Texas Bow Season Opener

For all you guys out there hunting with sticks and string Saturday is the day. Be sure your broad heads are sharp and your string is un-frayed. The temperatures are still hot so it is very important that you get your deer or hogs dressed very quickly and put on ice. The final product you eat at home depends on the care you give your game in the field. With all the rain this year promises to be a banner year for big bucks. Be sure the buck you take is a mature deer or one you need to remove from the herd. If you hunt in a county with the new antler restrictions remember the inside spread must be 13 inches to be a legal buck or have one un-branched antler.
To determine if a buck has an inside spread measurement of at least 13 inches, look at the distance from ear-tip to ear-tip on a buck with ears in the alert position (see illustration). The 13-inch or greater inside spread requirement does not apply to any buck that has an un-branched antler.

Have a safe season, Wild Ed

The Texas Caracara

The crested Caracara is one of the more unique raptors on the Texas wildlife scene. It is the national bird of Mexico and referred to often as a Mexican Eagle. It is most often seen in the company of vultures and is comfortable eating road kill or carrion. This long legged raptor is actually a member of the Falcon family even though it does not act very falcon like. The Caracara is a tough bird and often steals kills from other birds of prey. I have seen it steal from hawks, falcons and drive vultures off of a meal. It ranges from tropical South America to North Central Texas. In past years the Caracara was a bird of the South Texas brush country, although I have seen them just south of Abilene in the last few years. Their numbers have been increasing and they are expanding their range. As you travel the roads of this great State keep an eye out for this unusual raptor. Good hunting, Wild Ed

Polenta, It should be a Southern Food

I recently came across a food I have loved all my life and just did not know it even existed. As it is similar in beginnings to grits I was sure it must be some obscure Southern ethnic dish. I then discovered it is very popular in the North and is used instead of pasta in many areas. My research of its history then led me to Italy where it is considered a national dish. At least it must have been invented in Southern Italy, but no it originated in Northern Italy. Farther study and I find out it is actually popular all over Europe and even the Eastern Block countries. Italy is in the Southern part of Europe so it was kind of invented by a Southerner.
I am talking about Polenta, a simple dish of boiled cornmeal. It is easy but time consuming to make or you can buy it ready to use in most major grocery stores. It can be fried crispy to use as a bread or sautéed to be used in place of pasta or rice. It can be layered with tomato sauce and cheese to make a kind of Polenta Lasagna. It is wonderful with fresh farmer’s cheese or cream cheese topped with sautéed Italian style vegetables. It will be on my families table as a regular in the near future. Here is a simple recipe for Polenta and our favorite way to date to enjoy it.

Stir 2 cups of cornmeal into 2 cups of water in mixing bowl
Bring 4 cups of water and 1 tsp of salt to a boil
Slowly pour the cornbread mixture into the boiling water and bring to a low simmer. Stir off and on for about 20 minutes until thick. Stir in 3 tablespoons of butter.
Pour thick cornmeal mixture into a greased bowl and place into the refrigerator. Invert on a cutting board and slice to be used as needed.

Our favorite way so far is to brown on both sides in olive oil. Place on plate and put on your favorite cheese. Cover with your favorite tomato or Italian sauce.

I fried some crispy brown the other morning and covered with cheese, put on a fried egg and Canadian bacon, it was a great breakfast.

It is never too late to try new foods. You never know what you will find.
Enjoy, Wild Ed

Christmas Mountains to Sell in November

Due to an error in boundaries on a Map given to bidders the State Land Board made no decision on whether to sell the Christmas Mountains. The board will now accept new bids on the property and make a decision at the November 2, 2007 meeting. The Land Board had received six bids ranging from $10,500.00 to $652,000.00 Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson said he believes a private land owner could take better care of the property than the State. I am beginning to believe that most of us could manage anything better than the State Land Office. Wild Ed

Christmas Mountains Sale Postponed till November

Results of today's hearing on the Christmas Mountains Land Sale. Wild Ed

After hearing from more than 3,000 of you, today the School Land Board rejected all six private bids for the Christmas Mountains. Their official reason was that a "mistake in the map that delineated the area in the original bid specifications" forced the rejection. Now, the Mountains will go up a second auction with a decision to be made in November.

