Texas Hunting Leases

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 Parks and Wildlife has published and posted its new Waterfowl Digest on its website.   This  publication is usually published after the Outdoor Annual which contains the majority of Texas’ hunting and fishing rules and regulations.   This year’s waterfowl regulations carry few changes and hunter’s choice is still in effect.

The regular season opening for the Texas waterfowl season begins with the High Plains Unit on October 25th.  It is also the special Youth Season opener for the rest of the state.  Preliminary reports of birds being sighted around the sate already include many species of ducks and geese.  Forecasts for birds are favorable due recent rains and increased planting of rice crops in SE Texas.

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas waterfowl hunters will once again have the Hunter’s Choice bag limit during the 2008-09 seasons. The Central Flyway, of which Texas is a member, will be allowed to complete the three-year experimental Hunter’s Choice bag limit pilot this season despite a decline in canvasback breeding population numbers that mandate a conservative harvest federal framework.

“The other flyways came out in strong support of the Hunter’s Choice experiment in the Central Flyway,” said Dave Morrison, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department waterfowl program leader. “We gave up some things the last couple of years in order to get the Hunter’s Choice and I think they recognized the sacrifices our Flyway has made.”

The Hunter’s Choice allows hunters to shoot five ducks daily, but only one in the aggregate of certain species. In the aggregate category, that one bird could be either a pintail, or a canvasback, or a “dusky duck” (mottled, black duck or Mexican-like duck) or a hen mallard.

All other flyways will see a closed season on canvasbacks and a more restricted season for scaup.

The general duck season length will be the same as last year in the North and South Zones at 74 days and 89 days in the High Plains Mallard Management Unit.

“In the High Plains, the season will be 7 days shorter than last year because we’re taking advantage of a 16-day teal season,” said Morrison.

This year’s North American waterfowl spring breeding population survey showed populations of the 10 most popular duck species was down 9 percent below last year, but remains11 percent above the long-term average with an estimated 37.3 million birds.

“The breeding population is similar to last year, but I expect production to be down and there probably will be fewer young birds heading our way,” Morrison noted. “I would not expect the season to be as good as last year for that reason, but I could be wrong. It depends on what happens up and down the country and how weather condition and food resources play out.”

Following is a rundown of the proposed Texas waterfowl hunting seasons: The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission will finalize the waterfowl hunting season regulations at its Aug. 21 public meeting in Houston.

2008-2009 Waterfowl Hunting Season Dates
(Shooting Hours: ½ hour before sunrise to sunset)

Ducks
Duck Daily Bag Limit: The daily bag limit shall be 5 ducks with the following species and sex restrictions — 2 scaup, 2 redhead, 2 wood duck; only 1 from the following aggregate bag: 1 hen mallard, or 1 pintail, or 1 canvasback, or 1 dusky duck (mottled duck, Mexican like duck, black duck and their hybrids), all other ducks not listed — 5. Merganser Daily Bag Limit: 5 in the aggregate, to include no more than 2 hooded mergansers. Possession Limit: Twice the daily bag limit.

High Plains Mallard Management Unit
Youth — Oct. 18–19, 2008
Regular Gun — Oct. 25–26, 2008; Oct. 31, 2008–Jan. 25, 2009
North Zone
Youth — Oct. 25–26, 2008
Regular Gun — Nov. 1–30, 2008; Dec. 13, 2008–Jan. 25, 2009
Falconry — Jan. 26–Feb. 9, 2009
South Zone
Youth — Oct. 25–26, 2008
Regular Gun — Nov. 1–30, 2008; Dec. 13, 2008–Jan. 25, 2009
Falconry — Jan. 26–Feb. 9, 2009

Geese With Conservation Order
Possession Limit: Twice the daily bag limit for dark geese, no possession limit for light geese.

West Zone
West Zone Daily Bag Limit: Light geese — 20 in the aggregate; Dark geese — 4 Canada and 1 white-fronted goose.

Light and Dark Geese — Nov. 8, 2008–Feb. 8, 2009
Light Geese (Conservation Order) — Feb. 9, 2009–March 29, 2009
East Zone
East Zone Daily Bag Limit: Light geese — 20 in the aggregate; 3 Canada geese and 2 White-fronted geese.

Light Geese, White-fronted Goose, Canada Goose — Nov. 1, 2008–Jan. 25, 2009; Nov. 1, 2008–Jan. 11, 2009; Nov. 1, 2008–Jan. 25, 2009
Light Geese (Conservation Order) — Jan. 26–Mar. 29, 2009
Sandhill Crane
Zone A — Nov. 8, 2008–Feb. 8, 2009 — Bag Limits: 3 daily, 6 in possession
Zone B — Nov. 28, 2008–Feb. 8, 2009 — Bag Limits: 3 daily, 6 in possession
Zone C — Dec. 20, 2008–Jan. 25, 2009 — Bag Limits: 2 daily, 4 in possession
Public comment about the waterfowl proposals will be accepted through Aug. 18. Comments should be sent by e-mail to dave.morrison@tpwd.state.tx.us or by regular mail to Dave Morrison, TPWD Waterfowl Program Leader, 4200 Smith School Rd., Austin, TX 78744. Input may also be made online via the Public Comment link on the TPWD Web site home page.