LAVACA COUNTY WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
AUGUST 2001
¨
All herd
composition and spotlight line data will go to your WMA representative. See
dates and addresses below. Do not
send the data to Gene Rees. ¨
Texas Organization of Wildlife Management
Associations’ meeting Aug. 11, 9 A.M. ¨
Region 7 Texas Big Game Awards, Saturday Aug. 11, 3
P.M, Hallettsville. ¨
Rocky Creek WMA meeting Saturday, Sept. 8. ¨
Sweet Home WMA meeting Saturday, Sept. 8. ¨
West Sandy Creek meeting Friday, Sept. 14. ¨
Vienna WMA meeting Saturday, Sept. 15. ¨
Bus tour to the Kerr Wildlife Management Area for
WMA members Saturday, Sept. 22. Deadline
to register is Sept. 10, on a first come first serve basis. ¨
South Central Lavaca County WMA meeting Saturday,
Sept. 29. ¨
Honey Creek WMA meeting Saturday, October 23. ¨
Wildlife Expo at TPW Austin Headquarters, Saturday
and Sunday, Oct. 6 and 7. ¨
LCWMA 3rd Annual Post-Harvest meeting
Sunday, Feb. 17. See newsletter for details
IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES
Hello. Make your plans now to attend your fall WMA meetings. Be sure to look under your individual co-op information for times and other details. I will make harvest recommendations, and issue permits at the meetings. If you want your permits, you should really try to get them at the fall meeting. I can be hard to find this time of year. There will be sign-up sheets for several LCWMA committees for you to join if you are interested. If you can’t make your scheduled meeting, contact me and we will arrange for you to attend one of the other WMA meetings.
Any one running spotlight lines must be sure to call both our Game
Warden, Kerry Peterson @ 361-594-2634 and the Lavaca County Sheriff’s Office @
361-798-2121 before each run.
Everyone must turn in herd composition data if you would like to receive permits this year.
A herd composition data form is included in the newsletter. Note that we are using a new form this year. Make copies as needed. All of the WMAs are offering an incentive (a feeder or some other prize) for you to get your data turned in on time and for you to attend your fall meetings. You can receive one free ticket each of the following ways (up to 3 tickets): 1. Show up at the fall meeting. 2. Turn in your herd comp data by the deadline. 3. If you run an official spotlight line and you turn your data in by the deadline.
¨The LCWMA invites you to get together with your fellow WMA members and take a chartered bus trip to the Kerr Wildlife Management Area on Sept. 22, 2001. We will depart from the Hallettsville K.C. Hall parking lot at 6:30 A.M. and arrive back there about 6:30 P.M. Upon arrival at the Kerr WMA we will see a presentation about white-tailed deer management. After lunch we will go to the field and the deer research pens. We will see different habitat management techniques in the field and will see the deer and various research projects going on at the pens. Chances are we will see some nice bucks so you may want to bring your camera. The cost is $23.00 per person. You will need to bring a sack lunch. Drinks will be provided. Alcohol will not be allowed. You should plan to arrive at the K.C. Hall parking lot at 6:15 AM. We will leave promptly at 6:30 AM so do not be late. To reserve a place send a check for $23.00 per person and a note with your name, address, phone number, and e-mail if you have it by Sept 10, 2001 to: Ed McCrumb, 3683 CR 16, Hallettsville, TX, 77964, or call Ed @361-798-5765.
¨Be sure to attend the Texas Big Game Awards at the Hallettsville K. of C. Hall Saturday, August 11, 2001. Antler or shoulder mount check in will be from 12:00 PM to 3:00PM. Doors will open at 3:00 PM for you to browse the exhibits and trophy antler display. The #1 Non-typical buck in the region, from right here in Lavaca County will be on display. You can also bid in the silent auction and purchase bucket raffle tickets during this time. A BBQ meal will be served at about 6:30 followed by Keynote speaker Larry Bozka and the Awards presentation. Tickets are $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for children under 12 and can be purchased at the door.
¨ Everyone turning in dated videos of deer taped between August 1 and the end of rifle season will receive 5 bucket raffle tickets per video. The tapes must be to Gene Rees by Jan. 15, 2002.
