October 4th from 6-9 PM. FREE event with wild game bites, beverages, live music, raffles, games, and more! Don’t miss out. No RSVP required. Donations needed and sponsorship opportunities are available! Please contact Mimi Meyer at mimi.lsonf@gmail.com for more information.
Featured
By Mimi Meyer, for Lone Star Outdoor News
After participating in the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Women Hunt program back in October at the FTW Ranch with no luck after several hunts, Jamie Benn and Kathryn Hunter were eager to get out in the field for more experience. The Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation gave them just that in December on a ranch in Stonewall County.
Hunter, who goes by Kat, explained her previous experience of working for an outfitter, but always being behind the scenes and never getting to hunt herself. Her curiosity made her apply for the Women Hunt program to learn to hunt for herself. Meanwhile, Benn, just into her first few months of her new position working as a research professor at Texas A&M University-Kingsville studying white-tailed deer, was interested in hunting as it pertains to the full effects on the deer population and conservation to the species. After the vigorous WH training, especially shooting, the two were so anxious to check off their first deer from the list.
“I want to harvest a deer to really complete the cycle,” Jamie said. “I have been studying deer for years and I would really like to see how it feels to close the gap full circle on the end of an animal’s life.”
The first morning was full of excitement and nerves. The deer were plentiful and moving for Hunter, while Benn only saw two small bucks. The afternoon seemed more promising, but no shots were taken, although the new hunters were able to practice getting the gun up and ready to fire. However, the deer weren’t cooperating.
The second and last days proved to be much different from the first. That morning, it was off to the blinds. Within 40 minutes of the sun coming up, a shot was heard from across the ranch. Within a few minutes, Kat texted “IMPACT” – a familiar saying at the range on the FTW which means you hit the target — and Jamie replied with smiley emojis.
An hour or two later, Kat sent a photo of fist-pumping — which meant success! Both women had successfully harvested their first animal, beautiful whitetail bucks with only one shot. Jamie helped her guide, Steve Hudson, dress her buck in the field, while Kat drug her deer back to the truck for cleaning at the ranch headquarters. The two were beaming — excited and proud of what they had accomplished.
The Women Hunt program teaches women of all ages the skills they need to shoot, hunt, and ranch etiquette.
After several photos, cleaning deer, and a celebratory beer, the two new hunters packed up their coolers with their quartered deer and headed home. Both Jamie and Kat plan on continuing their hunting journeys for the rest of their lives.
“This is the first of many,” Kat said. “I am finally a bonafide hunter and cannot wait to do it again.”
Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation’s mission is all about one thing – providing opportunities.
Finding and cultivating future hunters and anglers is crucial to the survival of our passion for the outdoors. Unfortunately, many people never get the chance to have these life-changing experiences. Maybe they had parents who didn’t hunt; maybe they are from
a single-parent household and need someone to give them a gentle nudge into the outdoors. Texas is full of people wanting to become outdoorsmen or outdoorswomen, but they don’t know where to start.
In 2022, LSONF introduced nearly 30 people to the outdoors.
Jarrod Smith took his first deer at 40 years old.
“This is definitely just the start for me,” Smith said. “I want to get with guides and do some saltwater fishing this spring and get the boys out on Lake Conroe to catch some fish. And I think my 11-year-old is mature enough to go out with me hunting.”
LSONF partnered with the Delta Waterfowl R3 program again this year to get 10 wildlife students from Texas A&M-Kingsville out in a duck blind for the first time. One of the students, Andres Rosales, shot a beautiful green- winged teal and had already made plans with his mom to get it mounted as his Christmas present this year. He couldn’t wait to get it back home to a taxidermist.
Working with the Texas Dove Hunters Association, LSONF took Texas Sen. Donna Campbell, M.D. and fellow staff members on their first dove hunt this September.
And it’s not just hunting. Five friends from San Antonio headed to Rockport over the summer for a weekend of fishing. Gabe Constantine caught his first fish and everyone in the group caught their first black drum. Most fish caught were undersized, but Courtney Cargil hooked one keeper, and the group took it to a local restaurant to be prepared and shared.
This year, LSONF’s Wild Game Night raised more than $30,000 with the help of generous donations by our sponsors and patrons. The annual event will be celebrating its 12th year on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at the Beretta Gallery in Dallas.
