July 19th, 2010
This is Passport to Texas
It’s easy to get the impression that where Ty Chumley goes, bad luck follows.
09—Lost my house and everything. Got stuck in the snow one time. Three days later got stuck in the mud. Had to walk a long ways until we got a cell phone signal.
Not all his luck is bad, though. Chumley, a tugboat operator from Nederland, bought one chance in last year’s Big Time Texas Hunts Grand Slam category, and he won!
08—I was actually buying some fishing lures at Academy and was checking out when I seen the poster up there. I just bought one ticket for it. So, it was a lucky day.
The Texas Grand Slam hunt package includes four separate guided hunts for white-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, and desert bighorn sheep.
13—I followed that one up and down the mountain, twice. And when I shot him, I thought I’d missed him. I seen the dust fly. Started cussing, and, uh, then he fell down.
Big Time Texas Hunts is back with a diverse range of hunting packages for 2010; entries are available now through Oct. 15: $9 online, or $10 by phone and wherever you buy licenses.
08—You never know. It could be you—you could be the winner this year. I’m entering again. I don’t know if I can win this one again, but I’m going to enter another one.
Money from the sale of entries supports conservation, wildlife management and public hunting. Find details and a link to Big Time Texas Hunts at passporttotexas.org.
For Texas parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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July 16th, 2010
During hot summer days when you’re zipping around in a boat on a Texas Lake, a cold adult beverage could really hit the spot. While it may be legal, research suggests boat operators should avoid drinking while boating.
06—National statistics show that upwards of fifty percent of boating accidents involve alcohol.
Steve Hall is Education Director at Parks and Wildlife. The good news is Texans are involved in fewer alcohol related boating accidents than the national average.
15—In fact, it’s down around 10% in Texas. But still again, alcohol is involved way too many accidents.
Hall says everyone on a boat needs to keep their alcohol consumption in check.
08—If you’re the operator of the boat, you’re going to have to try and avoid it. Even the passengers should not overindulge, because they’re the proper boat lookouts.
The most common cause of a boating accident is failure to have a proper boat lookout, which is basically the failure to see what’s in front of you—like a stump, a dock, or another boat.
11—It usually happens on clear days. It usually happens on calmer waters. So, we know that those boating accidents could be prevented by having a second person on board that’s avoiding alcohol as well.
That’s our show… We receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…working to increase fishing and boating opportunities in Texas…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
Posted in Boating Safety | Comments Off on Boating Safety: Don’t Drink & Boat
July 15th, 2010
This is Passport to Texas
Everyone, no matter how long they’ve been boating, benefits from a little extra education.
04—Boater education goes over the basic responsibility of every boater.
Steve Hall is director of Education at Parks and Wildlife. In a boater education class you’ll learn how to equip your vessel with the proper safety equipment and how to file a float plan…but it doesn’t end there.
Next it follows all the navigation aids and procedures on the water and getting underway—and that is familiarization with the rules of the road, they call them. And this is the rules of the waterway.
And those rules are important, because there are no stop signs; there are no lights on the water…. And so knowing exactly what you’re doing when another boat approaches you from the right or the left or oncoming traffic, is obviously important so that you don’t steer into oncoming vessels.
Boating education is mandatory for those 13 through 17 years of age. But, unfortunately, the age group that’s involved in most boating accident are above that age, and comprise most of the operators in the state of Texas. And so, trying to get more adults to take boater education is a trick, but it would be imperative if we’re going to reduce the accidents even more.
Find boating education courses, including Internet options, at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Website.
That’s our show… We receive support from the Sport Fish Restoration Program… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
Posted in Boating | Comments Off on A Boatload of Learning
July 14th, 2010
This is Passport to Texas
If you’ve never spent time in a state park, it’s easy to come up with all kinds of reasons why they may not be for you. Our Stat Park guide, Bryan Frazier, says one myth about parks is that in order to get the most out of the experience—you have to go extreme.
And the good thing about state parks in Texas is, if you like those kinds of extreme activities—the mountain climbing, or the mountain biking—we have some pretty technical things where you can actually enjoy just about as an extreme experience as you want.
But, for the other people who just want to get away and relax, that’s the number one activity in state parks—relaxing and distressing. And so, we like to say, whatever outdoor recreation is to you, you can find it in a Texas State park.
And it can just be something as simple as rejuvenating yourself on a nature hike or it can be something as thrilling as canoeing and kayaking down some pretty swift rivers.
So, we don’t want people to be intimidated of the outdoors. We’ve got pretty much everything you’re looking for, whether it’s just a nice little walk, or something more than that at a state park in Texas.
Thanks, Bryan.
Start planning your next state park getaway—whether relaxed or adrenaline fueled—when you log onto the Texas and Wildlife website.
For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
Posted in State Parks | Comments Off on State Parks Myth #2–Only For Extreme Sports
July 13th, 2010
This is Passport to Texas
Everyone has a favorite state park—sometimes more than one. The Texas Parks and Wildlife PBS television series takes viewers to four parks in July. One of the parks you’ll visit also happens to be a favorite of producer, Abe Moore.
I produced a story on Mustang Island State Park down by Port Aransas. It’s got the beach, it’s got the sun, it’s go the fun—it’s a great place to take the family for the summer.
People, when they come out to the island, they’re looking for relaxation—just sit back, relax, take it at their own pace.
Also at Mustang island State Park, it’s great for birding. There are all kinds of bird species there.
If you can see them in the scope moving to the right, right now [bird squawk] —and that’s a snowy. This is great. See, if you can see that guy feeding in the water [wow] those are black neck stilts [birds]… How lovely. What a very elegant looking bird.
So, it’s one of my favorite state parks, and I always recommend—especially with the summer and seaweed and everything going on, it’s good to check the park for beach conditions before you go down there. Parks and Wildlife television is on PBS stations all across the state, and you can go to our website to find stations and times in your area.
That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
Posted in TPWD TV | Comments Off on TPW TV–Mustang Island
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