For folks who are interested in hunting pigs on public land in East Texas, I thought I’d do a quick video and address some misconceptions about East Texas wild pigs and what it’s like to hunt them on public land.
Read MoreFor several tense minutes, not a word was spoken between the three of us. We watched the bull elk move along the valley. It was quartering towards us and moved slowly as it nibbled at bushes and sage. Damian continued to peer through his rifle scope, watching every move the bull made.
Read MoreThis spring, I was scouting for animal sign in one of the National Forests in East Texas. I carried my trail-camera in my backpack and my goal was to find a heavily used game trail to position my camera on. As I bushwhacked along a small creek, I came upon a dead whitetail doe.
Read MoreFrom a bed of weeds on the side of the road, a gangly little mutt sprang to its feet as the trucked pulled into the rest stop. With hackle raised and spine arched, a low growl emanated from its curled lips. I could now see that the brooding dog wasn’t more than a pup, despite the animal’s facade of wolf-like ferocity. The young mutt’s four oversized paws were a tell-tale sign that this dog still had some growing to do before it could fit into its clodhoppers.
Read MoreTexas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) offers a variety of draw hunts. I usually put my name in the hat for a couple of them every year, but I never had any luck getting drawn. That all changed this past December when I received an email from TPWD informing me that I had been drawn for a hunt in Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. The quarry was whitetail deer and feral pigs.
Read MoreIt started with the ubiquitous 20-minute delay in leaving the tower at Energy Center 3 and that pervasive fire that would allegedly burn uncontrolled for the few days in my absence. My father idled outside the office’s doors. I extinguished the brush fire and jumped in the truck. “Sorry for the delay” I said, “I don’t think I have ever been able to get out when we have agreed.”
Read MoreThe next day was our last day to hunt for mule deer during Colorado’s 2nd Rifle Season. I pulled my beanie down over my eyes. The wind whipped around our tent as it gusted through the shallow gully choked in sagebrush.
Read MoreRaccoon trapping can be a fun and inexpensive way to introduce trapping to younger generations. By using dog-proof traps, the initial cost is low and the need for intricate trap setting and bedding methods are eliminated. The wide-ranging diet of the raccoon allows the trapper to easily make his or her own bait. This year, my daughter and I did just that!
Read MoreUsing a kayak, or some sort of small watercraft, doesn’t require too much effort, and it can really provide a significant advantage. As deer get more and more pressure from hunters during the season, they will use natural obstacles, such as rivers, to provide cover and solitude. By using a kayak or canoe, one doesn’t create much noise and doesn’t leave behind a trail of human odor. It can be a great way to sneak up close to bedding areas without alerting deer to your presence.
Read MoreTrapping eastern coyotes can be a challenge. Eastern coyotes tend to be slightly bigger than their cousins from the west. In some instances, they can weigh around 60lbs. In this video Dan talks about the modifications he does to his coilspring traps. These modifications help improve the speed of his traps and their holding power.
Read MoreWhile walking through one of the National Forests in east Texas, I came across an interesting thing. I found a young loblolly pine, about 7” in diameter, that had mud caked onto the trunk reaching about 4’ off the ground. At the base of the tree, a large circular mud pit had been beaten into the ground. Pig tracks littered the ground all around the pine tree. I was new to Texas and new to hog hunting at the time, but this was unmistakably a point of interest for the pigs
Read MoreIn this video, Dan demonstrates how to make his go-to canine set. This is a basic flat set that has proven effective on fox and coyotes in northern Pennsylvania.
Read MoreI left work early and headed into the Allegheny National Forest. It was early bow season in Pennsylvania and I couldn't wait for the evening hunt. Several days ago I had set my treestand in a large maple tree. The location of the stand was in a steep valley. On one side of the stand, a tributary to the Tionesta River flowed past. On the other the side, the steep ravine rose up from the valley floor.
Read MoreIn the spring, Dan drove from Pennsylvania to Texas for a backpack-style pig hunt. Going into this hunt, we weren't expecting to backpack into a remote and secluded valley; Texas simply lacks the large tracts of public land that people often associate with backpack hunting. That being said, we still wanted to try and get off the beaten path as much as possible. We packed our bags and headed into the National Forest of eastern Texas where we hunted and camped for 5 days.
Read MoreEvery weekday morning, the alarm would chime at 4:30 am. For most other circumstances I would be inclined to roll over and aimlessly smack at the snooze button. But during the weeks that I ran my trapline, the alarm-clock’s usually annoying chimes, were very much welcomed. Some days, I found myself up before the alarm sounded (I think my wife really appreciated those days).
Read MoreSome of the less sought after sources of protein for the dinner table are furbearers, but some adventurous eaters believe they’re delectable treats. Of all the furbearers Alaska offers, beavers provide a bountiful meal and are relatively easy to trap once you’ve learned a few tricks.
Read MoreDespite the cold October morning, I felt quite warm and comfortable as I fired-up the vehicle in the morning darkness. Much to my delight, my girlfriend Ellen, chose to join me and my two friends, Dan and Ben, for a morning duck hunt on a tributary that flowed into the Allegheny River. It was still dark when Ellen and I pulled to the shoulder of the road, right behind Dan’s parked pickup.
Read MoreThe joys of successful trapping are accompanied with the trials of finding time for processing the animal. The pelt of the furbearer you harvested will be dried and either shipped off to a fur auction, sold to a buyer, or tanned for display. However, the joys of everyday life won’t provide the average person with adequate time for the skinning and fleshing process...
Read MoreI was 16 years old when I started trapping in Minnesota. I knew there was something unique about it that hunting and fishing didn’t have. Unfortunately, no one in my family trapped, but I was lucky enough to have my friend’s father, Andy, teach me how to trap. I always enjoyed exploring the woods, fields, creeks, and marshes for animal sign, and trying to find the perfect place to set a trap with the correct bait and lure. Andy first taught me how to trap in the numerous lakes, streams, and rivers that Minnesota provides.
Read MoreThere are several of us at RGT that have trail-cameras. We use these devices for a variety of reasons. They help us decide where and when to hunt a certain area, they are used as an aid in wildlife research, and sometimes we just enjoy seeing what critters are roaming the wilds when we aren't able to be there physically.
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