Passport to Texas

Hunters patiently waiting.

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There is a registration fee of $50 for the New Hunter Workshop to cover costs, which includes lunch.
For more information or to register for the workshop, contact Bill Balboa at bill.balboa@ag.tamu.edu or call 979-245-4100.

This is Passport to Texas

A growing interest in the origin of the food they eat led some people, who’ve never hunted before, to seek out hunting opportunities.

And so what we’re trying to do is get them started from the very basics.

Bill Balboa, of Agrilife Extension, says a New Hunter Workshop, October 15, in collaboration with Texas Parks and Wildlife, will introduce interested foodies to hunting basics.

There’s not going to be any hunting, but there will be some firearm safety and some target practice with some .22s that Texas Parks and Wildlife Hunter Ed is going to loan us. And, they’re going to have some of their Hunter Ed safety instructors out there to help us. But there won’t be any hunting at this point. But, people will be provided all the information they need to sign up for public hunts in Texas.

Minimum age to participate is nine, accompanied by an adult.

What I’m hoping is, all folks who have the desire to do the field to table experience—we’re looking for those new hunters that don’t have much experience—particularly with the processing with the animal. The seminar is going to be heavily slanted in that direction. So, we would like to get those folks out—anyone who would like to come out and do that. New hunters in general.

The New Hunter Workshop, October 15, is at the Nannie M. Stringfellow Wildlife Management Area in Brazoria County. It’s limited to 30 people. Find a link to registration information at passporttotexas.org.

The Wildlife Restoration program supports our series.

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

New Hunter Workshop

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When families began to migrate from rural Texas to urban Texas, they left behind some of their traditions.

There are a lot of younger folks who weren’t introduced to hunting, and they would like to hunt. So, what we’re trying to do is get them started from the very basics.

Bill Balboa, Matagorda County Marine Extension Agent, is collaborating with Texas Parks and Wildlife to offer a New Hunter Workshop on October 15 at the Nannie M. Stringfellow Wildlife Management Area in Brazoria County.

So, what we’re trying to do is get them started from the very basics: where you can hunt in Texas, public lands access, what you need to hunt in Texas to be legal. What kind of firearms you might need to hunt certain types of big game. Then, we’re actually going to do some hands on field dressing and skinning and processing.

No experience required, just a desire to learn this time honored tradition of humane harvest.

There was a need for this, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Biologists agreed with me. So, that’s why we’re partnering to do this. And it’s going to be focused primarily on feral hogs, because they’re a nuisance. But dual purpose—food and eliminating the nuisance. So, that’s the gist of the whole deal.

The workshop is limited to the first 30 people. The cost is $50, which includes lunch. We have details at passporttotexas.org.

The Wildlife Restoration program supports our series.

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

Steve Knowles with his mule deer.

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This is Passport

For years Steve Knowles of Georgetown, Texas entered Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Big Time Texas Hunts Drawing, without…ever…winning.

I always considered it basically a donation for all the good work that TPWD does. And that’s why I’ll continue to enter, despite not having a lot of success, for as long as I can get out and have the opportunity to hunt.

Then he received a call last October saying he’d won the Ultimate Mule Deer Hunt.

If I could not win the Grand Slam, then the Ultimate Mule Deer hunt was the one that I did want to win, because I had never really been mule deer hunting. I was pleasantly surprised.

In December, Knowles brought down a 19-point Mule Deer with a 37-inch outside spread on the Yoakum Dunes Wildlife Management Area; biologist Brandon Childress was his guide.

He had spotted the deer for the first time the day before. And he said, ‘Okay, we’re going to see if we can go find this deer again.’ And then as soon as we drove in early in the morning, we were able to get a glass on him. And it took us a good two hours to get to the point where we were close enough to the deer that I could actually take a shot. We were our hands and knees sometimes crawling in the sand, Ducking behind sand dunes. That’s what makes the whole hunt fun. And that’s what I’ll remember about the hunt.

Big Time Texas Hunts offers nine premier guided hunt packages on private ranches and wildlife management areas in Texas. Online entries are $9. And$10 by phone and at license retail locations. Deadline to enter is October 15. Find all details on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

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

Big Time Texas Hunts.

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This is Passport to Texas

Know what 9 bucks could get you? A chance to win a Big Time Texas Hunts package.

These are premier guided hunts for a lot of the wildlife species across the state. Everything from mule deer to alligators to wild hogs…and, of course, really nice whitetail deer also.

Justin Dreibelbis, director of private lands and public hunting, says hunters may put in for as many of these hunt packages as they wish.

They’re all premier guided hunts. It’s all inclusive: you have lodging, food, and guides that understand the area, terrain and animals you’ll be hunting. And a really exciting package that we have is the Texas Grand Slam; it’s four separate hunts for mule deer, pronghorn antelope, whitetail deer, and desert big horn sheep, which not many people get to hunt.

All hunt packages take place on premier ranches and WMAs, and some allow winners to bring hunting companions who are at least 8 years of age.

Actually, their companions get to hunt as well. However, on the Grand Slam Hunt, they have a non-hunting guest that can accompany them.

Entries are $9 online and $10 over the phone and at license retailers. Submit entries by October 15. Find complete details on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

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

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

Why We Hunt Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Most of us hunt to put food on tables. It’s not that we don’t care about conservation or hunting heritage, we do—the money hunters spend on the activity pays for conservation. It’s just that our motives are more practical and philanthropic.

Let’s start with philanthropy. The nonprofit organization Feeding Texas oversees the Hunters for the Hungry program, which distributes thousands of pounds of hunter-donated venison to charitable feeding programs statewide.

This quality protein helps to nourish hungry Texans. Many of whom are children and elderly who would not otherwise have access to fresh meat. Learn more about Hunters for the Hungry at feedingtexas.org.

Now for practicality. We’ve wised up over the years and pay more attention to where our food comes from and how it arrived at our tables. The best way to know with certainty: harvest it for ourselves.

That’s why we hunt. To know where our food comes from, and to feed our families the healthiest free-range, sustainable protein possible. These animals lived good lives, and in death provide for us.

Hunting is about food culture, and has been since the beginning of humankind. Learning to hunt to feed ourselves and others is a worthy pursuit.

When you’re ready to learn, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife website, and search for mentored hunts.

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