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With the Texas general gun season opening up this weekend we start things off by checking in with the man who has his finger on the pulse of our state’s whitetail herd- Texas Parks and Wildlife Whitetail Program Leader Alan Cain. A longtime friend of the show, Alan drops in to talk big bucks, LAMPS permits for East Texas counties that don’t allow doe harvest and we discuss the natural relationship between a doe and her fawn.
We specifically analyze whether or not hunters should harvest a doe with a yearling fawn. Alan breaks down the gestation period of a whitetail and when does typically have fawns drop in Texas. When are fawns weaned? When has a fawn learned enough behavior from it’s mother in order to survive? Also, what about a doe that comes in estrus later than normal. Alan informs us that a doe comes into estrus at the same time every year and if they come into estrous late, they are likely to pass that undesirable genetic trait onto their offspring. You might be surprised to hear his thoughts on harvesting those does AND their fawns. Would you shoot the doe pictured below with a yearling fawn? Alan tells us what he would do:
Next up we check in with our friend and longtime waterfowl guide Edd Hanson of Hanson Outdoors. Duck season opens up this weekend and we talk early season tips- From calling strategy to decoy placement, number of decoys and how those approaches change as the season progresses. Edd and Hunting Retriever Champion ‘Lead’ with an early season strap of teal:
Butch Amlong – Ranch Manager and Outfitter of Squaw Mountain Ranch Trophy Hunts drops by next to talk whitetails and exotics with us. First, we discuss how spring/summer rains affected antler production across the board this fall. Also, how is a bumper acorn crop affecting deer behavior throughout much of Texas?
We then shift gears and analyze the relationship between whitetails and introduced exotic species. High fence, low fence or no fence – exotics are thriving on the Texas landscape. I think most of us agree that this is a good thing as it offers increased hunting opportunity. However, what does it mean for whitetails? With over 20 years experience, Butch gives us his thoughts on how exotics interact with whitetails and if exotics alter the natural behavioral patters of a whitetail. It’s something to think about for anyone considering adding exotic animals to their ranch.
We wrap thing up by checking in with Lone Star Outdoor News writer Steve Schwartz. A recent article of his offered some great insight on how to properly care for a fish you intend on eating. Steve shares a simple but valuable tip on how to maximize the taste of any fish you catch.
