Photos shot for the October 2018 issue
The Year of Epic Texas Challenges
Texas' vast and diverse landscapes and array of outdoor pursuits offer thrills for participants and spectators alike. Each issue of 2018 will feature an event to challenge even the most extreme athletes and sportsmen. We hope you'll enjoy reading it from the comfort of your armchair or perhaps be inspired to try a new pursuit.
Howl at the Moon
Contestants run, bike and paddle their way around Colorado Bend State Park ... IN THE DARK.
When a dirt-smeared Ellen Gass and Gena McKinley slide into the finish of the Howl at the Moon adventure race well after midnight, a cowbell clangs. Gass flops to the ground, lets out a groan, then pops up to hug her teammate.
“We did it!” she hollers.
Someone passes around a plastic pumpkin full of candy, and the smattering of people who are still awake celebrate.
Retrieving the Title
Top hunting dogs compete at the Master National Retriever Hunt Test.
Dorothy Ruehman’s black Labrador retriever, Ruby, had just completed a series of retrieves that most duck hunters would brag about the rest of their lives. Remaining steady despite birds flying overhead, she sat smartly at Dorothy’s whistle, then took hand signals to a downed duck on a long retrieve. She finished with a “blind retrieve” across 30 yards of water and 20 yards of brushy cover on the far bank.
But this was not an average duck hunt, and Ruby isn’t an average retriever. Likewise, her “mom,” Dorothy, doesn’t have average expectations. Ruby ran her series before a large gallery and demanding judges at the 2017 Master National Retriever Hunt Test in Texas, arguably the most difficult retriever test available, at what many veteran handlers considered the toughest venue they’d seen.
How Did the Wildlife Cross the Road?
Biologists study road ecology to reduce harmful effects of highways on animals.
At first sight, most anyone can see the Devils River is special. The Caribbean aquamarine color of its crystal-clear water is stunning, winding through arid, rocky canyons.
When Paul Hanson set up his first game camera in the Franklin Mountains of El Paso, he wasn’t sure what he’d get. He was thrilled when a mountain lion — rarely seen because of the animal’s secretive nature — showed up.
Eight months later, a heartbroken Hanson learned that the mountain lion was found fatally injured by the side of Transmountain Road, the victim of a collision with a car.
Keep Texas Wild
It's not just for kids. If you like nature-related topics in an easy-to-read format, you can find three years of our popular Keep Texas Wild issues and the teacher resources to go along with them.
