Texas Hunting Times

Gus Engeling WMA Offers Wildlife Management Help

Land and habitat management for wildlife has become the first priority of many Texas landowners in recent years. The social importance of hunting combined with the economic incentives from activities such as deer and dove hunting, in addition to other game and non-game animals, have landowners looking at wildlife management more than ever.

To help interested landowners out, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Anderson-Houston Soil and Water Conservation District will hold a workshop on managing small acreages for wildlife at the Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area on Friday, May 13th.

The habitat workshop is designed for landowners interested in wildlife management on properties of 250 acres or less or those who are interested in a wildlife tax valuation. The workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m to 4:00 p.m. and the cost is $15.00, which includes a barbecue lunch.

Space is limited, and payment must be made in advance, so don’t waste time registering for this one. RSVP by mailing a letter with your name, property county, contact information, email address and $15 per person (check made payable to Anderson-Houston SWCD) to Engeling WMA, 16149 N. U.S. Hwy. 287, Tennessee Colony, TX 75861.

The Gus Engeling WMA is located northwest of Palestine on U.S. Hwy 287. For more information on the wildlife management workshop or to register by phone, contact Eric Woolverton, Tucker Slack or Jennifer Ganter at 903-928-2251.

Texas Turkey Hunting Season Opens Slow, Heats Up

When it comes to hunting, there is nothing more exciting than bringing the animals to you. Whitetail deer hunters rattle horns to bring in angry bucks looking for a fight, duck hunters enjoy using decoys to get high-flying ducks to navigate their way for a bite and turkey hunters use the lonely yelp of a hen turkey to bring in a big tom looking to put on a show. Yep, when it comes to turkey hunting, spring is the time of year when I truly get a kick out of chasing these gigantic game birds.

Spring turkey hunting is a ball when the gobblers are “hot.” Making any sound that even resembles that of a hen will result is numerous gobblers blowing up in the woods, with some probably sprinting full speed in your direction. But when the breeding is over and the turkeys turn off, the party is over for the hunters. Calls just do not get the job done. Gobblers ignore them; sometimes they even run away from them!

Slow. That’s how I felt this season was going to be. The breeding season in Rio Grande turkey, like other turkey subspecies, is dictated by weather conditions, which vary year to year. I was seeing a bunch of turkey activity in March, so I suspected that the spring season was going to open up too late to take advantage of hot gobblers. The spring turkey hunting season in Burnet County opened on April 2 this year, so as the opener approached I did not find myself overly excited.

But it was opening day of the spring season, so you knew I was going to be out there decked from head to toe in camoflauge and doing my best to fool an unsuspecting gobbler. The weather was a bit warm for my liking, but all systems were go as far as I was concerned. The property I hunt has a decent number of turkey on it, and they roost across the river, so there is always the possibility of running into turkey.

I walked about 400 yards from the truck to a spot that I’ve known turkey to frequent this time of year. The sun was just rising and I could see quite well. I didn’t really expect any turkey to be in the area at that point since most would still be on or close to their roosts. So on a whim, I decided to let out a few crow calls in an attempt to locate a gobbler on the off-chance that one was in the neighborhood.

Caw, caw, caw! I stood there with my shotgun over my right shoulder and my turkey hen decoy cradled in my left arm. Nothing. No shock gobbles. But it was about to get interesting. About 15 seconds after crow calling I picked up on something coming directly toward me. I stayed completely still, then noticed that it was a coyote running directly at me. It had responded to the crow call!

The coy dog was in a good trot and looking left and right, looking for the crow that had created such a disturbance. I just stood still, letting the coyote close the distance. When the critter got about 25 yards out it stopped and looked directly at me, knowing that something was wrong. I shucked the decoy that was in my left arm and grabbed my shotgun that was slung over my right shoulder. As the coyote was slanting away from right to left and looking at me I was able to put two ounces of #5 turkey load right on its numbers.

