Hook'n Up & Track'n Down

As I have stated many times in previous posts or in disclaimers, I am not an avid hunter or fisherman. Heck, I'm not even a casual outdoors sportsman to tell you the truth, but recently I experienced the pain and agony that so many avid outdoorsman face when they have to throw the big one back or fail to track down their harvest(Bunnyhuggers are people too you know) on a hunting expedition. How many times have you been in a local tournament and reeled in what you thought was going to be the clincher only to find out that the fish had to be thrown back because of the slot limit? Or how many times have you shot that one perfect trophy deer at dusk and are unable to locate him? If you've been hunting or fishing for any amount of time, then you know exactly what I'm talking about and the aggravation that accompanies such instances. The problem doesn't get any better when you tell pals about it and they all give you the same look that says " Sure you did(Fill in your name)". Not only did you miss the big one, but now your compadres are questioning your integrity(let's face it, everybody has exaggerated here and there when it comes to the outdoors) and you're faced with a daunting decision. Do I continue to tell folks and possibly incur more outrageous looks or do I just keep the story to myself? I can't answer that question for you, that is for each man to decide himself, but I can tell you that I recently attended a NL baseball game between the Houston Astros and the New York Mets in which I caught a homerun ball off the bat of perennial All-Star Outfielder Carlos Beltran. Amid all the jostling for the aforementioned ball, my heart jumped for joy as I knew that I would have sole possession of the Beltran launched ball and a great souvenir for the weekend trip. As I was grinning from ear to ear knowing that the erstwhile projectile was mine forever, my heart sank as I heard the Astro faithful chanting "Throw it back, throw it back!". This is somewhat customary in major league ballparks, especially if the guy used to play for that team and left them for the greener pastures(money). After a quick (terrified)look from my wife(who actually secured the ball with her rear-end), I heaved the ball back onto the field from which it came and tried to enjoy the rest of the game. You notice that I said "tried to enjoy" as I couldn't get over the fact that I just had a great catch in my hand and I had to throw it back. I do indeed know the pain that all you outdoorsman have had to suffer before when throwing the big one back or not being able to find that trophy deer, now if I could just get all my friends to stop looking at me like I was lying.

Posted by Chris Boyd at 02:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am sorry to say that the Reeves Marine All City Championship will be no more. This is disapponting not only too me but to alot of fishermen throughout the Shreveport/Bossier area. This was at one time the most prestigiuos tournament of the year and all fishermen in the area looked forward to it. But now it has come to an end. Reeves has decided to put all their effort into the RMTT circuit instead. But make no mistake, the RMTT is without a doubt the best thing to come along in this area ever. But there was something about having just one tournament (the All-City Championship) that you just anticipated and looked forward to. Teams would camp out on the steps of Reeves Marine all night once the tournament registration date was announced. Only the first 100 teams got in this event.

This tournament was not about the money, but the bragging rights you had for one year to be called the Shreveport All-City Champions. No event garnered more coverage than this one. No tournament could even touch this event throughout the 90's.  There were teams from all over Northwest Louisiana, East Texas and Southern Arkansas fishing this event.The winning team received an all expense paid trip to the Bassmaster Classic with some spending money as well. The names of you and your partner were placed on the 3 foot trophy that was on display at the Reeves Marine Center. You took great pride in having your team name on this trophy; it really meant something to the local anglers to win this event. The Reeves family did a great job in making this event so special. They fed all team members and most of their wives the night before the tournament. But what else made this tournament so special?  The coverage and exposure the winning team got was great! You had TV and radio interviews along with full page coverage of both events in the Shreveport Times. It was two tournaments in one because you had to make the Top 20 in order to come back and compete for the All-City Championship two weeks later. The Top 20 teams received great gift packages from tackle packs, caps, jackets, tote bags ect.... It really was an honor just to make the Top 20. But the last few years I felt that it lost it's luster when it was decided to make it just one event instead of bringing back the Top 20. They were struggling the past couple of years to even have 80 teams. I think that when the format was changed, and the lack of support from key sponsors as well as the media coverage dropped off, it just was not the same. It did not have the same feel or air about it. It became just another tournament. There was really something  special about this tournament and I know alot of people are going to miss it.

I just want to say thanks to the entire Reeves Marine family for putting on an event that meant so much to the anglers in the Shreveport/Bossier area. Maybe someday you can bring this event back with the same luster of years gone by.

