Here’s what’s worth reading today, Monday, May 20, 2019:
Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission to look at air guns for hunting, open hunting season on public lands and changes to chronic wasting disease regulations: The Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission will take up numerous changes to current hunting and fishing regulations at its regular May meeting beginning Tuesday. Among the proposed amendments to existing regs are multiple alterations to the state’s public hunting program, as well as enlarging the current containment zones for chronic wasting disease. The full agenda is available in the link above.
Argument over fishing results in possible battery charge for woman: A Florida woman faces a misdemeanor domestic battery charge for allegedly striking the father of her 7-month-old baby in the head with a kitchen pot because he spent too much time fishing. Katie Gottlich, 25, was arrested following an argument with the man, identified as her boyfriend. Investigators said the argument centered around the man fishing too often, instead of helping to care for the infant.
Toddler’s ‘scalp ripped off and skull clawed’ by lion after family get too close to fence: A 4-year-old is in a critical condition after a lion ripped off her scalp at a lion farm in South Africa. Dina-Marie de Beer’s family were on a holiday at the Weltevrede Lion Farm on Sunday when they were told not to stand too close to the fence. But while in her father’s arms, a lion put her paws through the fence, swiping at the child with the claws going through her skull and ripping her scalp off.
Appalachian Trail murder victim used outdoors as therapy for PTSD: Family members said Ronald Sanchez, Jr., went hiking and embraced going outdoors to cope with the horrors of wartime. He was out exploring the Appalachian Trail last weekend when he met up with a murderer.
Floating a few simple ideas for boating safety: Fewer Texans — 29 — died in boating-related incidents in 2018 than in any of the previous five years, and the annual average of such fatalities over the past 10 years has significantly declined compared with numbers from the late 1990s and early 2000s. That number could drop even lower — as much as almost 90 percent lower, according to one estimate — in coming years if a bill that appears poised to pass becomes state law. The proposal would make Texas only the seventh state to mandate that powerboat operators use the emergency engine cut-off switch. Almost all vessels are equipped with them, but as few as 10 percent of Texas boaters use them.
Getting a turkey in heavily hunted areas often requires a different approach: Preseason scouting is paramount to early season success, but in heavily hunted areas, all that hard effort soon goes by the wayside. Despite weeks of preparation, turkey hunters are forced to “go in cold” in hopes their acumen will carry the day.
South Dakota voided a 70-year-old fishing record. Now, you can set a new one: South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is voiding their oldest state fish record after determining that the fish had been misidentified. Fisheries Program Administrator Geno Adams said the fish — a 55-pounder caught by Roy Groves in 1949 — has been the subject of controversy for years, with multiple people saying they believe it is actually a blue catfish.
No-show committee hearing on anti-hunting grizzly bear bill a real yawner: The Congressional version of “what if someone threw a party and no one came” was in full force when House Natural Resources Committee – Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee Chairman Jared Huffman (D- CA) held a hearing on H.R. 2532, the Tribal Heritage and Grizzly Bear Protection Act, and failed to even show up.
Muzzleloader turkey hunt goes full circle: It’s been several years since I’ve killed a wild turkey with a shotgun. When I first started pursuing the birds during the late 1970s, my weapon of choice was a muzzleloading Navy Arms 12-bore. Fitted with straight cylinder bore barrels, the scattergun’s range was restricted to around 20 yards; 15 was optimum. Not exactly what you’d describe as a turkey hunter’s dream gun.
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