Doves usher in a new season * September 12, 2008 Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper Volume 5, Issue 2 * Report on Page 6 www.lonestaroutdoornews.com INSIDE Flyway rivalry prompts HUNTING Texas’ dove research Timing of hunt causes stir among hunters BY CRAIG NYHUS on doves. A team was out two days prior to the hunting season to collect Dove hunters in Texas have long bird specimens for a study compar- feared a federal requirement for the ing the effectiveness of lead and non- use of nonlead shot to pursue their lead shot. But some outfitters and hunters were taken aback by the early Grayson County has become quarry. The state holds the same con- cerns, especially after other states in shooting. famous for its big bucks in the the Central Flyway tried to force Texas Parks and Wildlife biologists state’s lone archery-only Texas to require nonlead shot based are in the first year of a multi-year county. A petition to modify on their waterfowl studies, according study to determine the effectiveness the archery-only rule has many GUNNING FOR RESEARCH: Using volunteer hunters, TPW biologists are to officials. of different load types on wild hunters up in arms. conducting a three-year study of shot effectiveness on dove, but the early That was the genesis of Texas’ own mourning doves using trained Page 7 hunt caused a PR nightmare for officials. Photo by TPW. study on the effect of nonlead shot See DOVE, Page 16 Teal are arriving on schedule along the Texas coast in time for the early season. Hunters are hoping Hurricane Ike doesn’t scatter them. Deep-water bottom dropping Page 6 FISHING With the southern flounder population still declining, anglers can expect changes in regulations next year. Page 8 Jackie Kennedy has fished Fairfield Lake for years, and this year has two records to show for it. A recent fish kill isn’t expected to affect the fishery. Page 9 CONSERVATION The Nature Conservancy helped HEAVY WEIGHT, HEAVIER FISH: Bill Cannan holds an estimated 55-pound warsaw grouper caught 58 miles off of Port O’Connor. Cannan’s deep-water technique is to train firefighters to conduct use heavy lead weights and live bait to get bites from large bottom fish. Photo by David J. Sams. prescribed burns in the BY DAVID J. SAMS or amberjack might be eyeing your Refugio-Goliad prairie. bait.” Page 5 Some of the best tasting fish come Big fish waiting below Cannan said you’ll know a big fish from the deepest part of the ocean. is lurking because the end of your NATIONAL And finding and catching them isn’t hard. Just dial up the waypoints, dropped some live bait over the side rod will be shaking like crazy as the Arkansas has lifted its three- that difficult. plug them in and push the throttles attached to a heavy lead weight. bait tries to escape. “When it gets year ban on spinning-wing With modern electronics, finding to full. “When the bait hits the bottom, heavy, start reeling fast and let the decoys for this waterfowl a shipwreck 45 miles from port isn’t Bill Cannan of Port O’Connor hold on,” he said. “A huge grouper See OFFSHORE, Page 21 season. Page 28 PRSRT STD Houston hosts TPW Commission Time Sensitive Material US POSTAGE INDEX Deliver ASAP PAID Classifieds Page 20 annual public meeting PLANO, TX PERMIT 210 Crossword Page 12 BY CRAIG NYHUS the Houston Zoo in late August. Game Warden Blotter Page 10 Where last year’s meeting in Austin Fishing Report Page 15 The Texas Parks and Wildlife had only a handful of people request Commission did something it had- the chance to speak to the commis- Heroes Page 13 n’t done in more than 10 years — sion, in Houston about 70 people Hunting Season Dates Page 18 took its annual public meeting on took advantage of the three minutes Outdoor Datebook Page 18 the road, this time to the Houston allotted to each to share their views. Products Page 23 Zoo. Commission members and “It’s a wonderful opportunity to Weather Page 12 Parks and Wildlife officials said it come out where our constituents are,” said Commission Chairman Wild in the Kitchen Page 12 proved to be a popular decision. The annual meeting was held at See MEETING, Page 16 Page 2 * September 12, 2008 September 12, 2008 * Page 3 Page 4 * September 12, 2008 880000..771166..55440022 September 12, 2008 * Page 5 CONSERVATION Orvis stores secure grant Prescribed fire training held in Texas The Nature Conservancy led an effort for the Lower Mountain in the heart of Texas’ Refugio-Goliad Prairie to train 20 firefighters from pri- vate organizations and federal agencies Fork River Foundation in the planning, implementation and evaluation of prescribed fires. Cooperation between the Orvis retail stores Held in Victoria and called the in Arlington and Dallas has paid off with a Training Implementation Module, the $10,000 conservation grant being awarded by program was developed