA near PortArthur, the Jefferson

County storml e v e e

After disappearing under Hurricane Ikes mas-

sive storm surge, the Texas City Dike sustained

extensive damage and will be closed indefinitely.

A report in the Galveston County Daily news

quoted Texas City Mayor Matt Doyle as saying the

dike will not be open for a long, long time.

The destruction is a devastating loss to anglers

without boats, as the dike made bank fishing pos-

sible for 5 miles out into Galveston Bay.

As the NOAA satellite photos above illustrate,

all of the businesses and infrastructure were com-

pletely wiped off the dike.

While taking a near-mortal

blow, the structure did serve its

primary function, valiantly, keeping

the ship channel clear of storm debris.

1 4 N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8 / T E X A S F i s h & G a m e

Destruction on the Texas City Dike

Every business, including AnitasBait Camp, Tackle and Seafood no

longer exists.

The bait and tackle stores at theentrance to the Texas City Dike were

swept away by Ikes storm surge.


held back the storm surge, protecting WMAbuildings from flooding. The levee can resista 14-foot crest, and staff report the area had11 feet of seawater surge. One Murphreeshop building was severely damaged by highwinds, but other facilities are in relativelygood shape.

Severe ero-sion occurred

from San Luis toSabine Pass, with

much of the sand washedaway from Galveston Island,

the Bolivar Peninsula, and aroundMcFaddin Beach. Damage to piers, bait

shops, and other structures from Freeport toOrange were severe. That which we wereable to confirm at press time is as follows:

Texas City Dike: (see sidebar below,left) The storm surge completely toppled the

dike and all structures on it, including thelighted pier and Anitas Bait Camp,

Tackle, & Seafood were wiped out.Walter Umphrey Pier, Port

Arthur:Walter

UmphreyState Park on SH82 at Pleasure Island wasseverely damaged according toJefferson County officials. The pier andobservation platform were wrecked and

there was severe damage to the parking lot.Galveston Party Boats, Galveston:

The New Buccaneer and Cavalier partyboats were moved out of town before thestorm hit, but the offices and freezers sus-tained severe damage.

Williams Party Boats, Galveston:Both the Capt. John and Texsun II partyboats were moved to Port OConnor priorto the storm. The offices sustained major

damage, as did the cold storage facili-ty.

Galveston FishingPier, Galveston:

Eighty to ninety per-cent of the pier was

damaged.61st Street

Pier,Galveston:The pier sus-tained completedamage duringthe storm.

San LuisPass Pier,

Galveston: Muchof the pier was

destroyed, with the great-est damage on the southern

half.

Seawolf Park,Galveston:

(see photos,page 19)

The pier wasdestroyed and

much of the parksustained major

damage.

Flagship Pier,Galveston: The

Flagship Hotel stooddespite some major damage,

but the popular fishing pier isgone.


The Lighted Pier at the endof the dike was completely

destroyed.

The Texas City Dikes roadwaywas rendered undriveable and

unsafe to even walk.

LEFT: Crumbling slabs remainwhere facilities once stood at the

Noah Welch Boat Ramp.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NOAA

Despite early rumors that the Bolivar PointLighthouse had been destroyed, these before (L) andafter (R) satellite images show the structure standing.

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Rollover Pass: The bridge at Rolloverwas severely damaged and the beach in thearea received major erosion.

End of Seawall Boulevard: Thispopular fishing spot was affected, with theroad behind the seawall wrecked along withserious erosion.

Upper Coast Bait and TackleShops: Bait and tackle shops receivedwidespread damage and many wereunavailable for contact at press time. All ofthe facilities in Sabine Pass were destroyed,as were those on Pleasure Island and onthe Bolivar Peninsula. On Galveston

Island, shops near the seawall were wipedout, as were the ones in Bridge City area.

According to Lance Robinson withTPWD, the Galveston areas small boatshrimping fleet was devastated, from bothboat damage and destruction of docks andicehouses.

The infrastructure of the shrimpingindustry inshore was hit really hard, which isgoing to make things challenging for themom and pop operations, Robinson said.

This in turn will affect anglers wanting topurchase live and dead bait, a staple ofUpper Coast fishing.

Hope for the FutureMake no mistake: The fish kills will hurt

the Upper Coast fishery, but anglers shouldnot worry that it will be a death blow.TPWD will likely respond with redfish,speckled trout, and largemouth bass stock-ings as they did after Hurricane Rita andother storms through the years.

Helping restore fisheries is what we doat Sea Center. We have the capability torespond to such disasters with stocking ofred drum and specked trout for the areas wehave representative broodstock, said ShaneBonnot of TPWDs Sea Center Texas.

In addition, nature has a contingencyplan. While redfish were hard hit, Ikes

HURRICANE IKE HAS DEVASTATED THE GULFCoast from the West End of GalvestonIsland to Sabine Lake. The BolivarPeninsula has been practically wiped

clean, and the Galveston Yacht Basin suffereddamage from wind and water, plus a fire duringthe height of the storm. Payco Marina just off theend of the causeway entering Galveston was prac-tically destroyed, and boats of all sizes weredeposited on IH-45.

The Freeport area was spared the fullforce of Ike, but still suffered from a stormsurge of at least 6 feet. Surfside was dam-aged extensively, but the surge appears tohave been stopped by the flood levee fromentering Freeport, Oyster Creek, and othercommunities. High water damaged manyboats in Bridge Harbor Marina on theICW, and winds blew apart the big shedwhere repairs and painting of yachts wasconducted.

Kirby Marina on Oyster Creek, wheremany boats go to shelter from storms due toits slightly inland location, suffered damagefrom wind and a few boats going throughthe roof of the covered docks. A large andwell-built shed covering the luxury sportfish-

er Akela was literally ripped to shreds anddropped on the 72-footer.

Most of this area was without power andaccess limited at press time, so accuratereports of all the damage were not yet com-plete. The shoreline will be changed forsure. Some estimates are that Galveston lost200 feet of beach, and many channels andpasses were affected.

Boaters would be wise to watch fordebris for some time once they can get backon the water. There are rumors already thatthe Bolivar Peninsula might be abandonedas far as housing, and as this is written, the

ferry system is down from high water dam-age to the landings. The bridge fromGilchrist over Rollover Pass is badly dam-aged.

In all the loss and destruction, the stormwill probably leave a long-term legacy ofbetter fishing. The flushing action of atremendous amount of Gulf water rushingin and then back out again will cleanse theinshore waters, open channels and passesthat were closed, and create new oneswhere once there was solid ground.

Mike Holmes

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Marinas and Passes Take a Beating

Hurricane winds destroyed a heavily build shedthat covered the 72-foot Akela at Kirby Marina onOyster Creek.


wrath planted seeds for the future.Capt. Kirk Stansel with the Hackberry

Rod and Gun Club said since HurricaneRita hit in 2005, the redfish fishery justacross the Louisiana border is better thanever.