The coyote immediately hit the ground and was completely motionless within eight to ten seconds. For those that do not have any experience with turkey shot shell loads, let me just say that they are the real deal. In the past we have shot feral hogs while turkey hunting with them too, usually at five to 25 yards. I stepped the coyote off at 29 yards, easily within effective range for my 870 outfitted with an extra-full choke.

I thought the early coyote action was already worth the price of admission. By the way, I shot another coyote while turkey hunting last year as it tried to sneak up on my decoy, but it winded me on the edge of my effective range for a take-down shot. It did, however, get shot and took a good amount of lead. I did not find the animal within 100 yards, but I suspect it lived an abbreviated life.

So with a coyote down and time on my side, I decided to make my way towards the eastern edge of the property, passing by a withering winter food plot. I set up several times along to the way to do some short-distance predator calling, but nothing else responded. All the time I kept my ears opened for some gobblers talking, but nothing. I kept moving east and scouting around the property, examining some new areas.

Finally, around 10:30 in the morning I heard a faint gobble to the north. I decided to work that way, taking my time not to bust any birds along the way. After working a good half of a mile, I decided to use my crow call to see if I could locate the gobbler I had heard earlier. Immediately after crowing, a gobble came from about 200 yards away. I was in business!

I eased through the woods to a roadway that was about 30 yards away and set out my hen decoy. I backed off a found a good tree to sit up against. I called an he gobbled, again and again. For the next 45 minutes I would yelp and the tom would gobble. However, it never sounded like he was moving any closer. As is common in this situation, I figured he was with a hen, had hung up in some thick vegetation, or was just talking to me to talk. Sometimes they are strange like that.

After spending the better part of an hour waiting for this guy to make a move I decided to get a little more proactive. Besides, turkey hunting is turkey hunting, whether I am calling or stalking. I decided to cut the distance and move along the roadway toward the bird. I knew the area the gobbler was in was a bit broken, but I was pretty sure I had good habitat cover for much of the distance.

After easing, crouching and crawling my way through the woods I thought that I had to be getting close to this guy. I decided to pull my slate call out of my pack and give it a go just to get a location on this guy. Yelp, yelp, yelp. Boom, the gobbler blew up about 50 yards directly in front of me! I couldn’t see him, or he I, but he was there!

I kept straining to find him, and refrained from making even the slightest amount of movement. My eyes were scanning from behind my face mask, but there was no bird. There was one huge live oak tree about 30 yards in front of me that blocked much of my view. He had to be behind that tree. I decided to use the call to give off the slightest of purrs. I waited.

Finally, about three or 4 minutes later I saw something move through the brush. I could then make out a strutting gobbler about 45 yards away. He was not interested in me. I knew this because I then saw a hen feeding near him. But I was not worried about that. I just needed him to move about 12 yards to the west and I would have two small areas, about a foot and a half wide, to get a shot off.

I kept my eyes on the gobbler. I couldn’t cut the distance any further without risk of being spotted. Heck, I was lucky to even put myself in this position. Now it was just a matter of what he was going to do. The gobbler continued to strut left, the, right, then left, then right… you get the idea. This continued on for about 10 minutes, but the hen feeding near him never gave him the time of day.

For no reason at all, the gobbler broke strut and stood straight up as if something was wrong. I did not know what it could be, but I was about 95% sure that it was not me. Then, as luck would have it, the gobbler began trotting west. I could tell from his path that he was actually traveling closer and that he was going to intersect the two small openings! Time was of essence. He was just yards away from where I needed him to be.

Then, as quickly as the gobbler could have trotted about 10 yards he had made it to the first opening, my shotgun’s bead lined up on his head, and BOOM! The bird went down hard and fast. Within three or four seconds the bird was motionless. Direct hit! I was thrilled. I stepped off the 40 steps to the bird and was still in awe of all that had transpired. I figured it was going to be a slow day of turkey hunting, and I was right, until I was wrong.

It seemed as though spring turkey season had heated up all of a sudden. I tagged my turkey and shed my outer, long-sleeved shirt. It was about 85 degrees and already noon—time for lunch. The morning was over, and so was my day of turkey hunting. The gobbler had a 9 inch beard, 1 inch spurs and weighed 20 pounds. I had not brought a lunch, but I left with one! I guess I’ll eat the one the coyote didn’t.

