By Mike Leggett

Sometimes it’s funny when animal activists put on bunny suits and hop around courthouse steps to get themselves on television.

I admit that.

And it’s funny that there’s always a camera around when they need one. Fast and foolish. My Twitter can outrun your fact every time. That’s the way of our world.

But this new rule on scimitar-horned oryx, for which the group Friends of Animals takes credit, is just wrong, and it’s going to cost lots of the animals their lives. At least their lives as they knew them.

It already has.

If somehow you’ve missed it, FOA sued the government to stop hunting of oryx, which are on the endangered species list in their native African desert habitat. In the wild, they are officially extinct.

Except in Texas. Here they survive on private ranches where private citizens pay to keep them and maintain their numbers.

The issue is that some of these ranches permit limited hunting of these animals for a fee. These fees, which can be quite steep, provide some money to offset the cost of maintaining herds.

FOA says that’s not acceptable. In an Austin American-Statesman story, Priscilla Feral, president of Friends of Animals, was quoted: “If an animal is an endangered species … they shouldn’t be tormented and killed in the interest of some trophy tourism industry. That is unjust. That is not what the Endangered Species Act allows.”  Click Link Below For Full Story!

via Another permit will not help save the endangered oryx.

Stan Lawing not only holds up the Big Bass of the Bass Champs tournament, but also ShareLunker 530. Larry D. Hodge, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Posted by WFN

If ever you were to catch a ShareLunker bass, where better than in a $30,000 fishing tournament?

Stan Lawing of Poetry, Texas, did just that, bringing in a 13.06-pound beast in a Bass Champs tournament on Lake Ray Roberts March 3.

Lawing had reeled his spinnerbait almost all the way back to the boat when a 13.06-pound bass took it. That fish is now Toyota ShareLunker 530.

The fish bit about 1:30 p.m. in 2.5 feet of near-60-degree water. He won big bass and placed third in the tournament. Half his bag weight was the one fish.

When measured at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, the fish was 25 inches long and 21 inches in girth.  Click Link Below For Full Story!

via Monster Bass Caught In Texas Tournament.

(CBS News)

The scimitar horned oryx . . . the addax . . . the dama gazelle – three elegant desert antelope that you’d hope to see on a journey through Africa, except that their numbers are dwindling there. Which is why Lara Logan went to Texas — yes, Texas. There, on large grassland ranches, some exotic species that are endangered in the wild have been brought back in large numbers. But there’s a catch: a percentage of the herd is hunted every year by hunters who pay big money for a big catch. The ranchers say this limited “culling” gives them the money they need to care for the animals and conserve the species. But animal rights activists don’t buy that argument, claiming the hunts are “canned” and that hunting is wholly inconsistent with conservancy.  Check out video below.

By RAY SASSER / The Dallas Morning News

rsasser@dallasnews.com

When archery season begins on Oct. 3, traditional bowhunters will share the woods with a new-style archer – the horizontal bowhunter. Texas this year joined a growing number of states that have approved the use of crossbows during archery seasons.

The change came not from Texas Parks and Wildlife, but from the Legislature. In the past, a Texas hunter could not use a crossbow during archery season unless he could prove a disability that made it physically impossible to draw a traditional hunting bow.

One exception to the crossbow rule is Grayson County, an archery-only deer hunting county. In Grayson County, crossbows are legal only for a disabled hunter.

Even in a depressed economy, relaxing the rules on crossbows created a rush in sporting goods stores. Bass Pro Shops reports more than a 50 percent increase in crossbow sales for all its Texas stores. A spokesman for Cabela’s in Fort Worth reported triple the sale of crossbows over a year ago.

Crossbow prices range from $300 to more than $1,000. An average crossbow hunting package, including accessories, costs $500 to $700.

For the record, traditional bowhunters do not like crossbows and do not consider them archery equipment. A similar controversy evolved around compound bows more than 30 years ago.

Traditional archery hunters make a valid point that legalizing crossbows is really about increasing retail sales and the sales of archery stamp endorsements. Anyone hunting with either a crossbow or a traditional bow during the early season must pay a $7 archery stamp endorsement.

All hunting and fishing stamps endorsements are included on the Texas Super Combo hunting and fishing license.

Other states that have approved crossbows as legal archery equipment are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming. An Ohio hunter success survey indicated that the crossbow harvest rate was 3 percentage points higher than for traditional archery equipment.

Because they shoot like a short-range rifle and are usually fitted with rifle sights, crossbows are touted as being well suited for beginners who lack the time or dedication to practice with a vertical bow and for anyone who lacks the strength to draw and hold a traditional hunting bow.