That Hurricane helped out fishing a lotover the long haul, Stansel said. All ofthese little freshwater ponds in the marshesand prairie have redfish, and the only waythey couldve gotten there is the storm putthem there. We simply have a huge numberof reds in the system, and the storm helped.

His observations are backed by science.A study of redfish conducted in LowerLaguna Madre showed that after a storm in1967 cut channels into the estuaries, redfishnumbers increased greatly in following years.Eggs spawned in the near-shore Gulf during

the fall breeding period are brought into themarshes via storm surges like that caused byIke. There are indications this is happeningnow.

While surveying storm damage, I found asmall pool of water full of live brown shrimp,blue crab, and unidentifiable fish fry (firststage juveniles). That might not seem unusu-al under the circumstances, but that pool was

in the playground at Lions Park well withinthe city limits of Orange.

If Ike brought these organisms into theconcrete jungle, it also deposited plenty ofredfish reserves in areas where they can sur-vive, grow to maturity, and start all overagain. Starting over is a task that will beshared by thousands across the region.

Chester Moore

These before (L) and after (R) photos ofGalvestons Seawolf Park show the exten-sive damage to the parks fishing pier.Only the skeletal frame remains. Below,two of the parks main attractions, WWIIsubmarine USS Cavalla and destroyerescort USS Stewartone of only three inthe worldwere also damaged. Note thestarboard list of the Stewart in its berth.

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Hurricane Ikesimpact, from thosewho witnessed it

SCOTT HICKMAN, HUNTING & FISHING GUIDE,Circle H Outfitters: We run offshore char-ter service out of Galveston, duck and goosehunting up and down the coast, and bay

fishing.All the marinas from Freeport to Sabine

are gone, no more. Seventy-five percent ofthe boats are sunk or severely damaged.

Hickman was a first responder with anatural gas company. They hired me andmy airboats to come in here and turn off allthe gas lines coming into the island. I washere Saturday evening, running peoplearound, shutting things off.

Galveston was hit by 15-foot surge;Gilchrist was hit by 20-foot storm surge.There are no fishing piers left in Galveston.All of the bait camps...some of them stillhave roofs, but there is only studs standing.A lot of them are knocked flat. There are acouple of boat ramps; the Yacht Basin willbe closed for a year to year-and-a-half.

Marina buildings are wrecked; fuel stor-age tanks are floating off or gone. Its goingto be a long time before everything is backup and running.

It wasnt a big wind event but it was ahuge water event, a storm surge like aCategory Four hurricane. It was a big storm,covered from a Freeport to Sabine line orfarther. I have a friend with a ranch with a1000 head of cattle, all dead. BolivarPeninsula...there is going to be missing peo-ple for years. They are never going to findthe bodies. When the houses went, theyfloated off.

We had a 160 dove hunters booked tohunt on the Moody Ranch in Galveston. Idont know why or how, but the majority of

the whitewings on the island survived. Allthe goat weed is brown and dead and all thebirds flew back in there. We got thousands ofwhitewing doves; wejust cant get any-body on the islandbecause, of course,they are not lettinganybody on theisland.

Most of ourranches are in theRockport area. Wedo have stuff in theHouston area thatwill be back to nor-mal as soon as poweris restored. We willbe back and runningin the spring of nextyear in the Galveston area.

If you are going to run a fishing guideservice this next spring, you are going tohave to be self-sufficient...your own bait,your own fuel, everything. There is notgoing to be any infrastructure for a long timeto support the anglers.

The fishing will be spectacular after thehurricane; it always is the year after in thebays and offshore. The impact is who canget to them and who is going to be able towithstand the economic hardships of the nextfew months.

There are going to be guides doing con-struction work, other things, because there isgoing to be so much money to be made. Justputting airboats in the water lately, the lastweek, I made more money than I could everhave made guiding. People will come back toguiding once things get back to normal; peo-ple are going to want to go fishing.

A lot of people will be buying newboats. The boating industry has been in thetoilet.

Most of the first row of beach houses onthe west end of the island are gone, part of

the second row is gone, and then the damagebecomes sporadic based on the age of thestructure.

The beach onthe West end of theisland is under mostof the structures,starts under thestructures, and thanincludes the high risebuildings. The con-dos actually sit overthe waterline. We lostthe majority of thebeach.

They are find-ing containers fromthe port of Galveston25-30 miles away.

CAPT. FRED GEORGE, BAY BOUND GUIDE SERVICE: Ithink the fishing is shut down for awhile.

George lives in League City. He keepshis boat at his house in the garage and it hadno damage.

I took some people yesterday down toJamaica Beach and Sea Isle to look at theirhouses. There are boats everywhere, upsidedown. One person who lived on the bay inJamaica Beach had a 20-foot BostonWhaler upside down on his patio.

There really wasnt that much floatingdebris, but there is no telling whats underthe surface. We did see cars in the water insome of the canals. Once you get up wherethe houses are located there is lots of stuff inthe water.

We ran across two fish slicks yesterday,trout or whatever, we didnt know but theyhad the smell to them. There was a lot ofbait jumping around down on the west end.

I am guessing the bottom structure haschanged quite a bit. Its going to be a differ-ent world once we can get out there, espe-cially over in East Bay where Bolivarwashed off into the Intracoastal. The

The fishing will bespectacular after the

hurricane. It always is the

offshore.year after in the bays and

Ikein Their Words



Intracoastal is shut down completely; youcant get to Bolivar by boat.

Popular and well-known marinas, such asEagle Point and all the bait camps on theTexas City Dike are gone. Boyds is stillthere. The road is still there but that is aboutall thats left.

CAPTAINS ALAN AND STEVEN PEREYRA, TOP DOGGuide Service: Alan lives in the Cypressarea of Houston. I went and picked up my

boat and brought it out here before the stormhit. I did not receive any damage to my boat.The original place where I had it stored wastotaled out, or about 60 percent lost. Hestored his boat in San Leon.

If I can get out there again by March, Iwill be okay next year. I will probably end upcanceling my flounder trips in Octoberthrough December. I probably wont get outuntil next February.

As far as I have found out, every mari-na that I have used over the years has beentotaled out: Eagle Point, Top Water Marina,Texas City Dike Marinas, Galveston Bait &Tackle, the Galveston Yacht Basin. Onoccasion, I have traveled to Bolivar to pickup customers.

Luckily I have a side business, candymachine vending, that will keep me goinguntil next summer. I think by next summer,people will start fishing again. My main con-cern is not too much the fishingits proba-bly going to reboundmy main concern iswhats in the water, debris.

Tom Behrens


As guide Scott Hickman reported, Ike killedthousands of livestock. This lucky herd was

driven to safety ahead of rising water.

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See More HURRICANE Coveragein the TF&G ALMANAC Section



WHEN SOMEONE MENTIONS THEHumane Society, the image thatcomes to mind is likely one of acute puppy, once abandoned and

neglected, and then rescued and united witha loving family. This is the image theHumane Society of the United States(HSUS) has worked hard to project ofitself. The truth, however, is far different.

