Lone Star Outdoor Show

We start thing off by talking ducks, conservation, women in the outdoor industry and a whole lot more with DU TV Host Ainsley Beeman. This Southern Belle grew up in Monroe, Louisiana and has waterfowling in her blood. After winning the 2009 Miss LSU Pagent where she promoted her love for the outdoors and her faith, doors began to open up for Ainsley in the outdoor industry.

From bow hunting black bear in Alaska, to chasing mallards back home in the Louisiana swamp, Ainsley is right at home. Be sure to check out Ainsley and the latest from Ducks Unlimited by tuning into DU TV. The show airs on Pursuit Channel Wednesday nights at 5:30 PM CST and Saturday evenings at 7:30 PM CST. Set those DVR’s for a conservation based waterfowling show like none other!

Coming up on this weekend’s show we also check in with Dallas Safari Club President Ben Carter. There is a certain level of concern over the way the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is looking into American hunters bringing back African lions harvested on the dark continent. The USFWS doesn’t exactly have a great track record (see their mismanagement with the Polar Bear embargo) so Ben will explain exactly what is going on regarding the lion and hunting opportunity in certain areas of Africa. Our hope is that science based harvest recommendations are used for both the lion and elephant. Of course, we also touch on the upcoming DSC Convention- ‘Traditions’ takes place January 15th-18th in Dallas,TX. For more info visit www.biggame.org.

Then we check in with an average Joe hunter, probably much like you and me. Only difference is Corpus Christi native Buddie Gunter is the 2014 Big Time Texas Hunts Grand Slam Winner. What does that mean exactly? Well, Buddie put in for the draw hosted by Texas Parks and Wildlife and his name was randomly selected from over 68,000 applications. Buddie talks about winning the lottery and which hunt he is most excited about. The Grand Slam package includes: whitetail, mule deer, antelope and the coveted desert Big Horn Sheep tag! Congrats on winning the hunt of a lifetime Buddie.

We wrap things up by talking late fall/early winter lunkers with our friend and guide Charles Whited of Barefoot Fishing Tours. With two Toyota Sharelunkers having come over the rail of his boat in the past two seasons, Charles’ name has become synonymous with big Texas bass! He tells us what baits he’s having success on as water temps drop and where to locate the big girls. This 9.08 was caught by one of Charles’ clients on Lady Bird this week.

NBA Star and Dallas Maverick Monta Ellis wakes up early with us this week. We discuss the start of the NBA season and what it’s been like adding so many new parts to what was a good Mavs team last season. Monta breaks down what it’s been like playing along side Dirk, and playing for coach Rick Carlisle.

Then we quickly shift gears and dive into Monta’s other real passion in life- fishing. He talks about what fishing means to him as place to get away from the fast pace of everyday life. What is his favorite species to catch? What about favorite baits? We even get his signature crappie recipe! The man has a 100 acre lake on his home in Mississippi and he wets a line every chance he gets. I’m sad to say his personal best largemouth has me beat. Monta doing the two things he knows best:

Next up we break down the predator/prey relationship between whitetail deer and coyotes when outdoor writer Bob Zaiglan drops in. The coyote has proven to be the most adaptable predator in North America. Not surprisingly, this remarkable and intelligent pack animal is responsible for high mortality rates in fawns.

What many folks fail to realize however, is the high mortality rate caused by coyotes in mature, post rut bucks. January and February are when mature bucks are at their weakest. They’ve expending so much energy fighting and mating that they usually have lost between 30-35% of their body weight. And where a doe will run from a coyote, a buck will usually square off with them. This typically doesn’t end in the buck’s favor. One coyote keeps the buck facing it while others hamstring him from behind. Bob gives us some insight on how we can help control coyote numbers and also some habitat management ideas that will help decrease fawn mortality rates. This post rut South Texas buck took to water as a survival method after squaring off with coyotes. (Photo by David Sams)

Texas Parks and Wildlife Coastal Fisheries Director Robin Reichers joins us next to explain how the Gulf Coast Fishery Management Council voted to essentially shut the private angler completely out of the thriving Red Snapper fishery. Passing by a vote of 10-7, Amendment 40 ensures that private and recreational off shore anglers will have no more than a ONE DAY red snapper season in federal waters this summer.

Robin and our two other Texas reps on the council DID NOT vote in favor of Amendment 40. This type of political corruption has no place in the fishing community. What can we do? When does this Amendment expire? Who should lose their job? Remember, this is a thriving fishery. We have more fish and bigger red snapper than we’ve ever had in the Gulf of Mexico. This is just a money grab by commercial fisherman and those backing them. Meanwhile the folks who pay for fishing licenses are simply getting jobbed. Robin does his best to break it down for us.

With the Texas general gun season opening up this weekend we start things off by checking in with the man who has his finger on the pulse of our state’s whitetail herd- Texas Parks and Wildlife Whitetail Program Leader Alan Cain. A longtime friend of the show, Alan drops in to talk big bucks, LAMPS permits for East Texas counties that don’t allow doe harvest and we discuss the natural relationship between a doe and her fawn.

We specifically analyze whether or not hunters should harvest a doe with a yearling fawn. Alan breaks down the gestation period of a whitetail and when does typically have fawns drop in Texas. When are fawns weaned? When has a fawn learned enough behavior from it’s mother in order to survive? Also, what about a doe that comes in estrus later than normal. Alan informs us that a doe comes into estrus at the same time every year and if they come into estrous late, they are likely to pass that undesirable genetic trait onto their offspring. You might be surprised to hear his thoughts on harvesting those does AND their fawns. Would you shoot the doe pictured below with a yearling fawn? Alan tells us what he would do:

Next up we check in with our friend and longtime waterfowl guide Edd Hanson of Hanson Outdoors. Duck season opens up this weekend and we talk early season tips- From calling strategy to decoy placement, number of decoys and how those approaches change as the season progresses. Edd and Hunting Retriever Champion ‘Lead’ with an early season strap of teal:

Butch Amlong – Ranch Manager and Outfitter of Squaw Mountain Ranch Trophy Hunts drops by next to talk whitetails and exotics with us. First, we discuss how spring/summer rains affected antler production across the board this fall. Also, how is a bumper acorn crop affecting deer behavior throughout much of Texas?

We then shift gears and analyze the relationship between whitetails and introduced exotic species. High fence, low fence or no fence – exotics are thriving on the Texas landscape. I think most of us agree that this is a good thing as it offers increased hunting opportunity. However, what does it mean for whitetails? With over 20 years experience, Butch gives us his thoughts on how exotics interact with whitetails and if exotics alter the natural behavioral patters of a whitetail. It’s something to think about for anyone considering adding exotic animals to their ranch.

We wrap thing up by checking in with Lone Star Outdoor News writer Steve Schwartz. A recent article of his offered some great insight on how to properly care for a fish you intend on eating. Steve shares a simple but valuable tip on how to maximize the taste of any fish you catch.

With Texas’ general deer season set to open up on Saturday, November 1st- we are thrilled to have Terry Drury of Drury Outdoors drop by. One of the most recognizable faces on outdoor television, the Drury Brothers have been filming and producing their own deer hunting shows for over two decades now and Terry knows a thing or two about killing big mature whitetail bucks.

We discuss the brand new show “Drury’s Thirteen which airs on Outdoor Channel Tuesday Nights at 9pm Central. We also discuss pre rut hunting tips during this exciting time of the whitetail’s breeding cycle. Bucks are starting to put their nose to ground and are looking for those first does that come into estrus. Terry gives us his tips on how to kill that giant pre rut buck of a lifetime!

Next up we shift gears and talk some big bass with Major League Fishing and Elite Series Pro Jeff Kriet. As water temps continue to fall, largemouths once again move shallow and are feeding aggressively. Historically one of the best flippers and pitchers on tour, Jeff talks bait presentation, fishing fall/winter grass and much more.

We also discuss Major League Fishing’s unique and exciting format and how much more competitive professional bass fishing has become over the past decade. The proof is in the pudding when not only Jeff, but 4 time Classic winner Kevin Van Dam failed to qualify for the upcoming 2015 Bassmaster Classic! Also, our friends at Major League Fishing hooked us up with this autographed Shell Rotella Cup Tournament worn Jeff Kriet jersey which we will give away live during the interview when Jeff issues a bass fishing related trivia question!

