Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas Outdoor Stories from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Passport intern, Sarah Loden, shares a story about her lifelong appreciation of fireflies.

I grew up on a small street in San Antonio, and our backyard was woods, and at night there were fireflies.

But, yeah, it’s something nice about a little blinking light that you chase after. I do like fireflies a lot—even now. Where my boyfriend lives, it’s really woody there, and I just saw one the other night. But, it’s so rare, which is why it’s such a treat.

Thanks, Sarah. Go to passporttotexas.org and share your Texas Outdoor Story, if we use it, we’ll send you a Passport t-shirt.

That’s our show… Remember: Life’s Better Outside ©…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Outdoor Story--Passport Intern Sarah Loden Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Texas Parks and Wildlife Television gets thematic in October. Production Supervisor, Don Cash, explains.

The first show in October deals with bats. Where to go see bats, and the monetary value that bats have. One of the shows is a fishing show. We go to the Texas coast, and we feature a fishing guide up at lake Fork, a guy named Brian Duplechain, who is just a great guy, and a great guide.

One day Butch Ray called and said, I’ve got a guide trip. Shore enough, and I jumped on that opportunity. The first cast that morning, my customer had a backlash; the second cast he caught an eight and a half pounder. He caught a big fish. That made me a guide.

Another one of our theme shows has to do with hunting. One of the stories is about a dog named call and his trainer Linda Palmer, and it’s just a great story about how she takes this dog from three months all the way up to a year. It’s a story about the relationship between the trainer and the dog.

He watched the whole thing, made sure everything was recorded in his brain, brought the bird in, and then, of course, went to get the other one.

So, if you’ve got an interest in hunting, or fishing, or bats, you’ve got a whole show that you can look at and really get in depth with it.

Thanks Don. Find a list of stations that air the series, at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show for today…we record our series at the Production Block studios in Austin, Texas.

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

TP&W TV--Themed Shows Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Texas Parks and Wildlife Television gets thematic in October. Production Supervisor, Don Cash, explains.

The first show in October deals with bats. Where to go see bats, and the monetary value that bats have. One of the shows is a fishing show. We go to the Texas coast, and we feature a fishing guide up at lake Fork, a guy named Brian Duplechain, who is just a great guy, and a great guide.

One day Butch Ray called and said, I’ve got a guide trip. Shore enough, and I jumped on that opportunity. The first cast that morning, my customer had a backlash; the second cast he caught an eight and a half pounder. He caught a big fish. That made me a guide.

Another one of our theme shows has to do with hunting. One of the stories is about a dog named call and his trainer Linda Palmer, and it’s just a great story about how she takes this dog from three months all the way up to a year. It’s a story about the relationship between the trainer and the dog.

He watched the whole thing, made sure everything was recorded in his brain, brought the bird in, and then, of course, went to get the other one.

So, if you’ve got an interest in hunting, or fishing, or bats, you’ve got a whole show that you can look at and really get in depth with it.

Thanks Don. Find a list of stations that air the series, at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show for today…we record our series at the Production Block studios in Austin, Texas.

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

TP&W TV--Themed Shows Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

We met David Guthrie at Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo a couple of years ago. As a boy, he and his buddies camped in the woods and fields around his parent’s home, sometimes with startling consequences.

In the middle of the night it started to rain. So we packed up our things, and just took off and went back to my parent’s house and then we crashed on the living room floor. And the next morning I remember feeling something on me – it was moving across my leg – and I woke up and I looked down and there’s this enormous bulge around my leg. And across my stomach was the tail of a snake. And I woke up the kid next to me and I said, hey! You know, you’ve got to get this snake. You’ve got to grab him by the head so he can’t bite me. And his first reaction is, I’m afraid of snakes. But he reached over and he grabbed it and clamped down on it and it started thrashing in my pants leg. And so finally I got him to let go. The snake came out of my pants and went under a chair in the living room. And it turns out we had to go get a neighbor, and he came over and ultimately, trapped the snake in the house, and it was a non-poisonous snake. It was a three foot one inch long black racer; it was a rather memorable experience. I had a lot of sleepless nights as a kid after that (laughter).

Expo is this weekend at the Austin Texas Parks and Wildlife Headquarters in Austin, and it’s free. We have complete details at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show …we receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

EXPO: Snakes Alive! Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

Several years ago, we met, then, 15-year-old Mike Landin at Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo. The Austin resident told us about a time he went deer hunting with his Dad, and they came upon a huge buck.

And this deer was bigger than I’d ever seen in my life, and I was like 14 and I was shaking real bad, and I…I ended up missing him, but we thought I got him. So we sat in the blind for about a half an hour and I was like, okay — c’mon Dad, c’mon Dad, we’ve gotta get him. So we walked around for about two hours just looking for this deer. I heard this like sound, and it was like this sound of something scraping. And I was like, I found the deer, I swear this is it! And I hopped over this little cliff hanger thing and I was like I found it! I found it! And ran over and it was an armadillo. I got all excited over this armadillo there again. And we found out I missed this huge buck! And that’s my hunting story.

Mike’s Aunt Kay who was with him, tipped us off that Mike is all Texan, but likes to tell stories using phony accents… and we’re glad he does.

Join us at Expo this weekend in Austin at Texas Parks and Wildlife Headquarters…and get in touch with your inner outdoor enthusiast…and it’s free.

That’s our show …we receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

EXPO: Deer of Dillo? Play Now | Play in Popup | Download