In a column a few years ago, I lumpedHSUS in with other animal rights groups,such as PETA, the Animal LiberationFront, Friends of Animals, and others, all ofwhich promote animal rights above humanwelfare. Several readers questioned theinclusion of HSUS in this listing. Theircomments indicated their perception ofHSUS was that it was an organization thatsought only to aid mistreated and abandonedanimals. The public is almost totallyunaware that HSUS, the largest animalrights group in the world, is working hard tooutlaw hunting and trapping, ban animaltesting of medical products, and brainwashour children.

During 2006, the HSUS staff of 438spent $12 million for fundraising, whichmust have paid off. Revenue for 2007topped $120 million. A large part of thosefunds are funneled to other animal rightsgroups, through the Humane Society Leg-islative Fund, for use in lobbying congress onfederal legislation and ballot issues. Withtotal assets of $250 million, HSUS is anorganization that plays hardball.

HSUS was established in 1954, and hasabsorbed other anti groups through the yearsto become the powerhouse it is today. TheFund for Animals in 2005 and the DorisDay Animal League in 2006 are the groupslatest acquisitions. But HSUS supportsother affiliates and offshoot organizations.

Humane Society International(www.hsihsus.org), established in 1991, issupposedly closely associated with the Unit-ed Nations, the World Trade Organization,

and other treaty and international agree-ments. Its purpose is to target industriesinvolved with animals worldwide. HumaneSociety Legislative Fund (www.fund.org),besides providing lobbying funds for otheranti groups, backs HSUS supporters forpublic office. The Doris Day AnimalLeague (www.ddal.org) is the HSUS lob-bying branch, which petitions the presidentand congress.

Fund for Animals(www.fundforanimals.org) is the hatchetsquad of the group. Created in 1967, theFund is seriously concerned with stoppinghunting completely, and often supports otherlike-minded groups, such as Defenders ofWildlife. A similar division is the WildlifeLand Trust (www.wlt.org), which targetsprivate landowners as well as state and fed-eral officials. It offers tax incentives to thosewho agree to ban hunting, trapping, andfishing on their property.

HSUS even has its own self-describedtraining arm called Humane Society Uni-versity (www.humanesocietyu.org). But per-haps the most frightening arm of HSUS isHumane Society Youth(www.humanesociety.org/youth), which useschildren to spread the HSUS agenda, andattempts to brainwash Americas next gener-ation against legitimate outdoor pursuits.

The HSUS website is rife with propa-ganda attacking politicians and representa-tives who support hunting, often exaggerat-ing or misrepresenting the situation. Forexample, an ongoing protracted campaignagainst hunting claims certain U.S. politi-cians support the hunting of endangeredspecies, and calls for restrictions to banhunters from importing animals taken inother countries if those species are protectedin America. The main goal seems to beobfuscation of the facts.

A good example of this is the HSUSstand against canned hunts. Granted,canned hunts are ugly, and ethical outdoors

advocates would never be involved in suchactivities. But a quick read of some of thepropaganda displayed on the HSUS web-site quickly brings up the fact that the orga-nizations definition of a canned hunt is farremoved from reality.

A canned hunt, by any logical definition,is a hunt in which the animals involved haveno chance to escape the shooter. Sometimesthis means the animals are tame, sometimesthey are confined in a small space withoutinadequate cover, or there might be otherconditions that render fair chase impossible.

The HSUS definition of a canned huntis one in which the animals are confinedinside a fence. The organization makes nodistinction as to size of the pasture involved.Without regard to the issue of high fences,the truth is that any wild animal taken in a1000-acre pasture, especially one with amodicum of trees, brush, and grass, is takenin fair chase, whether there is a fence aroundthe pasture or not. But according to theHSUS definition, the fence makes this acanned hunt.

The group also makes erroneous claimsas to the number of canned hunt ranchesthere are in the U.S. One statement on thewebsite says that, The Humane Society ofthe Untied States estimates that there aremore than 1000 canned hunting ranches inat least 28 states. On these operationswhich range in size from one acre to morethan 10,000 acresparticipants shoot con-fined animals for a fee. There is no mentionof where the figures were obtained, but onlythe most gullible would swallow such a state-ment without proof.

Make no mistake, HSUS is out to stophunting, trapping, and fishing cold. Hiddenbehind this organizations warm, fuzzyimage is a set of sharp, deadly fangs, drip-ping with anti-hunting venom.

E-mail Kendal Hemphill at [email protected]

The Truth About the Humane Society

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Save theSouthernFlounder

AHUGE FLOUNDER SLID INTO AN ICE CHESTamidst high fives and atta-boys onequiet morning on Aransas Bay. Al-though speckled trout were the goal of

the fishing trip, catching the 4-pound beautywas a welcomed bonus for a veteran anglerwho said he rarely catches flatfish but loves tostuff the big ones with crab meat, douse withbutter, and bake to perfection.

This event happened a few years back,but I have seen similar scenes play out sincethen, and in my opinion, they show a seriousdouble standard.

At this point, you are probably wonderingwhy keeping a big, fat, juicy flounder to eat issuch a big deal.

Well, its not.However, the angler who caught and ate

the flounder described above has been knownto verbally berate others who do the samewith trophy-sized speckled trout. And over theyears, I have seen similar scenes play out withpersonal friends and acquaintances that havefervor for saving the big specks, but blinderson when it comes to other species.

Stuff a flounder for dinner, and you are ahero back at fishing camp. Stuff a speck tohang on the wall, and you risk getting thrownout of your social circle and becoming a targetof certain bitter, repressed internet stalkers.

Catch and release is cool with me, but ifyou are serious about it, apply it equally acrossthe board.

Even in the worst-case scenarios in Texas,trout are seeing only minimal recruitment de-clines. However, the southern flounder fisheryis poised to slide into obscurity. As noted inmy column last April, flounder numbers coast-

wide are down 56 percent since 1986.Worse yet, there are few signs a full recov-

ery is happening despite decreased by-catch inthe shrimping fleet due to the buyback pro-gram initiated by the Texas Parks & WildlifeDepartment (TPWD) and backed by theCoastal Conservation Association and Salt-water Conservation Association. Croaker arebouncing back, as are other species, but floun-der numbers have not tracked with by-catch re-duction in the way we had hoped.

There are still huge problems for flounderpopulations, and now is the time to act on cur-tailing future declines. How will the new ageof self-proclaimed conservationists react? Willthey support saving the flounder with the samegusto they have for speckled trout?

The push to cut the speckled trout baglimit from 10 to 5 in Lower Laguna Madreis a fine example of angling community ac-tivists doing something pro-active for a fisherywith some problems. While I am still dead setagainst the ban croaker mantra of some ofthe people involved in that issue, they all de-serve a tip of the hat for getting involved witha species they cared about and doing some-thing about it.

The fact is, those of who have worked forflounder conservation could use the help of thethousands who responded to TPWD on troutregs to take action on flounder. After all, thisis not a regional issueit is coastwide. Andit could literally involve saving a fishery, notjust strengthening one.

