Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

Seminole Canyon SP and Historic site in far west Texas is, for many, off the beaten path…in more ways than one.

We really don’t get too many people [visiting], and so it’s kind of odd to have an atlatl competition. And you have to be kind of off the wall to even know what an atlatl is.

What are you, then, if you take part in the 3rd Annual Archeolympics—a kind of pre-historic hunter competition—at this out of the way park? To park ranger and Interpreter, Tanya Petruney, that makes you an archeolympian. She tells us about the event planned for February 6.

It is a primitive skills competition, which consists of the atlatl, which is an ancient spear thrower…the rabbit stick, which is a boomerang like weapon used for small game, such as rabbits, and our friction fire starting competition.

At 4-thousand years old, the park boasts the oldest pictographs in North America, making it the ideal place to get in touch with your inner caveman.

All ages are welcome in the competition. You have to register; and if you do not feel like being in any of the competitions, we do offer public demonstrations, which will be the atlatl and rabbit stick, flint napping, friction fire starting, cordage making from native plants, and replica artifacts of this area.

There is a $3.00 per person Entrance Fee, and winners receive prizes. Find details about the February 6 Archeolympics at Seminole Canyon SP and Historic site, on the TPW website.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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February 6, 2010 — Seminole Canyon SP&HS — 3rd Annual Archeolympics — Step back into prehistory and compete in this fun, primitive skills event. Open to all skill levels, try your hand at atlatl spear throwing, rabbit stick throwing and a fire starting race. Demonstrations and displays of prehistoric technologies will be available for all to see. Call for rules and regulations. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (432) 292-4464.

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This is Passport to Texas

This month the Texas parks and Wildlife Television series puts the spotlight on our fine feathered friends. Series producer, Don Cash.

A couple of things we’re going to look at early in the month of February…we’re going to look at the current situation with bobwhite quail—which is a very popular bird and a very good sporting bird. And we’re going to look at ways that landowners working with our department to manage their land for better quail populations.

We’re trying to create a situation where there’re more native grasses, and less of your introduced coastal type grasses.

We’re also going to take a look at the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trails. The department has three brochures: upper coast, central coast, lower coast… And these are really handy brochures that birders can use to decide what they want to see, where they want to see it, and when they want to go see it.

Later in the month, we’re going to take a look at the Ivory Billed Woodpecker, which was extinct, but in 2005 may have been found again in Arkansas. One of our producers followed a group of researchers in East Texas—in the Big Thicket—for six months as they looked for any signs of the extinct Ivory Billed Woodpecker.

If there was a bird out there, it would have to rely on a whole lotta luck if it happened to be where we were.

So, the television show in February has lots of birds, and maybe it will help our viewers get ready for that spring birding season.

Thanks, Don.

Find a list of stations airing the series on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

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

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This is Passport to Texas

Ocelots once roamed throughout Texas, Mexico, and into Arkansas and Louisiana. Jody Mays says today, only a few survive in the thick brush and shelters of the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

As far as we know, there less than 100 ocelots left in the United States. The ocelot’s range has disappeared, and now they only occur in the southern most tip of Texas, and that’s the only place in the whole United States that they occur.

Mays is a Wildlife Biologist at Laguna Atascosa Natural Wildlife Refuge. She explains reasons for the population decline.

Usually with an endangered species, you have multiple impacts that they get hit with. For the ocelot, the biggest one was the habitat loss. Some estimates say that over 95% of the native habitat in Texas has been altered. A lot of the thick habitats have been cleared for agriculture, and for development, and for other purposes. Another associated impact with that is habitat fragmentation, and that’s where, you say, have one large piece of thick habitat that gets cut up into smaller pieces that are farther and farther apart. Loss of genetic diversity is another big issue, and that’s as a result of this habitat loss and fragmentation.

That’s our show for today…supported by the Wildlife Restoration Program… helping to fund the operations and management of more than 50 wildlife management areas…

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

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This is Passport to Texas

Since 1981, Operation Game Thief has been protecting Texas’ natural resources with the help of a nature-loving public that calls in with tips about law-breakers.

When our game wardens respond, and they can catch the individual, and make the arrest by citation—or physically take them to jail—upon their conviction, that individual can be eligible for a reward payment of us to one thousand dollars.

Eric Howard, Operation Game Thief program administrator, says most people who call the Crime Stoppers-like hotline aren’t interested in a reward.

It’s more just pride—love of Texas’ natural resources. When a person calls in, they’re asked, do they want a reward. About 60-65% will say no, they’re just calling in because they see something that they know isn’t right and they just want it stopped.

Game Warden Howard tells us about an incident this fall in which a man captured two hawks in Laredo and transported them to North Carolina. The case was still unfolding at the time of our interview.

Someone contacted the Operation Game Thief hotline number, and a Game Warden responded through a very lengthy investigation—not only through Texas Parks and Wildlife—but the USFWS, and NC Fish and game Service. It was determined that the person did not have a license, was not permitted to have the hawks and was not any kind of falconer.

And that made the trapping and transport illegal. Learn more about Operation Game Thief, and find the hotline number on the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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From the Operation Game Thief Website:

Poachers are stealing from you! Help stop to illegal hunting and fishing in Texas. If you have information which will assist game wardens in apprehending persons who are violating the hunting and fishing regulations of this state, Operation Game Thief needs your help!

Call immediately! Dial toll-free, 1-800-792-GAME (4263), any time, day or night and provide the following information to the Texas Parks and Wildlife police communications officer:

• the nature of the violation
• the location of the violation
• the name and/or description of the violator
• a description of any vehicle or boat involved in the violation
• any other important information which will assist in apprehending the violator

If you wish to remain anonymous, a code number will be assigned to you. You do not have to give your name if you do not want to. The more information you can provide at the earliest opportunity will increase the probability of and arrest and conviction.

Report illegal hunting and fishing – call 1-800-792-GAME (4263).
“This information will not be used for any purpose other than to attempt to apprehend the offender being reported.”

“If this violation is currently in progress,
please call 800 792-4263 (GAME) immediately.”

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This is Passport to Texas

Whether you’re an avid angler… or someone who enjoys working with kids… becoming a Volunteer Angler Education Instructor is fun and rewarding.

In the instructor class, we give them all of the tools and the knowledge and skills they would need to teach kids the junior angler program.

Ann Miller oversees the program. She says anglers who become instructors get to share their love of fishing with kids…as well teach them how to fish responsibly.

Many adults out there are anglers themselves, and really want to share that love of fishing with the younger generation. And this gives them the opportunity to do that. Many adults also are working already with different youth groups and our junior angler program is just a wonderful addition to their potpourri of things that they can do with kids.

Miller says she finds that youth group leaders are attracted to the Junior Angler program because of the positive impact it can have on the children they mentor.

They do want to have a positive outlet for their energies and enthusiasm and, kids just love it. So, this is something that they can do to steer kids in the right direction.

Learn how you can become a junior angler instructor by visiting our website at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…we receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motorboat fuel.

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

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