Catching the Texas Deer Feeder Bandits

The bandits I am referring to are the raccoons, here after referred to as coons, which eat most of the deer corn we buy and have taken to destroying the feeders and motors as well. First off I need to say that my wife and girls love to watch the coons while they are in the deer stands hunting. I must admit that I even enjoy them and so we kind of looked the other way when they starting eating about forty percent of the corn we buy for the deer. It then got to where they were spinning the props on the deer feeders and it went to heck after that. The consumption of feed and costs were going through the roof and the coons were eating about 90 percent of all the corn and protein pellets that we were buying for the deer. Some of our coons were getting so big and fat that they looked like small bears.

Spinning the feeder prop was not fast enough so the coons just broke the timer and motor off of two feeders so that all the corn fell out on the ground. Two feeders ruined and 500 pounds of corn eaten by the bandits. I decided that was enough and put varmint cages on the feeders with new timers and motors. Both of the feeders were made of heavy plastic barrels and the coons decided to chew a hole through the top to get to the corn since I had fenced them out from spinning the prop on the timer motor with the new varmint guards. They did not get much corn out of the hole but when it rained it soaked all the corn and the sour mash liquid ran out the hole above the timer and motor filling it with this putrid smelling soured mash liquid and ruined both the timers and motors. The coons had now destroyed two feeder barrels and four timers and motors. I could not afford this and I had had enough of this destruction of property.

I did not want to set regular traps as I did not wish to catch anything but the coons. This group of bandits have also learned not to enter live catch cage traps and just reach through the wire and steal the bait. There were deer, cows, dove, quail, song birds, turkey and other animals coming to the feeders that could step into the traps so I had to come up with something else. I tried some of the new dog proof coon traps and found out they work great. They are made out of galvanized steel pipe and springs that will last a long time. An animal must be able to insert a paw and pull up on a lever to get caught in them so dogs and many other animals can not get caught in them. They are easy to bait and set up to use. Best of all they work and we are cutting down on the number of freeloaders at the deer feeders.

There are two brands that I recommend. The first is the Grizz dog proof and the second is the Duke dog proof coon trap. I have used both and they work. You can find them at some outdoor stores or order them from a trapping supply house. I got mine from the following link.

http://www.fntpost.com/Categories/Trapping/Traps/Dog+Proof+Coon+Traps/

Bait them with a large marshmallow pushed down to the bottom of the pipe. Squirt a little ground up jack mackerel or tuna on top and the coons can't resist it.

Have a great season, Wild Ed

I call this greed!

Photo by Ricky Cox

This guy got the bait from the live catch trap but got caught in the dog proof trap.

Second Boat Build, First Cedar Strip Boat

I finally got started on my cedar strip boat this last week. Putting all these strips together is slow and will take a lot longer to build than my first plywood boat. I will try and keep you posted with the build as more gets done. I am building a big guy 3 panel fishing boat out of 1 inch cedar strips. The boat will be 16.5 foot x 31.5 inches at the sheer with a bottom width of 26 inches. The sides will be 10 inches high with a 75 degree flare. It will have approximately 4 foot stripped decks with around 8.5 foot of open cockpit if I am able to complete it. I am making the panels out of the cedar strips and will then build it in the stitch and glue style of boat construction.

I hope the reduction in weight and the beauty of the cedar strips are worth it. The time and effort to glue all the strips into useable panels is unreal. I really am not set up to do this and I am trying to glue everything up on temporary tables I made. Since I do not have a shop I am doing this under the shade trees on the side of the house. Not the best of facilities but I am determined to build at least one cedar strip boat where I am right now.

I learned an important lesson today. Do not get sloppy with the carpenter’s glue. Due to the heat and my glue drying so fast I got sloppy and thought I would just sand the glue off in the sanding stage. It was not a good idea as the glue does not want to sand off and is causing me problems. I will be much more glue aware on the next boat.

I spent the day today sanding both sides of the two side panels of the boat. I started with a belt sander and 80 grit then went to an orbital sander with 60 grit. I finished the sides off with the orbital sander and 120 grit sandpaper. I put a saturation coat of epoxy on the outside and got to see a glimpse of what the cedar will look like when I glass it. It does look pretty so if I finish the boat it should be a looker. Go do something you always wanted to do, you might surprise yourself.

