A New Era Begins!

It was both fun and nostalgic to take a look back at the last 50 years of highlights in the Texas Hunter Education Program. Our LEGACY will forever be HUNTING SAFETY - the significant reduction of firearm, hunting and outdoor incidents because of new knowledge, skills and attitudes gained by Texans going afield. Countless more benefited from home firearm storage, transportation (e.g., vehicles, boats, UHVs, etc.), range safety, and target shooting sports involving sporting arms. Those accomplishments and that LEGACY will most certainly continue over the next 50 years!

In the years ahead, I believe hunter education instructors, along with safe and legal behaviors, can do more to reduce wounding (i.e. TAKING A GOOD SHOT), taking better CARE OF GAME, and ADVOCATING FOR AND DEFENDING HUNTING & TARGET SHOOTING.  We must become true ambassadors for conservation and continually promote virtuous, honorable actions (see Honorable Hunter below).

PHOTO: Speaking of the years ahead, Karen's and my daughter, Sarah, received her PhD in Marine Science from University of South Carolina in December, and has accepted a job in January with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, extending her family's conservation LEGACY. You go, Sarah! Godspeed!

Here's to you and your family and friends have a SAFE and wonderful new year!

Be SAFE, Legal and Ethical! Hunt Texas!

Steve Hall, Hunter Education Coordinator

LIVE FIRE EXERCISES - Shotgun

TPWD Law enforcement cadets went through shotgun shooting with Brock Morgan, S TX Hunter Education Specialist, and Morgan Harbison, C TX Specialist. The goal is to reinforce safe shooting practices, primarily muzzle control, but also learn HOW to run live-fire during a FIELD Course. In this case, cadets tried out the trap machines and shotguns on TPWD's Mobile Shooting Sports trailer, operated by Harbison, statewide.

LIVE FIRE - Student Air Rifle

Each cadet also went through a Student Air Rifle Program (SAR) sample training exercise with Heidi Rao, SE Texas Hunter Education Specialist and Randy Spradlin, W TX Specialist.  Learning firearm safety and the basics of rifle shooting right in the school gymnasium, just like with the National Archery in Schools Program, is the hallmark of the SAR program now being taught by Hunter Education Staff, statewide!

Photos: Monica Bickerstaff, N TX Hunter Education Specialist, coaches Mischelle Diaz, TPWD Communications Division Director, and recent BOW participant, through a sighting in session prior the hunt, in which she took a nice doe --her first!  Monica shows her how to properly tag the doe as legally hers. Congratulations Mischelle!  That is what it is all about!

Bickerstaff said, "As the proverb begins, “It takes a village…” In this case, it took a village of Lake Waco U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, TPWD Staff, a cadre of Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) instructors, mentors, camp support staff and extremely excited BOW women (novice or first-time hunters) to make the 2022 Lake Waco Mentored Deer Hunt the success it was! Nine deer were harvested! BOW participants and accompanying family members set up camp at Speegleville Campground before participating in a safety briefing which included a discussion of laws, followed by license checks by Game Wardens Dustin Delgado (McLennan Co.) and Hannah Scarbrough (Hill Co.). All then traveled to the private range of volunteer hunter education instructors, Deborah and Patrick Davison, China Spring, for instruction in safe firearm or compound bow handling and target practice...

...All returned to camp to enjoy lunch prepared by none other than Jeff and Jeanette Hood, BOW Outdoor Cooking Instructors, before being transported to assigned ground blinds for the evening hunt. Once back at camp supper was served with assistance from Sharon and Jack Hayes and Mark Darby (Cheryl LeJune’s husband), and the deer processing began. After a late night, all retired to catch a few ZZZ’s before heading out to the blinds before the Sunday morning hunt. Upon return that morning, everyone enjoyed a brunch followed by deer processing and coolers full of venison for the way home!" 

A very special thanks to the BOW FRIENDS president, Melissa Brown and Board for providing funds for food prepared by the Hoods and to the Corps for extending the invitation (9th year) for us to assist in the Lake’s wildlife management initiative!

Monica Bickerstaff, N TX Regional HE Specialist

Dave Richards, Hunter Ed Partner

"Richards Outdoor Photography is conducting another Whitetail Photography Workshop January 12-14, 2023, on the Hindes Ranch in South Texas, and, as of January 1st, two spots have opened up. Last year we advertised the opportunity to learn how we photograph wild whitetails and then put it to practice immediately in our set ups expecting everyone to see and have the opportunity to photograph quality whitetail bucks.  Thankfully, every photographer had some great experiences and got amazing images of some high-quality wild south Texas bucks! We have several blinds set up and are seeing and photographing several great bucks already this Fall!  We also have Kristin Parma cooking her amazing cuisine at this workshop!  Many will know Kristin from her famous wild game cooking featured at TWA’s Hunt to Table Wild Game Cooking Class.

In the past we have had photographers of all experience levels come, learn, and have a great experience from the fellowship, great food, and incredible wildlife encounters they had on these workshops."

For more information go to:  https://www.richardsoutdoorphotography.com 

"This was our first Annual Four W’s Outdoors youth deer hunt at Rancho Del Sol in Fredericksburg . It was a MLD hunt for 5 bucks and 5 does, but we were one buck short. It was a great first hunt for 4 Ws!  Thanks to everyone who hunted and helped!"