 

 

Posted by Steve Graf at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

While the title of this post might conjure images of a janitorial crew, it is in fact the newest local chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF).  Based in Red River Parish, we are setting our sights on becoming the best new chapter in the state.  Our first banquet is scheduled for Thursday, August 23, 2007 beginning at 6pm at the Coushatta Country Club.  This will be a family-oriented event with no alcohol.  Ladies and children are welcome and encouraged to attend.  It is important to note that you don't have to be a turkey hunter to be a part of this great organization which also focuses on preserving hunting rights and wildlife habitat for all species of wild game.  For ticket information, you may contact me at radiosportsman@yahoo.com .  I hope to see you there!

Posted by James E. Hester at 09:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I can remember back in 1979 as a young man all of 18 years of age, coming to Lousisana on an athletic scholarship to play football and baseball for Northwestern St. University. What an experince that was!!! Playing with players such as Bobby Hebert, Mark Duper, Joe Delaney, Gary Reasons, and former Natchitoches Central great Larry Robinson. It was truely an honor to play with players of such ability.

But, I can also remember my first hunting trip here in Northwest Lousisana. Being from Texas where all the land is leased up, it was eye opening to me that unless you had a fence around your place or had it marked with paint every 50 feet around your proerty line, anyone could hunt anywhere they wanted. Basically Louisiana was an open range state. Now again being from Texas, this was hard for me to comprehend since you would NEVER in your wildest dreams cross another man's fence or property line. Some of my best hunting experinces of my life were during this time period when everyone would and could hunt pretty much anywhere they wanted. I can remember running into some deer hunters from Minnesota who also enjoyed the open range of yesterday and envied the freedom we had here in Louisiana. They looked forward to their La. hunts more than anything because they said they loved the fact that they could scout and roam some of the "best hunting in the south" as they called it. Maybe that's why Louisana has been called the "Sportsman's Paradise".

But now look at what is happening. Our hunting range has shrunk significantly and why? All the great hunting here in La. is now on private property and just like our neighbors to the west (Texas) you can only hunt on a few small wildlife management areas. Even some of these are now being reduced in size ie Sabine Wildlife Management Area. In a certified letter on May 24, 2007 to the LDWF, the Atlanta based company of TimberStar Southwest decided it need to bring a better return to it's investors which means a 6,500 arcre reduction to the Sabine Wildlife Management Area. The state now has 60 days to vacate the land. So how does this affect you and I, well it means that the Sabine WMA has now been cut in half from 13,706 acres to 7,206. This means land that we have been hunting for 20 to 30 years is now not available. But it's not just TimberStar but Boise Cascade has sold off more than 688,000 acres since 2004. Don't get me wrong, I know there are still some good places to hunt, but you either have to know someone or have the deep pockets to join a lease and not everyone here in La. has that. You have to wonder how much longer can Louisiana truely call itself the "Sportsman's Paradise"

Posted by Steve Graf at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It seems so ironic that, just last year, many tackle dealers in Louisiana and Texas suffered due to record-low lake levels.  Many boat ramps were closed because the water was so low.  Now, these dealers are suffering because of too much water.  Many reservoirs in Texas have ramps that are closed due to high water levels.  Public ramps along the Red River in Shreveport and Bossier City are also closed.  Landowners and farmers along the Red are also keeping a wary eye on Lake Texoma.  It is dangerously close to spilling over, which would result in a significant and potentially dangerous rise to the already rain-swollen river.  If you must launch anywhere along Red River, or any flooded waterway, exercise extreme caution.  It is not unusual for large debris, such as mature trees, to be swept away by the tremendous currents spawned by such flooding.  Whirlpools along bridge pilings, jetties, and inlets can also pose a grave threat to boaters.  Heed all watches and warnings and stay safe!

Posted by James E. Hester at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You may or may not be aware of it, but there was a bill introduced during the recent Louisiana legislative session which would change the type of approved weapons for use during the muzzleloader season.  The bill, House Bill 599 (Waddell), approved the use of pre-1900 patented single-shot centerfire rifles for use during this season, and passed the House by a vote of 98-0.  Mississippi passed a similar law a couple of years ago, which had a huge economic impact for the state due to increased license and firearms sales.  It also boosted participation in the muzzleloader season, now known as a 'traditional' or 'primitive weapons' season.  The most common caliber that meets the requirement is the 45-70 gov't.  Now, since it passed by such an overwhelming vote in the House, dealers and hunters across the state just assumed it would fly through the Senate and be quickly signed by the Governor, thereby making it effective in time for the '07 season.  Firearms orders in the thousands were placed by gun dealers, with many customers already staking their claims to these low-maintenance 'buffalo guns'.  Then, the Senate referred the bill to their Natural Resources committee, which saw fit to add a couple of amendments.  The first would change the effective date to 2008, the second would establish the season as two weeks after the regular gun season, rather than the current one week prior and one week after.  None of this was to be, however.  Remember, this is Louisiana.  Having two groups agree on anything is next to impossible.  We have more lobbies than a hotel chain.  In the end, the Senate chose not to call the bill up for final passage, instead letting it die.  According to the helpline assistant I spoke with in Baton Rouge, they do not carry over legislation.  This means a new bill would have to be introduced and the subject re-visited.  The next regular legislative session is January, 2008.  Personally, I feel this would be good for our state and for hunting participation in general.  There are arguments to the contrary, however.  Some bowhunters feel that this infringes on their pre-gun season opportunities because it will increase the number of folks in the woods with guns for that one-week pre-season window.  I am an avid bowhunter myself.  There are numerous "Bowhunting Only" leases one may join, allowing one to hunt the entire season with a stick and string, if he so chooses.  I contend that we as hunters should not work against each other.  There's room for everyone.  We should keep our focus on preserving our hunting rights and hunting season without bickering over who gets what.  Such in-fighting causes the anti's much happiness.  Now, the other argument comes from dealers who have heavy inventory in traditional muzzleloaders and are afraid they will get stuck with old inventory.  I can certainly understand their concern, but feel that the sales of the newly-approved guns would more than compensate for their losses.  We will be discussing this topic on our next show and will have input from both sides.  What do you think?  What questions or concerns do you have regarding this?  Click the "Comments" tab below and let us hear from you!

Posted by James E. Hester at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am ammazed at the LDWF and how they continue to have these lake drawdowns. What do they think they are accomplishing? From an outsiders stand point, it appears that the lakes are in worse shape now than when they started having these draw downs a couple of years ago. They are absolutely doing nothing to help either Black Lake or Lake Bisteneau. Fishing in both of these lakes has really gone down both in numbers and quailty. What do you think?

Posted by Steve Graf at 03:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I must preface this article by stating that I am not an avid hunter or outdoorsman by any means or definition. I also must state that I am somewhat ignorant(If you listen to Sports on Call, you already know this) when it comes to the sports of the outdoors, which is why I have named the article "Observations from a hog hunting trip" instead of "Tips on a hog hunting trip." So without further ado, here are some observations from an ignorant outdoorsman on a recent hog hunting escapade.

 1. If travelling via boat to the harvest(I use this word to keep the bunny huggers happy) site, make sure you leave enough room in the boat to carry your bounty home. Unfortunately for my hunting partner, he never thought this one through. He ended up leaving a couple of nice new ice chests at the harvest site in lieu of fresh pork. My hunting partner(Ricky Davis) of the day is a great guy, but not exactly a Rhodes Scholar candidate.

2. Not only can hogs run fast, they can swim really fast too. To my amazement, pigs can really scoot through the water. I was told that is because of the fat content of the pig (which directly correlates to buoyancy) and really fast feet. 

3. Make sure you know where the bigger hogs are in the bunch. The bigger hogs generally will protect the other hogs in the bunch, so make sure you know where they are in relation to you. Remember, hogs can run really fast(See observation #2), and they do have a tendency to get aggressive when being jacked with and some are armed with tusks that cut like a razor blade.

4. Gut and groom the hog as soon as possible. Young male hogs need to be castrated as quickly as possible to prevent the meat from being tainted. The meat won't kill you(as far as I know), but it doesn't exactly taste right. Also, some people like to eat the hog testicles and I've been told they're really good. They could taste like pumpkin pie for all I know, but I'll never find out.

5. Watch for snakes! I know that these slimy creatures are delicacies to pigs, and for the most part you won't see many snakes around where swine reside, but we spotted a few water moccasins close to the harvest site. A quick strike from one of these dudes and your hunting trip goes from bacon in the pan to you laying in the hospital for a few weeks.

Hope some of these observations can be of use to you or your party next time you go out to snag the swine.

Posted by Chris Boyd at 09:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Steve Graf and I are both avid outdoorsmen.  He is a professional angler and fishing guide, and I work in the hunting and fishing industry.  Each of us spend much of our spare time in the woods and on the water in pursuit of fish and game.  With that being said, we still don't know everything about the great outdoors!  That's where you come in.  In the future, you will see blogs from our own network of experts, friends, and guests.  Please feel free to submit your comments on any of them.  We welcome and encourage your participation.  Thanks again for stopping by!

Posted by James E. Hester at 09:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)