Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program

Teal, a migratory game bird, is gaining popularity among waterfowlers; the blue wing, green wing and cinnamon teal migrate through Texas.

Of those three the blue wing and green wing are probably the most predominant.

Dave Morrison is waterfowl program leader. Size generally differentiates teal from other waterfowl.

Blue wings are much smaller birds. They’re usually about a pound. Green wings are probably the smallest of all dabbling ducks – coming in about three quarters of a pound. They fly in real small compact flights.

Teal season starts September 15th and runs for sixteen consecutive days.

And basically this season is designed because they are early migrants. Blue wings are probably the second or third most abundant species there is. Birds get up there, they breed, go through the molt, then they head back south. Texas is kind of a stop-over before they go into Central and South America.

Some years, says Morrison, teal season is only nine days.

This is based on the breeding population. When the blue wing numbers are above 4.7 million on the breeding pair counts, we have a 16 day option. When they fall below that 4.7, we have a nine day option.

Find a link to the 2007-2008 Outdoor Annual at passporttotexas.org.

Our show is made possible by the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…working to increase fishing, hunting, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife… I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Texas Teal Season Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration program

Texas anglers look forward to the annual running of the bulls — bull redfish, that is.

It’s large schools of mature red drum – male and female – aggregating near gulf passes to spawn.

Bill Balboa is ecosystem leader for the Matagorda Bay system. The bull red run begins in late August, crescendos about now, and continues through the fall. And these fish, most over 28-inches long, give anglers a good fight.

They call them bulls for a reason, and it’s because they’re very strong fish; they don’t give up easily. And, so generally most anglers are going to fish for bull reds in the surf using what I would consider typical surf tackle — which is a little bit heavier rod and reel, because what they can expect is a lot of long runs from this fish. They pull very hard. Much like a bull would pull if you had it on a rope.

Although anglers can reel in bull reds all along the gulf coast, their best opportunities lie north of Matagorda Bay.

A lot of bull red fishing occurs in Sergeant up off of Freeport; Crystal Beach and Bolivar, in that area, and off of Sabine Pass.

Learn more about the annual bull red run when you visit passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…made possible by the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…working to increase fishing, hunting, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Texas' Red Bull Run Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

When it’s so hot outside that you can fry an egg on the sidewalk, a lot of us wish for the life of a fish. We’d love to spend all day in the wet stuff. But a fish’s life is no walk in the water park.

When the water’s warmer it holds less oxygen.

Cindy Contreras is in Resource Protection at Texas Parks and Wildlife. She says fish are between a rock and a wet place in summer through early fall because as water that’s been heated loses oxygen; and as fish warm up they need more oxygen.

So it kind of creates a bind, or a squeeze on them, as the water holds less and less, but they continue to need it. Also other organisms in the water, like bacteria and insects, anything that’s living in there is going to be using that same oxygen.

Texas Parks and Wildlife stocks sport fish in reservoirs across the state. And according to Contreras summer heat causes the water in those basins to stratify.

The top layer is warmer and lighter, and rests upon a cooler, heavier layer of water. And typically the lower levels will not have very much oxygen or any oxygen.

And so the fish flounder in the warmer water… which is as good a reason as any to go fishing.

Take them out. Get them before they succumb.

Our show is made possible by the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…working to increase fishing, hunting, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Heat's Impact on Fish Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

Texans love making the trek to Austin the first weekend in October for the annual Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo. This free annual event offers visitors a chance to experience a wide variety of outdoor activities, including fishing.

You know, fishing is one of those things that the whole family can enjoy. There are no winners; there are no losers. They call it fishin’, they don’t call it catchin’. And, it’s a lot of fun to do, and you can get the basics and also tips at Expo.

Expo Director, Ernie Gammage.

As far as learning more about how to fish, one of the highlights is the big bass tub, which is a “ginormous” aquarium full of real fish, with an expert angler on top, throwing his line and lure, and showing you how to work it.

