Hunting Texas Special section inside * August 8, 2008 Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper Volume 4, Issue 24 * Hunting Annual 2008 www.lonestaroutdoornews.com INSIDE HUNTING Sandies, hybrids hot bites Schools keep anglers in class The Texas Animal Health Commission approved new BY CRAIG NYHUS rules permitting the transport of male hogs to Summer means hot white bass and hybrid striped authorized game ranches bass action at many Texas lakes, and North Texas without requiring blood lakes like Lake Ray Hubbard, Ray Roberts, Lewisville tests for swine disease. and Richland Chambers lead the way for many. Page 6 Gary Goldsmith, a retired principal, fished Lewisville Lake with Art Kenney and Michael The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Anderson. “We caught and released more than 100 Service approved liberal sand bass reaching the 2-pound mark,” Goldsmith waterfowl limits for the said. “With 30 minutes of daylight left we went to an 2008-2009 season. area called Queen’s Point for hybrids. As soon as we Page 7 started the bite was on — we caught 20 more fish at that spot.” FISHING The group was fishing Lead Babies Slabs in 18 feet of water. “It’s best to keep them as close to the bottom as possible when fishing for hybrids,” Goldsmith said. East Texas lakes find crappie fishermen switching gears to chase sandies when the crappie bite slows. West Texas reservoirs see the whites hitting on top. And in the Hill Country, the Highland Lakes often get hot. “All of the fish are on the main lakes,” said Joe Bray, who guides on several Hill Country lakes. “The white bass are the easiest to see on a depth finder; they’re Hurricane Dolly delivered a usually schooled up and around the schools of shad.” blow to the lower Texas coast, Bray usually fishes for crappie and bass, but finds especially near Port Mansfield. the whites near humps or ridges. “They are almost WHITE GOLD: Flower Mound fifth-grade teacher Steve Fogle holds up one of the many sand bass he has caught Fishing has resumed with See BITES, Page 17 on Lewisville Lake. He’s one of the regulars in the lake’s sand bass fishing fleet. Photo by David J. Sams. mixed results. Page 8 Lake Tawakoni is producing Comfortable summer limits of channel and blue catfish, reinforcing its official title of the "Catfish cats Capital of Texas." Page 8 Smooth cruising offshore CONSERVATION The USDA will not allow CRP BY DAVID J. SAMS acres to be put into production without repayment, after robust On a crowded Sunday morning Billy Holmes slipped corn and soybean yields and his catamaran into the narrow dock at Billings Bait less-than-expected crop stand at North Padre Island. His goal was to buy fresh bait for a routine offshore trip. damage. “Are you going out?” yelled a man on the dock. “It’s Page 5 nasty out there. I just tried it and couldn’t get out — the NATIONAL ocean is a mess. I’m going to fish the bay.” Holmes just smiled and said, “Let’s go,” as he idled A Montana federal judge past the 20-foot deep-V craft. stopped planned wolf hunts in Holmes wasn’t worried. But at the mouth of the nar- Idaho, Montana and Wyoming row Packery Channel the waves were 4 feet, with some after a challenge from animal NEW DESTINATION: Joe Knolle pilots his 26-foot Glacier Bay Catamaran on his way to the next fishing larger ones mixed in, creating very choppy conditions. rights groups. spot in the Gulf. Photo by David J. Sams. See CATS, Page 15 Page 18 PRSRT STD INDEX Dove, teal seasons set Time Sensitive Material US POSTAGE Classifieds Page 22 Deliver ASAP PAID Texas Parks and Wildlife finalized concern among hunters, landown- PLANO, TX Crossword Page 20 the early season migratory game ers, outfitters, and local businesses PERMIT 210 bird regulations, including dove and that economic factors are increas- Game Warden Blotter Page 10 teal seasons for 2008-09. ingly affecting hunting habits or will Fishing Report Page 19 A proposed dove season rule that affect them in the future,” said Mike would have removed one week of Berger, TPW wildlife director. “The Heroes Page 16 hunting opportunity from the end department therefore made the Outdoor Datebook Page 21 of the first season segment in the decision to leave the traditional sea- Products Page 24 South Dove Zone and added it to the son structure in place for the current end of the second season segment year while launching an outreach Weather Page 20 was not approved. effort to determine if the traditional Wild in the Kitchen Page 20 “Public comment received by the and historic dove season structure department indicates a growing See SEASONS, Page 21 Page 2 * August 8, 2008 August 8, 2008 * Page 3 Page 4 * August 8, 2008 800.716.5402 August 8, 2008 * Page 5 CONSERVATION USDA announces no CRP early outs