Passport to Texas

Scorpion on leaf litter.

Wildlife: Texas Scorpions Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

With crablike pincers and barbed tails, scorpions strike fear into the hearts of many who see them.

04— I think we have a natural reaction to anything with different body morphology.

Ben Hutchins is an invertebrate biologist at Texas Parks and Wildlife. He says scorpions dwell in a wide variety of habitats.

03— Pretty much any habitat except Alpine environments.

Although we have several species of scorpions in Texas, Hutchins says we’re not likely to run into them.

18— Usually, we don’t run into them that often because they’re mainly active at night; during the day they’re usually hiding under rocks, under logs – deep in leaf litter as well. So, we don’t run into them a lot, except when perhaps we’re in the yard gardening, or they might wander into our house at night.

It’s that last part about wandering into the house at night that’s worrisome. Why do they come into our homes?

08— It’s not really intentional; during their foraging, they might see a crack under your door as just another crevice that they’ll be traveling through in search of prey.

Once they’re inside, they could make themselves comfy.

08— If you have a room with the lights off and lots of boxes – places to hide – that mirrors their natural environment with lots of secure hiding place for them.

Note to self: remove boxes from home office and turn on lights. Find an article about scorpions in the June issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Chef Lou Lambert and his trusty kitchen helper.

Hunting/Cooking: Low and Slow to Cook Game Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Cooking venison for the first time can be intimidating, but Lou Lambert, chef-proprietor of Lamberts Downtown Barbecue in Austin and Lambert’s Steaks and Seafood in Fort Worth, is here to help.

60— I grew up hunting and fishing and still do today. But I think most of the lessons I learned about cooking game were more failures than things that worked out well when my mother was cooking.

So, lack of fat and more movement tells you that you have to do a slow, moist heat cooking method, unless you have it ground into sausage, or pounded for chicken fried [steaks], most of that deer – 80% — you need to either do a braise or a very slow barbeque smoke method.

Find wild game recipes on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website. The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series.

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

Primitive camping site

Recreation/Safety: Keeping Kids Safe While Camping Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If given a chance, children—even those enamored with electronic devices—will crave time outdoors.

07— Once they’re out and having a good time, then they just don’t want to stop. And they don’t even miss the electronics. They don’t. They don’t miss the electronics at all.

With Father’s Day coming up, Robert Ramirez — an education and outreach training specialist with TPW — says it’s an opportunity for dad to take the family on a weekend camping trip. He says: plan for success and safety.

33— You know, I have a laundry list of items that –as far as the planning goes — part of it is to educate them about the campsite, about the water facility. What they can do. What they cannot do. Where they can go. What to use. If they’re going to need a PFD [personal flotation device], or if they’re going to just go hiking to wear a whistle all the time. My kids always wear a whistle when they’re out and about at the parks. It’s very important to educate them about their surroundings — what to look for and what to stay away from.

No, never have. But, it’s so tempting for them; it’s hard to not use it just to see what happens with dad…where dad comes running from.

Are you new to overnight camping? Enroll in a Texas Outdoor Family workshop where your tribe will learn the basics of fun and safety in the outdoors. Locate workshops on the TPW website.

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

Family camping trip at Bastrop State Park

Recreation: Camping with Dad Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Camping offers parents an opportunity to bond with their children, and the kiddos a chance to connect with nature.

15— Kids love camping, and to get them outdoors is so important. Especially nowadays even more so with all the electronics that are out there. They are tomorrow’s leaders, and we want them to be conservation leaders. So it’s very important to get them outside and to have a good time with them.

Robert Ramirez is an education and outreach training specialist, and takes his kids camping whenever he can. With Father’s Day coming up, he encourages dads (and moms) to plan a camping trip with the kids. It doesn’t have to cost a lot.

16— You can find a lot of secondhand items at yard sales and Goodwill; my whole kitchen set is from Goodwill. It’s very inexpensive, and those are the kinds of things you’ll want outside that you can beat up or lose and won’t cost so much. And camping gear also – it’s there for you to find at yard sales and second hand stores for sure.

If you’re new to camping, consider a backyard test run.

15— Once you have your equipment and get outside in the backyard and do a test run – put up the tent and set up our little camp site and cook outside. That way you’re going to have an idea of what you’re going to need. Make a check-list of everything. And, educate your campers; that’s extremely important to do.

Find camping and safety information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show for today. .. Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram

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

Flathead catfish, courtesy Virtual Aquarium, Virginia Tech

Fishing: Help Improve Catfish Management Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Hand-fishing for catfish, also called noodling, is a new way to fish in Texas even though it’s been going on for years.

06— And it’s typically passed on from generation to generation. There isn’t a lot of new folks being added to the sport.

Hand-fishers use only their bare hands to bring a fish to shore. Kris Bodine is a fisheries research scientist. Hand-fishing became legal in Texas in 2011, and since then, TPW’s been trying to understand this user group and their needs.

15— What we’re finding is that a lot of these people fish with their family members — it’s just passed on down the chain. But a lot of these folks like this sport because it allows them an opportunity to catch really big fish that might be otherwise very difficult to catch.

Bodine and his cohorts are collecting data about them using a voluntary online survey.

29—In recent years we’ve been working on developing a statewide catfish management plan. And that catfish management plan requires us to have a suite of different kinds of information. One piece of information is we need to know about our anglers: what they want, who they are, what they’re catching, and how they want us to manage the fisheries. Because they are a new angling group to us, and we know nothing about them — virtually. We need to consider their needs in our future management practices.

The survey’s available through the end of this month. Find a link to it at passporttotexas.org [find link to survey below].

The Wildlife and Sport fish 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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HAND FISHING SURVEY
The survey should take five to 10 minutes to complete online at https://survey.tpwd.state.tx.us/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=8803304. Anglers may complete the survey any time between now and June 30.