Turkey Hunting Season in Texas Changes

Texas is home to some great Rio Grande and eastern turkey hunting, but wild turkey populations are constantly changing. Habitat loss, ever-changing weather patterns, and increased hunter demand means turkey hunting seasons and regulations will always adapt to manage Texas’ turkey population. That being known, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted turkey hunting regulations for the 2011-2012 season with relatively few changes.

Effective for the 2012 season, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is closing spring turkey hunting in the following 15 East Texas counties in response to low turkey populations and harvest numbers: Cherokee, Delta, Gregg, Hardin, Houston, Hunt, Liberty, Montgomery, Rains, Rusk, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Tyler and Walker. Closing spring turkey seasons in these counties will enable biologists to reassess Eastern turkey restoration efforts in areas having suitable habitat, restock sites and provide brood stock protection.

The state’s goal is to reopen turkey hunting once the Eastern turkey populations in the affected counties are capable of sustaining harvest. Reduced harvest combined with habitat improvement may help the cause. Let’s remember that much of Texas has been greatly impacted by drought during three of the past four years. And remember, turkey habitat management at the ranch level or through management co-ops can help turkeys at the local level.

Also effective for the 2012 season, TPWD is delaying spring Eastern turkey hunting in the remaining counties having an open turkey season by two weeks. This means the season will run from April 15 through May 14 beginning in 2012. Wildlife biologists say the delay gives hens time to begin nesting prior to the turkey season opening.

Beginning in 2012, hunters may harvest any bearded Rio Grande turkey during the spring season in all counties having a bag limit of four turkeys. This includes a ton of counties, many of which are located in north-central Texas, the Texas Hill Country and South Texas. The turkey hunting season in Texas may be taking a slight haircut in your area, but remember that it’s the right decision if populations are declining. Now get outdoors!

Duck Hunting, Habitat Management at Murphee MWA

The J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is well known by public hunters for the fantastic duck and alligator hunting that it offers. This state-owned gem of a wildlife management area is chockerblock full of wintering waterfowl during most years—especially during really cold winters—making for excellent opportunities to get out in Texas’ coastal marsh for some fast-action duck hunting. But the great hunting that occurs there is not by accident, it’s because of sound habitat management for ducks and other water birds.

The J.D. Murphree WMA manager Jim Sutherlin will be recognized for his work in wetland habitat conservation at this year’s Ducks Unlimited (DU) State/Provincial Wetland Conservation Achievement Award presented during the 76th annual North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. DU’s Wetland Conservation Achievement Awards recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the restoration and conservation of North America’s wetlands and waterfowl. During the past three years, Sutherlin has worked with partners to successfully secure nearly $1 million in NAWCA grants and another $2 million from other grant sources to improve habitat management capabilities and habitat conditions along the Texas Coast for nesting and migratory waterfowl.

By understanding how waterfowl use resources, managers are able to attract and hold waterfowl on managed habitats. Where man-made or modified wetlands area managed, manipulations that emulate natural wetland complexes and water regimes provide diverse habitats for a variety of waterfowl, which creates awesome duck hunting opportunities. Congratulations to Jim Sutherlin for helping create better habitat for ducks, geese alligators, and for helping to provide a high quality public hunting opportunity. If you have not been out to the Murphee WMA for a hunt, I highly suggest giving it a shot during late December or January.

Texas Desert Bighorn Sheep Hunting Looking Better

Texas is still home to Desert Bighorn sheep, but there are not as many as there once were. In the late 1800s there were perhaps up to 1,500 sheep in the rugged mountains of Trans-Pecos Texas. However, due mainly to unregulated hunting and diseases from domestic and exotic livestock, Texas bighorn numbers dwindled to about 500 in 1903 and by the 1960s they were gone. But bighorn sheep, like Texans, are tough.

Today bighorn sheep are coming back thanks to decades of work by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), wildlife conservation groups, private landowners and others. TPWD biologists this past September observed 1,115 sheep in Texas, which is up from 822 in 2006 and only 352 in 2002. This steady climb back from the brink is due in part to relocation and restoration of wild sheep into areas where bighorns had once been extirpated. The increase in bighorn sheep in West Texas is great, but more work remains.

The Bofecillos Mountains of Big Bend Ranch State Park are next on the list of priority areas of historic bighorn range in Texas where sheep have not yet been restored. Establishing sheep in the park will increase numbers and diversity of the bighorn population in Texas, help restore the park’s native wildlife ecology and provide an outstanding new visitor wildlife viewing opportunity. In years to come, public hunting in the park may also be possible, although that is not the primary restoration goal.

“This puts an animal in its rightful place,” said Ruben Cantu, TPWD Wildlife Division regional director in San Angelo. “Its home is mountain ranges in West Texas. This is a desert mountain icon, an important component of the ecosystem.”

About 40 desert bighorn sheep were captured at Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area using a helicopter and moved by trailer to Big Bend Ranch State Park in mid-December. It was the latest phase of a multi-partner wildlife restoration project begun in 1954, and the first bighorn reintroduction at a Texas state park. Big Bend Ranch bighorn restoration is a collaborative effort between TPWD’s Wildlife and State Parks Divisions.

Deer Hunting in Palo Pinto County

Question: I have the opportunity to get on a whitetail deer hunting lease in Palo Pinto County, Texas, but I don’t know anything about the area. For the price, I don’t expect to shoot a monster buck other there, but I also don’t want to shoot yearling bucks every year either. Do you know anyone that has hunted for deer in this area? Any information on deer, feral hogs, and wild turkeys would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: Deer hunting in Palo Pinto County can be as good as any place in Texas, but it will take management minded hunters to produce good bucks. This is true of any property in Texas. One of my good friends shot a 146 inch buck from the Graford area in 2006, and any buck in the 140’s is a pretty good deer. The hunters on his lease regularly taken bucks in the high 120’s and 130’s, which is not bad for a 450 acre place. Continue reading Deer Hunting in Palo Pinto County

Texas Panhandle Pronghorn Antelope Get New Home

About two hundred pronghorn antelope from the Texas Panhandle have gone on vacation. Or better yet, have a new home! Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)has reported transporting of 200 pronghorn from the panhandle to the Marfa Plateau—about a 500 mile trip! The trap and transport operation was performed to increase the declined Trans-Pecos herd and help biologists determine why the West Texas herd has been in decline in recent years.

Using net guns, crew members and a chartered private helicopter company would net individual pronghorn from above, then jump from the low-hovering chopper to quickly blindfold and hobble the animal to complete the trapping. Captured animals were then flown to a staging area. Once the animals were lowered to the ground, ground personnel carried each pronghorn to a stretcher for examination and aging by veterinarians and biologists.

Biologist and vets took each animal’s temperature along with blood and feces samples. The pronghorn antelope also received a mild sedative. Then an ear tag was attached. In addition, 80 of the animals received light-weight radio-telemetry tracking collars to monitor their movement. Once this process was completed, which took an average of eight minutes per animal, the pronghorns were placed in hay-lined enclosed trailers for the nine-hour drive from the Panhandle to the Marfa area.

“This is a win-win for all concerned, since removing surplus pronghorns from the northwestern Panhandle will help minimize crop depredation, ” said Shawn Gray, TPWD’s Alpine-based mule deer and pronghorn program leader. “This relocation is also going to help us try to figure out what has been causing pronghorn numbers in the Trans-Pecos to drop.”

This is the largest antelope transfer TPWD has undertaken in decades.
Data gathered during and after the relocation effort will be used by researchers in their effort to determine a reason for the decline in the once-strong Trans-Pecos pronghorn herd. While some 10,000 pronghorns roam the Panhandle, the herd in the Trans-Pecos is estimated at a record low of 4,700 animals. If things go as planned, another 200 pronghorns will be trapped in the Panhandle and relocated to West Texas next year.

Pronghorn Antelope Trapped and Restocked in Texas

Most of the people that did not grow up or who have not traveled through Texas think the state is made up of flat, open country. Sure, part of it is, but even the open country is not flat—it’s rolling! And that open country is important pronghorn antelope habitat that offers surprisingly good pronghorn hunting on lands managed for these fast critters. Pronghorn are native to Texas, found in the Panhandle as well as the Trans-Pecos regions of the state. Pronghorn once roamed most all of the state, including the coastal plains, but never did well in East Texas due to all the timber.

Though pronghorn antelope is still found in West Texas, the number of speed goats over in the Trans-Pecos has been dwindling. Texas Parks and Wildlife Deparment (TPWD) biologist believe the decrease in antelope stems from a disease or virus that has become even more of a problem due to persistent dry weather and poor recruitment, but it’s not 100% right now. All they know currently is that numbers are going the wrong way for Texas’ pronghorn populations and antelope hunters.

During the past two years, pronghorn populations have plummeted in the Marfa Plateau region. This decrease in antelope has influenced the total Trans-Pecos pronghorn population estimate for 2010, which hit a record low number of animals with an estimated 4,700 pronghorn across the Trans-Pecos region. With numbers holding steady in the panhandle, biologist are hoping to boost breeding pronghorn numbers in the Trans-Pecos by relocating some animals from the north.

Here’s the plan: The Wildlife Division of TPWD will lead an effort to trap pronghorn antelope in the Panhandle near Dalhart and move them out to the Marfa Plateau during late February of 2010. As of now, the scope of work involves trapping and transporting about 200 animals and releasing them on management-minded ranches near Valentine in the Trans-Pecos. The pronghorn population in this area has crashed and researchers hope that an infusion of new animals can restore self sustaining antelope herds to this area. The pronghorn decline and reintroduction into West Texas is being studied by TPWD and researchers from Sul Ross State University.

Deer Habitat Improvement in the North

Question: My father owns 125 acres of wooded land in central Connecticut and we want to improve our deer hunting. The property is surrounded on three sides by more forest and the fourth side borders an old field. I am looking into clearing and planting a food plot in the middle and trying to increase bedding cover and browse on the property for whitetail deer by hinge cutting trees. I am also going to create watering holes from some streams that flow across our property by blocking them up.

I was wondering if you had any suggestions or ideas on how to maintain better deer health and support more deer as well as increase deer sighting while hunting both does and bucks. Right now the property is mainly tall hardwood trees. I didn’t know if you could help me out so I figured I would send an email and find out. Continue reading Deer Habitat Improvement in the North

Texas Hunter Education Classes Offered

All hunters born on or after September 2, 1971, and 17 years old or older must have completed a Texas Hunter Education class to legally hunt in Texas, unless they purchase a one-time Hunter Education Deferral. As necessary as hunter education classes are, they can not be offered without trained instructors. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will be conducting a free hunter education new instructor training workshop on Saturday, March 12, 2011, in Waco.

The hunter education program’s goals are to reduce hunting-related accidents and violations; promote safe, responsible and knowledgeable hunting; and enhance hunting traditions and values. Hunter education provides instruction in Texas hunting regulations, wildlife management and identification, conservation, ethics, firearm and hunting safety and responsibility and outdoor skills. The hunter workshop will be from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 8451 Gholsen Road in Waco.

Instruction will be offered for new applicants and currently certified hunter education instructors in skills trail, live firing exercises and home study procedures. The training puts fun and exciting activities into the learning experience. Students will benefit by going through actual hunting simulations and by making their own decisions regarding responsible actions using “shoot-don’t-shoot” scenarios.

Before attending this workshop, you must go to the following web site and prepare yourself by going over the hunter education instructor training manual. You will sign an acknowledgement and release that you have done this pre-workshop assignment as part of your training. The site can be found here.

Once again, every Texas hunter (whether a resident or non-resident) born on or after September 2, 1971, must successfully complete a hunter education course. By understanding hunting through education, hunters and non-hunters alike will help make a bright future for the sport. To register to become a hunter education instructor, contact TPWD Area Chief Brent Heath at (254) 722-5660.