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Here’s what’s worth reading today, Monday, July 29, 2019:
Florida surfer attacked by shark opts for bar instead of hospital, report says: A professional surfer was attacked by a shark Saturday and suffered deep wounds to his elbow, but despite calls from his friends to get checked out at a hospital, he decided to go to a bar instead. Frank O’Rourke, the surfer was attacked off Jacksonville Beach at about 3:30 p.m., WLWT.com reported. He was treated relatively quickly by lifeguards. He suffered some deep cuts on his arm and some thought it might do him good to go to the hospital, the report said. But R.J. Berger, a friend, said he opted for a nearby bar instead because “he was like, ‘Hey, I got bit by a shark and people were like, ‘I’ll buy you drinks.’ ”
Whale shark surprises fishing crew off South Texas coast: A fishing trip in Port Mansfield led to a surprise by the largest fish species in the world swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. Dr. Tim Bonner, a biology professor at Texas State University, told KRGV-TV he was fishing off the jetties Tuesday when he and his friends spotted a large shadow in the water. A video shared by Bonner on YouTube shows the whale shark swimming underneath their boat towards a bait ball — an event when small fish move in a tight formation. “(The whale shark is) probably sticking around because he was getting some meals,” Bonner told KRGV.
Texas anglers to see federal water red snapper fishing closure August 2
Donny Osmond shares lovely photo from his ‘wonderful’ father-sons fishing trip: Making memories! There’s nothing like bonding with the ones you love, and Donny Osmond did just that when he spent some time with his sons on quite the fishing trip in Alaska. The 61-year-old took to Instagram on Friday to inform his fans of the incredible time that he had with his five kids — Donald, 39, Jeremy 37, Brandon, 33, Christopher, 28 and Joshua, 20 — who he shares with his wife, Debbie. “I’ve just spent four wonderful days with my sons in #Gustavus, #Alaska. It’s absolutely beautiful up here! ” the performer captioned a photo showing him with his grown children.
Detroit man shoots 6-foot alligator near thumb of Michigan: A Detroit man survived an encounter with a 6-foot long alligator in Silverwood, Michigan, near the state’s thumb. Derrick Fells shot the alligator while at his vacation home, on 17 acres of land near Shay Lake in Tuscola County on Saturday. He went down to a pond area when he spotted it. “I head down and say something looks different,” he said. “I get there and the alligator raises up, turns toward me and charges.”
Texas statewide quail symposium set for Aug. 14-16 in Abilene: This semi-annual conference brings together quail experts from across the state and beyond to discuss current topics of interest in quail conservation and management. The symposium is hosted by The Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Wildlife Association and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. The conference is open to the public and all quail enthusiasts are encouraged to attend, including landowners, land managers, hunters, photographers, naturalists, and students.
Locked in and off-loaded: Quotas stifle diversity and stability in fishing: As any commercial fisherman knows, fishing is a risky business. Fluctuations in markets, regulations, fish populations and the weather — not to mention the climate’s growing volatility — can result in fluctuating income that can threaten a fisherman’s livelihood. Buffering against these fluctuations might mean taking a page from another risky business: the stock market. A growing body of research is showing that, in most cases, fishermen are more likely to have stable year-to-year incomes if they diversify their fishing portfolios, much like an investor would diversify a stock portfolio, giving them a safety net to weather whatever the year brings. “It can really pay for fishermen to diversify,” said Anne Beaudreau, a fisheries professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
9 hard truths about hunting on public land: I was hunting public land before hunting public land was cool. Truth be told, I would rather hunt public land than private land in most situations. Sure, private ground offers some very real advantages and public land offers some very big obstacles. But I guess I’m a glutton for punishment because those obstacles actually add to the attraction for me. Public land has always been a “go-to” for a whole lot of hunters each year but the advent of social and digital media has brought public land hunting into the limelight. And that light can sometimes paint a less-than-accurate picture (as it can with all things).
Deer hunting: How to be successful on public land: Hunting camps are a tradition for many Mississippians and a part of life that is anticipated each year. However, they aren’t for everyone. Some can’t justify the price because they have little time to hunt and others can’t fit the cost of a lease into their budget. Others just enjoy the challenge of trying to harvest a mature buck on public land. Fortunately, there are hundreds of thousands of acres of public land in Mississippi and two of the men that help manage these properties talk about how hunters can improve their odds of harvesting a deer on them. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks’ Copiah Wildlife Management Area manager Med Palmer said getting familiar with the area you choose to hunt is the first step.
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