We round out the show when Ghost Powder’s Kevin Strickland drops by the studio. A lifelong bow hunter, Kevin recently killed his 55th buck with his bow. But his biggest buck to date (a 181 North Texas double droptine monster) was killed while chowing down on Ghost Powder. This unique, all natural, Texas based/Texas made deer attractant is creating quite the buzz among whitetail hunters. Kevin talks about the science based formula and 6 years of trial and error that went into perfecting Ghost Powder.

Ghost Powder owner Cody Lee with a nice Fairfield, Texas buck taken while inhaling Ghost Powder on 10/24/14

Texas Parks And Wildlife Upland Game Bird Program Leader Robert Perez stops in to break down his department’s quail surveys and what they mean for the upcoming season. Much of the state received timely rainfall during the spring and summer. Will that translate into huntable quail numbers of both bobwhite and blue quail in their perspective ranges? Don’t miss Robert’s 2014-2015 Fearless Forecast!

We then shift gears and talk some bass fishing with FLW Bass Magazine Contributor Sean Ostruska. One of the most overwhelming things for an angler can be walking into a sporting goods store and being inundated with a 1,000 different styles and colors of crankbaits. So how should we educate ourselves so that we know which crankbaits to purchase? Sean’s recent article “Cranking Down The Choices- 18 Ways To Pick The Best Crankbait” tackles this issue in detail.

Sean interviewed countless pros on the subject and we find out what they said about crankbaits. Pretty packaging a nice paint job and a $20 price tag doesn’t necessarily mean that bait is better than the $5 bait on the shelf next to it. Sean breaks down some very specific tips for the angler to consider when selecting the right crankbait. Early fall is one of the best times of the year to chunk ’em as those big females have followed bait fish back into the shallows and are gorging themselves on everything in sight!

Next up, Foreverlast Founder and President Billy Gerke drops by to talk a little bit of everything. From whitetail deer hunting to wading the Texas coast for specks and redfish. Billy and his family live hunting and fishing and that lead to the creation of Foreverlast over 17 years ago.

Today they offer a wide variety of both hunting and fishing related products that today can be found in just about every major retailer out there. We are thrilled to welcome Billy and the Foreverlast team to our show and are looking forward to a great relationship with this Texas based family owned and operated company.

We wrap up this week’s show when our good buddy and the always affable Captain Len Girard joins us live from the Upper Laguna Madre for our coastal fishing report. The big bull reds are stacking up in the shallows as they get ready for their December spawn. Black drum and flounder are also showing up in good numbers. Captain Len tells us where to find ’em and how to catch ’em.

Lastly we discuss the side affects of the new 5 fish trout limit that went into affect this fall. Has Captain Len noticed any change in anglers heading to the coast? How is it affecting guides and other folks who depend on the fishing industry? You might be surprised by his answer.

We start things off by talking some big game hunting with Texas Trophy Hunter Association’s VP Of Operations Josh Kinser. You might have seen Josh on Trophy Hunter’s TV which airs on Outdoor Channel. But today we discuss in detail the awesome ‘Texas Triple Shot’ TTHA Membership Drive. Renew your membership or become a member now until October 31st for a chance to win one of 3 fantastic Texas hunting trips!!! Josh tells us all about the mule deer, aoudad and whitetail packages that are up for grabs. Winners will be drawn on November 1st. And remember…3 hunts, 3 winners.

Even better than that though, TTHA has given us a one year membership and a free shot at the Texas Triple Shot to give away on this weekend’s show. Tune in for a trivia question Josh will come up with when we put him on the spot! We also want to thank Josh for his service. Wounded in Iraq multiple times – Staff Sgt. Josh Kinser received a Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts and two Presidential Unit Citations for his service. We appreciate it Josh.

Next up tackle the Red Snapper issue like never before. This time we check in with Pam Anderson from Captain Anderson’s Marina in Panama City, Florida. This is a topic we covered with everyone from Governor Perry, to our TPWD Coastal Fisheries Director Robin Reichers and various other captains and biologists. But, Pam has been covering this topic and attending the Gulf Coast Fisheries Management Council meetings for 7 years. Appointed by the Florida Governor, Pam has some very disturbing news regarding NOAA Fisheries which oversees all of the fisheries in the United States.

