Texas Hunting Leases

Below is the report from the TP&W for  December 24, 2008.

Weekly migratory bird hunting reports are posted from early September through early February.

High Plains Mallard Management Unit: Temperatures had been below freezing for several days last week with winds gusting at over 30 miles per hour. More geese are roosting around Etter and Cactus Lake since the beginning of December. Larger lakes have held the only open water since shallower playas are frozen. Decoying action for geese has been solid when winds are less than 20 knots. Some hunts have produced equal ratios of dark and light geese. A good crop of young snow geese has aided in great decoying action. Many more mallards are showing, but hunters have had to break ice. Lots of ducks are using warmer feed lot ponds. Haskell County hunters have taken wigeons, mallards, gadwalls, teal and good numbers of Canadas. Prospects are good.

North Zone Duck: Frigid temperatures throughout the Central Flyway have sent many more mallards across the Red River. Some good hunts were posted in the snow last week on area lakes and reservoirs. Sloughs and backwaters are loading up with greenheads and wood ducks. Green-winged teal have been seen on shallow flats on lakes and reservoirs. Mallards, gadwalls and teal have been solid on Lake Wright-Patman, Lake Palestine, Lake Fork, Lake Tawakoni and Cooper Lake. Wood ducks have been steady in wooded sloughs. Inland ponds near the coast were fair over the weekend. Mostly teal, gadwalls, pintails and shovelers were taken. Some good goose hunts were posted just north of IH-10 near Winnie last week when four days of fog socked in along the coast. Prospects are fair to good.

South Zone Duck: Duck hunting improved significantly along the coastal prairie with blasts of cold air that reach South Texas. Most hunters have said they saw an influx of green-winged teal which helped fill bags quickly. Pintails have been solidly decoying over shallow flats. More gadwalls have shown, but their fickle behavior has limited decoying action. Hunters continue to wonder where large flocks of shovelers have been this season. Spoonbills have been noticeably absent for the entire season. The High Island marsh has been fair to good for teal and gadwalls. Collegeport and Palacios have been good for teal, pintails and gadwalls. Port O’Connor, Rockport and Port Mansfield hunters have taken pintails, redheads and teal. Inland ponds near Port O’Connor have been good for limits of ducks. Goose hunting was solid during the week with at least four days of fog between cold fronts. Many outfitters have regularly harvested over 30 geese per hunt. Canada geese are showing in many bags. Prospects are good.

If you ever are as fortunate as I was to shoot a Sandhill Crane while on a duck or goose hunt, you are in for a treat. Sandhills are fairly common in Texas during the winter migratory season. However, they are not prone to forage in the same exact habitat as most of their waterfowl brethren. Thus, getting one on your game strap is a rarity if not hunting for them on purpose.

Often referred to as the “rib-eyes of the skies”, Sandhill cranes offer a very flavorful and thick breast for the table. Some just cook it like a rib-eye steak, but here is a recipe that everyone (even the kids) will enjoy. Its Sandhill K-bobs!

Ingredients:

Sandhill Crane breasts
1 Can of ring pineapple
1 bottle of Worcestershire Sauce
2 Bell Pepper
1 Onion
1 Pack of whole mushrooms
1 Tbsp of minced garlic
Salt, pepper & Tony Chachere’s seasonings

First, breast out the bird from the breast bone and thoroughly clean accordingly. Once washed, slice the breasts in 1″, or slightly larger, pieces so that they will fit on a skewer. Place them in a container (that can be sealed). Open can of pineapple and pour the juice over the breast pieces. Save the pineapple rings in the refrigerator for grilling. In an approximately equal amount to the pineapple juice, pour in the Worcestershire Sauce. Add garlic (if desired). Place the sealed container in the refrigerator and let marinate for 12 or more hours.

When ready to grill, cut up vegetables and skewer them k-bob style. I alternate each piece of breast meat with a different vegetable or pineapple piece. Grill until fully cooked with a warm red center. Lightly season with Tony Chacere’s to taste. Enjoy!

Texas hunters usually keep the roads hot between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. And because many hunt hours away from home, they take advantage of being in the area by looking to upgrade or change hunting leases.

Starting in late December and on into January, LeaseHunter.com sees a significant increase in web traffic and lease inquiries. Land owners also begin looking to replace hunters who are moving on at this time as well. Being prepared early is the key to getting on a better lease for next year.

The are several reasons for starting your search now. First, you are already in the area that you hunt so you may as well know what is available for next year. Second, if you secure a lease early, you only have to relocate your camp and equipment once. This is much better than moving it back home into storage while you look over the summer months. Finally, the “early bird usually catches the worm” when it comes to finding good hunting leases. Let other land owners know you are looking and even other hunting groups who may need to fill an empty spot.

Some things to consider when searching are, of course, location, access, land owner rules and terms. Make sure you know the county in which you hunt and check with your local Game Warden to ask about game laws (current and proposed) in that county. You should always have a written agreement between you and the land owner that spells out each other’s expectations. Our Hunter Resources page can provide you with interesting links that you can read to help you get started.

Getting your game plan in order now can go a long way in saving you time and money. Not to mention getting on a great lease for next year. The next lease of a life time is out there for those who do their homework and start early.