After all, if someone is bold enough toproclaim protection of super-sized specks, theyshould give flounder the same support. Con-servation is not just a bumper sticker, internetscreen name, or mantra shouted at publichearings. It requires action and should not belimited to one Texas species.

TPWD coastal fisheries officials are look-ing at changing flounder regulations, and I amin full support of getting the ball rolling onthis.

Fervent passions have ignited to protectspeckled trout, and over time, it has broughtout the best and worst in people along thecoast. The same kind of energy needs to go

into restoring the flounder fishery, and thoseof us in support of this could use all the helpwe can get.

I, too, have worked for trout conservationwith TPWD over the years, helping catchbroodstock for Sea Center and taking part inother programs. However, my concern fortrout was always about seeing the quality ofthe fishery decrease, not decline beyondrestoration. I wish I could say the same aboutflounder.

We have an opportunity to make a hugedifference with these species, but we must actnow and form a united front to do what wasdone with redfish 30 years ago.

Any takers?

E-mail Chester Moore at [email protected]

Dodge Duck and DeerDream Drive

Saturday Nov. 1 I leave for what should bean awesome hunting odyssey, the DodgeDuck and Deer Dream Drive.

Taking off in the awesome new DodgeRam Crew 1500, I will travel throughout Eastand South Texas and along the coast pursuingducks and deer every day through Nov. 5.

You may be thinking, Well, Chester itsjust another excuse for you to go hunting.

I will not say the opportunity hurt feel-ings but the truth is I am excited because notonly because of the potential for pintails andwhitetails but because I will be doing this ina vehicle truly built for these kinds of activi-ties.

Hunting is a lifestyle, not a sport in Texasand Dodge is a rich part of it with their RamTough trucks. To keep up with this outdoorsquest, visit my blog at fishgame.com. It willbe updated daily with stories and photos.

Reference the Dodge ad on the INSIDE FRONTCOVER of this issue to see our route and seethe beautiful Ram Crew 1500.

CM

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Advice Forthe DeerWoodsT

HREE THINGS CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU AIM arifle at a deer and pull the trigger. I basethis conclusion on 40 years of huntingin the brush and hills of Texas.

First, you can missa soul-deadening ex-perience that most long-time hunters have ex-perienced at least once. Come on, probablymore than once.

Second, you can wounda devastating

experience on both ends of the rifle, and onethat every conscientious hunter dreads.

Third, you can kill.It has been said that two out of three aint

bad. Well, in the big-league pursuit of deer,two out of three aint good. The clean kill isthe only acceptable result.

The white-tailed deer season is our mainhunting event, each year drawing several hun-dred thousand camo-clad participants. Theveteran buckslayer needs no advice from me,but the beginner might benefit from a few ob-servations on shooting performance in theclutch.

Assuming your over-the-counter rifle is me-chanically sound, with all screws checked andtightened, it can be upgraded by adjusting thetrigger to a clean, crisp pull of between 3 and4 pounds. This a functional, safe pull for ahunting trigger on a modern bolt-action riflein average hands, but many factory triggers are

excessively heavy, perhaps 6 or 8 pounds.Manufacturers often pre-set heavy triggers

to protect themselves from frivolous lawsuitsresulting from accidental discharges. Theheavy trigger might require deliberate effort,but it can be ruinous to accuracy. You tenseand squeeze and nothing happens, then youyank to incite the long-overdue bang! Violentyanks are not conducive to filling deer tags.

Maybe there has been some lawsuit re-form. Increasing numbers of rifles from majormanufacturers are offering externally ad-justable triggers. If your rifle has an internaladjustment, take it to a qualified gunsmith.

Heres a tip: The trigger job can becheaper if you offer some latitude; a specificweight demanding trial-and-error tweakingcan add to the tab. It doesnt have to be pre-cise, just crisp and reasonably light. And thedifference between a pull of approximately 4pounds, and a pull of 7 or 8 pounds is major,

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a huge boost to accurate shooting. The gunfires when your instincts say Now!

Reducing recoil is another way to tightengroups. The softer kick does nothing to im-prove the inherent performance of the rifle, butit can do wonders for the shooter intimidatedby a hard-hitting caliber. It is true you neverfeel recoil when shooting at big game, butyou surely feel it from the bench restandshooting from the bench is mandatory for es-tablishing pre-hunt accuracy.

Ported muzzle brakes certainly reduce feltrecoil, but they create excessive noise and canlook a bit unsightly. They also are expensive.I prefer a butt pad made of high-tech energy-absorbing material. The after-market padmight not be as efficient as a muzzle brake, butit should cut felt recoil by at least 20 percent.By displacing the energy, the pad producesmore of a push than a sharp kick.

I never have seen the need for a superlightweight rifle for whitetail hunting in Texas;it just isnt necessary. You spend most of thetime sitting in a stand or maybe high rackingin a vehicle. Either way, you are not evenholding the rifle.

And, all things equal, an 8-pound rifleabsorbs more recoil than a 6-pound rifle. Asanother consideration, the big rifle is easier tohold steady in nervous hands when thatgleaming 6x6 chocolate-horned buck steps

from the frosty brush. This is strictly a per-sonal observation; many fine hunters use light-weight rifles, but be prepared for more kickand potential wobble.

Another way to soften the blow of severalpopular deer calibers is to use low-recoil car-tridges loaded with less powder. I have nevertried them, but by most reports, they do thejob well under normal whitetail hunting cir-cumstances.

On the subject of cartridges, an easy wayto improve accuracy is to shoot premium fac-tory ammunition. The superior bullets(Nosler, Sierra, Trophy Bonded, etc.) andprecise loading tolerances provide superiorperformance. A premium 20-round box mightcost $10 or $15 more than a standard box,but this is the cheapest fix you can get duringthe course of a season.

Larger bores and heavier bullets makesense to mewithin reason, of course.Lighter, faster bullets look better on paper, butthe increased penetration of a bigger payloadcan be a huge advantage in the real world ofbucks and brush. Keep in mind that not allchances at trophy deer are broadside. Quar-tering shots are common, and even a slight an-gle can increase the need for serious penetra-tion.

Lets be honest: If a quartering-away MuyGrande pauses on the open edge of screening

brush, perhaps never to be seen again, youregoing to take a whack. The big bullet carriesdeeper with more retained energy on quarter-ing game. I learned that in Africa.

It also leaves a better blood trail if a mor-tally hit buck takes two bounds and vanishesamidst mesquite, huisache, and black brush.I learned that in Webb County.

Also worth note, remember that the phys-ical size of a white-tailed deer is nowhere aslarge as the magazine-cover aura it projects.We are not talking about an elk. A maturewhitetail at 250 yards can appear awfullysmall to the naked eye, and the tendency toover-estimate distance can be compelling.

