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Dry conditions dont mean bad dove hunting season

Texas Parks & Wildlife
www.tpwd.state.tx.us

The Great Outdoors

The Gonzales Cannon
running from Sept. 3-4 and 10-11 and reopen when the regular South Zone season begins on Friday, Sept. 23 through Sunday, Oct. 30 and again from Friday , Dec. 23 through Thursday, Jan. 19. The Special White-winged Dove Area season takes four of the allowable 70 days, so when the regular season opens, this area must close four days earlier than the rest of the South Zone. During the early two weekends, the daily bag limit is 15 birds, to include not more than four mourning doves and 2 white-tipped doves. Once the general season opens, the aggregate bag limit will be 15. Dove hunting also has a major economic impact, contributing more than $300 million to the state economy, according to published reports. Dove hunting provides an entry into the sport of hunting because it is relatively economical and accessible. Through its Public Hunting Program, TPWD offers affordable access to quality hunting experiences with the purchase of a $48 Annual Public Hunting (APH) Permit. Permit holders have access to more than 100 hunting units leased from private landowners specifically for dove and small game. A new online map feature allows for virtual scouting of these areas. By clicking on the locator points, you can follow links to detailed aerial maps with highlighted boundaries and links to information pages from the APH information map booklet. A downloadable Google Earth file (.kml) is also available that contains all the boundary information along with links to the corresponding APH map booklet pages. Hunters are reminded that in addition to a valid Texas hunting license, a state Migratory Game Bird Stamp, and certification in the Harvest Information Program (HIP) is required. HIP certification is offered when you buy your license and involves responding to a few simple questions about your migratory game bird harvest during the previous season. Hunting licenses expire annually on Aug. 31.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

AUSTIN Dry conditions dont necessarily equate to bad dove hunting, wildlife biologists with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department suggest. An extended drought across much of Texas could be beneficial for dove hunters as birds will have to rely upon limited resources. Water, especially in close proximity to dove feeding areas, should be at a premium heading into the Sept. 1 dove season opener. Dove hunting over a water source should be excellent, said Corey Mason, TPWD dove program leader. Additionally, dove may be concentrated on food sources, so if you can find a stand of sunflower, goat weed, etc., hunting should be productive. Native food sources are going to be more important this year because agricultural crops arent as good as years past. Biologists say the drought will have some impacts on dove populations, with the greatest being on juveniles. However, they do not expect significant impacts to what hunters will see this fall. Texas boasts fall dove populations in excess of 40 million birds and its 300,000 dove hunters harvest about 6 million birds annually or roughly 30 percent of all doves taken in the United States. Texas dove season in the North and Central Dove Zones will run from Thursday, Sept. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 23 and reopen Friday, Dec. 23 through Sunday, Jan. 8, with a 15-bird daily bag and not more than two white-tipped doves. The South Zone dove season will run Friday, Sept. 23 through Sunday, Oct. 30, reopening Friday, Dec. 23 through Monday, Jan. 23 with a 15-bird daily bag and not more than two white-tipped doves. The Special White-winged Dove Area will open to white-winged dove afternoon-only (noon to sunset) hunting the first two full weekends in September

Mourning Doves flourishing?

Dry conditions arent pointing to a bad dove hunting season, TPW experts say. (Texas Parks & Wildlife Photo)

Hunter safety course set

Instructor Wayne Spahn, along with sponsors Max Barta and Ray Raley, will be conducting a Hunter Education Course, Aug. 2728 from 8 a.m.-5p.m. at the Farm Bureau at 1731 Seydler Street in Gonzales. According to state law, every Texas hunter born on or after September 2, 1971 must successfully complete a Hunter Education Course. Proof of certification is required to be on your person while hunting but certification is not required to purchase a hunting license.

Experts warn: be bear aware

Texas Parks & Wildlife
www.tpwd.state.tx.us

If born on or after September 2, 1971: persons 17 and older must successfully complete a hunter education course; Hunters ages 12-16 must successfully complete hunter education course or be accompanied by a licensed hunter 17 or older and hunters under 12 must be accompanied by licensed hunter 17 or older. Minimum age for certification is 12. The two-day course costs $15, which goes to the state. For more information or to register, call 830-672-3720.

Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Increase

AUSTIN Wildlife biologists are advising hunters, ranchers and rural residents that black bears appear to be roaming longer distances and may approach people or houses in search of food and water because of the drought. If conditions remain dry, people could see more bears, said Mike Krueger, district leader of the Edwards Plateau Wildlife District for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Were getting a few reports of people seeing bears during daylight hours, and thats unusual, Krueger said. Its the associated water around homes and the food. The pet food, the smell of cooking; all those things could attract bears. Recent bear sightings could reflect young bears who have been turned out by their mothers and are setting out to establish their

Night hog hunting puts technology to the test

The Hunter

own home ranges. Because of the drought, the bears appear to be traveling longer distances, sometimes even hundreds miles, to find better habitat conditions. Known breeding bear populations in Texas are in far West Texas, so its possible bears seen in Central Texas traveled from there, or from Mexico. Bears are still considered rare in Texas. It is against the law to kill a black bear in Texas, with penalties of up to $10,000, added civil restitution fines, jail time and loss of all hunting privileges. The black bear, Ursus americanus, is listed as threatened by the State of Texas and the Louisiana black bear, Ursus americanus luteolus, sometimes seen in eastern Texas, has additional protection and is federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. To report a black bear sighting, call a TPWD Wildlife Division regional office South Texas (Pleasanton). (830) 569-8700.

I am an avid hog hunter and Wildlifes webpage (for those I am always on the look out for interested it is: http://www. new techniques or equipment elusivewildlife.com) where I to be more successful. One read all of their information of the most successful techon The Kill Light. I was very niques I have come across is curious at this point and deusing a red light to hunt hogs cided to give it a try so I found at night. The theory behind it a dealer in Seguin and puris that hogs cant see the red chased a light with the green light and will just ignore it al- James Autry is a Gonzales LEDs. I got back to the ranch lowing you to easily pick out County landowner and engineer and loaded the light up with 4 a hog and take a well-aimed in the oil and gas industry. C batteries and took it out to shot. I was introduced to the a favorite feeder that typically technique when Dad and I were hunting has hogs around it ever night that time of with Ranger Creek Ranch near Seymour, the year. The light stuck to the metal feeder Texas. During our three-day hunt we were control box with no issue and projected a able to take multiple hogs using the red perfect circle of green light about 15 feet in light. Of course we had to try the technique diameter on the ground. I set up 100 yards back at our ranch here in Gonzales County. away from the feeder and waited. The first It worked just as well here as it did in North animals to show up were a group of bucks. Texas, for a while anyway. Over time we They didnt pay any attention to the light at realized that the hogs were becoming more all and even without the use of optics I could and more skittish of the red light and over easily see the deer, with optics it was almost the last couple of years they would run the like daylight. After an hour of watching the moment the light came on. This of course bucks a boar hog finally showed himself. I has left us looking for a new technique or picked up my rifle and looked through the equipment to put the odds back in our favor. scope and easily made out the hog and took This past January I happened to be watch- the shot. I was thrilled with how well the ing the Outdoor Channel, I say happen to light worked. Over the course of the next be watching in reality the Outdoor Channel few weeks I was able to take 6 hogs using is my favorite channel day in and day out. The Kill Light. None of those 6 hogs or the The show I was watching was about hog countless deer that walked under the light hunting at night in South Texas. This of paid any attention to it. Needless to say I course caught my interest and so I watched highly recommend this product. the entire show. During the show the huntIf you decide to give it a try make sure you ers used a light that is called The Kill Light get the photocell version that will automatiand is made by Elusive Wildlife Technology, cally turn on and off. I bought the simplest LLP. The light consisted of multiple green model, which requires the user to turn it on LEDs arranged in a circle around the bat- and off, which can be a bit of a pain. My only tery compartment. The whole thing fits in other issue with the light is it goes through the palm of your hand and has built in mag- batteries fairly quickly, roughly every 7-10 nets that allow you to stick the light directly days of use will require a battery change. To to your feeder, thus creating a circle of light be fair though the company has a variety of that is projected on the ground directly be- power option available, again just to try it low the feeder. The light worked great on out I stuck with the C batteries. the show and I decided that this is a piece Please send any questions, comments, of equipment that I should try out. I quick tips and experiences (funny or not) to gonsearch on the Internet took me to Elusive zalescountyhunter@yahoo.com.

James Autry