Passport to Texas

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

The November issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine puts the spotlight on a land steward and a rugged bike ride. Louie Bond is managing editor.

We’re going to feature our newest Lone Star Land Steward this month, who is none other than the inimitable, beloved, David Bamberger from Selah Ranch. He has such a poignant story, yet such a great story of success and a love of the land that we’re really happy to share. And I think everyone’s really going to enjoy that. And we have another great adventure this month. Our own Karen Blizzard, who is a publication manager here at Texas Parks and Wildlife [magazine], went out on a big bike ride at Big Bend Ranch State Park; and she’s been exploring the new mile and miles of trails out there. There’s a whole lot more available for the public. Now, this is not for the faint of heart—this is some rugged terrain. But the payoff is what she calls “fall off your bike views in every direction.” And if you want to see it for yourself, there’s going to be a Big Bend Ranch State Park fiesta, Saturday November the 14th. There’ll be all sorts of tours. If you’re rugged and you love to outdoors, then get out there and try it for yourself.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motorboat fuels. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

The October issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine celebrates one creature’s incredible journey. Managing Editor, Louie Bond.

This month we’re going to highlight one of the most spectacular natural events anywhere, which is the monarch migration, which actually happens during October. These delicate little creatures that look like they could hardly fly into your neighbor’s yard actually fly 2000 miles every year.

So, it’s an incredible feat. But for me, I just have my mouth hanging open in awe and wonder at these tiny little creatures making this great journey.

The October issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine is on newsstands now.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sportfish and Wildlife Restoration Program

The September issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine offers a forecast for the hunting season ahead. Managing Editor, Louie Bond.

We have our hunting forecast in which we put on our turban, and we hold the card up to our forehead and say, ‘where is hunting going to be great, and what’s going to be plentiful, and what might not be. And, John Jefferson is a great long-time outdoors man and writer, and he interviews all of our top-notch biologists, and we analyze the weather…there’s a lot of complex factors that go into our prognostication. And we may get it right most of the time, or we may get a few things wrong, so…it’s very interesting, though, to try to look ahead and foresee the future. And then another really interesting article that we’re featuring this month is about dove hunting, and whether we should be using lead shot or not in hunting dove. Interestingly enough, this study that we’re doing is so extensive and so important that worldwide wildlife groups are waiting for the results of this. We’re studying every aspect of it. So, not only will our hunters be watching this, but worldwide people are going to be watching this to see where it’s going to lead. So, get out your camo; make sure it’s all ready; get our your guns and get them cleaned; buy your shot and get ready for a great hunting season.

Thanks Louie.

That’s our show…supported by a grant from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… working to increase fishing, hunting, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Follow the exploits of a two-man hiking adventure in the August issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine Managing Editor, Louie Bond.

We have a great combination of one of the best writers with one of the best photographers. Joe Nick Patoski has teamed up with Laurence Parent. And they’ve done several books already together that are just spectacular on Texas Mountains, the Texas Coast and the Big Bend area. And this is an exclusive hike that took just for us. And they hiked the Franklin Mountains out there in El Paso. And it wasn’t just any hike—they hiked the ridge—which is a very, very difficult hike. They are adventurers; they have a lot of confidence in each other. And, this is the whole saga. Laurence is taking photos the whole way. They do have an experienced guide helping them, but it sounds like the hike from hell. It is grueling; on one side of the ridge they have to have jackets on for the 30 MPH wind gusts that are chilling them. On the other side of the ridge they are peeling off their clothes. There’re places that they have to crawl on their hands and knees. About eight hours into the ten mile trip, they have to scale a 40-foot cliff. And, even for these experienced hikers, this was quite a climb. And, I can’t wait to see the photos and for everyone to read this great saga written by these two adventurers.

The August issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine is on newsstands now.

That’s our show…for Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

The July issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine is traditionally devoted to water, and covers serious issues. This July, Managing Editor Louie Bond says they’re having a little fun.

This July’s fun article will be about natural water gems—these beautiful little oases. And the ones we’re focusing on are primarily in Central Texas. And so we have places like Blue Hole and Jacob’s Well in Wimberley, and Hamilton Pool and West cave, and Gorman Falls. And these places are just magical. The thing about these places is that they’re actually very fragile, and we’ve loved many of them to death. And so, there’s a balance that we have to find between enjoying these wonderful places and preserving them. So, we tell the stories of these five places; I’m lucky enough to live near several of them, and I know in my little home town of Wimberley, we’ve gone to great efforts to preserve Blue Hole and Jacob’s Well. And, it takes citizen action, government involvement, and so, there’s a call to action, I think, for people to look around them in their own communities. If they don’t have a place like this, they might want to come visit one and see if they want to be part of that. But, we can all work together to enjoy and protect these natural wonders.

The July issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine is on newsstands now.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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