Lone Star Outdoor Show

Most Texas hunters are probably aware of the controversy surrounding the fate of 3 exotic species that were extremely popular on Texas ranches. The Scimitar Horned Oryx, Dama Gazelle and Addax are endangered in their native Africa but captive breeding/hunting operations in Texas had been wildly successful up until 2012. We are thrilled to have Safari Club International President Craig Kauffman join the show this weekend to discuss the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s bowing to pressure from anti hunting groups and their gross mishandling of the situation.

By listing these species on the Endangered Species list stateside, the exact opposite affect took place. Game ranches sold hunts for these animals as fast they could prior to the regulation changes. In some cases, the ranches themselves ended up wiping out these animals themselves because it was no longer financially sound to continue supporting large herds of oryx, gazelle and addax. We discuss the gross hypocrisy of anti hunting organizations and Craig talks about SCI’s mission to promote big game conservation all over the world.

Then a real treat when one of my all time favorite Texas singer/songwriters drops by the studio. An excellent storyteller, Mark David Manders has been writing and performing great Texas music for over 20 years now. Mark is also a lifelong outdoorsman who these days enjoys bass fishing and bird hunting with his sons. Of course Mark brought his guitar with him so we will hear some new music and some classics as well. One thing is for sure, there’s never a dull moment when MDM is around.

Then we wrap things up by visiting with the Chairman of the newly formed TPWD Foundation Young Professionals Group Mac Macfarlan. This group comprised of late 20’s to early 40’s age professional folks share a passion for our outdoor heritage and promoting conservation. Their main goals are to assist the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s fundraising efforts. The group had a successful kickoff meeting this spring where TPWD Executive Director Carter Smith was the keynote speaker.

Currently, the Young Professional Group is focused on raising funds for the Trans-Pecos pronghorn antelope relocation project (pictured below). This ongoing effort to help re-establish what was once a healthy pronghorn population in the Trans-Pecos takes considerable man power, technology and equipment such as helicopters- all of which are expensive. To get involved with this great group of passionate & driven young people: (TPWD Foundation Young Professionals Group)

This week we are all over the map! The broadcast is highlighted by two great and very different guests. First, we mix it up with Benny Spies- Outdoor Life Magazine Columnist and Host of Sportsman Channel’s ‘Gun It With Benny Spies’. The show breathes new life into outdoor television with an authentic look at how America really hunts and the campfires and stories that accompany those adventures. This South Dakota native is young, charismatic and has a way of endearing himself to everyone he crosses paths with. ‘Gun It’ premieres Sunday night July 7th at 9:30 CST on Sportsman Channel.

Then we deviate from our normal straight hunting and fishing talk when we are joined by The NRA’s National Firearm Museum Director Jim Supica. A lifelong gun enthusiast, Jim has written books and had countless articles published concerning firearms. You might also recognize him as the co-host of NRA’s Guns & Gold – Sportsman Channel’s most popular show.

This week we visit with Jim about some specific firearms that have helped change the course of modern history. From the .50 caliber air gun that Louis and Clark took on their famous expedition West, to three guns revolutionized firearms moreso than any others throughout history. Just like the M1 Garand that Jim is holding below. Not only was this gun used by The Greatest Generation to win World War II, but the bolt action style also became the norm among modern sporting rifles. Fascinating stuff that any gun enthusiast will enjoy!

Film Director Kris Koenig kicks things off this week by dropping in to discuss his new documentary ‘Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire’. The film was released this week and it focuses on the literal rights the Constitution and 2nd Amendments are intended to grant American citizens. Sadly, those rights that this country were founded on continue to erode with each passing day.

‘Assaulted’ brings to the light the fact that as Americans we do have the right to own and possess firearms to protect ourselves against tyranny- be that from government or individuals. The film has a litany of guests and is narrated by pro 2nd Amendment rapper Ice-T. Here is brief clip from ‘Assaulted’ where Ted Nugent breaks down the 2nd Amendment in a few short words:

Then we are joined by Captain Brett Holden of the Surfside, Texas’ offshore fishing vessel The Boobytrap. Captain Holden and his crew specialize in targeting big swordfish and they made national headlines recently when they brought home a 493 lb swordfish that shattered the former Texas state record by over 150 lbs! We talk about that experience and the underrated swordfish fishery that exists just off the Texas coast. This is one heck of a billfish:

Next we are joined by longtime outdoor writer Brian McCombie who writes for such publications as North American Hunter Magazine, Outdoor Life, Gun Digest and NRA’s American Hunter. Brian’s recent piece in North American Hunter breaks down the effectiveness of the popular .223 round on feral hogs. This round was originally intended for smaller game such as varmints and predators but with improvements in quality and longer, heavier grain .223 bullet options- this caliber can prove to be a lethal hog killing machine. We talk about some of his favorite .223 rounds on the market as well as shot placement. Brian with a nice East, TX hog he piled up with his .223 AR.

We round out the broadcast by talking about the ever increasingly popular sport of kayak fishing when Dustin Koreba drops in. Dustin is the founder of a very unique tournament series that caters to the kayak specific angler. The Lone Star Kayak Series is a Houston/Galveston based redfish series that is averaging over 80 anglers per tournament in 2013. With a 75% payout structure, this series looks like it’s here to stay. There are plenty of pros to kayak fishing such as fuel cost, easy access and physical exercise. Dustin w/ a nice Texas bull red!

We get things going when an old friend drops in. Bone Collector Travis ‘T-Bone’ Turner joins us to talk all things archery. A former Outdoor 3-D World Champion Archer, T-Bone knows the semantics of bowhunting in and out. He breaks down how to find out the exact ideal draw weight for each individual hunter. Also, we talk about his favorite hunt from Season 5 of Bone Collector which airs on Outdoor Channel. Don’t forget that T-Bone will be at Cinnamon Creek Ranch on Saturday, June 21st for a day of shooting exhibitions and product demos followed by an awesome dinner event that evening. For more info on “T-Bones with T-Bone” visit the website:(Cinnamon Creek Ranch)

Then we check in with Bill Cox, owner of Montague and Jack County’s Cox Wildlife Ranch. Most of you are probably familiar with our monthly photo contest by now and Cox Wildlife Ranch is sponsoring our June contest. This month’s winner will join us on an overnight hog hunt. With six feeders set up with motion censored lights, our June winner should have ample opportunity to stack some pork!

Next we’re joined by Rockwall, TX noodler Eddie Drake. Just two weeks ago, Eddie smashed competitive noodling tournament records with a behemoth 81.25 lb flathead catfish. Not only was this the biggest fish ever weighed in at a tourney, Eddie and his partner also weighed in the heaviest stringer and were rewarded with a $5,525 payday- the biggest cash prize ever won at a noodling event. Eddie talks about wrestling this fish which sadly ended up with Eddie having to go to the hospital after cutting his leg on a jagged piece of rebar. Infection quickly set in and Eddie has been in the hospital for 2 weeks! Noodling is definitely not a sport for the faint of heart.

We wrap things up by visiting with veteran outdoor cameraman Chad Parker. Chad writes a blog for The Backwood’s Life and his recent entry should appeal to all of us out there who are interested in filming our own hunts. There are very affordable options out there and if you don’t have a decent camera set up, you can get in the game for around $500. We talk equipment, auto vs manual focus, fluid heads, camera arms and a whole lot more with Chad.

This week we kick things off by talking some flyfishing with Athens, Texas native Bryan Smith. On May 24th, Bryan hooked into a massive channel catfish at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries’ Lake Zebco. After battling the 20 lb behemoth for over 20 minutes, Bryan landed the fish (pictured below) and was the proud owner of the Texas state record for channel catfish.

The fish set a total of 6 records. A dedicated fly angler only, Bryan talks about the unique way he targets and land big catfish on his flyrod. Yes, the fish does look similar to a big blue cat but by counting the spines on the fish’s anal fin they were able to confirm it is indeed a channel catfish. Congrats on the catch Bryan!

Then we check in with one of the greatest basketball players ever to lace up a pair of sneakers. Karl Malone, AKA “The Mailman” stops by to talk about his love for the outdoors. Karl has traveled the globe hunting big game but you will be very surprised to hear what his favorite types of hunting and fishing are to this day.

He also discusses his North American Sheep Grand Slam and what it was like hunting stone sheep in the same canyon that President Teddy Roosevelt hunted in over 100 years ago. We also discuss Karl’s Youth Hunting Initiative and his passion for getting underprivileged kids into the great outdoors. This is one of the most fun interviews we’ve done in recent memory. Karl doing what he does best, dominating the hardwood and downing big game like this massive elk:

We finish up the broadcast by talking ducks with our longtime friend and Delta Waterfowl VP of U.S. Policy – John Devney. I know duck season is 5 months away, but we need to find out how spring nesting conditions look throughout the Prairie Pothole region on into the Dakotas and then Canada. John talks about recent precipitation that could be a game changer for nesting waterfowl.

We also get into the rapid loss of CRP Land and what waterfowlers can do in order to help stem the tide. Of course we have to get into one of my favorite Delta Waterfowl efforts as well, so John and I discuss the controversial topic of Predator Management as well. In many areas, nest success directly depends on how high the predator ratio is. Removing animals like the raccoon pictured below gives the ducks a fighting chance.

Get ready for a good one! We kick off this week’s show by visiting with one of the best athletes every to lace up a pair of cleats. Bo Jackson is a Heisman Trophy winner, NFL All Pro running back and Major League All Star Game MVP. But these days, Bo spends as much of his time as possible in the woods, preferably with a stick & string. How does sticking a 10 pt buck compare to hitting a home run off Nolan Ryan or Randy Johnson? Bo also talks about the time he swore Big Foot was going to steal the buck he’d just killed. And of course we find out what hunts are at the top of Bo’s bucket list.

As seen on the recent ESPN 30 for 30 on Bo, he enjoys spending time in his man cave and finds it therapeutic to work on the massive collection of arrows he has acquired over the years.

Then we check in with one of the luckiest hunters you will ever meet. Not lucky in a sense that he doesn’t know what he is doing afield, but lucky as in he won the Texas Parks and Wildlife Big Game Grand Slam hunt package!!! We are thrilled to have Weatherford, Texas native Britton Schweitzer join the show to tell us all about his Grand Slam experience. The 4 hunts included in the Grand Slam are: whitetail, mule deer, pronghorn antelope and desert big horn sheep.

With TPWD issuing only 2-3 big horn sheep permits a year, you can see why that tag is the hardest tag to get in the entire Lone Star State- hands down. The hunts are all 5 day hunts and food and lodging is included, heck even the taxidermy is included! Britton recaps his experiences on each specific hunt including the shocking ending to his desert big horn sheep adventure. For more info on how to register for TPWD Big Game Hunts:(Big Time Texas Hunts)

Britton with his Texas desert big horn sheep.

We finish things up talking trout and redfish when our good friend Captain Len Girard joins us live from Baffin Bay. The trout bite is looking good and big schools of redfish are moving into the shallows. We break down what live and artificial baits are really bringing fish into the boat right now. No matter what, there’s never a dull moment with our favorite captain.

Off the top we are joined by longtime Texas Parks and Wildlife Inland Fisheries District Supervisor Bruce Hysmith.Bruce oversees every water body in an 8 county region. One of the main reservoirs under his guidance is Lake Texoma. Texoma has long been the Southwest United State’s crown jewel as far as striper fishing goes but most Texans don’t realize that this unique fishery also has a viable population of smallmouth bass. Bruce explains why these fierce fighting cousins of the largemouth have been able to thrive in Lake Texoma since TPWD introduced them in the early 1980s. Meanwhile other smallmouth stocking efforts in Texas pretty much failed. I had the pleasure of targeting these aggressive and powerful fish on Texoma just a couple weeks ago. Bruce breaks down where to find ’em on one of Texas truly incredible fisheries.

Then Pflugerville, Texas native Donnie O’Neal joins us to talk about his recent bass fishing trip of a lifetime. A tournament bass angler, Donnie and his partner were trying to catch a double digit Lake Austin monster on the morning of April 28th when Donnie felt a major thud on his Alabama rig umbrella style bait. He immediately thought he’d hooked a big striper or catfish. Once he got the fish to the surface he realized that it was actually two largemouth bass! The smaller of the pair weighed 7.8 lbs and the other tipped the scales at 11.8 lbs. That’s over 19 lbs of Texas largemouth caught on one cast! It’s truly an amazing feat and Donnie recalls all the details surrounding his fishing tale for the ages.

Next on the lineup card, we check in with Lone Star Outdoor News Executive Editor Craig Nyhus. His recent article “Mixing Cattle and Deer: Grazing Tips For Landowners” highlights the delicate balance between running cattle and maintaining a healthy whitetail herd on our ranch or lease. Craig breaks down the ideal times of the year to keep cows off grazing pastures. We also discuss how overgrazing can lead to serious erosion problems for the landowner. Another interesting fact that most folks don’t realize is an 1,100 pound cow consumes 15-30 percent of it’s diet from browse and forbs that are whitetail’s primary food source. So they are directly competing. That being said you can have both cattle and a healthy deer herd if you pay attention to the delicate balance between the two. Craig breaks it all down for us.

We finish things off by checking with our longtime friend and Army Bass Anglers Founder Major Promotable Cody Roberson. Army Bass Angler’s has big things on the horizon as their Support, Defend & Fish mission statement continues to raise awareness and gain traction on a national level. Army Bass Anglers even is preparing for season 3 of their hit WFN TV show ‘Force on Force’. We also discuss non profit that ABA is raising funds for: A Soldier’s Child. A San Antonio native and no stranger to winning bass tournaments on Texas lakes we also talk about Major Promotable Roberson’s favorite early summer bass baits. Be sure to set your DVR for ‘Force on Force’.

