Passport to Texas

Rainbow Trout

Angling: Trout Stocking in Texas Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

We’re headlong into the holiday season; what better way to celebrate than with rainbows – rainbow trout, that is.

13— We do winter stockings when the water temperatures permit it, to provide an opportunity for anglers to catch trout in Texas. It’s a species of fish that anglers wouldn’t catch otherwise, so we stock them, and we intend them all to be caught out during the season.

Purchase of the trout is funded by anglers, through their purchase of the Texas freshwater fishing stamp. Carl Kittle (kitl) is a program director for Inland Fisheries. Drought had an impact on lake levels statewide over the past two years, but things are looking up in 2013.

13 – This year, things are pretty well back to normal. It’s very dry out west, but it looks like our normal level of stocking in over 120 sites will happen. In fact, we’re looking to stock about 130 sites this year.

Texas Parks and Wildlife plans to distribute approximately 289,000 rainbow trout amongst the various locations, including urban neighborhood fishin’ holes.

07 – We publish a schedule on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department webpage. Look for the winter trout stocking link.

Carl Kittle says we stock rainbows in winter because these fish cannot survive our hot summers. So, when you reel one in this winter, take it home and eat it.

The Wildlife and sport fish restoration program supports our series and helps to fund rainbow trout stocking in Texas.

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

Bighorn Sheep © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Conservation: Bighorn Sheep Restoration, 2 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Texas Parks and Wildlife, and we’re looking back at major milestones, including the success of our Desert Bighorn Sheep restoration program.

11— We have sheep in about eight mountain ranges right now. State numbers are up about 13-hundred or so – we’re halfway there. Our goal being about 25-hundred to 3-thousand animals in all of their historic range.

That included 15 mountain ranges in the Trans Pecos. Froylan Hernandez, Desert Bighorn Sheep Program Leader, says over the decades, TPW, with the support of landowners and other conservation partners, relocated sheep from other states to Texas.

06 — Essentially they’re still the same sheep, however, they have real subtle differences in sub-species that occur out here.

Texas Parks and Wildlife keeps a close watch on the animals to better understand what they require to live fully. One way they do that is by fitting certain sheep with radio tracking collars, from which he gathers data.

17— Research is a huge component of any restoration program, because that is how we learn; it helps us understand the biology of the animal, and it helps us better manage for the animals. It’s very unnatural for them to be running around in the wild with a collar around their neck. But, that’s exactly how we learn, and we better manage for them.

Learn more about Desert Bighorn Sheep Restoration on the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series and funds Desert Bighorn Sheep Restoration in Texas.

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

Bighorn Sheep © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Conservation: Bighorn Sheep Restoration, 1 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In the late 19th century, upwards of 3-thousand native desert big horned sheep roamed the Trans Pecos region of Texas. By the mid-20th century, they were gone.

07— It’s commonly agreed that the introduction of domestic sheep and goats, [with their] diseases, net wire fencing, and unregulated hunting played a big part [in their demise].

Froylan Hernandez is the Desert Bighorn Sheep Program Leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife. He is quick to say, there’s no ill will toward the domestic livestock industry.

06— I’m just merely stating the facts of the Bighorn’s demise. We need to live in harmony with the domestic livestock industry.

Native Texas Bighorn Sheep no longer exist despite active restoration efforts of the species that began in the late 1940s and early 50s.

09— So we started introducing sheep from other states; primarily Nevada, Utah, Arizona, some from Baja California, Mexico. So the efforts started way back when.

Restoration of Desert Bighorn Sheep involves relocation, monitoring, data collection and analysis. The sheep historically appeared in 15 mountain ranges in the Trans Pecos.

07— Our goal is to get them back to the critical habitat – to those mountain ranges, and for them to number about 25-hundred. So, we’re kind of halfway there.

More on Desert Bighorn Sheep Restoration tomorrow.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and funds Desert Bighorn Sheep Restoration in Texas.

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

Accessible Beach Access South Padres, image http://www.myspi.org/

Angling: Accessible Coastal Angling Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

All Texans deserve reasonable access to coastal fishing opportunities, regardless of their physical abilities.

04 –This is Texas and Texans love to fish; and we want to make sure that everybody can fish.

Jim Suydam (SUE-dam), press secretary to Texas General Land Office Commissioner Jerry Patterson, says mobility impaired Texas anglers shouldn’t let concern over beach access stop them from casting a line in Gulf waters.

16 – I think people would be amazed to find how easy it really is. Some people may be intimidated to think that it would be harder to access the beach if they have a disability. But I think if they look at how most Texans go to the beach, that you can just drive up and find a nice spot– it’s really very easy.

Although the Americans With Disabilities Act doesn’t apply to the coast, Suydam says the state follows its accessibility guidelines because it’s the right thing to do.

25—It’s important in the mix for us when we’re looking at a city’s beach access plan, that we make sure that there is adequate vehicular access as well as pedestrian access. Also, we work to funnel grant monies to areas that will provide special ADA dune walkovers; that’s an important part of the mix. And we’ve put those in, in surfside and in Sea Rim State Park – some of the most popular parks in Texas for fishers.

Find information about the Texas Beach and Bay Access Guide on the Texas parks and Wildlife website

The Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program supports our series… providing funding for the operations and management of Texas State Fish Hatcheries.

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

Colin Pack of Round Rock caught Toyota ShareLunker 548 from Lake Austin March 27, image by Nathan Reynolds, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Angling: Donating Largemouth Bass Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you reel in a largemouth bass from Texas waters, and it weighs 13-pounds or more, donate it to the Toyota Sharelunker program through the end of the month; you’ll help spawn the next generation of big bass.

To donate a fish, handle it as little as possible, then…

Get a weight on it. If you have a set of scales that you feel like are close enough that you can actually say it’s a good enough weight to call us, weigh it and let us know.

David Campbell coordinated the program for 26 years before retiring in 2012. He explains what to do if you think you have a lunker, and want to donate it to the program.

We would like to have these fish in our possession in less than 12 hours. I realize sometimes if you’re on the other side of the state of Texas is may take me a few hours to get there. If you have to go somewhere and have that fish weighed, leave it in the water in aerated live well or whatever it is, try not to dry the fish off. If that fish weighs 13-pounds on a set of certified scales—whether it’s for business or whatever it is—give us a call as quick as possible. And we dispatch a vehicle; and take care of it until we get there. That’s the main thing.

Log onto the Texas parks and Wildlife website for more information.

That’s our show…with support from the Wildlife and Sport Fish restoration Program…providing funding for the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

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