The U.S. Department of and less-than-expected crop damage of the program and paying back the Schafer said that there are 1.1 mil- rental rates are determined from land Agriculture announced it would not as the reasons to not change the pro- rental rates and interest from their lion acres set to expire from the pro- prices over the previous three years, allow acres of the Conservation gram. contracts, Schafer said. USDA figures gram in September, and 8 million the recent spike in commodities has Reserve Program to be put into pro- One of the factors in the decision show a 50-percent increase in the more acres during the following two left CRP rental rates well below the duction without repayment. to not allow acres out without repay- number of landowners removing years. rental rates for crop production. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer ment was that many landowners their land from the program in the Rental rates on CRP land will also cited robust corn and soybean yields were choosing to take their land out past year. remain unchanged. Because the — Staff reports. Wildlife Forever names Award s to AWARD- WINNING honor quail Stinchcomb top educator EDUCATOR: Zoe Ann Stinchcomb, Zoe Ann Stinchcomb of the ic conservation education across the stewardship Texas Freshwater Fisheries her home state of Texas,” said education Center was named the 2008 Douglas H. Grann, president and The Texas Wildlife Association team leader Foundation announced its first “Educator of the Year” by CEO of Wildlife Forever. “The at the Texas Wildlife Forever. State-Fish Art contest has grown annual Conservation Awards. The Freshwater first year’s awards will recognize The award recognizes educa- 100-fold since her involvement. Fisheries outstanding quail stewardship. The tors who have made significant “Back in 1999, Texas had but Center, was 2008-2009 TWAF Conservation contributions towards conserva- four entries. It set a record in named Awards will continue the legacy tion education benefiting stu- 2007, when she first ran the pro- "Educator of dents. Stinchcomb received the gram, with 580 entries. Today the Year" by established by the prestigious award in Bloomington, Minn., the Texas State-Fish Art program Wildlife Purdey Award, focusing on the during the 10th Annual State- is the largest participating state Forever. recognition of land stewards who Fish Art Expo. thanks to her leadership.” Photo by have demonstrated innovation and “This individual has served Larry Hodge. dedication in management strate- long and hard to promote aquat- — Wildlife Forever report. gies that promote quail and quail habitat. Six awards will be presented in the categories of Habitat and Lifetime Achievement. The conser- Gray Thornton to head Wild Sheep Foundation vation awards are open to ranches, leases and individuals within Texas. The board of directors of the as executive director of the Dallas as expanding the scope of our American successes to sheep Nominations are due by Aug. 31. Wild Sheep Foundation (formally Safari Club, 18 years in conserva- efforts to a new world-wide focus ranges everywhere and become Quail experts will judge the nomi- the Foundation for North tion association management which is reflected in our new logo the preeminent wild sheep con- nations and conduct on-site visits American Wild Sheep) and development, and the talent and trade name, Wild Sheep servation organization world- with finalists. announced the appointment of and leadership skills we need to Foundation,” said Thornton. wide.” Recipients of the 2009 TWAF Gray Thornton as president/CEO help us achieve our purpose of “The Foundation for North The Wild Sheep Convention Conservation Awards will be hon- effective May 1. ‘Putting and Keeping Sheep on American Wild Sheep has been and Western Hunting and ored at a banquet on April 16, 2009 “Gray Thornton will be a the Mountain.’” the premier wild sheep advocate Conservation Expo is scheduled at the Omni Hotel in Houston. tremendous asset to the organiza- “I am looking forward to build- in the U.S.A., Canada and for Feb. 5-8, 2009 in Salt Lake City. tion,” Chairman Lou Rupp said. ing the Wild Sheep Foundation Mexico. Our mandate has — Texas Wildlife Association “He brings his 11 years experience and furthering the mission as well expanded to duplicate our North — Wild Sheep Foundation report. report. Louisiana coastal restoration gets boost from industry Ducks Unlimited received $25,000 from the Bob Dew. Sempra Energy Foundation to help restore The project includes construction of more than 900 acres of eroded marsh in approximately 70,000 linear feet of earthen Cameron Parish, La. terraces and associated vegetative plantings at The Sempra Energy Foundation is a 501(c)3 two project locations.