Texas has one of the longest deer seasons in the nation, and it remains to be seen whether mixing crossbows into archery season will result in more hunter days or a larger deer harvest. Clayton Wolf, TP&W’s big-game program leader, said his staff was called to testify on what might happen with the new regulation.

“Our best guess is that legalizing crossbows will result in more hunting during the archery-only season,” Wolf said. “Crossbows will make archery hunting possible for more hunters, but we don’t believe that the change will result in many nonhunters taking up the sport.”

Whether a bowhunter shoots a horizontal or a vertical bow, the challenge remains the same – getting within 30 yards of a wary whitetail.

CROSSBOW VS. VERTICAL BOW

Effective range: About 40 yards for either style. Archery hunting surveys indicate most deer are shot at about 30 yards.

No advantage

Arrow speed: Most crossbows fire a short arrow (called a bolt) at about 300 to 375 feet per second, about the speed of the fastest compound bow.

No advantage

Ballistics: The shorter crossbow bolt loses velocity quicker than a traditional arrow, but the trajectory is roughly equivalent to that of a compound that shoots about 350 fps. At 30 yards, the longer arrow drops about 17 inches, two inches more than the crossbow bolt. At maximum range of 40 yards, the compound arrow drops about 30 inches, four inches more than the crossbow.

Slight advantage, crossbow

Noise: The crossbow is significantly noisier than a traditional bow, and hyper-alert white-tailed deer have a habit of reacting to any sound. It’s called “jumping the string,” but the usual reaction is to duck and gather to run, a motion that causes the arrow to miss high.

Advantage vertical bow

Aiming: Crossbows are shot like a rifle. A trigger pull releases the bolt. Many crossbows are even equipped with low-power telescopic sights that allow precise shot placement.

Advantage crossbow

Reloading: Crossbows are slow to reload, and some cocking mechanisms are noisy. If you miss the first shot, reloading for a second shot at an unspooked deer is unlikely.

Advantage vertical bow

Mastering accuracy: Because the crossbow is shot like a rifle, often with rifle-style sights, accurate shooting is easier to master.

Advantage crossbow

Ease of use: Women, children or men with physical disabilities may not be strong enough to draw a vertical bow with sufficient speed for deer hunting. Thanks to mechanical cocking aides and string locks, crossbows are easier to use.

Advantage crossbow

Expense: About the same entry-level expense for both styles, $300 to $1,000.

No advantage

Weight: Crossbows weigh two to three times as much as a compound bow. Because of the weight difference, some form of rest or support may be required for accurate crossbow shots.

Advantage vertical bow

Hunting effectiveness: An Ohio study indicated a 19.8-percent success rate for vertical archery hunters, 22.7 percent for crossbows.

Negligible advantage

via Crossbows prove to be a quick draw | Outdoors News | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News.

Influx of hunters anticipated much like rain

By Jerry Lackey (Contact

jlackey@wcc.net or 949-2291″Welcome hunters” banners are posted along main streets in downtown sections of just about every rural town in West Texas come November. Both ranchers and merchants anticipate the annual influx of deer and turkey hunters much like a general rain.The seasonal guests bring an economic impact to rural Texas that keeps small communities and rural residents in business. The economic impact figures, which include money for gas, food, hotel/motel rooms and a variety of other things, normally turn over seven times for every dollar spent in a community.Jason Johnson of Stephenville, Texas AgriLife Extension economist-management specialist, said 1.2 million hunters spend $1.5 billion in Texas annually.”More than just the landowner and hunter benefit from the hunting trip and the hunting lease,” stated Johnson. “Restaurants, hotels, equipment stores — pretty much everything reaps the benefits from hunting.”Hunting is a tremendous opportunity for rural economic development since 65 percent of hunters come from urban areas,” Johnson said.”Many of the lodging facilities from all parts of town San Angelo see a sizeable impact from the hunters each year,” said Mikala Brownfield, president of the San Angelo Lodging Association. “Even though many hunters stay at the deer leases and in RVs, there are apparently many that would rather have the convenience of staying at the hotels and motels in town.”Brownfield, who has been general manager of the Hampton Inn in San Angelo for 10 years, said some groups of hunters have stayed at the hotel a couple times each year. They usually stay a week at a time.”I have worked many early morning shifts and get to talk to them hunters before they head to the deer lease at 5 a.m.,” he said. “What a great bunch of guests. They always make a point of telling me how good the hunting is in the area, but what brings them back is the great hospitality they receive from the people of San Angelo.”Brownfield said since the hunters start early, they are normally back in town by mid-afternoon. “They are always looking for places to go and things to do, which means they are more than likely spending their money in one way or another. I am always amazed at the impact hunting must have on our local economy,” he added.Another gauge of visiting hunters to the Concho Valley can be monitored at the San Angelo Regional Airport. Just about any day during November through December, outfitters’ vans line the airport parking area picking up or returning hunters to American Eagle flights.Chase Akin, owner of the Harkey Ranch southeast of Christoval, hosts hunters from all over the nation.”We deal with 10 different outfitters, he said, including: Five Star Outfitters, Coby Howell, Briley Outfitting, Frank Carter, Terry Owen of Fort McKavett Ranch, and Jim Roach’s Magnum Guide Service at Eldorado.”The Harkey Ranch, comprising 2,560 acres, lies in northern Schleicher County, about 30 miles south of San Angelo. The property is high fenced and divided into four large pastures. One pasture is exclusively whitetail deer habitat and the other three contain 36 exotic species.According to Parks and Wildlife statistics, Llano County is visited each year by more than 15,000 hunters who leave behind about $3.5 million.The whitetail density in Kimble County, as determined by the Quality Deer Management Association, is about 45-plus deer per square mile, said Connie Booth, executive director of the Junction Chamber of Commerce.It is one of the most densely populated deer areas in the United States.”Although the whitetail deer is the most widely distributed and hunted deer in Kimble County, it is only one of many animals hunted throughout the year,” Booth said. “Junction has a large number of hunting ranches as well as leases that offer many types of exotics for hunting year around.”Axis, Fallow deer and feral hogs can be found free ranging along the south, north and main Llano River bottoms throughout Kimble County.  Click link below for full story.