I sure have, Wild Ed

Texas Parks and Wildlife 13 Inch Antler Rule

In many parts of Texas deer herd management has completely fallen apart. It is not that some landowners are not good stewards of the land, many try to manage but it falls apart because of neighboring lands. In our area in Lampasas many of the bigger ranches have been cut up and sold off in smaller tracts. Quite a few of these landowners do not live on their place but come out to use it for recreation. Many have bought these tracts so that they have their own private hunting lease and their lease payments will be an investment in land. On the 330 acres my family hunts we have management minded hunters and only took three mature bucks last year and two does. The general attitude on the small tracts on either side of us is kill whatever is legal. One group has 28 acres with 4 feeders and blinds on it. I can stand at the fence line and hear all four feeders go off in the morning. On opening day it sounds like a shooting range and every legal buck along with any first year button buck spikes that come in to the feeders get shot. It was rare for us to ever kill a buck over 2.5 years of age because this is what goes on many of the small tracts in our area of the county. We along with one of the bordering ranches keep trying to shoot only mature bucks and once in a while we will take a good mature buck that had not yet made it to one of the small tracts.

Now that Texas Parks and Wildlife has the new 13 inch rule in place we are seeing the year and a half old six and eight points make it through the season as a rule. There is one group that is still killing bucks that I don’t believe would pass muster on 13 inch inside spread, but getting the game warden to be there at the right time is hard to accomplish. I realize that the rule misses a few bucks that should be taken out of the breeding pool and also leaves a few heavy horned narrow mature bucks on the range, but for the first time in many years I am seeing the younger bucks make it through the season with a promise of some larger bucks to come.

Think about this rule as I believe it will be of great benefit to those areas where many small tracts exist or where landowners refuse to practice good deer herd management.



• A legal buck deer is defined as having a hardened antler protruding through the
skin
AND:
At least one unbranched antler; or
An inside spread measurement between main beams of 13 inches or greater.



Pick up a copy of the TPWD Outdoor Annual and make sure you understand the law. Have a great season and keep it safe, Wild Ed

Be a Better Dove Hunter

I spent many years shooting competitive Sporting Clays and also as a National Sporting Clays Association Level II gunning instructor teaching others to hit more targets. I have helped lots of shooters to improve their shooting skills. In this article I want to give you some tips to make you a better wing shot and to help you have more fun in the field. Dove hunts in Texas are often a social event and a chance to be among friends. It is always more fun if you can out shoot your buddies. Here are a few ways that you can help you drop more doves with fewer shells fired.

1. Practice: Do not just go out and blast away, have someone that is a better shooter than you watch your style and help you along. A professional lesson or two are well worth the investment. If you have no one to help you get a good video or book to help you along. Practice your mount in front of a mirror until you become smooth and fluid. Always remember speed is not fast, smooth is fast.

2. Focus: Learn to focus on the eye of the bird or front of the target. Too many people focus on the whole target or on bird’s tails as they are easily seen. Have you ever shot at a bird and it leaves a trail of floating tail feathers. I wonder why? Focus on the head or eye of the bird; I have had people call me when they see a dove blink for the first time. It will happen if you focus on the eyes or beak of the bird and you will be amazed as your bird count goes up.

3. Mount on the target or just in front: Many people practice the old style of pass through shooting where they come from behind the target and try to brush it out of the sky. No one with this method wins major competitions anymore. Your shot string is approximately six foot long, if the first pellet in the string goes behind the target guess where the rest of them go? If half of the shot string goes in front of the target you still get a kill. What does all this mean? It means you should always mount in front of the target and never get behind it in your swing and follow through. Shoot to miss in front of the bird and watch the doves hit the ground.

4. Move, Mount, Shoot: This phrase should be engraved in your mind. Move with the flight of the bird. This means move the gun with the flight of the bird in the ready to mount position (NOT MOUNTED) when the bird reaches the area where you wish to shoot simply mount the gun on the front of the target pull out in front of the target and pull the trigger. I see hunters every year that spot a dove coming in from a long way off and mount the gun and track the bird, shoot and miss. Yet when someone yells BIRD and they look up, see the bird and shoot, they crush it. If you track the bird you will almost always try to aim and miss the bird.

5. Do Not Aim: The bead on a shotgun is not to aim with unless you hunt turkeys or shoot slugs. Compare it to the hood ornament on a car; it is simply there for your subconscious to know you are on target. Focus only on the target so you can swing smoothly and stay in front of the target. If you feel like your swing is jerky in movement it means you are changing focus from the target to the front bead and back to the target. A shotgun swing is not jerky only your focus back and forth. This is one of the most important tips I can give you. Consider the shotgun bead the miss me bead and stay focused on the bird.

Rember that most misses are behind so increase your lead if you are not connecting on previous shots. If you are missing don't keep shooting the same way. Change the amount of lead, choke or swing but change something. If you miss the first shot and do the same thing on the second shot you will miss it also.

