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Here’s what’s worth reading today, Wednesday, October 9, 2019:
TPWD looking to tighten passive fishing rules: Texas fishermen who utilize trotlines, jug lines, limb lines, throw lines and other passive fishing devices to go after catfish are in the crosshairs of more regulation as Texas Parks and Wildlife Department lawmakers look to tighten the way the games are played. On Nov. 7, the TPW Commission will meet in Austin to vote on a series of proposed rule changes related to passive gear usage. It is not that passive fishing crowds are catching too many fish. Rather, some anglers are just downright sloppy when it comes to cleaning up after themselves by removing untended devices in a timely manner. Others choose to ignore laws meant to identify ownership of passive gear and establish timelines in which the devices should be tended.
With ‘a mule as an ambulance,’ these Idahoans rescued an injured hunter amid a snowstorm: When the call came in about an injured hunter in the backcountry, McCall Fire Department already was shorthanded. Not to mention, it was homecoming weekend, meaning the town was busier than usual, and a storm that dropped record snow in Montana was also making its way through the Idaho mountains. “The winter storm had grounded helicopters everywhere from Boise to Kalispell (Montana),” said McCall Fire Capt. Freddie Van Middendorp, who was shift officer the evening of Sept. 28, when the department first received word about the hunter. “Riggins had no responders, and (the hunter) wasn’t sure he’d make it through the night,” Van Middendorp said in a phone interview. “As sickening as it was, we didn’t have the staffing to go, either.” The hunter was eventually brought out on a mule owned and led by Darwin Vander Esch, father of NFL star Leighton Vander Esch.
Black drum a good substitute for redfish: The closest relative to a redfish in our waters is the black drum. This chin-whiskered look-a-like of a sheepshead with gum disease, at first glance, has often been looked down upon by many anglers. Maybe due to the fact they do not cotton to artificial lures and flies like a red and are not quite as handsome. They are however, the largest of the drums, living over 35 years and attaining weights approaching 100 pounds. They will flat out put the hurt on you when try to wrestle one of any size out away from the pilings of a dock or bridge where they tend to lurk as adults. Juveniles can be found schooling on the flats as do its cousin the redfish. When targeting black drum, the baits of choice should be shrimp, crabs, sand fleas and sometimes fresh cut bait. Baits should be offered near heavy vertical structure and fished laying still on the bottom.
25 tips to shoot better, hunt smarter this archery season: Of course bowhunting rules. It adds months to your hunting season. It challenges you to bring your A‑game. And success means getting heart-in-your-ears, can’t-hardly-breathe close to your quarry. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. We are talking about rules of thumb, basic tenets—plus a strongly held opinion or two—that form a foundation of knowledge to help you (1) find the bow that is exactly right for you, (2) shoot it like you’re a modern-day Howard Hill, and (3) slip into bow range of more game than ever before. Below are 25 such rules, plus additional video rules. They’re not meant to compose a complete list, because there’s much more to know about bowhunting than can be said here.
There’s more than one way to hunt for waterfowl: Waterfowling is a fairly general term that can mean many things to many people. Most think of sitting in a blind, overlooking a spread of decoys, or perhaps paddling down a meandering stream jumping roosted ducks. But many parts of the country have specialized techniques and tactics that are endemic to their respective regions. Stuttgart, Arkansas, is the mallard capital of the world and there, the preferred method involves hunting flooded timber. Some may wade but most hunters reach their destination by boat, where they disembark into the knee- to waist-deep water surrounded by towering trees. Decoys are spread around, often haphazardly and platform seats for hunter and dog are attached to trees. As mallards wing overhead the hunters call loudly and often, simultaneously sloshing the water to create ripples and waves that add realism to their decoy spreads. Overhead shots are common as the birds whiffle down through the treetops.
Some Wisconsin bear hunters are seeing brazen attacks on dogs: Since the first of the year in Wisconsin, nearly 30 pet dogs and hunting dogs have been killed or injured by wolves. Wisconsin was home last winter to perhaps as many as 978 wolves gathered in about 250 packs, according to the state’s Department of Natural Resources. In 1980, only about 25 wolves inhabited the Badger State. In 1990, the number was 34. By 2000, the population had exploded to 248, and by 2010, roughly 700 wolves were believed to be in the state. (Minnesota’s wolf population estimate is 2,655.)
Hunting season safety practices aren’t all about guns and arrows: With deer hunting season upon us there is an increase in the potential for foodborne illnesses. Field dressing, butchering, and handling of game meat all offer opportunity for pathogens wreak havoc. Even if proper technique is used in the field, vehicles and household surfaces can easily become cross contaminated from microscopic amounts of pathogens found in wild game.
New Mexico looks to grow outdoor recreation industry: Across New Mexico, a diversity of vistas from snowy mountains to thick forests and winding rivers define an eclectic outdoors and myriad opportunities to recreate. Hunters, fishers and hikers could all find ways to enjoy the outdoors throughout the Land of Enchantment. And New Mexico officials are looking to bolster the state’s outdoor recreation economy, as its growth was about a third less than the national average over the last five years, per data from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis — an arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
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