We jump right into some big bass talk with one of pro bass fishing’s biggest personalities when Ish Monroe joins the show. With a huge smile and unmatched intensity- Ish has become a fan favorite on the Elite Series and he is enjoying his best season to date as he currently sits 4th in the Angler of the Year standings. We talk post spawn bass, Ish’s favorite late spring baits and Major League Fishing. Ish also breaks down how he has learned to stay on more of an even keel which has increased his success as a tournament angler. As evidenced by his solid top five finish in Alabama – a great hunting and fishing state. You don’t want to miss it! (For Alabama Hunter Education Info)

Then a good friend of the show and longtime hunting buddy Zane Williams drops by the studio. We recap our coyote hunt from this past week and hear some brand new tunes off Zane’s latest record ‘Overnight Success’ which comes out June 4th. There is no shortage of good times and great music when Zane is around. A true renaissance man when it comes to writing good story telling country tunes- be sure to visit Zane’s website to find out when he’s playing in your neck of the woods. (Visit Zane’s Website)

Then we wrap things up when Celina Bass Club President Mark Roundy joins us in studio. Mark felt called to help out the families of the victims of the April 17th chemical explosion that killed 14 of our Texas brothers and sisters in the little town of West. So he did what he knows best and with the help of 3 other Texas bass clubs, they set up a fishing tournament to help raise money for those families. Mark gives us the tournament details including info on the payout structure and awesome raffle and auction items they have lined up. (Visit The Tournament Website)

This week we kick things off by touching base with longtime catfish tournament angler Greg Pavur of Pavur Outdoors. A seasoned catfish tournament angler, Greg is an expert on all things blue and channel catfish. With the channel cat spawn heating up all over Texas we focus on where to find and how to catch spawing channel cats. Greg breaks down the ideal water temperature range to look for as an indication that the spawn has started. Cut bait or punch bait, treble hook or circle hook? We cover it all with one of the best. With a 25 fish daily bag limit, a day on the water catching channel catfish can result in a heck of a fish fry! Greg with a nice 9 lb channel. Visit Greg’s Website

Then we get into one of my favorite topics when longtime retriever trainer Angie Becker of Tioga Retrievers drops by to talk hunting dogs with us. Offseason/summer training tips, retriever nutrition, snake avoidance and finding the right retriever and training regimen are just a few of the thing we cover. Angie with 3 generations of Master Hunters trained at Tioga Retrievers.

We round out this week’s show by talking some serious sport fishing with recreational tuna Captain Bruce Daniecki. Bruce and his partner run a boat out of Freeport, Texas and they specifically target both yellowfin and blackfin tuna. Captain Bruce discusses how far off shore you have to go in order to get into solid tuna fishing, also what fishing techniques they use to consistently pull tuna over the rail. Many anglers might not realize we have this great fishery just off the Texas coast but there are plenty of ways to get hooked up with some experienced tuna anglers. Forums such as 2CoolFishing (Visit 2CoolFishing) have a ton of great information and anglers who are more than willing to share their expertise. If you want to go on a tuna trip I recommend hooking up with a group of experienced anglers. Usually it will only require that you chip in for fuel. Captain Bruce with a beautiful Gulf of Mexico tuna haul.

We start things off by talking mulies and pronghorn with our Texas Parks & Wildlife Mule Deer and Pronghorn Antelope Program Leader Shawn Gray. TPWD just introduced some new regulations that will give Texas hunters more opportunity to harvest each of these revered big game species. Shawn talks about giving landowners control of the number of antelope bucks they can harvest which should lead to more hunters chasing antelope this fall. We also discuss the recent pronghorn relocation effort headed up by his department. One of the estimated 11,000 pronghorn in the Texas Panhandle:

Shawn also breaks down the new regulations that will affect the 2013-2014 Texas mule deer season. How about an extra 3-4 weeks of hunting? Sounds good to us! Texas’ mule deer population has steadily improved since the historic drought of 2011. Things are looking good for this beautiful big game species.

Then U.S. Army Master Sargent CJ Grisham joins the broadcast to discuss how he was illegally disarmed and arrested outside of Temple, Texas back in mid March. The Youtube video his son took of the exchange with the cops has become a viral sensation and he has been on such shows as Glenn Beck since his arrest. He still hasn’t gotten his guns back from the police department and his CHL license is suspended until the charges brought against him have been adjudicated. Master Sargent Grisham discusses the case and events surrounding the police arresting him for “rudely displaying a firearm”

Then we round out the show by checking in with Dr. Tim Fulbright- Endowed Research Scientist at the Ceasar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute in Kingsville, TX. Dr. Fulbright has over 30 years experience in wildlife research and he and his colleagues just concluded a 9 year study on whitetail deer populations that had access to year round supplemental feed vs deer on the same ranch that didn’t get supplemental feed. How was the natural browse and forage affected in both groups? Will deer essentially eat themselves out of house and home like the snow geese on the Arctic Tundra? Dr. Fulbright breaks it down for us.