Lone Star Outdoor Show

We talk Texas Parks and Wildlife’s winter trout stocking program with Hatcheries Program Leader Carl Kittel of TPWD’s Inland Fisheries Division. Over 300,000 rainbow trout will be stocked at nearly 150 locations throughout Texas this winter. Program Leader Carl Kittel joins is to talk about the program. Where does TPWD get the fish, how big are the stocker trout? What are his favorite baits/lures to catch them on? Next we talk ducks with Edd Hanson of Hanson Outdoors. The longtime duck guide talks about the warm weather and it’s affect on duck migration. This year is becoming known as the “Year of the Gadwall” (pictured below) by many southern duck hunters. The big push of mallards simply hasn’t happened because of a very warm winter. Edd also breaks down his late season decoy spreads and does a calling demo on the air. Hopefully temps will start falling as we move into the last month of the season. We round out the show when North Carolina angler/catfish guide Zakk Royce drops in talk about his fishing tale for the ages! Zakk broke the North Carolina state record for blue catfish last week. And he did it TWICE in a 24 hour period. First with a 91 lb monster and then besting his just certified record with this 105 lb behemoth just hours later. Crazy story and we are thrilled to have Zakk join us to give us all the details from one crazy day on the water. Both fish were certified and released back into the Lake Gaston, N.C. (Zakk with his 105 lb blue cat)

We start things off by welcoming Lake Fork Angler Ronny Norenberg to the show. On Monday, Ronny shattered a 50 year old state record by hauling in this monster channel cat! The new Texas state record. Ronny’s fish tipped the scales at 37.54 lbs- beating the old record by over a pound and crushing the Lake Fork lake record by nearly 20 lbs! Ronny describes the day in detail from weather, to bait, the fight and we get the initial thoughts that went through his head once he landed this awesome beast! Next, former Texas Longhorn and NFL wideout Jordan Shipley drops in to talk some whitetail deer and elk hunting with us. After a short NFL career derailed by injury, Jordan has pursued his other passion and is in his 2nd season as the co host of the Bucks of Tecomate on Outdoor Channel. We discuss bow vs rifle hunting, food plots and even chasing bugling bull elk through the mountains. And of course…I’ll have to whip Jordan with some Baylor football talk lol! We wrap up this broadcast by talking winter largemouth patterns with Skeet Reese. The 2009 Bassmaster Classic Champ and former Angler of the Year tells us where to find fish in cooler water and how to catch them. He also provides insight as to how pro anglers weigh decisions about abandoning one bite or pattern during a tournament in search of a better one…it doesn’t always work out as Skeet eludes to. Lastly we talk Major League Fishing and the format that keeps the audience and anglers on pins and needles during every episode on Outdoor Channel!

Our old friend and respected whitetail authority Dr. James Kroll (AKA Dr. Deer) gets things going for us when we discuss the current whitetail season, which has been a challenging one for many hunters across the southern part of the country. If you have seen sporadic rut activity but no real bona fide 2-3 weeks of hard chasing, then you might have witnessed what many of us saw this year- a “Trickle Rut”. Dr. Deer talks about the multiple reasons for the lack of a real rut. We also discuss one of the whitetail deer’s most treasured food sources. When do deer move off acorns and onto other food? What type of oaks produce the acorns deer desire the most? Do they have a preference? What type of oaks do we have in Texas? We even look at how a hard freeze affects deer and their acorn intake. Next we talk all things sandhill crane hunting with our old friend Greg Pavur of Pavur Outdoors. Greg has been chasing the ‘Ribeye In The Sky’ religiously for nearly a decade now. He shares a wealth of knowledge on how to successfully put these giant, tasty birds on the ground. (Cable with a couple sandhills taken on a crane hunt with Greg) We then jump into some rattling discussion with renown whitetail deer biologist and wildlife management consultant Dr. Mickey Hellickson. Over a three year period, Dr. Hellickson and his peers recorded the results of 171 different rattling sequences performed on the 7,500 acre Welder Wildlife Refuge in South Texas. Dr. Hellickson breaks down what technique rattled in the most bucks, what kind of cloud cover proved the most productive, and whether morning or evenings resulted in the most bucks rattled in. We also talk pre rut, rut and post rut when it comes to which time period in the breeding cycle saw the most MATURE bucks come in. We all know that a good pair of boots goes hand in hand with the outdoor lifestyle that we live day in and day out. So we are thrilled to have our friend Marc Conselman of the Texas Boot Company drop in to talk some hunting/fishing and western heritage with us! Plus, Marc gives us his infamous “Wrought Iron Venison” recipe ( you won’t want to miss it). We are thrilled to announce that the Texas Boot Company is also sponsoring our December Photo of the Month Contest and this month’s winner will get $500 towards ANY pair of boots in stock.

