Passport to Texas

Fingerling flounder

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TPW TV producer Abe Moore takes us to the coast in September with a segment he did on fishing for and conserving southern flounder.

55—We hit the West Galveston Bay area – a place called Chocolate Bayou.

And you’ll have to check it out because it’s quite a ride. It’s like an airboat, and these nets. It’s kind of crazy. It’ll be on TPW Television the week of September 30th through October 6th. (Nice work).

Thanks, Abe.

The Wildlife and sport fish restoration program supports our series and celebrates 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…

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

Texas Hunters for the Hungry

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This is Passport to Texas

Venison is quality protein; and hunters help get it onto the tables of deserving families when they donate deer to Hunters for the Hungry.

09—Once it’s donated, the meat is used by food pantries, food banks, and other food assistance providers that serve their local communities.

Anitra Hendricks oversees the program. Hunters donate their legally tagged, field-dressed deer at participating meat processors across the state, which you can find on the Hunters for the Hungry website.

24—Once they locate a processor, then basically it’s just a matter of harvesting the deer, making sure that they get it cleaned out. The processor will handle everything else. There is a reduced processing fee for those who donate to the program. They pay the fee, they do receive a receipt for a possible tax deduction. The meat processor will grind the meat, package it, and then from there it goes to the food assistance provider.

The Panhandle, far west Texas and the Rio Grande Valley have the fewest donations because of low processor participation. Without nearby participating processors, hunters don’t have an easy way to donate. Anitra is always on the lookout for more processors.

08— The have to be willing to keep some minimal book-keeping as far as tracking donations and reporting that to us at the end of the season.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish restoration program supports our series and celebrates 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…

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

Texas Hunters for the Hungry

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This is Passport to Texas

This year as you plan your deer hunt, perhaps you’ll consider donating an animal to Hunters for the Hungry.

08—Hunters for the hungry is a statewide venison donation program that allows hunters to donate their extra venison.

Charitable food assistance providers receive the donated venison as two pound packages of ground meat. Anitra Hendricks oversees the program.

16—For the 2011-2012 season, a hundred and fifty three thousand eighty two pounds was reported by our meat processors. And that was 100 participating meat processors last season. So [that comes to] just a little over 600-thusand quarter pound servings.

The average trimmed weight of a donated deer is about 40 pounds of usable meat. By that account, Texas hunters donated just over 38-hundred animals. Their generosity fed children, elderly, and families in need.

11— So, what we have heard, first hand, from the agencies is that in many cases, the venison that they receive through Hunters for the Hungry, is the only meat –fresh meat—that they may receive on a limited basis.

We’ll have more about Hunters for the hungry and how to donate to the program on tomorrow’s show. Until then, visit passporttotexas.org for additional information.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish restoration program supports our series and celebrates 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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Interactive map of participating MEAT PROCESSORS for 2012-2013.

TPW Magazine October 2012 Preview

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This is Passport to Texas

When it’s fall in Texas, Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine becomes a hunter’s best friend. Editor, Louie Bond:

62—So in October, we have our much anticipated hunting forecast. And Steve Lightfoot invites us all to pull up a chair and grab a cup of coffee and sit down with a few biologists and talk about how hunting prospects are this year. For instance, with Kevin Kraai about ducks, which are up about seven percent this year. Jason Hardin and Mike Krueger talk about turkey and quail with guarded optimism. The squirrels had lots of acorns, because there was lots of rain this year. There’s plentiful javelina – they’re not even affected by the drought because they’re such great desert animals. Feral hogs…don’t even get us started about feral hogs. And white-tailed deer…well, I guess you’re just going to have to buy the issue to find out about white-tailed deer, because everyone wants to know how they’re going to be this year. If you’re not into hunting, there’s still plenty of stuff for you. We’re going to talk about sun fishing, and we’ll go three days in Chinati out in West Texas. And we’ll celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, which is actually responsible for so many of the wonderful things we’re able to do at TPWD these days.

The October issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine is on newsstands now.

The Wildlife and sport fish restoration program supports our series and celebrates 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…

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

Geocaching in state parks

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This is Passport to Texas

Geocaching is a kind of high-tech treasure hunt. And beginning October first, you, your family, and your friends can take part in the next statewide Geocache Challenge. Our state park guide, Bryan Frazier, has details.

49—We’ve divided up the state of Texas into seven regions; and within each of those regions, the parks that are participating have hidden treasures. You’ll need a handheld GPS, and a lot of people have those on their smart phones. And the coordinates can be downloaded –in fact the only place they can be downloaded is from the parks and Wildlife website – along with the passport booklet to take with you when you find these little geocaches that are hidden throughout the parks. There are tradable trinkets int here that if you take one of them, you leave something in its place. And there’s a log book that you sign. And the first several people from each of those regions that complete a passport fully stamped and log, they can turn that in for a prize. It’s a fun twist on park visitation. So, we encourage people to check out the Geocache challenge on our website.

Thanks Bryan

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.