Ocelot’s: A South Texas Treasure, Fly Fishing The Lower Mountain Fork With Beaver’s Bend FlyShop and Urban Deer Issue With TPWD

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This weekend we tackle the urban deer population explosion issue with Texas Parks and Wildlife Whitetail Deer Program Leader Alan Cain. Over 200 people are killed each year in vehicle/deer collisions. Over 30,000 seriously injured. 1.5 million deer killed by vehicles and they cause over 1 billion dollars in property damages- not counting landscape damage- that’s another 200 million! So, what is TPWD’s stance? What urban hunting guidelines do other state wildlife agencies have in place? Are they successful at reducing the number of urban deer? We get into all that and much more on this weekend’s show. (urban whitetails in San Antonio, TX)

Next we change gears and head up to the Lower Mountain Fork and Beavers Bend, Oklahoma to talk some trout fishing with longtime Beaver’s Bend FlyShop guide Peter Breeden. Beavers Bend is a unique fishery boasting a viable and naturally reproducing trout population in an abnormally warm region of the country as far as trout are concerned. So, how do the rainbows and browns in the Lower Mountain Fork thrive in Southeast Oklahoma? There is a science to it, and Peter breaks it down for us. Also, we discuss what the fish are biting on right now, how the fishery has changed after the floods of the past two years and we get into a guided flyfishing trip we’ll be giving away this month! (Peter with a beautiful LMF Rainbow)

We wrap up the show with a detailed discussion on South Texas ocelots with Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge Biologist Hilary Swarts. The last remnant population of this sub species of ocelots existing in the USA is found in the deepest South Texas thorn scrub. Hilary heads up the research and conservation effort of the endangered cats for the USFWS. We discuss why these beautiful felines haven’t proven as adaptable as their bobcat cousins. (Hilary and the Laguna Atascosa team collaring an ocelot for research purposes- Photo USFWS)

We also discuss the current existing population of Texas ocelots (you’ll be shocked to hear how few still exist) as well as some conservation projects that the refuge currently is overseeing. Then, a real treat when Hilary talks about the ocelot den that was recently discovered on the refuge- the first one in 20 years! (Photo USFWS)