Willard Franklin, 4Ws Outdoors and Harris County Hunter Education Instructor

Kim Rhode - Olympic Champion

Kim performed demonstrations of her shotgun shooting prowess at five Texas Wildlife Expos and showed off her first medal at one of the Expos and three of her medals some 8 years later. She wanted to spice up her talk and demonstrations, so her dad, Richard suggested that she hang upside down on his shoulders and shoot the normal outgoing sporting clay targets. Hit 'em all! Photo:  Here is Kim competing at age 10 and she won six consecutive medals in International Trap and Skeet at six Olympic Games. A most amazing American!

Frank Addington, Jr.- Archery Exhibition

- with TPWD's Charlie Wilson (L)

Frank Addington who lived out East at the time, called us with an idea for an archery shooting demonstration similar in nation to the shotgun shooting demonstrations put on by John Satterwhite, Tom Knapp, and Patrick Flanigan over the years at Texas Wildlife Expo. We had to dream up an outdoor back drop and stage near the other shooting sports shows and prayed that the wind would not be so bad. It did not dissuade Frank as he demonstrated shooting many targets, including an aspirin out of the air with bow and arrow -- from behind his back!  He decided he loved Texas so he and his new bride, at the time, moved to San Antonio where he has done many South Texas shows for celebrities and are raising two boys who continue the archery tradition with their dad.  He also loves Texas B B Que and the many other Texas traditions and is continuing his shows today.  Way to go, 'Texas Frank'!

TIC -TAC-TOE Shot Placement Exercise ™

A new training aid to teach successful shot placement for white-tailed deer (and other big game species) was developed by Cross Trail Outfitters (CTO). As stated in the brochure "CTO Youth Hunting & Fishing Clubs in the U.S. have guided and taught thousands of youth participants a strategic method of how to ethically harvest big game animals by using a Shot Placement exercise and dry-fire practice method, with no live range firing!"  CTO has plenty of experience teaching kids how to successfully take their first shot; so much so, that the TPWD Hunter Education Program is going to adopt the strategy and combine forces with CTO in bringing this valuable training aid and technique to Texas hunter education instructors. We are sure you will find the tools developed by CTO invaluable in teaching reduced wounding and introductions to a new hunter's first shot. To get yours, please submit a request for a copy on your SUPPLY ORDERS found on your dashboard -- under 'Other" category until a separate listing is available.  (Just put "Tic-Tac-Toe" and we will ship it along with your order.)

The Honorable Hunter

Michael Sabbeth, Denver, after several years of hard work and collaboration, including with many Texas hunter education and youth hunting program staffs, instructors and students/youth hunters, has completed his training manual for instructors with strategies for persuading both internal (students) and external (e.g. media and non-hunters) audiences on the value of hunting in conservation. The manual has tips and ideas for helping everyone understand the values and benefits of hunting, helping students aspire to being honorable hunters and how to even deal with hostile or aggressive attitudes by those who oppose hunting.

Available to those Teaching Deer Hunting 101 Workshops

Judging Whitetails Afield

A new, updated edition of Observing & Evaluating Whitetails by Dave Richards & Al Brothers will be available to instructors for use in Deer Hunting 101 and related advanced hunter education coursework. Dave, a noted outdoor photographer, whose photos of whitetails are featured in the publication, is also sponsoring a Trophy Whitetail Photography Workshop Jan.12-14, 2023 on the legendary Hindes Ranch with Richards Outdoor Photography.  NOTE: There are still 2 slots available if you are interested at the last minute! For more information, go to: richardsoutdoorphotography.com

"The publication is a direct result of the Hindes’ intensive management of their deer herd and Big Roy Hindes pioneering the methods of aging deer on the hoof.  Twenty of the twenty-one bucks Dave chronicled in the book are Hindes Ranch bucks - as are most of the thirty-five bucks in the judging on the hoof chapter." - D Richards

Follow Honor, Not Your Feelings 

- By Michael G. Sabbeth 

A Colorado hunter education instructor shared this anecdote. He and his hunting buddies went on their annual elk hunt. One of the buddies had a fetish for taking long range shots, often at distances beyond his skill level. On a particular hunt, against the advice of his buddies, the hunter took a long range shot and wounded (the) elk. The hunting group spent two days tracking the wounded animal, which was never found. The hunting trip was ruined.  

The buddies told the hunter he was no longer invited to join their hunting group. The instructor told me it was painful and difficult to dis-invite his friend. “I felt terrible, but it was the right thing to do. The hunter wounded animals and jeopardized our hunts.” I mentioned he could lose a friend. The instructor replied, “Maybe, but then he would not have been much of a friend.” 

The honorable hunter loves the hunt; loves the outdoors; loves the challenges preparing for the actual hunt often as much as the actual hunt. But love is not enough. Good intentions are not enough. Love must be intertwined with virtue and duty. When love is divorced from virtue and duty, you have neither love nor virtue nor duty. You have chaos.

READ MORE at the Honorable Hunter Web Site

Administrative Staff Contacts:

512-389-4999 - General Hotline

Email Support: Instructor@tpwd.texas.gov

KEVIN Vo - 512-389-8140

kevin.vo@tpwd.texas.gov

ANDREA Cleveland - 389-8739

andrea.cleveland@tpwd.texas.gov

Please contact your regional staff member (see below) for assistance, especially questions regarding the Online Registration System and setting up or closing out your courses!  "If your regional staff specialist is not available, feel free to contact Administrative Staff in Austin (see above) -- or to say HELLO!