Congrats to our December winner. Monthly winners get their photo framed by Texaken Custom Frames and are entered into our Photo of the Year Contest which includes a 4 day trophy whitetail hunt at the QB Ranch and 30 ft diameter deer food plot fence from Goin Fencing. Be sure to get your January photos in now for a chance to win a Sport Dog Basic E-collar from Tri-Tronics!
Lots of great content this week folks! We start things off by checking in with Denton County Game Warden Darren Blackerby. I contacted GW Blackerby after a discouraging morning in the duck marsh…the hunt was great- but unfortunately some of the home owners around this Amry Corps Of Engineers lake didn’t appreciate the fact that we were hunting. So much so that they called the cops who came out and tried to get us to stop hunting even though we were more than double the legal distance from any house, roadway or school. We were so far away in fact, that we couldn’t hear the police honking at us or yelling at us thru a megaphone! Unfortunately, this type of unacceptable and ignorant behavior is becoming more and more common. BUT- we have rights as hunters and if you purchased your Type II permit and obey game laws then there is nothing folks can do to prevent you from hunting. If they do, they could go to jail. Here was the result of that morning- pretty good hunt with our buddy Zane Williams.
Then we put a stamp on the 2011 Texas Whitetail when TPWD Whitetail Deer Program Leader Alan Cain drops in. Alan has his finger squarely on the pulse of our whitetail herd and we get his thoughts on the season that was. How much did the drought really affect antler growth across the board? We also touch on the Managed Lands Deer Permit Program (MLD). This program has been one of the more successful in recent memory and it allows land owners and ranches extra tags and extended seasons to properly manage their deer. Doe harvest is a major part of the program. Also, Alan has some exciting new regarding archery seasons being opened up in Dallas, Collin and Rockwall counties!
We then round out the show when National Wild Turkey Federation- Texas Regional Directer Ray Hood stops by. The NWTF is one of my favorite conservation organizations. Ray has some breaking news to share regarding a new position opening up in the Lone Star State. I know I can’t wait for March to get here!
This week was a good one ya’ll! Casey Donahew from the Casey Donahew band talks about the new record- Double Wide Dream… and of course that good ‘ol boy is as passionate about deer hunting as he is about music. Casey talks about his place in West Texas and the two management bucks he harvested this season. Casey doing his thing on stage:
Then Clint Montgomery of the Texas Archery Academy drops in. The Texas Archery Academy is a relatively new organization that promotes all aspects of archery in Texas. They have a massive shooting facility in Plano, Texas and are working towards building a strong statewide presence. Clint talks about their goals and events they put on to try and get new folks interested in archery- especially our youth. Here is a snapshot of a recent event aimed at introducing archery to some young Texans:
We then round out the show when TPWD Inland Fisheries Program Manager Carl Kittel stops by. Carl oversees the massive Winter Trout Stocking program each winter. This is a great opportunity for anglers of all ages to get out and catch some rainbow trout. TPWD stocks over 250,000 fish in over 100 locations statewide. Visit the TPWD website to find out when they’ll be stocking in your area.
Tunes & Whitetails w/ Casey Donahew, Texas Archery Academy and TPWD Winter Trout Stocking
Wow what a week! Hunted the South Texas Brush Country for the first time. Saw more deer than I have ever seen. Harvested two nice bucks, including my first bow kill. Most importantly though I learned a vaulable lesson that I’ll share with yall on this weeks show.
We also had Captain Len Girard join us this week for our Coastal fishing report. Captain Len fishes from Corpus Christi past Baffin Bay all the way to the Land Cut. The black drum, redfish and flounder are on fire! Captain Len tells us where to catch them and what to use. Winter is a great time to catch big bull reds like this one.
Also, a special treat for all you big game hunters out there, when Randy Newberg of the Sportsman Channel’s hit show On Your Own Adventures drops in. We discuss the do it yourself public hunting style that Randy lives and breathes. He gives us tips on scouting public hunting lands and insight into how he chooses the draws he applies for each season. Randy with an amazing New Mexico bull elk.
