Lone Star Outdoor Show

Synopsis of Episode 62: Well, Saturday April 2nd is the North Zone turkey opener. I have anxiously been awaiting turkey season like so many of ya’ll have, and our old buddy- TPWD Turkey Program Leader Jason Hardin will drop in tell hunters what to expect this season. We had a great hatch last year so expectations should be high! Then, an authority on crappie joins us to talk about the spring spawn. The slabs are in the shallows and nobody knows how to catch ’em like ‘Mr. Crappie’ Wally Marshall. Never a dull moment with Wally as he gives us some tips on how to take advantage of the great crappie fishing that comes each spring. It’s no secret that feral hogs are not well liked by farmers and ranchers, they cause over 400 million in damages each year in Texas alone! Poisons have been considered in the past, but a new sodium nitrite based poison could hit the market very soon. Texas Wildlife Service’s Mike Bodenchuk joins us to talk about this poison and a new feeder that is in the works that only allows feral hogs access to the bait. A very familiar sight on Texas’ landscapes- hogs rooting up a pasture. Podcast:

Synopsis of Episode 61: We begin the show by talking bass fishing with our buddy Mark Jones. Mark has his hands full with the Oakley Big Bass Tour (now available on WFN – so set your DVR’s) and of course the up and coming Lone Star Series. Last season they gave away a Nissan Titan at the championship. This year’s purse includes a $25,000 Nitro! There are still ways to qualify for 2011 Lone Star Series championship on Sam Rayburn and the Central and North Divisions still have multiple events left. Then our very own Angie Becker of Tioga Retrievers drops in for the first installment of our mini-series “The Progression of A Gun Dog.” My 8 month old chocolate female has been with Angie and Tim for over a month now and we discuss in depth how Belle is coming along. Also, what is expected of a pup when they begin training, and what should an owner be doing to prepare their pup for gun dog training? I am excited that we will be checking in with Angie periodically throughout Belle’s training. Belle is all about her work- and I am proud to say she couldn’t have cared less that I came to visit. We round out the broadcast by checking in with our GR8 Mounts/Lone Star Outdoors Show Bobcat Mount Contest Winner- Denton’s Barrett McLendon. Barrett shot this cat during bow season last year and was voted the winner of our contest by his peers. His story and photos were compelling because it was an archery kill and as most college kids would do, Barrett kept the cat next to the frozen pizzas in his freezer for 3 months in hopes of winning the contest. Thanks for all the great submissions and stories. Be sure to check out the podcast to hear Barrett describe his hunt. Podcast: Episode 61

Synopsis of Episode 61: We begin the show by talking bass fishing with our buddy Mark Jones. Mark has his hands full with the Oakley Big Bass Tour (now available on WFN – so set your DVR’s) and of course the up and coming Lone Star Series. Last season they gave away a Nissan Titan at the championship. This year’s purse includes a $25,000 Nitro! There are still ways to qualify for 2011 Lone Star Series championship on Sam Rayburn and the Central and North Divisions still have multiple events left. Then our very own Angie Becker of Tioga Retrievers drops in for the first installment of our mini-series “The Progression of A Gun Dog.” My 8 month old chocolate female has been with Angie and Tim for over a month now and we discuss in depth how Belle is coming along. Also, what is expected of a pup when they begin training, and what should an owner be doing to prepare their pup for gun dog training? I am excited that we will be checking in with Angie periodically throughout Belle’s training. Belle is all about her work- and I am proud to say she couldn’t have cared less that I came to visit. We round out the broadcast by checking in with our GR8 Mounts/Lone Star Outdoors Show Bobcat Mount Contest Winner– Denton’s Barrett McLendon. Barrett shot this cat during bow season last year and was voted the winner of our contest by his peers. His story and photos were compelling because it was an archery kill and as most college kids would do, Barrett kept the cat next to the frozen pizzas in his freezer for 3 months in hopes of winning the contest. Thanks for all the great submissions and stories. Be sure to check out the podcast to hear Barrett describe his hunt. Podcast:

Synopsis of Episode 60: We start things out by checking in with our ‘ol buddy Mike McKinney of WTHO. Mike is the authority on harvesting trophy aoudad in West Texas. And seeing how a huge ram is on my bucket list, well it only makes sense to get the low down from the man who knows these animals better than anyone. Then a very special guest drops by. His show Pigman the Series is the number one rated show on the Sportsman Channel and he has taken the world of outdoor television by storm. Brian “Pigman” Quaca has never been short on words and that is no exception here. A native of Central Texas, bow, rifle, hog doggin…it doesn’t matter, Brian is a master at killing huge pigs! I guarantee ya you’ll be entertained by our chat, I know I was! We round things out with one of the best acts going in country music. Jamie Richards is not only one of my favorite singer/songwriters, but he is also an avid bass fisherman. So we’ll talk a little music and a whole lotta bassin’ with Jamie. Hope you enjoy the show! Podcast: Episode 60

Synopsis of Episode 60: We start things out by checking in with our ‘ol buddy Mike McKinney of WTHO. Mike is the authority on harvesting trophy aoudad in West Texas. And seeing how a huge ram is on my bucket list, well it only makes sense to get the low down from the man who knows these animals better than anyone. Then a very special guest drops by. His show Pigman the Series is the number one rated show on the Sportsman Channel and he has taken the world of outdoor television by storm. Brian “Pigman” Quaca has never been short on words and that is no exception here. A native of Central Texas, bow, rifle, hog doggin…it doesn’t matter, Brian is a master at killing huge pigs! I guarantee ya you’ll be entertained by our chat, I know I was! We round things out with one of the best acts going in country music. Jamie Richards is not only one of my favorite singer/songwriters, but he is also an avid bass fisherman. So we’ll talk a little music and a whole lotta bassin’ with Jamie. Hope you enjoy the show! Podcast:

Synopsis of Episode 59: This week’s show recaps one of the most memorable outdoor experiences of my life. Harvesting a feral hog with dogs and a blade has long been on my bucket list. Well I can cross it off after hunting with my buddy Chris Williams of GoHogDog. We were able to harvest two hogs and I had the honor of dispatching them. The dogs were by far the most memorable aspect of the hunt however as each one had their own personality and their own specific job to do in order to contribute to the team effort. Made a lot of new friends that day and can’t wait to go hunting with them again. We recap the whole experience with Chris during this week’s broadcast. Hog #2 was a 150 lb boar with decent cutters. We also check in with Dr. Dale Rollins from the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch. This was supposed to be a banner year for Texas quail hunters after the wet 2010 spring. But things didn’t pan out that way and Dr. Rollins is searching for answers. Could disease be responsible for the continued decline in Texas bobwhite populations? Dr. Rollins thinks its something that needs to be seriously considered. Lastly we are joined by Army Bass Anglers founder Major Cody Roberson. Major Roberson and ABA once again had the honor of leading the ceremonial launch at the Bassmaster Classic and he has a few funny stories to share with us. ABA also has a ton of stuff on TV right now so be sure to check out the World Fishing Network and Versus to be sure you don’t miss ABA in action. Podcast: Episode 59

Synopsis of Episode 59: This week’s show recaps one of the most memorable outdoor experiences of my life. Harvesting a feral hog with dogs and a blade has long been on my bucket list. Well I can cross it off after hunting with my buddy Chris Williams of GoHogDog. We were able to harvest two hogs and I had the honor of dispatching them. The dogs were by far the most memorable aspect of the hunt however as each one had their own personality and their own specific job to do in order to contribute to the team effort. Made a lot of new friends that day and can’t wait to go hunting with them again. We recap the whole experience with Chris during this week’s broadcast. Hog #2 was a 150 lb boar with decent cutters. We also check in with Dr. Dale Rollins from the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch. This was supposed to be a banner year for Texas quail hunters after the wet 2010 spring. But things didn’t pan out that way and Dr. Rollins is searching for answers. Could disease be responsible for the continued decline in Texas bobwhite populations? Dr. Rollins thinks its something that needs to be seriously considered. Lastly we are joined by Army Bass Anglers founder Major Cody Roberson. Major Roberson and ABA once again had the honor of leading the ceremonial launch at the Bassmaster Classic and he has a few funny stories to share with us. ABA also has a ton of stuff on TV right now so be sure to check out the World Fishing Network and Versus to be sure you don’t miss ABA in action. Podcast:

Synopsis of Episode 58: If you haven’t had a chance to check out the new hunting show The Wild Within then I strongly suggest you do so. It airs on the Travel Channel and host Steven Rinella joins us to talk about his show which places a new spin on the hunting show genre. Steven is a renown outdoor writer and lifelong outdoorsman. The Wild Within focuses on our nature as humans to hunt game, and the process of turning wild game into delicious table fare. No part of the process is left out from the harvest to butchering to the actual meal itself. This is a show like none other and Steven proved to be one heck of an exciting interview. Steven field dressing and then butchering a bull moose in Alberta Canada Steven and his guide Charles after a successful hog dog knife hunt in Hawaii We also check in with our very own Lake Fork Guide Heath Hardwick . Heath not only gives us an in depth look at the Fork bite, but also breaks down the 2011 Bassmaster Classic which was dominated from start to finish by Kevin Van Dam who won his 4th Classic title and a $500,000 paycheck. He shattered records like it was going out of style en route to posting a 69 lb 11 oz overall weight (a new Classic record). He also decimated the field by winning by over 10 lbs!!! It was all KVD all weekend on the Louisiana Delta and Heath talks about the best of the best. Lastly we are joined by Bryan Moore who tells us about the revolutionary new feeder made by Capsule Game Feeders. This is unlike anything you have ever seen and comes with a 20 year warranty to boot! Podcast: Episode 58

Synopsis of Episode 58: If you haven’t had a chance to check out the new hunting show The Wild Within then I strongly suggest you do so. It airs on the Travel Channel and host Steven Rinella joins us to talk about his show which places a new spin on the hunting show genre. Steven is a renown outdoor writer and lifelong outdoorsman. The Wild Within focuses on our nature as humans to hunt game, and the process of turning wild game into delicious table fare. No part of the process is left out from the harvest to butchering to the actual meal itself. This is a show like none other and Steven proved to be one heck of an exciting interview. Steven field dressing and then butchering a bull moose in Alberta Canada Steven and his guide Charles after a successful hog dog knife hunt in Hawaii We also check in with our very own Lake Fork Guide Heath Hardwick . Heath not only gives us an in depth look at the Fork bite, but also breaks down the 2011 Bassmaster Classic which was dominated from start to finish by Kevin Van Dam who won his 4th Classic title and a $500,000 paycheck. He shattered records like it was going out of style en route to posting a 69 lb 11 oz overall weight (a new Classic record). He also decimated the field by winning by over 10 lbs!!! It was all KVD all weekend on the Louisiana Delta and Heath talks about the best of the best. Lastly we are joined by Bryan Moore who tells us about the revolutionary new feeder made by Capsule Game Feeders. This is unlike anything you have ever seen and comes with a 20 year warranty to boot! Podcast:

Synopsis of Episode 57: This week we step into the octagon with UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes. The 9 time Welterweight Champ is the new host of Trophy Hunter TV on the Outdoor Channel. Matt is a passionate whitetail and upland hunter but his favorite thing is getting into the outdoors with his 11 year old son Joey. We also ask Matt who has hit him the hardest and when we can expect him to fight again. Then we check in with our favorite Elite Series Pro – Kelly Jordon. Kelly is obviously gearing up for the 2011 Classic on the Louisiana Delta. How does he see the tournament unfolding? How will the fog affect the guys who want to make the 100 mile run to Venice? Who is his darkhorse and a whole lot more with KJ. Podcast: Episode 57

Synopsis of Episode 57: This week we step into the octagon with UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes. The 9 time Welterweight Champ is the new host of Trophy Hunter TV on the Outdoor Channel. Matt is a passionate whitetail and upland hunter but his favorite thing is getting into the outdoors with his 11 year old son Joey. We also ask Matt who has hit him the hardest and when we can expect him to fight again. Then we check in with our favorite Elite Series Pro – Kelly Jordon. Kelly is obviously gearing up for the 2011 Classic on the Louisiana Delta. How does he see the tournament unfolding? How will the fog affect the guys who want to make the 100 mile run to Venice? Who is his darkhorse and a whole lot more with KJ. Podcast:

Just got my new Cadence Duck Call in the mail & I would be lying if I said it wasn’t hands down the best sounding call I have ever blown! The Closer produces a raspy and realistic mallard hen sound & I can’t wait to use this pearl next season. Used by guides and competion callers all over the country, Charles Smith makes Cadence Duck Calls right here in Texas. What a beauty! Check out “The Closer” audio file and hear it for yourself! Podcast:

Synopsis of Episode 56: We start off the broadcast by visiting with El Campo, Texas’ Chad Waligura. Named the 2010 Pathfinder Award Winner by SCI, Chad is the owner/editor of Disabled Hunter Magazine. Paralyzed after an accident at 17, Chad has overcome the odds and has traveled the globe wingshooting and hunting some of the world’s most prized big game species. He also has invented numerous mechanisms designed to help the disabled hunter fire their weapon. Next, Texas ASA Federation State Director Mike Smith stops by to tell us about the ASA. This great organization sets up 3D archery shoots all over the state. Participants range in age from 6 to 70 and there are two divisions archers can compete in. 3D is a great way to keep your skills sharp during the off season and there are tons of great folks already involved. I am looking forward to participating in my first ASA shoot this spring! We round things out by chatting with Lone Star Outdoor News Associate Editor Connor Harrison. Connor’s recent front page piece focused on the fact that our state’s upland hunters really have no idea where their conservation dollars are going. Also, how does TPWD track how much funding should be allocated for our turkey, pheasant and quail? Connor did some digging and you may not like what he found out… Podcast:

Synopsis of Episode 56: We start off the broadcast by visiting with El Campo, Texas’ Chad Waligura. Named the 2010 Pathfinder Award Winner by SCI, Chad is the owner/editor of Disabled Hunter Magazine. Paralyzed after an accident at 17, Chad has overcome the odds and has traveled the globe wingshooting and hunting some of the world’s most prized big game species. He also has invented numerous mechanisms designed to help the disabled hunter fire their weapon. Next, Texas ASA Federation State Director Mike Smith stops by to tell us about the ASA. This great organization sets up 3D archery shoots all over the state. Participants range in age from 6 to 70 and there are two divisions archers can compete in. 3D is a great way to keep your skills sharp during the off season and there are tons of great folks already involved. I am looking forward to participating in my first ASA shoot this spring! We round things out by chatting with Lone Star Outdoor News Associate Editor Connor Harrison. Connor’s recent front page piece focused on the fact that our state’s upland hunters really have no idea where their conservation dollars are going. Also, how does TPWD track how much funding should be allocated for our turkey, pheasant and quail? Connor did some digging and you may not like what he found out… Podcast: Episode 56

Synopsis of Episode 55: Spotted Sea Trout are always a hot topic along the Texas coast. This week was no exception as TPWD officials met to discuss whether or not to reduce the current 10 fish daily bag limit down to a 5 fish limit. Whether you are for it or against it- the decision was made to keep the limit at 10 fish per angler TPWD Coastal Fisheries Director Robin Reichers drops in to elaborate on why TPWD felt it best to leave the current regulations in place. Another great Texas whitetail season has come and gone and few know Texas deer better than biologist and big game hunter Larry Weishuhn. We discuss management, antler restrictions, the potential impact of feral hogs on a deer herd, helicopter crashes and a whole lot more with ‘Mr. Whitetail’ himself. We round things out with new TPWD Desert Bighorn Sheep Program Leader Froylan Hernandez. By the 1960s, the desert bighorn was completey wiped out of Texas. But the ensuing decades resulted in TPWD working hard to restore the desert bighorn to much of it’s historical range within our great state. Froylan talks about the history of the bighorn’s struggle and how it resulted in where we are today. There are over 1,000 animals currently in the Trans Pecos and less than 5 weeks ago, TPWD captured and relocated over 40 sheep to Big Bend Ranch State Park. It’s taken hard work and dedication but it’s awesome to see the desert bighorn sheep thriving in Texas once again! Podcast: