Texas Hunting Leases

Below is the report from the TP&W for January 30, 2008.

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

High Plains Mallard Management Unit/Panhandle: Duck season drew to a close at sunset Jan. 27; and, according to outfitters, the season finished strong. Mallards, pintails, teal, wigeons and gadwalls were the prominent birds found in bags. Many days in January saw duck hunters breaking ice to open water for the ducks. Though temperatures were in the teens, most of the snow missed the region. Goose hunting for darks continue consistent over wheat and corn. Most outfitters are getting their limit of Canadas every hunt. The regular goose season runs through Feb. 5, while the Light Goose Conservation Order begins Feb. 6 in the West Zone. Outfitters say prospects for the special light goose season are in limbo. Snow geese have been fickle lately; and, with few juvenile birds, decoying action might remain tough, even with electronic callers. Prospects are fair to good.

North Zone: Duck season ended at sunset Jan. 27, and the last two weeks of the season improved in the region. Most of the season sloughs, rivers and bayous were dry from a two- month absence of significant rainfall; however, recent rains filled backwaters and floated acorns. Acorns and other mast lying on the ground became floating food and mallards, gadwalls and wood ducks found it quickly. That, coupled with freezing temperatures in the northern states, sent wads of birds across the Red River where they found refuge in the region. Good hunts were posted near Centerville and along the Red River. Lots of teal on lakes and reservoirs helped fill bags throughout the season. The usual assortment of diving ducks staged on lakes like Caddo, Lake O’ the Pines, Toledo Bend, Sam Rayburn, Fork, Palestine and Cooper. Along the IH-10 corridor, the rains the past 10 days only scattered ducks in plowed fields. Teal, shovelers and a few pintails were taken the final weekend. Hunters in the North Zone said action throughout the season was below average.

South Zone: Duck season ended at sunset Jan. 27 and hunters said the overall season was well below average on the coastal prairie. El Campo, Eagle Lake, Wharton, East Bernard and Garwood never held the ducks like in seasons past. Declining rice production may be a contributing factor. If not for green-winged teal, many hunters in the area would have stared at barren skies. The lack of gadwalls puzzled many outfitters. Once a mainstay like teal, few gadwalls were found on prairie ponds. Pintail numbers on the prairie continue to decline as well; again, lack of rice probably is a factor. An influx of rain the last 10 days of the season did push more pintails to the high ground of the prairie. Port O’Connor, Seadrift and Rockport were the hot spots on the coast for teal, wigeons, redheads and gadwalls. Marsh hunting near High Island remained steady throughout with fresh wads of green-winged teal and gadwalls keeping the shooting steady. Goose season in the East Zone ended Jan. 27 and overall results for the season was fair to poor. Hunters reported few juvenile snows in the flock, as little as two percent by some estimations, which proved difficult for decoying. The geese arrived a month late in some areas of the coast, and outfitters said numbers were significantly down. Many geese are using fallow grass fields and lush wheat fields. Water is everywhere with the recent rains. The Light Goose Conservation Order began Jan. 28 and prospects are fair.

For years I have seen the historic St. Charles Bay Hunting Club while fishing and hunting in the Rockport, Texas area.   If you have ever been to Goose Island State Park, then you were not very far from its campus overlooking its namesake bay.  For nearly one hundred years, the club has played host to outdoorsmen who came to the mid-coast to enjoy some of the best waterfowl hunting and fishing the state has to offer.  And, despite the growth of the surrounding area, it has managed to hang on, keeping its charm and traditions alive and well.

As a private club, its members have maintained a low profile away from the hustle of the once quaint town of Rockport/Fulton.  Not much has changed about the club’s buildings except some modernizing of the maintenance and storage facilities.  Upon arriving, you are assigned a room in one of the half dozen or so cabins, each having comfortable and clean beds and bathrooms.  The cabins have a small front porch in which to hang things or hang out and enjoy the view of the bay.  In the center of all this, is a main lodge with all the things needed to make this the perfect “man spa” but comfortable enough for the wives and kids.  It is here where we start our evening with a home cooked dinner in the dinning room.  Afterwards, we slip off to the lounge for some conversation and adult beverages.  It was late in the evening when we made our way back to our cabin for some sleep.  The 4:00 AM wake-up call is an early one but some of the younger die-hards give the trout a hard time under the lights on the pier before giving into the urge to rest.  When the morning knock comes at the door, its back over to the main lodge for a hot breakfast and coffee and back to the cabin again to get ready for the air-boat ride out to the blinds.

It felt good to be back on an air-boat.  Duck hunting the coast and air-boats seem to go hand in hand.  As a teenager, one of my first waterfowling trips was from an air-boat near Matagorda and I was hooked ever since.  Gliding over grass flats and oyster reefs and getting way back into the marsh where you could never get with a bay boat makes you feel like you are almost cheating.  This morning’s ride lasts about thirty minutes as we hug the shorelines and shallows out to the barrier island known as St. Joseph Island.  The boat pulls up to a wood blind with thick bay leaf brushing and there are three dozen decoys already sitting in the water.  I am reminded of a picture by one of my favorite artists, John Cowan, as I survey the scene.  Cowan notes the benefits of using bay leafs for blind brushing as they are perfectly suited for the task.  After unloading, we send the boat on its way and await shooting time.  A few minutes before, we load up our steel shot and wait for the show to begin.

Today’s weather is cool and windy out of the north.  And, it did not take long for the first ducks, a group of Wigeon, to make their way into the decoys and we dispatched two from the group.  Soon after a large flight of green-winged teal sneak in from behind us and somehow we overcame our being startled and took five in a quick volley.  The end of the day had us with Teal, Wigeon and a few obligatory Shovelers on our straps.  Although we saw plenty of Pintail, we did not have them come in close enough to make them our “hunters-choice” ducks.

Despite a full-limit hunt for our three man party, my favorite part of the trip was the boat ride home.  With the boat hugging the shoreline, I looked out ahead and as far as the eye could see were rafting waterfowl.  As our less than stealthy craft approached, the sky turned dark with ducks of all species trying to escape the sudden interruption of their feeding time.  It was good to see their numbers out in force and a reminder that all of the banquet dollars that I personally have contributed to their health was paying off.  The Texas coast is changing and attracting more people.  But, its always refreshing to see some things stay the same like traditional duck hunting lodges, hunting friends, bay-leaf blinds, air boats and miles of rafting ducks!

Earlier this year Texas lost a hero.  But like Texans do, they made sure he would always be remembered in a way that would befit his contributions to the people and wildlife resources of the state.  Justin Hurst, Texas Game Warden, lost his life in a gun battle with a poacher and left behind a legacy as a husband, father and dedicated public servant.   For that, and all that he stood for, Texas Parks & Wildlife named the 15,000 acre Peach Point Wildlife Management Area after him during a ceremony on October 12th, 2007.

Its really hard to connect the dots.  As a hunter, its hard enough to accept a poacher among our ranks.  But, then again, a poacher is not a hunter.  He is a thief and a traitor to the men and women who nurture the tradition along.  And, in the case of this poacher, he can add murderer to a long list of adjectives that we could list here but would not be fit to write.

Justin left behind a family and friends who thought a lot of him.  He earned their respect both professionally and personally.  The next time you hunt waterfowl, say a little prayer for Justin and guys like him.  They represent all the is good and right about Texas and the outdoorsmen who live in it.