My Brush Country Bucks, Big Game w/ Randy Newberg & Action Hot Along Texas Coast
This week our favorite singer/songwriter Zane Williams headed out with myself and Jeff Elder of Silver Creek Guide Service for Zane’s first duck hunt. The weather was poor but spirits were up and Zane even bagged his first duck and first redhead! Good times and thanks to Jeff for having us out – www.silvercreekguideservice.com One happy hunter!
This show won’t be short on entertainment that’s for sure! We kick things off by checking in with our old buddy- Lake Fork Guide Heath Hardwick. The first Toyota Sharelunker of the season was caught on Lake Fork over the Christmas Holidays so it’s no secret the big girls are moving up all over the state. Heath breaks down where to find ‘em and how to catch ‘em as we inch closer to the largemouth’s pre-spawn pattern.
Next we check in with Jackie Bibby- AKA ‘The Texas Snakeman’. Jackie has been hunting rattlebugs all over Texas for over 40 years! And on top of that, he holds numerous Guiness World Records for snake handling. Does climbing into a bathtub with over 200 rattlesnakes sound fun to you? Me neither, but you have to be some kind of adrenaline junkie to attempt it. Jackie tells us all about that stunt as well as some of his other incredible feats. Although he’s reached his early 60s, Jackie is showing no signs of slowing down as evidenced by him starring in the Animal Planet’s hit show Rattlesnake Republic. I guarantee you don’t want to miss this one!
We then round out the broadcast when David Sams of Lone Star Outdoor News joins us to talk whitetails- specifically how to age a buck in the field. David has amassed a lifetime of deer hunting knowledge and I was thrilled to pick his brain prior to my South Texas management hunt. What indicators does he look for when trying to gauge whether a buck is in his prime or on the downslope of his life and therefore a solid management buck? David with a great management buck of his own from last season:
We kick off the New Years Day edition by checking in with Texas Parks and Wildlife Executive Director Carter Smith. Our state park system needs our help and has issued a 4.9 million dollar plea for help. With budget cuts and the extreme drought of 2011, the state park system simply didn’t generate enough revenue. TPWD has come up with a 3 fold plan of action and Carter jumps on to talk about how we can help get this thing back on track.
Then we check in with Andrew Watson of Highland Village. Last week, Andrew landed the first Toyota Sharelunker of the 2011-2012 season while crappie fishing with his dad. The 13.51 lb Lake Fork monster was picked up by Dave Campbell and taken back to the Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. Andrew actually hooked this largemouth 3 times before getting her in the boat. He tells us all about her breaking him off multiple times before he landed the fish of a lifetime!
Then we are joined by Dallas Safari Club President Ben Carter. Out of the Wild is the weekend at the Dallas Convention Center. DSC convention week is always one of my favorite weeks of the year! Over 800 outfitters, guides, guns and optics makers from all over the globe will converge in Texas this Thursday-Sunday for the world’s premiere outdoor convention. Ben talks about the week’s festivities including some new things for this year’s convention.
Then, with my South Texas deer hunt only one week away- I figured we should talk to someone who hunts the Brush Country on a regular basis. And our old buddy and Elite Series Pro Kelly Jordon fits the bill perfectly! Kelly has been hunting Webb Country for over a decade and that happens to be the same county I will be hunting in. Kelly sheds some light on how hunting the Brush Country is different from hunting other regions of our state. I hope I am fortunate to take a nice management buck- which in South Texas could be something similiar to this 7 1/2 year 137 inch 8 pt KJ harvested last season! LOL. Only in South Texas can this be considered a cull buck- what a monster!
South Texas Deer Huntin' w/ Kelly Jordon, Season's First Sharelunker, DSC Convention and State Parks in Dire Straits
Merry Christmas everybody! I can’t believe that this is our 100th episode! Thanks for all the support over the past two years. Ya’ll are what keeps this show on the air. Anyway, this should be another great broadcast as we have Stephen F. Austin’s Andrew Upshaw with us. Andrew won the inagural Mercury College Bass National Championship and was therefore awarded a spot in the 2012 BassMaster Classic Field. Andrew talks about a dream come true and what he had to do to get to this point. Also, what does he expect on the Red River in Shreveport/Bossier City this February and does this Classic cater to his strenghts?