All of the above tips will help you be a better shot but there are also other tools and methods that you can use to bring the dove in closer to you and that will help you get more shots at those flighty dove.

Clothing: White or bright clothing is definitely out as it will scare the birds. Camo or dark earth tones that will match the terrain you are hunting in. As it is super hot this time of year remember to keep the clothing light in weight for coolness. Put on a good insect repellent as ticks and chiggers are out in force this time of year.

Decoys: I often carry a few plastic decoys that clip on to tree limbs or barbwire fences. It is amazing how many dove coming down a field will fly by and check the decoys. The new decoys with the moving wings are very effective in drawing dove within range.

Eye Wear: During the early and late shooting hours I like to wear amber shooting lenses as the contrast gives me better target acquisition. During the bright part of the day I wear brown, green or smoke lens colors to kill the glare.

Choke Choice: Unless you are shooting high flying pass over doves you should leave the modified and full chokes in the case. Improved cylinder will help most hunters increase the number of birds in the game bag. If I am sitting at a tank or a feeding area I will shoot a skeet or cylinder choke for the more open pattern.

Shot size: I carry two sizes with me to change the density and distance. I mostly shoot 8 shot as it has good distance and a dense pattern without many holes. If I need to extend my distance just a bit I will use 7 ½ shot. The pattern has a few more holes in it but it will get me another 10 yards of kill distance.

Barrel length: I am a fan of longer shotgun barrels as I find it is harder to mess up a good swing and follow through with a long barrel. A short barrel tends to increase poking or spot shooting. Remember to insert the barrel in front of the bird pull out and shoot while keeping the gun moving until the target falls. Follow through is very important and hard to maintain with short barrels.

Hydration: The temperatures this time of year can be extremely hot so drink lots of water or sport drinks. Keep the alcoholic beverages locked away until after the guns are cased for the day. Don’t forget to keep fluids in your canine buddy as dogs can get heat stressed easily this time of year.


Above all be safe and have a great hunt.

Good Shooting, Wild Ed



DOVE ZONES AND BAG LIMITS

North Zone
That portion of the state north of a line beginning at the International Bridge south of Fort Hancock; thence north along FM 1088 to State Highway 20; thence west along State Highway 20 to State Highway 148; thence north along State Highway 148 to Interstate Highway 10 at Fort Hancock; thence east along Interstate Highway 10 to Interstate Highway 20; thence northeast along Interstate Highway 20 to Interstate Highway 30 at Fort Worth; thence northeast along Interstate Highway 30 to the Texas-Arkansas state line.

Central Zone
That portion of the state between the North Zone and the South Zone.

South Zone
That portion of the state south of a line beginning at the International Toll Bridge in Del Rio; thence northeast along U.S. Highway 277 Spur to U.S. Highway 90 in Del Rio; thence east along U.S. Highway 90 to State Loop 1604; thence following Loop 1604 south and east, then north, to Interstate Highway 10; thence east along Interstate Highway 10 to the Texas-Louisiana Line.

Special white-winged dove area
That portion of the state south and west of a line beginning at the International Toll Bridge in Del Rio; thence northeast along U.S. Highway 277 Spur to U.S. Highway 90 in Del Rio, thence east along U.S. Highway 90 to State Loop 1604 in Bexar County; thence south and east along Loop 1604 to Interstate Highway 35; thence south along IH 35 to State Highway 44; thence east along State Highway 44 to State Highway 16 at Freer; thence south along State Highway 16 to FM 649 at Randado; thence south along FM 649 to FM 2686; thence east along FM 2686 to FM 1017 at La Gloria; thence east along FM 1017 to State Highway 186 at Linn; thence east along State Highway 186 to the Mansfield Channel at Port Mansfield; thence east along the Mansfield Channel to the Gulf of Mexico.


Bag and Possession Limits for Doves

North Zone:

Regular
Daily Bag Limit: 15*
Possession Limit: 30

Falconry
Daily Bag Limit: 3
Possession Limit: 6

Central Zone:
Regular
Daily Bag Limit: 15*
Possession Limit: 30

Falconry
Daily Bag Limit: 3
Possession Limit: 6

South Zone:
Regular
Daily Bag Limit: 15*
Possession Limit: 30

Falconry
Daily Bag Limit: 3
Possession Limit: 6

Special White-winged Dove Area
Special Season(Shooting hours: noon to sunset):
Daily Bag Limit: 15 white-winged, mourning and white-tipped doves in the aggregate, to include no more than 4 mourning doves and 2 white-tipped (white-fronted doves).
Possession Limit: Twice the daily bag limit.

