Lone Star Outdoor Show

Well what you can say about the guy other than he is a bowhunting legend! We are thrilled to have the great Tom Miranda stop by to kick this weekend’s show off. We talk about Tom’s elite status as one of only a handful of bowhunters to complete the North American Super Slam using only archery equipment. We discuss which of the 29 big game species that comprise the Super Slam was the absolute toughest to hunt.

A lifelong trapper we also find out how Tom’s early days as a government trapper helped him become the hunter he is today. Currently Tom has two bowhunting shows airing on Outdoor Channel. Territories Wild and Adventure Bowhunter. We discuss some of the hunts showcased on these shows as well as Tom’s dedication to the production aspect of producing a quality hunting show. Tom with his desert big horn sheep- the icing on the cake of his North American Super Slam!

Next we talk largemouths with renown Texas outdoor writer Matt Williams. His recent article “How to Become A Better Bass Angler” was featured in the January issue of Texas Outdoor Journal. Matt shares some tips and knowledge that he has amassed in 40 years of bass fishing. Some of the things he mentions are things I think many anglers often overlook. Matt with a nice bucketmouth:

There has been much controversy surrounding the new 2014 Farm Bill. An ten year projection has over 56 billion dollars earmarked for conservation, but that is a drop in the bucket compared to monies allotted for Food Stamps and nutrition. Ducks Unlimited was on the front lines fighting for this bill and so we are thrilled to have DU CEO Dale Hall join us to discuss the bill’s positive impact on conservation verses what it means for taxpayers and it’s socioeconomic impact. Either way, I figure it’s best to have the conservation funds as a part of the bill as opposed to not having them at all. The 2014 Farm Bill breakdown:

We round out the show when our longtime friend Captain Len Girard joins us live from the Upper Laguna Madre for our coastal fishing report. The trout bite is absolutely on fire with 30 plus inch fish being pulled out of Baffin Bay on a regular basis. Captain Len also discusses the redfish and improving flounder bite before we take a guide’s look into the proposed regulation changes from Texas Parks & Wildlife. Is a statewide 5 fish trout limit a done deal? Is this even necessary? Captain Len is on the water everyday and so if anyone has an idea of the overall health of our trout fishery it would be him. Interesting stuff for sure and we will follow up very soon with TPWD Coastal Fisheries Director Robin Reichers as soon as the official word comes down on these proposed changes.

Great show lined up for this week! Off the top we have some exciting news to discuss with Exotic Wildlife Association Executive Director Charly Seale. The Exotic Wildlife Association is based out of Texas and is the country’s oldest private property rights organization. Needless to say, they’ve been at the forefront of the long battle we’ve been fighting against the anti-hunters concerning the plight of the scimitar horned oryx, the dama gazelle and the addax. All critically endangered species in their native Africa but thriving on exotic ranches throughout Texas.

Well, this past week President Obama signed a bill that delists these animals in the United States. Charly discusses what this huge victory means for land owners, ranches, hunters and most importantly the impact it will have on the number of these animals inhabiting Texas ranches. This has been a 4 year struggle but today we celebrate a great victory for the hunting community. (A herd of Scimitar Horned Oryx on a Texas ranch).

Next we get into some winter bass fishing with BASS and FLW icon Ron Shuffield. A 7 time tournament winner on the BASS Tour, Ron has earned over 1.3 million dollars in tournament payouts in his 27 year career. Today we discuss one of his favorite techniques geared at landing huge winter largemouths. His recent article in FLW’s Bass Fishing Magazine “Swim Jigging Winter Grasslines” offers some great insight on Ron’s favorite way to put big winter bass in the livewell.

Then, with deer and duck season pretty much behind us we have a special 2 Part Predator Hunting Special. In Part One of this feature we check in with predator hunting icon Gary Roberson. Gary is the host of Carnivore TV on Pursuit Channel, he is also the owner of Burnham Brothers Game Calls and has written thousands of articles on calling coyotes and bobcats. Gary primarily hunts the daylight hours and so we discuss everything from his set up, to how long he runs his call and how long he will stay on a particular stand. He also talks about his favorite time of the year to call coyotes and what distress sounds are his bread and butter.

In Part 2 of our 2014 Predator Hunting Special we check in with Chris Robinson. Chris head’s up the Carnivore TV Night Crew. They specialize in filming and calling predators under the cover of darkness. The difference between calling during the day vs calling at night is…well it’s night and day! Chris breaks it down for us. From what kind of spotlight he prefers (HID vs Halogen) to how long he will run the call on a nighttime stand. He also has a very important tip to share regarding how to run the spotlight. A native of the North Texas area, Chris also hits on the importance of not overlooking very small tracts of land. The Carnivore Night Crew routinely kills coyotes on tracts of land smaller than 10 acres.

We start this week’s show off by talking archery with one of the worlds all time great competitive shooters. At age 26, Levi Morgan already has 10 ASA Shoot of the Year awards, 10 ASA World Championships and has a litany of other archery records and achievements to his credit. We discuss the practice routine he adopted to get to where he’s at today. Of course it’s not all competitive shooting with Levi, he loves bow hunting as much as tournaments and you’ve probably seen his show ‘Name The Game’ which airs on Sportsman Channel (7:30 PM CST).

Levi reflects on his favorite hunt of 2013. We even somehow meander off the path and get into how airlines treat your bow once you’ve checked it. Useful info for any of us who travel West to hunt big game. And finally we discuss the million dollar question…why did Levi leave Mathews to become the face of Elite Archery? Of course we are glad he did, but Levi breaks it all down for us.

Then we check in with a good ‘ol Texas boy who we had the pleasure of hunting with a couple weekends ago while filming a pilot for Valence Outdoors hunting show. A native of the Texas Hill Country, you’ve probably seen Stephen Mcgee sling the pigskin around at Texas A&M and then for the Dallas Cowboys. But more than football, it’s hunting that get’s Stephen’s blood pumping. While on our hunt at Squaw Mountain Ranch, the evening was winding down and folks were hanging out around the campfire having a few adult beverages. Stephen on the other hand was looking for someone to go call coyotes with and that’s when I realized this was my kind of Aggie!

He ended up harvesting a beautiful Scimitar Horned Oryx on the hunt. We relive the 6 hour hunt and stalk that it took to get the bull down. We also talk predator hunting and even mountain lion hunting (Below: Stephen with his giant Utah tom) & we’ll mix in some whitetail discussion before rounding out our visit by having him tell us about the time he took his former Dallas Cowboy team mate Miles Austin on his first deer hunt. I guarantee it will make you laugh!

We round out the broadcast by talking tarpon with Costa Del Mar Sunglasses Inshore Community Manager Mike Holliday. A longtime outdoor writer and fishing guide, we discuss the glory days of tarpon fishing on the Gulf Coast. Sadly by the mid 1900’s the giant schools of migrating tarpon were a thing of the past. But because of conservation and a catch and release mindset there are still fishable numbers of tarpon. Captain Holliday tells us how to locate them and what to throw at ’em. Once your hooked up, hold on tight for these fish are known for their breathtaking aerial displays.

We also discuss how excited we are to have Costa Del Mar’s continued involve with our show. Costa will remain our official sunglasses sponsor and partner which is great news since they’ve given us 12 pairs of Costa’s to give away on the air in 2014! Mike discusses some of the new models that were just released and we also discuss how the yellow hued lens actually allows for the greatest visibility below the surface. 12 pairs of Costa’s for you guys in 2014. We are pumped to be working so closely with the industry standard!

It’s a real treat to have outdoor icon and BASS legend Jimmy Houston drop by this week. 69 years young, Jimmy is still fishing competitively on the FLW Tour. We discuss how difficult it is for someone his age to physically compete against up and coming anglers in their mid 20’s. A 2 Time BASS Angler of the Year in ’76 and ’86 Jimmy gives us a couple tips on how to fish his favorite winter time bass baits. Be sure to check out ‘Jimmy Houston Outdoors’ on NBC Sports – on the air for 37 years now! Folks in the North Texas area can meet Jimmy at this weekend’s Texas Tackle, Hunting and Boat Show at the Mesquite Convention Center and Rodeo Arena.

Next we set the record straight on one of the biggest bucks ever killed in North East Texas. You might have seen Corey Knowlton on the Outdoor Channel’s hit show ‘Jim Shockey’s- The Professionals’ but the Texas native made headlines this fall when he stuck a bolt in this 186 inch Rockwall County monster! Corey talks about setting out trail cams and the amazement of seeing this buck on the property he had access to. Of course we talk about patterning this buck and the hunt itself. Also, there has been much negativity surrounding this amazing bucks from folks saying Corey poached it, to it came off a high fence ranch. Corey tells all and sets the record straight on a true buck of a lifetime.

Then we round out the show by hitting on the interesting phenomenon going on in East Texas- folks are killing giant bucks! And doing it pretty regularly over the past two seasons. With a new state record (since broken) of 253″ and change to multiple other bucks ranging from 180-220″. Why all of a sudden is this area of the state often associated with “If it’s brown, it’s down mentality” suddenly producing bruisers like the Raines County buck pictured below? Our Texas Parks & Wildlife Whitetail Program Leader Alan Cain joins us to break it down. Are antler restrictions working, is it advanced technology like trail cameras or are hunters doing a better job of policing themselves? We get to the bottom of it.

We start things off by checking in with our longtime friend and hunting/fishing buddy Greg Pavur of Pavur Outdoors. A competitive catfish tournament angler and catfish guide, Greg knows how to land giant trophy blue cats. The cold winter months are prime time for tangling with huge blues and Greg tells us where to find ’em and how to catch them. From geographical and structural features to key on to how he rigs up his poles for trophy blues. Greg also talks about water temperatures and how wind direction affects the bite. Greg and his brother with a monster blue cat they weighed in at a recent catfish tournament.

Next, we talk ducks and conservation with Ducks Unlimited’s Chief Conservation Officer Paul Schmidt. America’s waterfowl population is at or above record highs for many species, but at the rate we are losing wetlands this trend will not continue. Paul breaks down a recently proposed bill that if passed would increase the price of the Federal Duck Stamp from $15 to $25. The price has been $15 since 1991 and the buying power of that $15 per hunter has never been lower. It’s time for us step up as duck hunters and conservationists and help the ducks out. Paul also discusses how much of the increased price will go directly back to the ducks. You might be surprised at the answer! Paul with a nice haul of greenheads:

We then round out the show by spending a couple segments with one of our oldest friends. Jim Shockey is not only one of the hunting communities’ biggest ambassadors, but he is also the only person to complete the North American Super Slam and Ultimate Slam using only a muzzleloader. His hunting career speaks for itself as evidenced by his highly popular shows on Outdoor Channel “Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures” & “Jim Shockey’s The Professionals”. Jim reflects on his favorite hunt of 2013, the importance of having his daughter Eva embrace the hunting lifestyle we all cherish and the biggest threat he feels American hunters are facing today. Of course we are also looking forward to seeing Jim at the upcoming Dallas Safari Club Convention January 9th-12th. Both Jim and Eva will be at the event for all four days! (For more info on Dallas Safari Club’s 2014 Convention)

What a treat to start the show off! We check in with 15 year old New Waverly Texas’ native Makayla Hay. An experienced whitetail hunter, Makayla shot her first deer at age 8. She already is able to age deer on the hoof and has taken a couple nice bucks in her short time as a deer hunter. So when she and her father Jim saw the picture of a giant Montgomery County buck crossing the Trinity River she knew that was the buck she wanted to harvest this season. The photo was taken by a couple fisherman close the the Hay’s Montgomery County lease but the buck had never been spotted on trail cameras.

On the November 2nd opener of Texas’ general season, the giant 23 point buck stepped out and Makayla calmly hammered him with her 7mag! This buck scored 203 1/8 and is awaiting a 60 day drying period before officially becoming a Boone and Crockett buck. It’s the largest buck ever taken by a Texas youth hunter and the largest Montgomery County buck taken in almost 50 years. Makayla tells us all about her hunt of a lifetime and this giant East Texas trophy. Makayla with her buck:

The photo of the buck crossing the Trinity River. Taken by a fisherman just weeks prior to Opening Day:

Next we check in with Dallas Safari Club Executive Director Ben Carter who recently completed his North American 28 big game species. We talk some hunting and then get into the upcoming 2014 DSC Convention “Generations”. This one of a kind hunting show will feature over 1,600 outdoor exhibitors from all over the globe. Taking place January 9th-12th at the Dallas Convention Center, some of the outdoor industries’ biggest names will be in attendance- from Larry Weishuhn to Craig Boddington and Jim Shockey. For more information on the hunting show of all hunting shows check out Dallas Safari Club’s website:

We then change things up and talk some coastal fishing when our longtime friend Captain Len Girard joins us live from the Upper Laguna Madre. Captain Len breaks down the redfish, trout, flounder and black drum bite along the Texas coast. We talk live baits and artificials. Captain Len also breaks down the correct technique for fishing live shrimp during the cold winter months. One thing is for sure, this is the best time of the year to get into some big migrating and very hungry redfish like the one below:

We then round out the broadcast by getting into some goose hunting with Team Rip Outdoors Pro Staffer Jon Pollauf. He discusses how he consistently brings in solid numbers of giant Canada geese while field hunting in his home state of Ohio. In his 15 years as a waterfowler, Jon has collected over 70 duck and geese bands with over 40 of those coming off Giant Canada geese. Jon breaks down how he continues to kill these wary birds, from decoy spread, to calling technique and much more. Jon with a pair of banded geese he harvested on the same hunt:

Got a great show lined up for with some of our favorite Christmas tunes played throughout the show! If you like waterfowl hunting of any kind then you will especially enjoy our interview with writer Rob ‘R.K.’ Sawyer. His book “A Hundred Years of Texas Waterfowl Hunting” is the only book of it’s kind concerning waterfowling in the Lone Star State. Rob combined 3 years of extensive research and countless interviews with duck hunters of old. The book chronicles how waterfowling helped shape the Texas landscape, in many cases entire towns were founded based solely on how good the duck hunting was in an area.

The book provides an in depth look at how the mindset towards waterfowling in Texas was once solely based on food/sustenance. Then it gradually shifted towards market hunting and birds being harvested by the hundreds. Of course duck hunting was also big business around the turn of the 20th century and duck clubs started popping up all over. This lead to a boom for guides, decoy carvers and call makers. Rob gives us a great overview on the best book ever written concerning Texas and it’s place as as true waterfowl hunting destination. The book also contains plenty of timeless images of Texas duck hunters like the ones pictured below:

After our in depth look at the history of Texas waterfowl hunting, we change it up and talk some archery with the world’s premiere instinctive archer- Frank Addington Jr. Instinctive archery shooting is fascinating and at it’s core, the purest form of hunting out there. Frank is actually bringing his world famous demonstration to Texas January 10th-12th for the 2014 Texas Tackle, Hunting and Boat Show which takes place at the Mesquite Convention Center and Rodeo Arena.

We absolutely couldn’t believe that a human being could knock a baby aspirin out of the air with a bow and arrow, but after visiting with Frank we are certainly looking forward to seeing him do just that in person. Frank talks about some of his successes and how instinctive shooting has made him a more proficient bowhunter. Check out this Youtube clip of Frank putting on one of his renown shows:

We start things off by tackling the latest invasive species epidemic to affect Texas outdoor enthusiasts when longtime outdoor writer Melissa Gaskill drops in. Her latest article in Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine titled “The Roar of the Lionfish” dives in to the serious reality of these venomous little fish expanding into Texas waters. Native to parts of the Pacific and even the coast of Africa, lionfish have made their way down the entire Atlantic coast, Caribbean and into the Gulf of Mexico- first showing up off the coast of Texas in 2010.

Voracious ambush predators, lionfish will eat anything they can swallow and their stomach’s expand so that they can keep eating with every passing opportunity. They also prey on sport highly sought after sport fish such as small grouper and snapper. Melissa advises anglers and divers how they can help control these ‘feral hogs of the sea’. Look for lionfish on the menu of your favorite seafood joint- they are quite delicious!

Next we talk whitetails with Team RIP Outdoors Pro Staffer Mike Sanders. Team RIP is a group of passionate young hunters from the Midwest who are eaten up with deer hunting among other things. We discuss Mike’s approach to scouting, from when he begins scouting to when he tries to get out of the woods so as not to bump deer before the season opens. We also cover trail cameras and cover scents/scent killer options. Mike with a nice buck taken this year back in his home state of Ohio.

Then we change it up and talk some winter bass fishing with reigning BassMaster Elite Series Angler of the Year Aaron Martens. Aaron breaks down the highs and lows of his 2013 season which of course ended in the Aaron sitting atop the world of professional bass fishing. Was this title easier or harder to attain that his first AOY crown in 2005? How has pro bass fishing gotten even more competitive over the past few years? And we also find out what techniques and baits Aaron prefers during cold weather months when water temps drop into the low 50s or upper 40s. Great stuff with the 2 time AOY!

With Texas’ mule deer season underway we start things off by checking in with our good friend Texas Parks and Wildlife Mule Deer Program Leader Shawn Gray. We discuss how range conditions look across the 69 counties that have mule deer seasons. Did increased rains translate into solid antler growth? Should hunters expect to see nice bucks in 2013? All that, plus Shawn has some exciting news regarding opening some additional counties for mule deer in 2014! We are especially excited to visit with Shawn since we leave for El Paso on our own Texas mulie hunt this weekend!

Then a very special in studio treat when Texas singer/songwriter Mark McKinney drops by. A native of Big Spring, Texas Mark’s dad was the president of the local bass club and Mark recalls spending plenty of time on the lake growing up. Of course Mark also brought his guitar and we take a listen to some tunes off his latest record “Standing My Ground”. He already has 2 Top Ten hits on the Texas Music Chart with ‘She Ain’t Leaving’ that went to #1 and the current single ‘Stolen Cash’ which currently sits at #9. Get ready for some good tunes and outdoor talk with one of Texas’ best!

We wrap things up by talking whitetails with longtime outdoor writer Darren Warner. Darren writes for publications such as Outdoor Life, Peterson’s Bowhunting, and North American Whitetail among others. But it was his recent feature in Outdoor Life that I found very insightful. ‘Understand Your Glands’ provides a scientific look at how whitetails use their scent glands (endocrine system). From the tarsal gland to their forehead and everything in between, Darren breaks it all down for us. Hopefully, by understanding the way big bucks communicate with their glands, it might just make us better hunters. Who knows? Maybe it will even help you bag that bruiser of a lifetime.

It’s hard to believe this is our 200th episode! Thanks to all of you for tuning in over these past few years and thanks to our sponsors because without none of this would be possible. We’ve got a great show planned with a few cool giveaways lined up as well. To start things off we talk shotgunning with longtime outdoor writer Brad Fitzpatrick. His recent piece in Outdoor Life Magazine “Shotgunning’s 7 Deadly Sins” outlines some common mistakes that hunters make while shooting scatterguns. Brad provides some tips and goes over these Seven Deadly Sins in detail.

Then we are joined by Texas Parks & Wildlife Game Warden Captain Kevin Davis. Captain Davis is a 23 year veteran and recently was chosen to head up the brand new Texas Game Warden K-9 Unit- the first of it’s kind for TPWD. Captain Davis talks about the units primary functions in aiding our Texas Game Wardens. We also discuss their extensive training program that both the handlers and dogs went thru in Utah. Pictured below are the first 5 dogs and their handlers. There are 5 more handler/dog teams in training right now. We are thrilled to see how this new K-9 aides in search and rescue efforts, narcotics trafficking and aiding in busting poachers and folks committing game violations.

Next we check in with a good friend of the show in Rustic Reminders Taxidermist Josh Guenther. Josh and his wife Becky have long been our trusted taxidermists and today Josh provides some field care tips on how to take care of your trophy and properly transport it to your taxidermist. From western big game animals where you must completely remove the cape from the animals skull, to whitetail deer shot at the lease and taken directly to the taxidermist to ducks, fish, coyotes and bobcats. Josh breaks down each specific animal and the best way to ensure your taxidermist has everything they need to turn out a beautiful mount for you.

Then we round out this special 200th Edition show with a few laughs when we take a listen to a few clips from some of our favorite interviews from the past few years. Jeff Foxworthy discusses his best ever deer camp prank. Phil “The Duck Commander” Robertson talks childbirth vs duck hunting and whether or not the birth of a child is worth missing a duck hunt for. Also, Texas Governor Rick Perry recounts his very well publicized run in with a coyote while on his morning jog outside of Austin, TX. Lets just say that he had his concealed carry weapon and things didn’t end up so well for the coyote. We look forward to reflecting on these funny moments of shows gone by.