Archive for the 'Hunting' Category

Hunting: Kenneth Garcia’s Grand Slam Ram

Wednesday, August 15th, 2012

Bighorn Sheep

Kenneth Garcia with his Bighorn Sheep



This is Passport to Texas

For 12 years Kenneth Garcia entered Big Time Texas Hunts, hoping for a chance to win the grand slam: a package of four guided big game hunts including whitetail, mule deer, pronghorn and big horn sheep. And in 2010 – he did.

11— I’ve hunted mule deer and whitetail – I’ve never hunted pronghorn. But, when I knew that I had that sheep hunt in that package, that was – to me –the cream cheese icing on the carrot cake.

Hunters pay a $9-dollar fee online or $10-dollars at a license retailer to enter the contest—and there are more hunts than just the grand slam. Money raised goes to conservation project in Texas. It can take more than a year to complete all the hunts in the grand slam package. Kenneth finished this past March with a bang… and a bighorn.

25— Our idea the first day was to look at everything and make decisions on what we were going to go hunt. Well, we crawled and walked about 300 yards, and all of a sudden they walked right over to us. Of course, we got to looking at them real close, and found the ram that I eventually shot — that same evening he presented me an opportunity and I took him Oh, about oh just probably ten minutes to five o’clock that evening.

The ram he harvested made the record books.

08— He has been accepted by Boone and Crockett for their all time record book. He came in at 171 and three eighths inches.

Find information on this year’s Big Time Texas Hunts on the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

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.

Hunting/Angling: Buy Licenses Early

Wednesday, August 8th, 2012

Dove Hunting

Pronghorn Antelope Running



This is Passport to Texas

Hunters and anglers look forward to the day licenses go on sale the way many children look forward to Christmas. Hunting and fishing licenses bring with them the hope of a harvest and the promise of time spent in the great Texas outdoors.

Licenses for the 2012-2013 seasons go on sale statewide this month.

17 – I would advise folks to buy early. The new season, dove season, opens September first. It’s on a Saturday. I think it would be a very good idea for hunters to start buying their licenses and their super combos as soon as our sales season opens, which is August fifteenth.

Tom Newton manages licensing at Texas Parks and Wildlife. You can buy your licenses online…at 17-hundred retailers statewide…at state parks…game warden offices and the Texas Parks and Wildlife headquarters in Austin.

Newton says sales this year started in the hole because of last year’s drought and heat, but because of milder temperatures and statewide rain, we’ve almost caught up to last year’s sales and may catch up by year’s end. And that’s good news for conservation.

Money spent on licenses directly supports conservation efforts in Texas. There’s more than one type of hunting license – they range from a $7 resident senior license to a $315 license for nonresident hunters.

Find links to hunting information at passporttotexas.org.

The Wildlife and Sport fish Restoration Program…working to increase fishing, shooting and hunting opportunities in Texas. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Hunting/Angling: Licenses go on Sale

Tuesday, August 7th, 2012

Outdoor Annual

This is Passport to Texas

It’s August: time to renew hunting and fishing licenses.

06—The licenses are effective beginning September first, but they actually go on sale August 15th.

Tom Newton manages licensing at Texas Parks and Wildlife. Heat and drought kept license sales down last year, but the milder temperatures and statewide rains in 2012 have seen sales rise.

23 –The fishing is broken down into saltwater or freshwater, or what we call an all-water, which covers both. There’s a couple of different hunting licenses, which is your standard deer hunters, or turkey hunters, or alligator hunters. With the hunting license you have to purchase a couple of stamps. If you’re a bird hunter you’ll need the upland game bird stamp and the federal duck stamp.

The best license to buy — if you plan on hunting and fishing — is the Super Combo. $68.00

17 – Which encompasses everything: All the stamps, all of your hunting options, all of your fishing options. The only thing you need in addition to that is your federal duck stamp. So, the Super Combo –– is the best priced license. And, like I say, you buy that, you need nothing else for the whole year.

Buy your licenses early and avoid the rush. They’re available online and at 17-hundred agents statewide.

06 –All of our parks sell licenses. All of our law enforcement sells licenses as we do here at Headquarters

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series, and works to increase fishing and hunting opportunities in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Hunting: HIP Certification

Tuesday, July 31st, 2012


This is Passport to Texas

If you plan on hunting migratory game birds in Texas this fall, you need to be HIP – HIP certified, that is. HIP stands for Harvest Information Program.

15—It’s purpose is to gain information on waterfowl and migratory bird hunters nationwide. Basically a name and address and a little bit about their previous year’s hunting activity—as well as what they plan on hunting what they plan on hunting in the upcoming year.

Kevin Kraai is Waterfowl Program Leader. He says the HIP program helps wildlife professionals improve resource management practices as well as track various waterfowl populations throughout the country.

05—It’s a very useful tool in setting the future year hunting regulations and management decisions.

Being a HIP certified waterfowl hunter isn’t just a good idea—it’s the law.

11—Officially it is a requirement by law that every individual that plans on hunting migratory birds in the state of Texas us HIP certified. If you are not HIP certified and you are hunting migratory game birds, you are subject to game violations.

We have a link to information about becoming HIP certified at passporttotexas.org.

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

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

Women’s Goose Hunt

Thursday, April 26th, 2012


This is Passport to Texas

Call it a sign of the times: hunting opportunities for women are on the rise.

06—I got together with a couple of friends and contacted some outfitters to put together a hunt that‘s designed for women.

Parks and Wildlife hunter education specialist Dawn Bellow organized an early morning goose hunt for a group of women during the regular season.

06—I wanted for women to feel like they could give themselves permission to go outdoors.

Nearly a dozen women, most first-time hunters, signed up for the hunt. Nick Stillwell of Third Coast Outfitters was on hand, and helped them set up decoys at 4 a.m.

07—You put ‘em into the wind, and kind of just give them a little pop like that, and that wind with catch it and move it and all that good stuff.

Lauren Carley was among the hunters that morning.

07—The big excitement is when you see that huge flock come out… (Wow, look at that.)…and there are hundreds of them. (Y’all get ready.”)

It didn’t take long for the women to test their skills. [SFX geese and shots]

03—We shot 20 birds today. Yeah, pretty good for some ladies here.

Pretty good, indeed. The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and is funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motorboat fuel. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.