Regular Season:
Daily Bag Limit 15*
Possession Limit 30

Falconry Season (Statewide) - Dove: November 19-December 25, 2009
Daily Bag Limit: 3
Possession Limit: 6

*In all zones, the daily bag limit can include no more than 2 white-tipped (white-fronted doves). The possession limit on white-tipped doves is twice the daily bag limit.

Texas Fishermen Love Circle Hooks

I am amazed at the number of people that still ask me what the weird hook on my rod is when I go fishing. If you have not yet tried circle hooks you need to jump in with both feet and give them a try. They are my hook of choice for live or cut bait on nearly all that I fish for these days. They are now even made in small sizes for panfish and other small fish. I have found that my grandkids even catch more fish as they have a hard time setting the hook. With a circle hook the girls can just start reeling the fish in when the bobber goes under and they love how many fish they catch on the small circle hooks.

How many times have you gone to set a hook on a fish and missed it? When I used to take the kids to the Texas coast to go fishing they had a hard time catching redfish, pompano, croaker and trout because they could not set the hook properly. After rigging them up with what then was a new-fangled circle hook their catch rates went way up. I started using them on surf rigs for pompano, whiting, redfish, black drum and other fish. All you had to do was start reeling and the fish would hook themselves. Most of the time the fish hook themselves before you even get the rod picked up to start reeling. The best part was ninety-nine percent of them were hooked right in the corner of the mouth. No more gut hooked fish and no more undersized fished hooked so deep they would die after being released.

The simple circle hook has become the hook of choice for thousands of Texas sportsmen because they work. They help you catch fish and do it humanely. I have used them with popping corks, shrimp, live and cut bait. I have rigged surf rigs, bottom rigs and trotlines with circle hooks and they keep right on catching fish. I have seen a big increase in trotline and jugline hookups on catfish with the circle hooks.

The cardinal rule of circle hooks is do not set the hook. If you are one of those that have a hard sweeping hook set that will yank a bass into next week, it may take a while for you to adjust to the circle hook. It took me a while to quit jerking the hook away from fish when I first started using the circle hook. As my hookups increased and I began to land more fish I was converted for good. When a fish takes the bait, simply bring the line tight and start reeling. I know it is hard to believe and it took me a while to trust them also, but now I am a true believer. If you have not tried the circle hook, pick up some and give them a whirl. Be sure and try some of the new small size circle hooks for panfish. I think you will find your hookup percentage will take a big jump. Keep what you need and release the rest, Wild Ed

Sometimes Things Just Don't Work Out

My wife and I left this morning for a trip to Government Canyon State Park to visit the facility there that is supposed to be run on solar and wind power. We had seen a program about the park on the TPWD show on KLRU public TV. It also showed the water gathering along with wind direction panels to help with cooling and saving of energy. We are hoping to start our home in the country sometime soon and to use some energy saving building methods. I was also hoping to post pictures and tell each of you about the park and the facilites. After the long drive to the park entrance near Helotes you can imagine our disappointment to find the gate locked and a sign saying they were open only on Friday-Monday. I saw no mention of this on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Main Government Canyon SNA page on the net but I did not read all the way to the bottom. I since went back and started searching for more information and finally found schedules near the bottom of the page saying it was closed Tuesday through Thursday. I have a hard time with a State Park being closed three days a week during the Summer and really no notice anywhere except at the park entrance and way down at the bottom of the page on the net is a schedule of times. We head out to a Colorado Bend, Inks Lake, Abilene State Park and others without checking the schedule. You just expect State Parks to be open in the summer. I am pretty sure that none of TPWD people care what I think, but I would sure think that information on closings would be in large letters across the park website page somewhere near the top of the page where most people look for information on the park. Hope your day went better than mine. I’ll cool off in a day or so, Wild Ed

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/government_canyon/

Texas Alligator Gar Deserve Better Protection

The Texas Alligator Gar is the largest member of the Gar family and one of the largest freshwater fish in North America. This prehistoric fish can live as long as 75 years and they are the largest freshwater fish in Texas. A mature specimen can measure over 8 foot and weigh well over 200 pounds. The current world record for the largest Alligator Gar caught is 279 pounds. Gar as long as 9 or 10 foot were common if you read the old reports from the 1800s and early 1900s. These days any Gar over six foot is considered a big Gar and finding that size is getting very rare in many areas. The really big Gar are a sign of a healthy fish population and the really big Alligator Gar are getting hard to locate which indicates a problem in the population. One problem is that is may take 40-60 years to grow these mega Gar and we are catching them faster than the current population can replace these giants of the river. The female Gar must survive about 12 -14 years in the environment to even be a breeder. Alligator gars also apparently require very specific spawning conditions, including flooded terrestrial vegetation or seasonally flooded backwaters.

