Lone Star Outdoor Show Lone Star Outdoor Show

It’s no secret that Western states rely on non resident applications, tags, licenses, permits etc to fund their state wildlife agencies fiscal budgets each year. Meanwhile residents of those states get to hunt and fish for pennies on the dollar. Do I personally take issue with the way things are structured? No, but at what point do they begin to lose non resident participation due to the seemingly never ending fee increases?

On this week’s episode I’m joined by lifelong New Mexico resident and big game hunter Jesse Deubel, Executive Director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation . As someone who has spent more time hunting New Mexico than any other state besides Texas, I have a big problem with New Mexico Senate Bill 254 – which would increase non resident tags/fees across the board for both hunting and fishing. Jesse also proposed an amendment to the bill that would increase the application fee to $160 per non resident! That’s non refundable, no preference point – just the cost of throwing your hat in the ring for the draw.

While I went into this conversation ready to rumble, I walked away with a better understanding of why Jesse feels the way he does on certain issues. Most notably, I was pleased to hear he thinks New Mexicans should pay more than they currently do. Again, this issue isn’t unique to New Mexico- it’s the formula all the Western big game states use to generate revenue. So where does the bubble burst for non resident hunters? Only time will tell.

SCI Foundation Large Carnivore Program Leader Maria Davidson has spent her career working with bears. After retiring from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the SCI Foundation brought her on to head up their large carnivore team. Maria and I taped this one while at the recent SCI Convention in Nashville. The conversation was interesting and educational. Does she think we will ever get a grizzly season back in the Lower 48? What does she think about my take on possibly having black bears repopulate most of Texas? Much to discuss on some of our most debated and iconic American species.



Next we are joined in studio by my old friends and JoJo’s breeder/trainer Rusty & Ashlee Haglund of Trigger Time Kennels. We discuss what most hunters are looking for in a retriever (the physical traits have changed drastically over the past decade or so) and some of the common mistakes that owners make when working with their dog prior to taking them to a professional trainer. I’m on my 3rd lab and have made mistakes with all 3 of them. It’s important to note that every dog’s personality is as unique as ours, and how they respond to pressure or correction varies greatly. What about Golden Retrievers and Chessies? Where do they fall into line as viable waterfowl breeds in 2023? Lots to discuss with two of JoJo’s favorite people.



 

When did night vision and thermal technology come about? Hell, I have no idea – but our longtime friend Darren Jones of Armasight is well versed on the topic. We try not to get to technical, but still explain how these technologies function. Some other highlights include:



* How Darren used Night Vision/Thermal during his deployments

* Armasight’s original founder buying the company back and trying to restore their customer service driven philosophy after FLIR ran the company into the ground

* Who makes the lens for these high end optics?

* New 640 Contractor

* What are ‘NODS’ exactly?

* Other uses for thermal/night vision

* piggies and song dogs



 

While they might look like your neighbor’s mutt, truly wild (feral) dogs have no place on the landscape. Often void of human fear and quite aggressive, they’re also hell on wildlife and livestock. One Houston area listener recently sent me some images of the aftermath when a pack of 5 large wild dogs dug under the fence and got into the family ranch. He prefers to remain anonymous due to potential backlash from animal rights activists but as you will hear him describe, the whole event was truly tragic.

The pack of dogs remained on the family property for 4-5 days before anyone realized what occurred. The aftermath wasn’t pretty as the dogs went on a 10 axis deer killing spree. They didn’t eat all of the animals, and it was clear they were just killing for the sport of killing. The hunter talks about finding the massacre, the dog’s aggressive behavior towards them when they discovered the pack and what they did to resolve the situation. Where did the dogs come from and is this becoming more common in certain areas?



Then we spend some time with Navy SEAL Trevor Thompson. Talk about a guy who’s lived a fascinating life. Three tours of duty in the Middle East, thousands of jumps out of perfectly good airplanes and a moose/grizzly guide in Alaska. We talk bucket list hunts, the Biden Admin’s weaponization of the ATF and his passion for hunting with a long bow among other things. You can follow him on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/trevor.p.thompson/

Mark Boardman and I have had some great conversations over the years. This Campfire Conversation is no exception. The longtime Vortex Optics higher up and I discuss a wide array of topics including:



* Highlights from the past hunting season

* Spaghetti Shootouts

* Ring height when mounting a new scope

* Spring bear and turkey plans

* Anti 2A legislation

* $5,500 Vortex Sweepstakes (going on now!)

* Latest from Vortex



 

 

 

 

 

 

Sportsmen’s Alliances VP Brian Lynn makes his return this week. We discuss his home state of Washington and the new anti hunting management plan attempted to be implemented by their hunting/fishing commission. A plan void of predator management that would ultimately affect hunter opportunity for ungulates. Then we move to New Mexico where a couple new bills would ultimately make anyone who doesn’t turn in their handguns, rifles or shotguns (capable of holding more than 10 rounds) a felon by July 2023.

We wrap up the conversation by checking in on Colorado and their plan to enforce hunting license purchasers to pay for a $13 “voluntary” non toxic shot add on to their license. How is it voluntary if you require it’s purchase? Of course we also get into their wolf issue and lack of a viable management plan moving forward as well.



Then check in with duck hunter and dog trainer Blaine Tarnecki of Hudson River Retrievers. Blaine is widely considered the authority on Boykin Spaniels and their place among duck dog breeds. He has titled more champions than any trainer who handles Boykins. We discuss the pros and cons of the fiery little breed and how they stack up to the standard Labrador Retriever. If you’re looking for a smaller dog that still delivers a big payout in the field then you won’t want to miss this conversation. You can find Blaine’s FB page here:  Hudson River Retrievers