Author: WM Pro

Lake Fork Anglers Stumble Into a 14.68 lb ShareLunker Bass!

A 14.68 Largemouth Bass found on Lake Fork 

Guide James Caldemeyer was fishing with clients Brian Ketterer and Shannon Spear of Conroe on March 7, and they were looking forward to catching some big fish on Lake Fork. However, the anglers had no idea what they were about to get into when they pulled into a small cove with nearly a dozen other boats. Lake Fork is known for it’s lake management program that produces big largemouth, but what would the day bring? “With my polarized sunglasses I could see a fish swimming slowly near the surface, and it looked like she was struggling,” said Caldemeyer. “I caught her with my net. I could see she was a gigantic fish and that she was in trouble. My concern was for the welfare of the fish, so I netted her and put her into the livewell and told my clients that we needed to take her in so her air bladder could be punctured—I didn’t have a needle with me.”

Asking paying clients to give up hours of fishing time on Lake Fork during the peak lunker season in March might seem like a risky thing to do, but Ketterer and Spear shared Caldemeyer’s concern for the fish. “They couldn’t have been happier if they had caught her,” Caldemeyer said. “They were just thrilled to be part of the experience of helping this big fish.”

Caldemeyer immediately called Cameron Burnett at Lake Fork Marina, an official ShareLunker holding station, and told him they were on their way in with a fish that tipped his scale at 14.5 pounds. Burnett contacted David Campbell, and when the fish arrived, Burnett met Caldemeyer at the ramp with a bag to transport the fish to a holding tank. Burnett is experienced at “fizzing” bass, or puncturing the air bladder to release air so the fish is able to submerge and swim upright. Continue reading Lake Fork Anglers Stumble Into a 14.68 lb ShareLunker Bass!

Anheuser-Busch Pulls Out on Texas Parks and Wildlife

Anheuser-Busch will no longer sponsor Texas Parks and Wildlife 

Several Texas news outlets recently reported that Anheuser-Busch has ended its sponsorship relationship with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). In addition, the company has ended its cooperation with its official nonprofit partner, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. On Saturday, the Dallas Morning-News reported that late last year, Belgian-based InBev bought Anheuser-Busch and made some changes in their corporate relationships. The company’s history of support will leave a lasting conservation legacy in Texas. Since 1994, Anheuser-Busch has provided close to $15 million to support the department mission and keep Texas a great place to hunt, fish and enjoy the outdoors.

Over the years the company has supported a wide variety of sites and programs, including ShareLunker, Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo, Big Time Texas Hunts, Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, Coastal Fisheries Bay Team, Flat Out Fishing, Crab Trap Cleanup, Public Dove Hunting Program, Great Texas Birding Classic, Sheldon Lake Environment Learning Center, Government Canyon State Natural Area, tarpon research and the Texas Big Game Awards. The Dallas newspaper and other outlets have reported how the Anheuser-Busch departure offers new opportunities for companies or organizations that may wish to sponsor TPWD programs and sites.

Cibolo Nature Center

Cibolo Nature Center

The Cibolo Nature Center is located on what was once Herff Ranch, established in 1852 by pioneer surgeon Dr. Ferdinand Herff near Boerne, Texas. Much of the original 10,000 acre ranch has been developed, but the Friends of the Cibolo Wilderness have plans to purchase the original ranch homestead on acreage adjacent to the Cibolo Nature Center.

The weathered, century-old building that’s prominent on the grounds was donated and moved to their center. Their talented volunteers renovated the structure and it served as their office and visitor center for more than 10 years. In fact, they still use it as a visitor center and kids are welcome to head on inside to learn about nature through hands-on displays. Continue reading Cibolo Nature Center

Ocelot Conservation Festival

Celebrate at the Ocelot Conservation Festival 

It’s time to celebrate ocelot! Learn about the Texas ocelot, the main focus of an exciting festiva that is taking place in South Texas! Visitors can enjoy educational programs on fishing, hunting, and bird watching that compliment fun puppet shows, silent auctions, and the opportunity to see some wonderful wildlife species! There is something for everyone at the Ocelot Conservation Festival, a unique event whose proceeds go to benefit research and conservation of the ocelot. For more information, contact the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge by phone 956-748-3607.

New York Hunter Bags Rocky Mountain Llama?!

New York Hunter bags elusive Montana Llama 

A New York hunter may be feeling a bit sheepish after mistaking a feral llama in Paradise Valley for a Rocky Mountain elk, but he apparently did not violate any laws. Rusty Saunders of Fort Edward, New York, called a Fish, Wildlife and Parks warden in Livingston [Montana] in November to turn himself in after shooting the llama, according to Mel Frost, FWP information officer in Bozeman. Since FWP does not deal with livestock shootings, they immediately turned the investigation over to the Montana Department of Livestock. After investigating, the Livestock Department turned the matter over to Park County authorities without issuing any citations. Continue reading New York Hunter Bags Rocky Mountain Llama?!

Snake Hunting in Africa

In the United States hunting is important for controlling certain game species, and although a large number of people do hunt to put food on the table, the majority of hunters could drive to the store and buy commerically grown protein. However, persons dwelling in other countries do rely on hunting for survival. And I’m all for it, but what if that putting food on the table meant snake hunting?

Yeah, sounds a little daunting a first, but what if I told you the snake was over 20 feet in length? Okay, this is where most people would back out the whole snake hunting experience, but in Africa this is exactly what the natives do. These photos show some African hunters going after an African rock python. These photos are not for the faint of heart, but they are amazing!

They start by attaching a protective hide over the arm, which will be used to catch the snake as it bites the hunter’s arm. After attaching the “armor,” it’s time to head down into the snake’s den and go head-to-head. When the hunter grabs the snake (or the snake grabs the hunter), the other hunters pull the man out by his feet, and thus the snake. I guess there are easy ways to put snake on the table, but apparently not in Africa!

Jaguar Captured in Arizona by Game and Fish

A jaguar was captured in Arizona 

Jaguar conservation has just experienced an exciting development with the first capture and collaring of a wild jaguar in the United States. The male cat was incidentally captured by the Arizona Game and Fish Department on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in an area southwest of Tucson during a research study aimed at monitoring habitat connectivity for mountain lions and black bears. While individual jaguars have been photographed sporadically in the borderland area of the state over the past years, the area where this animal was captured was outside of the area where the last known jaguar photograph was taken in January.

The jaguar was fitted with a satellite tracking collar and then released. The collar will provide biologists with location points every three hours. Early tracking indicates that the cat is doing well and has already travelled more than three miles from the capture site. The data produced by the collar will shed light on a little-studied population segment of this species that uses southern Arizona and New Mexico as the northern extent of its range. Continue reading Jaguar Captured in Arizona by Game and Fish