¨Anyone interested in letting young folks from the 4-H Shooting Sports hunt deer on your property needs to contact Gene Rees at 361-798-2625 or by e-mail immediately so that I can contact the club leaders with your names. It would be nice if we could arrange the hunts early in the season.
¨Be sure to enter the Hallettsville K. of C. Big Buck Contest. We will have a representative at the fall meetings for your convenience or you can print the entry form from their web page @ www.kchall.com. Then click on the Big Buck Contest Link to get to the entry form.
¨There will be a revised hog/coyote-hunting contest again this year during the deer season. ¨Everyone that leases property for hunting needs a lease license. They will be at the fall meetings. ¨Your 2001-2002 membership dues are due at or before your fall meetings.
¨The Lavaca County Wildlife Management Association’s (LCWMA) 3rd Annual Post Harvest Meeting will be Sunday Feb. 17, at the K. C. Hall in Hallettsville. The agenda will be similar to last year. More details will come in a later newsletter. Make plans now to attend. Be sure to bring the whole family. If you did not make last year, you missed a real good and informative time. There were about 600 folks there. Briefly, a few of the items will be: TPWD Laser Shot (We may even come up with some sort of competition to give the kids a break and allow you adults to take a shot at it), pellet gun booth, Operation Game Thief Trailer, program about wild hogs and habitat management for Quail, and of course a delicious meal. The raffles will be very similar to last year except that the person selling the ticket that wins the .270 will win a stainless Ruger K10 .22 rifle. There will be a bucket raffle for those in attendance only, and the 2 rifle (.270 and 22-.250) and Double G hunt presale raffle. Tickets for the pre-sale raffle will be available at the fall meetings. Door prizes will be given away earlier this year so plan to be there for the beginning. There will be 50 bluebird house door prizes for 50 lucky young folks. As in the past, we would like for everyone to help get door prizes if you can. Our goal is to make each meeting a little better than the last. Contact me if you have any suggestions to help improve the meeting and/or would like to get involved with the preparations. There will be sign up sheets at the fall meetings for you to choose how you would like to help out. We would certainly appreciate your help.
¨Everyone should try to attend the TPWD Expo in Austin Oct. 6 and 7, especially if you have kids. I will give you more details at your meetings or you can call 1-800-792-1112.
¨Let’s be courteous to our neighbors and not put stands or feeders close to fence lines.
¨ If you feed corn, peas, or protein pellets try to figure about how many pounds you feed per year. If you could get a reduced price, would you be willing to purchase larger quantities 2 or 3 times per year instead of a few sacks here and there? There will be further discussion at the meetings.
¨Please make a point to attend your co-op’s fall meeting. Bring your spouse and children. If you have lease hunters, get them involved. Bring your shoulder mounts from the deer you shot last year. Everyone would like to see them. Remember, you will have chances to win a free prize by just showing up and/or turning your data in on time. Also, we will have caps and raffle tickets for sale. You will be able to pick up your gate sign if you have not received one yet. I look forward to seeing you at the meetings.
¨If you have any questions,
feel free to contact: Gene Rees, 304 South LaGrange, Hallettsville, TX 77964,
361-798-2625, greestpw@techisp.com
Do not send herd composition or
spotlight line data to Gene Rees. Send
all data to the addresses listed below.
1. Vienna WMA - Ed McCrumb, 3683 CR 16, Hallettsville, TX 77964. You need to have your data to Ed by Sept. 8 to be eligible for the drawing.
2. Sweet Home WMA - J.C. Hermes, 1015 E. Gonzales, Yoakum, TX 77995. You need to have your data to J.C. by Sept. 1 to be eligible for the drawing.
3. South Central Lavaca County WMA - Doug Grahmann, 2905 CR 12, Hallettsville, TX 77964. You need to have your data to Doug by Sept. 8 to be eligible for the drawing.
4. Honey Creek WMA – Frank Zaruba, PO Box A, Hallettsville, TX 77964. You need to have your data to Frank by Sept. 8 to be eligible for the drawing.
5. West Sandy Creek WMA - Joe Blackshear, 144 J Spanish Grant, Galveston, TX 77554. You need to have your data to Joe by Sept. 8 to be eligible for the drawing.