Expo extends angling opportunities to children, too.

Well, the kids can actually catch a trout or a catfish, and if it’s their first fish, they’ll receive a “first fish certificate,” with a photograph of them holding their prize. Those are great, and my grandsons have got those on the wall.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo is from 9 to 5, Saturday and Sunday, October sixth and seventh on the grounds of Parks and Wildlife HQ in Austin….and its free. Find links to Expo at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show for today… with support from the Sport Fish Restoration program… providing funding for the operations and management of the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TPWD Expo: Family Fishing Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

The Texas Parks and Wildlife television series airs a segment this month that puts the spotlight on a shy flying mammal – the Mexican Free-tailed bat. Ron Kabele is a produce for the show.

And the name of the story is Billion Dollar Bats. It concentrates on the economic impact that bats have. There are more bats in Texas than any other state in the country.

In Austin, along the Congress Street Bridge, there’s anywhere from a million, to a million and a half bats that come out every night. And they eat anywhere from ten to fifteen tons of insects.

These insects feed on agricultural crops, which in turn reduce the productivity of agriculture.

So, farmers love it, because it’s a way of doing natural pesticide control. [begin auction audio] The producer Lee Smith staged this thing with this auctioneer. They’re auctioning cattle and things like that, then they go and they auction these bats [end auction audio]. It’s all staged, but it was cute.

Check your local listings.

That’s our show…for Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
________________________________________________________________

Texas Parks and Wildlife on PBS and Cable
Stations and Air Times
Times and dates are subject to change, especially during PBS membership drives.

• Amarillo, KACV-TV, Channel 2: October–March, Saturday 6 p.m.
• Austin, KLRU-TV, Channel 18: Monday, 12:30 p.m.; Friday 5:30 a.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. KLRU2, Cable 20: Tuesday, 11 p.m.
• Bryan-College Station, KAMU-TV, Channel 15: Sunday, 5 p.m.; Thursday, 7 p.m.
• Corpus Christi, KEDT-TV, Channel 16: Sunday, 12 p.m.; Friday, 2 p.m.
• Dallas-Fort Worth, KERA-TV, Channel 13: October–March, Saturday, 6 p.m. Also serving Abilene, Denton, Longview, Marshall, San Angelo, Texarkana, Tyler, Wichita Falls and Sherman.
• El Paso, KCOS-TV, Channel 13: Saturday, 3 p.m.
• Harlingen, KMBH-TV, Channel 60: Sunday, 5 p.m. Also serving McAllen, Mission and Brownsville.
• Houston, KUHT-TV, Channel 8: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.; Friday 1:30 p.m. Also serving Beaumont, Port Arthur, Galveston, Texas City and Victoria.
• Killeen, KNCT-TV, Channel 46: Sunday, 5 p.m. Also serving Temple.
• Lubbock, KTXT-TV, Channel 5: Saturday, 10 a.m.
• Odessa-Midland, KPBT-TV, Channel 36: Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
• San Antonio and Laredo, KLRN-TV, Channel 9: Sunday, 1 p.m.
• Waco, KWBU-TV, Channel 34: Saturday, 3 p.m.
• Portales, New Mexico, KENW-TV, Channel 3: Sunday, 2:30 p.m.
• The New York Network, NYN, Thursday 8:30 p.m.; Saturday 2:30 p.m. Serving the Albany area.

Cable

Texas Parks & Wildlife can also be seen on a variety of government, educational and access cable channels in the following communities: Abilene, Allen, Atlanta, Boerne, Collin County Community College, Coppell, Del Mar College, Denton, Flower Mound, Frisco, Garland, Irving, McKinney, North Richland Hills, Plano, Rogers State University, Texarkana College, The Colony, Tyler, Waco and Wichita Falls. Check your local listings for days and times.

TPWD TV -- Billion Dollar Bats Play Now | Play in Popup | Download