This is a great short-term victory and we couldn't have done it without you -- thanks especially to the folks who attended and spoke at the hearing today! This decision buys us some more time to rally public support and identify a better solution that keeps the land publicly owned, well-managed and provides for responsible public access.

This editorial by the San Antonio Express-News ran yesterday:

Editorial: West Texas ranch should stay public Web Posted: 09/17/2007 05:28 PM CDT

A plan by Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson to sell 9,000 acres of rugged West Texas mountain land to a private bidder should get a second look.

The austere Christmas Mountains Ranch, located near the small town of Terlingua in the Big Bend region, was given to the state in 1991 to be protected forever. Patterson is planning to sell the land to one of six private bidders, claiming the agency is not equipped to act as steward of the land.

The General Land Office was unable to sell the plot to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department two years ago, so Patterson has turned to the private sector. The State Land Board, which considers such sales, is scheduled to meet and possibly decide on the deal today.

We urge Patterson to postpone the vote and heed the request of Congressman Ciro Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, who represents the region and has sent a letter asking for time to consider alternatives.

It's true there are deed restrictions on the property that make the area difficult, if not impossible, to develop for either the state or a private entity.

But that is precisely the point.

The land was deeded to the state for the purpose of its "conservation and protection in perpetuity." The deed states that the donor, the Virginia-based Conservation Fund, must consent to any transfer of property.

Patterson said such restrictions are unenforceable in court.

If that is unenforceable, one wonders if the deed's other elements -- such as a prohibition on commercial or industrial activity -- are unenforceable, too.

According to Patterson's estimates, the state stands to make less than $500,000 from the sale. The state will, however, retain ownership of all oil, gas, coal and other mineral substances, as well as groundwater development and leasing rights.

As some have pointed out, the state's refusal to abide by previous agreements could discourage future donors from deeding land to the state for the purpose of preservation.

That would be troubling, considering that more than 95 percent of Texas land is privately held.

Patterson has a fiduciary responsibility to maintain Texas land to produce revenue for the state's Permanent School Fund, which is one of the Land Office's main functions.

But as a representative of the state, he should also ensure that lands donated to the people for preservation remain as such.

Christmas Mountains High Bidders say No Public Access

This is the article in the Austin American Statesman today. I thought you might like to read it. Wild Ed

ASSOCIATED PRESS Tuesday, September 18, 2007

A Texas General Land Office board is set to consider six bid proposals, ranging from $10,500 to $652,000, for 9,270 acres of state-owned wilderness property in West Texas.
The top two bidders said in their proposals that they would allow no public access or only tightly controlled visits to the Christmas Mountains near Big Bend National Park.
Conservation groups have opposed selling the land, arguing that it was donated to the state to be protected for public use.
Opponents of the sale include the Conservation Fund, which acquired the land with a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and donated it to the state.
Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson declined to comment on the bid proposals, which state officials will consider today.
Patterson has defended the sale, arguing that the land office can't manage the land and that state and federal parks agencies have declined to take it over.
The top bidder for the land, Louis A. Waters and family, said in their proposal that "under no circumstances would we open the Christmas Mountains to the public."
"The human traffic would be limited to scientific and educational study, management of the animal population, maintenance of roads for safety, emergency access and erosion control," said the proposal, which was obtained by the San Antonio Express-News.
Waters, the retired chairman and chief executive of Houston-based Browning-Ferris Industries and BFI International, has also developed 10,000 acres of Hill Country as a sanctuary for rare and endangered species.
The second-highest bid — $509,828 — came from John Poindexter, chairman of Southwestern Holdings.
Poindexter owns the 30,000-acre Cibolo Creek Ranch and wants to combine that holding with the nearby Christmas Mountains Ranch. He said he would convey both properties to a charitable foundation upon his death.
Poindexter said in his proposal that "cultural activities and tourism" are not feasible on the Christmas Mountains property because of strict deed restrictions, the Express-News reported.
But he said the area's proximity to Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park "suggest the potential for limited outdoor classroom, ecosystem and endangered resources education through interpretive programs."
Patterson has said that any sale would include restrictions such as retention by the land office of water and mineral resources under the land.
Off-road vehicles, utility lines and livestock grazing would be banned.
The next-highest bid is $261,000.

