Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

An OHV is an off highway vehicle.

It’s a motorized vehicle and it’s mainly used off road on trails. In general, they’re not street legal. They include three classes of vehicles: motorcycles, ATV’s and full sized vehicles like jeeps.

Steven Thompson manages the off highway vehicle program for Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Texas is unique in that it has more off road vehicles than any state other than California.

OHVs appeal to a variety of users

I got my first motorcycle in 1968. I’ve owned them ever since. I’ve always enjoyed the thrill of riding motorcycles. I enjoy practicing mechanical skills, but while I was in Vietnam I was wounded and my right knee doesn’t work as well as it used too. And in fact, the surgeon told me in 1972 that I would get x number of steps out of that knee before I needed a titanium replacement. So it’s hard for me to get into the back country anymore and to walk there and carry all my supplies and there are many people that are like me. But over and above the folks that have some mobility impairment, riding off road vehicles is fun.

With 97% of Texas land privately owned, Texans have very little space to ride open to the public More information on one program that is trying to create more trails for OHV riders to explore – tomorrow.

For more information on OHVs, visit passporttotexas.org

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Kate Lipinski… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Off Highway Vehicle Program, Part 1 of 2 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

You know you want your kids to spend more time outdoors, but you’re stumped how to make that happen. The March issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine can help. Managing editor, Louie Bond.

This is an issue we’re so excited about because it’s just so relevant to everyone. You know, when you and I were kids, we used to go outside and play all day long outside. These days, kids have so many distractions; so many amusements inside that I think some of them have forgotten what to do outside.

And so, we’re really excited about this issue. And, so we’re hoping it’s going to be a keeper for parents and grandparents. When they’re wondering how in the world to get their kids outdoors, they can refer to this and know what to do.

That’s our show…Remember: Life’s Better Outside… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TPW Magazine March Preview Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

If one of your New Year’s resolutions included trying your hand at angling… but you don’t want to spend money on tackle until you know you’re going to like the sport…no worries. Texas Parks and Wildlife has a tackle loaner program for folks like you.

The tackle loaner program is a program in which we provide different sites with basic fishing rods and reels and some very basic tackle so that citizens can borrow that equipment and go fishing.

Ann Miller oversees aquatic education for Parks and Wildlife.

When you go to a tackle loaner site to check out equipment, you’ll receive a little tackle box with basic hooks and bobbers and sinkers of different sizes. You’ll also be able to check out a very basic spin casting rod and reel.

Anyone over 17 will need a fishing license to check out equipment. Persons under 18 must have an adult check out the tackle for them.

Each tackle loaner site has a simple form that the person who checks out the equipment would sign, saying that ‘yes’ they will bring the equipment back. And you will just leave an ID there –you can check it out for up to a week.

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.

Tackle Loaner Program Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

Each winter, inland fisheries stocks lakes and reservoirs with rainbow trout to provide a unique winter angling opportunity. Fish that escape the hook eventually succumb to the heat.

In Texas, we’re outside of the range where rainbow trout, at least for the most part, can survive throughout the year. So, we just bring them in during the winter months; and there’s an opportunity to fish for them until the spring.

Carl Kittel coordinates the trout-stocking program for Parks and Wildlife. He admits that—from time to time—a few fish manage to adjust to summer temperatures.

In years when conditions are right, particularly below the Canyon Dam and the Canyon tailrace, fish can survive the summer—occasionally. The problem is they can’t do so consistently, so we generally don’t get established populations.

So hurry and get these fish while they NOT hot. Anglers 17 years old and older must have a 5-dollar freshwater fish stamp and a license to hook a rainbow. You won’t need either if you fish in a stat e park.

We consider all of our rainbow stocking in Texas to be a put and take fishery. We put the fully-grown fish in, which are a catchable size when we stock them. And the purpose of stocking them, and our expectation of those fish, is that they’ll be fished out by anglers.

There’s a link to the rainbow trout stocking schedule on our website, passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with support from the Sport Fish Restoration Program…which also helps fund winter trout stocking in Texas…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Last Chance to Catch a Rainbow Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

Squirrel hunting was considered a right of passage for young people, but that’s changing. TPW TV writer/producer Ron Kabele tells us about a story airing this month called Last of the Squirrel Hunters.

We followed a father and his daughter, who were hunting on Engeling WMA. Her name was Macy; and she was very enthusiastic—she was about 12 years old.

I have four daughters. Macy is my outdoors person, so she likes to go and tromp out in the woods as long as the bugs don’t bother her too much.

And, his fear is that at some point, Macy’s generation is going to be the last generation of squirrel hunters. Squirrel hunting is actually a very good way to get people into hunting, because you’re moving around the forest, you’re not sitting in one place, you have lots of targets to aim at if you’re in good habitat. In other words, there’s lots of action.

(ambience walking) That other squirrel’s gotta be right here. Dad, put it in your pocket. Whoa. That’s cool.

A lot of time with hunting, it’s that first experience that determines whether someone’s going to be a hunter or someone’s not.

That’s our show for today…thank you for joining us…we receive funding from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program… providing funding for the operations and management of the Gus Engeling WMA.

We record out program at the Production Block in Austin, Texas. Joel Block engineers our show.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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Find out on which PBS stations the Texas Parks and Wildlife Television series airs when you click here.

TPW TV Feature: Last of the Squirrel Hunters Play Now | Play in Popup | Download