Texas’ Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper Since 2004
December 9, 2022
Volume 19, Issue 8
Mule deer in good condition Body size great, antler size down By Craig Nyhus
Lone Star Outdoor News The short mule deer general season has come to a close, and hunters reported good-sized animals in both the Trans-Pecos and the Panhandle.
During the youth hunt at the Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area, Ethan Slusher, of Round Rock, headed west with his father, Justin. “It’s difficult to get drawn there,” Justin said. “Four kids got to hunt on the draw out of 200 to 300 applicants.” The hunt, the first trip to the WMA for the father and son, took place the day after Thanksgiving.
“Our first goal was to get up in the mountains and use a spotting scope to find a buck,” Justin said. “But it snowed 6 inches and it was foggy. We couldn’t see very far.” The pair didn’t see any animals the first day, but on the second day the skies cleared. “We took the same approach but the wind was blowing at 25,” Justin said. “We were on Del Norte Mountain, and
Ethan Slusher located this buck in the Elephant Mountain WMA youth hunt during Thanksgiving weekend. Photo by Justin Slusher.
Please turn to page 13
Bull reds schooling in Galveston By Nate Skinner
For Lone Star Outdoor News Consistent fall weather and passing cold fronts have caused swarms of shrimp to exit the marshes of the Galveston Bay Complex. The water temperature hasn’t dropped low enough to push the hoards of crustaceans out of the estuarine waters and into the Gulf. Therefore, the shrimp have been balled up in many locales within the bay system, where large schools of bull reds have been concentrating to take advantage of the buffet. As a result, anglers have been experiencing nonstop, rod-bending action from the hard-pulling fish. Sam Rasberry recently got in on the bull redfish action in East
Galveston Bay while fishing with his buddy and fishing guide, Capt. Sammy Guerrero. “We encountered close to 10 different schools of bull reds across the open waters of East Bay,” Rasberry said. “There were flocks of seagulls just about everywhere we looked, and almost all of them were hovering over giant schools of oversized reds.” Most of the fish they caught were hanging in 8 to 10 feet of water. “Almost every redfish we landed was over 35 inches in length,” Rasberry explained. “We didn’t catch a single one in the slot. They were all huge.” Most of the bites came on jigs. “The fish really weren’t coming up to the top much,” Rasberry said.
Sam Rasberry landed this 40-inch redfish while chasing schools in East Galveston Bay with his friend and guide, Capt. Sammy Guerrero. Photo by Sammy Guerrero.
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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID DALLAS, TX PERMIT 3814
Cheering for first buck By Tony Vindell
High school senior Georgia Godwin shot her first buck after watching it chase does at their family ranch in the Coastal Bend region of Texas. Photo by Wes Godwin.
Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10 Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12 Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . Page 15 Saltwater Fishing Report . . Page 17 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 18 Datebook . . . . . . . . . Page 18
INSIDE
CONTENTS
Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP
For Lone Star Outdoor News For Georgia Godwin, hunting is a favorite sporting pastime. The senior cheerleader at Friendswood High School has hunted many times for white-tailed deer and feral hogs. But recently, she harvested a nice 8-point buck at her family ranch in the Coastal Bend region of the state.
Better yet, it was her first buck and one she will cherish for life. On the evening of the hunt, Godwin spotted the deer coming onto a pipeline as she and her dad, Wes, quietly sat in a brushy area. The pipeline was close to a creek where deer usually come out in the evening to munch on grass and shrubs. Some 10 or more minutes later, they would spot does and a couple of Please turn to page 7
HUNTING
FISHING
Redheads are back (P. 4)
Black drum groups (P. 8)
Coastal hunters happy.
Cool water brings the bite.
New landowners, new hunters (P. 4)
Conroe cats (P. 8)
Biologists lead hunts.
Channels and big blues.