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2 | N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E

Published by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC.TEXAS FISH & GAME is the largest independent,

family-owned outdoor publication in America.Owned by Ron & Stephanie Ward and Roy & Ardia Neves.

ROY NEVESPUBLISHER

DON ZAIDLEEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CHESTER MOOREEXECUTIVE EDITOR

C O N T R I B U T O R S

JOE DOGGETT SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORDOUG PIKE SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

TED NUGENT EDITOR AT LARGEBOB HOOD HUNTING EDITOR

MATT WILLIAMS FRESHWATER EDITORCALIXTO GONZALES SALTWATER EDITOR

LENNY RUDOW BOATING EDITORSTEVE LAMASCUS FIREARMS EDITOR

LOU MARULLO BOWHUNTING EDITORKENDAL HEMPHILL POLITICAL COMMENTATOR

TOM BEHRENS CONTRIBUTING EDITORGREG BERLOCHER CONTRIBUTING EDITORPAUL BRADSHAW CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

CAPT. MIKE HOLMES CONTRIBUTING EDITORREAVIS WORTHAM HUMOR EDITOR

JOHN GISEL WEBSITE CONTENT MANAGER

A D V E R T I S I N G

ARDIA NEVESVICE PRESIDENT/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

NICOLE BECKA MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE1745 GREENS ROAD, HOUSTON, TX 77032

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DENNISE CHAVEZADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR

TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish &Game Publishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. TexasFish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprint-ed or otherwise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes noresponsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1year $19.00: 2 years $34.75; 3 years $48.50. Address all subscription inquiries toTexas Fish & Game, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Allow 4 to 6weeks for response. Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing addresslabel when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changesto: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Address allsubscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX77032. Email change of address to: [email protected] Email new ordersto: [email protected] Email subscription questions to:[email protected].

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StaffBox-Contents.qxd:0405 ContentsAlt 10/4/10 2:14 PM Page 2

40 TROPHY DOEYou dont remember all of the Firsts in yourlife, but your first deer which for many ofus was a doe is one First that nobody for-gets.

by Paul Bradshaw

NOVEMBER 2010 Volume XXVI NO. 7

COVER STORY:

THE NOSE KNOWSYou may take tothe field this sea-son armed with thelatest in high-tech

weaponry, from high-poweredbinoculars, and that variable 12-power scope on your drive-a-tack rifle, to state-of-the-artsilencers and carbon arrows onyour archery equipment, and thelatest in stealthwear camo. Butdeer have a weapon of their ownthat can virtually disarm eventhe most lethally-equippedhunter.

by Bob Hood

FEATURES

www.FishGame.com

22 NEVER SURRENDERRonnie Hindsman lost both his arms in anaccident 6 years ago. But rather than let thedevastating loss define his life by its harshnew limits, he has embraced the challengeand become a beacon of inspiration.

by Chester Moore

26 DEAD-STICKING SPECKSThe technique commonly known as deadsticking puts the lure right in front of a fishand just leaves it there, waiting for its pri-mal instinct to kill the weak to kick in. Themethod works with most predatory fish,from lunker largemouths to speckled trout.

by Calixto Gonzales

36 TOP 20 BANKFISHING SPOTS Our Eleventh Installment of WalkaboutAngler looks at the vast selection of bankfishing opportunities available to Texasanglers, thanks to the work of the statesmany public resource agencies.

by Barry St . Clair

44 IS MEXICO SAFE FORSPORTSMEN?With so much coverage of border violence inthe news, the simple answer is NO! But out-fitters say there are plenty of professionalyrun destinations that are as secure as ever.

by Herman Brune

STORY:

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On the Web



COLUMNS9 Editors Notes

Just Get Outof the Wayby DON ZAIDLE TF&G Editor-in-Chief

11 Chesters NotesHatcheries arethe Futureby CHESTER MOORE TF&G Executive Editor

12 Doggett at LargeHow to Buga Bassby JOE DOGGETTTF&G Senior Contributing Editor

13 Pike on the EdgeTexas HasToilet Paperby DOUG PIKETF&G Senior Contributing Editor

14 Texas WildFamily DeerCampby TED NUGENTTF&G Editor at Large

15 CommentaryQuuis CustodietIpsos Custodes?by KENDAL HEMPHILL TF&G Political Commentator

30 Texas SaltwaterThe Power ofFishingby CALIXTO GONZALESTF&G Saltwater Editor

31 Texas FreshwaterWhat Givesat O.H. Ivieby MATT WILLIAMSTF&G Freshwater Editor

35 Hunt TexasScoring aTrophyby BOB HOODTF&G Hunting Editor

48 Open SeasonOpeningMorningby REAVIS Z. WORTHAMTF&G Humor Editor

DEPARTMENTS

8 LETTERS

10 TF&G REPORT

10 BIG BAGS &CATCHES

32 TRUE GREEN

www.FishGame.com

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS

NOVEMBER 2010 Volume XXVI NO. 7


SeptemberIm sitting here at my desk in my home

office and just finished reading Don ZaidlesSeptember in the September issue ofTF&G. This past weekend, I took my 11-year-old son, Dylan, out to our little place inThrockmorton County for a weekend dovehunt. I generally go on opening day, regard-less of the day of the week. However, thisyear I decided to wait for the weekend soDylan could go, too. Its not so much aboutme anymore, but about him. (I know youknow what I mean). After this weekend,well be caught up with football games onSaturdays until mid November. Ive got tomake hay while the sun is shining and gethim out when the opportunities present.

There werent any birds in Throckmor-ton or Stephens County that weekend, butDylan got to break in his new shotgun (hisown legitimate first gun) on some clay birds.I surprised him with the gun when we got tothe ranch. He freaked out! He was so proudand fired up to get his very own gun. It wasawesome. After a slow start and some coach-ing tips, he really started to powder theclays. We had a blast. We rode ATVs andsore-lipped all the small bass in the ponds. Itwas great. We shared our time with my goodfriend, Chuck, and his son, Matthew. Chuckis a colonel in the army reserves and left9/26 for Iraq for a year to oversee the U.S.drawdown effort. This was our last chancebefore he leaves to spend some quality out-door time with our boys.

I read September and it made mesmile. You couldnt have captured theessence of the month any better. Its not myfavorite month either, but there is just some-thing special about the change you feel inSeptember. Dylan and I are going to headout after some crappie, too, here in the nextcouple of weeks.

Thanks for the article and for the goodwork overall.

Tim SharpPlano, TX

Ah, September... wood that has to besplit, dove and teal that have to be shot, andthe seemingly fasting largemouth bass thatare about to fall off their diet. I have to agreewith Don Zaidles sentiments expressed inSeptember that it brings back many fondmemories that, after today, seem to get moreand more distant.

I just returned home from scouting a cer-tain beloved teal hole. It was empty and Ifound myself actually...happy? Surprisedme, too. You see, on the 55-mile drive backhome, I watched as my fuel gauge fell tobelow 3/4 of a tank and almost to thehalfway mark after filling up before leavingon the recon mission. I began to think: Whatif there had been teal in that hole? Thatwould, of course, have meant a $60 licenseto start; two or three boxes of steel shotthatll run you around $15 dollars each; fuelfor the boat that sets me back $20; themechanical decoys will need a couple of newrechargeable batteries, and Im not real surewhat they run nowadays.

Ah, yes, before the trip is in the books,my old Ford will need to be filled up again.Im banking on my loyal hunting buddies tochip in on that, but I can usually bank in onehand and spit in the other and...never mind.

Really cant count various breakfastsnacks and tobacco products; those would bepurchased, anyway. Im afraid to think aboutall the cool gadgets that might wind up in thebuggy as I coast through Academy whileobtaining a license. Maybe thats a self-con-trol issue, but all the advertising firms tell meI really need this product to kill more ani-mals. Their words always seem more con-vincing when Im holding the fabled productin my hand, which is the precise point selfcontrol looses the argument. Oh, well.

September. I love it, too. I think. Hunt-ing season opens. Fish get their appetites.Or is it the memories that keep this monthmarked on the calendar?

I will never let the rising cost of doingbusiness in the woods keep me out of thewoods. I have children that need memories,too. Good memories like I have. I cant help

but to be negative when thinking about first-time hunters breaking into our way of life.As far as I can see, they will need a decentpocket book to simply kill a legal deer. Themost extravagant buck Ive ever taken was farless than 13 inchesand to this day, Imstill proud.

Anyway, this September had me a littlemore frustrated than excited. Probably justthe heat.

Clay CrawfordVia email

Thanks for the Bank(tips)

Thank you so much for Chester Mooreswonderful column, Tips for Better Bank-Fishing, in the September issue.

I dont have time to fish enough to justifybuying a boat, and I dont currently have anyfriends with a boat, so Im a permanentbank-fisher. There is almost nothing avail-able on how to bank-fish successfully, otherthan your articles.

I would never have considered circlehooks, though I have looked at them andwondered what they were for. I also wouldnot have considered using a bobber or chum-ming. I vacillate on the live bait, as withoutthe chumming, which I hadnt considered,you dont really attract that many large fish,so I never know whether its better to go afterlarger fish or be content with smaller onesbecause the larger ones are impossible forbank-fishers. I wont be vacillating on thatanymore.

Since I often go alone, the quiet is not aproblem, unless others are around. Ofcourse, in Texas that is often a problem.