We are joined in studio by Jeremy Denson- owner of Bison Coolers. The outdoor industry is a fun and exciting place and it’s alos very competitive. So we’ll pick Jeremy’s brain on how to successfully carve out a place for yourself or your business in the hunting/fishing industry. Plus we talk some South Dakota pheasant hunting as Jeremy just returned from an epic upland hunt! Then we are joined by Army Bass Anglers Founder and CEO Cody Roberson. Retired Lt Colonel Roberson has been tearing up the largemouth on the Guadelupe River system. We discuss the differences between fishing a smaller river vs a large reservoir this time of year. He also tells us what baits to use and where to find big schools of hungry bucket mouths. Next we check in with Dallas Safari Club Executive Director Ben Carter. Ben just returned from the annual PHASA meetings in South Africa where the main point of contention was hunting lions behind high fences. A practice that both Dallas Safari Club and the Professional Hunters Association of South Africa are distancing from. We discuss hunting ethics and the upcoming Dallas Safari Club convention as well. We wrap up the show with a segment on hunting from Pop Up style ground blinds. I’ll share my own recent personal experience on my whitetail lease as to when and how you should or shouldn’t set up a pop up blind when trying to tag out on that big buck. Hopefully we can dispel a common myth when it comes to pop up blinds.

A fully velvet racked Central Texas buck taken in mid November? Yes indeed! Deer hunter Tye Cooney joins the show to talk about his epic hunt for this 153 inch ‘Cactus Buck’ he took on his family ranch in Coryell County. The buck had previously busted Tye drawing his bow on a prior hunt. What changed on November 18th so that Tye could seal the deal? What did Texas Parks and Wildlife have to say regarding the cause for this rare condition? We get all the details. Next we talk feral hog hunting with our friend and longtime outfitter Greg Pavur of Pavur Outdoors. An invasive species that many Texans take for granted, Greg has hunters from all over the U.S. come hunt feral hogs on his 1,600 acre ranch near Seymour, TX. We discuss feral hog movements and Greg gives some interesting insight into how much these animals move everyday. Greg takes pride in putting his hunters in position to ambush trophy hogs on well used game trails. The Ryan family is synonymous with baseball and the Great Outdoors in the Lone Star State. Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan’s son Reid is the President and GM of the Houston Astros. He talks about building a young Astros team that this past season won the AL Wild Card en route to their first playoff appearance since 2005. We also discuss the role that hunting had in the Ryan household during Reid’s upbringing. A former hunting show host, Reid is all about big bucks and he prefers to rattle ’em in! We wrap thing up when our old friend and living waterfowl relic ‘Duck G’ of G&H Decoys stops by. Nearly 82 years old, Duck is the 3rd generation owner of G&H which was founded by his dad and grandfather in 1934. Still American made and American proud, G&H makes the most durable waterfowl decoy on the market. Always, the innovator, Duck discusses the changes he’s witnessed in the decoy industry and waterfowling in general. We discuss the brand new for this season Navigator motorized swimming decoy. We will also give a Navigator away during our visit!

We start things off by talking quail and pheasant with our Texas Parks and Wildlife Upland Game Bird Program Leader -Robert Perez. What did the spring rains mean for nesting success? How did the Texas Parks and Wildlife survey numbers look this fall? Robert gives us his fearless forecast for the 2015 season. Then we talk winter time catfish with longtime catfish guide and outdoor writer Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service. With the first significant cold front of the fall pushing through, it means the blue cat bite will start to heat up. Chad breaks down where to find good numbers, what bait to use and how important the correct hook selection is when it comes to increasing your percentage of successful hook ups. Next, we are joined by Eric from Coyote Rifle Works. We discuss suppressors and other Class 3 NFA Weapons. It is legal to hunt with suppressed firearms in 37 states and legal to own them in 41 states. Eric explains how to go about setting up a trust that will allow you and other individuals in the trust to possess these items. Suppressors have gained widespread popularity among the hunting/shooting community because they reduce recoil, trigger flinch and muzzle blast. Be sure to use the promo code “LONESTAR” when you go to www.coyoterifleworks.com to set up your trust- great discount opportunity exclusive to our listeners. We round out the broadcast when outdoor writer Ryan Lisson stops in to discuss some tips for effectively trailing a wounded deer. Anyone who hunts enough has been in the situation where a marginal shot was made and no significant blood trail exists. But if you follow some specific steps, a full recovery of the animal is often possible.

Our friend and custom gun builder Derrick Ratliff of Horizon Firearms drops in to discuss the validity of the brand new .28 Nosler round that took has really shaken things up within the hunting community in 2015. Is it a viable long range hunting round? What implications does this round have for other popular big game rounds? Derrick breaks down the pros and cons of the all new .28 Nosler. Then one of our oldest friends makes his return to the broadcast when renown professional hunter and conservationist Jim Shockey drops in. We discuss his favorite hunt of 2015, unrest in the Middle East and it’s affect on big game hunters and how Jim stays in top hunting shape at 57 years young. Plus, he gives us his thoughts on wolves and the all new Jim Shockey Signature Series ‘Titan’ knife from Havalon. We wrap things up by hitting the salt flats with Captain Len Girard who joins us live from the Texas coast. Redfish are on fire right now! Captain Len talks about this late arriving winter and how it’s affecting/altering normal patterns. Trout and black drum are also in the bays in good numbers. Captain Len tells us where to find ’em and what he’s catching ’em on.

We start things off when Todd Porter – Secretary of the Texas Lacy Game Dog Association drops by the studio with his dog Bois. The Blue Lacy is the official state dog of Texas and they are regarded as great bay dogs for hog hunters as well as blood tracking dogs for all manner of wounded game. We get into the breed’s history and what these working dogs have to offer the outdoorsman/woman. Me and Bois (short for Bois D’Arc) in the studio. Then we are joined by longtime outdoorsman Bob Richardson- host of “Scentblocker’s Most Wanted” on Outdoor Channel. We discuss the rut and how it affects buck movement and the likelihood that they will expand their home range for about a month each year when their hormone level is at an all time high. We also hear the story of how Bob was able to put his tag on the legendary Picket Fence Buck- A 194 inch free range typical monster! Lastly, we get into a crazy black bear story that ends up with a 300 lb male blackbear coming into Bob’s ground blind and trying to steal is IPAD- you can’t make this up! It’s all on film and Bob explains what he did to lure the bear so close (too close to be exact!). Bob with the Pickett Fence Buck: We round out the show talking early winter bass patterns with renown tournament angler and guide Charles Whited of Barefoot Fishing Tours. Where is he finding the big girls and what are they biting on? Lately the key revolves around white bass. Charles explains why that is. The reigning Texas Tournament Zone Angler of the Year also happens to be on a solid crappie bite so we might mix in some slabbin’ discussion as well. One of Charles’ anglers with a recent Lake Austin 8 lb’er!

Our old friend and avid bird hunter Evan Felker of the Turnpike Troubadours kicks things off for us this week. The band’s new self titled record went to #3 on the Billboard country chart- not bad for a self produced/released record from some Oklahoma good ol boys! Evan and the guys went about this record in a very rural manner, spending a month recording/producing it on an old Northern California chicken farm. (Evan doing what he does best) If you’ve listened to the the first track on the new record, then you probably gather that Evan is a passionate outdoorsman as well. We take a listen to the brand new tune “The Bird Hunters”. Then we cut up and rehash some of our favorite hunts from this fall. We also Evan’s thoughts on everything from bobwhite quail numbers rebounding to what ducks he has mounted at his house. Hell, he even gives us his favorite duck recipe and talks about his passion for raising and hunting over his German Wirehair Pointers. The we run some jug lines with Louisiana Sportsman columnist and lifelong outdoorsman Josh Chauvin. Josh has been running jug/noodle lines for catfish for years and he sheds some insight on his typical set up from bait, line choice, hook, leader to depth and how keeps thieves from stealing his catch and worse, his gear. We also get this native Cajuns favorite turtle recipe (another of his favorite things to run traps for). Check out Josh’s “Apex Predator” column at www.louisianasportsman.com We round out the broadcast by talking Central Flyway waterfowl with Texas Parks and Wildlife Small Game and Migratory Bird Program Leader Dave Morrison. Dave recently returned from the Central Flyway Commission meeting and we discuss some changes in the way they outline season dates/bag limits. We also dive into how the prediction of an “El Nino” winter will affect the upcoming duck season. Other things we hit on include: short stopping waterfowl, global warming’s effect on southern nesting ducks and the plight of the mottled duck in the Gulf Coast region.

We start things when lifelong shotgunning enthusiast and Higgins Branchini Shooting Foundation founder Mike Higgins drops by the studio. The foundation provides grants/financial assistance to competitive collegiate shotgunners. The foundation is a 501c3 non profit and is the only organization of it’s kind in the country. Mike tells us why he was inspired to start this organization and describes how the foundation awards grant money to potential applicants. Lets face it, ammo isn’t cheap these days and young shooters need all the help they can get. Next we are joined by longtime coastal fishing guide and outdoor writer Robert Sloan out of Port O’Connor, TX. His recent article in Texas Outdoors Journal explains why he feels the Dorado (dolphin fish, mahi mahi) is the ultimate sport fish. We pick his brain on what makes the dorado such a great sport fish, and how he consistently catches them – from bait and tackle to finding big schools and keeping them at the boat- it’s gonna be a good one! Next we discuss being dropped in the Alaskan bush for 28 days with nothing but a rifle and a fishing pole with Casey Keefer. The all new season of Dropped premiered on The Sportsman Channel this week and we discuss what made the “Dropped Project Be Alive” installment different from the previous seasons. Anyway you slice it, 28 days in the Alaskan bush with no food and only a couple tags (moose, caribou and blackbear) to punch and live off of is quite an undertaking. Casey also recounts his close encounter with this wolf, one that ended in him dispatching the beast at 8 feet with his 10mm pistol. We wrap up the broadcast when I recap my experience hunting at the Star S Ranch in Mason, TX this past week. After two days of hard glassing and lots of miles on the tires, I was able to take this mature gemsbok bull. There is no doubt that the Star S is a one of a kind place dedicated to the conservation of many African species and truly is Texas’ Safari Company.

We talk all things whitetail deer with Texas Parks and Wildlife Whitetail deer program leader Alan Cain. ​ With the spring rain of 2015, how does he predict antler growth and overall deer health will look this fall? Does Alan think deer will be hitting feeders and food plots more or less than in recent seasons? Also, we get into the CWD positive tests out of Medina County and what TPWD plans to do from a testing standpoint. Lastly, we talk coyotes and the affect they can have on a whitetail population on both small and larger properties. ​ Then we discuss taxidermy field care tips with longtime taxidermist Becky Guenther of Rustic Reminders Taxidermy in Marion, TX. Once you have that trophy buck on the ground or that fish of a lifetime in the boat, what steps should you take to ensure it gets to the taxidermist in the best shape possible? Where should you make your incisions on the cape? How much cape should you leave? Can you get it wet? What if your in the mountains and can’t get it on ice for multiple days? Becky gives us the answers plus the steps we should take when handling that trophy fish as well. We wrap up the show by recapping our friend Lee Hoffpauir’s Alaskan coastal brown bear hunt.​ We’ll hit on the logistics of cost, travel and the hunt itself. ​ ​Also, what caliber rifle did he take and would he go bigger if he had to do it over again? What about getting his hide/skull prepared and shipped all the way back to Texas? ​ It’s gonna be a good one!

We start things off by taking fall crappie fishing with 7 time Crappie Anglers of Texas Angler of the Year Paul O’Bier. What do cooler temps mean for fall slab patterns? What about when reservoirs begin to ‘turn over’ as they do each fall- how does that affect the bit and movements of big papermouths? Paul also gives us his favorite baits and tips on where to look for crappie this time of year. With archery season finally opening up in most places we are thrilled to have Midwest Whitetails’ Bill Winke make his return to the show. The longtime writer and tv show host is one of the most respected big buck hunters in North America, and we pick his brain on hunting the pre-rut, calling, understanding how deer use topography to move through a property and much more! We wrap thing up when our old friend Captain Len Girard joins us live from the Texas coast. Has the Red Tide really been as devastating to fish populations as everyone seems to think? Captain Len offers some insight from someone who is on the water everyday and seeing it first hand. We also find out where he is catching healthy numbers of trout, redfish and flounder, and which live baits and artificials are resulting in the most hook ups.

This week we change things up and dedicate the entire episode to Western big game discussion- specifically elk hunting. Many of you followed along in the journey with myself, David and Chisum. From the time we drew our New Mexico archery elk tags, to the physical training, gear preparation, bow fine tuning and every other aspect of planning this on your own public land hunt that took place the first week of September. So, this week we get three hunter’s perspectives on how that week in the mountains would ultimately play out. There were highs and lows for each of us, and we pushed our bodies until we broke and then pushed even harder. We start things off with my reflection on what truly was the hunt of my lifetime. I had the two best hunting companions I could ask for and ended up taking this 5 x 5 at 18 yards on the 3rd day of the hunt. Redemption was the theme for me after missing a bull in this exact same unit last season. Next we check in with my lifelong friend and wildlife biologist David Morgan (the person largely responsible for getting me hooked on hunting a dozen or so years ago). I can honestly say that I have never hunted with a better woodsman or hunter than David and I believe Chisum would say the same. However, there is no guarantee with a bow and arrow and this hunt would prove to be one of heartache for Dave after he hit a 5 x 5 a little forward on Wednesday. We get David’s thoughts on what happened with that shot and what he would do differently. We certainly appreciate him having the stones to come on the show and discuss the shot. A veteran bow hunter, who has taken countless deer, hogs and turkey with his bow- David hadn’t lost an animal in years. We tracked his bull for 2 1/2 days before the blood trail finally vanished. As ethical as they come, he put his bow down without hesitation after drawing blood and spent the rest of the hunt helping us out in any way he could. (David did take this awesome 6 x 6 on opening morning of New Mexico’s muzzleloader season last fall in the same unit we bow hunted this year). New to mountain hunting, my college friend and longtime hunting buddy Chisum Cooke was the most excited of the three of us to learn we drew tags. Don’t get me wrong, I like bow hunting alot- but Chisum is obsessed with all things archery. He even has his own archery blog: www.devotedarcher.com. Throughout preparing for this hunt, we all kept each other accountable on the physical fitness side of things, but it was Chisum who would beat me over the head on an almost daily basis to make sure my bow was fine tuned and broadheads flying perfectly (which I am eternally grateful he did). His first foray into mountain hunting was full of highs and lows, from being the person to find my bull after I shot it, to the other end of the spectrum and having a bona fide 6 x 6 bull of a lifetime at 8 yards and not being able to get a shot off. We get his take on the entire experience and how we used everything we learned over the course of the week to formulate a plan for the last day of the hunt. A plan that played out to a ‘T’ and resulted in a 15 yard heart shot on this 5 x 5 bull. Congrats brother! So, if you’ve listened to the podcast by now I hope you realize that we are in no way tooting our own horns here, we are far from expert elk hunters. Dedicated, for sure- experts, far from it. And if there is one thing all of us want for you to take from this episode it’s that you are as capable of as any of the three of us at taking...

Louisiana native Josh Carney -AKA ‘The Son of the South’ gets this going for us. A lifelong hunter, Josh was accidentally shot by his father and paralyzed in a hunting accident at the age of 13. But overcoming all odds, Josh is making a name for himself in the outdoor industry. One of the shotgun pellets that nearly cost him his life actually altered his vocal chords and he now has the ability to create some incredibly realistic wildlife vocalizations. From, turkey to geese and everything in between, Josh does some live calling demos for us on the air (he called in 67 turkeys last season using nothing but his voice!). We talk about the obstacles he has to overcome but how his love for hunting (especially bow hunting) fuels his daily life. A seasoned cameraman, he gives us some videography tips for those of us wishing to film our own hunts. At the 2014 ATA show, people began to notice Josh had a gift and special charm about him. So much so, that NRA All Access Television on Outdoor Channel did a feature on Josh and his family. The jack of all trades was even awarded a scholarship and shoots on the Bethel College archery team. I am not sure what the future holds for the young man, but I know it’s bright! Next, we discuss our artificial reef system off the Texas coast with Texas Parks and Wildlife Artificial Reef Program Leader Dale Shively. It’s no secret that the oil platforms and other man made structures that exist off the Texas coast have resulted in the world’s largest reef system. Dale talks about some ongoing projects where new reefs are being put in and on who’s dime. (You might be surprised to find out who is footing the bill). We discuss the reef system’s financial impact resulting from sport fishing and the species that anglers target while fishing these man made structures. Dale discusses the interesting process by which defunct oil platforms are ‘reefed’. Lastly, Dale talks about a new red snapper tracking program. A research project that could be instrumental in Gulf Coast states taking control of snapper fisheries (outside of 9 nautical miles) from the feds. Something that we all want! Our longtime friend and Mossberg Firearms Director of Media Relations Linda Powell rounds out the show. A passionate big game hunter, Linda talks about the new Mossberg Patriot line of rifles- including the .375 Ruger- a caliber she hopes to test out on an Alaskan brown bear in the coming weeks. Now in their 96th year, OF Mossberg & Sons has long been known for their shotgun line up as well. Linda has some news to share with us on the front as well regarding the Duck Commander Pro Series line- exciting stuff as we will be giving away a Duck Commander Pro Series Semi Auto 12 Gauge this month!