by Jeremy Bailey, the Orvis Company to the Lower Mountain the Conservancy’s training and net- Fork River Foundation. works coordinator for the western United The grant money will go toward projects to States. improve stream habitat for the rainbow and “The Conservancy’s cooperative fire brown trout in the Lower Mountain Fork program on ranches here in the Refugio- River, located in southeastern Oklahoma. Goliad Prairie provides a unique oppor- The LMFRF was founded in 2002 to donate tunity to expose fire practitioners from funds directly to the Oklahoma Department of all over the country to leadership in fire Wildlife Conservation for projects to improve management,” Bailey said. the trout habitat of the Lower Mountain Fork Participating students came from nine River. The LMFRF has a large number of sup- states and several different federal agen- porters who live in the DFW area. cies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife “This is a great opportunity to give back to Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the the river that so many of our customers National Park Service and the Bureau of BURN AND LEARN: The Nature Conservancy conducted demonstration burns to help train enjoy,” said Sean Polk, fishing manager of the Land Management. firefighters in prescribed burn implementation. Photo by The Nature Conservancy. Orvis Dallas store. “It’s good to know that the Despite multiple rainstorms, the pro- river we all enjoy will be cared for and gram managed to conduct demonstra- plains. The Conservancy uses highly improving cattle forage and simultane- improved.” tion burns on more than 600 acres of pri- trained professional firefighters to con- ously improving habitat for wildlife such The Lower Mountain Fork River is the clos- vate lands spanning two participating duct prescribed burning on private as bobwhite quail and Attwater’s prairie est year-round trout fishing destination to the ranches. ranches to conserve and restore the chicken,” said Ray Guse, a prescribed fire DFW area. This past April, the Lower The Conservancy’s Refugio-Goliad region’s ecosystem, which includes some specialist for the Conservancy who is Mountain Fork River was hit by flooding that Prairie Project includes 25 cooperating of largest and highest-quality coastal based in Victoria. damaged or greatly altered much of it’s in ranches encompassing more than prairie habitat remaining in the state. stream habitat. 197,000 acres on South Texas’ coastal “Our work here has the dual benefit of — Nature Conservancy of Texas report. The Orvis grant money will be multiplied by matching grants from other sources and will fund habitat restoration in areas damaged by the flood. National Hunting and Fishing Day set Sept. 27 “The LMFRF is in my opinion the single Hunting and Fishing Day in Texas and depends on hunters, anglers and shooters. In Texas, hunting and fishing contribute biggest contributing factor to the overall suc- across the nation is slated for Sept. 27 and In fact, through licenses and excise taxes, more than $14 billion annually to the cess of the Lower Mountain Fork River,” said every outdoors person is encouraged to these outdoor enthusiasts generate state’s economy, according to data in the Jef Fair, fishing manager of the Orvis extend an invitation to family, friends, $100,000 every 30 minutes for fish, 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, Arlington store. “If the foundation keeps get- neighbors and co-workers to step outside wildlife and habitat programs. and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. ting the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife and share the values and the fun of the A wide range of activities will mark Sponsors for 2008 include Wonders of Conservation the funding it needs, there is no outdoors. Hunting and Fishing Day nationwide Wildlife, NSSF, Bass Pro Shops, The question in my mind that this fishery will At the urging of the National Shooting sponsored by sportsman’s clubs, conserva- Sportsman Channel, National Wild Turkey someday rank among the premier tailwater Sports Foundation, Congress designated tion groups and civic agencies. Texas Parks Federation, Realtree, Cabela’s, Woolrich, trout streams in the nation.” National Hunting and Fishing Day on the & Wildlife Expo, while scheduled for Oct. and Smith & Wesson. fourth Saturday of every September as a 4-5, is working toward the same end, intro- — Orvis report. public reminder that good conservation ducing the young and old to the outdoors. — Staff reports. Robert L. ‘Bob’ Cook named Texas Outdoorsman of the Year Robert L. “Bob” Cook, recently retired senting this award for 48 years. Until 2005 executive director of Texas Parks and it was hosted by the San Antonio Angler’s Wildlife, has been named Texas Club and was a San Antonio-based award.