via Hunting industry impacts West Texas : Hunting : gosanangelo.com.

By Staff of Texas Parks & Wildlife

Email Print Tell us your story Comment

Research surveys show that finding a place to hunt is a barrier for many people in today’s Texas, which is why Texas Parks and Wildlife Department created the Hunt Texas Online Connection, a free Web service that allows anyone to view hunting opportunities posted by private landowners across the state.

In early 2008, the department invited landowners to list hunting lease opportunities in Texas for free, including last-minute openings. Currently, hunters can search more than 450 hunting opportunities by lease type, county, game animal, cost per hunter and other parameters. The service is free to both hunters and landowners.

“Anyone looking for a hunting lease in Texas can use this free service to find listings from landowners throughout the state,” said Linda Campbell, TPWD program director for private lands and public hunting. “This is one way we’re trying to better serve our license-buying public. It’s important to keep the Texas hunting tradition strong, since hunting supports wholesome family recreation, pumps more than a billion dollars per year into Texas local economies, and provides an economic incentive for private land stewards to protect wildlife habitat.”

To register, landowners can visit the main Hunt Texas Online Connection Web area on the TPWD Web site. Click “Get Started,” select a username and password, log in, and start looking at hunting opportunities. Leases can be seen without registering and logging in, but users must register in order to contact landowners.

After users fill out the online registration form, they’ll get an email with a long URL ending in the word “activate” — users must click this link to complete registration. If users don’t receive the activation email, it might be because a security system is blocking it. In that case, users could try placing hunt.texas@tpwd.state.tx.us in their address book or allowed email rules.

Hunters and landowners will determine if they are the right fit for each other, and all transactions will be between landowners and hunters. The new service also provides links to privately operated hunting lease Web sites as a convenience for the public. TPWD does not independently verify, endorse or warrant any of the information posted on Hunt Texas Online Connection, or any information contained on the privately operated hunting lease Web sites that are linked from the service.

Anyone can email questions, comments and suggestions about Hunt Texas Online Connection to hunt.texas@tpwd.state.tx.us. The TPWD Wildlife Information staff at 512 389-4505 can also provide basic assistance with the service.

via Free web service connects hunters with places to hunt in Texas | pegasusnews.com | Dallas / Fort Worth.

By SHANNON TOMPKINS Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

Shannon Tompkins Houston Chronicle

An abundance of insect-rich openings carpeted with native grasses is crucial to survival of turkey poults. A lack of this “brood habitat” is one of many factors limiting East Texas’ eastern turkey population.

On a cool late-April morning, in a beautiful creek bottom carpeted with glistening trillium and wild violets and crackling alive with singing warblers and cawing crows, I scratched out a series of yelps on a slate call, and three wild turkey gobblers thundered back.

Minutes later, a huge black gobbler warily strode through the open understory beneath the oak and hickory forest and into an acre-sized opening nearly knee-high with native grasses.

The big bird spotted the hen decoys, gathered himself and threw everything he had into a ground-shaking gobble. His paintbrush-thick beard danced on his chest as his body convulsed.

Hidden in a thick clump of cane, I smiled behind my camouflage mask and drank it in. Finally, after all these years, I had accomplished a personal goal: calling a long-bearded eastern turkey gobbler within gun range in country where my ancestors once hunted these same birds.

