Duck Opener: Areas for a Good Hunt by Todd Nafe
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ADVENTURE Hill Country rivers See Page 12 * November 11, 2005 Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper Volume 2, Issue 6 * www.lonestaroutdoornews.com INSIDE Target high rainfall FISHING Duck opener: areas for a good hunt By Todd Nafe Despite dry conditions, duck hunting guides reported a great opener this month. But for many hunters, a successful 2005 duck season will depend on hunting near water. The best hunting is concentrated in a few areas, and is sparse elsewhere — even in areas where the ducks usually congregate. Currently, the normal factors that contribute to waterfowl migration aren’t in place. Hot, dry weather has caused many stock tanks and seasonal wetlands to dry up, and the usual cold fronts push- ing southward across the Great Plains are late this year. To sum up the duck hunting outlook statewide: where you find water, there’ll likely be good con- centrations of ducks. Migrating shrimp are leading to Bill Johnson, a waterfowl biologist for Texas Parks a feeding frenzy for red drum and Wildlife in the Panhandle, reports that only 7 and trout, which is good news to 8 percent of playas, which are seasonal wetlands for coastal anglers. that collect rainfall runoff from surrounding See Page 9 uplands, are holding water. The number is down substantially from last year, when roughly 60 per- Texas Parks and Wildlife cent of the area’s playas were wet. fisheries biologists were shocked Despite the shortage of water, Johnson says there when their electrofishing survey are ducks in the area. “Where there’s water, there are ducks,” he said. “The best bet would be to start floated a 13.9-pound closer to Lubbock, where they’ve had more rain.” largemouth bass. Stanfield Hunting Outfitters is located in Knox See Page 9 City, one spot that has had plenty of rain; Jeff HUNTING VESTED VIGIL: Guides across the state reported success at the beginning of duck season. See DUCKS, Page 10 Avian influenza has killed nearly 60 people in Southeast Asia. While experts downplay the State officials eye likelihood of “bird flu” reaching North American game populations this year, they recommend that hunters take regulation changes precautions. See Page 7 Proposals heard on NATIONAL several fish species An 8-year-old Maryland girl took the first black bear in the state’s By David Sikes 2005 bear-hunting season. A report says that young hunters Proposals are afoot in Austin that accompanied by an experienced would eliminate tag requirements for adult are the safest hunters in redfish and tarpon, meaning anglers the woods. would be able to keep more trophy See Page 4 redfish and keep a state-record tarpon. The Texas Parks and Wildlife CONSERVATION Commission heard these proposals A conference this month brings and others — such as cracking down on a flounder limit loophole and state agencies and concerned RANGE RIDERS: Deer hunters across the state greeted a new season last Saturday. organizations together to turning tripletails into gamefish — at its Nov. 3 meeting. address the threats posed by Items within the scoping package invasive aquatic species. could become more defined after pub- See Page 5 Mother Nature lic comment and tweaking by Texas GAMING DECISION: The wildlife Parks and Wildlife staff. All or part of department is considering making the package possibly could return to tripletails gamefish. DEPARTMENTS the commission in January to be commission’s April meeting. aids deer season heard again. If any of the proposals The redfish proposal calls for the Migratory Bird Hunting Page 6 survive, a final version of each could elimination of the annual oversized- either be adopted or killed during the See PROPOSALS, Page 10 Adventure Page 12 Conditions bode well for success PRSRT STD Product Picks Page 13 US POSTAGE Dry range conditions across much tough time observing deer, which PAID Outdoor Heroes Page 14 of Texas heading into deer season kept a low profile because lush range PLANO, TX should bode well for hunters looking conditions provided ample cover Crossword Puzzle Page 15 PERMIT 210 to fill their tags, according to Texas and abundant food. Wild in the Kitchen Page 15 Parks and Wildlife Department biol- Hunters likely won’t face that ogists. problem this fall, according to Mitch This Week’s Weather Page 15 The general deer season opened Lockwood, TPW white-tailed deer The Game Warden Blotter Page 16 Nov. 5 statewide, except for a few program leader. counties in the Panhandle. The “We’re dried up real bad,” Bordering States Page 17 North Zone closes Jan. 1, while the Lockwood said. “This will be the first South Zone continues for two addi- year in the last four that I’m not This Week’s Fishing Report Page 18 tional weeks, ending Jan. 15. For the telling hunters to get away from the Outdoor Datebook Page 19 last couple of years, many of Texas’ corn feeders to find deer. I think 500,000 or so deer hunters had a See DEER, Page 11 IT TAKES ON KIDS. IT TAKES ON CARGO. IT EVEN TAKES ON THE COMPETITION. 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OnStar and the OnStar emblem are registered trademarks of OnStar Corporation. ©2005 XM Satellite Radio Inc. All rights reserved. The XM name and related logos are registered trademarks of XM Satellite Radio Inc. ©2005 General Motors Corp. All rights reserved. Yukon, GMC and the GMC logo are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. Page 4 * November 11, 2005 NATIONAL Girl, 8, kills 211-pound black bear Sierra Stiles, 8, was the first hunter to kill a “Clinging to the tradition of not allowing black bear during Maryland’s 2005 bear Report: Youth safest hunters when young people to hunt until they’ve turned 12 hunting season last week, and she did it or 13 may cause us to miss an important win- under the watchful eyes of her father and dow of opportunity,” said Rob Keck, CEO of uncle. accompanied by an adult the NWTF. “We’re missing the chance to As a mentored hunter, Sierra was able to do share this time-honored tradition with our something not many hunters have had the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and Southwick Data from the Youth Hunting report also children and grandchildren by making them opportunity to do: kill a 211-pound black Associates Inc. The report was funded by the shows that youngsters are less likely to take wait.” bear. National Shooting Sports Foundation and up hunting in states that have the most For more information about the Youth Statistics show hunters like Sierra — young the National Wild Turkey Federation. The restrictive requirements for youth participa- Hunting Report or the NWTF, call (800) THE- hunters supervised by an adult mentor — are NWTF has led the charge in promoting youth tion. However, states that removed barriers to NWTF. the safest hunters in the woods, according to hunting opportunities and has teamed up youth hunting have a much higher youth a report written by Silvertip Productions, the with the USSA and NSSF to do just that. recruitment rate. — A National Wild Turkey Federation report $1.4 BILLION President Bush signs law Secretary of Interior Norton curbing firearm lawsuits President George W. Bush recently port. passed similar legislation outlawing highlights economic impact signed into law the “Protection of In the Senate, the measure passed frivolous lawsuits aimed at the gun Lawful Commerce in Arms Act,” 65-31. The House of Representatives industry. However, the new law cre- of national wildlife refuges which bans lawsuits designed to overwhelmingly passed the bill 283- ates judicial uniformity in all courts punish American firearm manufac- 144. across the United States. turers and retailers. Passage of the act was the NRA’s “This law will help preserve the Secretary of the Interior Gale Highlights from the Banking on “I would like to thank President No. 1 legislative priority. American firearms industry and also Norton today released a report that Nature 2004 report include: Bush for signing the most significant “What we witness today is the cul- help preserve American manufactur- shows recreational use of the More than 80 percent of retail piece of pro-gun legislation in twenty mination of a seven-year effort that ing jobs. American companies will national wildlife refuges generated sales came from people who trav- years into law,” said Wayne LaPierre, included a comprehensive legislative cease to make products if they con- almost $1.4 billion in total econom- eled some distance to get to nation- the National Rifle Association’s exec- and election strategy,” said Chris W. tinue to be sued every time a violent ic activity during the 2004 fiscal al wildlife refuges. Local residents utive vice president.