Passport to Texas

Jackrabbit hiding behind prickly pear cactus.

Hunting Rabbits and Hares in Texas Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

People who hunt rabbits say they find it more engaging than waiting hours in a blind for a deer to visit a feeder.

Sometimes when you’re deer hunting, you might be sitting in a blind just being quiet and waiting and not see anything.

You don’t have to “bait and wait” with rabbits; they’re everywhere. Heidi Rao, a hunter education specialist, says rabbits and hares may be hunted year round, statewide.

In West Texas, you do have the larger jackrabbits. We do have some larger rabbits and hares down in South Texas. There is an abundance of rabbits across Texas.

A hunting license is still necessary. Rao says you can use a shotgun when rabbit hunting, but they tend to be loud.

If you plan on doing a day of rabbit hunting, and you’re using a shotgun, you could scare away some of the other rabbits in the area. They could hunker down and hide because of the noise. A .22 rifle or pistol is a lot quieter.

Heidi Rao offers tips on hunting rabbits.

The best way to hunt rabbits—they love cover. They hide near their food source. So that’s a great way to hunt rabbit, along what we call edge. Which is the edge of their habitat versus the open area.

Find hunting information by species on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Wildlife restoration program supports our series and works to promote shooting sports and hunting in Texas.

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

Side-by-side comparison of a cottontail (left) and hare (right).

Rabbits Versus Hares -- Some Differences Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

A cottontail is a rabbit and a jackrabbit is a hare. And although they’re in the same family, they’re different species. Hares have longer ears and back legs than rabbits—and the differences don’t stop there.

One of the differences between hares and rabbits are the types of nests they build. And this is determined by the condition of their young at birth.

Heidi Rao is a hunter education specialist. She says true rabbits are born hairless, blind, and dependent on their mother’s care.

A young jackrabbit is actually born with his eyes open, and his body fully furred, and with the ability to hop around only moments after birth. It doesn’t need an elaborate nest to be reared.

Hares are less social, and they give birth and raise their young in above ground nests. Rabbits live in groups, and give birth and raise their young in underground burrows or warrens. There is one exception. The cottontail.

The eastern cottontail’s nest is a saucer-like depression three or four inches deep and about eight inches across. And they line it with mouthfuls of soft, dead grass mixes, and hair from the mother’s body.

Hares are more skittish than rabbits and do not make good pets. But they both are good eating. Hunting rabbits and hares…that’s tomorrow.

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

Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine: Then, now, always.

The Future of Print Editions of TPW Magazine Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Technological advancements have changed the way we consume information. Many of us have put down newspapers, magazine and books in favor of digital devices.

Even the 75 year old Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine has an APP. So, I checked in with Editor, Louie Bond, to get her thoughts on whether she believes this outdoor magazine of Texas it will remain a print publication.

I truly believe that we will always have a print copy.

I think that there’s a great love for readers young and old to have that quiet time that you spend away from all screens—and to just hold that magazine in your hand and turn the page and see what surprise is next—rather than looking up a certain topic digitally and seeing it that way.

So for me, I’m an old school paper, print journalism person. So, I love the experience of picking up a magazine and not knowing what the next page is going to bring. And I don’t think you get that same feeling in an app.

However, a lot of young people get their information digitally. So, that enables us to reach both audiences. And it doesn’t really take anything away from our print magazine to add digital viewers as well.

The January/February issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine is on newsstands now. You can also download the app from tpwmagazine.com.

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.

The TPW Magazine App gives readers the monthly issues of the magazine and so much more.

Biggest Change for TPW Magazine in 75 Years Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Generations of Texans have enjoyed Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine. This year the publication observes its seventy-five year anniversary. I asked editor, Louie Bond, what she considers one of biggest changes to the magazine since the first issue debuted in 1942.

I’ve now been the editor for 10 years. In Parks and Wildlife terms, that’s short. But for me, it feels like a good, solid block of time. And I think definitely the biggest thing we’ve done—in the past decade—is the addition of the app.

It started out as just a page turner on our website—it seemed the easiest way to go from print to digital. But now, with the advent of so many technological changes, we can add so much more to the app than just a digital reading of the story. There’s more movement. There’s videos. There’s additional material that doesn’t fit into the print magazine. There will be whole slideshows of additional photos.

If there’s historical documents in the article, we can show those in more detail. And so, it opens a lot of new doors for storytelling for us. And a way to reach younger readers.

Download the app from the Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine website and enjoy the magazine of Texas in a new way.

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

Lone Star Lionfish Symposium February 15 & 16, 2017, with a public forum on the 15th at Moody Gardens IMAX Theater in Galveston.

Lionfish Symposium to Host Public Forum Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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The second Lone Star Lionfish Symposium convenes later this month in Galveston. In addition to a closed-door session where experts from a variety of disciplines will review a report generated from last year’s gathering, there will also be an opportunity for public participation.

We know the public is interested, and they’re the only people that can help us. We can have all the ideas we want, but if the public’s not with us—doesn’t get our message—then we’ve lost.

Leslie Hartman is Matagorda Bay Program Leader and one of the symposium’s organizers. The public event will be at Moody Gardens Imax.

We usually do about a 20 minute review of the lionfish program so that everybody has that same level of knowledge. And then, all the experts are there, so you get that baseline—which is me—but you get the real experts. And you can ask them any question you want.

Topics reviewed last year included: Priority Areas, Outreach, Research, Policy, Control & Management, Funding, and Markets & Uses. Everyone is welcome to the public event.

Just show up. The event starts at 6 p.m. We will have light hors d’oeuvres, so not only will you be able to feed your mind, you’ll be able to feed your body. Will you be serving lionfish? We are actually discussing that possibility. We make no promises.

The Lone Star Lionfish Symposium is February 15 & 16 in Galveston. The public event is the 15th at Moody Gardens IMAX Theater.

The Sport fish restoration program supports our series.

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