Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

You need to be a shooter before you become a hunter.

:12—Shooting sports comes first. Go to a shooting range and get some experience shooting. Nobody wants to cripple an animal. So, being proficient with a firearm becomes very important, and comes before the actual hunt.

Ty Harris is hunter education volunteer with Parks and Wildlife.

:15—The biggest thing to understand about the shooting sports is that it’s a big responsibility builder, and don’t be afraid to get your kids started very young. It’s not unheard of to have seven, eight and nine-year-old shooters come out and perform very well, in sporting clays or any of the shooting sports.

I witnessed a new shooter in the making. By moving the gun and the shooter together Harris helped newbie, Christina Huth, assume a safe and proper shooting stance.

:25—Don’t let go. Hang onto it. Don’t let go. Don’t let go. Don’t let go. Stop. Right there’s your shooting stance. So now, wherever the target goes, you go. Head, arm, gun, everything moves together. Okay? Up, down, right, left. Head never comes off. Keep both eyes open. That’s all there is to it. (That’s so easy). It is. And when you see the orange thing flying, shoot it. (When do I get to shoot?) Right now. (Alright.[gunshot]). That’ll break it every time. (I love it).

By the way, Christina has since become a Texas game warden, stationed in Val Verde County.

That’s our show for today…with support from the Wildlife Restoration program…working to increase shooting and hunting opportunities in Texas …

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

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This is Passport to Texas

I met Ty Harris, a volunteer with Parks and Wildlife’s Hunter Education program, at the five stand sporting clays field at the Parrie Haynes Ranch, near Killeen.

:12—And it’s a type of shooting game. There are numerous games. But in this type of shooting game you basically have five stations. And from the station, you’ll be presented a series of targets. Some right to left, some incoming.

Clays are launched remotely from each location, including from atop a huge wooden structure behind the shooters.

:07—This structure is called a tower shot. So it throws the clay from over your head and behind you; so it’s a very challenging target.

Harris says sporting clays offer real hunting situations.

:10—For a bird hunter, you never know where the birds are going to be coming from. So sporting clays provide that uncertainty, yet, you still have the anticipation that you know a bird is coming.

The shooting sports, says Harris, should come before you ever go into the field, gun in hand, to hunt.

:15—Before we become hunters, we are shooters. We can’t hunt if we don’t know how to shoot. So, a situation like this, where we can provide that shooting experience in a safe environment, just really lends itself to hunting.

That’s our show for today…with support from the Wildlife Restoration program…working to increase shooting and hunting opportunities in Texas.

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

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Invasive Species Campaign
:30 RADIO – Salvinia Monster
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REPORTING FROM THE LAKE

REPORTER: We’re here talking to one of the fastest growing invasive species in Texas.

SAL: Hi, I’m Giant Salvinia, nasty invasive species. I double in size every week.

REPORTER: I understand you destroy Texas lakes and ruin fishing.

SAL: Hah, oh, yeah, that’s my thing.

REPORTER: And that would be why Boaters, fishermen and skiers hate you.

SAL: Yep, but they do give me rides from lake to lake.

REPORTER: Folks, giant salvinia clings to boats, trailers and gear. So remove even the smallest piece and put it in the trash.

SAL: Don’t tell them that! Tantrum

REPORTER: Hello Giant Salvinia. Goodbye Texas Lakes. A message from Texas Parks and Wildlife.

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This is Passport to Texas

The Toyota Texas ShareLunker program anticipates accepting its 500th largemouth bass donation this spring. Carl Adkins of San Marcos, Texas, reeled in number 481 on February 27.

:09—I caught it at 6:45, just barely daylight. Caught it on a soft plastic off the edge of the grass. Pulled it from about seven foot of water into about 10-12 foot of water.

The program accepts largemouth bass, caught between October 1 and April 30, weighing 13 pounds or more into a selective breeding program. Adkins fish was 13.1 pounds.

:08—It really fought real well. I knew it was a nice fish. I knew it was a big fish. But I didn’t realize it was quite as big and I saw the girth on it.

Adkins’ donated bass will enter a selective breeding program with the intent of creating even bigger bass.

:15—I’m a member of a bass club, and we support it. We had one other member donate a ShareLunker. And I have a tag in my billfold that we printed up years ago in our bass club that gives the ShareLunker numbers that we have everybody carry in case we get one. And I was lucky enough o need the number.

The lucky angler who reels in the 500th ShareLunker will receive $500 a pound for every pound the fish weighs.** Find details about the ShareLunker program at the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show …with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…providing funding for the Texas freshwater Fisheries Center…

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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**Toyota ShareLunker 500 Angler Collects Big Check
Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation pays $6,670 for big bass from O.H. Ivie Reservoir

…and now for Sharelunker 501!

Lake Austin Produced ShareLunker Number 501!

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This is Passport to Texas State Park Getaway

You can’t put a price on our incredible state park system. But you can get a deal when it comes to visiting them. Our State park Guide, Bryan Frazier is here to tell us about the Texas State Park Pass.

:48—The State Park pass is a program that’s been one of the most successful things we’ve done in the last several years. And depending on how long you stay, or how many people go along with you on that trip, the State Park Pass can, by far, be the most economical way to see our parks. It waives the entrance fees of everyone in the vehicle—in a non-commercial vehicle—and you get some discount coupons for camping. You get automatic discounts on what you purchase on the state park store; so it pays for itself in about three visits, depending how long you stay. It’s $60 for 12 months from the date of purchase. So if you buy it May it’s good through May [the following year], you buy it in September, it’s good through September [the following year]. And, again, it waives the entrance fees for everyone in your car every time you come, so it’s unlimited visits as long as the card holder is present. And what we find it people love it.

Thanks, Bryan.

You can buy the pass at any Texas State Park. You can also buy it over the phone when you call the Texas Parks and Wildlife Customer service center at 512-389-8900.

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

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