The temptation is great to hold high overthe shoulder on that shockingly small deertarget. Dont do it. Chances are, the buck isinside 300 yards. Assuming your scoped rifleis sighted in the neighborhood of 1-2 incheshigh at 100 yards, you are only several incheslow out past 250 with most popular bolt-ac-tion deer calibers.

Here is my final wisdom: Take a good restand keep shoulder hair in the crosshairs.

E-mail Joe Doggett at [email protected]

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T E X A S F i s h & G a m e / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8 29

Quality bucks on theedge of the Hill Country

ewspaperman HoraceGreeley urged nine-teenth century Americato Go west and growold with the country.

Hill Country deer hunters should takea cue from that sound advice and gowest to hunt the counties on the edgeof that deer-rich region. Doing sowould give them a great shot at takingbucks that are allowed to grow oldand to grow trophy racks in theprocess.

The 27 or so counties of the EdwardsPlateau have long been known asTexas deer factory. During the 2007-08 hunting season, Central Texashunters bagged 229,391 deer, 119,395of them bucks. You can safely bet thatthe three top counties for total deerkill were Llano, Mason, and Gillespie,smack in the heart of the Hill Country.Those counties and a few surroundingones annually crankout high deer killnumbers. by Cliff Dodson

N



o, whats wrong withthat? Nothing, ifyou are just look-ing for venison.

But if you are look-ing for bragging rights

or book fodder, thenyou stand a better chance if you put thosecounties in your pickups rear-view mirror.

Go west, young buck hunter, and takeyour favorite deer rifle with you.

Consider Crockett, Schleicher, Sutton,and Edwards the epicenter, with the westernportions of Menard, Kimble, and Val Verdeclose behind. And since we are talking abouthunting the edge of the Hill Country, Ideven cross the regional division line andinclude Pecos, the huge county west ofCrockettbut dont pass up any hunt onthat edge of the Plateau.

One of the major reasons so many HillCountry deer hunters settle in the middle oreastern half of the region is because thosehappy hunting grounds are much closer tohome. Thats especially true if you live inHouston, Dallas/Fort Worth, or evenAustin.

Why travel right past perfectly good hunt-ing spots just to shoot some deer fartheraway?

I once asked my father the same thing.Because where were going, the deer arebigger, he said.

It was true then and it is true now. And,yes, I have checked the price of gasoline late-ly. The facts speak for themselves: There areseveral advantages to hunting on the edge.Once you take those advantages into consid-eration, that extra travel time and money areworth it.

The counties in the western Hill Countryhave good to excellent deer populations.They are not so high that ranches becomeovercrowded with hungry animals, but thedeer exist in numbers that clearly keep thehunting interesting. In general, buck-to-doeratios on the western edge are more even, sowhen you are seeing deer, the chances ofthem being bucks are greater. On a recenthunt in Crockett County, I stopped counting8-pointers at 35, and that was early on thesecond day of my hunt. Most of those buckswere near the 130-inch typical scorethebenchmark for entry into the Texas BigGame Awards program.

Land holdings, and thus leases, at theedges usually include more acres. The moreacres per hunter, the more deer per hunter.

Since hunters can spread out over the proper-ty, bucks feel less hunting pressure. Withplenty of land to explore, most deer chasersfeel less pressure as well. They eventuallyrealize there is no need to shoot quickly andask questions later. With that level of selectiv-ity in play, the bucks gain more age and moreantler growth.

It is not just the headgear that gets bigger;body weights of mature bucks rise as well. Itis not unusual for a healthy buck in the edgeareas to outweigh a normal Hill Countrydeer by as much as a third. Shooting a 100-pound buck in most Central Texas counties iscause for celebration. Shooting a 150-pounder or bigger on the western edge is notall that unusual. Keep that in mind when youdecide to shoot; dont plan on simply flingingthe buck over your shoulder and walking outwith it. Removing bucks from the field usual-ly is a two-man job, even if you can drive fair-ly close.

Competition for hunting rights can be bru-tal in some of the more popular areas of theHill Country. A fellow looking for a huntingspot sometimes feels he had better grab what-ever opportunity falls in his lap; he mightthink if he doesnt grab it, the next fellow will.What if the place is barely huntable? A badlease is better than no lease at all, right?

Thats seldom the case out west.Remember all those fellows you left in yourrear-view mirror? Let them squabble overthat 100-acre goat pasture. Typically, thereare fewer hunters looking for leases the far-ther the hunting land is located from a majormetropolitan area. Plus, since land owner-ship often includes multiple thousands ofacres rather than mere hundreds, one ranch-er could accommodate several groups ofhunters with individual pastures.

A ranch might even be made up of sev-eral pieces of property. I know one rancherwho has his home place east of Ozona inCrockett County. That property is dividedinto two large segments by a paved road,plus he has a totally different ranch west ofOzona. Essentially, from a hunters stand-point, this fellow has three ranches to lease,each of which could be subdivided for hunt-ing purposes if he chooses.

Most ranchers I have met in the westerncounties understand that deer populationsmust be held in check to maintain herdhealth. Few of them cling to the old sacreddoe mentality still common in some parts ofthe Hill Country. So, putting venison in thefreezer isnt a problem. In fact, just shootinga decent buck is no problem at all. All youhave to do is exercise a little restraint and

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Deer like this lurk at the edges ofcoverand of the Hill Country.



keep your finger off the trigger for a fewdays. In fact, its a good idea to reserve thefirst days hunt for looking over the bucksrather than filling tags.

My standard advice to any newhunters on some of the ranches Ive huntedis, Dont shoot the first 8-pointer you see.Of course, that could backfire if the first 8-pointer is the biggest one on the ranch, butthat seldom happens.

A ranch I hunted for several years inEdwards County was leased to a group of

hunters who didnt seem to understand thatthey were not obligated to shoot the firstdecent bucks they saw. They regretted itlater. After filling their buck tags early andreturning to hunt does, they always seemedto bump into a true giantwithout bucktags in their pockets.

If you hunt the right spot, you might evenget a shot at a good mule deer. Hunters inCrockett, Val Verde, and Pecos counties seea few pop up from time to time. Each ofthose counties has a short mulie rifle season,

generally running for two weeks beginningaround Thanksgiving. Check TPWD regu-lations for this years dates.

Last season, John Wallace shot an oldmulie in Val Verde County that scored 166-4/8 and sported several drop tines on bothsides. During the 2006-07 season,bowhunter Robert Kincaid put an arrowinto a Crockett County mulie that scored159-2/8.

Gene Perry told me that in the 1950swhen he first came to the ranch he now ownsnear Ozona, there were few deer livingthere, and the ones he saw were all muledeer. Eventually, the whitetails moved in andmost of the mulies either moved on or werebred out of the herd. He said there are manydeer on his ranch today that still show thedouble-fork mule deer influence in theirracks.

Hunting methods in these western coun-ties are about the same as anywhere else, butwith more hunting land comes the freedomto do more than just sit on a stand all day. Ahunter can do a little stalking, still-hunting,or mobile rattling without interfering withsomeone elses hunt.

