Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Geocaching involves inputting latitude and longitude coordinates into a GPS unit and using the information to locate hidden caches.

What we’re going to do is, we’re going to have a low tech version, too, where it will just be a physical description of how to get to the cache.

Chris Holmes, outdoor education coordinator for state parks, is talking about The Texas Geocache Challenge—a four month pilot program (beginning November 1), which brings geocaching into 12 Central Texas State Parks…and more people into the outdoors.

So, people—if they don’t have this technology—can still participate in the event. They’ll just have physical directions to get to the cache; and then they can still find treasure in state parks.

Don’t think the low tech version is without its challenges.

That’s what the fun part is—making these descriptions so that they are a little bit challenging. For example, it may be, make sure that you walk east on the lost pines trail for half a mile until you see the big outcropping of rocks. And the cache is within 300 feet of the outcrop.

As the pilot is successful, it will be expanded into more parks. Go to passporttotexas.org to learn how geocaching works, and how locating all 12 caches will make you eligible for additional prizes.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Technology and nature join forces in the Texas Geocache Challenge.

It’s a new program that we’re piloting in Central Texas. And really what it is is using technology and going out and finding treasure in state parks.

Chris Holmes, outdoor education coordinator for state parks, says to play…visit the 12 State parks in the pilot between November and February and find each of the hidden caches.

What they’re going to do is they’ll go to the Texas Parks and Wildlife website and they’ll look at the Texas Geocache Challenge site, and they’ll have an opportunity to download a PDF passport. And this passport will have the 12 sites in there, with an area where they can prove that they’ve actually been to the geocache.

There’s a stamp inside each cache unique to the site—you’ll use it to mark your passport. That’ll prove you found the goodies.

Once they’ve done the 12 sites, and they’ve got their 12 stamps in the passport, then they can send it back to us, and we will provide an additional prize for them. It’s going to be a certificate, and it’s going to be a nice poster with a map of all the caches that they’ve been to.

No GPS? No problem. You can still play—and we tell you how tomorrow.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Five dollars might buy a couple of gallons of gas for your truck—but that won’t get you far. Now, if you were to spend those five dollars on a chance to win a Lifetime Super Combo hunting and fishing license…

That enables folks to hunt and fish for free forever…if you’re a winner.

And forever is a very long time. Glenda Beasley is TPW marketing manager. If you were to buy a Lifetime Super Combo license, you’d spend $1,800.

It’s quite a value for you to be able to buy a five dollar entry to win the chance for an $1,800 prize. And, with the lifetime license, you also receive all of the state required stamps that go with that. So it is an additional value.

Everything except the federal duck stamp is included for your lifetime license. The drawing is open only to Texas residents; enter as many times as you like. Buy entries wherever you buy hunting or fishing licenses. There will be two drawings.

The deadlines for entering are the evening of December 27, 2009, and June 27, 2010. And if you enter before December 27th, you’re also eligible to be in the drawing that is going to occur after June 27th.

That’s as long as you don’t win the December 30th drawing. Fingers crossed, right?

Money spent on these chances goes to support conservation work in Texas. We have a link to the official rules at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… Good Luck! …For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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

We’re in the midst of dove season, which comes with rewards and responsibilities.

We want everybody to have a really good time and be safe while you’re out there. But, so many times we look around a dove area where people have hunted, and we see a lot of trash and debris that the hunter has carried out there.

Hunter education coordinator, Terry Erwin, says leaving trash behind can be harmful to animals that use the land.

Any debris that you took in with you, always take it out. Pick up your hulls especially. The expended shotgun shell hulls that are laying on the ground—cattle will pick those up and eat them. And, sometimes it will be very detrimental to that cattle’s well being.

Packing out whatever you packed in is just one part of being a responsible hunter. The daily bag limit for dove is 15 birds…but what if you shoot your limit and can’t find one of the birds?

If you actually happen to shoot a dove and you can’t find him, although you may only bring home fourteen doves, the one that you didn’t find—let that be part of your bag limit.

Improving your skills and hunting with man’s best friend is all part of responsible hunting.

Always practice and home your shot-gunning skills, and always use a good retriever dog that will help you find that bird so that it’s not wounded and lost.

Find hunting information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Sport fish and Wildlife Restoration program…supports our series and is funded by your purchase of hunting and fishing equipment and motorboat fuel…For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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

Hunting season is here. And while the last thing a hunter wants to think about is a problem in the field, it pays to be prepared.

That means making sure you have everything that’s available that you need even for a short outing, and then always hunt your plan.

Hunter Education coordinator, Terry Erwin also advises to make others aware of your plan.

In other words, let them know where you’re going to be, what time you intend to leave, and what time you intend to return. If you don’t get back during that specified time, then they know to come looking for you.

Hunters should never go into the field alone; they should have a way to communicate with their partners, either by cell phone or two-way radios. And then there are the maps.

So always keep a topographical map and mark the positions on it of where you’re going to be. If an accident were to happen, and you would need help, always have a ranch map, or have someone who knows the ranch location…because if you’re out in stand number 27, and an accident happens, who in the world is going to know where stand number 27 is? So, have a topo map with the stand locations, and easy access—or a map to get directions for the emergency services to get there if at all needed.

Of course, we hope you never need those services. Find hunting safety information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

Our show…receives support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program…funded by your purchase of hunting and fishing equipment and motorboat fuel…For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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