North and South Texas hunting reports
January 19th, 2006 by Administrator
Whitetail deer hunting season now is a thing of the past but it left behind many great memories for several hunters who bagged bucks of a lifetime.
Hunters who did not fare well this season have many reasons to give for their misfortune.
First, the unseasonably warm, dry weather conditions that prevailed throughout most of the season in North and South Texas kept many deer from moving about during the daytime hours. Corn feeders were hit by some deer but either ignored or given only nighttime attention by others.
Secondly, there was no major rutting period noticed in some areas. Sure, the deer went into rut at about the same time they generally do in each region, but much of the mating activity took place under the moon.
In some areas, a secondary rut involving does that were not bred during the normal major rutting period took place in late December and early January after many hunters had put their guns away.
Heavy gas and oil exploration in many areas also brought with it heavy traffic from dozers, drillers, equipment carriers, and pumpers — which no doubt caused many deer to become nocturnal.
Nevertheless, many exceptionally trophy bucks were taken this season, including numerous non-typicals in South Texas.
Derrick Soward of Corpus Christi took a late-season buck in San Patricio County that had 12 non-typical points that scored 181 6/8 Boone and Crockett Club points.
The Los Cazadores Deer Contest at Pearsall, recognized as one of the largest contests of its kind, recorded numerous trophy typical and non-typical bucks this season.
Barring any changes, it appears Larry Wilkey of Baytown will retain his first-place standings in the Los Cazadores contest for hunters on low-fence ranches with this year’s largest buck — a non-typical with more than 20 points that scored 238 Boone and Crockett Club points.
Jeanne Rogers of Keller went into the final day of the Los Cazadores contest in second place behind Wilkey with a Webb County non-typical that scored 204 3/8 points.
In the High Fence division, the Los Cazadores’ standings showed Jack Brittingham of Athens in first place with a 19-point Anderson County buck that scored 229 5/8 B&C points.
WATERFOWL HUNTING
The dry, warm weather also has continued to hamper duck and geese hunters throughout the state.
In the High Plains area, the action has remained fairly steady with the geese decoying at a “fair” rate.
In the North Zone, many duck hunters have had to rely upon hunting river and creek bottoms because the flats on the upper reaches of many lakes have dried up.
Stock tanks, which are extremely low, continue to attract gadwalls, blue bills and occasionally mallards and widgeons, but setting up a blind with a few decoys in those places has not been drawing big dividends.
Late-season South Zone duck hunters also have seen their success rates taper off due to drought conditions.
Many small shallow-water lakes and ponds in the South Texas prairie region have become so low that many ducks have begun to concentrate in the bays and shoal grass shoreline areas. Seadrift and Rockport have been two of the best duck hunting areas within the past week.
QUAIL HUNTING
This year’s quail season has been one of the best in recent years and the best areas have included Seymour, Throckmorton, Albany, Coleman, and Ballinger.
Numerous wildfires, however, have hampered hunting prospects in some West Texas areas, and hunters are cautioned to park their vehicles in safe, low-grass areas to help prevent fires that could be caused by their vehicles.
FISHING
The International Game Fish Association’s 2006 World Game Fish Records Book is hot off the press and is a must-see for anyone interested in world-record catches.
The book lists hundreds of world-record catches for saltwater and freshwater fish species. It is available only through a $35 membership with the IGFA. For information, call (954) 927-2628.
A limited-membership fly fishing clinic will be held Feb. 4 at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens for adults 18 and older.
The class will be restricted to 20 participants and will be held from 9 a.m-1 p.m. The cost is $50 per person, which also includes entrance to the center for the day of the class, lunch, and a season pass to the center.
Equipment will be provided for those who do not bring their own.
Participants will be taught equipment selection, knot-tying and casting. They also will be allowed to fish for rainbow trout, largemouth bass and sunfish in the center’s ponds.
Reservations are required and can be made by calling Barry St. Clair at (903) 670-2222.
Bob Hood, (817) 390-7760
bhood@star-telegram.com
Bob Hood’s weekly outdoors reportBy BOB HOODStar-Telegram Staff Writer
The general 2005-2006