Texas Hunting Leases

Brad Paisley’s hit song “Ticks” has come at time where checking for them on something other than a wife or girlfriend may be a good idea for South Texas hunters and ranchers.    Hunters along the Rio Grande from Del Rio to Brownsville as well as Starr, Maverick, Dimmit and Webb counties are being notified that the state quarantine zone has been expanded by the Texas Animal Health Commission.  Under this quarantine, landowners may be required to treat deer and exotic populations for the disease. Hunters should leave harvested animal hides behind and both are encouraged to call the TAHC for inspections.

The disease does not affect humans but can be devastating to untreated cattle.  Texas Cattle Fever has a history dating back to 1886 where cattle in Illinois were killed by infected herds moving in from Texas cattle drives.  Cattle in Texas have long been treated for ticks by using a dipping method developed on the King Ranch by Robert Kleberg.  However, Mexican herds still carry the disease over the border where wildlife can be infected.  Modern ways of treating deer populations include a “four-poster” method designed to distribute tickicide to the head, neck and ears while feeding.  This method was originated by some Kerrville scientists for other tick-transmitted diseases such as Lyme disease.  “Use of ivermectin-treated corn and 4-poster technology is vital to the ongoing campaign to eradicate cattle-fever ticks introduced to southern Texas on hosts such as cattle, horses, white-tailed deer, or exotic ungulate wildlife that come across the Rio Grande from Mexico,” says entomologist John George, who leads the research at Kerrville. “By using all our resources and knowledge, it will be possible to minimize or eliminate ticks on white-tailed deer and other ungulate wildlife, keeping U.S. cattle free of Texas fever.”

When hunting these areas of South Texas, make sure that you work closely with your land owner and the local state and health officials to keep this disease in check.  The Texas cattle industry is an important one to our state and is connected to providing private hunting lands that we all enjoy

A step-by-step “how to” with pictures.  

Guides along the Texas gulf coast have long been innovators of waterfowl hunting methods and strategies.  The modern history of waterfowling in Texas goes back to the 1800′s and the days of market boats with cannon-like guns used for massive harvesting of rafting birds.  These boats were the invention of north eastern hunters and the hunting techniques almost certainly were brought to Texas by migrants to the area.  One of the first Texas innovations in waterfowling came as the result of rice farming in the southeastern part of the state.  Rice crops attracted large numbers of wintering geese and many farmers and landowners began hunting them for pleasure and then for profit.

One such hunting pioneer was Mr. Jimmy Reel, who founded the Bucksnag Hunting Club in Garwood, Texas.  He is widely accredited with the invention of the “Texas Rag Spread” that is now popular across North America.  Another invention in waterfowl hunting is the “tangle free” duck decoy system.  Although I am not sure where this originated, I do know that it has been perfected among Texas coastal waterfowl guides to include an easy quick release system using climbing carabineers.  This system allows for easy set-up, pick-up and storage of dozens of decoys at a time and is helps keep hands dry on cold mornings.

In the Duck and Goose Hunting Pages of LeaseHunter, we have posted the step by step instructions on how to make Texas-Rigged Duck Decoys and Texas Goose Rags.  These instructions and pictures are the courtesy of a guide friend of mine who graciously allowed us to share them with you.  The processes for both of these are easy and straight forward and will allow you to have a complete waterfowl decoy set-up in a weekend.