Then an awesome holiday treat when our old buddy Chance Cody of Spur 503 drops in! Chance and the band have a new record out and The Legend Grows is their best yet. We get chance to play a couple tunes and of course talk some bow huntin’. He is the fist in studio guest we’ve had bring in a euro mount. Nice Grayson County brute for sure!
We then round things out when longtime regular Major Cody Roberson of Army Bass Anglers stops by. ABA will once again have the honor of being the lead boat at this 2012 Bassmaster Classic. In edition to that, they’ve got a ton of other stuff going on as well- including a new show set to premiere on the Sportsman’s Channel this spring. Of course we get Major Roberson to share the details regarding Force vs Force. Should be a good one!
Texan Collegiate Wins Spot at Bassmaster Classic, Chance Cody of Spur 503 and Army Bass Anglers
72 Year old Ray Murski was killed in a head on collision in the Texas Hill Country on Monday. Ray was a 2005 inductee to the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. He fished the early days of the Bassmaster Tournament Trail and was the owner of Strike King Lures. Ray was also the 2011 recepient of the T. Boone Pickens Lifetime Sportsman Award. He spent the last few days of his life deer hunting with his son and three grandsons at his ranch in Bosque County. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Murski family this holiday season.
This week we have some great new stuff and also a few classics as we reflect on some of the shows best moments of 2011. Off the top though we were joined by deer hunter Richard Lomas of West Salem, Illinois. Two weeks ago, Richard was on the way to his blind for the 2nd part of the Illinois shotgun season when he stumbled across the deer of a lifetime. His 30 pt no fence buck was actually an antlered doe! He gives us all the details about that day and a hunt he will never forget.
Then a real treat when we replay the finest moments from our latest interview with Phil ‘The Duck Commander’ Roberson. We get this old timer’s thoughts on everything from lead vs steel shot to the birth of his children. Good stuff as always with the Duck Commander.
Next we rediscover some of the magic that Uncle Ted Nugent brings everytime he joins the show. You never know what he is going to say- but I guarantee you it will be opinionated and from the heart! Never short on words- Uncle Ted always provides solid radio gold! Ted will hunt anything with an open season- Hope ya enjoy one of my favorite chats from 2011!
We then round things out when our good bud Rob Griffin of Southern Deer Stands stops by. We had such a great time last year and so many of ya’ll particpated that we decided to run it back and for our 2nd Annual Southern Deer Stands Deer Blind Contest! In Texas, we are all passionate about whitetails and our deer blinds are a major part of that. We want you to send in a photo and paragraph write up about why your deer blind is special. Maybe you built it with your son or grandson, maybe your wife shot her first deer out of it this fall…whatever the case we want you to have a chance to win one of our 4 great categories/prize packages.
Special Holiday Edition- Illinois Hunter Bags 30 pt Doe, 2nd Annual Southern Deer Stands Deer Blind Contest & Some Classic Duck Commander and Uncle Ted
So next week I am going on a public draw hunt in the Hill Country State Natural Area- this got me thinking, what if I shoot a wall hanger on day one of our 4 day hunt? What am I going to do with that animal if I want a full shoulder mount? After field dressing, I have always gone straight to the taxidermist. So I called my budy Cory Larson of DRT Wild Life Studios to find out what he would do in that situation. Cory gives us some tips and with mounts like this one- I would say he knows his stuff:
Then a special treat when a couple of good ‘ol Texas gals drop in- Julie and Christie of A&E’s hit show Lady Hoggers! As professional hog hunters, this pair isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty. Julie and Christie are passionate about hog hunting and they train their own dogs. Too bad all hog doggers don’t look this good doing it! Set those DVR’s for 9pm Central!
We then round out the show by talking some quail and ducks with Ed Micaletti and Mike Gee of the Wingsport Depot. Based in Bowie, Texas The Wingsport Depot has come on board the show as our December Photo of the Month sponsor and the guys have donated a hunt for this month’s prize and our December winner will have the option to choose between a guided quail or duck hunt for two hunters! Should be a lot of fun and I am looking foward to talking some wingshooting with Mike and Ed. Recent photo from their quail ranch:
