Passport to Texas

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

[TPW TV Theme Music]

If you recognize that music, you’re probably a regular viewer of the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV Series. The new season kicks off this month, and series Producer Don Cash is here to tell us about it.

Like every season, we are going all over the state all season long.

There are about 75 state park segments on there. And, if you want to find out about the great Texas outdoors—watch Texas Parks and Wildlife television.

Thanks, Don.

That’s our show…the Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

The popularity of state parks with lakes and pools goes up in the heat of August. Texas Parks and Wildlife Television Producer, Ron Kabele, explains.

This has been a pretty brutal summer, so people are going to want to stay cool however they can. So, Cedar Hill and Lake Colorado City State Parks are going to be popular, because they’re both parks with large bodies of water. A big draw for Cedar Hill is that it’s so close to Dallas and Fort Worth. It’s Dallas’ own version of Central Park in NYC.

Just being right down the street—20minutes away—is convenient. Just being in the outdoors is a plus for the family. Everybody needs an escape, just to regroup and charge your batteries.

As far as Lake Colorado City goes, it’s right on the edge of the West Texas desert. So, it’s one of the few places in the region where you can go out and enjoy the water. And some people have called it something like an oasis in west Texas.

People out here, in a drier climate, tend to enjoy the water because they don’t have much of it. That’s why we think of ourselves an oasis. A place to come and enjoy the lake.

These are parks that not only have access to the water, but you can do all the other things. And it makes camping a lot more tolerable when you’ve got water around.

Thanks, Ron.

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

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

TPWD TV: Water in State Parks Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

The Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series talks turkey this month. Series producer, Don Cash explains.

One of the really fun things we’re going to do in August is go Turkey hunting.

[turkey gobble] Oh…did you hear what I just heard? That was a gobbler back down in the creek bottom, guys. [Mockingbird, turkey gobble].

Spring turkey hunting is real big in the state of Texas; and, went on a turkey hunt down in McMullen County, which is halfway between San Antonio and Corpus Christi with some folks. And they really had a great time on the hunt.

Hunting Rio Grande turkeys in south Texas…it just can’t be beat.

One of the things they’re trying to do is sort of outsmart the turkeys, and try and figure out where they turkeys are going to be. And, sometimes it takes a little time, and sometimes the turkeys are just smarter than the hunters are.

Yeah, it’s kind of a game. And sometimes the turkeys win and sometimes we win. We spent three days patterning the turkeys; we finally outsmarted them.

What this is really about is old friends getting together and enjoying the outdoors and hunting and really using that as an excuse to get up and see the sunrise.

Thanks, Don.

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

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

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

Fishing is a gateway to the outdoors, and this month the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series is your guide. Producer Don Cash.

Yeah, July on the television show, we’re going to continue our series of Take Me fishing videos. These are geared primarily to kids, but also to helping parents get their kids out fishing. We’re going to look at both freshwater fishing and saltwater fishing in Texas, in the month of July.

We’re going to use a very basic spin casting rod and reel, because this is the easiest for a beginner to use. We recommend non-lead, split-shot sinkers like this one. Place the sinker on the line, about six inches from the hook, and secure it with pliers.

And, while we’re on the topic of fishing, late in July, we have a story called fishing with your peers. And it’s sort of like what it sounds like…we go pier fishing along the Texas coast; we go pier fishing in State Parks. And, pier fishing is just a really easy and really accessible way to get out and enjoy the water and enjoy the outdoors.

It’s a catfish. If these are not that little we don’t keep them.

And one thing to note is that all the Take me Fishing segments can be seen online on lifesbetteroutside.org.

Thanks, Don.

That’s our show… sponsored with a grant from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Although the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series is currently in summer reruns, show producers are busy planning next season.

We spend some time talking about what we’ll do for the next
season every spring and get out when the weather’s pretty and spend as much time out in the field as we can.

Alan Fisher is a producer with the show.

There’re so many interesting things to see and do out there;
there’s always something that you haven’t gotten to explore yet. So, we’re always looking forward to getting out there and going down those trails we haven’t been down yet.

Fisher said producers get a workout lugging around their gear.

We have 50 to 75 pounds of gear that we lug around. So, that’s
why the spring months are really the idea time to be shooting. And you want to be in a nice cool edit room in the summertime if you can.

One show Fisher is working on for fall is about the Texas Horned Lizard.

Some of the myths and legends about the horned lizard, and some of the research being done to help it out, as it’s stating to be a little harder to find.

And why does he do it?

There’s always something that I am always looking forward to doing, because I find it inherently interesting.

That’s our show for today…made possible by a grant from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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