50 Years of Success Continues...

The Texas archery season is upon us!  Yeah!  My favorite months are September and October, as we bow hunters hit the woods throughout the West and in Texas which begins October 1st. Bow seasons are special. Besides the months of practice and fine tuning our bow shooting skills, and after finding places to hunt, bow hunting is a chance to really escape -- to move slowly, watch, listen, smell, game call, hike, and camp.  My favorite bow hunt is for elk in Colorado, since it is typically with my son (see photo), brothers and childhood friends -- a time to reflect, catch up, hike our tails off, and, many times, feel the adrenaline rush of being next to a thrashing elk, or see the quiet approach of a bear or mountain lion, or encounter many other animals and birds -- really close!  Rarely do we get to loose an arrow towards an animal, but when we do, it is a memory of a lifetime.  Hope you and your students have safe, memorable hunts!

Photo: Ryan's friend, Collin Danforth, Midland, shot his first elk with bow and arrow during Colorado's bow season in September.  The meat will provide many great meals and the experiences, a great memory, for sure!  Congratulations Collin!

Steve Hall, Hunter Education Coordinator

"Season’s Greetings: Hunting Continues To Be An Important Part Of Texas Culture" - Steve Knight outdoor@tylerpaper.com

_{Photo Caption:  With fall arriving hunters are beginning to head back to the field in Texas. Whether it is dove or deer hunting it is important to Texans and Texas and not just for the shooting. By Steve Knight/Tyler Morning Telegraph}

I came across this Facebook post featuring an article from longtime friend and Outdoor Writer, Steve Knight, Tyler, who I have worked with for over three decades. He begins with, "At this time of year, seasons openings come in rapid fire succession with dove season leading into the early teal season starting Sept. 10 and then archery deer season on Oct. 1, quail season Oct. 29 and the regular deer and turkey season on Nov. 5. And that is just part of the list."  Like other notable Texas outdoor newspaper writers and friends such as Mike Leggett, Austin, and Ray Sasser, Dallas (RIP), just to name two of many great TX outdoor columnists, Steve has a knack of really communicating the outdoors to hunters and anglers in way that is as much introspective as it is informative.  In this column, he notes, "On the downside there is a major landowner shift under way in Texas. Agricultural land is being gobbled up by new owners as recreational properties. While ultimately good for most wildlife it could leave hunters standing at the gate with no place to hunt" (proverbial glass-half-empty)." However, his columns generally cover a lot of ground, and, in this case, he finishes strong (glass-half-full), "Another thing about hunting is it is something anyone can participate in, from young observers who just spend time with their parents, to younger hunters joining their mother and father actually bringing home supper." Keep up the great work, Steve!  - Steve Hall, Hunter Education Coordinator

Hunting - a Rite of Passage in Texas

Do you remember your 1st hunting license? 6-year-old Brooks Williford loves the outdoors. If he can't go outside, he's watching the Outdoor Channel (beats cartoons). He chose hunting this year over playing football and looks forward to carrying on a family tradition. His dad says, "To say he's excited is an understatement." Happy hunting, Brooks!

Bill McCubbin - Legacy Instructor

Bill McCubbin, Amarillo, has been teaching for 40 years and has accrued nearly 8,000 points in the process.  He is a longtime Texas Hunter Education Hall of Fame recipient and continues to plug away in Amarillo at the college or at the range, along with teaching partner, Wayne Ellis, who is well on his way to legacy status. Steve Hall, Hunter Education Coordinator, had a chance to recognize Bill, his longtime mentor and friend, in Amarillo in September along with fellow instructor, Tom King (2009), at one of the better prime rib locations. (Amarillo never disappoints when it comes to steaks.)  Bill is due to receive his actual Legacy Award from his regional specialist, but it is always good to see one of the volunteers that has personally witnessed the program and its various changes for 40 years, yet continues to serve the greater Panhandle Community as a loyal, dedicated Hunter Education volunteer -- THANKS for your continued service, BILL!  Well deserved Legacy Award!

BOSS "Becoming an Outdoor Super Senior" is a new program created as an advanced Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) opportunity specifically for women over 55! Located at Long Acres Ranch (LAR), Richmond, this non-profit educational facility hosts over 15,000 visitors annually, educating them on all things - outdoors.  TPWD's Hunter & Bowhunter Education, as well as Angler Education, are all offered at Long Acres.