While the sense of connecting with family history and tradition were real and gratifying, a twinge of melancholy colored the moment.

I’d always hoped this meeting with an eastern gobbler on “home” ground would occur in East Texas, where my family has lived for nearly 200 years.

But after years of failure and frustration trying to find an eastern gobbler in East Texas, it took a trip to Kentucky — the region my ancestors left when they came to Texas in the 1820s — to accomplish that goal.

Kentucky is awash in eastern subspecies wild turkeys. Estimates are the Bluegrass State holds almost a quarter-million wild turkeys, and the birds are found in each of the state’s 120 counties. Each spring turkey season, about 80,000 Kentucky turkey hunters take 25,000 or more birds.

Optimistic estimates place Texas’ eastern turkey population at 10,000 birds. Annual turkey harvest in the 43 East Texas counties that have a spring season has hovered between 250-400 birds this decade, most often closer to 250. And a third or more of those gobblers are taken from just two counties in the far northeast corner of the state. In some East Texas counties open to spring turkey hunting, not a single bird is reported taken during the spring season.

The disparity between eastern turkey populations in Kentucky and Texas is stunning when you consider that, 30 years ago, both held almost none of the birds.

Both saw native populations of eastern turkeys evaporate in the early 1900s, victims of unregulated hunting and, in Texas, extensive loss of habitat.  Click Link Below for Full Story!

via Tompkins: Turkeys in Texas, Kentucky tale of two states | Outdoors | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle.

Outdoors With Larry Wilburn

In light of all the Swine Flu panic, I thought it would be appropriate to write an article on the history of wild hogs. Unfortunately it turned out to be much longer than the 500 words that you like. Actually it is over 900 words. Perhaps you can run it in two parts. In order to tell the story, it took that many words. If you can not, let me know and will write something else.

With all the media attention on the Swine Flu outbreak, there has been a lot of attention focused on swine both domestic and wild. Of course, we have wild hogs in abundant numbers around southeast Texas.

These animals do a lot of roaming around looking for good food sources and that often times brings them in contact with people.

The wildlife officials, as well as the health officials, report that there is no danger of getting Swine Flu from feral hogs.

To some, feral hogs are a menace and are looked at as vermin that does nothing but destroy pasture, crop land and kills livestock.

To others, feral hogs are an economic boom as hunters are willing to pay for opportunities to hunt the wild pigs of Texas.

Hunting for wild hogs is a great way to scratch that hunting itch while we wait on deer season to roll around again.

Texas wild hogs are second in large mammal numbers behind white-tailed deer with an estimated population of over one million animals. In some areas of the state biologist are concerned that the wild pigs will soon out number white-tails and cause declines in deer numbers as hog compete with the deer for acorns and forbs.

Where did all these wild hogs come from? Well it’s a long but interesting story that spans hundreds of years.

Wild hogs are in the family Suidae, the same as domestic breeds. There are 23 recognized sub-species of wild hogs in the world. Hogs are an old world specie that are not indigenous to the US.

Actually today’s modern swine can be traced back to the ice age. Hog bones have been found in caves and were apparently hunted by humans in the stone age.

It is believed that domestication of hogs dates to around 4,000 BC.

The first swine to enter the United States was in 750 to 1000 AD as Polynesian immigrants brought pigs to Hawaii.

The earliest record of hogs coming to the Americas is in 1493 when Christopher Columbus on his quest to discover America, had eight hogs on board as he landed in the West Indies.

It wasn’t until the year 1539 that hogs first made land fall in the continental US.  Click Link Below for the rest of this great article!

via The Liberty Vindicator.

By Hilary Hylton / Austin

The sight of deer munching in suburban gardens is a common one across America, particularly in places like Texas’ hill country, where at holiday time the ubiquitous roadside deer-warning signs are decorated with round red stickers by an anonymous artist in an homage to Rudolph, the most famous deer of all. So plentiful are the white-tailed deer in Texas that the notion of smuggling deer into the state seems absurd — yet this growing and lucrative illegal trade, with its threat of devastating disease, is challenging federal and state wildlife officers across the country.

Perry Conway / Corbis

There are an estimated 10 million deer hunters in the U.S., and 80% of the annual $20 billion spent in the hunting industry is focused on the pursuit of the fleet-footed creatures, according to a federal census study released two years ago. For Captain Greg Williford, a Texas game warden, deer-hunting is a cultural tradition that has undergone major changes in the past decade; he now finds himself using the same undercover methods employed by federal drug agents to combat deer smugglers, who are lured to the illicit trade by big bucks for, well, big bucks. “It’s like everything else in society — people want bigger, better, faster,” Williford says.  Clink Link Below For Full Story!

via Why Are Deer Being Smuggled into Texas? – TIME.