Texas’ Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper Since 2004
February 10, 2023
Volume 19, Issue 12
Sheepshead on a feed at jetties By Robert Sloan
For Lone Star Outdoor News Hunters and landowners are reporting bucks shedding their antlers earlier than normal. According to biologists, it could be a result of poor range conditions from recurring drought. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.
Bucks shedding early
The sheepshead may not be the most glamorous fish in the Gulf of Mexico, however they put up a good fight, are plentiful along the jetties and taste pretty good when grilled or fried. “You can’t beat them,” said Robert Sanders who, along with his wife, specifically tar-
get sheepshead during the winter months. “Right now, there are lots of them along the Port O’Connor jetties and in some of the canals leading into marinas and subdivisions. Most of the time we’ll catch them under corks fishing about 4 feet deep. The best baits are live shrimp. But right now, there aren’t too many live shrimp to be had, so we just use dead shrimp.”
Jetty anglers and winter Texans are fans of catching and eating sheepshead, usually caught on live or dead shrimp. Photos by Lone Star Outdoor News.
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By Nate Skinner
For Lone Star Outdoor News Wildlife managers and hunters across the state have reported they are already starting to see bucks shedding their antlers. In many cases, this has occurred earlier than in previous years. Miguel Morales, the ranch foreman at the 501 Ranch near Uvalde, said he usually sees one or two bucks shed their antlers by early February, but has already found matching sheds for five different bucks. “That’s only the one’s that we know of, as there could be more bucks that have already shed their antlers,” Morales said. “The first buck we saw shed its antlers this year dropped them back around January 9. Most of the sheds that we have found are from younger deer.” Morales has also heard from buddies that hunt or manage properties in the area who have seen more bucks that have already
West Texas hunters enjoyed the final weeks of the season, with good numbers of Canadas, snow geese and specklebellies. Photo by Jake Henriksen.
Goose hunters finish strong out west
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID DALLAS, TX PERMIT 3814
Please turn to page 6
Conservation snow goose season underway By Nate Skinner
The regular goose season in Texas’ West Zone extended through the first week of February, and those who made it out west were rewarded. Crooked Wing Outfitters’ Jake Henriksen said there were large concentrations of lesser Canada geese and snow geese in the Lubbock area, along with a fair number of specklebellies, to close out the final week of the regular goose season.
fool most of the birds. “With the light goose conservation season upon us now, we still have huntable concentrations of snows around,” Henriksen explained. “The cold weather has really kept large numbers of birds in our area.” Panhandle outfitter Jacob Salmon, of Full Throttle Outdoors, said cold weather made for excellent goose hunting to end the season. “Snow goose numbers are looking good, which should bode well for some great conservation hunts as well,” Salmon said. Along the middle and upper Texas coastal prairies, waterfowl hunters desiring to extend their season have been enjoying some of the best conservation season snow goose Please turn to page 6
Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10 Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12 Saltwater Fishing Report . . Page 13 Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . Page 16 Datebook . . . . . . . . . Page 18 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 19
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For Lone Star Outdoor News
“We were still consistently landing big wads of Canadas, with some specks mixed in, through the last day of our goose season which ended on February 5,” Henriksen said. “The birds were mainly hitting wheat and milo fields, but we did have some good hunts over nut-bearing crops as well.” During the last week, Henriksen said the birds seemed to become a little more relaxed with the decrease in hunting pressure after duck and sandhill crane seasons closed. “The geese were definitely feeding hard with the cold weather that greeted us at the beginning of the month,” he said. “This also made for more consistent hunting, as the weather forced them to hit the fields.” Small spreads of full-body decoys helped
HUNTING
FISHING
Sharing the bounty (P. 4)
Adjusting goals (P. 8)
Hunter shares adventures.
Big speckled trout there, fewer giants.
Quail spotty, better south (P. 4) White bass run begins (P. 9) Late hatch in South Texas.
Sabine River action.