OCTOBER 15 - 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Richmond - Long Acres Ranch

BOSS is Like BOW -- offering a variety of introductory classes. Once you register at BOSS REGISTRATION, you will be sent a list of classes available with their descriptions, workshop details and forms to complete your registration. Fee is $20 at the workshop (do not pay online).  We look forward to sharing the outdoors with you at this **FIRST** BOSS – Becoming an Outdoor 'Super Senior'. Workshop Coordinator:  Kitty Haynes @ 713-882-7614; kittyhaynes@earthlink.net 

NRA's Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC)

(L) Ethan Hemsath and Landon Roland compete in the rifle category at NRA's YHEC Regional Finals in Arkansas.  (Below) Cody Rantala, Justin Gossett, Landon Roland, and Ethan Hemsath take a break between competitions at the national event. The Texas Team competed in rifle, shotgun, muzzleloading and other events and represented Texas in fine fashion! Congrats guys!

SAVE THE DATES

North Texas - Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center; Saturday, March 4, 2023; contact: Monica.bickerstaff@tpwd.texas.gov

South Texas -  Bass Pro Shops; Saturday, March 11, 2023 (details to follow); contact: brock.minton@tpwd.texas.gov

Photo:  Last time at TFFC, Monica Bickerstaff, N TX Specialist, held a Treestand Safety 101 Workshop with experts L.J. Smith, former Mississippi HE Administrator (3rd from L), and John Louk (at tree), Treestand Manufacturer's Association.

Texas Shotgun Shootout Shows Appreciation

The 2022 Texas Shotgun Shootout was held at the San Angelo Claybird Association and was featured in the August Target Talk. Over 100 participants expressed their appreciation, sending in cards, letters and photographs to Texas Parks and Wildlife.  The Hunter Education and Shooting Sports Program Staff would like to return the THANKS -- for your involvement in the outdoors and continuing the hunting and target shooting heritage in the Lone Star State -- Our conservation efforts can't do it without YOU!

Firearms Cleaning 101 Course 

Texas Youth Hunting Program

Director, Chris Mitchel, New Braunfels, teaches it all -- Huntmasters, Hunter Education Instructors, Hunter Education Students and Hunting 101s, such as this Firearms Cleaning 101 workshop held recently at the Texas Wildlife Association's (TWA) new headquarters complex near New Braunfels.  Their state-of-the-art facility also is perfect for "Wild Game Processing 101" educational workshops. Thanks Chris and TWA!

New Huntmasters - Weslaco

(L to R) Junior Munoz, Andrew Butler, Ricardo Orozco, Danny Santillan, Fernando Rocha and Ruben Rangel. Chris Mitchell, Texas Youth Hunting Program (TYHP) Director reports "Meanwhile in Weslaco, at the Estero Llano Grande State Park, we trained another five (5) new Huntmasters for the Rio Grande Valley. Junior Munoz, Austwell (The man is everywhere!) cooked, arranged the area for the training and was invaluable, as always," along with his sidekick, Ruben Rangel, Brownsville.  All participants are Hunter Education Instructors, and Junior and Ruben are Area Chiefs.  Congrats to all!

New Huntmasters - Nacogdoches

(L to R) Gage Grantham, John Masterson, Jayce Durham, Jill Pilcher, Briana Nicklow, TYHP East TX Field Coordinator, and Spencer Patterson. Five (5) new Texas Youth Hunting Program Huntmasters were trained at Alazan Bayou WMA in Nacogdoches in early September by TYHP East Texas Field Operations Coordinator, Briana Nicklow. Participants reviewed rules and policies, conducted practical exercises, and gained the necessary information they need to run a hunt with TYHP! Congratulations to all new Huntmasters!

Texas Youth Hunting Program

In late August, three Texas Youth Hunting Program (TYHP) hunters spoke in front of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission at their Annual Public Hearing Meeting. The three young adults stressed the impact TYHP has had on their lives and personally thanked TPWD and the Commission for their continued support of the program. THANKS to Logan Jenke, Camryn Jamison, and Abby Williams for speaking on behalf of TYHP!

HE Outreach Event - Trails Life Youth

Sandy Mason, Joshua, took over 100 participants, including about 65 young people from "Trail Life", through firearm safety and handling, muzzle control, range safety & commands, and different types of air rifles. This was their preparation night for live fire at their next meeting. We also had a field demonstration of one-person and two-person fence and gate crossing.

Dimmit County Hunter Ed Course

Asst HE Instructor, Samuel Green (R)

These photos are from Hunter's Ed On-Line plus Field Course held Sep 10, 2022 at Carrizo Springs at the Dimmit County Rodeo Arena and Conference Center.  We had 15 students, along with several parents who stayed for the course. Instructor was Bonita Green with (youth) Assistant Instructor, Samuel Green. This was a super group of motivated students. After class many of the students thanked us for the instruction and stated they had learned a lot. The biggest comment on the assessments was that they would recommend the class and that it was worthwhile. One parent approached us after the class and wants to be an instructor himself! I passed along all the necessary info and am sure we will see him in the classroom soon! These are the kind of classes that motivate instructors to keep on providing the training! - Bonita Green, Poteet

TOWA's FALL STAMPEDE

Oct. 14-16th - Shaw's Ben Social Club - 1173 FM 1890, Columbus

Every Fall, courtesy of President, Herman Brune (R), Columbus, TOWA hosts their "Fall Stampede" including a COOK OFF, BULL RIDING, LIVE MUSIC, TEXAS CHALLENGE SHOOTING COMPETITIONS, and CATFISH TOURNEY.  Herman says, "COME ON! ~~ Bring family and friends and enjoy this truly Texas Outdoor Event. Texas Parks and Wildlife has provided shooting, kayaking and other "Expo-like" activities and, this, year, will host a hunter education course as part of the Stampede.  Hope you can make it, and hope the weather stays perfect! 

Please join me in welcoming our newest member to the Welder Family, Dr. Dale James.

Dale James is Chief Executive Officer of the Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation where he is responsible for leading the Foundation’s staff and volunteers toward achieving a mission of enhancing and sustaining working lands through wildlife conservation education, research, and management. Dr. James is excited to be back to the Foundation in a very different role, "for me coming back to serve the Foundation felt like completing a circle, as I was a Welder Fellow myself many years ago. In fact, the Foundation supported both of my graduate-level projects and I lived in the dorms while conducting my MSc research on black-bellied whistling duck nesting ecology on the Welder Refuge. My experiences through the Fellowship program had a profound impact on me both professionally and personally, as I developed valuable skills and lifelong friendships from time spent at the refuge."

Prior to joining the Welder Wildlife Foundation, Dale was employed by Ducks Unlimited for 18 years providing conservation services throughout the southeastern U.S. in various roles, including regional biologist, land conservation manager, and director of science and planning. He also briefly worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in eastern Montana at Medicine Lake NWR. His primary conservation focus has been in the areas of wildlife habitat management, wetland and waterfowl conservation, and ecosystem service science.

Dale holds a Ph.D. in Wildlife Science through a joint program between Texas A&M-College Station and Texas A&M-Kingsville, an M.Sc. in Range and Wildlife Management from Texas A&M University-Kingsville and a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Texas A&M University. 

He and his wife Michelle have two adult children Ben and Erin

HAWAII - in Rarified Air - ALOHA!

Thanks to the Hawaii Hunter Education Program, Terry Erwin's memory lives on near Hilo on the Big Island, specifically near the summit of Mauna Kea! Terry had a special relationship with all the Hawaii hunter education coordinators (L to R), Darren Ogura (current administrator) Orlando "Ox" Oxiles, Andrew Choy and Wendell Kam, the latter a longtime friend and colleague of Terry's with the International Hunter Education Association.

Kentucky - in the Blue Grass!

Thanks to Rachel Crume, R3 Branch Manager, Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Terry’s ashes are at Camp John Currie at the shotgun range where hundreds of campers each summer get to shoot at clay birds.  Additionally, in the off season for camp, the Department hosts many Hunter Education courses at the facility.  Rachel said, "Right after, we had some beautiful whitetail deer come and join us!"  Terry had many friends in the Kentucky hunter education program, so THANKS Rachel!

HQ Administrative Support Available!

Kevin Vo - Hunter Ed Administrative Asst

512-389-4999 - General Hunter Ed Hotline

512-389-8140; Kevin.Vo@tpwd.texas.gov

Email Support: Instructor@tpwd.texas.gov

BUSY SEASON is HERE!

Please give 4 weeks' notice when ordering supplies and contact your regional specialist for assistance (see below for contact info.)