Although stand hunting is a great way totake a buck, some people just do not like sit-ting still. Austin hunter Milton Harrell isone of them. Last season, he was huntingwith a rancher friend near Eldorado inSchleicher County. They were after a partic-ular buck that day, one they had seen in pre-vious seasons. Finally, the men spotted thedeer with some does about 600 yards away.The rancher didnt have to ask Harrell twiceto leave the stand.

Together, they crawled through grass,cactus, and sparse mesquites in the relativelyopen country until they closed the gap on thebuck. By that time, the big boy and his doeshad bedded in the shade under some trees.The hunter and his guide sat waiting 200yards from the bedded deer for an hour anda half before a doe stood up. When the buckrose, Harrell dropped it with his .300Magnum.

After what Harrell estimated was fourhours of stalkingand with cactus thorns inevery part of his bodythe man had hisprize. The buck had a wide rack bearing 19scoreable points that tallied 157-4/8.

Thats the sort of reward you can expectwhen you take your deer hunting to the edge.


ILLUSTRATION BY CRHIS ARMSTRONG34 N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8 / T E X A S F i s h & G a m e



by Bob Hood

he three most likely things to emerge

from deer camps across the state this sea-

son are the combined essence of fresh

coffee and sizzling bacon, mingled sounds of snor-

ing and cussing hunters, and tumultuous conversa-

tions regarding myths and misconceptions about

hunting.

T



I dont know about you, but I enjoy ahearty breakfast anytime, and would just assoon listen to the snoring of my huntingcompanions than to some of the wild hunt-ing theories that I have heard presented astruisms around a campfire.

Although many myths and misconcep-tions about hunting tactics and came arevoiced by inexperienced hunters, it neverceases to amaze me how many great huntersstill hold onto some very common myths.

At a hunting camp last year, one veteranhunter swore the key to finding big whitetailbucks was that they always bed down in thethickest cover and no one should ever huntfor them in open territory.

Although he was partially right, the wordalways helped create a myth. Some bucksdo prefer to bed down in thick cover, but forany hunter to ignore open ridges with thincover would be a mistake. Many older buckshave learned to rest in places where theyhave a broad view of their surroundings towatch for predatorsincluding hunters.

Other myths and misconceptions aboutwhitetail deer involve scrapes. It still amazesme that many veteran deer hunters have notlearned the difference between a buck scrapeand a buck rub; and many of those who havebelieve that the more scrapes one finds in asmall area, it is an indication that they weremade by a really big buck. In reality, a seriesof small scrapes located in one area, such asalong a tree line or atop a ridge, were madeby a young buck. If you find one or twomaybe threevery large scrapes along simi-lar routes, they likely were the work of amature buck.

Then there is the deer age vs. antler sizetheory. The size of a bucks antlers, as mostof us know, has little to do with its age, eventhough many will disagree. Age does play afactor in the development of large antlers aswell as body size in many bucks, but nutri-tion and genetics often have spurred thegrowth of some incredible antlers on 2-1/2-and 3-1/2-year-old deer. Also, older bucksin the 6-1/2-year class and older often growinferior antlers.

Another big myth about deer is what trig-gers the rutting season. Many old-timersbelieve that cold weather is needed to put thedeer in the rut. Nothing could be fartherfrom the truth. If whitetail does waited for acold front to arrive in most parts of Texas inorder for their breeding instincts to kick in,there would be a lot of frustrated bucks outthere waiting for the weather to change.

If you do not see a lot of heavy rutting

activity, it likely is because it took place priorto the season opening or at another timewhen you were not in the woods, such as atnight. Another reason could be the ruttingseason is being spread across a longer peri-od. After all, does go into estrus individual-ly. If they are not bred the first time they gointo estrus, they will be back in estrus againabout 26 days later, regardless of the weath-er. Photoperiod (ratio of daylight to dark-ness) is actually the prime mover of rut andmany other deer behaviors.

Many deer hunters also believe the besttime to be hunting is from daybreak untilaround 10 a.m. and again from about 5 p.m.until dark. They set their feeder timers to gooff about 30 minutes after daybreak andagain in late evening, thinking they havepatterned the deer behavior. Actually, inmany cases the deer have patterned thehunters and are more active from noon to 3p.m. because thats when quiet returns to thewoods.

As for rattling, some hunters believe itdoesnt work in some states. Some evenbelieve rattling works only in Texas. Not so.Rattling for bucks can be effective anywherethere is a population of deer, and the higherthe competition among bucks, the better.

This is also true for baiting. Somehunters swear that whitetail deer in somestates will not come to corn. Some go evenfurther and say deer in their area wont cometo an electronic feeder, but will come to apile of corn still on the cob. The fact is, cornis a universal whitetail deer attractant, andonce the deer get used to it being offered ona consistent basis, they are going to eat it.Depending upon the availability of otherfood sources such as food plots, they mightnot come to a corn feeder as regularly as deerin the Texas Hill Country do, but they willcome to and eat it.

Some hunters mistakenly believe that thejavelina, the little brush pig (which is nota pig at all), is vicious and will attack at theslightest provocation. Although a javelinamight attack if cornered or approached whilewounded, one is far more likely to skedaddleat the first hint of human presence. A bris-tled up javelina might look ferocious, but itis all bluff.

Myths and misconceptions also aboundamong quail hunters, turkey hunters, andother Nimrods. With quail populations at anoverall decline across the South, the lowernumbers often have been blamed on theintrusion of fire ants on newly-hatched quail,and a higher numbers of avian predators and

ground predators such as raccoons, skunks,and snakes destroying nests. The real cul-prits are lack of suitable habit and, at times,drought conditions coupled with extremelyhot summer temperatures that take a toll onmature and young quail alike.

Turkey have not suffered the same prob-lems as quail, but that doesnt mean thereare not some myths about them. I am adevout turkey hunter, but they sometimes aregiven more credit than they deserve. Indeed,they have good eyesight and hearing, but asI have said in the past, their scenting capa-bilities are not a factor in the detection ofhunters.

Myths also abound in the world of water-fowl hunting, but it is mostly confined tohunting techniques. Many duck huntersbelieve they must call as if they were in aduck calling contest, trying to produce theloudest and longest come-back call anyoneever has heard, to attract ducks to a decoyspread. Personally, I never have heard duckson pond or lake calling non-stop as somehunters do. This is also true when callingturkey. Patience and a shorter series of callshave killed more turkey and ducks than any-thing.

One species for which continuous, loudcalling works is geese. However, manyhunters have the misconception that geese onthe ground call to attract geese in the air.Actually, feeding geese call to let geese in theair know the feeding area already has beentaken. Expert goose hunters have learned thevarious calls geese make when on theground, in the water, and in the air, and areable to simulate an event in a natural way toentice birds in the air to join the aggressiveones on the groundand are not necessari-ly in a neighborly mood.

Another not-so-neighborly form ofwildlife is the feral hog. I have been told byseveral old-time hunters that the eyes of aferal hog do not reflect light, such as from avehicle headlight or spotlight. In fact, theeyes of feral hogs do reflect light, just as theeyes of deer and other animals do. Anyonewho has used a motion-activated trail cameraat a feeder or along a trail and captured pho-tos of feral hogs with the cameras flash cantell you that.

These are just a few of the myths and mis-conceptions that likely will rise aroundcampfires at hunters camps across the statethis year. Just dont let the smoke fool you.


FIELD PHOTOS BY CHESTER MOORE38 N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8 / T E X A S F i s h & G a m e

by Chester Moore



reams do come true, and I got to live one last summer when I traveledwith John Ritchey and Tim Soderquist of Ducks Unlimited to theheart of the Missouri Couteau region, North Americas mostproductive waterfowl breeding grounds, near Tuttle, North Dakota.

We went to survey the nesting grounds, the loss of native grasslandsto industrial farming, the positive benefits of cattle ranching for ducks,

and just to be there. A great deal goes into making a duck season, and whathappens on the prairie defines what happens in Texas in the fall.

DFea4:Layout 1 10/3/08 9:58 AM Page 39

1. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service basesmuch of its season framework and bag limits onmallard counts, which have fluctuated in recentyears. It was amazing see mallards feeding inroadside ditches and pairing up in tiny potholes.Mallards are very important for hunters inNorth and East Texas, but for those alongthe coast, gadwall, pintail, teal, shoveler,redhead, and other species make upmost of the bag; in this area, green-heads are a real trophy.

2. Much of North Dakota was dry over thesummer, with seasonal wetlands in short supply.

This pintail was on a tiny pond that still had water.The permanent wetlands in the area had water, but

small potholes are the most productive for nestingwaterfowl. The good news is, drought is a necessarycomponent of waterfowl production, and once wateragain covers these dried potholes, they become high-ly productive due to vegetation growth.

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3

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3. The difference between Conservation ReserveProgram (CRP) land and farmed land is striking. CRPpays farmers to leave land in a natural state, whichbenefits ducks, pheasants, shorebirds, and otherwildlife. For example, tilled land planted with corn isvery poor nesting habitat for ducks. Some peopleoppose CRP subsidies, but these payments actuallydrive the farm market; the whole biofuel debacle issubsidy driven. Government subsidies areinevitable, so conservation groups such as DUadvocate programs that benefit both farmersand wildlifewhich is exactly what CRP does.This is why you read and hear so muchabout the importance of CRP.

4. The author glasses a pond full of pintail,gadwall, mallard, teal, and shoveler on

DU-managed property in North Dakota.(Photo by Tim Soderquist)

40 N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8 / T E X A S F i s h & G a m e PHOTOS BY CHESTER MOORE

1


5. Birds produced from this blue-winged teal nestmight show up in coastal marshes and prairies ofTexas this season. It was amazing how far fromwater many nests are; this one was more than 300yards, and pintails sometimes nest up to a mileaway from water. This illustrates the impor-tance of healthy native grasslands as well aswetlands.

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7. Often called monuments of theprairies, these rock piles that dot the

landscape in the Dakotas represent thedeath of native grasslands; in the authors opin-ion, they are more properly tombstones of theprairie. When land is prepared for large-scalefarming, rocks are removed and placed in piles.

This pile, albeit small, was dug up just before wearrived on former CRP land. Ducks Unlimited con-

servation easements offer landowners a one-timepayment to insert deed restrictions to protect grass-lands and potholes.

7

6. DU biologist Scott Stephens examines amap showing the areas of highestnesting duck concentra-tionswhere we were stand-ing at that time. DU doesmuch of its conservation workin this crucial area, from perma-nently protecting grasslands tostudying waterfowl feedinghabits. Most of these nests producethe gadwall, teal, and shovelerthat make their way to Texas.

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PHOTO BY GRADY ALLEN42 N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8 / T E X A S F i s h & G a m e

by Barry St. Clair


t stands to reason that to catch abig bass it is necessary to fish forthem where they live. This isespecially true for the cantan-kerous largemouth bass, a fishknown to stake out a territoryand stay in it year-round, withsome seasonal movement as nec-essary for feeding and spawn-

ing.Texas lakes are internationally known for

producing large bass, also known as lunk-ers. But what exactly is a lunker? And, if anangler wanted to have a decent shot at catch-ing one in the fall months, where are they mostlikely to be found? Lets explore both of thosequestions and determine the five best lakes inTexas to catch a lunker largemouth bass whenautumn changes the landscape and the bassfishing, too.

First of all, what constitutes a lunker? Ask10 fishermen, get 10 different answers. Fish-ing is a subjective topic and what is big to oneangler is not to another. Determining thelunker status of a catch is usually directlyproportional to the experience of the angler.Young anglers are more satisfied with justcatching a fish, and so any fish can be alunker. Seasoned anglers lean toward a meas-

urable feature such as length or weight to de-termine lunker status.

For the sake of this discussion, lets playalong with Texas Parks & Wildlife Depart-ment Budweiser ShareLunker program rulesfor defining what constitutes a lunker bass.

ShareLunker is a well-known program ini-tiated in 1986 that encourages anglers whocatch a 13-pound or heavier bass during anOctober to April timeframe, to donate the fishto TPWD for research and possible selectivebreeding purposes. The idea is to improve op-portunities for catching trophy-sized orlunker bass in Texas by using wild broodstock for producing hatchery raised fish withgenetic characteristics to grow to very largesize. The 13-pound stipulation is designed toallow only superior fish into the program thathave what it takes to survive and grow tolunker size. Using these criteria, it is mucheasier to select lakes with lunker potential.

Amistad may be the best lake in Texas tocatch numbers of very large bass, but based onthe criteria established above, this giant lakehas produced only eight lunker bass over 13-pounds, seven of which have been caughtsince 2000. Adequate in-flows of precipita-tion the last several years has kept habitat intop shape, and the good forage base and long

growing season have resulted in high numbersof large fish available to anglers. The sheersize of the reservoir and the irregular shorelineprovides many excellent places to fish for bass.Spinnerbaits, topwaters, plastic creature baits,and jigs are excellent lure choices. In the fall,bluegill pattern crankbaits and jigs inblack/blue colors fished on main lake pointsand in the submerged grass beds are provenproducers of good fish. California Creek, SanPedro, and Turkey Creek areas are hotspots.The mouth of the Devils River is anotherprime location.

Falcon International Reservoir, with ninelunker bass of 13-pounds or more is, next inthe lineup. Falcon is well known among seri-ous bass anglers as a premier lake for catch-ing large numbers of big bassbig in thecontext that fish over 7 pounds are plentiful.When the lake is at or close to full, thou-sands of acres of prime habitat are available,and it seems as though there are bass undereach bush or tree.

Plentiful rainfall in the past few seasonshas helped the fishery tremendously in thisperennially dry region. Spinnerbaits, topwa-ter lures and plastic worms are some of themost productive lures.

Fall and winter are the best seasons to fish



for largemouth bass on Falcon. The summeris very hot and productive fishing is best atnight or early mornings. The lake shoreline isvery irregular with lots of timbered points, in-lets, and brush-covered flats providing excel-lent habitat. Rock piles, submerged timber,and flooded man-made structures providemain lake habitat. The lake record is over 15pounds. The best access is at the public rampat Zapata or the State Park in the southeast-ern corner of the lake.

Sam Rayburn Reservoir, at approxi-mately 114,000 acres, offers miles of shorelinehabitat. Since 1998, this venerable EastTexas reservoir has given up 11 lunker bassover 13 pounds and 23 since 1986. Topwa-ters, jigs, soft plastic lizards, jerkbaits, andspinnerbaits are effective year-round.

Florida strain bass have been heavilystocked into Rayburn for the last 30 years,and the population remains high and healthy.Anglers have the best luck fishing weed bedsalong creek channels, main lake points, andtimbered areas with jigs, spoons, and deep-diving crankbaits. Lipless crankbaits fished

over the top of submerged grassbeds along creeks is also a

popular technique. Whenbaitfishes move into shal-

low water in the fall,topwater and shallow-

running crankbait actionpicks up in the mouths of

creeks that have vegetation.Lake Alan Henry, located

about an hours drive south of Lub-bock, has been in production onlysince the early 1990s, but what afabulous lunker-sized bass factory ithas become. The lake is only 2900surface acres in size, yet it has pro-duced 25 largemouth bass of 13pounds or more.

Fishing flooded, brush-linedcreek channels and drop-offs arewhere most bass are caught in AlanHenry. The lake is deep and narrowwith ledges, rock piles, and steepdrop-offs providing primary mainlake cover. Jigs, plastic creature baits,and crankbaits are favorite lures.Fish the brush is the rule for an-glers wanting to tangle with a dou-ble-digit lunker. The lake record is15 pounds and was caught 31March 2006.

Lake Fork is the No. 1 lake inTexas for producing lunker bass.Anglers come from all over theworld to sample the bass fishing onthis hallowed reservoir. More than

half of the 50 largest bass caught in the statecame from Fork. These include the formerstate record, a 17.67-pound fish, and the cur-rent 18.18-pound record. Can you guess whocaught it?

Bass over 10 pounds rarely raise an eye-brow from local anglers, since 239 bass weigh-ing 13 or more pounds have been caughthere, 31 of them since 2004.

Fall to early spring is the best time of theyear to set the hook on a double-digit fish, butthey do get caught year-round. When autumncold fronts chill the water, bass move up intothe mouths of coves forming main lake points,following the seasonal migration of baitfishes.Topwaters, crankbaits, and plastic jerkbaitsare good producers.

Two of these lakes lie south, two east, andone west; it is hard to go wrong. But to playthe odds, it is nice to know that these five lakeshave a proven record for giving up the bigones. All it takes is being in the right place atthe right time...and a little luck.

PHO

TO B

Y G

RAD

Y A

LLEN

Bass, including lunkers, areactive in late autumn andripe for the catching.



Trophy Quest:Layout 1 10/3/08 10:12 AM Page 48

ALTHOUGH THE IMPACT TO PEOPLES LIVESand property was enormous, the after-math of Hurricane Ike might wellprove a boon to the coastal economy

as people replace or repair lost boats andfishing equipment. Boat dealerships, tackledealers, and even boat repair shops stand tosee significant gains.

According to James Petru, Director ofMarket Statistics for the National MarineManufacturers Association (NMMA),new boat registrations in Louisianaincreased significantly in the months follow-ing Hurricane Katrina. Boat manufacturersand dealers expect a similar reaction alongthe Texas coast as people who lost boats toHurricane Ike normalize their lives andbegin receiving insurance checks.

Houston and Galveston dealers arealready telling us [in late September] thatthey anticipate lots of boats will be replacedin the coming months, said Pam Parks ofParks Blue Wave Boats.

Parks also said that some dealers couldoffer special scratch and dent sale dis-counts on boats that incurred minor damagein the storm. But if the damage is majorand the boat is salvageable, some will seekmanufacturer assistance with repairs. If

damage is moderate but repairs needed,some will go to local fiberglass or boat repairshops. If the damage is too severe, the boatswill become insurance salvage.

Amy McDonald with Tracker MarineGroup said it usually takes people a few

TOP PHOTO BY TOMMY LOMONTE; BOTTOM PHOT BY ROY NEVES

Massive loss and damage to boats on the uppercoast could ignite a regional boom for boat deal-ers like LMC Marine in Houston and Clear Lake.

ALMANAC C.qxd:ALMANAC C 10/2/08 3:57 PM Page C1

months to assess damage, file claims, andsettle with insurance companies, but, Wedo expect a rise in sales and expect that itwould coincide with the buying season inearly 2009.

David Christian of LMC Marine inHouston echoed the manufacturers antici-pation of rising boat sales, citing a highlevel of expectation for rising sales.

We have heard unconfirmed reports ofup to 10,000 boats destroyed, Christiansaid, adding that anticipation of replace-

ment of those boats makes him expect tosee a huge positive economic impact. It isgoing to help the boat industry, no doubt.

Christian said in late September that hewas already seeing the kind of no-nonsense,can-do attitude that Texans are known for.The general mood I am seeing is positive.

Danny Thrower of Mt. Houston Marine

said that even though his dealership did notyet have electric power as of press time, theyfound a way to communicate with customersand immediately began selling boats: Wefound an old push-button phone andplugged it in, and it started ringing. Elevendays after the hurricane, we [were] alreadyselling replacement boats.

Thrower confirmed that the anticipatedpositive economic movement has precedentand extends to things other than boats, cit-ing a conversation with a Shimano tackle

C1 COVER STORY From Rampage to Recovery: Post-Ike Economic Boom Expected |BY CHESTER MOORE & DON ZAIDLE

HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION

C6 TEXAS HOTSPOTS Texas Hottest Fishing Spots | BY CALIXTO GONZALES& JD MOORE

C10 HOTSPOTS FOCUS: UPPER COAST Walloping Winter Trout & Reds |BY CAPT. SKIP JAMES

C11 HOTSPOTS FOCUS: GALVESTON COMPLEX Ike Moves More than Water |BY CAPT. MIKE HOLMES

C12 HOTSPOTS FOCUS: MATAGORDA & MID COAST Click & Clacks Provoke Attacks |BY BINK GRIMES

C14 HOTSPOTS FOCUS: ROCKPORT TO PORTARANSAS You Gotta Pay to Play |BY CAPT. MAC GABLE

C15 HOTSPOTS FOCUS: CORPUS TO BAFFIN BAYS Packery Skipjack Bait |BY CAPT. JIM ONDERDONK

C16 HOTSPOTS FOCUS: LOWER COAST YNot Sheepshead? | BY CALIXTO GONZALESC18 SPORTSMANS DAYBOOK Tides, SolunarTable, Best Hunting/Fishing Tim

november 2008

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