Again, thank you for a wonderful articleI will treasure for a long time.

Larry MaturoAustin, TX


P R E S E N T S

Letters to the Editor


Just Get Outof the Way

EIGHTEENTH CENTURY WRITER AND POLITI-cal commentator Thomas Paine penned inDecember 1776 the exhortation, Lead,follow, or get out of the way. That same

year, Paine also authored Common Sense on thewisdom of American independence. In this brieftome, Paine observed: Society is produced byour wants, and government by our wickedness;the former promotes our happiness positively byuniting our affections, the latter negatively byrestraining our vices. The one encourages inter-course, the other creates distinctions. The first isa patron, the last a punisher.

Authors of yore and present have incor-rectly labeled hunters and fishermen a fra-ternity, a gender-exclusive term meaningbrotherhood. On reflection, one must con-clude we outdoor sportsmen are a peopleunited by common wants and desires, andhence a society per Paine and sundry dic-tionaries.

Though good in purpose and product forits members, a society is perforce encum-bered with wickedness through the inher-ent and unavoidable weaknesses of its sever-al members. Greed engenders overharvest offish and fowl; envy begets trespass; impa-tience spawns the poacher; and so on.

It is therefore wholly natural and fittingthat as a society within a greater society, weare under the auspices of governments with-in governments, tailored to the special needsand circumstances of the sporting societywith accordant laws and rules. e.g.: the U.S.Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish andWildlife Service, National Marine FisheriesService, Texas Parks & WildlifeDepartment, et al.

All would be well but for the tendencyexpressed in Paines precursor to the socie-ty/government relationship that some...have so confounded society with govern-ment, as to leave little or no distinction

between them.... More specifically, thatsome organize into micro-societies or class-es that equate their respective mores withlaw, and seek to make it so.

The net effect of such machinations isdiscouragement of those who would join ourranks. To hunt and fish becomes too cumber-some and costly, compliance with regulationstoo complicated. Ergo, our ranks shrink atthe behest of exclusionary absolutist lawsthat serve only an elite class at the expense ofthe larger society.

There is no conflict between absolutismfor rights and absolutism for privileges. Theright to keep and bear arms is absolute.Using those arms to hunt game is, under fiatof the larger society, a privilege; likewise touse croaker or shiners as bait for trout orbass, or a bow of any stripe to take game.

In order for our smaller society to survive,it must adopt the live and let live philoso-phy. The crossbow hunter does no harm tothe compound hunter except to ill-conceivednotions of ethics. Likewise the croakersoaker to the lure fisherman.

By similar token, our society does noharm to the larger society, save ill-perceivedoffense to foolish notions of rights andethics wrongly afforded fish and fowl.Data prove that our society in fact con-tributes much to the larger society, even ifaccounted only in dollars.

According to data from a national hunt-ing and fishing survey:

Over 87 million U.S. residents 16 yearsold and older fished, hunted, or wildlifewatched in 2006. During that year, 29.9million people fished, 12.5 million hunted.

Wildlife recreationist spending totaledover $120 billion. This amounted to 1 per-cent of the United States GDP. Of the totalamount spent, $37 billion was for trips, $64billion for equipment, and $16 billion forother items.

Sportsmen spent $75 billion in 2006:$41 billion on fishing, $23 billion on hunt-ing, and $11 billion on items used for bothhunting and fishing.

A comparison of estimates of the 2006and 2001 Surveys reveals that millions of

Americans continue to enjoy wildlife recre-ation.

Fishing continues as a favorite pastime.In 2001, 13 percent of the U.S. population16 years old and older spent an average of17 days fishing. Comparing results of the2006 Survey and 2001 Surveys reveals thatalthough the number of all anglers declined12 percent, their expenditures for fishingequipment (rods, reels, etc.) and fishingtrips increased 5 percent and 7 percent,respectively. There were drops in expendi-tures for auxiliary equipment (special cloth-ing, tents, etc.) and special equipment (big-ticket items such as boats) by -14 percentand -12 percent, respectively.

Five percent of the U.S. population 16years old and older, 12.5 million people,hunted in 2006. They spent an average of18 days pursuing their sport. The number ofall hunters declined by 4 percent from 2001to 2006 and there was a 3 percent drop inoverall expenditures (not a statistically signif-icant change).

Although the total number of huntersdeclined from 2001 to 2006, the number ofbig game hunters held their own. Thebiggest declines were in migratory bird hunt-ing (-22 percent) and small animal hunting(-12 percent).

As in the case of fishing expenditures,expenditures for hunting equipment(firearms, ammunition, etc.) actuallyincreased 3 percent, as did hunting trips,which rose by 13 percent.

To those in either segment of the societieswho would erect barriers or oppose openingmore opportunity to hunt and fish--and thuscurtail those monetary societal contributions-- please do not try to lead others on yourpath to destruction; follow a wiser path ifyou are capable. If you are unwilling to doeither, then please just get the hell out of theway.

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 | 9

Editors Notes

by Don Zaidle | TF&G Editor-in-Chief

E-mail Don Zaidle at [email protected].

EditorsNotes.qxd:Layout 1 10/4/10 3:01 PM Page 9

Faulty Pipeline RepairsComplete at BeleagueredHatchery

AFTER MONTHS OF EVALUATION, LEGAL WRAN-gling, and dirty work, more than two miles offaulty underground drainage pipe has beenexhumed and replaced at the new TPWDJohn D. Parker East Texas Fish Hatchery ata cost of $3.3 million.

The state-of-the-art facility is currentlyunder construction below the Sam RayburnReservoir dam near Jasper. The projectedcompletion date is early spring 2011.

The drainage system in question is linkedto dozens of production ponds that will beused for rearing about 5 million Floridabass, blue catfish, and bluegill annually.Water will flow through the pipe to thehatchery outfall, Beef Creek, then into theAngelina River about a mile downstream.

Funded entirely by Texas anglers via

sales of freshwater fishing stamps, the $27million hatchery project broke ground in July2008 with completion set for March 2010.

The project moved along nicely untilApril 2009, when inspectors discovered thatat least two sections of 60-inch and 48-inchdiameter drainage pipe had collapsed 10-17feet underground.

Further investigation revealed additionalproblems within the massive drainage sys-tem, which warranted a complete overhaul inorder to shore up the integrity of the systemand prevent further problems.

TPWD hired an engineering outfit fromBeaumont to determine the cause of failureand to help decide who should ultimately beheld liable for repairs. The facility wasdesigned by HDR/Fish Pro out of Omaha,Nebraska, while Allco, Inc. of Beaumontwas awarded the construction contract.

According Todd Engeling, TPWD'schief of inland hatcheries, the investigationpointed to the design firm as the party at

fault. Engeling said a settlement was award-ed once a replacement design was agreedupon. The settlement involved removingabout 11,000 feet of 60-inch, 48-inch, and30-inch diameter corrugated HDPE pipeand replacing it with higher quality pipe.

Engeling said the 60-inch and 48-inchpipe was replaced with Class 5 reinforcedconcrete pipe. Meanwhile, the 30-inch pipewas replaced with a more rigid PVC.

The hatchery manager pointed out thatHDR/FishPro absorbed approximately$3.2 million of the total cost of reworking thedrainage system, while TPWD kicked in anadditional $140,000 to complete the repairsperformed by Allco, Inc.

Rather than extend the legal delibera-tion, we elected take on that responsibilityand move forward, Engeling said.

Engeling said the $140,000 paid out ofthe general project fund was money wellspent.

by Matt Williams


Mike Hall of Baytown took this buck at 26yards while bowhunting in Kansas. Thebuck scored 190 Boone & Crockett andcould make the Kansas record book.

Dylan Donohoe caught and released this39-inch redfish while fishing with cut mul-let at San Luis Pass.

Blake Remedios, 12, of Houston arrowedthis 18-point buck while hunting onRancho Tejas. The buck weighed 180pounds and scored 140 Pope & Young.

P R E S E N T S

TF G Report&

BIG BAGS CATCHES&

San Luis Pass

Redfish

Rancho Tejas

Whitetail Buck

Kansas

Whitetail Buck

TFGReport.qxd:Layout 1 10/4/10 2:11 PM Page 10

Hatcheriesare theFuture

AN INTERESTING THING HAPPENED AS THEBritish Petroleum Deepwater Horizonsaga slowly dragged into summer:Momentum started building toward

Louisiana getting its first-ever coastal fish hatch-ery to offset any losses due to the accident.

In fact, Bayou State employees visitedSea Center Texas in Lake Jackson to seehow a world-class hatchery works and to dis-cuss cooperation in the name of conserva-tion.

At first glance, that might not seem note-worthy for publication in a Texas outdoormagazine, but it speaks volumes about LoneStar State fisheries management.

No other state has our capacity toenhance and replenish fish stocks, nor is anyinvolved in so many groundbreaking proj-ects. Take the development of the flounderstocking program at Sea Center Texas:Hatchery Director David Abrego and hiscrew took an extremely difficult task, made ita reality with a small stocking in SabineLake in 2009, and returned this year with10 times the fingerlings. They also did thefirst-ever flounder stocking in Galveston Baythis year.

What they are doing with flounder isevery bit as significant as what the TexasParks & Wildlife Department (TPWD)and Coastal Conservation Association(CCA) did with redfish 30 years ago.

On top of that, Sea Center Texas alongwith the CCA-CPL Marine DevelopmentCenter in Corpus Christi and the Perry R.Bass Marine Hatchery in Palacios have red-fish and speckled trout production down to ascience and are putting record numbers intoour bay systems.

When we face another big freeze-relatedkill or some other catastrophe, TPWD willbe able to give nature a jump-start towardrecovery.

Conservative estimates put 1 in 10 red-fish swimming Texas waters as hatchery fish,showing an impressive survival rate and thatthe 500,000,000 fry and fingerlings stockedover the years have taken hold.

Texas coastal anglers have two otherfacilities contributing to a positive future forour fisheries: The University of TexasMarine Science Institute (UTMSI) in PortAransas, and the CCA Texas Laboratoryfor Larviculture located on its grounds.

UTMSI passed lots of information toTPWD in the quest to create a flounder-stocking program and now they are workingon snook. The Larviculture Lab will allow itto take big strides in that quest and hopeful-ly crack the code of producing snook enmasse. It has already helped Florida correctproblems with a snook project that state wasworking on, and had success with ling aswell.

It is not just coastal anglers benefittingfrom state-of-the-art hatcheries, but alsothose fishing our freshwater reservoirs andriver systems. TPWD Inland Fisheriesemployees stock largemouth bass, stripedbass, channel catfish, bream, smallmouth,and occasionally a few other species by thetens of millions annually. The stocking ofFlorida largemouth in particular has trans-formed our state into what is without a doubtthe top bass destination in the UnitedStates.

I made a few trips to the TexasFreshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) inAthens this year to learn more about what itis doing for the bass fishery, and each timecame away inspired.

Through programs like ShareLunkerand Operation World Record, TFFC andother TPWD operations are greatly increas-ing the abundance of huge bass on Texaswaterways. In fact, 61 public water bodieshave produced bass weighing 13 pounds orlarger since ShareLunkers inception in1986.

This is in stark contrast to developmentsmade in the world of deer hunting, wheremost of the access to big bucks is on privateland and usually behind a high fence, andhunters have to pay huge fees to take one.That is totally within the rights of landown-ers and hunters, but there is no doubt it hascreated a chasm in the world of huntingand most of us dont have the dollars to fillit.

What is happening with bass is different,as the benefit is evident just as much to thekayaker as it is to the angler with a $60,000bass boat. These dream bass are available tothe bank president and the bank anglerequally, and that has been proven by theback-stories of the more than 500 bassdonated to ShareLunker over the years,many of which we have detailed on thesepages.

I have been blessed to spend extensivetime visiting our hatcheries, interviewing thepeople who make them work, and communi-cating with the anglers who catch the bene-fits. It has given me a real sense of pride that,like any other state, we have problems, but atleast when it comes to our fisheries, the pos-itives greatly outweigh the negatives.

Most importantly, the anglers of this stateunderstand the importance of conserving ourresources and are the first in line to supportactions that will allow their children to expe-rience even better fishing opportunities thanwe have now.

Great challenges face both our coastaland freshwater fisheries, and we will dealwith these in great detail over the course ofthe next year on these pages. I do not look atthem in fear but as a challenge, because Iknow the kind of people we have workingbehind the scenes on behalf of the fish andthe fishermen.

And I also know Texans dont take kind-ly to anyone or anything messing with theirfish and fishing.

Chesters Notes

by Chester Moore | TF&G Executive Editor

E-mail Chester Moore at [email protected].


ChesterNotes.qxd:Layout 1 10/5/10 3:01 PM Page 11

How to Buga Bass

THE FLY ROD FLEXED, DROPPING THE POPPERinto a horseshoe pocket amid the shorelinereeds. The surface was slick and the waterwas black-cleargreat stuff for classic

bass bugging.I gave the rod a short twitch, sparking a

chug of life down the leader, and a 3-poundsmallmouth bass vaulted completely over thepopper without touching it.

Let it sit, my companion in the canoesaid. Maybe he'll come back.

The popper floated at rest then shiveredagainst another rod twitch. The basscrushed it in a boil of spray. The poised fishmust have been hovering just under the sur-face.

The rod bent and the fly line curved upand out, following the flailing leap. Then thefish dove for the reeds and the hook pulledfreebut no matter.

That bass was one of approximately 50hooked during that great session last July ona remote pond near Lake of the Woods inOntario. All were smallmouthsa rare treatfor a Texanbut the action was a reminderof how exciting and productive bugging canbe on all species of bass.

If anything, our largemouths are even bet-ter on bugs. Largemouths are more surface-oriented, especially during the cooling waterof early fall. Bass bugging was the earliestapplication for the fly rod in Texas but,oddly, you don't hear so much about it thesedaysbig mistake.

Any topwater strike takes bass fishing toa higher level, and the small poppers andbugs are excellent choices for precise close-range work over shallows and along shore-lines. This is fun fishing, casting to visibletargets of weeds and brush, opposed tochuck and chance across open water.

Most important, the small offering con-

structed of hair and feathers (often withstubby rubber legs) looks attractive andlands with a soft fuzzy splat amid tightquarters. And fly-fishing is very efficient;you drop the cast near a likely ambush spot,work the bug several yards through the killzone, then pick up for another crisp shot.No time is lost making a long retrievethrough empty water back to the rod tip.

The proper fly rod depends on the situa-tion. Anglers on clear Hill Country streamsand lakes often use lighter rods in the 5- or6-weight range, while South Texas buggerson murky, weed-infested tanks are betterserved with more poweran 8- or 9-weightis a wise choice for most tangled shorelines.

Overloading the chosen rod by one linesize often helps turn over bushy bugs atthe close distances normally covered. A spe-cialized bass bugging line with a shorter,fatter belly section is another option.

A good way to improve casting perform-ance is to scale back the lure size. Less canbe more amid calm shallows, and big bugsand poppers with wide heads are hard totossespecially if significant wind is anissue. Repeat, you don't need a lot of imageor commotion to attract a close fish.

The head should be no larger than athumbnail and the hook should have a widegap to clear the body (some cheap popperson tiny hooks are all but useless). If the fluffof feathers and legs is excessive, use clippersor scissors to trim and streamline the profile.

Shortening the monofilament leader isanother easy way to improve casting per-formance. Most store bought taperedleaders are 9 feettoo long for smooth bug-ging and often unnecessary amid the murkyclutter of good bass water.

Cut a foot or so off the terminal or tippetsection. You'll find that working with a 7- or8-foot leader is much more pleasant with abug or popper (even smaller ones can be achore to push into or across a contrarybreeze).

And, when rigging a leader, don't go toolight. The struggle with a hooked bass canturn into a tug-of-water if the fish dives forcover. I'd say 6- or 8-pound-test on a clear

stream, but as much as 15 on a brushy lake.All the books and videos on proper fly-

fishing technique preach pointing the rodstraight down the line when retrieving. Payno attention. We're not bonefishing here.

Follow the lead of your grandfather withhis bamboo rod and clicker reel hold therod at a 45-degree angle and use the tip toimpart wrist-flip action. This loose-jointedapproach allows the bug to shiver and skateand do all sorts of teasing capers.Remember, most casts are short, allowingthe high stick action to transmit down theline.

When a bass boils up and smacks thebug, lift smartly while pulling down with theline hand. The hookup should be positivewith the sharp thin-wire hooks used on mostbugs.

The trendy angling books and videos alsoharp on getting a hooked fish on the reelas soon as possible. Again, pay no attention.I've yet to see a tarpon in a South Texasstock tank. Attempting to take up theretrieved slack by cranking the reel or feed-ing line to the diving bass is a great way tolose a good one by permitting it to root andtangle without resistance.

Noforget about the coils of stripped flyline at your feet. Clamp down with the rodhand and start stripping in as fast as the fishwill allow. Try to turn the bass and keep itnear the surface. Feed line if you must, butseldom will even a large bass take more thana few yards.

The short-winded largemouth is not agreat runner. Bass are best on the surface,and some of the most enjoyable topwateraction is with a fly rod along a green bankduring the mild afternoons of early fall.


Doggett At Large

by Joe Doggett | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

E-mail Joe Doggett at [email protected]

Doggett.qxd:Layout 1 10/4/10 2:25 PM Page 12

Texas HasToilet Paper

AFAIR PORTION OF MY TIME IS SPENT READINGoutdoors-related stories from other states,and nearly every such story I read makesme increasingly glad to be a Texan.

Even if you throw out the extreme highsand lows, the way they score figure skating(don't ask how I know that), Texas stillcomes out first on all counts and bywide margin.

Example: On a SeptemberSaturday morning on my radio show(SportsTalk 790 in Houston), I inter-viewed the Texas Parks & WildlifeDepartment's Heidi Rao, who over-sees Take Me Outdoors Houston.That program, like its sisters in othermetropolitan areas, is the offspring ofthe Outdoors Expos once held annu-ally at TPWD headquarters inAustin.

Instead of one enormous exhibitionof this state's myriad opportunities andactivities in the outdoors, and insteadof expecting newcomers to make thedrive and overnight in Austin, someone atTPWD figured out that it better servednewcomers to bring those activities andopportunities to them.

Take Me Outdoors Houston does thatwith a couple dozen hands-on experiencesand dozens more exhibits from local out-doors and conservation groups. It drew agreat crowd its first year, despite dreadfulweather, and Heidi raised the ante of herown game with the second version of theevent.

All of which brings me to somethingHeidi said, about equal parts jokingly andthankfully, at the end of the interview: "Atleast we're not California," she chuckled,referring to a little note I'd read just prior tobringing her into the show.

That broadcast sidebar was the tale ofhow California's budget woes had reachedthe point where the most severe of severemeasures was likely to be implemented in thestate's parks.

By now, to reach this level of folly,California's state-park staff and its lawmak-ers must have spent and borrowed toextremes unknown here. In Texas, we don'thave enough game wardens, and our parkbuildings could use a coat of paint, andcoastal enforcement personnel could usemore fuel for the boats. That much is true.But as Heidi put it, at least we're not

California, where unless the state wins itsown lottery, there will no longer be toiletpaper in state park restrooms. And if thathappens, count on someone in Sacramentodemanding that signs be posted at outhouseentrances (in a half-dozen languages) toBYOP.

Texas has toilet paper in its state-parkrestrooms.

Neither are we like any northern state,where a third or so of every year is spent infrigid despair. Yes, there's ice fishing, whichis a sport most regularly enjoyed by thosewho cannot come South for the winter.

Neither are we Florida, which has out-standing saltwater fishing but hangs off thecontinent like a wind chime in hurricane sea-son and, for all intents and purposes, offers

marginal hunting opportunity.We're no Midwest, either, with its great

pheasant and deer hunting. Fun, but howcan those people stand to exist so far fromthe coast?

Or Northwest, where some kids get to thesixth grade without realizing that sky can beany color but gray. Here in Texas, the raineventually stops.

Canada? No thanks. In winter, peoplewho live in our Northern states pucker uptheir blue lips and justify their lots in life bytelling each other, "At least we're not inCanada."

In fairness to each of the 38 statesand many foreign countries I've visit-ed, including 34 states in which I havefished or hunted or surfed or campedor snowboarded or mountain bikedor...whatever...each has legitimaterecreational draw. For outdoors enthu-siasts, there is validity from residing inor visiting most any rural area in theworld. The key to enjoyment otherplaces is embracing what they have tooffer and allowing yourself to feel thesame excitement that locals feel.

Californians, because they havesome beautiful state parks, will over-come the inconvenience being heapedupon them the same as we would.

Only it's not happening here. Notyet. There is room for improvement, certain-ly, in public-hunting opportunity and in serv-ices and in law enforcement. But havingworked and spoken with fisheries andwildlife personnel in so many other places, Ican attest without hesitation that, as Dorothytold Toto, there's no place like home.

I welcome opportunities to visit otherplaces, to catch their fish, hunt their game,ride their waves, and carve their mountains,but by choice, I live in Texaswhere wenever run out of toilet paper.

E-mail Doug Pike at [email protected]


Pike on the Edge

by Doug Pike | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

ILLUSTRATION: KOVA CEVIK, CANSTOCK

Pike.qxd:Layout 1 10/4/10 2:26 PM Page 13

Family DeerCamp

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, QUALITY OFlife is all about family. Dreams comeand go, projects and business maneu-vers when performed to the best of

our ability become all-consuming, but even ourmost passionate endeavors are celebrated for howthey provide for maximum family time. Or atleast, they should be.

I should talk, for my maniac 50-yearrock-n-roll adventure has forced me to be onthe road away from home and family morethan most careers and professions, but in thefinal analysis, a nonstop six-month tourallows me to be home nonstop for theremaining six months, not just on weekendsor after work for dinner like the majority of9-5 jobs demand. There is a price to pay,but the rewards are well balanced. It is allabout priorities.

Growing up in the beautiful state ofMichigan blessed me with all the great ele-ments of the post WWII American Dream.My memory bank glows with visions of fam-ily outings, time at the lake, fishing, hunting,shooting, picnics, ball games, wonderfuldays at home doing things together in theyard, and a plethora of stirring emotionsabout good times in a great country.

But one memory dwarfs all others, as myprimal instinct to connect with MotherNature in the most pure, natural and pro-found way propelled me into the healingembrace of the wild, where my reasoningpredator spirit was most alive.

Winter, spring, and summer providedvarying degrees of fun and adventure for theNugent family, but as summertime morphedinto the soul-stimulating autumnal equinox,a powerful force came over me from my ear-liest years of life, and I could not get enoughof the compelling sacred time in the woods,swamps, and wildlife habitat of my youth. I

read Jack Londons Call of the Wild, but myown physics of spirituality was more impact-ing than any words could convey. I washooked by my fifth birthday and there hasbeen no looking back.

My dad was a casual hunter, but likemany hunters in the 1940s and 50s, he wastouched by the hand of the great Fred Bearwho had influenced many American sportersinto the fascinating world of ultra-disciplinedhunting with the bow and arrow. More andmore sporters were intrigued by the return tothis primitive and very demanding style oftaking venison, and a fire was ignited deep inour souls to learn more about wildlife andhow to better fit in with their awe-inspiringworld.

As is the case in all U.S. states and everyCanadian province, opening day of deer sea-son is a time that calls our spirit to return tonature as conscientious participants, drivento show reverence for Gods creation andamazing renewable wildlife resources bykeeping them in the Asset column of lifethrough honest utility. Everybody knows(though some strangled by the denial ofpolitical correctness pretend otherwise) thathunting as the pure function of the annualharvest is scientifically and intellectuallyessential for a healthy environment.

Hunters, fishers, and trappers were andalways have been the original and best envi-ronmentalist via our hands-on conservationstewardship. Venison is pure and the hunt ispure. We who participate will never forgetwhy Thanksgiving takes place in the fall. Itis one of lifes last perfect, pure endeavors,and, ultimately, responsibilities. We cele-brate it with fire in our hearts.

Thirty million American families beginto excitedly turn the pages of the calendarmany months before opening day to strate-gize everyones schedule to rendezvous atdeer camp. In Michigan, Pennsylvania,Wisconsin, New York, Minnesota, and mostMidwestern states, there is no rush hourtraffic to compare to the caravans headinginto the North Country days before theopener. Entire geographical regions shutdown from normal practices as entire fami-

lies leave school and work to flood tradition-al sacred hunting grounds for The Big Day.Truckloads of enough sporting gear andweaponry to outfit the worlds armies isorganized for this magical day of days, andthe giddiness in the air is palpable.

Regional economies come to life andpivot on the annual migration, and moststates celebrate economic impact in the $2billion-plus range each hunting season.Americas No. 1 hunting state, my homestate of Texas, is proud that hunting andfishing in the Lone Star State generatesmore than $6 billion dollars in revenuesevery year. Hunting ranks in the top 1 per-cent of the nations most powerful economicassets. Ban that, PETA and HumaneSociety of the United States. I dont thinkso.

My dad and uncles are gone now, andold Stan and Whitey are up there in the BigHunt, too, with Fred Bear and all theBloodBrothers of yore. As many of my sonsand daughters, brothers, sisters, and extend-ed families as possible hustle to convene onour own slice of sacred grounds, where thespirit of the swamp is too intense to ignore.

We feel the presence of our dad andUncle John, and a tangible bond is fortifiedagain with laughter, grilling, story telling,wood gathering, target practice, and theoccasional heave-ho of beast dragging. Ourbuck pole always produces sacred protein,and the stress of the modern world is absentevery day at camp.

Celebrate perfection America. The deerneed us and we need the deer.

You cant do this in France.


by Ted Nugent | TF&G Editor-at-Large

E-mail Ted Nugent at [email protected].

Ted NugentsTexasWild

On the Web

For more Ted Nugent writings,visit www.tednugent.com

Nugent.qxd:Layout 1 10/4/10 2:27 PM Page 14


QuisCustodietIpsosCustodes?

WHEN FRAIL, THIN, GRANDMOTHERLYPatty Konie answered the insistentknock at her door on September 8,2005, she believed she had nothing

to fear from her visitors. After all, they were allarmed uniformed police officers. Their job was toprotect her from the criminals roaming freelythrough New Orleans in the wake of hurricaneKatrina, looting, burning, raping, stealing, andmurdering a citizenry unable to defend itself.

Those police officers, in fact, were thereto inform Ms. Konie that she was requiredto evacuate her home. She refused. She hadplenty of food and water, her house was in asection of the city not damaged by the storm,and she was unwilling to leave her two dogsto fend for themselves. She told the officersshe would stay and take her chances. Shewas even prepared to defend herself, andshowed the officers a pistol she was holdingin her hand.

What happened next defies belief.Although Ms. Konie did not threaten theofficers in any way, did not point the gun atanyone or even put her finger on the trigger,and told the officers it was unloaded, shewas slammed up against a wall in her homeand ridden to the floor by a man three timesher size. She was punched in the face andotherwise beaten, and finally arrested, hergun confiscated.

Patty Konie was not the only honest, law-abiding New Orleans citizen so treated.Many others were subjected to similar viola-tions. Robert Zas was leaving town with his

family and others when he was stopped bypolice and asked if he had any weapons. Hesaid that he did, and his party was forced tosit on the ground in front of his car while thevehicle was searched. Mr. Zas was dumb-founded when, upon finding a pistol and a.22 rifle in the car, the officers destroyed theweapons by smashing them against a curb.

According to New Orleans residentAston O'Dwyer, who was also relieved of hisguns by police officers aiming semiautomaticweapons at him, "The post-Katrina worldturned right and wrong on its head. Looters

ruled this city for over a weekpost-storm, without fear of law

enforcement."Forget for a moment that this happened

in America, a land supposedly governed byits citizens. Forget that we have laws pertain-ing to legal search and seizure, due process,and right to personal property. Forget thatthe Bill of Rights contains an amendmentguaranteeing every citizen of this country therightnot privilegeof gun ownership.Even without all the reasons that what thepolice and National Guardsmen did in NewOrleans was illegal, we all have a basichuman need to defend ourselves. Besides allthe other rights drowned in the flood watersthat devastated that city, New Orleans citi-zens were stripped of that basic right to selfdefense.

This would be a heinous travesty of jus-tice at any time. There is no justification fortreating human beings the way Ms. Koniewas treated, beaten, and debased in her ownhome just because she wanted to be leftalonealleged protectors of society taking

peoples' property at gunpoint without con-sent or due process; leaving people defense-less against the criminal element of society.But this crime was made even more hideousby the fact of when and where it was perpe-trated, in a city devastated by a natural dis-aster and beset by the dregs of humanity runamok.

During that period, there was virtually nopolice presence in New Orleans. The phonelines were down, so no one could call 911for assistance. And the relatively few policeofficers who were there were ineffectual.Thieves, for example, dragged VinniePervel from his van at gunpoint and stole hisvehicle from him within yards of a police carfacing the crime. The officers calmly droveaway. Aston O'Dwyer did not exaggerate.

So, the police and National Guard,because of some misguided effort to makethe city safer through disarmament, wentinto peoples' homes and stopped them intheir cars and confiscated their legally ownedfirearms. And they did this at a time whenthose citizens needed their guns more thanever. The looters of the city could never hopeto commit a crime so unforgivable.

Some lucky residents escaped the drag-net, and managed to keep their guns. Onewoman later related how two huge youngmen accosted her in her car. They poundedon the hood and then walked around to herdoors, one on each side of the car, shoutingat her to unlock the vehicle. She pulled out apistol and her assailants fled. Never believethe lie that guns do not deter crime.

Other women were not so fortunate. Alocal gun storeowner related that peoplewere "scared to death" because of the crime.He said, "Women came in who cried at thedoor, saying, 'we need to buy some guns. Weneed to defend ourselves'."

Because of the police, many were unableto do that. The question asked by Juvenal,ca. 100 AD, seems appropriate: Quis cus-todiet ipsos custodes? Who will guard theguards?

Commentary

by Kendal Hemphill | TF&G Political Commentator

E-mail Kendal Hemphill at [email protected].

Forget for amoment that this

happened in America, aland supposedly governed

by its citizens.

Commentary.qxd:Layout 1 10/4/10 2:28 PM Page 15

16 | N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTOS: TONY CAMPBELL, DREAMSTIME

YOU MAY BE ARMED WITH THE

LATEST IN HIGH-TECH WEAPONRY,

BUT DEER HAVE A WEAPON OF

THEIR OWN THAT CAN VIRTUALLY

DISARM EVEN THE MOST

LETHALLY-EQUIPPED HUNTER

BY BOB HOOD

Fea1.qxd:Layout 1 10/4/10 2:32 PM Page 16


It is called the nose. All animals have onebut few, if any, are more sensitive than thenoses on whitetail deer. Scientifically speak-ing, deer have 297 million olfactory recep-tors. In comparison, dogs have 220 millionand humans have just 5 million. It has beensaid by scientists that a large part of thedeers brain is devoted to detecting odors. Icertainly agree with that. So where is theadvantage, with the hunter or the hunted?

Yes, it is with the deer. Cover-up scentsmay help diminish human odor in someinstances but my personal opinion is thatnothing outside unusual circumstances suchas you squatting on a skunk can prevent adeer from smelling your human odor 100percent of the time. You simply cannot com-pletely cover your human scent from a white-tail deer no matter how long you have heldyour clothes in a bag full of cedar limbs orsprayed with modern-day scent killers.

Need another comparison? Just considerthe scenting instincts of a dog, which is muchless than that of a whitetail deer. If a dog cansmell human fingerprints

or tracks that are several weeks old, smellelectricity or smell the difference of a cowsnormal urine from that when it is in estrus tohelp a rancher with his breeding program,what do you think a whitetail deer withmuch more superior scenting capabilities cando?

The No. 1 way to put the odds in yourfavor and beat, at least in some cases, thedeers extraordinary sense of smell is to playthe wind. In other words, hunt from an areathat is down-wind from where you expect thedeer to be. That doesnt always result in 100

percent accuracy because even the slightestchange in directions of the wind or its speedcan allow the deer to bust you.

Prior to setting up a stand, determine thepredominant direction of the wind duringhunting season. In the Cross Timbers areaof Texas, for instance, the wind blows out ofthe south most of the time and out of thenorth only when cold fronts pass through.That means that if you set your blind upnorth of a feeder or traveling area you may

be in goodshape mostof the timebut not allof the time. Setting up two stands, one northof your feeder and one south of it would helpsolve that problem but not all hunters are

interested in doubling their chances by set-ting up two blinds. For them, their bestchances of playing the wind would be toeither hunt from the ground in a pop-upblind or something similar to counter shiftsin the winds direction. But that could createanother problem.

Hunting at ground level puts the hunterin direct line of the deers scent intake. Thatcould be a big problem at times when thereis a swirling wind on seemingly calm orslightly breezy days. Setting up stands thatare high off the ground will help overcomethe problem of wind changes some of thetime but not all of the time. You mustremember, too, that deer often move into thewind.

Setting up at slight angles to it might helpbut choosing such a place likely will be deter-mined by the surrounding cover.

Another way to counter south or northwinds is to set up east or west of the area youplan to hunt but that can be done only in cer-tain circumstances. Doing so still makes youvulnerable to a south or north wind unlessyou arent likely to see deer up or down-windof the blind. A rising or falling sun alsoshould be factored in before facing east orwest.

Although playing the wind may seem likea no-brainer, just remember that it isnt theonly way you can help shift the odds in yourfavor. There are other things to considerabout the extraordinary senses of a deersnose.

Like dogs, hogs and many other animals,whitetail deer can smell where you have trav-eled. Unfortunately, many hunters never

SO YOU THINK YOU ARE PREPARED for the deer season, do you? High-powered binoculars hanging around your neck, a variable scope that can be crankedup to 12 power or more mounted on your drive-a-tack rifle, or state-of-the-artsilencers and carbon arrows on your archery equipment plus the newest camouflageclothing to hide you from your quarry. That ought to do it, right? Think again.

You may have overlooked one tool your quarry, the whitetail deer, has waiting foryou to make him the winner. It measures only seven to eight inches in circumferenceon most whitetail bucks but when activated as it almost constantly is, it can over-come all the arsenal you have on you, not to mention provide you with mental frus-trations even your hunting buddies in camp cant help erase.

PHOTO: BOB HOOD

A whitetail deers senseof smell is nearly 60times greater than that ofhumans.

Super Sniffer


take that into consideration while afield.Many hunters walk directly down well-useddeer trails to get to their blinds becausethats the easiest route. Others drive theirfour-wheelers to almost beneath their tower,tripod or tree stands, park them and thenclimb into their blinds, never once realizinghow much human scent they have added tothe area. And thats human scent that deer,hogs and other animals can smell. Just howbad it burns their nostrils depends upon theparticular animal.

I have hunting buddies who say parkingtheir four-wheelers beneath their blinds orwalking around their feeders looking fortracks makes no difference because they stillsee deer there. I am sure they do, but it is notthe deer they see that really is important. Itis the deer they do not see that should beconsidered. Smart, mature bucks that usedto pass through the area often change theirroutes after detecting scent left on the groundby hunters, maybe even prior to the openingof the season if hunter activity in the area atthat time was considerable.

Also, deer not only hear vehicles, theysmell their exhaust fumes and other odors

the vehicles emit. A hunter may think thatdoesnt bother deer because they often seethe animals standing off the side of the roadswatching them as they pass by. But, just likeparking beneath a stand or stomping aroundthe area may not scare all the deer away, youarent likely to see many mature bucks star-ing at you unless the major rutting season isin high gear.

These are considerations that apply whilein the field. There are several others thatshould be put in place even before leavinghome on a hunting trip.

No. 1, if you are going to drive a verylong distance, is to not wear the clothes youplan to hunt in. The clothes you travel in willabsorb foreign scents, especially if you stopto gas up, eat at a caf or fast-food place, etc.A friend of mine changes into his huntingclothes at his hunting cabin but he only putson what he calls his base clothes. He saidhe doesnt put on the outer layer of clothesthat he carries in an air-tight bag until afterhe parks his truck somewhere on the ranchhe is hunting. He said he doesnt want hisouter clothing soaking up foreign odors he

knows deer can smell.Bathing before going hunting always is a

good idea but not practical on many huntingleases. However, if you do have the opportu-nity to bathe, use an odorless liquid or barsoap designed by many manufacturers tominimize the deers ability of scent detec-tion. Remember, you cannot cover uphuman scent but you can minimize it by tak-ing some precautions.

A wide variety of scentless body soapsand shampoos are on the market as well asodor-removers for boots and clothing. Theyare designed to help neutralize human odorsbefore a hunter takes to the woods. Also, ifyou perspired while walking to your stand, apacket of odorless towellettes or wipes wouldbe a handy thing to have in your pocket.

In a nutshell, playing the wind is thehunters best ticket to avoid the whitetaildeers incredible sense of smell, but estab-lishing a route to a hunting area that avoidsmajor deer trails and staying clean both inbody and clothing are major factors, too.



22 | N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE



I had the great honor of seeing this inperson as I accompanied Hindsman on acrappie-fishing trip with members of his fam-ily and Sam Rayburn guide Roger Bacon.

Bacon told me about Hindsman last yearand said it was important I get out on thewater with him.

To see what this guy has gone throughand just how well he is able to fish and func-tion in life is incredibly inspiring. He is oneof those people that makes you want to be abetter person just because you know him,Bacon said.

Meeting at Powell Park on a hotWednesday morning we took off to find mainlake cover holding crappie.

Man, I love crappie fishing, Hindsmansaid.

You get so much action and you cantbeat them in the frying pan.

There was no talk of any special provi-sions to be made for him or a single hint ofnegative thoughts. As our conversationended and everyones attention shifted to thetask of catching crappie, I could not help butthink I was on the boat with a special person,someone who looked the odds square in theeye and never blinked.

When we stopped, Hindsman rigged upa special device on his prosthetic arm thatallows him to operate a specially altered rodand reel.

It took awhile to figure out what allkinds of things I was going to have to use tocontinue fishing but I have someone reallygood who makes it for me. There was neverany doubt if I would fish again but when,he said.

The day was a fairly slow one for crappiewith the fish biting super light. Even the bigslabs barely tapped at the bait. I had to putmy finger on the line so that I could feel thebite better but Hindsman did not have thatoption.

He literally out fished everyone on theboat and is able to get past the touch issue byclosely watching his line.

It takes awhile to get used to it but youadjust quickly, he said.

Able to throw his line out with surprisingaccuracy, Hindsman said focus is extremelyimportant for him.

This situation makes me focus a lotmore than I ever did and by turning atten-tion to strengths instead of weaknesses I havebeen able to come a long way, he said.

Hindsman who has fished and hunted hiswhole life has harvested deer with a special-ly-operated gun that allows him to fire withhis mouth and has even found a unique wayto bird hunt.

A few years ago he read a story about ahunt for amputees and ended up connectingwith Bob Lowry who only has one arm.

With the assistance of Shoot Where YouLook instructor Leon Measures he teamedwith Lowry to target shoot and hunt doves.

Lowry held the gun while Hindsman pulledthe trigger with his teeth.

It was a lot of fun and is one of thosekinds improvise, adapt and overcome situa-tions, he said.

Hindsman admits his situation is not aneasy one but that a positive mental attitudemakes all the difference in the world.

You have some people who have muchless traumatic things happen to them and itcripples them for life. Their attitude defineswhat they can do much more than a situa-tion. Of course there are exceptions to every-thing but if you face a really tough situationlike I did you can decide either to give up orget up and I chose to get up.

He enjoys talking with people who facegreat obstacles and planting in them seeds ofhope.

Sometimes its hard to relate to someoneunless they have been through what you havebeen through or something similar. I hope touse my story to help others to overcome the

RONNIE HINDSMAN LOST BOTH OF HIS ARMS after being electrocutedon the job more than six years ago.

A long time lineman in his native East Texas, he touched the wrong wires andreceived a jolt that not only cost him his arms but also put him in a coma for five days.

I was told I would never do this or I would never do that but I knew it wasnt amatter of me not being able to do something but what I would have to do to make ithappen. I was not about to stop living, Hindsman said.

PHOTOS: CHESTER MOORE

Ronnie Hindsman andRoger Bacon fishing forcrappie on Sam Rayburn.

Reeling One In


obstacles in their lives, he said.An article published in Electric Co-Op

Today detailed what is likely Hindsmansmost inspirational and sensational act.

(Hindsman) wasshopping in a Wal-Martnear the co-opsLivingston, Texas, head-quarters when he saw aman snatch a womanspurse and run out of thestore.

Hindsman gavechase through the park-ing lot and when the sus-pect slowed to dodge apole next to a parked car,he made contact.

I hit him with thisright arm of mine and he

fell to the ground, said Hindsman.According to the story the whack of the

prosthetic limb stunned the suspect until anearby off-duty police officer arrived to find

the man with the victims wallet still in hishand.

When it came to someone needing help,he was there, said Chief Rob Gilbert of theOnalaska, Texas, police department.

If it hadnt been for Ronnie, no tellingwhat could have happened.

When hes not out catching crappie,hunting deer or whacking thieves with hisprosthetic arm, Hindsman is still workinghard the Sam Houston Electric Cooperativeand inspiring others to count their blessingsand not let anything get in the way of theirdreams.


On the Web

See an interview with RonnieHindsman, along with videofootage of his remarkablefishing skills:www.FishGame.com/video

A specially designed rod andreel prosthetic connectionallows Hindsman to fish withaccuracy.

Ronnies Rig


26 | N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTO: JOE RICHARD



I HAD FORGOTTEN A CARDINAL RULE of using baitcasting tackle:

never let too much line hang from the tip. My cast hung up in the air, and I ended

up with a making a 50-yard cast, 20 of which stayed on the spool.

Need help over there? Dave Rutledge asked me. Maybe we can get you one

of those spincasting reels that wont tangle.

by Calixto Gonzales



I grumbled something about Daves col-lege team and picked out my birds nest.Meanwhile, the weightless Gulp! Jerk Shadsat in the water motionless. I finally fixed themess, reeled in the slack and noticed that myline was swimming off to the right. I was fastto a 19-inch trout that had sucked in my baitwhile I was otherwise distracted.

I noted that the trout had been short strik-ing all morning (the fish was our first keep-er); so as an experiment, I made another castinto a pothole, and let the bait sit. Afterabout 15 seconds, I had another strike fromanother keeper trout. Rutledge and I start-ed tossing our offerings and letting them sitin potholes, reeling in just enough slack tokeep the baits stationary. Over the next twohours, we caught over 50 trout and boxed 9that measured between 18 and 21 inches. Ialso lost one huge trout that was either aspeck without specks, or the biggest sandtrout in the history of the world. It was agood morning by anyones standards.

Chalk one up to the bass fishermen.

A FreshPerspective

The fishing technique commonly referredto as dead sticking is a concept first madepopular by bass fishermen. It entails castingout a soft plastic and letting it sit motionlessfor an extended period of time without mov-ing it. Depending on factors such as thecomposition of the plastic, the weight of thehook, and the density of the lure itself, thebait either suspends in the water column, orsinks very slowly. Predators in a neutralmood seem to be attracted to the do noth-ing presentation (which seems inexplicablewhen you consider the amount of time a fishhas to examine the lure), and they strike.

As Rutledges and mine experienceshows, the technique works in saltwater.

Predators are pretty much the same infresh and saltwater, said Captain AllenSalinas (956-943-3474), owner of SPILures. They might have different habitatsand prey, but they all have the same tenden-cies and reactions.

Speckled trout are very similar preda-tors to bass, continued Salinas.Sometimes they attack from ambush, some-times they school up and attack baits balls.Sometimes they get into a negative feedingmood and you have to persuade them to

strike, just like bass.The high pressure of a cold front, a sub-

stantial drop in water temperature, change inwater salinity, a Texas Rangers losing streakcan all give speckled trout the mullygrubs.When they get in this negative mood, itstough to get them to eat anything. Theirhabits are familiar to die hard saltwateranglers: they nip the tails of soft plastics,slap at topwaters with their tails, or followjust behind them all the way to the boat.After three or four hours of this, you cantblame a fisherman to start thinking abouttaking up less frustrating pursuits, like theRubiks Cube.

CloserInspection

When trout become less than cooperative,dead sticking might goad them into striking.Trout will usually hold around their typicalhaunts of potholes and grasslines (exceptduring cold fronts, but well get to that in abit). They sit along the edges and sulk.

Deadsticking puts a lure right in front ofthem and keeps it there, says Salinas,whose popular Tandem Rig is an effectivetool for this technique. The bait doesntdoing anything; it just sits there right in thewater column. The trout will move up to itand stare at it to wait and see if it is going totry and escape.

Perhaps the fish primal instinct to killweak and wounded prey kicks in, or maybeit is goaded into striking by some interlopermoving into his territory, but for whateverreason, a trout will take the lure in with asubtle slurp. Sometimes, a trout will stareat the bait for up to a couple of minutes.When the angler starts the retrieve, the typi-cal jerkbait will dart forward, and the troutwill strike from natural reaction.

A Cold DayWhen a cold front blows in and drops

water temperatures, trout descend into deep-er water, where temperatures remain moder-ate and more comfortable to them. In thesesituations, foraging for prey is the last thingon their tiny reptilian brains.

For anglers who bundle up and head outfor a few trout during a cold snap, a variationon the deadstick technique may serve them

well. The same do nothing rig with a bbsplit shot 12 inches in front of it will take itdown into the deeper water, but still allow aslow enough fall to provide the inert presen-tation that a cold-shocked trout might moveto strike.

A few years back, an early-spring coldfront turned conditions along Lower LagunaMadre really, really snotty. The only areawith decent water was in the Port IsabelShrimp Basin. I waded out to the drop-offand cast out a Strike King Zero rigged witha split shot into the deeper water and just letit work its way to the bottom. It seldommade it, because a trout would lay the woodto it before it hit the bottom.

Bait By Any OtherName

Usually, the best baits that work for dead-sticking are among the most popular saltwa-ter baits. Tails such as the classicBassAssassin, the Gambler Flappin Shadand other shad baits seem to offer the perfectaction, or lack thereof, that trout seem to pre-fer in a do nothing presentation. The Fin-S-Fish is another excellent deadstick bait. Onelure however, seems to be perfect for thisapplication.

The Gulp! Jerk Shad has many of thequalities of other shad baits. It has the samelife-like profile, the same darting action onthe retrieve that trout seem to respond mostto. What sets it aside from other similar tailsis the added feature of scent. A Jerk Shadwill sit in the water column and bleed offscent that will draw a fishs attention when itmay otherwise ignore it. The added dimen-sion of scent may also stimulate a trout intoeating.

In this case, the dead may raise the living,and make a slow day memorable.

On the Web

Find the best Trout fishinglocations on the ALL NEWHotspots Interactive App:www.FishGame.com/hotspots


The Powerof Fishing

HE WAS A BIG KID FOR A FRESHMAN. THENagain, "Topo" was a 16-year-old fresh-man, so I guess he was the right size forhis age. He was not what you would call

an easy student to deal with. He was defiant,angry, and uncooperative. He had the classicthree-dot tattoo on the webbing of his rightthumb: Mi Vida Loca "My Crazy Life."

"Look at this guy," my colleague said tome. "What in the world is Florinda thinkingletting this guy on the bus. We'll probablyhave to chip in to make bail for him."

Florinda Garciaa counselor I wasclosely associated with my days teaching atDonna High Schoolknew exactly whatshe was doing. He had boarded a bus boundfor South Padre Island for a fishingtrip/barbecue that was part of the summerprogram for at-risk children. Topo mighthave looked like a badass, but he was still16.

It wasn't a major fishing trip. We took theeight boys and seven girls to the Sea Ranchfishing pier, rented some rods and reels,bought a bunch of fresh shrimp, and went atit. We caught sand trout, whiting, pinfish,grunt, and one speckled trout that took awrong turn at Albuquerque. Everyone had agreat time.

Topo caught the speck. The 16-year-oldhoodlum was suddenly a 16-year-old kidwith his first fish on the line. The glare wasgone. The anger was gone. There was asmile. There was excitement. He was ahappy young man. It was good to see.

Florinda Garcia knew exactly what shewas doing.

I wish I could tell you that everythingturned out great for Topo, and that he sawthe light and turned his life around andbecame a productive member of society. Thetruth is, I don't know. I never saw him again.

I do know that he was happy that afternoon,and that the smile on his face could have litup a landing strip. That's the power of fish-ing.

A few years later, I was sitting at themedia breakfast at ICAST. Before the stateof the economy, before the environmentalissues of the oil industry, before the FederalGovernment's shenanigans involving smallbusiness taxes, fishing access, and thesundry concerns that plagued the industry,the biggest issue before the fishing tackleworld was angler recruitment. The concernwas that most young people spend more timeplaying with Wii and Gameboy than on thewater.

I don't doubt a major connection betweenincreased numbers of at-risk children andreduced numbers recruited into the sport.The blunt truth is, not enough adults havethe wherewithal, desire, or resolve to fix it.Most are too wrapped up the minutiae of lifein the Twenty-first Century.

Fortunately, some very con-scientious members of the angling

community feel differently about thecurrent state of angling in America, men andwomen who feel very strongly about chang-ing how things are.

Organizations such as Majesty Outdoorsare dedicated to providing fishing and hunt-ing opportunities to fatherless children whootherwise lack the opportunities, and to beexposed to positive male role models. That isno small thing. Perhaps it is true that, asIrina Dunn once coined, a woman needs aman like a fish needs a bicycle. But all chil-dren need positive adult male figures in their

lives like a fish needs oxygen. Ideally, a childhas two strong, loving parents. In lieu ofthat, Majesty Outdoors staff dedicate theirtelevision show, production company, andlives to helping sculpt young men andwomen to possess good character and a lovefor the outdoors.

I've had the privilege of watching MajestyOutdoors executive producer and host BillBlodgett in action with a young ward on twooccasions. One took place during a Kidfishevent organized and hosted by the triumvi-rate of Cleve Ford and Jeff Neal of DargelBoats, and the tireless Captain BruceShuler, who hosted the event at his GetawayAdventures Lodge. The event included afishing tournament where the child whocaught a trout closest to the "magic number"weight of 1 pound, 10 ounces, was the win-ner; a piggy perch division; a wiener roast;and door prizes. Weather kept the crowddown in the morning, but a fine time washad by all.

It was gratifying to see the energy that theorganizers put into the event. It was especial-ly gratifying to see the number of people whovolunteered their time and boats to take chil-dren fishing. These are children who neverget to fish, much less from a boat; it was anexperience they will never forget. Hopefully,it was also an experience they'll be able tohave again soon.

Another friend of mine, Captain BobLany, once told me that if more peoplestopped complaining that not enough kids gofishing and simply took one of their kids'friends fishing, there would be no problem.Lany is the sort of man who leads by exam-ple. He believes in taking kids fishing when-ever he can, and believes everyone should.

All these men and women whom I admireare showing the way to solving the recruit-ment issue while mentoring young peoplealong the way. All of them deserve a healthythank you for their efforts. I'm lucky to knowthem all.


Texas Saltwater

by Calixto Gonzales | TF&G Saltwater Editor

E-mail Calixto Gonzales at [email protected].

The 16-year-old hoodlumwas suddenly a 16-year-old kid with his first fish

on th line.

SaltwaterGonzales.qxd:Layout 1 10/4/10 3:18 PM Page 30

What Givesat O.H. Ivie?

TEXAS BASS AND TEXAS BASS LAKES CONTIN-ue to shock my imagination. Just when Ithink the quality of bass fishing in Texascan't get any better, it does. And just

when I start believing the list of "Super Lakes" inthis state can't grow any larger, another namegrabs the spotlight and invariably steals the showfrom all the others.

Such was the case last spring, when LakeO.H. Ivie burst onto the Texas big bassradar with a remarkable flurry of double-digit lunkers that placed the 19,000-acrePanhandle impoundment high on the hitlists of anglers across Texas and beyond.

All total, Ivie kicked out 11 officialToyota ShareLunkers last seasonsevenmore than Lake Amistad and nine morethan Fork and Falcon. One of the giantsweighed a whopping 16.08 pounds. The bigbass caught in April by Jerry Bales of Hicocurrently ranks as the No. 19 heaviestbass ever reported in Texas.

Even more encouraging is it pro-duced at least four more 13-poundersafter the ShareLunker season closedin April. The heaviest of those was a14.12 caught and released in July byJaimie Buitron of SanAntonio.

So, what is it thatsparked the big bassbonanza at Ivie lastyear? Fisheries sci-entists and manyanglers believe theflurry can beattributed to ahost of factors.Among them areFlorida strain bass,optimum habitat, andan excellent forage

base to keep all the hungry mouths fed."Our surveys have shown the bass popu-

lation at O.H. Ivie has really been comingon for several years now, and I think every-thing just came together last season," saidMukhtar Farooqi, a San Angelo-basedinland fisheries biologist who oversees thelake for the Texas Parks & WildlifeDepartment. "It is certainly a testament tothe Florida bass stocking program in Texas,but several other factors were involved aswell."

Farooqi pointed to the prolonged droughtthat gripped much of the Panhandlethroughout much of the early 2000s as onethe most influential factors of all. Between2000 and 2004, the water level dropped toabout 25 feet below pool level.

In the meantime, thousands of acres ofmud flats and shorelines grew up thick withsalt cedar and other terrestrial vegetationnative to the rugged landscape.

In 2005, heavy rains raised the waterlevel about 13 feet. Although the lake wasstill well below full capacity, the rise floodedhundreds of acres of bushy plant growth.That provided a significant boost in fertility

and created an aquatic nursery thatallowed existing forage andlargemouth populations toflourish. Furthermore, it setthe stage for outstandingspawns in subsequent yearsand created optimum condi-

tions for survival andrecruitment.

Adding tothe bounty

p lu se s

was the emergence of hydrilla, which can befound growing up and down the lake atdepths beyond 20 feet.

"We obviously had a good year-class offish prior to 2005 and they really benefittedfrom the rise in water level," Farooqi said. "Itis the same phenomenon that occurred atlakes Falcon, Amistad, and Choke Canyon.These fish were in the lake all along, butthey just exploded with all the rich, newhabitat.

As critical as the influx of freshwater in2005 was in producing an army of big bassat Ivie, the decline in water level thatoccurred in recent times likely played a sig-nificant roll in the big bass bonanza actuallytaking place.

That's the word from Wesley Pullig ofEden. Pullig, 28, contributed two Ivie 13pounders to the ShareLunker program in2010. Additionally, he caught 12.91-pounder in January and boated a 13.40-pounder in June, roughly two months afterthe program shut down.

Pullig said Ivie was about 18 feet low lastspring, which in turn helped position the fishin a way that they were easier to catch.

"It definitely concentrated them more,which made them a whole lot easier to find,"he said.

Pullig, who said he fishes the lake at leastthree days week from autumn throughspring, said he thinks Ivie is poised to kickout another big flurry of giants this year.

"I'm looking for it peak this year," Pulligsaid. "That lake has so many 6-10 bass in itthat it is unreal, but the water level is gettingdown so low (22 feet in August) that I'mafraid the fishery is going to start downhill ifdoesn't catch some water. The best thingthat could happen is for it to fill up andjump-start the process all over again. Withall that new cover on the bank just waiting

for water, it is like a time bomb justwaiting to explode."

Texas Freshwater

by Matt Williams| TF&G Freshwater Editor


E-mail Matt Williams at [email protected].

PHOTO: COURTESY JAIMIE BUITRON

Jaimie Buitron withhis April Sharelunker.

14.12-pounder

FreshwaterWilliams.qxd:Layout 1 10/5/10 12:16 PM Page 31

CCA CompletesWork onVancouver ReefExpansionAFTER MONTHS OF COOPERATIVE EFFORTBETWEEN THE TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFEDEPARTMENT (TPWD) AND CCA TEXAS, INAUGUST CCA TEXAS' HTFT PROGRAM AND TPWDCOMPLETED AN EXPANSION OF THE VANCOU-VER REEF SITE OFF THE COAST OF FREEPORT.

Efforts to expand this reefingsite began last year when CCATexas secured 23 granite blocksfrom A&M Galveston rangingfrom 3 to 12 tons. Then, 110 con-crete catch basins were suppliedby Old Castle Precast out ofBrookshire, Texas, and longtimeCCA Texas supporters DorsettBrothers Concrete stepped up toprovide temporary storage of thematerial, and use of their on-sitedocking facilities in Freeport.

CCA Texas originally con-tributed $25,000 for the transportand deployment of the material,and secured an additional$60,000 for near-shore reefingfrom a private Houston Founda-tion, of which $25,000 was desig-nated for the Vancouver Project.This brought the total financialsupport to of this project to$50,000. The expansion of thereef was finalized a few weeks agoas the granite blocks and concrete

GREEN

Mosquitoes infect hundreds of millionsof people with diseases worldwide eachyear, killing nearly a million. They irritate

people in general, run in swarms thickenough to asphyxiate caribou in Alaska,and generally make nuisances of them-selves. Millions of the bloodsuckershuman victims have asked themselvesabout and yearned for a mosquito-freeworld, but were told it would have direconsequences for the food chain.

In many cases, however, scientists

ERADICATING ANY ORGANISM WOULD HAVE SERI-

OUS CONSEQUENCES FOR ECOSYSTEMSWOULDN'T

IT? NOT WHEN IT COMES TO MOSQUITOES,

ACCORDING TO AN ARTICLE BY JANET FANG IN THE

ON-LINE EDITION OF THE JOURNAL NATURE.

Hope for a WorldFree of Mosquitos

Continued on page 34

Continued on page 34

PHOT

O: M

ICHA

EL P

ETTI

GREW

, IST

OCK


TrueGreen.qxd:Layout 1 10/5/10 12:21 PM Page 32

The earliest humans ate a low-caloriediet of raw vegetables, fruit, leaves, nuts,tubers, roots and, berries, which requires along digestive gut to extract enough energyjust to fuel the body, let alone an energy-hungry large brain, which uses about 20times as much energy as the equivalentamount of muscle.

You cant have a large brain and big

guts at the same time, said Leslie Aiello,an anthropologist and director of the Wen-ner-Gren Foundation in New York City,which funds research on evolution. She toldNational Public Radio that the human dis-covery of energy-rich meat gave humans theleg-up to develop large, complex brains andensuing intelligence.

What we think is that this dietarychange around 2.3 million years ago wasone of the major significant factors in theevolution of our own species, Aiello said.That period is when cut marks from man-made tools on animal bones first appeared.

Another clue to meat in the human dietlies not in cut marks but in a human para-sitethe tapeworm.

The closest relatives of human tape-worms are tapeworms that affect Africanhyenas and wild dogs, Aiello said.Sometime in our evolutionary history, weactually shared saliva with wild dogs and

hyenas. Suggesting the meat-eating learn-ing curve involved shared scavenging ofcarcasses.

Staff Report

PHOT

O: C

OURT

ESY

CBS/

LAND

OV

NEW RESEARCH CONFIRMS WHAT HUNTERS HAVE

KNOWN FOR MILLENNIA: MEAT-EATERS ARE

SMARTER.

TG

Study ShowsMeatheads areSmarter



acknowledge that the ecological scar left bya missing mosquito species would healquickly as other organisms filled the niche.Life would continue as beforeor evenbetter. When it comes to the major diseasevectors, "It's difficult to see what the down-side would be to removal, except for collat-eral damage," said insect ecologist StevenJuliano of Illinois State University in Nor-mal. A world without mosquitoes would be"more secure for us," said medical entomol-ogist Carlos Brisola Marcondes from theFederal University of Santa Catarina inBrazil. "The elimination of Anopheles

stephensi [the strain that spreads malaria]would be very significant for mankind."

If there was a benefit to having themaround, we would have found a way toexploit them. We haven't wanted anythingfrom mosquitoes except for them to goaway, said entomologist Daniel Strick-man, program leader for medical and urbanentomology at the US Department of Agri-culture in Beltsville, Maryland.

And according to Joe Conlon of theAmerican Mosquito Control Association inJacksonville, Florida: "If we eradicatedthem tomorrow, the ecosystems where theyare active will hiccup and then get on withlife. Something better or worse would takeover."

And, yes, intense efforts are under wayto develop methods that might rid theworld of the most pernicious, disease-carry-ing species.

Staff Report

GREEN

Eradication ofMosquitos

catch basins were deployed intothe gulf. The expansion of the reefculminated in the addition ofmore than 250 tons of granite andconcrete material, and marks thesingle largest expansion of thereef since 1976 when the originalLiberty ship was sunk at the site.

"This project is a win-win situa-tion for the resource. Creatingreef habitat is a great tool inbuilding biomass and structure forthe entire marine ecosystem andfood chain. Experience was gainedduring this project and CCA Texaswill be looking to use that experi-

ence to build more habitat for thebetterment of Texas's coastalresources," said John Blaha, direc-tor of CCA Texas' Habitat Todayfor Fish Tomorrow (HTFT) pro-gram.

With the completion of theVancouver Project, CCA Texas hasearmarked $50,000 for the expan-sion of the Port Mansfield reefingproject, and another $35,000 forthe new Matagorda reef project,which is currently in the finalstages of permitting. The Vancou-ver project reflects the commit-ment of CCA Texas volunteers andmembers, as well as the impor-tance of building relationshipswithin local communities, otherorganizations, and with local andstate government agencies.

Staff Report

Continued from page 32

Vancouver ReefProject

Continued from page 32

TG

TG

No BP DeadZones FoundTHE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERICADMINISTRATION (NOAA), THE U.S. ENVIRON-MENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA), AND THEOFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY(OSTP) RELEASED A REPORT SHOWING DIS-SOLVED OXYGEN LEVELS HAVE DROPPED BYABOUT 20 PERCENT FROM THE LONG-TERMAVERAGE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO IN AREASWHERE FEDERAL AND INDEPENDENT SCIEN-TISTS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED THE PRESENCEOF SUBSURFACE OIL FROM THE DEEPWATERHORIZON ACCIDENT.

Scientists from agenciesinvolved in the report attributethe lower dissolved oxygen levelsto microbes using oxygen to con-sume the oil.

The dissolved oxygen levels,measured within 60 miles of thewellhead, have stabilized and arenot low enough to become "deadzones." A dead zone is an area ofvery low dissolved oxygen thatcannot support most life. Deadzones are commonly observed inthe nearshore waters of the west-ern and northern Gulf of Mexicoin summer, but not normally inthe deep-water layer (3300-4300feet) where the lowered oxygenareas in this study occurred. Deadzones, also known as hypoxicareas, are defined in marinewaters as areas in which dissolvedoxygen concentrations are below 2mg/L (1.4 ml/L).

Staff Report

TG



Scoring aTrophy

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT IT TAKESto score a monster whitetail buck?Years of hunting skills? Stealth trackingabilities, antler-rattling proficiency, long-

range shooting expertise, help from trail camerasurveillance? Forget it. You need only two things:a rabbits foot in your pocket and just being in theright place at the right time.

I never have shot a whitetail larger thanthe 168-plus-pointer with a drop tine that Itook around 10 a.m. Thanksgiving Day in2009 on the Holt River Ranch nearGraford, but I love to see actual antlers orphotographs of the record-book deer otherhunters have taken, regardless whether inTexas or other states.

I am not a trophy buck hunter. I justlike to hunt deer. I also like to photographthem in the wild as well as experiment inthe many ways to grill, smoke, saut,bake, and cure venison. In my opinion,being in the right place at the right timeis what it all is about when it comes totaking a record buck, and no one knows thatbetter than Wes OBrian of Lexington, asmall community east of Austin.

On Saturday, November 14, 2009, 24-year-old OBrian was far away from homeand hunting on a friend-of-a-friendsproperty in Richardson County,Nebraska. He had just about ended anevening hunt near sundown when he steppedout of his truck to stalk a deer seen earlier.But as he did, another buck appeared at theedge of a field about 200 yards away.OBrien got to within about 100 yards ofthe deer and fired, dropping the largest non-typical buck ever t

november 2010

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