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Seven Things To Do
After Deer Season |
By Russell A. Graves
Executive Editor
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Opening day of deer season in
Texas is, perhaps, one of the most anticipated single days on the
calendar. Gear is checked, rifles are sighted, licenses are
bought, camo is washed, and magazines are read to look for a new
pointer that will give a venison hunter the extra edge in
getting to use one of their tags.
In Texas, deer hunting is
a billion-dollar industry. In 1996, according to numbers released
by the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife
Associated Recreation conducted by the United States Fish &
Wildlife Service, Texans spent $1.3 billion on hunting. With
approximately 913,000 hunters in the state, that figures to be
$1,423 that every hunter spent. Without a doubt, white-tailed deer
hunting garnishes the lion's share of this figure.
However, it has been estimated that one's chances of taking a buck
big enough to make the Boone & Crockett record book are literally
one in a million. For many, the season ends on a less-than-perfect
note as the sun sets on the final Sunday of the deer season.
Therefore, there is little wonder that some hunters are "lost" as
the season wanes.
Here is a list
of things to do after deer season to help keep your skills honed
and your longing for the wild lands of
Texas alive.
Take a Kid
Hunting
Although the deer season has closed, there are still some hunting
opportunities available in the state. Typically, quail season is
still in full swing across the state. And the young hunter has
several other types of game to hunt. Cottontail rabbits and fox
squirrels are challenging game many adult hunters cut their teeth
on as beginners.
Taking young hunters in pursuit of these small game species is
inexpensive because many landowners will let you hunt on their
land for little or no charge. It also allows a young hunter to
develop skills such as gun safety and appreciation for the
outdoors that they will carry with them as they mature and,
eventually, will pass on to younger hunters. In addition, small
game give young hunters a chance to be successful and teach them
lessons in patience and hard work.
Visit a State
Park or Wildlife Management Area
They are everywhere. State-owned lands, in the form of state parks
and wildlife management areas, dot every region of the state and
give Texans a unique opportunity to see nature the way Mother
Nature meant it to be.
For a small fee ($2 for most state parks or $10 per year for
wildlife management areas, or an annual $50 Conservation
Passport), one can visit 123 Texas state parks and experience the
wildlife, cultural and historical diversity that the Lone Star
State has to offer. In addition, hiking and horseback trails are
provided at many Texas
state parks as well as aquatic recreation on the lakes that
accompany many parks.
Want something a little wilder? Try a wildlife management area (WMA).
Touted by the Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department as the "uncut gems of Texas," WMAs offer
visitors an opportunity to venture onto three-quarters of a
million acres of state land that have been largely undeveloped.
Known primarily for their hunting opportunities, WMAs also have
many nonconsumptive activities to participate in such as hiking,
bird watching, photography and nature study.
Imagine, if you will, a weekend road trip where you can fish for
bass at Cooper Lake State
Park then see mule deer, longhorns and an abundance of other
wildlife at Copper Breaks State Park near Quanah. In Texas, it can
happen.
Join a
Conservation Club
Private conservation organizations are the backbone of the modern
wildlife management movement, and their members help provide
financial and in-kind support for many worthwhile conservation and
education projects.
For starters,
Quail Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, The National Wild Turkey
Federation, Pheasants Forever, Safari Club International and other
organizations are available to interested sportsmen in many areas
of Texas. By joining a
conservation club, you can network with like-minded sportsmen in
supporting habitat enrichment programs and educational ventures
such as the Bobwhite Brigade, which spreads the good word about
wildlife management and conservation in Texas.
Read
A
Sand County Almanac
This timeless environmental classic written by the father of
wildlife management, Aldo Leopold, was penned in the 1930s and
published in 1949 as a collection of essays on wildlife, nature,
conservation and hunting. Although 50 years have passed since it
first was released, Leopold's words echo through the years with a
simplistic clarity that applies now more than ever.
For outdoor
lovers, Leopold's observations of the natural world conjure up a
primordial longing for the outdoors. For hunters, his words
deliver thought-provoking topics that force intrinsic reflection.
In the section "Wildlife in American Culture," Leopold challenges
the reader:
A particular virtue in wildlife ethics is that the hunter
ordinarily has no gallery to applaud or disapprove of his conduct.
Whatever his acts, they are dictated by his own conscience, rather
than by a mob of onlookers. It is difficult to exaggerate the
importance of this fact.
Voluntary adherence to an ethical code elevates the self-respect
of the sportsman, but it should not be forgotten that voluntary
disregard of the code degenerates and depraves him.
Learn to
Identify Plants
One of the best things you can do to improve your outdoor skills
as well as your appreciation of nature is to learn to identify
plants in the area in which you hunt. Doing so can help you gain a
more complete understanding of the game you hunt, as well as of
nongame species that live in the area. In addition, it can help
you realize the importance of plants many people consider merely
weeds. Do you know what
Illinois bundleflower is? Bumelia? Partridgepea?
Ever heard of
broomweed? What is it good for? If you know your plants, you will
quickly extol the virtues of this often-maligned plant. In many
parts of Texas, such as
the Rolling Plains, broomweed is perhaps the most valuable plant
for bobwhite quail. It provides seeds that are high in energy and
because it grows from a single woody stem and branches out at the
top, it also provides screening cover for bobs.
Under a canopy of pale green broomweed, a bobwhite can travel from
loafing cover to feed without being seen by an avian or
terrestrial predator. This fact is pretty important when you are
only six inches tall and not a very good fighter.
To get started learning about plants, go to your local library,
your county extension agent or a bookstore and look for references
that will help you learn to identify the plants found in your
area. The book Texas Range Plants, published by Texas A&M Press,
is an excellent resource to start. Now, get outside and start
learning. The catclaw sensitive brier awaits you.
Take up
Photography or Videography
If there is one way to preserve the memories of a hunt, spend more
time outdoors and learn about nature, it is by looking through the
lens of a still or video camera. Many hunters have expanded their
enjoyment of the outdoors by toting along a camera during
preseason scouting trips. By documenting happenings in the field,
outdoor enthusiasts can capture those special moments, such as a
fawn nursing, or a kid's first deer, on film forever.
Getting
started is simple. Today's cameras, both still and video, are
practically foolproof. Just about anyone can pick one up and
produce optimal results without learning a master's degree worth
of techno-jargon.
When choosing a video camera, pick one that is lightweight, yet
durable enough to handle the rigors of toting it into the field.
Also, choose one that has a 10X zoom.
Don't worry
about the size of the video cassette. Most video cameras that use
8mm or DV format cassettes can be easily hooked into a
conventional VCR and recorded to a VHS tape, so that you can take
your big buck footage to a friend's house and watch it.
Choosing a
still camera also is easy. Pick one that uses 35mm film and has
interchangeable lenses. A good starter outfit would be a 35mm
camera body, a 35mm 70mm zoom, a 70mm 210mm zoom and a couple
of rolls of 400 speed film.
Lens power is measured by focal lengths and expressed in
millimeters. A 50mm lens is equivalent to normal eyesight while a
200mm makes the subject appear four times closer. In hunting scope
terms, a 50mm lens is the same as a 1X scope. A 200mm lens would
give you the same magnification as a 4X scope.
Keep a Journal
Every time I go afield to hunt, photograph or just look, I carry
along a journal. Immediately after the trip, while my memories are
still fresh, I record everything. The sights, the smells and the
sounds of nature, in my opinion, are more entertaining than any TV
show that has ever been made. By keeping a journal, I can record
my thoughts and feelings about the natural world.
Try starting
your own journal by carrying a small, spiral-bound notebook into
the field next time you go. Take notes on the weather, the animals
you saw, the plants you identified and anything else you want to.
The goal is to make an accurate record of that day in the history
of your life. As you grow older you can bask in the memories of
your trips afield and it will be an enduring record of your
outdoor adventures you can pass on to your children.
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