Christmas Mountains Decision Tomorrow

I recieved this email from Luke Metzger and wanted to pass it on to my readers. Wild Ed

Tomorrow, on Tuesday, Sept. 18th, at 10 AM, the School Land Board will meet in Austin to decide the fate of the Christmas Mountains. With more than 2,800 people sending emails to Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and a flurry of media stories, the Commissioner and the School Land Board are under a lot of pressure to cancel, or at least postpone, the sale.
We need to make sure we have a good turn-out at the hearing to reinforce the message that the public opposes the sale of the Christmas Mountains to private interests.
WHERE: Stephen F. Austin Building
1700 North Congress Ave. Room #170
Austin, Texas 78701
WHEN: Tuesday, Sep. 18
Meeting starts at 10:00 A.M. (Christmas
Mountains is item 10 on the agenda).
If you can attend the meeting, please RSVP at:
https://www.environmenttexas.org/action/preserving-texas/cm-hearing?id4=ES
Many of you have received an e-mail from Commissioner Patterson explaining his position. Here is more information on why Environment Texas opposes this sale:
1) BAD PRECEDENT. The Richard King Mellon Foundation, which donated the land and is one of the nation's largest funders of open space preservation, is expressly opposed to the sale. The lease they signed with the state says GLO has to get their permission to sell, but Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson (who chairs the School Land Board) says that provision won't hold up in court so he's ignoring it. The Statesman reported that Richard King Mellon Foundation officer Mike Watson wrote that if the auction goes through "the state [should] not look to the R.K. Mellon Foundation for any future help." Other funders may follow suit.
2) NO GUARANTEES OF PROTECTION OR ACCESS. It's unclear who will monitor and enforce the development restrictions and there are no guarantees of future public access (particularly if the property is flipped down the road).
3) WE CAN DO BETTER. Patterson's argument is that since the government doesn't have the money to protect the land against poachers, invasive species and irresponsible public use (e.g. ATVs), the private sector will do a better job. But the state does have the money, they're just diverting it to other purposes. In addition to park entrance fees, the state parks system is funded through sales taxes on the purchase of sporting goods, which are estimated at $105 million in the current fiscal year. But the Legislature has put drastic caps on the amount received by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, diverting most of those dollars back into the state general revenue fund. After a public outcry, this spring the Legislature tripled funding for our parks for the next two years, primarily to catch up on an enormous backlog of repair needs. However, they dedicated no new money for land acquisition and failed to remove the cap on the sporting goods tax and set up a guaranteed fund for our
4) PART OF A PATTERN. This is not an isolated incident of the state selling public land to private interests. In 2005, TPWD proposed selling 46,000 acres of Big Bend Ranch State Park to Houston developer John Poindexter (one of the people bidding for Christmas mountains). In 2006, they proposed selling the Eagle Mountain Lake State Park (through GLO) in Fort Worth to developers to build condos. Both proposals were shot down after a public outcry. GLO is also pursuing an irresponsible investment strategy, buying up ecologically important open space and selling it to developers (e.g. the Fort Worth prairie and Hays county land on the Blanco river) and are reportedly considering selling property on North Padre Island which was purchased with federal money to be protected, but the protections have expired after ten years and is now hot property.
5) TEXANS WANT/NEED MORE PUBLIC LAND. Only about 5% of Texas land is publicly owned and according to a study by Texas Tech, "Texans are becoming increasingly frustrated about the lack of access to lands to experience nature". As the San Antonio Express-News pointed out yesterday, there's also a big lack of public hunting land. Selling off places like the Christmas Mountains moves in the wrong direction.
If you can attend the meeting, please RSVP at:
https://www.environmenttexas.org/action/preserving-texas/cm-hearing?id4=ES

Sincerely,
Luke Metzger
Environment Texas Director
LukeM@environmenttexas.org
http://www.environmenttexas.org
P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with your family and friends.

Response to Commissioner Patterson and General Land Office

This was the response from one of my Blog readers to Commissioner Patterson. I felt you all should have the opportunity to read this. Wild Ed

Dear Commissioner Patterson,I could not possibly disagree with you more. Yes, I am sure there arelots of private individuals and./or corporations that could take bettercare of many of our state and national treasures. That is no reason tosell them off! Just because you and our other officials have been suchpoor stewards of our state's assets, that doesn't give you the right tonow sell them off to cover your poor planning. Your efforts to place theblame anywhere you can speaks volumes. Excuses is all these are. Ourpoliticians have mismanaged both our National and State Parks and continueto take the funds that were meant for the upkeep of these treasures andspend them elsewhere. There are thousands of Texans that agree with me andwe will not forget those who are responsible for selling our children'sheritage to the highest bidder.Sincerely, Name Witheld

Christmas Mountains Response from General Land Office

This was a reply I received form Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of General Land Office, State of Texas. I provide this and the following from a reader so that you may draw your own conclusion. Wild Ed

Subject: Re: Re: Don't sell the Christmas Mountains!

Thank you for your concern regarding the sale of the Christmas Mountains
Ranch in Brewster County. I would like to take this opportunity to provide
some background information that may enlighten your opinion on this issue.
The conveyance of the 9,000+ acre Christmas Mountains property to the
state's Permanent School Fund in 1991 was intended to protect this land and
ensure public access. For 16 years now, this goal has not been met. I
believe private stewardship of the Christmas Mountains will result in both
better protection for the land and allow unprecedented public access.
Since 1991, attempts by the Land Office to open the Christmas Mountains to
limited eco-tourism were frustrated by the many encumbrances placed on it by
the Conservation Fund. Over the years, poachers, trespassers, and invasive
plant species have infiltrated the Christmas Mountains.
In a further attempt to conserve the land via government resources, the Land
Office offered it to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the
National Park Service on multiple occasions, as outlined by the gift deed
restrictions.
Both government entities declined this land. Yet, private,
conservation-minded interests have expressed an interest in purchasing the
land and spending substantial sums to care for, preserve, and maintain the
area's environmental and ecological treasures.
In the case of the Christmas Mountains, government management is not
necessarily the best solution. Transferring the Christmas Mountains to
private interests could not only better achieve the conservation goals set
forth by the Conservation Fund, but generate revenue for the benefit of
Texas school children.
On Tuesday, September 18, the School Land Board will hold a public meeting
in Austin to determine which bidder will best meet the fiduciary and
conservation goals set by the Board. As you may know, each bidder was
required to include a management plan for the land. These plans, which my
staff is now reviewing, demonstrate how the potential buyer would manage and
maintain the Christmas Mountains in accordance with the gift deed
restrictions. They must prove land management experience as well as
demonstrate how the conservation goals are fulfilled.
If you have any further questions about this issue, please contact Hal
Croft, Deputy Commissioner of the Asset Management Division at (512)
463-2785.
Sincerely,

JERRY PATTERSON
Commissioner, General Land Office

State of Texas Selling Off Christmas Mountains

I don't normally print emails but this is one that I received today that will have an impact on all Texans and future Texans. The State is about to sell off 9,000 acres of land donated to the people of Texas. This is public land and should be used for hunting and outdoor recreation for all. If it sells, the public will never get to enjoy this property and a Jewel in the Texas wilderness will be lost to us all. Take a moment to send an email demanding that the State not sell our public lands. Thank you for taking the time to try and preserve some of the Texas wilderness for our children. Wild Ed

Our campaign to save the Christmas Mountains is off to a great start. So far, more than 2,000 of you have asked Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson to stop the sale of the Christmas Mountains to private interests!
Today the Austin American-Statesman threw their weight behind our effort, officially editorializing in opposition to the sale (see below). Commissioner Patterson and the other members of the School Land Board will vote next Tuesday, Sep. 18, and we need to keep up the heat on him.
We want to generate a total of 3,000 emails into Commissioner Patterson before next Tuesday's vote. If you haven't sent an e-mail to the Commissioner, please do so now. To send your email, click on the link below:

Email Commissioner Patterson to stop the sale of the Christmas Mountains!