The Alligator Gar unlike most fish can take in air and live in waters where other fish can not survive. You can often spot them floating at the surface or gulping air on a hot day. Because it can take in air the Gar can survive for a while if taken out of water. This species has been around since prehistoric times but are now fighting for their very survival. Many have thought that Gar were decimating game fish populations but studies have shown that about 95 percent of the menu is rough fish and only a very small percentage of game fish are taken as food. Studies have even suggested that in certain environments the population of unwanted rough fish climb in numbers as the Gar are removed from the ecosystem. Gar have long been persecuted and even Texas Parks and Wildlife had a Gar eradication program in the early 1900s. My grandfather and father would kill every Gar that they caught on their trotlines believing that Gar killed large numbers of game fish. I was raised believing this myth and killed my share. Many other myths have painted the Gar as a vicious predator and have even listed it as a man-eater and guilty of attacks on humans. This is a complete fabrication and not even one attack by a Gar on a human has been documented. The attacks on humans that were suspected to be committed by Gar were later proven to be by the Gars namesake, the alligator, or in some cases by bull sharks that swam up the fresh water rivers. This does not mean you should put your fingers or toes anywhere near a Gar freshly caught as they will bite when trying to get back in the water and the teeth can cut if just rubbed across your skin.

I have been a bow hunter and bow fisherman for over 40 years and used to go Bowfishing for Gar and have a ball doing so. I now target only rough fish or long nose Gar which are more abundant. I’m not saying that we need to stop Bowfishing or rod and reel fishing for Gar but just protect the larger breeding-age fish that are crucial to the future of the population. I even pass the shots on large long nose Gar which are breeder age and abundant in our river system.

If you take a look at the Alligator Gars historic range and where there are now in fishable populations you will see how we have decimated the populations in the last 100 years.




KEY
Green - Naturally Sustaining Populations
Orange - Remnant Populations or Individual Observations
Red - Stocked Population
Yellow - Approximate Historic Range (Possible Extirpated)
* This map is an estimation of the historic and current range based on available data, habitat, and life history associations.

In 2009, Texas Parks and Wildlife began a bag limit of one Gar per day. This is a start in protecting the Alligator Gar but this great predator deserves better. I would urge each of you to set your own more restrictive limits and push for a Gar Tag limiting the take of the Mega Gars. Limits of one or two a year for Gar over 5 foot long with a trophy tag would be a reasonable start. There is no reason to kill these giants of the river, Spear fishermen and Bowhunters could shoot the non-breeding size Gar and fishermen that want to catch and eat the fish could also use the smaller Gar within reasonable limits which would keep a stable population. The days of catching and leaving Gar to die are over and to do so should be made a punishable crime by Texas Parks and Wildlife similar to game fish laws. There is no excuse for the waste of this valuable resource. Commercial fisherman would have to release any fish over 5 feet immediately. This policy would insure that Texas remains a stronghold for the great fish and preserve the breeding population. We have slot and size limits on lots of fish species, they are proven to work in preserving the species and allow for a reasonable harvest. This will even help those that guide professionally for the giant Alligator Gars as it will keep more trophy fish in the system for their clients to catch, measure and release.

Alligator Gar are becoming an important economic draw for parts of Texas as sports fisherman from other states travel to Texas in pursuit of catching a trophy Alligator Gar. The monies spent by these sportsmen are becoming an important income to many of these small Texas communities.

Get out and catch one of these hard fighting trophy fish and release it. I think you too will see that this is something that we must preserve for future generations. This species deserves our help, Wild Ed

Much of the information in this article was taken from the National Geographic Channel program Monster Fish, the Texas Parks and Wildlife study "Life History and Status of Alligator Gar Atractosteus spatula, with Recommendations for Management"
Prepared by:
David L. Buckmeier
Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Inland Fisheries Division
and the book “Season of the Gar” by Mark Spitz.

If you get the chance to watch the National Geographic Channel’s program Monster Fish, the Alligator Gar, it is a very informative program with some great scenes of catching Gar. I would also highly recommend you get a copy of the book “Season of the Gar” by Mark Spitz. It is the story of the Alligator Gar by someone that was obsessed with catching Gar. It covers history, life cycle, persecution and efforts to save the Gar. Mark tells the story of his quest to catch a Mega Gar and his individual effort to restock the Gar in historical waters.

The following photos were taken from various websites and Google Images. I do not know when or where they were taken, who is in the picture or whom to give credit for the photograph. They do show mega Alligator Gars and thus I have published them here. Wild Ed