Passport to Texas

Unwrap the Wild, image courtesy www.mattskoog.com

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This is Passport to Texas

Nature is a gift we give ourselves the moment we step outside. Share the beauty and Unwrap the Wild; give the gift of the Texas outdoors to others w/a state park pass.

12-This is the second year that we’ve launched Unwrap the Wild. And it’s an opportunity to give back to Texas by supporting your state parks, and to provide friends, family, loved ones–or yourself–with an annual parks pass.

Anne (Annie) Brown is executive director with the Texas Parks and Wildlife foundation, the official non-profit partner of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. During Unwrap the Wild a park pass only costs sixty-five dollars.

12-Which is five dollars off what they usually cost. In addition, they can be purchased online and mailed directly here from our offices in Dallas to individuals for a holiday gift.

Ninety state parks–many within a 90 minute drive or less for most of us–provide pass holders outdoor adventures that are close, convenient, and available a
full 365 days.

13-We launch our Unwrap the Wild on November third, and it will run through December 19th, to make sure that we can get all the park passes to homes before the holiday is here.

Pass holders have a year from the day they redeem their certificate to use their State Parks Pass for waived entry fees for themselves and all the guests in their vehicle. Find details at tpwf.org.

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

Stephanie Salinas’ first hunt.

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This is Passport to Texas

Ten years ago I went on my first deer hunt as an observer; it’s something I’ll never forget. Last year, my colleague, Stephanie Salinas, did more than observe. She shot her first deer and wrote about it for the November 2015 issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.

49- I had a lot of mixed emotions. I took Hunter Ed, and learned a lot of things. I had never shot a rifle before going out there, so I actually went to the range and practiced. So, now let’s go to the day. Yeah, there was one buck that emerged; I thought if I’m going to do this, that’s going to be the deer. It was kind of like a connection. It’s really odd to explain. I knew that he was going to be the one that I took. So, when you made that decision, and you committed–what happened when you pulled the trigger? Once I got positioned, and I knew that was the one I was going to get, as soon as I pulled the trigger, I didn’t hear anything. Everything stopped. It was a moment in time that froze. And it was just me and my breath and realizing
what had happened.

To learn the rest of the story, read Stephanie Salinas’ account of her hunt in the November issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.

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.

American Alligator

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The American Alligator may be one of the most fearsome creatures roaming Texas. We find them in slow-moving rivers, ponds, lakes and swamps–and even in our neighborhoods, which prompts calls to Texas Parks and Wildlife saying:

02- I’ve got an alligator here; what do I need to do.

Steve Lightfoot, Texas Parks and Wildlife spokesperson, says the first thing we need to do is to be realistic.

06-It’s alligator country, and we’re going to have more confrontations if we encroach on their space.

Chance encounters increase as we encroach on alligator habitat with residential and commercial developments. Steve Lightfoot says if you see a gator, leave it alone; it will move on. However, if one does become a nuisance…

23- If one’s acting aggressively, if its making threatening moves towards you–back away slowly. We’ve got a lot of tips on our website that tell people common things to do when you’re in confrontation with an alligator. Call our game wardens. We’ve got game wardens in every county–they’re used to dealing with these kinds of things. They’ll come out and assess the situation. If an alligator needs to be relocated–they’ll take care of it.

Find tips for peaceful coexistence with the American alligator on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…Cecilia Nasti

Hunting and fishing forever!

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Hunting and fishing are deeply rooted traditions for Gabe Kulhanek of El Campo.

04-It’s just as stress relief to go hunting and fishing and get away from everything.

The outdoors has been a lifelong pursuit for him, and something he shared early on with his son.

11-He started hunting when he was probably four and a half years old. He shot his first deer at five years old with his own rifle. I never shot anything for him. He’s always killed his own deer whenever he hunted.

This past June Texas Parks and Wildlife drew Gabe’s name as the winner of a Lifetime Super Combo License, giving him the right to hunt and fish in Texas without ever having to buy another state license. Instead of keeping, it, he transferred it to his son, Joshua, as his legacy.

05-It would benefit him more than anything, and it’s something he can have and cherish the rest of his life.

Entries for the Lifetime License Drawing are five dollars each and available online or at retailers. Enter as many times as you like; fees go toward conservation in Texas. The next drawing is December 27, 2015.

04-It’s a good opportunity. I never dreamed I would win it — it was the first time I entered.

Is luck on your side? Find more information on the Lifetime License Drawing 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.

Lifetime License Drawing

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Tim Brockway is an avid fisherman.

02-I fish about four days a week.

This competitive bass angler from Kaufman says he used to always buy an annual super combo license for hunting and fishing.

02-Because I think the money goes to a good cause.

The cause is conservation and habitat management in Texas. But, in 2010, Tim — a retired firefighter — spent five dollars online to enter Texas Parks and Wildlife’s twice-a-year Lifetime License drawing–and won.

25-I told the guys up at the fire station: Hey, I bought a five dollar chance to win a lifetime license. And I get a call a few months later — and I would have bet anything one of the guys got their wives to call and mess with me — and I actually didn’t believe them. I got off the phone and I called our local game
warden that I know real well. He said: ‘Give me the phone number they called you from and the person’s name and I’ll check on it.’ Whenever I gave him the phone number and name, he said: ‘Congratulations; I know the person and I know the number.’

Money from every five dollar entry goes toward conservation in Texas, which improves hunting, fishing and the outdoors for everyone.

09-I know your entries went up by about 30 right after I won mine from people at the fire station. I said: Come on guys; it’s five bucks. You spend that much on a hamburger. It’s well worth the chance.

The deadline for the next drawing is December 27, 2015. Entries are currently available online or at license retailers. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.