For more information, here's an editorial from today's Austin American-Statesman:

Texas a Grinch for putting Christmas Mountains for saleEDITORIAL BOARDTuesday, September 11, 2007
The School Land Board, led by Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, intends to sell 9,269 acres in the Christmas Mountains, just northwest of Big Bend National Park. The land was given to the state in 1991 as a gift from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, which donated it through the Virginia-based Conservation Fund.
The state should not sell the land, even though there would be considerable restrictions on how the it could be used by a new owner. A sale would set a terrible precedent for any future donor thinking about giving land to a state that might be more inclined to flip it to some well-heeled buyer.
Money from selling the land would go to a worthy cause, the Permanent School Fund, whose holdings are invested on behalf of public education. But the amount of money reaped from the land sale would make little practical difference to the huge school fund.
Besides, the land office says money isn't the point of the sale, but the need to take care of the land. Poachers and invasive species aren't being checked because no state agency has the means to do it. Patterson notes that his office is not in the parks business, and the Parks and Wildlife Department, which is, has been starved financially by the Legislature for years. Though Parks and Wildlife got a considerable budget boost this year, it will take years for it to recover, and it rightfully has higher priorities now than more land acquisition in far West Texas.
Once a new owner has a conservation plan for the Christmas Mountains in place, the public will gain some access to it, Patterson said. Major deed restrictions, he noted, will prevent any development - and most vehicles - on the land.
The General Land Office, which Patterson directs, reports six bidders, but details remain confidential. The School Land Board will meet Sept. 18 to award a bid.
Patterson wants to make this an ideological argument by attacking what he says is an idea that a private owner can't be as good a steward of the land as the government. In this case, he said, a private owner would be a better steward than the state has been.
Maybe, but only because those now in control of the state, in particular the Legislature, have refused to take responsibility for raising the taxes or fees necessary. It's rather like a parent neglecting a child for years and then complaining that his teeth are rotten.
But the solution isn't to sell the child or dump land that, some day, Texans who don't have the means to buy their own thousand-acre playgrounds might want back for their own use and enjoyment.
There's no pressing need to sell the land, which one of the bidders called "handsome scenery." Invasive species and poachers might do some damage now, but it's damage that can be reversed.
The real damage will occur if groups such as the Conservation Fund and the Mellon Foundation, which oppose this sale and might challenge it in court, spread the word across the nation that there's no point in giving Texas a part of itself back.
Patterson should stop the sale.
Tell Commissioner Patterson to stop the sale of the Christmas Mountains. To send your email, click on the link below:

https://www.environmenttexas.org/action/preserving-texas/christmas-mountains?id4=ES

Sincerely, Luke MetzgerEnvironment Texas DirectorLukeM@environmenttexas.orghttp://www.environmenttexas.org/P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with your family and friends.----------

Venison Steak Done Right

I have had many guests comment that they could not believe the steak they were eating was venison. It is a comment I am used to hearing as I often serve game meat to guests in my home. There is no trick to great tasting game meats, it is simply to process and cook it properly.
Make sure and read how to take care of your game meat at this link
http://wildedtx.blogspot.com/2007/08/have-most-tender-and-best-tasting-game.html

To understand how to prepare game meats one must examine the difference in venison and beef. Beef is a meat that is marbled with a white tasty fat. Venison fat is on the outside of the muscle and more yellow in color. While the white fat of beef adds flavor the yellow hard fat of game is often where the gamey taste comes from so you want to trim or peel all the fat off of venison. The other main difference is that since there is no marbling of fat in venison it dries out very quickly. There are two things you must do to overcome this. You must never cook a venison steak past medium doneness. The other is to provide fat to keep the meat juicy and moist.

Here is how I do it. I cut my venison steaks about an inch or thicker. I cook them over gas briquettes or wood coals with a hot fire. I season the meat with salt, course ground black pepper and garlic powder. Melt ½ stick of butter and add to ½ cup Worcestershire sauce, stir in ½ teaspoon of garlic salt. This mixture is to be brushed on the steak as soon as it is seared and often while cooking. I place the steaks on the hot grill and rapidly sear one side. When well seared turn to sear the other side and brush liberally with the butter mixture. I cook my steaks to medium rare as they will cook just a bit more as they rest. When the steaks are done to taste I pull them and put on a plate and pour some of the butter mixture over them. I place the place in a cold oven or microwave just to let them rest for about 10 minutes before serving. This will be some of the best eating you can imagine. Enjoy, Wild Ed

Texas Falconry Season

It is the time of year when Texas Falconers begin to watch the roadside poles for passage birds. I have been getting my BCs ready for September 15th and counting the days. You can only do so much to a mew and you can’t wish a hawk to molt faster. Hawks and falcons are kind of like boiling water. The more you watch the slower it is to get there. I have re-read some of the important books and articles in hopes that I will glean new information and knowledge that will help me be a better falconer this year.

You can only plan the routes you will drive on your trapping trip so many times; it always seems to change when I get there anyway. I will be going down a planned route and see a hawk a half mile down a side road and end of going miles and miles in search of that special bird and end up somewhere else at the end of the road. Be sure and carry all your permits and ID that you will need on the trip. This is really important if you will be going to South Texas after a hawk, either that or I look like a foreign exchange student or something they do not see down there much as they seem to want to pull me over and see if I will give them an autograph or picture or something. Remember that falconers have a special privilege in taking our birds from public road right of ways and we should always try to be as safe as possible and follow all traffic laws. Do not trespass to place a BC as in Texas this is a serious crime and some landowners are not above violence in remote areas. If possible travel and trap with a partner for safety sake and to keep an eye out for traffic and birds.

Remember that it is extremely hot this time of year and to take along plenty of water for you and any bird that you may capture. It is important to keep a raptor hydrated and cool as they are under the stress of just being captured. I take along a spray bottle to hydrate the hawk and keep my giant hood inside where the air-conditioning will keep the bird cool. If I have to spend the night somewhere the bird comes inside with me to stay cool and to keep it safe. Also remember that gerbils and raw meat both can go bad in the extreme heat and should be cared for appropriately. Good Hawking, Wild Ed

Family Time In The Texas Outdoors

This past weekend my daughter came in from college to go dove hunting with her mom and I. Opening weekends of dove and deer season have long been a tradition in my family. We always try to make a big deal out of the time by having a good meal and enjoy hunting together. Just a few days before season, there were quite a few dove seen and it promised to be a good opening day. The night before, a front with rain and high winds passed through. You could not buy a dove opening day, but all was not lost. The afternoon was spent shooting targets with shotgun, rifle and pistol. Feeders and stands were checked and made ready for the coming deer season. When asked how many dove we got, the answer was none since not a shot was fired at dove. Every one said you must have had a bad time. Not in the least, opening day will be a good memory in my mind for years to come of our daughter making her first trip back home just to hunt (be) with mom and dad. Love ya Meg, Wild Ed (Dad)

Fresh Texas Salsa

One of my favorite things to do after the guns, bows or hawks have been put up or taken care of is to relax with a cold one and a bowl of good Salsa with tortilla chips. Lots of guys buy a commercial salsa and everyone has their favorites but none are as good as fresh. It is so simple to make and has such superior flavor I always stop and get fresh ingredients to make my own. You can chop the ingredients, put them in a blender or do them in a food processor. Here is my family’s secret recipe. Enjoy, Wild Ed

5 Large tomatoes

1 Large sweet onion prefer 1015

5 Fresh jalapenos remove seeds

2 Cloves fresh garlic

Fresh cilantro to taste
Fresh lime juice to taste

1 teaspoon salt

Add more jalapenos if you like it hotter. Chop all in food processor or with a knife and refrigerate any leftovers. Enjoy, Wild Ed