FISHING - NEW SALTWATER REGS IN TEXAS

NEW FLOUNDER REGS AND A FEW OTHERS
By Jim Foster

I would be amiss if I agreed with everything Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) did or their commission passed, I don’t. In the case of flounder I do believe the coastal bio boys are on the right track. Even a causal angler knows flounder have been scarce on most fishing trips.

During last Wednesday’s Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting the commission passed several of the proposed changes to saltwater fishing regulations suggested by the Coastal Fisheries Division. Changes include new regulations dealing with flounder, federal consistency issues for sharks and other species, and a paddle craft licensing and training program.

First mentioned at the August Commission meeting Coastal Fisheries biologists believe the long-term downward trends in the southern flounder fishery warrant the consideration of proposed regulations. It is their hope it will reverse the downward trend in flounder numbers.

The proposal passed includes a statewide closure for the month of November and would change bag limits to five fish for recreational anglers and 30 fish for commercial anglers. Possession limits for flounder will be the same as bag limits.

Sharks are also included in the new regulations. It will change the minimum length limit for those species allowed from 24 inches total length (TL) to 64 inches TL, except for Atlantic sharpnose, blacktip, and bonnethead sharks which will retain the current 24 inch TL minimum length limit. For the allowable shark species the bag limit will remain one fish per person per day and a two fish possession limit.

A list of prohibited list (zero bag limit) will be posted on the TPW web site for protected shark species.

Included in the amendments are species that have been found to be in an overfished condition or undergoing overfishing. The proposed changes include: increasing the minimum size limit for greater amberjack from 32 inches to 34 inches, and establishing minimum size limits of 14 inches for gray triggerfish and 22 inches for gag. The bag limit for gray triggerfish would be 20 per person and for gag grouper it would be set at 2 per person with the possession limits being twice the daily bag limit.

Another proposal passed will allow paddle craft operators to receive a saltwater guide license by establishing a different set of requirements other than a United States Coast Guard (USCG) Operator of an Uninspected Passenger Vessel license.

The USCG license current requirements may fail to address the unique safety issues associated with paddle craft and also may be restricting the licensing of paddle craft guides due to the "sea time" requirement.

The proposal will create a paddle craft guide license and in order to receive the license the guide will have to show certification or proof of completion of a TPW boater safety course and CPR/First Aid training, and completion of the American Canoe Association "Level II Essentials of Kayak Touring" and "Coastal Kayak Trip Leading" courses or British Canoe Union "Three Star Sea Kayak" and "Four Star Leader Sea Kayak" courses.

As for this writer the addition of another license may or may not be needed. I am not actually aware of this need. Could it be the TPW has just found another income avenue? The jury is still out.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please e-mail him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

HUNTING - THE ANTI-HUNTERS TRY AGAIN

FACT – TRADITIONAL LEAD AMMO IS SAFE
By Jim Foster

Once again those in favor of shutting down hunting forever have taken up the “lead is killing us” banner. Now, they are after rifle ammunition because, they say, there is enough lead in wild game meat killed with lead bullets to harm us.

The truth is this is just not true. Of course the leaders embracing the ban the bullet quest are the California losers who will ban anything if it gets on the ballot and a governor who is several sandwiches short of a picnic.

Recently attempts have been made to scare people into thinking lead ammunition poses a danger to individuals who eat wild game that was killed using traditional ammunition. They say, the California condor has consumed lethal lead amounts feeding on of gut piles.

Fact - There is no evidence or science to support either fear. These are the same people who try to convince you there is such a thing as Global Warming.

According to Center for Disease Control (CDC) study showed the average lead level of hunters tested was lower than that of the average American. In other words, if you were to randomly pick someone on the street, chances are they would have a higher blood lead level than the hunters in this study who eat wild game on a regular basis.

As it is with the global warming myth – some states, scared of their own shadows and filled with the anti-hunting faction, are entering an area they no nothing about and have studied less. North Dakota is one example. Minnesota is another state that believes the sky is falling.

The North Dakota Department of Health is still recommending children under 6 and pregnant women not eat any wild game. Children's lead levels in the study had a mean of 0.649 – less than half the national average. North Dakota food banks are still refusing to accept venison taken with traditional ammunition, unless they are whole cuts. Because of this stupidity people go hungry.

So what about the California condor?

California, anti-hunting groups and radical environmentalists launched a lobbying campaign to ban lead ammunition, using the lie that lead is poisoning the California condor. It’s just not happening!

Some condors have shown elevated levels of lead; a naturally occurring element found in batteries, light bulbs, paint chips and many other items found in condor nests. This fact is very important information considering these lead-based items have never been tested as a possible source of elevated lead levels in condors. Go figure!

The Executive Committee of the Condor Recovery Team has joined with the NSSF and numerous conservation and sportsmen's groups to support the adoption of science-based voluntary, non-ban measures -- measures that would have served to interrupt the potential pathways for the ingestion of lead bullet fragments by condors -- Governor Schwarzenegger chose to disregard science and the opinions of experts by signing into law legislation banning lead ammunition for hunting. What did I say about this mental midget?

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) – a state agency that has conducted an extensive panel of blood-lead testing for more than fifteen years, maintains that if lead in venison were a serious health risk, it would likely have surfaced within extensive blood lead testing since 1992 with 500,000 youth under 6 and 25,000 adults having been screened. It has not.

Despite there being no scientific evidence to support the hypothesis that lead ammunition is endangering the health of individuals or the California Condor, anti-hunting interest groups are continuing to press state legislatures around the country to support a ban on traditional ammunition.

Let’s face facts, the anti-hunters found club to undo hunting with the ban of lead shot for waterfowl - now they are going after lead ammunition for big game hunters. It’s time to STOP the lead farce anti-hunters.

Let’s hope we have all learned enough to fight this lead farce into oblivion. While we are at it, let’s let Al Gore know what a boob he really is by stopping the global warming rumor – another farce with good PR. “Bad” lead ammunition and global warming – the bi-product of grass and water after being processed through a male bovine.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please e-mail him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

(Many thanks to the National Shooting Sports Foundation for their solid information and their work to protect our hunting rights. For more info on the lead situation go to: www.nssf.org.)

TRAVEL - A BIT OF HISTORY

SURVIVING THE “LAST STAND”
By Jim Foster

Walking through the Federal Cemetery at the Little Big Horn Battlefield is an adventure all its own. History seems to surround you and your mind hears the sights and sounds of past wars and military encounters.

This was my experience on my first visit to the rolling hills and coulees along the Little Big Horn River in Montana.

Spending most of the day wandering the hills where Custer fell created an interest in the ill-fated battle. Then reading LACOTA NOON gave me a better insight into what really happened.

When I have been there interesting things happen. My last visit with my grandson Corey Ringle wasn’t different, although it was weeks later before I knew what it was.

As Corey and I walked through the cemetery I was shooting photographs and Corey and I were discussing the various dates and wars of solders interred there.

Several weeks later I was sorting and filing photographs from that trip and found the image of a headstone reading “CURLEY - CUSTER SCOUT”. A bit of research led to the story of who may have been the only survivor of the battle. Although some don’t agree, I lean toward believing he was there and escaped. A known fact is that Custer dismissed all Indian scouts before the battle.

Curley or ASHISHISHE was born in approximately 1856 in Montana Territory, the son of Strong Bear and Strikes By the Side of the Water. Curley resided on the Crow Reservation in the vicinity of Pryor Creek, and married Bird Woman.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army as an Indian scout on April 10, 1876 and was later chosen to scout for the Seventh Cavalry during the Little Bighorn expedition in 1876 along with fellow Crow warriors White Man Runs Him, Goes Ahead, Hairy Moccasin and others.

Curley witnessed parts of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, and his translated account later appeared in several newspapers, as he was thought to be the only surviving witness from the U.S. side of Custer's Last Stand. Curley later gave several variations on his account, and the accuracy of his recollections has been questioned.

However, two of the most influential historians of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Walter Mason Camp (who interviewed Curly on several occasions) and John S. Gray, accepted Curley's account. Curley later lived on the Crow Reservation on the bank of the Little Bighorn River, close to the site of the Battle.

Curley later served in the Crow Police. Curley had one daughter Awakuk Korita ha Sakush ("Bird of Another Year") who took the English name Nora.

Curley received a U.S. pension as of 1920. He died of pneumonia in 1923, and his remains were interred in the National Cemetery at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, only a mile from his home.

So whether or not Curly was the only survivor of the battle of the Little Big Horn he did serve his country and was a loyal follower of a leader know for careless actions and strong political motivations. May he rest in peace in the Little Big Horn Federal Cemetary.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please e-mail him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR

THE HUNT AND A WISH
By Jim Foster

Welcome to the New Year 2009.

Many say this is a time of change. What is not known at this time is whether the change will be for the better or worse. Being a practicing optimist I it’s my hope it will be for the best.

Gun owners don’t think so causing record gun sales in many states. The new administration’s alliance with the Brady people is disturbing to say the least. We will just need to wait and see and hope for the best.

With all the news about the economy – some good and some bad – it would be nice to know that people will emerge from this mess at least as well or maybe better than we were. However, with larger government and higher taxes – gas is on the way back up – there is plenty of room for doubt.

Texas hunters and fishermen and women should get out and enjoy what we have during the new year and try to enjoy the blessings we still have. Like the long Texas quail season and the end of the Texas white-tailed deer season. Both are going full blast at this time and offer a wide selection of outdoor adventures.

Due to an untimely accident a few weeks ago involving breaking three bones in my left ankle my quail season is finished for 2009. But, 2010 sounds like it will be a good quail year to me. Let’s give three cheers for all the moisture in hopes it will last till spring.

As I have written many times over the last decade I love the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s $48 dollar lease. I have hunted mostly upland game on the thousands of available acres with great success and have not encountered crowds.

One quail tip I have used over and over is to look over the area before you begin your hunt. First this will give you a chance to see the terrain you will be covering and allow you to select a starting point where the wind is in your face. This is very important if you are using a bird dog – I hope you are, a good dog is a great conservation tool.

Watching the birds of prey is another helpful tool. Many times I will see a hawk making low passes over good-looking quail habitat. Hunting this area can be very productive and good for your dog. The reason – quail will do their best not to fly and give away their position to the hawk and many times will hold tightly for a point dog allowing hunters to move in close for the flush.

I do hope these few tips and the TPW $48 dollar lease are helpful. Please hunt safely and take a youngster out to enjoy what God has provided for us all.

As for political matters, well let’s take it a day at a time a pray for the best. Our new leader will need it.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please e-mail him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com