There is a very real threat that the Red Snapper fishery will be privitized. If NOAA has it’s way, that will indeed happen. This means recreational anglers will be cut out of the fishery all together and if they do want to catch snapper they will have to purchase ‘Snapper Tags’. This type of ‘Catch Share’ system is unnecessary as the fishery is healthier than it’s ever been. Pam has science based charts and numbers to prove it. The upcoming Gulf Coast Fisheries Management Council meeting on October 22nd will determine the fate of the recreational angler when it comes to snapper. Visit the Gulf Coast Fisheries Management Council website to leave public feedback or comment before that day! We need every sportsman and woman to stand up for a fishery that belongs to us!!!

We round out the show by talking whitetails with renown whitetail biologist Jason Shipman. His name is synonymous with growing and managing big whitetails in the Lone Star State. Today we talk about the importance of deer surveys as a management tool. Helicopter, spotlight and trail camera’s are all viable options for deer surveys and Jason prefers a combination of at least two of them.

Jason adds years of expertise to the conversation. Bottom line though is that by knowing how many deer you have, you can come up with the right harvest goals for that property. It also can help you with MLD Permit applications with Texas Parks and Wildlife. Lastly, it’s good land stewardship to not carry X number of deer over your carrying capacity. Jason breaks it all down for us. Here is a nice buck he photographed while running a spot light survey.

Ya’ll said you wanted more bowfishing talk, we were more than happy to oblige and so this week we let some arrows fly with Captain Craig Carter of Outlaw Guide Service. Only there’s a twist, Captain Craig bowfishes the saltwater bays and flats of the Texas coast. So instead of the usual carp, buffalo and gar we get into flounder, black drum, sheepshead and stingrays like the one Captain Craig is holding in the photo below.

He tells us where to find fish shallow enough for bowfishing as well as his favorite times of the year to bowfish the coast. Also, tune in to find out about a unique combo package that is unique to Outlaw Guide Service. It honestly sounds like so much fun it might should be illegal!

Next a very special in studio treat when highly successful trial attorney, former Texas State Senator, renown conservationist and now author Ted Lyon drops in. Winner of the a multitude of conservation awards such as the ‘2012 Teddy Roosevelt Conservationist of the Year” as named by Big Game Forever, Ted has long been involved with writing and sponsoring pro conservation bills on both state and national levels.

A lifelong Texan, Ted spends a month of every hunting season chasing upland birds, mule deer, elk and other game near his property outside of Bozeman, Montana. It was on those hunts, sitting around a campfire with other hunters that Ted first became aware of the serious issue wolf reintroduction was causing for Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Since the mid 90’s he has researched the facts and gathered as much info as possible. All of which has been compiled into his new book “The Real Wolf- The Science, Politics and Economics of Co-Existing With Wolves in Modern Times.” We dive into this fact based piece and discuss what American sportsmen can do in the future. Also, you might be surprised to find out whether or not Ted feels wolves will make their way onto the Texas landscape.

We then wrap things up when lifelong outdoorsman and currently is U.S. Paraclimbing National Champion. In 2002, while climbing high up in the Colorado Rockies, Craig fell 100 feet and ended up with a litany of severe injuries. His right leg was eventually amputated. As you can see, it hasn’t slow him down much. Craig seemed like an ideal fit for Outdoor Channel’s new show ‘Fight To Survive’ which premieres this weekend.

Craig hosts the show and each week they are joined by another outdoorsman or woman who has overcome a serious accident or tragedy that occured in the Great Outdoors. Craig and his guest travel back to the place where the guest’s incident occurred. In some cases, friends were killed, another guest survived for 73 days while floating on a life raft in the middle of the ocean. The show is one of hope, recovery and perseverance and we are excited to have Craig with us today.

The buck is named “King” for a reason, and this week we have the exclusive interview with hunter Mark Lee who harvested the 31 point Houston County monster on Opening Day of the 2013 Texas whitetail season. Mark and his son Cullen hunted this dandy of a whitetail for 2 years before King finally hit the ground for good. We get the history of how they pursued this animal together and how they were finally able to kill him. King even disappeared completely for a 3 month stretch in the 2012 season.

Grossing 278 5/8 inches, the buck is the largest ever taken by a hunter in Texas. (The Brady Buck of 1892 and the McCulloch Buck of 1925 both grossed higher but details of who killed them and how they were killed are still a mystery). Mark’s deer is #1 all time for the Texas Big Game Awards and is one of the finest whitetails ever killed in North America. We are thrilled to have Mark share his story with us this on this weekend’s broadcast.

Next we talk big bass with Barefoot Fishing Tours owner and guide Charles Whited. His name has become synonymous with big, Central and South Texas bass. With countless Angler of the Year titles and tournament wins on circuits such as Bass Champs to his credit, Charles has a knack for finding lunker quality largemouths. And I am not kidding when I say lunkers, in 2012 Charles caught Texas Parks and Wildlife Toyota Sharelunker #534- a 13.59 toad out of Lake Austin. Then, last year his client caught a 13.00 lb lake record Toyota Sharelunker on Lady Bird. Not many guides can say that two sharelunkers have been caught on their boat total, much less in the past two years! Charles talks fall patterns, what to look for when fishing a new lake and he gives us his favorite baits for this time of year. Charles with his Toyota Sharelunker:

We round out the broadcast by checking in with our friend Mark Boardman- Marketing Director of Vortex Optics. Mark talks about the Vortex line and what separates them from other optics companies. I have to thank our friends Steven Rinella and Sean Callahan for turning us onto Vortex Optics. Those of you who know me or have hunted with me know I am pretty abusive towards my gear. Binos get dropped, scopes and guns are banged around in ATVs and trucks and range finders are tossed carelessly into a hunting pack without a second thought. So to find a brand that takes the abuse and keeps on performing has been refreshing.

Mark talks about the Vortex warranty and we discuss the importance of having quality optics. Whether you choose Vortex like us, or another brand- good glass is more important than any modern rifle it’s mounted on. Mark and I also discuss our upcoming November 2014 Photo Contest sponsored by Vortex Optics. Tune in to find out what awesome Vortex product we’ll be giving away! Mark with a West Texas aoudad:

This week we start things off by checking in with our good friend and whitetail authority Dr. James Kroll – AKA “Dr. Deer”. After record whitetail populations during the late 90’s to early 2000’s, we are seeing a concerning downward trend in population and harvest numbers across the board. Even more alarming is the fact that Texas is not exempt from this trend as we’ve had a drop in harvest numbers each of the past 5 seasons. Dr. Deer talks about his recent 9 page press release on why this trend is occurring. Is it mismanagement or does most of it has to do with Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). Every one of these public land bucks died of EHD in a matter of weeks:

Then we change it up with Dr. Deer and focus on the use of scented deer attractants. A long time detractor of using such scents, Dr. Deer recently changed his tune. What happened to make him change his stance? Extensive research conducted by Dr. Deer and his team resulted in a new theory that you can indeed create a ‘Staging Area’ for whitetail deer. These areas occur naturally in the wild and it’s a place where alot of fraternization occurs between bucks and does. So what if you could create this type of area using an attractant and then hunt the travel corridors that lead to it? Dr. Deer breaks it down for us.

Next up we talk some fishing and more specifically we talk non game birds with Texas Parks & Wildlife Ornithologist Cliff Shackleford. Cliff oversees our state’s non game birds and joins us to talk about how blue herons and other wading birds can help us become better anglers. Herons often are looked upon with disdain by anglers since they do eat fish. BUT, by paying attention to where these birds hang out and when, one can put more fish in the boat. Herons relate to bait fish and game fish such as bass, crappie, catfish etc. relate to those bait fish as well. So, find the heron- find the fish.

We wrap up the show when Burt Coyote and Lumenok’s Marketing Director Jim Crane drops in to talk some archery. No single product has revolutionized the way we track arrowed animals or the way we view archery shots on TV like the Lumenok has. Jim gives us the history of how the Lumenok came into existence. 17 prototypes later…the archery community would embrace the lighted nock. Practice, tuning your bow, tracking wounded game, arrow recovery and bowhunting videography would never be the same.

Podcast: