Lone Star Outdoor Show

Podcast: So much to get into this week! We kick it off by talkin’ some bass fishing with Lone Star Outdoor News Reporter John Keith. His recent article “Trading Birdies For Bass” shed light on the largely untapped resource of golf course bass fishing. Most of these ponds receive little to no pressure and the bass are hungry and aggressive! Find a golf course near you and throw out your favorite bait- I bet you will be surprised at the results. My dad and I hit an area course last week and caught about 25 fish between us. Dad caught this one on a crankbait. Then we change it up and talk wingshooting with a living legend. You might know him as an oil tycoon and businessman, but T. Boone Pickens is about as passionate a dove and quail hunter ever to hold a shotgun. He hasn’t missed a dove opener or a quail season in 74 years and he has no plans to slow down now. We reflect on the good old days, bird dogs, and quail conservation with a man represents what it means to be a sportsman in every sense of the word. We then round out the broadcast by talking retrievers with Mike Walden- President of the Big D Hunting Retriever Club. We discuss some of the club’s upcoming events as well as their goals and mission. Whether you want to train your dog for hunt tests or just want some passionate retriever owners to learn from and train with, the Big D HRC is a great organization. No matter where you live in Texas, there are similar clubs out there. I encourage everyone to get plugged in with some like minded retriever enthusiasts. Mike running his dog Hooch at a recent hunt test.

Podcast: Episode 134 So much to get into this week! We kick it off by talkin’ some bass fishing with Lone Star Outdoor News Reporter John Keith. His recent article “Trading Birdies For Bass” shed light on the largely untapped resource of golf course bass fishing. Most of these ponds receive little to no pressure and the bass are hungry and aggressive! Find a golf course near you and throw out your favorite bait- I bet you will be surprised at the results. My dad and I hit an area course last week and caught about 25 fish between us. Dad caught this one on a crankbait. Then we change it up and talk wingshooting with a living legend. You might know him as an oil tycoon and businessman, but T. Boone Pickens is about as passionate a dove and quail hunter ever to hold a shotgun. He hasn’t missed a dove opener or a quail season in 74 years and he has no plans to slow down now. We reflect on the good old days, bird dogs, and quail conservation with a man represents what it means to be a sportsman in every sense of the word. We then round out the broadcast by talking retrievers with Mike Walden- President of the Big D Hunting Retriever Club. We discuss some of the club’s upcoming events as well as their goals and mission. Whether you want to train your dog for hunt tests or just want some passionate retriever owners to learn from and train with, the Big D HRC is a great organization. No matter where you live in Texas, there are similar clubs out there. I encourage everyone to get plugged in with some like minded retriever enthusiasts. Mike running his dog Hooch at a recent hunt test.

Podcast: Episode 133 Dove season is almost here! Hope you’ve been shooting plenty of skeet. We kick things off with dove outfitter David Grey of Dove Blasters. David is a longtime Texas dove hunter and we pick his brain on everything pertaining to hunting this delicious little feathered quarry. What does he look for in a dove field and how does he decide where to set up once he has a field picked out? All that and a whole lot more with a dove hunting authority. David with man’s best friend after a good day in the dove field. Then we talk some summertime bass fishing with one of the best bass anglers to ever wet a line. Weatherford, TX resident Gary Klein has won two BASS Angler of Year awards, has won a BASS tournament in each of 4 decades and has qualified for 29 Bassmaster Classics! To say he knows bucketmouths in an understatement. Gary talks about the Elite Series, Major League Fishing and he gives us his favorite late summer techniques to land big bass. Then we once again get back into dove hunting mode when Texas Parks and Wildlife Dove Program Leader Corey Mason drops in. A longtime friend of the program Corey pretty much knows all there is to know about our Texas dove populations. What does he expect this season compared to last year? We also talk dove banding and research. We’ll even hit on the ever expanding range of my favorite species- the white winged dove. Photo of this beautiful white wing – by Russell Graves.

Podcast: Dove season is almost here! Hope you’ve been shooting plenty of skeet. We kick things off with dove outfitter David Grey of Dove Blasters. David is a longtime Texas dove hunter and we pick his brain on everything pertaining to hunting this delicious little feathered quarry. What does he look for in a dove field and how does he decide where to set up once he has a field picked out? All that and a whole lot more with a dove hunting authority. David with man’s best friend after a good day in the dove field. Then we talk some summertime bass fishing with one of the best bass anglers to ever wet a line. Weatherford, TX resident Gary Klein has won two BASS Angler of Year awards, has won a BASS tournament in each of 4 decades and has qualified for 29 Bassmaster Classics! To say he knows bucketmouths in an understatement. Gary talks about the Elite Series, Major League Fishing and he gives us his favorite late summer techniques to land big bass. Then we once again get back into dove hunting mode when Texas Parks and Wildlife Dove Program Leader Corey Mason drops in. A longtime friend of the program Corey pretty much knows all there is to know about our Texas dove populations. What does he expect this season compared to last year? We also talk dove banding and research. We’ll even hit on the ever expanding range of my favorite species- the white winged dove. Photo of this beautiful white wing – by Russell Graves.

Podcast: Episode 132 We kick it off by talking a little music and a whole lot of outdoors with country music superstar Craig Morgan. A lifelong hunter with 10 years of active service in the U.S. Army- Craig was an outdoorsman long before he hit it big in Nashville. This fall Craig will begin filming for season 4 of “Craig Morgan- All Access Outdoors” which airs on Outdoor Channel. Then a real treat when former pro golfer turned golf analyst turned talk show host and avid outdoorsman David Feherty drops in! A native of Northern Ireland- David is one of those folks who “Isn’t from Texas, but got here as fast as they could.” David is never short for words and always entertaining as heck. He gives us the lowdown on what to expect on season 3 of “Feherty’ which airs on Golf Channel. We also get into David’s real passions which happen to be flyfishing, wingshooting and riddling feral hogs full of .50 caliber bullet holes! You don’t want to miss our chat with one of golf’s biggest personalities. We round out the show by talking food plots with Dr. James Kroll who was nice enough to come back on the show for the second week in a row after we ran outta time last week- just too much to discuss concerning feral hogs preying on fawns! Anyway- this week it’s all food plots. When should you plant your fall crop, what percentage of your ranch or lease should be planted and what should you plant in your region of the state? Great stuff from Dr. Deer and his 40 years of experience as a whitetail biologist.

Podcast: We kick it off by talking a little music and a whole lot of outdoors with country music superstar Craig Morgan. A lifelong hunter with 10 years of active service in the U.S. Army- Craig was an outdoorsman long before he hit it big in Nashville. This fall Craig will begin filming for season 4 of “Craig Morgan- All Access Outdoors” which airs on Outdoor Channel. Then a real treat when former pro golfer turned golf analyst turned talk show host and avid outdoorsman David Feherty drops in! A native of Northern Ireland- David is one of those folks who “Isn’t from Texas, but got here as fast as they could.” David is never short for words and always entertaining as heck. He gives us the lowdown on what to expect on season 3 of “Feherty’ which airs on Golf Channel. We also get into David’s real passions which happen to be flyfishing, wingshooting and riddling feral hogs full of .50 caliber bullet holes! You don’t want to miss our chat with one of golf’s biggest personalities. We round out the show by talking food plots with Dr. James Kroll who was nice enough to come back on the show for the second week in a row after we ran outta time last week- just too much to discuss concerning feral hogs preying on fawns! Anyway- this week it’s all food plots. When should you plant your fall crop, what percentage of your ranch or lease should be planted and what should you plant in your region of the state? Great stuff from Dr. Deer and his 40 years of experience as a whitetail biologist.

Podcast: Episode 131 We kick things off by talking hybrids with Flatline Guide Service’s Jeff Sanderson. Hybrid stripers are a cross between a sandbass and striped bass and are one of the most sought after freshwater sport fish in Texas. Credit TPWD for their great stocking program as these fish are incapable of reproducing. They grow fast, fight hard and thrive in many Texas reservoirs. Jeff grew up on Cooper Lake and he knows all there is to know concerning these awesome fish! We talk baits, techniques and a whole lot more! Jeff and myself after our recent trip on Cooper. Then a real treat when our longtime friend and whitetail biologist Dr. James Kroll (AKA ‘Dr. Deer’) drops in to talk about increasing trend of feral hogs preying on whitetail fawns. Always opportunistic, hogs will eat anything but after this past year’s drought- it seems like they may be seeking out fawns at a greater frequency than in previous years. What if anything can be done about this trend? Should Texas implement a bounty program. What about poison? Dr. Kroll breaks it down for us as images like this one are becoming more and more common: Then our buddy Captain Len Girard joins us from Corpus Christi to talk redfish, trout and flounder. The reds are starting to make their runs back into the shallows and are showing up in good numbers. Captain Len tells us what baits are hot and where to find ‘em! Then we round out the show when Texas Deer Association Auction Manager Vance Runnels stops by to talk about the TDA and this year’s convention. The TDA is a great Texas based organization dedicated to furthering our passion for deer in the Lone Star State. This year marks their 14th annual convention and if you haven’t been to this event before you are missing out my friends! Genetics auctions, seminars, kid friendly events all make up what will no doubt be one heck of a weekend.

Podcast: We kick things off by talking hybrids with Flatline Guide Service’s Jeff Sanderson. Hybrid stripers are a cross between a sandbass and striped bass and are one of the most sought after freshwater sport fish in Texas. Credit TPWD for their great stocking program as these fish are incapable of reproducing. They grow fast, fight hard and thrive in many Texas reservoirs. Jeff grew up on Cooper Lake and he knows all there is to know concerning these awesome fish! We talk baits, techniques and a whole lot more! Jeff and myself after our recent trip on Cooper. Then a real treat when our longtime friend and whitetail biologist Dr. James Kroll (AKA ‘Dr. Deer’) drops in to talk about increasing trend of feral hogs preying on whitetail fawns. Always opportunistic, hogs will eat anything but after this past year’s drought- it seems like they may be seeking out fawns at a greater frequency than in previous years. What if anything can be done about this trend? Should Texas implement a bounty program. What about poison? Dr. Kroll breaks it down for us as images like this one are becoming more and more common: Then our buddy Captain Len Girard joins us from Corpus Christi to talk redfish, trout and flounder. The reds are starting to make their runs back into the shallows and are showing up in good numbers. Captain Len tells us what baits are hot and where to find ’em! Then we round out the show when Texas Deer Association Auction Manager Vance Runnels stops by to talk about the TDA and this year’s convention. The TDA is a great Texas based organization dedicated to furthering our passion for deer in the Lone Star State. This year marks their 14th annual convention and if you haven’t been to this event before you are missing out my friends! Genetics auctions, seminars, kid friendly events all make up what will no doubt be one heck of a weekend.

Podcast: Episode 130 Off the top, Delta Waterfowl Associate Editor Tyler Shoberg drops in. His recent article concerning blue green algae blooms just might save your retriever’s life. Common in Texas when temperatures reach the 80′s and higher- blue green algae is 20 times more toxic than cyanide! Due to weather conditions this year is especially bad for these deadly algae blooms. Tyler breaks it down for us. Rule of thumb though- if you wouldn’t swim in it neither should your dog. Nasty stuff. Then a special in studio guest joins us. Scotty Thurman of Scotty Thurman & The Perfect Trouble Band is here to talk some hunting, fishing and play some great Texas Country Music. Scotty talks about how he got started in country music which ironically began in Germany while he was stationed there with U.S. Army. This jack of all trades can also call in gobblers with just his mouth. No call! We’ll see if we can get him to give us his best hen call on the air. For years deer hunters have been warned about the dangers of Chronic Wasting Disease. Last week, Texas had their first ever positive test for CWD. Two West, Texas mule deer were found to be carrying the fatal disease. There is no cure and CWD can spread to other animals rapidly. These Texas mule deer were infected by New Mexico mule deer and the key now is to keep the disease from spreading to other mulies and eventually into our whitetail herd. TPWD’s Wildlife Division Director Clayton Wolf joins us to discuss their plan of action and how hunters will be essential in stopping the spread of CHD in Texas. If you see an emaciated, slobbering deer like the one below please contact TPWD immediately @ 512-389-8092. We then finish things off by talking summertime bass techniques and baits with our longtime friend of the show- Lake Fork Guide Heath Hardwick. Also, Heath talks about the importance of being able to use your electronics effectively during the summer. Being able to understand what you are seeing on the graph and what it means exactly will help you catch more fish!

Podcast: Off the top, Delta Waterfowl Associate Editor Tyler Shoberg drops in. His recent article concerning blue green algae blooms just might save your retriever’s life. Common in Texas when temperatures reach the 80’s and higher- blue green algae is 20 times more toxic than cyanide! Due to weather conditions this year is especially bad for these deadly algae blooms. Tyler breaks it down for us. Rule of thumb though- if you wouldn’t swim in it neither should your dog. Nasty stuff. Then a special in studio guest joins us. Scotty Thurman of Scotty Thurman & The Perfect Trouble Band is here to talk some hunting, fishing and play some great Texas Country Music. Scotty talks about how he got started in country music which ironically began in Germany while he was stationed there with U.S. Army. This jack of all trades can also call in gobblers with just his mouth. No call! We’ll see if we can get him to give us his best hen call on the air. For years deer hunters have been warned about the dangers of Chronic Wasting Disease. Last week, Texas had their first ever positive test for CWD. Two West, Texas mule deer were found to be carrying the fatal disease. There is no cure and CWD can spread to other animals rapidly. These Texas mule deer were infected by New Mexico mule deer and the key now is to keep the disease from spreading to other mulies and eventually into our whitetail herd. TPWD’s Wildlife Division Director Clayton Wolf joins us to discuss their plan of action and how hunters will be essential in stopping the spread of CHD in Texas. If you see an emaciated, slobbering deer like the one below please contact TPWD immediately @ 512-389-8092. We then finish things off by talking summertime bass techniques and baits with our longtime friend of the show- Lake Fork Guide Heath Hardwick. Also, Heath talks about the importance of being able to use your electronics effectively during the summer. Being able to understand what you are seeing on the graph and what it means exactly will help you catch more fish!

Podcast: Episode 129 Gonna be a very educational show this week. We kick it off when longtime dog trainer Roger Sigler of Antler Ridge Antler Dogs drops in. Roger has devoted the last 6 years to training dogs to find shed antlers. Shed hunting has long been a favorite pastime of deer enthusiasts and a good dog can make it that much better. Plus, whitetail antlers is big business these days. A matching pair of sheds recently sold for 19K at auction! Roger after a successful day of shed hunting: Then we get into a very disturbing trend w/ U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. They budgeted $24.6 million in taxpayer dollars for court fees in 2012! Environmental groups keep suing them faster than they can settle the cases. To the tune of 300 court cases a year. Texas General Land Office Commissioner Jerry Patterson recently went to D.C. to testify before the House Resource Committee on the issue and he joins us to elaborate on a system that is clearly broken. Those funds should be spent on research and conservation. Not on legal fees! We round out the broadcast when the father/son combo Walter & Robert Blackburn join us to talk some bowfishing. 15 year old Robert has a list of bowfishing records longer than you can shake a stick at. Including Texas records and the world record all tackle tilapia which he arrowed in 2008. Walter is also the president of the Texas Bowfishing Association. Robert with the world record tilapia: This deadly duo is dedicated to the sport and also aid in the removal of invasive species like these South American plecostomus that have infested Lake Dunlop. I would say this was a pretty good outing!

Podcast: Gonna be a very educational show this week. We kick it off when longtime dog trainer Roger Sigler of Antler Ridge Antler Dogs drops in. Roger has devoted the last 6 years to training dogs to find shed antlers. Shed hunting has long been a favorite pastime of deer enthusiasts and a good dog can make it that much better. Plus, whitetail antlers is big business these days. A matching pair of sheds recently sold for 19K at auction! Roger after a successful day of shed hunting: Then we get into a very disturbing trend w/ U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. They budgeted $24.6 million in taxpayer dollars for court fees in 2012! Environmental groups keep suing them faster than they can settle the cases. To the tune of 300 court cases a year. Texas General Land Office Commissioner Jerry Patterson recently went to D.C. to testify before the House Resource Committee on the issue and he joins us to elaborate on a system that is clearly broken. Those funds should be spent on research and conservation. Not on legal fees! We round out the broadcast when the father/son combo Walter & Robert Blackburn join us to talk some bowfishing. 15 year old Robert has a list of bowfishing records longer than you can shake a stick at. Including Texas records and the world record all tackle tilapia which he arrowed in 2008. Walter is also the president of the Texas Bowfishing Association. Robert with the world record tilapia: This deadly duo is dedicated to the sport and also aid in the removal of invasive species like these South American plecostomus that have infested Lake Dunlop. I would say this was a pretty good outing!

Podcast: Episode 128 We have a ton to get into this week and we start by talking hunting dogs w/ Warner Smith of Tri-Tronics. Whether you hunt retrievers, pointers, blood trackers or hounds- every hunting dog owner can benefit from an electronic collar. E-collars were first developed by Tri-Tronics in the 1960s and have come a long way since then! No matter what brand you choose, E-collars are an invaluable tool for the hunting dog and dog owner. Maverick, Belle and I pheasant hunting in the Texas Panhandle- they never leave home without their Tri-Tronics Sport Basics. Then a special in studio guest drops in. Phil Hamilton is tearing up the Texas Music Chart and the Texas music scene. He talks about the new record Renegade Rock N Roll, life on the round and of course his passion for hunting- especially waterfowling. Phil used to work at Cabela’s just to support his duck hunting addiction! So get ready for some great Texas tunes and hunting talk Phil. Then we round out the show with one of the outdoor industry’s biggest rising stars. The lovely Eva Shockey! We are probably all familiar with her dad Jim -one of the most respected big game hunters and conservationists on the planet. But Eva is making her own way and traveling the world hunting big game animals. We talk about growing up in the Shockey household and reflect on some of her favorite hunts. Eva w/ her first black bear. What a brute!

Podcast: We have a ton to get into this week and we start by talking hunting dogs w/ Warner Smith of Tri-Tronics. Whether you hunt retrievers, pointers, blood trackers or hounds- every hunting dog owner can benefit from an electronic collar. E-collars were first developed by Tri-Tronics in the 1960s and have come a long way since then! No matter what brand you choose, E-collars are an invaluable tool for the hunting dog and dog owner. Maverick, Belle and I pheasant hunting in the Texas Panhandle- they never leave home without their Tri-Tronics Sport Basics. Then a special in studio guest drops in. Phil Hamilton is tearing up the Texas Music Chart and the Texas music scene. He talks about the new record Renegade Rock N Roll, life on the round and of course his passion for hunting- especially waterfowling. Phil used to work at Cabela’s just to support his duck hunting addiction! So get ready for some great Texas tunes and hunting talk Phil. Then we round out the show with one of the outdoor industry’s biggest rising stars. The lovely Eva Shockey! We are probably all familiar with her dad Jim -one of the most respected big game hunters and conservationists on the planet. But Eva is making her own way and traveling the world hunting big game animals. We talk about growing up in the Shockey household and reflect on some of her favorite hunts. Eva w/ her first black bear. What a brute!

River Rim is located along the Frio River. Tons of fishing, camping, hunting and other outdoor opportunities in God’s Country. Located right next to Garner State Park- Texas’ most visited state park. Nancy Feely joins us to talk about the gem of the real Texas Hill Country! Podcast: