Passport to Texas

Out on a Big Time Texas Hunt

Big Time Texas Hunts: Sharing the Experience Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The first time Kelly Hill of Houston heard of Big Time Texas Hunts was in a hunter Education class.

14— I went and researched it when I got home; and I was like – this is amazing. Nine bucks to enter online; I took a certain amount of money and spread it over the ones that I was interested in, and I put six entries in for the grand slam, and one of them hit.

The Grand Slam gives one winner four separate guided Texas big game hunts: desert bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope and desert mule deer. The winner may bring guests along on some of the hunts. Kelly brought his dad on the first one.

14—I took him with me on the mule deer hunt, and it was just really good to have him out there. And then I took a friend of mine to the whitetail hunt, and they accommodated me and the non-hunter with me. So, it’s been absolutely amazing.

Although Kelly Hill won the Texas Grand Slam, that won’t keep him from buying entries for Big Time Texas Hunts for years to come.

04—Absolutely. Oh, I’m going to continue to put in and hopefully get drawn again.

Are you feeling lucky?

Hunters may purchase entries for this year’s eight premier hunting packages, including the Grand Slam, for nine dollars online or ten dollars by phone, mail or at license retail locations through October 15.

Proceeds benefit wildlife conservation, research and public hunting in Texas.

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

Big Time Texas Hunt at Black Gap WMA

Big Time Texas Hunt: Grand Slam Winner Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Do you know when you’re lucky? Houston resident Kelly Hill does. He won the annual Big Time Texas Hunts grand slam package the very first time he entered.

06— I’ve heard that people have entered for several years and haven’t won it. So I know I’m a very lucky guy.

The Grand Slam gives one winner four separate guided Texas big game hunts: desert bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, pronghorn and desert mule deer.

14—I’ve been on the whitetail hunt, and I’ve been on the mule deer hunt. And they were both absolutely amazing. I’m about to go on the desert big horned sheep [hunt], and then I think sometime in September or October is the [pronghorn] antelope.

The Texas grand slam is one of eight premium guided hunt packages offered in Parks and Wildlife’s Big Time Texas Hunts program.

19—If you were to actually go and pay for one of these hunts – they are very expensive. The fact that Texas Parks and Wildlife has coordinated with these properties that have opportunities to take one of these trophy animals – it’s amazing. And the fact that it’s nine bucks…nine bucks is a pretty cheap entry fee.

You can enter to win the Big Time Texas Hunts through October 15. Purchase entries online for $9 each or for $10 each by phone, mail or where you buy hunting licenses.

All proceeds from Big Time Texas Hunts benefit wildlife conservation, research and public hunting in Texas.

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

Teaching children archery skills.

Education: Archery in Schools Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Archery—the original shooting sport—fell out of favor as a component of physical education in public schools some years ago. But, now, thanks to the National Archery in Schools program, interest in the sport is growing fast.

The National Archery in Schools program certifies teachers as instructors. Educators learn the program just as they will teach it to their students.

06—It’s an all day workshop to become a certified instructor. They learn with the same equipment and the same method.

Burnie Kessner is archery coordinator for Texas Parks and Wildlife.

10—We use international style archery. It’s bulls-eye target faces, Olympic size. We use Olympic whistle commands, and they learn the same way worldwide.

Kessner says while certified instructors prepare students for tournaments, the successes a child experiences extend beyond the bulls-eye.

13—So, when a kid is shooting archery, and they’re on the shooting line—they’re all the same. So, it doesn’t matter what kind of home they go home to after the tournament, when they’re at the tournament, they’re the same as everyone else. So, that’s the self-esteem building piece; it’s standardized.

Learn more about bringing the Archery in Schools program to your district on the Texas parks and Wildlife Website.

Our series receives support from the Wildlife and Sport fish Restoration Program… working to increase fishing, hunting, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas.

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

Bringing the outdoors to children.

Education: Outdoor Outreach Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Texas parks and Wildlife offers a variety of enhancements for teachers and educators to use in and out of the classroom.

19— We offer outdoor skills training; we offer additions to curriculum – all kinds of supportive materials – to help people introduce youth to the outdoors and to outdoor skills so that they become more aware of their surroundings, enjoy the natural world, and feel connected to our natural resources.

Nancy Herron is Director of Outreach and Education. Water is a vital issue in Texas, and a curriculum on Aquatic Ecosystems of Texas provides a template for better understanding the resource and its users.

31— Without a basic understanding of how our aquatic systems work, it’s going to be very difficult to make those tough decisions that are facing us, such as how much water we need to have in a stream? Isn’t that an unusual question? I mean, it’s not something that people normally would think about; how would you even understand how to approach that question? Our folks are going to be making a lot of touch decisions in the future as we balance the needs of people and the environment. And we need to have a good understanding of how the environment works to do that.

Find the electronic student and teacher guides for Aquatic Ecosystems of Texas on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website, and partner websites: the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, and the Hart Research Institute.

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.

TPW TV: Winter Waterfowl Wonderland Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In east Texas near Palestine, the flooded bottomland hardwood forest at Gus Engling Wildlife Management Area is a winter wonderland for waterfowl.

06— It’s really a neat opportunity for the ducks that are here. We try to keep more water [in the forest area] and make things better for them while they are here.

Tucker Slack, a wildlife biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife, says the diversity of ducks is outstanding at the Wildlife Management Area.

10—Normally the ducks we’ll see are going to be wood ducks. Wood ducks live here. You’ll see mallards, but you’ll also see pintails… ring necks…so there’s quite a diversity of ducks that you’d see here.

The bottomland hardwood forest at Gus Engling is in nearly pristine condition.

07—A lot of your bottomland hardwoods throughout our state and nation have really been logged and have had tremendous impact by people.

Slack says some wood ducks are year round residents; however, their population was once in decline.

14—It caused some concern, and one of the things it brought about was artificial nest boxes. So, the wood duck nest boxes were really one of the first large-scale attempts that people were able to make, and it’s really been quite a success story as far as the wood duck goes, and their population.

Wood ducks, and other waterfowl and wildlife, thrive in this untamed land.

06—It’s really important, for a lot of reasons, to have these wild spaces. One of them is for the animals, themselves. They need somewhere that they can call home.

See Gus Engling Wildlife Management Area and the wood ducks this week on the Texas Parks and Wildlife PBS TV Series. Check your local listings. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.