6. Rocky Creek WMA - Mike Jurica, 2179 LCR 229, Schulenburg, TX 78956. You need to have your data to Mike by Sept. 1 to be eligible for the drawing. Anyone in Rocky Creek that would like to harvest does should contact Gene Rees immediately.
Please be sure to total your sightings to the right and down before sending in your forms. Also be sure to fill in WMA name and Ranch name. Please have your data in on time.
It is essential that every one collect herd composition data. Without data I cannot make harvest recommendations for your ranch. Please follow the instructions precisely.
Herd Composition
data (often called incidental observations) may be the most valuable data
collected on a deer herd. When properly
collected, herd composition data can reflect the overall health of a herd and
help guide the manager in making proper harvest recommendations.
Herd composition data should be collected during
August. The fawns have become a part of the herd by
this time, yet they are small enough to be easily distinguished from adult
deer. Observations outside this period
may result in inaccurate data.
Observations may be collected any time during the day. However, the first and last hours of
daylight are often the most productive for deer seen per hour of effort. Observations should not be collected at night because it is too difficult to
correctly identify sex and size.
All deer recorded must be viewed through binoculars
or a spotting scope. Small antlers are easily overlooked without optical aids. Fawns whose spots have started to fade are
also hard to distinguish when they are observed alone. Be sure to look at the hips of deer that you
think could possibly be fawns because the hips are the last place to lose
spots.
When observing deer in herds it is important that
each deer be identified. If a herd of
six deer is seen but only four are positively identified, do not record any of
the deer. If there are two bucks, three does, and one
fawn in a herd, you may easily identify the bucks but may not be sure of the
other four unless they are all
individually identified. When a
herd is seen, quickly get a total head count, then go back and positively
identify bucks first because they are easiest, then identify fawns, and
finally, identify the does making sure not to miss small antlered bucks.
Collect as many samples as you can. A minimum of 1 deer per 5 acres should be
identified. If possible, a larger sample size is desirable to strengthen the data
and increase the confidence in the harvest recommendations. Observations can be made during routine
ranch operations or as a special effort.
Observing the same deer recorded on a previous count is not a
concern. If a conscientious effort is
made to record accurate data, a small amount of duplicate recording should not
affect the ratio. All deer should be
recorded as a buck, doe, or fawn.
Recording bucks according to number of antler points is also
beneficial.
2001-2002
Archery Buck Contest for Colorado, Fayette, Jackson, and Lavaca Counties
The Lavaca County Wildlife Management Association (LCWMA) is sponsoring a Big Buck Contest for Bow Hunters in Colorado, Fayette, Jackson, and Lavaca Counties.
Prizes
1st place- a shoulder mount donated by Victor Woytek Jr., owner of Stary’s
Taxidermy and by LCWMA, and a completely outfitted Bear Vapor 300 bow, custom
sized to the winner donated by Morton’s Drive Inn, Randy and Diane Morton and
by Stephen Brown
2nd - an 8’ tripod stand donated by Billy Bludau Welding and Machine
Shop
3rd- a strap on stand w/ladder donated by Brown Trucking
4th – a McKenzie 3-D deer target donated by Lester Woytek Welding and
Sons
5th – a Rhino feeder timer donated by Rother and Henneke Construction
6th- one dozen arrows donated by Better Beverages Sales Department
7th- a Kolpin,
Gator Case, bow case, donated by Bill’s gun store
---------------------------------------------------See Back for Rules-----------------------------------------------------
To enter: The information
below, and a $15.00 fee may be hand delivered to any of the scorers or mailed
to Mike Jurica, 2179 LCR 229, Schulenburg, TX 78956. Pre-registration may be delivered in person or post-marked by
midnight of the Friday before the start of archery season. Late entries must be delivered in person or
post-marked at least 48 hours before harvest.
Make check payable to LCWMA.
