Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Relive the agony and ecstasy of the First Toyota Texas Bass Classic this month on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV show. Series producer, Abe Moore.

So on the last week of August, we’re profiling the Toyota Texas Bass Classic. It just wrapped up its second year at Lake Fork, but we’re going to profile the very first year. And we followed two characters: one was the tournament favorite, Alton Jones whose from Waco, Texas. I

t’s been a lot of fun. I’ve been fishing professionally now since 1990. I never dreamed that when I was starting out that some day I would earn more than a million dollars bass fishing. Now we just travel around, all over the United States and fish bass tournaments. It’s pretty fun.

So, he’s kind of established, and he’s doing pretty well in this bass fishing thing. And the other character is Darrin Schwenkbeck, and he’s only won a couple of tournaments and he’s barely making enough money to pay for gas to get himself from lake to lake.

It’s a tough road. And it’s where I stand. And then I’m going to have to get my act together and start catching them in the next few to, uh, keep on going.

So, what’s interesting about this story is that we follow the characters of professional bass fishing. So, maybe when the next Toyota Texas Bass Classic happens next year, folks can go down there and look at these anglers with a different perspective.

Thanks, Abe.

Find a list of stations that air the series at passporttotexas.org.

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

TP&W TV: Bass Classic Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

Squirrel hunting is often a child’s first introduction to the sport. As Texas Parks and Wildlife television producer Ron Kabele tells us, the tradition is beginning to fade.

One of the reasons is the habitat is going away. A lot of the good squirrel habitat is hardwood bottomland. And, it’s pretty well accepted that we’ve lost just a tremendous amount of the hardwood bottomlands in East Texas.

In a segment this month, the television series follows a father as he takes his daughter squirrel hunting where the healthy habitat still sustains a squirrel population.

This is a beautiful place. And the squirrel habitat—I haven’t seen like this since I was a kid hunting in south Alabama. (gunshot) Macy, be sure he’s dead before you pick him up. I know that. This one? Whoa. That’s cool.

Kabele says biologists he’s talked to fear squirrel hunting may not survive the future, but they keep hope alive.

And so, we’re wanting to continue that tradition in hopes of instilling conservation ethics, and just a love of being in the out of doors.

You can view this story on the Texas Parks and Wildlife television show in August. Find a link to stations that air the series at passporttotexas.org.

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

TP&W TV--Squirrel Hunting: A Fading Tradition Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

Squirrel hunting is often a child’s first introduction to the sport. As Texas Parks and Wildlife television producer Ron Kabele tells us, the tradition is beginning to fade.

One of the reasons is the habitat is going away. A lot of the good squirrel habitat is hardwood bottomland. And, it’s pretty well accepted that we’ve lost just a tremendous amount of the hardwood bottomlands in East Texas.

In a segment this month, the television series follows a father as he takes his daughter squirrel hunting where the healthy habitat still sustains a squirrel population.

This is a beautiful place. And the squirrel habitat—I haven’t seen like this since I was a kid hunting in south Alabama. (gunshot) Macy, be sure he’s dead before you pick him up. I know that. This one? Whoa. That’s cool.

Kabele says biologists he’s talked to fear squirrel hunting may not survive the future, but they keep hope alive.

And so, we’re wanting to continue that tradition in hopes of instilling conservation ethics, and just a love of being in the out of doors.

You can view this story on the Texas Parks and Wildlife television show in August. Find a link to stations that air the series at passporttotexas.org.

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

TP&W TV--Squirrel Hunting: A Fading Tradition Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

This month the Texas Parks and Wildlife television series airs segments from the documentary Texas: The State of Springs. Series Producer, Don Cash.

One of the things that’s pointed out in the documentary is that water conservation in Texas is going to have to happen on private lands. We’re not going to get more rain; we’ve got to deal with the water supply that we receive, and that starts on the land. One of the landowners that we feature is David Bamberger. He and his wife Margaret have a ranch in Blanco County. They’ve had to remove a lot of cedar from it, but as David points out, removing the cedar is not the end of the problem.

Without a grass system that has roots down into the earth when that rain falls, it washes off. But if it falls on the grass, you’ve got miles of root systems and that water can now penetrate down in.

Also in July, we’ll head to the Panhandle where we look at water speculators who are looking at building pipelines from the Panhandle—south—to sell what they call surplus water.

There isn’t actually any surplus water in this area. All the water that’s here is going to be needed eventually.

So, there’s a lot of information in July about the state of springs in Texas, and what we can do to help preserve them for the future.

Go to passporttotexas.org and find a link to PBS stations that air the series.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TP&W TV--State of Springs Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

This month the Texas Parks and Wildlife television series airs segments from the documentary Texas: The State of Springs. Series Producer, Don Cash.

One of the things that’s pointed out in the documentary is that water conservation in Texas is going to have to happen on private lands. We’re not going to get more rain; we’ve got to deal with the water supply that we receive, and that starts on the land. One of the landowners that we feature is David Bamberger. He and his wife Margaret have a ranch in Blanco County. They’ve had to remove a lot of cedar from it, but as David points out, removing the cedar is not the end of the problem.

Without a grass system that has roots down into the earth when that rain falls, it washes off. But if it falls on the grass, you’ve got miles of root systems and that water can now penetrate down in.

Also in July, we’ll head to the Panhandle where we look at water speculators who are looking at building pipelines from the Panhandle—south—to sell what they call surplus water.

There isn’t actually any surplus water in this area. All the water that’s here is going to be needed eventually.

So, there’s a lot of information in July about the state of springs in Texas, and what we can do to help preserve them for the future.

Go to passporttotexas.org and find a link to PBS stations that air the series.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TP&W TV--State of Springs Play Now | Play in Popup | Download