Passport to Texas

Preparing Young Hunters

Hunting: Preparing for Hunting Season Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

On Saturday, September first, fall hunting kicks off with dove season. The question is: will you be ready?

04—Those hunters need to be thinking about some primary things that deal with safety.

Terry Erwin oversees Hunter Education programs at Texas Parks and Wildlife.

12 – They need to make sure they have their hunter education class completed; they need to make sure those firearms are in good, operable condition; and one of the most important things is to get out there in the field and practice.

And Erwin says dove and quail hunters would do well to get in some practice with sporting clays, because nothing is more frustrating to a hunter than to spend a day in the field with only missed shots to show for it.

10 –Sporting clays typically simulates the shooting scenarios that you’ll find in the dove field, or out in the quail fields. So, take advantage of this time and get out there an practice.

Erwin also offers some sobering advice to hunters.

08 –And don’t forget. It’s really hot out there this time of the year. Keep hydrated. Keep the liquids flowing. But remember, don’t drink that alcohol.

The Wildlife and sport fish restoration program supports our series and celebrates 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…

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

Bull Redfish, TPWD website

Angling: Annual Red Bull Run Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Texas anglers look forward to the annual running of the bulls — bull redfish, that is.

07—It’s large schools of mature red drum – male and female – aggregating near gulf passes to spawn.

Bill Balboa is ecosystem leader for Galveston Bay system. The bull red run begins in late August, crescendos about mid September, and continues through the fall. And these fish, most over 28-inches long, give anglers a good fight.

20 –They call them bulls for a reason, and it’s because they’re very strong fish; they don’t give up easily. So generally most anglers are going to fish for bull reds in the surf using what I would consider typical surf tackle — which is a little bit heavier rod and reel, because what they can expect is a lot of long runs from this fish. They pull very hard. Much like a bull would pull if you had it on a rope.

Although anglers can reel in bull reds all along the gulf coast, their best opportunities lie north of Matagorda Bay.

08—A lot of bull red fishing occurs in Sergeant up off of Freeport; Crystal Beach and Bolivar, in that area, and off of Sabine Pass.

And redfish is good eating. Keep an eye on the Texas Parks and Wildlife YouTube channel in the weeks ahead for a cooking segment with Chef Jesse Griffiths, preparing redfish three ways.

The Wildlife and sport fish restoration program supports our series and celebrates 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…

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

Moorhen, photo by J.M.Garg via Wikipedia

TPW TV: The Fighting Moorhens Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

One of the nice things about being outside with a TV camera is when you see something unexpected, you can record it. TPW TV Series Producer, Don Cash.

53— Producer Abe Moore and I were at Brazos Bend SP doing a story on biking at Brazos Bend, and was shooting some wildlife, and noticed what to me looked like a couple of duck-like birds having a fight. I started taking pictures and just rolled tape for awhile. I called our birding expert, Cliff Shackelford, and sent him some video and had him come in and narrate what it was I was seeing, and it turned out that they were moorhens fighting over territory.

The combination of Cliff’s narration and watching these moorhens fight is pretty entertaining. So, the Fighting Moorhens will run as one of our postcards from Texas. It’ll air the last week of August on our show, which airs on all the PBS stations around Texas. And, of course, if you happen to miss it there, you can always watch it on our YouTube channel.

Thanks, Don.

The Wildlife and sport fish restoration program supports our series and celebrates 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…

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

Bastrop State Park Entrance During the Fire

State Parks: Celebrating Bastrop's Recovery Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

After the wildfires last year, it’s taken coordinated efforts among public and private interests and individuals and even nature to start bringing back Bastrop State Park and the surrounding community. And one year later, our State park Guide, Bryan Frazier says – it’s time to celebrate.

55— So, to mark that anniversary of the fire, lots of activities are going to be happening in Bastrop State Park. Around Labor Day – which this year is September third – there’s going to be a Fun Run that’s going to be held by the YMCA of Bastrop, which operates the swimming pool inside the state park. And the run will go around the park. And that’s going to be from about 7:30 in the morning until about 10 in the morning. And then there’s going to be all kinds of exhibits and activities. There will be even things like how to become a firefighter at the refectory and dining at Bastrop State Park. All kinds of activities for the whole family. And then on Sunday, the Ministerial Alliance has set aside a time about two o’clock in the afternoon where there will be a fellowship service to just talk about that, you know, people are still in recovery in some respect. On Monday, September third, there will be a community potluck. The park looks great and we’re looking at how can we make Bastrop State Park even better as we look forward.

Thanks Bryan

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Mourning Dove

Hunting: Dove Hunting in Texas Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Every September first, in the north and central zones, dove hunters are out in force.

06—In Texas, we harvest approximately five million mourning doves, and in excess of one million white winged dove every year.

Corey Mason, Wildlife Regional Director for Region Three, says dove season in the south zone starts later.

56—Because of some of the possible negative impacts to late nesting mourning dove, the season is delayed approximately three to four weeks, so we start in kind of that later part of September down there. And how long does it last? It’s a 70 day season statewide, with a 15 bird bag. And that’s 15 birds each time out, or 15 birds total for the season. It’s a 15 bird daily bag. The aggregate can be composed of 15 birds up to and including whatever combination of mourning and white wing dove, and only up to two of those can be white-tip dove. Which are really only found in the south Texas brush country and in the portion of a few counties in deep south Texas. So, hunters really need to know what they’re looking at before they shoot. They do, you know, and there’s also this new influence of Eurasian collar dove—or some folks call them ring-neck dove. They are not considered part of the daily bag limit. They can be shot year-round. The caveat to that being is if they are shot during dove season we strongly suggest hunters leave a wing, or some kind of identification mark on those birds, so if they’re checked by state or federal wardens they can differentiate between a collar dove and a white wing and mourning dove.

The Wildlife and sport fish restoration program supports our series and celebrates 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…

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