Name:_______________________________________________Phone#:____________________________
Address:________________________________________________________________________________
Texas
Hunting License #:____________________________________County Entering
for:______________
Scorers: Hallettsville: Wayne Rother-361-798-4750, Karl Henneke-361-798-4048, Stephen Brown-361-798-4148; Oakland: Tommy Henneke-979-562-2493; Schulenburg: Grahmann’s True Value – Mike Grahmann – 979-743-4332 bus., 979-562-2403 hm: Moravia Area: Mike Jurica-979-562-2335; Weimer: Don Wild-979-263-4122, M-G Farm Service Center – Larry Wick-979-725-8584 bus., 979-725-8770 hm; Hostyn Area: Straight Arrow Archery–Rick Knape-979-247-4766 bus., 247-4466 hm Columbus: Herby Helmcamp-979-732-3875; Cordele: Wade Watkins-316-782-0484.
1.
The buck must be legally harvested with a bow and properly tagged
according to TPWD guidelines during Archery Season, General Season, or the
Special Youth Season. There will be
only one entry per hunter and the minimum entry score will be 100 gross Boone
& Crockett/Pope and Young.
2.
Entry fee is $15.00/person.
Make check payable to LCWMA.
3.
Pre-registration may be delivered in person or post-marked by midnight
on Friday before the start of archery season.
Late entries are taken, but they must be delivered in person or
post-marked at least 48 hours before the deer is harvested.
4.
The antlers with the highest gross Boone & Crockett/Pope and Young
score will be the winner. In the event
of a tie, the longest typical tine will be used as a tiebreaker, then the
second longest tine, etc. All deer are
subject to be re-scored by a committee to determine the final score.
5.
Deer must not be harvested from a high fenced area or have been raised
in a high fenced area and released.
6.
The field dressed deer with head attached must be taken within 24 hours
of harvest to one of the scorers listed below to be scored. Or, if weather does not permit, the full
hide with head attached can be used.
7.
Anyone caught trying to cheat will be permanently disqualified and
forfeit their entry fee and any prize they may have won.
8.
The LCWMA reserves the right to require any contestant to take a lie
detector test. Refusal to do so or
failure to show up for the test will result in disqualification.
9.
By entering you have agreed to comply with the rules of the LCWMA
Archery Contest.
10.
All decisions of the LCWMA are
final.
11.
Prizes will be awarded at the LCWMA Annual Meeting Feb. 17, 2002 @ the
K.C. Hall in Hallettsville.
Following is an article about an upcoming meeting you should try to attend.
TOWMA MEETING
AUGUST 11TH AT MCKINNEY ROUGHS
The Texas Organization of Wildlife Management Associations (TOWMA) will hold its regularly scheduled summer meeting of officers, directors, and natural resource specialists on Saturday, August 11th, at the Lower Colorado River Authority's McKinney Roughs in Bastrop County. McKinney Roughs is located 15.3 miles east of Highway 183 along Highway 71.
The purpose of TOWMA is to promote coordination between members of wildlife cooperatives by providing a forum for exchange of ideas and information. This forum helps maintain interest among existing co-ops and provides support for establishment of new associations. TOWMA currently represents over 60 wildlife management associations in 33 counties of Texas. The number of landowners in these co-ops currently total more than 3,000 and control more than a million and a half acres of the Texas landscape.
The Governor's Task Force on Conservation recommended that Texas support the formation of more voluntary wildlife management cooperatives because they saw co-ops as a big part of the solution in improving wildlife habitats in the face of growing land fragmentation across the state. TOWMA is leading that charge by providing a collective voice that can be heard loud and clear for its members on conservation issues. TOWMA has the support of a number of resource agencies and organizations. Former Conservation Task Force member and recently appointed Texas Parks and Wildlife Commissioner Joseph Fitzsimons was the TOWMA guest speaker at the March 2000 meeting. He is very supportive of wildlife management co-ops and looks to TOWMA as a sounding board.
The TOWMA meeting agenda will include a guest speaker from the Texas Youth Hunting Association. Jerry Warden and/or Joel Tanner will give a slide presentation on the background and activities of the association. In addition to other agenda items, Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) biologists Len Polasek and Gene Rees will give overviews of co-op growth and activities in Fayette and Lavaca Counties. Mike McMurry of the Texas Department of Agriculture will give an update on the final regulations concerning certification for prescribed burning and co-op burn teams. Bob Carroll (TPW) will provide information on proposed special three-year experimental antler regulations in six south central Texas counties. Kirby Brown (TPW) will provide a legislative update.
