Start Your Own Christmas Tradition with a Fishing or Hunting Quest

Special Report by TF&G Staff

LISTEN: (6 minutes, 32 seconds)

 

THE GREATEST GIFT the world has ever been given is celebrated as carolers sing beautiful songs like “Silent Night” about the arrival of hope on the planet.

It’s truly a special time of year

And not just from a holiday perspective but in the outdoors.

In the South Texas Brush Country, bucks are heavily on the trail of willing does and harassing the unwilling. The senderos cutting through the thick thorn and cactus are alive with activity as deer crisscross them in their annual display of mating.

South Texas has the latest rutting period in the United States with activity verified into the first week of February. The heaviest activity happens in mid to late 

December with some areas peaking in early January.

In the Hill Country and Pineywoods the rutting period is winding down. Virtually all of East Texas does are bred while a small percentage in the Hill Country will come into estrus.

For free-ranging exotic deer in Texas, like the large axis herd in the southeastern corner of the Edwards Plateau, some does will be heavily pregnant. The peak of rut for axis is summer although these exotic deer can potentially breed throughout the year.

Texas’ large Rio Grande turkey population is enjoying kernels of corn from the tens of thousands of feeders scattered throughout their range. More turkeys are killed in Texas during deer season than during the spring breeding periods so the birds are feeling the pressure.

The creek and river bottoms are their hideaways as they roost in small to large concentrations to maximize their security. With incredible vision and hearing they are able to locate predators from extremely long distances.

Over in East Texas, the remnant eastern turkey population is enjoying a peaceful time. No hunting is allowed during fall so the birds respond to hunting pressure in the woods by slipping into remote areas and staying out of sight. Our easterns are extremely elusive.

The marshes, bottomlands and lakes across the state are loaded with large numbers of ducks and geese.

The playa lake country in the Panhandle has concentrations of Canada geese, snows, specklebellies and huge sandhill cranes.

Along the coast rafts of redheads, scaup and canvasbacks sit on the open water of the bays. Boats crisscrossing the bays push them from location to location with scattered pockets of hunters benefitting from the pressure.

In the coastal marshes and rice fields gadwall, green-winged teal and pintails feed on abundant forage left behind by agriculture and that remaining in the natural wetlands. 

The creek and river bottoms of East Texas are home to large numbers of migrant mallards mixed with native wood ducks and scattered hooded mergansers.

Beneath the water’s surface there is plenty of interesting activity as well.

Gigantic bull black drum begin beating their ways into the bays right about now. With a chin full of barbels and a face that is not exactly what most anglers would consider attractive, they look as much sea monster as sportfish. From the jetties and surf and in deep channels, these beasts await anglers looking for something that pulls extremely hard.

Most flounder have made their way into the Gulf of Mexico to spawn in deep waters but not all of them. With a healthier flounder population than we have had in years, there are a good portion of fish that stay behind throughout winter. They dwell in the deep water channels and move onto nearby flats to feed.

On the lakes across the state the biggest bass in the state are starting to bite. The Toyota Sharelunker Program opens Oct. 1 and for good reason. A fair portion of the 13-pound plus fish are caught during December and January. Cool waters and low fishing pressure seem to get monster bass active

Crappie are congregating in deep river channels across the state. Suspending in deep water, they thrill thousands of anglers who spend much time on lakes like Toledo Bend and Lake Fork in their pursuit.

It’s a truly great time in the great outdoors.

Every year we challenge you to spend more time with those you love in the outdoors and this year we have a few new challenges we would like to send your way.

LIFE LIST: Make a life list of fish. Start this with your family and make it a fun competition. Write down every species you’ve caught and make goals. Maybe you go out for a steak dinner when you hit 50 species or go to someplace special to fish for that 100th.

Birders sort of started the life list thing but anglers are really into it now. It’s a fun way and will keep kids engaged in fishing as it’s a never-ending quest.

FERAL HOG SLAM: Hog hunting is not only fun but it’s a necessary component of wildlife conservation. A fun way to make a great pursuit of hogs is to create a quest. Seek to get a black, red, blonde and spotted hog. We can call that the Texas Hog Slam. Add a white one to the mix and we’ll hereby dub that the American Hog Slam.

We called it first.

FLY FISHING: Fly Fishing is increasing greatly in popularity since covid and many young people are taking up the pursuit.

Consider getting an inexpensive fly fishing combo and start going to your local streams and ponds. It’s so much fun to catch bluegill and largemouth bass, much less go to places like the stream below Canyon Lake to pursue rainbow trout.

Fly Fishing is kind of like bowhunting. You learn a lot about fish by getting closer to them and using a stealth approach.

FAMILY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY SOCIAL: Would you like to raise awareness of wildlife conservation? Start a social media account for your family’s wildlife photography and share your photos, videos and experiences and link it to great conservation work and wildlife facts.

This is a great way to mentor young people to take up the cause of conservation.

Be creative in your Christmas outdoors excursions and consider some of these quests to keep your love of the outdoors burning strong.

 

—story by TF&G STAFF

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