We hope you will look at our mission statement and consider becoming a donor or sponsor to help us pursue these worthwhile, and vital, causes.
Story by Mimi Meyer for Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation
At Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation’s Wild Game Night at the Beretta Gallery in October, Bob Collins pulled a repeat win. The year prior, he won the duck hunt at the historic Port Bay Club in Rockport. On the trip, he hunted with his brother-in-law and had a great time.
This year, Collins dropped his tickets in the bucket again for the duck hunt, and to everyone’s surprise, he won the trip again. He was thrilled to get to return and, this time, he brought his wife, Alicia.
Alicia had not hunted ducks but was up for the adventure. The two enjoyed the club — more so inside since the weather was rainy, windy and cold. Alicia bundled up, maybe a little too much the first day, making it difficult to move and shoot. She had an opportunity on a duck but couldn’t quite get the shot.
Bob came home with redheads in the morning and went back out in the afternoon to bring in a pintail and a shoveler with the most unique bill.
“The bill looked like it was leopard print,” Bob said. “It was so mottled like the duck’s chest.” The next day, Alicia knew the drill, so she was more prepared and eager to harvest a duck.
“It was so cool just sitting in the blind seeing the sunrise and birds flying all around,” Alicia
said.” Mid-morning, a bluebill presented itself perfectly for her to get a shot.
Boom! She harvested her first duck.
“It was a great first experience and our guide, Clinton, was amazing,” Alicia said. “I would do it again!”
A little while later, Bob’s phone was perched on the ledge in the blind. Someone accidentally bumped it and it fell into the water. After looking around, their guide couldn’t seem to find it. An hour or two later, Bob went on the search and finally found it wedged underneath the blind but still underwater between two boards. The phone was recovered, but the photos of Alicia’s first duck were not. Thankfully, Bob had texted the pictures to friends.
Despite the loss of a phone, it was a great trip for the couple and brought newfound excitement for duck hunting as husband and wife.
College students take on the marsh
By Mimi Meyer, For Lone Star Outdoor News
Ten wildlife students from Texas A&M-Kingsville, most on their first duck hunt, arrived at the historic Port Bay Club, Nov. 14. The Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation partnered with the Delta Waterfowl R3 program again this year to get students out in a blind.
The group was lively and excited about the experience. The week before, they had gone out with Aidan Flores, Delta’s Texas R3 coordinator, on a skeet shoot. After that, they all seemed to feel comfortable around the shotguns that were provided for them. The group met for a safety debriefing during dinner and then enjoyed the club for the rest of the evening.
Many of the students had expressed their desire to go duck hunting, but had never found the opportunity or place to go. One student, Christin Moeller, said, “I have a group of friends that go all the time, and somehow, they always seem to forget my invite. I have begged them to go for years.”
She was excited to get out on the water and have some ducks to bring home.
The following morning, the breakfast bell rang early at 4:15 a.m. The group was ready to go, all decked out in their camouflage. Riding on “The Launch,” the boat pulling skiffs into the bay and marsh, in darkness with a rough bay, the boat was quiet with nervous energy. As the Port Bay guides picked up each pair of hunters to go to their designated blind, they all wished each other luck.
During the hunt, the students had pleny of opportunities to see and shoot various species of ducks. One text from a guide read, “Dang this girl can shoot!”
There were few misses from the group and nearly everyone returned with a duck in hand.
Returning later in the morning, the boat was filled with laughter, stories and a sense of accomplishment. Everyone investigated the various types of ducks that were brought back. In total, the group brought in 32 ducks. Then they huddled around in the “picking house” for a lesson on cleaning ducks and breasting them in preparation to take home.
Andres Rosales shot a beautiful green-winged teal and had already made plans with his mom to get it mounted as his Christmas present this year. He couldn’t wait to get it back home to a taxidermist.
As the group was saying goodbye, many were excited to return home to share their stories and begin looking for their next opportunity to duck hunt again.
A special thanks to Aidan Flores, Professor Bart Ballard, Tye Green and Jeremy Griffis from Port Bay Hunting and Fishing Club. To learn more about LSONF, visit lsonews.com/lson-foundation. For more information on the Delta Waterfowl, University Program, visit deltawaterfowl.org/deltas-university-hunting-program.