The TOWMA meeting will begin at 9:00 AM. Officers and Directors are encouraged to send someone in their place, if they are unable to attend. The meeting is open and guests are welcome. Lunch will be catered at six dollars per person. Deli sandwiches, chips, cookies, and tea will be served. No early reservations are needed. The meeting will conclude in the early afternoon to give those planning to attend the Region 7 Texas Big Game Awards Program plenty of time to get to Hallettsville. For additional information call Jack Holman at (979) 263-5077.
YOUR WMA NEWS
The Rocky
Creek WMA meeting will be held at the
Moravia Hall on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2001.
Please note that your meeting place has changed. There will be a social hour from 6:00 – 7:00
PM. The meeting will start at 7:00 PM and will feature John Burke from TPW to
speak about turkeys and their management.
The program will be immediately followed by a meal. Please remember to contact your friends and
neighbors that might be interested in this program. If you have any questions,
please contact me at 979-743-4378 (w) or 562-2335 (h).
Be sure to send herd
composition and spotlight data to me by Sept. 1, 2001 in order to be eligible
for the drawing. See you there! Michael Jurica
The Sweet Home WMA meeting will be Saturday, Sept. 8, 2001
at the Sweet Home Community Center at 6:15 P.M. We will start with a meal and then have the program. Harvest recommendations will be made at the
meeting. Be sure to send herd composition and spotlight data to me by Sept.
1, 2001 to be eligible for the drawing.
Thanks, Jake Hermes
The West Sandy Creek WMA fall meeting will be held on Friday, September 14, 2001, at 7:00 PM at the Lions Club in Sheridan. If you know of anyone that needs information, have them get in touch with me. Be sure to send herd composition and spotlight data to Joe Blackshear by Sept. 1, 2001 in order to be eligible for the drawing. Thanks, Bruce Agnes 512-327-3422
The Vienna Wildlife
Management Association will hold it’s fall meeting on Saturday, September 15, 2001 at 6:30 PM
at St. Mary’s Parish Center. A meal and drinks will be served around 7:30. Please bring a covered dish, a dessert, or
anything to compliment the meal. This
is a family affair; your spouse and children are welcome. If you know of anyone interested in joining
or needs information, please have them give me a call, or invite them to this
meeting. Talk with your neighbors; get them interested in our co-op, and what
the co-op can do for them.
Be sure to send herd
composition and spotlight data to me by Sept. 8, 2001 to be eligible for the
drawing. This DATA is needed for Gene
to make harvest recommendations, and issue DOE PERMITS. DOE PERMITS will be issued at this
meeting. Thanks, Ed McCrumb
361-798-5765
The South Central Lavaca
County WMA
will hold its annual pre-harvest meeting at 7:00 P.M. Saturday, September 29,
2001 at St. Mary’s Parish Center, in St. Mary’s. A meal and drinks will be served after the business meeting. All members are asked to bring a side
dish. The officers and members wish to
extend an invitation for anyone in the area who is interested in deer
management to make this meeting and think about joining this association.
Be sure to send
herd composition and spotlight data to me by Sept. 8, 2001 to be eligible for
the drawing. See you at the meeting,
Doug Grahmann-361-798-2048
*To get to St. Mary’s Parish Center take 90-A west from Hallettsville to
FM 340. Take a right on FM 340. Hall is
about 2 miles on right.
The Honey Creek WMA will hold its fall meeting Saturday Oct. 13, 2001 at 6:30 PM at the Sublime Baptist Church Community Center in Sublime on Lavaca CR 146. If you have any new members or neighbors please encourage them to come. We will discuss Spotlight surveys/ herd composition, Membership report, and issue Doe permits. If you have any topics to be discussed please give me a call. We will have a stew supper and if you would like to bring a side dish or dessert it would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions please call me at 713-688-6811.
Be sure to send
herd composition and spotlight data to Frank Zaruba by Sept. 8, 2000 in order
to be eligible for the drawing.
Thanks, Paul Marek
Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department
Gene
Rees
304
South LaGrange
Hallettsville,
TX 77964