W W W . T P W M A G A Z I N E . C O M O J U N E 2 0 1 5 T h e O U T D O O R M A G A Z I N E o f T E XAS Re-enactors bring Texas’ rich past to life. PLUS: THREE NATIONS, ONE GULF MONK SEALS SIGHT-CASTING FOR REDFISH SEA RIM PADDLING Family time turned me time * Do not exceed any Weight Ratings and follow all instructions in your Owner’s Manual. The maximum you can tow depends on the total weight of any cargo, occupants and available equipment. Calculated with new SAEJ2807 method. † Assembled in Texas with U.S. & globally sourced parts. Available 5 Tons Towing Capacity * / Spacious Cabin / Backup Camera / Available 5.7L V8 2015 TEXAS-BUILT Toyota Tundra † toyota.com OFFICIAL VEHICLE OF THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION OFFICIAL VEHICLE OF THE TOYOTA TEXAS BASS CLASSIC j u n e 36 4 O JUNE 2015 COVER STORY Living History Re-enactors bring the past to life. Photo Essay by Earl Nottingham 2 0 1 5 30 ­­­­Ready, Aim, Catch 44 ­­­­Three Nations, One Gulf Anglers satisfy an innate urge to hit targets while sight-casting for redfish. United States, Mexico and Cuba collaborate on marine life issues. By David Sikes By Melissa Gaskill Visit our online archive at www.tpwmagazine.com. Find us on Facebook. For the latest information on Texas’ parks and wildlife, visit the department’s ­website: www.tpwd.texas.gov TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 5 Departments 8 At Issue By Carter Smith 10 Foreword/Mail Call Our readers share their ideas. 12 Scout: Wildlife on the Plate 20 Park Pick: Sea Rim Paddle Relax or catch your supper on one of the state park’s paddling trails. By Walt Bailey 24 Skill Builder: Delish Fish Specialty license plates support pollinators and other wild things. Red-flowered cedar sage thrives under the branches of the allergy-inducing tree. In search of the most delicious treasures from the Gulf. By Louie Bond By Robert Ramirez 26 Three Days in the Field: Birds, Beaches and Battles 14 Flora Fact: Shaded by Cedars By Dyanne Fry Cortez 16 Wild Thing: Willet or Won’t It? Beachcombing bird says its own name but gets no answer. By Cliff Shackelford Head to the border for a Brownsville history lesson and wildlife watching. By Melissa Gaskill 50 Legend, Lore & Legacy: Death of the Sea Wolf The now-extinct Caribbean monk seal used to visit the Texas coast. By Russell Roe By Chase A. Fountain 18 Picture This: Refining Color 58 Parting Shot Moving beyond “auto” on the white balance setting can enhance your photos. By Earl Nottingham Covers FRONT: Living history re-enactor Jesse Glover poses as a young cannoneer during a re-enactment of the Battle of San Jacinto. Photo by Earl Nottingham / TPWD BACK: Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings make their way across the sand at South Padre Island. Young loggerheads spend several years in the open ocean before returning to near-shore coastal areas to continue maturing. Photo © Seth Patterson PREVIOUS SPREAD: Beach grasses wave in the wind at Boca Chica Beach, the southernmost beach in the state. Photo © Seth Patterson THIS PAGE: The distinctive tails of redfish show themselves above the water’s surface as the fish search for food. Photo © Tosh Brown 6 O JUNE 2015 In the Field THE OUTDOOR MAGAZINE OF TEXAS J U N E 2 0 1 5 , ­ V O L . 7 3 , N O. 5 GOVERNOR OF TEXAS Greg Abbott COMMISSION Dan Allen Hughes Jr., Chairman Beeville Ralph H. Duggins, Vice Chairman Fort Worth T. Dan Friedkin, Chairman-Emeritus Houston Roberto De Hoyos Houston Bill Jones Austin James H. Lee Houston Margaret Martin Boerne S. Reed Morian Houston Dick Scott Wimberley Lee M. Bass, Chairman-Emeritus Fort Worth Executive Director Carter P. Smith Communications Director Josh M. Havens MAGAZINE STAFF: Randy Brudnicki Publisher Louie Bond Editor Russell Roe Managing Editor Nathan Adams Art Director Sonja Sommerfeld Photo Editor Earl Nottingham Chief Photographer Chase A. Fountain Photographer Traci Anderson Business Manager Alayna Alvarez, Katy Schaffer Editorial Interns Jonathan Vail, Catherine Groth Photography Interns CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Steve Lightfoot, Rob McCorkle, Larry D. Hodge, Dyanne Fry Cortez, Stephanie M. Salinas CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Seth Patterson, Jesse Cancelmo, Tosh Brown EDITORIAL OFFICES: 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744 Phone: (512) 389-TPWD Fax: (512) 389-8397 E-mail: magazine@tpwd.texas.gov ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES: S tone W allace C ommunications , I nc . c/o TP&W magazine 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744 Jim Stone, Advertising Director (512) 799-1045 E-mail: jim.stone@tpwd.texas.gov SUBSCRIPTIONS: (800) 937-9393 Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine (ISSN 0040-4586) is published monthly with com- bined issues in January/February and August/September by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Rd., Austin, Texas 78744. The inclusion of adver- tising is considered a service to subscribers and is not an endorsement of products or concurrence with advertising claims. Copyright © 2015 by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. No part of the contents of this magazine may be reproduced by any means without the permission of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine. The magazine is not responsible for the return of unsolicited materials provided for editorial consideration. SUBSCRIPTION RATE: $18/year; foreign subscription rate: $27.95/year. POST­­MASTER: If undeliverable, please send notices by form 3579 to Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, P.O. Box 421103, Palm Coast, FL 32142-1103. Periodicals Postage Paid at Austin, Texas, with additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIBER: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obliga- tion unless we receive a corrected address within one year. Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine is edited to inform readers and to stimulate their enjoyment of the Texas outdoors. It reflects the many viewpoints of contributing readers, writers, photographers and ­illustrators. Only articles written by agency employees will always ­represent policies of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. S U B S CRI BER SERV I C ES Subscription inquiries only, please. PHONE: (800) 937-9393 DAVID SIKES has been a full-time columnist for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times since 1998. Born and raised in south Louisiana, he’s written about fishing or hunting in Alaska, Col- orado, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, New Mexico, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mexico, the Bahamas, Costa Rica and Nic- aragua, in addition to Texas. This month, he offers insights into sight-casting along the coast. David is past president of the Texas Outdoor Writers Association and currently serves as its chairman of the board. He is also a board member of the Wildlife in Focus conservation/education nonprofit. In addition to many past awards, he was inducted into the Texas Maritime Museum’s Perry R. Bass Memorial Sportfishing Wall of Fame this year. David lives on North Padre Island in Corpus Christi. has EARL the Texas NOTTINGHAM Department been chief since photographer for Parks and Wildlife 1996. More recently, he has delved into writing and video production to help better tell the stories of Texas and Texans, and he embraces new forms of digital technology that aid in that endeavor. “I really enjoy using all of the new camera tools available out there to help tell the story of Texas to our readers,” Earl says. “It’s the classic case of teaching an old dog new tricks.” In his photo essay this month on living history re-enactors, Earl utilizes a simple smartphone cam- era app to help capture the personalities of everyday Texans who change into historical attire on the weekends, taking us with them back through time. WALT Rim BAILEY, Park, began who writes working this for month Texas about state paddling at Sea State parks in 1999 just out of graduate school. Since then he’s been an ox driver at Barrington Living History Farm, a historical interpreter at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site and a regional interpretive specialist in Houston-area state parks. His first trip into the marshes at Sea Rim came by airboat, before Hurricanes Rita and Ike. He began paddling the park in order to plan paddling trails and develop an accurate trail map for park visitors. He’s also kayaked or canoed Galves- ton Island, Lake Somerville, Martin Dies Jr. and Lake Livingston state parks. He invites you to have your own paddling adventures in Texas state parks. TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 7 from the pen of carter p. smith It has been five years since the mother of all spills hit the Gulf of Mexico. Not surprisingly, the debate rages on about the scale, persistence and magnitude of impacts to the Gulf and its aquatic resources from the infamous Deepwater Horizon incident. For some, the residual effects are akin to a sentiment of “out of sight, out of mind and out of trouble.” For others, what can’t be easily seen matters a whole lot more than what can be, and the effects emanating from the spill will be measured and evaluated in the Gulf for years, if not for decades, to come. Suffice it to say, the state of the Gulf post-spill is far from being settled. In Texas, we have approached the response to the spill, as well as the Gulf’s recovery, with three principal tenets in mind. First, while the Texas coast was the least visibly affected of all the Gulf states, we were certainly not without impacts. Second, the Gulf is a complex and highly interconnected ecological system that transcends any one political or geographical boundary. And third, because of the large extent of our contributing coastline and coastal waters, as well as our capacity for expediting recovery of various species and habitats, Texas must play a large role in the Gulf’s restoration. Irrespective of the spill, the latter two points are, and will always be, germane to how we approach conservation in the Gulf, which is an inextricable part of our state’s economic and ecological health. Quite simply, what happens in the Gulf matters to Texas, and vice versa. But clearly we can’t do it alone. No one entity, state or country can serve as its sole and singular steward. It is simply too vast and too varied for conservation to occur in a vacuum. For an insightful look at the Gulf’s overall interconnectedness, I hope you’ll read Melissa Gaskill’s article in this magazine titled “Three Nations, One Gulf.” In it, Melissa quantifies the vast reaches of the Gulf across five U.S. states and three countries, including Mexico and Cuba. She does a masterful job of highlighting how species from whale sharks to sea turtles utilize a wide range of Gulf environs during the course of their normal life cycles. She also speaks to the essential role of scientists and conservationists at places like the Harte Institute working, communicating and collaborating at sufficient scales, and across multiple political boundaries, to address the Gulf’s intricacies. Rest assured, we are doing just that and have done so for years. No doubt one of the best examples relates to our longstanding conservation investments in the primary nesting beaches for the imperiled Kemp’s ridley sea turtles on the Mexico coast at Rancho Nuevo. There, we have facilitated funding for our partners through the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, who have done an exceptional job working with the Mexican government, shrimpers, nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies and local citizens to protect the beaches and nesting and hatchling turtles from poachers, predators and other threats. We haven’t forgotten about our coastal habitats in our own backyard. Every day, our fisheries and wildlife biologists, along with their many public and private partners, are out rebuilding oyster reefs, conserving seagrass meadows, enhancing dune systems, restoring flow regimes, controlling invasive species, protecting unique coastal lands, monitoring the populations and health of coastal wildlife and fisheries, and educating the public about their importance. Thankfully, Texans care about such things and expect us to steward our Gulf wisely and responsibly. In a survey conducted last year by America’s Wetland Foundation, 86 percent of Texans agreed with the statement that “a strong Texas economy depends on a healthy coastal environment.” And, 95 percent agreed that “perceived conflicts between energy production and environmental protection have become too politically divisive; greater cooperation is needed.” The bottom line is abundantly clear. Texans want and expect solutions to taking care of their Gulf. Your team at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is up to the task. Thanks for caring about our wild things and wild places. They need you now more than ever. Quite simply, what happens in the Gulf matters to Texas, and vice versa. executive director Texas Parks and Wildlife Department mission statement: To manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and to provide hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. 8 O JUNE 2015 the only stop for your fishing needs picks, pans and probes from our readers FOREWORD LETTERS “Blah blah blah blah blah.” Like Charlie Brown, this was pretty much all I BIG BEND ADDED TO BUCKET LIST B could hear when the school day subject matter turned to history. The lesson always ig Bend has always been on my bucket sounded like a memory chore: this battle, that date, a bunch of long-dead soldiers list. After seeing Jim Bones’ photos and a historical significance that had little to do with what was on my young mind, (“Bare Bones,” April 2015), it will have housed in a rebellious body that longed to be out in the sunshine instead. to be transferred to my next vacation list. My oldest sister became a history teacher. “I’m really just a storyteller,” she told The gentleman’s artistic eye is readily me. She tells pretty juicy stories and recounts them expressively, so I’m guessing recognizable in his studied composition. her student’s eyes weren’t all glued to the window or the clock. I was amused at Mr. Bones’ comment A friend teaches history to young students in our hometown. I about people either loving was at her house once when she received a package. Her eyes lit up as or hating the desert. I’m one she pried the tape loose. The object of her excitement: a button. A of the lovers. He is so right! button? Not just any button. A button from a soldier’s uniform. A I just started a series to button left behind during the battle of Gettysburg. Wow. That little paint every Texas river I can round fastener almost glowed with untold secrets. get to over the next couple As we held that small artifact in our hands, my history-teaching years. I’ve done the Blanco, friend began to tell me stories about the young man who wore the the Guadalupe and the San uniform, and those who fought by his side that day. His very fingers Antonio; the Rio Grande had touched that button as he prepared for battle — perhaps for the will definitely be painted at final time, if his luck ran out during the most important battle of Big Bend. his life. Thank you for a lovely “Thank you for a lovely As she spoke, she cast a spell so compelling that I could feel the portrait of one of Texas’ true portrait of one of Texas’ true sweat on his lip and the fear in his heart. I could smell the smoke of jewels. It was your best issue jewels. It was your best the cannons and feel the ground thud with the impact of cannon- this year, and that’s saying a lot. issue this year, and that’s balls. Did he think of his mother that day, or of the girl who prom- Jackie Knott saying a lot.” ised to wait for him? Did he suffer in a makeshift battleground Fischer hospital or die in an instant of bloody glory? JACKIE KNOTT Chief Photographer Earl Nottingham became fascinated with Fischer GAR ENCOUNTERS Texas’ historical re-enactors during his travels to historic sites ave you ever been in a across the state (See “Living History” on Page 36). People from all walks of life river with alligator gar at spare no effort re-creating authentic clothes, tools and weapons of those bygone night? I have. Back in the mid-’70s, when days. They meet up on weekends and holidays to re-create scenes like the Battle I was in college at Southwest Texas, some of San Jacinto. After seeing his eerie portraits, perhaps you’ll be inspired to head buddies and I liked to go snorkeling in the out to one of these re-enactments and watch history come to life. river a little ways below Aquarena Springs. Every June, we also dedicate a portion of the issue to the Texas coast, so this We wanted to see the beauty the river had month we take a look at sight-casting on the coast, especially for those redfish that to offer. love to wave their spots so alluringly. We also search beyond the shoreline for the Well, we had this great idea to check new ways in which Cuba, Mexico and the United States are working together to out the fish life at night, so off we went preserve their shared wildlife in the Gulf. with our snorkeling gear and underwater Don’t forget to check out our new app to see what surprises this June issue lights. If you’ve never been underwater may bring! with lights at night, it’s not the same as on land — you illuminate only a small area for a short distance. We slid into the water, flipped on our lights and swam parallel to the bank. We came up to a large area of lily pads Louie Bond, Editor and decided it was best to take a deep H 10 O JUNE 2015 MA I L CALL breath and go under them. All of a sudden, in the short illumination of our lights, there were more gar than I could ever imagine seeing in one place at one time — all sizes, big ones to little ones. It was too late to turn back, so we pushed ahead. Amazingly, the gar simply moved to one side and allowed us safe passage, looking at us like ... who are you? Once surfacing on the other side of the lily pads, we decided we had had enough excitement for the night and promptly went home. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience with a very unusual fish. Alan Allert Giddings STATE PARK SUGGESTION I am with the Boy Scouts of America, and my troop visits the state parks almost every month. We always enjoy camping in the state parks, especially in the primitive campsites. However, in every state park I’ve been to, there’s always been one problem: The restroom facilities in the campgrounds are unsanitary. If this problem was fixed, I think that many more people would enjoy their stay at the campgrounds. Alex de la Vega Troop 1146, Katy HONORING BURLESON I t was unexpected and exciting to see the article on the man who taught me whitewater canoeing (“Wild as a River,” April 2015). Bob Burleson and my father were good friends, and he got our whole family hooked on the sport. Our trips were mostly on the Lampasas and the Leon rivers. Unfortunately, the best “white” water on the Lampasas now lies under the big bridge on Stillhouse Hollow Lake. Bob was always looking at the animals and speculating on potential Indian campsites. He was a great teacher. Perk Bearden Killeen MEMORIES OF MOTHER NEFF I so enjoyed your article on the Mother Neff makeover (April 2015). We lived in Moody from 1962- 1967 and remember spending many happy days taking a picnic lunch for an enjoyable day there. It was one of the most beautiful, tranquil spots I had ever visited. If I could still jump in the car I would love to see it again. Thanks for an enjoyable read. Jill Hill Lubbock Sound off for Mail Call Let us hear from you! Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine welcomes letters from our readers. Please include your name, address and daytime ­telephone number. Write to us at Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744. Fax us at 512-389-8397 Email us at magazine@tpwd.texas.gov We reserve the right to edit letters for length and clarity. your boat, trailer and gear by removing plants and mud and checking all crevices for foreign objects. all water from your boat, including the motor, bilge, livewells, and bait buckets — it’s the law! Microscopic invasive species can hide in water in your boat. your boat and trailer for at least a week before entering another waterbody or wash it with a high-pressure washer and hot, soapy water. TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 11 NEWS AND VIEWS IN THE TEXAS OUTDOORS WILDLIFE ON THE PLATE Specialty license plates support pollinators and other wild things. As we enjoy Texas’ wildflower parade during the warmer months, it’s hard to miss the movement amid the colorful blooms. The flutter of wings means that a cadre of creatures is busy picking up and dropping off loads of pollen. Who can resist the fuzzy stripes of the Texas bumblebee as it uses the “combs and brushes” of its hind legs to gather up pollen and then store it in a convenient “basket” there? June brings us National Pollinator Week, no better time to celebrate the butterflies, bats, birds and bees that help us grow flowers and food crops. In fact, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is honoring one such pollinator, the Lucifer hummingbird, on a new conservation license plate. Money raised by the specialty plates 12 O JUNE 2015 — which also feature a horned lizard or western diamondback rattlesnake — fund wildlife projects across the state for an assortment of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and plants. All projects funded by this plate are used to implement the Texas Conservation Action Plan (tpwd.texas. gov/landwater/land/tcap). At least two of the causes benefit these vital pollinators. Jessica Beckham, a University of North Texas graduate student, began her project by investigating the history of bumblebees in Denton County using specimens from UNT’s Elm Fork Natural Heritage Museum. Beckham documented different bumblebee species to determine if the local population is declining, if urban development is driving the bees toward rural areas and if bumblebees use Denton’s existing community gardens and green spaces as habitat. Beckham sampled 450 individual bees and found two declining species, the American bumblebee and the Southern Plains bumblebee. Notably, the Southern Plains bumblebee hadn’t been documented in Denton County for 15 years. Beckham then extended her study across 16 other Texas counties in 2014. “Our results show that urban green spaces are providing important habitat for our declining bumblebee species,” Beck ham says. “By incorporating green spaces into our cities, we may be able to mitigate some of the habitat loss associated with PHOTO BY JONATHAN VAIL / TPWD urban sprawl.” Another project funded by the plates is a University of Texas at Austin study of pollinator decline that seeks to identify important resources and how to manage lands to support pollinating species. Native pollinators may provide some relief, researchers there surmise, but little is known about pollen sources and what plants pollinators visit and when. Other projects funded by wildlife specialty license plates include these and more: • Wildlife Conservation Camp is a seven-day outdoor camp for high school students. For 20 years, the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society has used the camp to bring lessons of wildlife science, conservation, land ethics and nature appreciation to highly motivated young people, while exposing them to a network of wildlife biologists, geologists and ecologists. • Bat Conservation International will use its grant to support “shovel ready” conservation actions to manage and restore key components of Bracken Cave Preserve north of San Antonio. Elements of the project aim to protect the maternity roost, engage visitors in wildlife viewing and conservation education, and promote research in partnership with academic institutions. • Texas horned lizards were once common throughout Texas but now are difficult to find. Private landowners want to reintroduce these lizards, but brood stock and reintroduction methods are poorly developed. The Fort Worth Zoo will build pens to breed and rear Texas horned lizards in a propagation program that could become a reintroduction program throughout the state. Funds will also be used to allow researchers to track and monitor released lizards in the hope that they can identify the most successful release methods and protocols. Specialty plates may be purchased at any time of the year at conservation- plate.org or at your county tax assessor- collector’s office. Buy a set today and show your support for your favorite wildlife programs. Other available plates support state parks, bass fishing, waterfowl and more. —Louie Bond PORT ARTHUR Play. Explore. Experience. “Flounder Capital of Texas!” — CHESTER MOORE, Outdoors Writer Experience diverse fishing on Sabine Lake and offshore. Hear about our history at the Museum of the Gulf Coast and our historical homes. Explore our coastal environment and encounter wildlife up close. Stroll our boardwalks and beaches. Convention & Visitors Bureau • 800.235.7822 • visitPortArthurTx.com It’s a Grand Thing. Art, seafood, birding & shops. www.rockport-fulton.org 1-800-242-0071 visitrockportfulton Photo by Dawn Huff TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 13 P Shaded by T Cedars HIS Red-flowered cedar sage thrives under the branches of the allergy-inducing tree. Some wildflowers need strong 14 O JUNE 2015 the Hill Country and points west. It also grows in the Mexican states of Coahuila and Nuevo León. Hiding under trees and shrubs, it isn’t always easy to find in the wild. It is, however, available in the nursery trade, and makes a fine addition to a native landscape. Cedar sage will grow in different soil types if it’s planted in a well-drained location and gets shade at least half the day. Some people grow it in pots on the patio. It can tolerate a wide range of temperatures. Once established, it can survive dry conditions. And like other red-flowered salvias, cedar sage is attractive to hummingbirds and certain butterflies. With a little encouragement, this plant can provide color and nature-viewing opportunities all summer long. — Dyanne Fry Cortez In the U.S., cedar sage grows only in Texas. It occurs on wooded, rocky outcrops in the Edwards Plateau and is adapted to grow in the shade of ashe juniper trees. It can also be planted at home for a splash of red. PHOTO BY JASON R. SINGHURST / TPWD sunlight to put on a good display. Cedar sage is one that will bloom in the shade. This red-f lowered perennial prefers to grow in the dry-needle mulch that forms under ashe juniper trees. Its association with that tree, called “cedar” or “mountain cedar” by generations of Texas allergy sufferers, gave cedar sage its common name. The scientific name, Salvia roemeriana, honors 19th century naturalist Ferdinand von Roemer. All salvias belong to the mint family. Cedar sage exhibits several characteristics that are typical of mints. It has square stems. Leaves appear in pairs, emerging from the same point on the stem and facing opposite directions. The bright red flowers have five petals fused into a two-lipped tube, with stamens and pistils extending beyond the upper lip. Flowers come in pairs, or sometimes in whorls of three or more. Cedar sage blooms most profusely in March, but will keep flowering into August if conditions are right. When it isn’t in bloom, this sage can be identified by its heart- or kidney- shaped leaves. They’re usually a plain medium green, somewhere between the bright green of new grass and the dark green of ashe juniper foliage. Leaves range from a half-inch to 2 inches in diameter and have rounded teeth along the edges. Top and bottom surfaces have tiny hairs, making them slightly fuzzy to the touch. A crushed leaf yields a spicy scent, not as strong as some other mints, but subtly distinctive. Plants are 1 to 2 feet tall in spring and summer when they’re actively growing and flowering. They tend to die back to ground-hugging rosettes in winter. In the United States, cedar sage is native only to Texas, occurring primarily on wooded, rocky outcrops of Costa del Mar Remember the first time you felt sand between your toes? Or built that first sand castle? (Make that a sand mound.) It’s time to feel the exuberance of youth again. Come to Corpus Christi to re-live the things you love most. Time with friends and family. Fires on the beach. The salty ocean air. Swimming past the breakers. Fishing from the shore or your boat. Watching a squadron of pelicans cover the sky in perfect formation. Don’t forget the flip flops and a camera, because memories are made here. VisitCorpusChristiTX.org 800.766.BEACH (2322) P COME COAST AWHILE. Willet or Won’t It? T H I S Beachcombing bird says its own name but gets no answer. Discover Beachy Accommodations, Coastal Dining & Eclectic Boutiques WHILE YOU COAST. PHOTO © SETH PATTERSON “We, we, willet ... we, we, willet!” The high-pitched yell reverberated in my ear as I dodged a dive-bombing bird on Bolivar Peninsula back in my college days. The cause of this avian agitation became apparent when I spotted a bird’s nest tucked in the coastal marsh grass, a stone’s throw from the beach, holding four darkly speckled olive eggs. This menacing bird was simply being a good parent — it wanted me far from its nursery. I leaned down and saw that the eggs were perfectly positioned like a sliced pie, with the pointy ends inward and the wider ends out. After a quick peek, I backtracked respectfully to leave the nest alone. I looked up to view the bird aloft. Being a bird-watcher, I already knew what it was even before eyeing it simply because it’s one of a few birds that, along with a few added notes, recites its own name: willet. Though there’s not much “bling” to the pale gray willet, the striking black-and- white wing pattern of this large gray shorebird makes it easy to identify in flight. No other shorebird in our state is similar in this regard. Standing a foot tall or more and ever alert, willets demonstrate great 16 O JUNE 2015 posture and poise. Along the beach, they walk or briefly run in search of food to grab with straight, stout bills. These thick-legged surf runners work the wet sand in search of tiny fish, crabs, insects or worms. It’s best not to approach too closely to observe these birds — use binoculars instead. Here’s a tip for beachgoers who enjoy wildlife: Please keep your dog on a leash. Dogs can’t resist chasing the gulls, terns, shorebirds and other birds along the beach. You might think it’s adorable, but it can cause undue stress and fatigue to the birds. Give your feathered beachcombing neighbors the space and respect they deserve — after all, willets have been on the Gulf Coast longer than we have. Gulf beachcombers can spot a willet any month of the year. Two lookalike migratory species may be involved: the eastern willet, which breeds along our Texas Gulf Coast, and the western willet, its wintertime replacement. For now, the two are classified as subspecies under one name, willet. Will it or won’t it be split into two species? That is the question. For now, I’m fine with the ones we’ve got. —Cliff Shackelford Outfitting Texans since 1970 for Adventure, Travel & Fun! YOU CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW Sunglasses from Costa, Maui Jim, Smith and Suncloud for men and women and Julbo for kids Austin • Dallas • Houston • San Antonio • Southlake P THIS Refining Color Moving beyond “auto” on the white balance setting can enhance your photos. Put simply, the white balance control is a feature on most digital cameras and smartphones that enables the camera to see and render colors as accurately as possible under varying types of illumination such as daylight, shade, clouds or fluorescent or tungsten lights. Accurate color is accomplished by the camera adding warmer- or cooler- colored filters to compensate for the inherent color cast (color temperature) produced by a given light source. A proper white balance can be attained by either manually choosing the appropriate white balance setting on the camera for the lighting you are shooting under, or setting it to “auto” white balance, which, in essence, “guesses” at the proper lighting. In most instances, auto white balance does a remarkably good job of giving us pleasing colors in a photograph, and in practice, many of us leave it on permanently, along with all of the camera’s other “auto” functions — and are more than happy with the results. However, you may find that by exploring and using the individual manual white balance settings, your final image may have more pleasing colors with greater aesthetic impact. An accurate white balance setting is especially important if you are saving your images as a JPG file and not as a raw camera file, which has the advantage of “Auto” white balance Each white balance setting is typically denoted by an icon such as sun, cloud, shade, light bulb, fluorescent light or other light source. 18 O JUNE 2015 For the serious outdoor or nature photographer, using manual white balance instead of auto white balance can make a big difference between a so-so photograph and a great one. One common example is a brilliant red and orange sunset. On auto white balance, the camera doesn’t know that the scene is supposed to be predominantly warm- toned and tries to compensate to make the colors more neutral. This can result in losing the desired intense colors. With a manual white balance set to “daylight” or even “cloudy,” the red/orange sunset will retain its brilliance. Hint: If you want to really enhance a sunset, set your white balance to the “cloudy” or “shade” setting since they both add additional warmth. Some photographers leave their white balance on “cloudy” all of the time to ensure a more aesthetically pleasing warm tone in all of their images. Today’s digital cameras and smartphones can take remarkably good images with their default automatic settings. However, to take your photography to the next level of creativity, try exploring all of the various manual settings your particular camera offers. It may just give you some new tools to see things in a different light. — Earl Nottingham Please send questions and comments to Earl at earl.nottingham@tpwd.texas.gov. For more tips on outdoor photography, visit the magazine’s photography page at www.tpwmagazine.com/photography. PHOTOS BY EARL NOTTINGHAM / TPWD allowing the photo’s white balance to be changed after the fact with software such as Photoshop or Lightroom. One simple test to see the effects of different white balance settings is to look at a scene through the camera’s LCD monitor as you scroll through or change the individual white balance icons. You can actually see the change in color as you scroll or toggle through the icons. Typically, you would use the “daylight” setting to render the best colors on a typical sunlit day and use the other icons as your lighting situation warranted (cloudy, shade, tungsten, fluorescent, etc). In a daylight scene, try shooting one image with the “daylight” setting and shoot another with auto white balance. Depending on your camera, the results may look very similar, or very different. It’s your call as to which version you prefer. In situations where you may have a mix of light sources, such as the interior of a home with light coming through windows in addition to typical room lighting, most cameras provide a manual custom white balance feature that will give you an extremely accurate white balance by measuring the average color of the multiple light sources. Consult your camera owner’s manual for information on setting a custom white balance. “Cloudy” white balance P VIDEO: Sea Rim State Park Sea T H Rim I S Paddle PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) © CARR WARD; CHASE A. FOUNTAIN / TPWD; © RUSTY RAY Relax or catch your supper on one of the state park’s paddling trails. The Gulf meets the marsh at Sea Rim State Park. Thousands of acres of marshes and wetlands allow for exploration by boardwalk or boat and provide homes to animals such as the roseate spoonbill. I plunge my feet into the water, grab hold of both sides of my kayak and lower myself in. Life jacket adjustment? Check. Waterproof bag? Check. Water bottle? Check. The marshes here at Sea Rim State Park can be a real maze without this important final item: a map. Fortunately, there’s an accurate, detailed map of the area printed by the Texas state park system and distributed free of charge to park visitors. Before getting into the boat, I review another version of the same map printed on colorful sign panels posted throughout the park. Soon after pushing off, I see that 20 O JUNE 2015 the park left nothing to chance. It installed markers all along the way for each of the three paddling trails I travel. The markers match the paths shown on the map; even if I lose the map while paddling, I’ll be able to find my way back. Reassured, I continue on my journey. As the boat glides through the water, I see roseate spoonbills, egrets and herons. I’m told that duck hunters also ply these waters frequently in search of their quarry. An alligator lurks at the water’s edge off to the right. My arms ache a little, but I feel a sense of purpose as I push the boat around the next bend. Marsh grasses extend to the horizon in all directions. One thing I find pleasantly missing: the intrusions of the modern world. I’ve heard that some other people have ulterior motives when they paddle or troll these waters: These marshes are full of fish and crabs! Red drum, speckled trout, flounder and blue crab offer both sport and the possibility of a delicious dinner. Many people also pull in a rich harvest on the beach side of the park. There, you can fish legally without a license. As I return to the boat launch where I started, I’m tired but carefree. It’s been a good day, and I have a lovely dinner planned at the nice, new, wood-paneled “I’m not sure which surprised me more – the size of Lake Conroe or the size of the bass I caught there.” W ith 156 miles of shoreline, Lake Conroe is a fisherman’s delight. Boasting some of the bluest waters in East Texas, with bass, crappie and catfish big enough to make your t allest fishing tale the truth. Come experience it for yourself. A great day for the angler, not so much for the fish. TXP&W-6-15 Post your #fishtale Plan your fishin’ getaway with our FREE Vacation Guide. 1-877-426-6763 Find more getaway ideas at: www.PlayInConroe.com VisitConroe (tx) park cabin next to the launch. Just a few years ago, after Hurricane Ike nearly destroyed the park, only an empty slab occupied this spot. The park has since been transformed. Tomorrow’s another day, and I plan to explore the beach side of Sea Rim. I want to go beachcombing and walk the marsh and beach boardwalks, and perhaps go fishing in the surf. Sea Rim State Park is located on Texas Highway 87, 20 miles south of Port Arthur, two hours from downtown Houston. For information call (409) 971-2559 or go to tpwd.texas. gov/searim. —Walt Bailey TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 21 SKILL BUILDER / Robert Ramirez DELISH delicious FISH from the Gulf. In search of the most treasures Find additional fish recipes on our app. FOOD PHOTO BY SONJA SOMMERFELD / TPWD; RECIPE BACKGROUND © MISTY DILLER | DREAMSTIME.COM www.tpwmagazine.com/app During a recent fishing trip to the Third Coast, I packed my favorite novella from the great Ernest “Papa” Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea. During a lull in the action, I cracked open this literary masterpiece and picked up the chapter in which Papa describes Santiago eating and rating the fish he had on the boat to consume during his epic battle with a marlin. In the novella, Santiago decides which fish to eat during his sustained battle as one of his hands begins to succumb to cramps while grasping the fishing line. He eats a little tuna (bonita) first and raves about how good the fish tastes. It was hard for me to believe he enjoyed a bonita and yet criticized a dorado for being too sweet. (Bonita is typically not eaten as it has a “tinny” taste due to the iron in the blood of the fish.) After contemplating this story and reminiscing about my past fishing adventures, I decided to explore further to find the definitive, hands-down, best-tasting saltwater fish. As a native Texan with frequent trips to the Gulf Coast and the Pacific and Atlantic oceans during my fishing adventures, I was confident that I could anchor down the most savory, succulent treasures from the sea. I began my quest by reaching out to friends, family and local coastal anglers to gather a definitive list of saltwater fish from coastal and offshore waters. Texas coastal anglers had varying perceptions and views based on their experiences and geographic locations along the coast. Folks from Sabine Pass, High Island, Rockport, Corpus Christi and South Padre chimed in, and most picked one of 24 O JUNE 2015 the Texas top three fish: flounder, red drum and speckled trout. When I dug a little deeper, most were in agreement that a croaker in the one-pound range was close to the top of the list as well. Cornmeal-battered or baked, a croaker is hard to beat. Each angler had a favorite regional recipe — from stuffed flounder in Rockport to redfish “blackened” in Sabine Pass to redfish “on the half shell” in Corpus Christi. What about offshore? My offshore fishing adventures have taken me as far as the South Pacific, the Gulf of Alaska and back home to the Gulf of Mexico. My top three most delicious offshore species from my journeys outside Texas include Pacific halibut, dorado and lane snapper. My friend Bret Chatham, offshore veteran and Texas native, has a massive Atlantic bluefin tuna (700 pounds) from Prince Edward Island to his credit. As a lifelong Gulf of Mexico angler, his top three offshore picks for flavor include dorado, wahoo and swordfish. Handling is key to a delicious fish dish. All agreed that the catch must be packed on ice immediately. Some suggested that you “bleed the fish” — cut the gill arch of the fish — to ensure optimum flavor. These tips can help you enjoy the freshest bounty of the sea to share with friends and family. Of course, at the end of the day, the best-tasting saltwater fish is the one you caught yourself, hands-down. Times spent angling with friends and family are to be savored — they’ll leave a good taste in your mouth for the rest of your life. O GRILLED FISH TACOS From AFIELD: A Chef’s Guide to Preparing and Cooking Wild Game & Fish By Jesse Griffiths Serves 4 2 large fish fillets, skin and scales on, about 1 lb. each Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 Tbsp. dried Mexican oregano 1 tsp. hot paprika 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened SIGHTS & SOUNDS T E L E V I S I O N LOOK FOR THESE STORIES IN THE COMING WEEKS May 31–June 6: Rat snakes; school of fish; Matagorda Bay; Eisenhower State Park; lessons from war. June 7–13: Powderhorn Ranch; campfire tips; Black Gap chickens; science camp kids; San Antonio’s Government Canyon. June 14–20: Biking and fishing at Cleburne State Park; lesser prairie-chickens; Big Thicket plants; warden with a cause. June 21–27: Biking Cedar Hill; fishing lures; bighorn sheep relocation; LBJ’s western White House; coastal fisheries restoration team; urban pocket prairies. June 28–July 4: Sinking the Kinta S; desert skies; Battleship Texas fireworks; turkey trapping; CCC memories. 3 limes, thinly sliced 12 corn tortillas ¼ head of cabbage, chopped 2 avocados, diced Few sprigs of cilantro TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE TV AND RADIO RADIO YOUR RADIO GUIDE TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS Passport to Texas is your guide to the great Texas outdoors. Any time you tune in, you’ll remember why you love Texas. Go to www.passporttotexas.org to find a station near you that airs the series. See the sinking of the Kinta S, Texas’ newest artificial reef. Watch the week of June 28–July 4. TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE Winner of 12 Emmy Awards, our ­television series is broadcast ­throughout Texas on local PBS ­affiliates. In stereo with closed captions. www.tpwd.texas.gov/tv PASSPORT TO TEXAS Join host Cecilia Nasti weekdays for a 90-second excursion into the Texas Outdoors. Find a station near you, or listen on the Web at www.passporttotexas.org Vinegary hot sauce Make a hot fire in a charcoal grill or set a gas grill on high heat. hermAnn sons frATernAl insurAnce Insuring a better future for Texans at all stages of life since 1861. Season the fish with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together the oregano, paprika and butter. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the fillets, then layer the sliced limes on top. Grill the fillets, skin side down, covered, for 12-20 minutes, depending on thickness, until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through. • Whole life • Term life • AnnuiTies Remove the fillets. Pull the cooked fish from the skin with a large spoon, discarding any skin and the bones. Hermann Sons Fraternal Insurance | Traditional ... http://www.texashermannsons.org/ Quickly heat the tortillas on the grill. Make tacos with the warmed tortillas, fish, cabbage, avocado, cilantro and hot sauce. Hermann Sons Youth Camp – A benefit for boys & girls ages 9-13 cAll ToDAY! 800-234-4124 www.hermannsons.org • Facebook http://kaywa.me/E5WAK TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O Download the Kaywa QR Code Reader (App Store &Android Market) and scan your code! 25 Days in the Field / By Melissa Gaskill DESTINATION: BROWNSVILLE T R A V E L A T I M E F R O M : AUSTIN – 5 hours / DALLAS – 7.5 hours / EL PASO – 11 hours HOUSTON – 5.25 hours / SAN ANTONIO – 4 hours / LUBBOCK – 9 hours Birds, Beaches and Battles Head to the border for a Brownsville history lesson and wildlife watching. 26 O JUNE 2015 The road ends at Boca Chica Beach, Texas’ southern- most beach, where surf and sand mix with solitude. wedge of Brownsville containing a wealth of museums and the Gladys Porter Zoo. Porter, the daughter of Earl Sams, chief executive of the J.C. Penney Company for 30 years, championed construction of the zoo. Today, its 30 acres house more than 1,500 animals from Africa, Asia, tropical America and Indo-Australia amid lush tropical landscaping. My favorites include three generations of a western lowland gorilla family, a free- flight aviary (birds are a big thing in these parts), and a new aquatic exhibit of sharks, jellies and stingrays. Across the street in Dean Porter Park, I take in a crash course in area history from pre-1700s up to 2000 by perusing the Ringgold Civic Pavilion’s Pictorial History, a reproduction of an original 14-by-40-foot mural in watercolor on ceramic tile. A short walk from there along the resaca — one of the pools created by the ever-shifting course of the Rio Grande that dot the city — the Children’s Museum of Brownsville aims at tykes up to age 8 with architecture and exhibits true to the regional culture. Hands-on activity areas include a doctor’s office, café, grocery store, weather station, South Texas farm, lighthouse and shrimp boat/dock. Outdoor interactive water exhibits and activities were created in partnership with the Cornell University bird center. Next door at the Costumes of the Americas Museum, I gawk at dozens of elaborate costumes representing almost every country in the Western Hemisphere. In 1916, founder Bessie Kirkland Johnson belonged to the San Antonio Pan American Round Table, a women-run organization designed to foster understanding and friendships across the Americas. PHOTO © SETH PATTERSON recent visit to this border city, which I sometimes bypass for a certain nearby island (hint: South Padre), reminded me of Brownsville’s variety of outdoor activities, unique museums and little-known history. That history goes way back, but I start with May 1846, when a two-year conflict was spurred by disagreement over whether the Rio Grande or Nueces River should serve as the boundary between Mexico and the newest U.S. state, Texas. The first battle took place at what is now Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park on the north side of Brownsville. The conflict ended with U.S. forces occupying Mexico City and doubled the size of the U.S. with the addition of parts of Texas, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, and lands that are now New Mexico, Arizona, California and Nevada. I walk a half-mile from the visitor center to where opposing forces in this mostly unknown yet significant battle faced each other, a windswept coastal plain with a few small trees, yucca and prickly pear cactus. Guided ranger walks cover the causes of the war, why battles occurred where they did and how the clashes developed. For those who want to see and hear what it felt like, living history programs staged one Saturday each month demonstrate soldier life and muskets and artillery from the period. In addition to history buffs, the battlefield also attracts birders looking for Harris’ hawks and aplomado falcons. A nine-mile hike and bike trail connects the historical park with the Mitte Cultural District, a walkable PHOTOS © SETH PATTERSON After moving to Brownsville in the 1930s with her collection of Mexican clothing, Johnson challenged Round Table members there to each acquire a costume from assigned countries. The women assembled one of the largest collections in the Western Hemisphere, colorful creations complete with jewelry and artifacts such as drums, baskets and pots. Across the park and a few blocks down, the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art holds more than 350 paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures and photographs, including works by Marc Chagall, N.C. Wyeth and Alexander Calder, as well as 100-plus historic pieces created by the museum’s eight founders and their contemporaries from the 1940s. Its elegant building anchors one end of Linear Park, formerly the Southern Pacific switching yard; at the other end, the Historic Brownsville Museum occupies the old Southern Pacific Railroad Depot. It has displays on the Mexican–American War and the Civil War and its last battle, which occurred at Palmito Ranch, just up the road, on May 13, 1865. The month of May has often been busy around these parts, apparently. Down the street and behind the zoo, historical markers along the main path through the Old City Cemetery make it visitor-friendly, and diverse monuments and headstones tell many stories. Established in 1853, the cemetery boasts occupants who were veterans of every U.S. war (except the American Revolutionary War), steamboat captains, mayors, judges, merchants, ranchers, Spanish land grant holders, victims of yellow fever epidemics and probably a few miscreants. There are sections designated for the Society of Benito Juarez, Masons, Catholics and Independent Order of Odd Fellows, as well as a Hebrew cemetery and a potter’s field. The Brownsville Historical Association has computerized records to help locate specific plots. My final museum stop requires a drive to the airport, where the Rio Grande Valley Wing of the Commemorative Air Force museum’s hangar houses more than a dozen Sabal Palm Sanctuary, top, is home to the Rabb Plantation House, above, and harbors one of the most diverse ecosystems in the nation. Birding is big at Sabal Palm, and summer camp participants, below, search for some of the 300-plus species. Well-known birds such as the brown pelican, right, share the region with iconic Valley species. restored aircraft — along with military vehicles and hundreds of artifacts including uniforms, photographs and weaponry — and offers guided tours. The CAF also operates fully functional World War II aircraft that fly at air shows and other events. In the adjacent Barnstormers Lounge, dozens of model planes hang from the ceiling while aviation enthusiasts sip a cold one and watch planes take off and land on the runway outside. Some are more than willing to share a tale or two. Ready to spend some time outdoors, I cross town to Resaca de la Palma State Park, part of the World Birding Center. Here, diligent birders seek out nearly 300 species, TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 27 28 O JUNE 2015 Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park protects the site of the first battle of the Mexican–American War, a conflict that changed the map of North America. Below, Palo Alto re-enactors stage a scene from the 1846 battle. PHOTOS © SETH PATTERSON including rare migrants and special locals such as the olive sparrow, long- billed thrasher and white-eyed vireo. I take a casual approach to birding, strolling some of the eight miles of trails, spotting green jays and a hawk and, from a deck over the water, several snow-white herons. The park holds nature hikes, bird/butterfly walks and night walks, and rents binoculars and bicycles for enjoying the trails and a paved three-mile loop. Sabal Palm Sanctuary protects one of the last remaining stands of this native palm that once covered more than 60,000 acres along the Rio Grande. One of the most diverse ecosystems in the country, it contains 300 kinds of plants, 300-plus bird species — including the Rio Grande Valley’s iconic green jays and chachalacas — and thousands of insects, along with mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Previously a plantation, the property became a National Audubon Society sanctuary in the 1970s, then closed in 2008 in anticipation of a section of border wall cutting across the property. In 2010, the Gorgas Science Foundation took over management, offering guided bird and history walks every Saturday plus more than four miles of nature trails and an observation deck over the Rio Grande. Twenty miles east of town, the road ends at Boca Chica Beach. This is Texas beach the way I remember it from childhood, just sand and water and the sound of surf, wind and birds. Boca Chica is a stop on an eponymous loop of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. Common sights include ospreys; aplomado, merlin and peregrine falcons; Harris’ hawks; Chihuahuan ravens; horned larks; piping and Wilson’s plovers; and red knots. I’m happy just to walk the waterline and let the sound and solitude wash over me, but those who want more action can bring binoculars or a fishing pole. Downtown Brownsville skirts our riverine border with Mexico, where I encounter another piece of history — the start of the Chisholm Trail. Spanish cattle, ancestors of our Texas longhorn, were ferried across the Rio Grande to gather for drives northward to Kansas and Missouri. City founder Charles Stillman bought land for the town of Brownsville using a fortune earned as a steamboat captain on the Rio Grande; he later sold ranch land north of town to steamboat-captain-turned-cattle- baron Mifflin Kenedy. The Brownsville dining scene has much for those who like Tex- Mex and seafood. The expansive deck at Cobbleheads Bar and Grill overlooks a large resaca that hosts kayak races in February. It features live music Thursday through Sunday and an astonishingly varied menu. I recommend the Padre Island Dip and shrimp tacos. Vermillion Restaurant serves Mexican food, seafood, sandwiches and burgers in a bar atmosphere with comfy booths. The dining room is small at the family-run Elva’s Café on West Elizabeth Street, but the food is fresh and portions generous. Brownsville’s slower pace and older feel contrast with its more energetic, high-rise neighbor on the beach. I certainly plan to continue visiting the latter, but will make a point of saving time for the former as well. ✯ TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 29 Anglers satisfy an innate urge to hit targets while sight-casting 30 O JUNE 2015 T HE GAME’S OBJECTIVE AIM was to squarely strike a designated fence post with a smooth brown rock from Paw-Paw’s driveway. The irregularly shaped stones (slightly smaller than a golf ball) fit well in our young hands. I was maybe 5 at the time and my brother Phil was 18 months older. for redfish. PHOTO © TOSH BROWN By David Sikes The upright post supporting horizontal white planks stood about 25 feet away, beyond which stretched Paw-Paw’s pecan pasture. I can still recall the sound created by a well-thrown stone when one connected with the post. It was the solid knock of victory. Yes, we were keeping score. The supply of ammo at our feet was as endless as a summer day. Who knows how long that innocent game of skill could have lasted if not for the all-seeing eyes of a grandfather? “Boys!” Paw-Paw shouted in a voice that prompted every dog in the neighborhood to tuck its tail between its legs and run. “Do you know what happens when the blades of a lawnmower hit a rock?” “No, sir,” we replied, knowing we had tossed our last rock at Paw-Paw’s fence post and the score would never be settled. That illicit competition might have ended prematurely, but my desire to take aim at targets was just beginning. Many of us cannot suppress this primal urge to throw things in order to hit, break or kill something. Visit any carnival midway for proof of this proclivity. For me, rocks led to slingshots, which led to BB guns, which led to shotguns, archery equipment and so on. Now I’ve come to embrace a target game involving one of my favorite pursuits: fishing. With this game, the prize is not won by hitting another object exactly. In fact, that would result in failure. This variation of target shooting involves guiding a toss with enough finesse for it to land undetected but close enough to a fish and with proper coercion to make the fish strike. I see this as a natural evolution of child’s play, and I relish the opportunity with childlike enthusiasm. Ask any anglers who choose a target before releasing a lure and they’ll tell you sight-casting changed the way they look at angling. Once I started sight-casting, which typically involves casting when the fish are spotted first, I became a more engaged and focused angler. Never again would I simply look across a flat for a prospective geographic destination. I have learned to let signs point the way. On the Texas coast, sight-casting is growing in popularity. TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 31 TOP PHOTO BY CHASE A. FOUNTAIN / TPWD; BOTTOM PHOTO © TOSH BROWN As with many disciplines, the culture has cultivated a percentage of purists. These practiced aficionados certainly earned this distinction. They possess impressive hand-to-eye coordination, adept casting ability and discriminating fish-spotting skills enhanced by a fine pair of polarized lenses. And for this mastery, they are rewarded with thrills beyond a blind-caster’s imagination. The thrill is not exclusive to the aficionados. Modest success in sight- casting does involve a time-acquired skill set, trained eyesight, accurate aim and quick reflexes, but sight-casting is no snob. Sight-casting can be enjoyable even when you’re not very good at it. (I hear golf is that way.) Part of the attraction of sight- casting involves the angler’s desire to rely less on luck. It combines the thrill of spotting and stalking with the intensity of knowing you usually have a single opportunity at an elusive and Sight-casting from a skiff; tailing redfish Once I started sight-casting, I became a more engaged and focused angler. 32 O JUNE 2015 sometimes moving mark. In a clear tide, the show is nearly as impressive as the reward. When it all comes together, sight-casting can be addictive. Sight-casting often is compared to hunting. But there’s a pointed distinction — sight-casting does not necessarily involve an animated or identifiable target. By my broad definition, sight- casting also includes tossing at surface wakes or toward visual evidence of a predator attack. You can cast at a shrimp or mullet breaking the surface, at sandy potholes within a seagrass meadow, at a structure or at a color/contour change where predators likely would lurk. Surely, when I’m a tossing a lure beneath feeding birds, I am casting by sight. Any angling practice that fully engages the sense of sight to identify, aim and direct a lure or bait toward a desired target constitutes sight-casting to me. And yes, tossing shrimp at visible black drum can be as enjoyable to a novice as lofting a Clouser fly to a trout can be to a veteran fly-caster. Arguably, the great equalizer in sight- casting is the Holy Tail. I’m referring to the blue-fringed tailfin of a redfish poking above the surface, announcing its presence. Perhaps the most advantageous aspect of this announcement is that the fish’s attention is focused downward. Plus, in the proper light, a tail can appear in the distance like a gleaming beacon, allowing the savvy angler to assume the appropriate creep while mentally preparing for the finish. I’ve seen it go the other way, when distance and too much time to think about the finish produce a kind of buck fever or tail anxiety. Regardless of the target, sight-casting requires an element of mind and body control. Experience and steady nerves usually produce better results. The hardships and benefits of sight- casting while wading are different from those of fishing from a drifting skiff or paddlecraft. Waders have the advantage of controlling the pace of their approach. Bowhunters understand the importance of recognizing when to draw their bow and when to freeze. It’s all based on the attitude, movement and reaction of the animal. It’s the same when approaching a redfish on foot. If you’re on a soft mud bottom, stealth requires careful and deliberate steps. by good communication, I’ve seen the system work beautifully, sometimes even when I’m on the bow. The person at the stern spots a fish in the distance, alerts the angler and steers the boat slowly to a spot with the best casting advantage, Part of the attraction of sight-casting involves the angler’s desire to rely less on luck. It combines the thrill of spotting and stalking with the intensity of knowing you usually have a single opportunity at an elusive and sometimes moving mark. Yanking a stuck boot from the mud will result in a surface splash and a wake that could spook your fish. Similarly, the crunch of an oyster reef underfoot or a bay bottom scattered with shell could foil a plan. Waders also suffer a possible sight disadvantage when targeting fully submerged fish. (This would not apply to chasing visible tails.) Kayakers who are willing and able to stand in their boat enjoy a more favorable vantage for spotting fish in a clear tide. But again, controlling the boat’s direction and pace on a flat requires either ideal wind speed and direction or a paddle or push pole. And because most kayakers paddle alone, they’d need to juggle both fishing rod and paddle, quietly and quickly. I’ve seen it done, but it takes practice. Sight-casting from a skiff can be broken down to technical poling skiffs and traditional center-console bay boats. I’m not ruling out johnboats, but I rarely see them used for sight-casting, possibly because every sound that vibrates from an aluminum boat sends a warning to already wary fish in a shallow tide. Sight-casting is mostly a shallow-water endeavor. The advantage of a poling skiff comes with the addition of a partner willing to work a push pole. Under classic conditions, the poling platform at the stern is much taller than the casting deck on the bow. This means the person responsible for the pace and direction of the skiff also acts as fish spotter. When the two work as a team, aided often based on wind direction. At the proper moment, the person on the poling platform plants the push pole into the bay bottom to steady the skiff. An accurate cast is made and the fish follows the script. I’ve witnessed a nearly textbook approach like this end quite differently. The fish may not be holding steady or it’s moving slowly in an unpredictable pattern, making tracking difficult. A sudden wind gust or a noisy lure entry can foil a good plan. And even when everything seems right, the fish could ignore your offering or swim away in fear. Each of these disappointments on a given day leads to a more determined search for the next opportunity. After a while, an angler experiences enough happy endings to erase the memories of most disappointments. One of my most cherished recollections involves a solitary float through an eastern section of Corpus Christi Bay generally referred to as Shamrock, a series of shallow, cordgrass- lined coves carpeted with seagrass and interrupted by oyster reefs, islands and green guts. I had followed kayak guide Steven Utley and his wife, Susan, into a fog on a Monday. We assumed a path that only kayaks and airboats could navigate, paddling a fair distance northward from Wilson’s Cut. When Utley announced we had arrived roughly at our destination, the fog was beginning to lift, but the sun still could not reach the bay surface. TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 33 HOTO © RUSSELL GRAVES; PHOTO OPPOSITE PAGE BY CHASE A. FOUNTAIN / TPWD In the proper light, a tail can appear in the distance like a gleaming beacon. 34 O JUNE 2015 All was misty and still. The three of us began paddling in different directions in search of life. But it seemed even baitfish were sleeping. After a while I noticed Utley in the distance. He was paddling with purpose toward a destination I assumed held redfish. An audible commotion signaled success, but the distance between us was greater than I cared to close. A gentle northeast wind began to carry my boat toward an open flat, while clearing the shroud above the bay. Soon, sunlight penetrated the scene before me, adding sparkle to the water and raising my hopes. I stood up with the breeze at my back and few obstacles in my path. My footing was a bit wobbly at first, but that improved quickly enough. Water clarity was just about perfect for sight- casting. And so was the water depth, which varied from 8 to 18 inches. We had gotten a late start because of the fog, so when the sun finally shone through it was midmorning or close to it. The ideal period for sight-casting for submerged fish is between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. A high sun reduces sight-killing surface glare. As I found my legs and set down my paddle for a long drift, I noticed something encouraging. The edges of this flat were quivering with what I assumed were mullet. The bay was awakening, and I was perfectly positioned to take advantage. I spotted a redfish within casting distance, so I tossed a gold glitter DOA shrimp. It fell not where I had aimed, but instead about a foot behind the fish and well beyond it. I hurriedly began to retrieve the lure, hoping I could take a second shot. To my surprise the fish turned and raced to engulf my offering. Rarely are mistakes rewarded in sight-casting. But this day was an exception. My next two casts were a little more accurate. Same reaction. I tossed at a sandy pothole. And while my lure was arching toward the surface I spotted a redfish I had not previously seen. When my lure crossed the yellow patch of sand, the fish swam to intercept it. I startled another fish, which bolted from under my boat. These spooked mistakes also rarely end well. Instinctively, I zinged my lure in the general direction of the escaping blur in a Hail Mary attempt to give it one final opportunity to thrill me. Unpredictability again was part of the day’s thrills. It takes just one day like that to turn you into a sight-caster for life. You can’t win if you don’t play. Sight-casting can be like knocking down milk bottles at a carnival midway — you rarely win the game, but the thrill of playing and the occasional win get you hooked. Guide Steven Utley with redfish TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 35 Young Texian settler wife in bonnet RE-ENACTORS BRING THE PA ST TO LIFE. Words & Photos by Earl Nottingham 36 O JUNE 2015 They come from all walks of modern life but share a common purpose: bringing history to life. Representing the soldiers and family members from the defining moments of Texas history, re-enactors don the trappings and channel the personas of individuals long since gone to give our current generation a look at what life was like during the tumultuous birth and evolution of this state. In front of large weekend crowds at historically significant sites, the percussion of cannons, flintlocks and ships’ guns punctuates the portrayal of the bloody price paid by soldiers and citizens throughout the conflicts and generations that created and preserved the state of Texas as we know it today. Runaway Scrape family Their campfires, tents and settler homes Hayden and Jack Clifford Students become time machines by which we can see remnants of a rugged and unforgiving day-to-day life. But who are these re-enactors? Why would an adult (or child) take time to pursue a historical alter-ego? The answer seems to be unanimous — because it’s fun and educational. James Glover, a living history re-enactor for more than 35 years, sums it up: “It’s like a big, traveling family where you can wear period ‘drag’ and just have fun.” James and his wife, Linley, and son Jesse frequently attend events around the state. Look into the faces — and lives — of living history re-enactors. Young cannoneer Jesse Glover Student TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 37 Buffalo Soldiers Luis Padilla and son Alex Texas parks program coordinator & student Texian army volunteer Cody Campbell Refinery operator 38 O JUNE 2015 The Texian army prepares to battle Mexican General Santa Anna at San Jacinto TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 39 Traveling minister 40 O JUNE 2015 Ben Baumgartner Park ranger/interpreter Mexican General Santa Anna Hilario de la Peña Medical sales TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 41 Ladies of means Elizabeth Ryall & Rachel Shajari (sisters) Oil and gas consultant & high school math teacher Runaway Scrape settler Lori Horne Horse trainer 42 O JUNE 2015 Anson Jones Home visitor Susan Gibbs County sheriff’s deputy TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 43 S, I T A ON EE N F THR GUL NE O PHOTO © JESSE CANCELMO CUB AND O XIC E , M S AT E T D S E NIT U Bermuda chub swimming in a school 44 O JUNE 2015 A N E O R AT O LAB COL M N ARI E E LIF I S SUE S . By Melissa Gaskill TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 45 VIDEO: Save our Sharks T he Gulf of Mexico represents one massive, interconnected ecosystem bordered by three nations: the United States, Mexico and Cuba. It takes a little mathematical calisthenics to assess how big it is. From the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula to Cape Sable, Fla., the Gulf shoreline measures more than 3,500 miles — 357 of them in Texas — plus another 236 miles on the western end of the island of Cuba. Add in bays and other inland waters, and the total hits more than 16,000 miles of Gulf shore. Inside the perimeters of this giant 46 O JUNE 2015 bowl, the Gulf contains 643 quadrillion (15 zeroes) gallons of water. Complex currents carry that water through the Yucatán Strait between Mexico and Cuba. There, it circulates in several loops before exiting the Florida Strait (between Cuba and Florida) and becoming part of the Gulf Stream. This circulation connects the three countries in ways seen and unseen. A fish born on reefs south of Cuba may mature off the coast of Florida or Texas. Sea turtles migrate along the entire Gulf Coast; major migratory bird flyways crisscross its waters. Whale sharks have been tracked across its length and breadth. Oil spilled off the coast of one country has made it to the shores of another. “The whale shark is kind of the poster child for marine life that moves around the Gulf and Caribbean,” says Wes Tunnell of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. “They gather off Isla Holbox, Mexico, in huge numbers and go to the Flower Garden PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: © JESSE CANCELMO, © SETH PATTERSON, © JESSE CANCELMO Clockwise from left: A silky shark near the Flower Garden Banks off the Texas coast; a green sea turtle hatchling on the beaches of South Padre Island; an invasive lionfish in the Gulf. Banks National Marine Sanctuary, 100 miles off the Texas coast. That’s a direct and best-known connection. But fish and invertebrate larvae drift in the loop current in the eastern Gulf (and eddies that spin off from it) and then hit the continental shelf of Texas.” Large migratory species such as mackerel and tuna also move throughout Gulf waters, although scientists don’t yet know the exact paths they take. Sea turtles recently have been tracked moving along the entire Gulf coastline, and as research continues, Tunnell expects other Gulf-wide wandering species will be identified. Given this context, it makes little sense for any of the Gulf’s three nations to study or try to manage its resources alone. From its founding in 2000, the Harte Research Institute planned to involve research in all three countries, says Tunnell. Already cooperating with scientists in Mexico, he began making regular trips to Cuba in 2002. “The waters of the Gulf don’t recognize political boundaries,” Tunnell points out. “We looked for a way to officially engage Cuba and decided to bring all three countries together in some kind of initiative.” In 2007, 15 scientists each from the U.S. and Cuba met in Cancún to discuss how they could collaborate, coming up with a formal name for their efforts: the Trinational Initiative for Marine Science and Conservation in the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean. Subsequent meetings took place in March and October 2009, those involving scientists from Mexico as well. The participants created a nearly 40-page plan of action outlining research and conservation priorities. The plan was honed at meetings in 2010 in Sarasota, Fla., and November 2013 in Corpus Christi (hosted by the Harte Institute). “Together, we came up with six working themes for research and conservation efforts and collaboration,” Tunnell says. Those are coral reefs, sharks, sea turtles, marine mammals, fish resources and protected areas. The intent was to channel funding through the TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 47 Whale shark with divers initiative to projects in those six areas. It hasn’t happened that way, but the initiative has been successful on other fronts. A number of those projects have obtained funding on their own, and now scientists in all three countries communicate more with one another about their work. “Collaboration is a slow process,” Tunnell says. “I have found out over years of working in Latin America that it is really important to establish personal ties with people you want to work with. You can’t just go in and say what you do. Personal visits establish that you are really interested in the work.” Tunnell and other Harte staff and researchers from other institutions involved in the initiative have attended MarCuba, that country’s tri-annual conference on marine studies, as an opportunity to make connections. The 2013 Texas meeting attracted the largest delegation of Cuban scientists 48 O JUNE 2015 to visit the U.S. in more than 20 years. In addition to updating one another on the original six priority areas, delegates discussed expanding shark research and conservation efforts to include rays — a similar species experiencing many of the same issues — and adding research on the invasive lionfish epidemic to the fisheries group. The interconnection of the Gulf and Caribbean means that the entire Gulf, including Texas, benefits from Cuba’s remarkably pristine marine environment. Its waters remain much as they were in the 1960s, thanks to both external forces (primarily the longstanding U.S. trade embargo against Cuba) and internal ones, including Cuba’s small population, decades of little or no tourism development and pre-industrialized agricultural practices. The country also has strong environmental policies in place. Recent years have brought increased economic growth to Cuba, though, which could threaten that pristine environment if not done right. Scientists see the initiative as a valuable tool to help manage and protect the waters around Cuba and, by extension, the rest of the Gulf. One of the most robust of the initiative’s six research groups is focused on sharks. “The groups need a champion to lead them in order to take off,” Tunnell says, and the shark group has one in Robert Hueter from Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida and, more recently, Greg Stunz at the Harte Institute. Researchers hope that by collaborating on the study and management of sharks, they can ensure that these apex predators continue to serve their role in the greater ecosystem. As top predators, sharks are critical to a healthy, robust marine ecosystem, Hueter says. Sharks directly control The group hopes to expand tagging efforts in order to collect more data; the limited tagging of sea turtles in Cuba that scientists have conducted so far has already clearly demonstrated that the creatures move between Cuba and Mexico and most likely between Cuba and Florida. The group also hopes to expand and standardize efforts to educate key coastal communities in Cuba about the need to reduce poaching and bycatch, still major threats to Cuban turtle populations, and to continue and expand research on how climate change is affecting sea turtle populations. Working across international borders always presents challenges, but collaboration with Cuba is particularly difficult, given that the U.S. and Cuba have had no formal relations for the past 50 years. U.S. scientists traveling to Cuba to work faced restrictions from both the Cuban and U.S. governments, and U.S. regulations forbid scientists here from using government funds for any work related to the initiative. The two countries recently began the process of re-establishing relations, though, a historic move that has scientists excited about better collaboration. “Traveling and transactions related to working with Cuban research institutions have Q become more straightforward,” PHOTO © JESSE CANCELMO PHOTO © ERICH SCHLEGEL the density and behavior of their prey, which indirectly affects the next level of the food chain. Too few sharks leads to too many large reef fish preying on small reef fish, which feed on algae, so fewer of those fish means more algae. Eventually, algae can kill off the coral. Priorities outlined in the plan include studying how shark populations throughout the region are connected, what areas should be considered for special protection, how to reduce risks to priority species, and the effects of fishing and tourism on sharks and the socio- economic value of these industries. So far, the shark group has completed fishing surveys on Cuba’s northern coast, identifying possible oceanic whitetip nursery areas, and sampled for sharks off its southern coast, documenting apparent declines due to overfishing. Additional research cruises are planned to further explore the condition of shark populations, using the data to determine the distribution and abundance of sharks in the area. That knowledge will contribute to efforts to establish a sustainable shark fishery in Cuba and will help determine the location and size of additions to Cuba’s already-impressive network of marine protected areas. Given the migratory nature of many shark species, Hueter says, the goal is to develop a multinational, coordinated approach to management. Harriet Nash, who recently graduated from the Harte Institute, laid much of the groundwork for establishing a Gulf-wide network of marine protected areas. Fernando Bretos of the Washington, D.C.-based Ocean Foundation is leading work on sea turtles, species with strong Texas connections. Green, loggerhead, hawksbill, leatherback and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles spend various stages of their lives in different parts of the Gulf, some visiting all three countries during their lifespan. At the Corpus Christi gathering, the sea turtle group participants decided to secure funding to focus monitoring efforts on three sites in Cuba on an ongoing basis and to expand monitoring to in-water feeding areas. Bretos says. “The future is brighter, and motivation on both sides of the Florida Straits to heighten collaboration is at an all-time high.” Change may be in the wind, but funding for the initiative must come from private foundations and individuals for the time being, and the U.S. embargo has yet to be lifted, meaning travel and logistics remain complicated. Cuba still struggles with limited infrastructure and resources as well, although Tunnell points out Cuba’s excellent scientists deal well with that. “It is inspiring to see the work they get done with so few resources,” he says. Obtaining permits and licenses required to conduct even the most basic research in Cuba continues to present challenges, as does the difficulty of sharing data and information between the U.S. and Cuba. “They just don’t have the bandwidth there, and they don’t have access to some things that are so simple for us,” such as data on websites, Tunnell explains. That situation likely will improve along with the relations between the two countries. Those participating in the Trinational Initiative are continuing to collaborate no matter what the pace or shape of political change. They next meet in Havana this November. ueen angelfish on a reef near Cuba TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 49 Legend, Lore & Legacy Death of the Sea Wolf The now-extinct Caribbean monk seal used to visit the Texas coast. by Russell Roe Illustrations by Clemente Guzman W hen Christopher Columbus made his second voyage to the New World in 1494, he discovered a tropical mammal, the Caribbean monk seal, and ordered eight of the animals he called “sea wolves” killed for meat. It was pretty much downhill for the species after that. The Caribbean monk seal, the only seal native to the Gulf of Mexico, was declared extinct in 2008 after 50 years of no confirmed sightings. It is survived by its critically endangered cousins, the Hawaiian monk seal and Mediterranean monk seal, both also warm-water seals. “I think it’s important that Texans understand that at one point in time, there was a pretty diverse marine mammal life along the Texas coast,” says David Schmidly, author of The Mammals of Texas. “Manatees were in most of our bay systems. The monk seals were at least along the lower part of the Gulf and maybe at one time reasonably common. All of that, of course, has changed.” Texas had seals? 50 O JUNE 2015 Caribbean monk seals (Monachus tropicalis) used to be found in the tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. They numbered in the hundreds of thousands and were most populous in places such as the Yucatán and the Bahamas. They were most likely Texas visitors but not permanent residents. In his book, Schmidly notes that in a 1905 survey of Texas mammals, only the bison, elk and Caribbean monk seal had disappeared from the state by the end of the 19th century. During the 20th century, they were joined by the gray wolf, red wolf, grizzly bear, black- footed ferret, jaguar, margay, bighorn sheep and manatee in the list of species gone from Texas. Marine scientist Gordon Gunter has suggested that single Caribbean monk seals and small herds occasionally visited Texas waters as far north as Galveston and as late as 1932, though those sightings have been questioned. Archeological evidence of the seal has been recovered at two Texas sites. Gunter documented possible seal sightings by observers in 1932 near Galveston and in 1926 and 1932 in the Lower Laguna Madre. Ship crewmembers who saw the Laguna Madre seal in 1932 called it a “land porpoise,” thinking it couldn’t be a seal since seals generally live in colder waters. Gunter figured that since the Caribbean monk seal was the only seal known to inhabit the Gulf, the observers must have seen monk seals. Others have suggested that the animals were actually California sea lions. The last confirmed U.S. sighting of a Caribbean monk seal occurred in Florida in 1922, and the last confirmed Caribbean monk seal sighting anywhere was made in 1952 at a seal colony etween the Yucatán and Jamaica. Texas archeological evidence offers tantalizing clues about the seal’s history. A monk seal tooth was found at a site along the Nueces River about 20 miles from the coast. The site was the headquarters of a Spanish ranch, and a campsite at the ranch was believed to have been used by Native Americans. Five monk seal teeth were found at Mission Espíritu Santo, a Spanish mission established in the 1700s at what is now Goliad State Park. Gerald Raun, writing in the Bulletin of the Texas Archeological Society, says the Texas teeth were probably trade items and do not prove the existence of seals on the Texas coast. He says that both finds probably date to Spanish settlement of the area. The teeth in both cases were canine teeth (in mammals, the sharp teeth used for tearing food), and those kinds of teeth were used as ornaments by Native Americans. Kyle Baker, a fisheries biologist who is on the endangered species team at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, says Caribbean monk seals probably foraged along the Texas coast but didn’t breed there. Southern Texas would have been the northern limit of their range. “Historically, they were in Texas,” he says. Not much is known about the natural history of the seal. The seals inhabited islets and atolls where fish were plentiful, and they “hauled out” in large social groups on sandy island beaches. They were known to occasionally visit mainland beaches. From the 1500s to the 1900s they were relentlessly slaughtered by fishermen, buccaneers and seal hunters for their hides, meat and oil. The seals showed little fear of humans, and their hauling-out behavior and b tame nature allowed hunters to approach them. Their oil was used for lubrication of machinery and caulking of boats as well as fuel for lamps. Having evolved on remote islands with no terrestrial predators, the seals never learned to escape or defend themselves. One observer wrote in 1897, in what sounds like a parent trying to wake up a teenager: “Upon first approaching them they appeared to have no dread whatever of the human presence, lazily looking at us, perhaps uneasily shifting in their position, and then dozing off in restless sleep.” As Europeans spread through the Caribbean, they disturbed seal habitat and disrupted seal behavior. By the mid-1800s, many biologists thought the seal was already extinct and referred to it as an “almost mythical” species. “We don’t know a lot about them,” Baker says. “We just know we killed lots of them. By the time we went to study them and save them, it was too late. It’s kind of sad.” In the early 1900s, as the species was dwindling and sightings of the rare seals were reported, expeditions rushed out to collect the animals for zoos and scientific study, including a 1911 expedition that killed 200 seals. That didn’t help matters. “That may have been devastating for them,” Baker says. “Museums wanted them, zoo collections. Oddly enough, that may have pushed them over the edge.” The seal was listed as endangered under 1967’s Endangered Species Preservation Act, a precursor to the Endangered Species Act. By then, though, the seal was most likely gone. Extensive surveys conducted in the 1970s and 1980s found no definitive proof of the seal’s continued existence. Biologists searched remote islands where the seal was thought to have lived and interviewed fishermen about seal sightings. The interviews produced a few new accounts of seals in the Gulf, but the sightings could not be confirmed as Caribbean monk seals. Most seals seen in the Gulf in recent years are thought to be wandering hooded seals. In 1996, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature concluded that the Caribbean monk seal was extinct. In 2008, after a five- year review, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service also determined that the seal was extinct. After 50 years with no sightings, it was time to call it. The Caribbean monk seal was removed from the endangered species list. “It’s gone forever,” Baker says. “It’s a huge loss.” But is it really gone forever? “De-extinction” initiatives, in which scientists are trying to revive lost species, have been popping up around the globe. It’s no longer just in the realm of fantasy. Using recovered DNA, cloning techniques and surrogate mothers, teams are working on bringing back the passenger pigeon, the Australian gastric-brooding frog, even the woolly mammoth. The Caribbean monk seal is being considered for revival, along with other extinct species. We won’t be welcoming the sea wolf back to Texas waters anytime soon, but we have been getting another visitor: the sea cow, or manatee. A century ago, manatees were often observed in the Laguna Madre in South Texas, but sightings over the past 100 years have been rare. In the past few years, however, occasional manatees have been spotted near Corpus Christi and Galveston, and the Marine Mammal Stranding Network says manatee sightings have become more common in recent years in Texas. TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE O 51 Enter the Lifetime License Drawing to win a Lifetime Super Combo License. This special license, an $1800 value, allows you to hunt and fish in Texas without ever buying another state license. 5 $ PER ENTRY WIN A LIFETIME OF FREE HUNTING AND FISHING ENTER AS MANY TIMES AS YOU LIKE Available wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold. www.tpwd.texas.gov/lifetimedrawing ENTER BY JUNE 27 Winners also receive a one-year subscription to Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine. GET IN TOUCH WITH THE GREAT OUTDOORS. TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE MAGAZINE IS NOW AVAILABLE AS AN APP. Tap, swipe and scroll your way around Texas with the new Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine app. Learn more at www.tpwmagazine.com/app BL15_7.062x9.25C 4/28/15 8:52 PM Page 1 PAID ADVERTISEMENT NEW SPORTS TECHNOLOGY New electronic lure may catch too many fish; one state bans it. Blinks blood red to mimic an injured prey. A bass every seven minutes in test. NEWARK, DE– A new fishing tech- nology that set a record for catching bass in Mexico is now showing its stuff in the U.S. It has out-fished shrimp bait in Washington State and beat top-selling U.S. lures three to one in Florida. The new tech- nology is so effective one state, Wyoming, has by Mike Butler banned its use. The breakthrough is a tiny, battery- powered electrical system that flashes a blood-red light down a lure’s tail when its moved in water. Fish think it’s an injured prey and strike. Some fishing authorities, like those in Wyoming, think that gives fishermen too much of an advantage. They may be right. Three fishermen using a flashing lure in Mexico caught 650 large-mouth bass in just 25 hours. That’s a bass every seven minutes for each person, and a record for the lake they were fishing. They said the bass struck with such ferocity they hardly lost a strike. In Florida two professionals fished for four hours from the same boat. One used a flashing-red lure; the other used some top-selling U.S. lures. The new, “bleeding” lure caught three times as many fish. Works when others don’t Three fishermen in Washington State used a popular lure baited with shrimp and caught nothing after fishing three hours in cold wea ther. One of them tried a flashing lure he was asked to test and 30 minutes later caught a thirty-pound steelhead. A Tournament fisherman on a lake in Florida tried everything in his tackle box and had no bites. He switched to a flash- ing lure and caught a bass on his first cast, and had his limit in 45 minutes. Before reporting this, I asked a veter- an fisherman in my office for his opin- ion. Monday morning he charged into Blinks Blinks blood red blood red U.S. and international patents pending New technology uses a blinking red light to create appearance of a live, bleed- ing prey. Triggers a genetic strike response in fish. my office yelling “I caught six monster fish in an hour with this thing! Where did you get it?” Then I phoned an ichthyologist (fish expert) for his opinion. “Predators - lions, sharks,” he said, “will always go for the most vulnerable New lure flashes blood red to attract fish. Blinks a different presentation each cast. prey. Fish are predators, so if a fish sees a smaller fish bleeding, it knows it’s weakened and will strike. There’s a sur- vival program built into predators that says ‘Grab a meal when you can. It may be a while before the next one.’ “If a lure could appear to be a live, bleeding fish, a few fishermen could probably empty a lake with it.” I told him three almost did. Different presentations Because the technology reacts to movement, every retrieval generates a different kind of flash; so if a fish passes on your first cast, it sees a new presenta- tion on your next one, and so on. The technology is so new I could find only one distributor in the U.S. that offers a finished product. It’s called Bite Light® and has several international patents pend- ing. It comes in a kit of three. There is a U.S. company that offers a kit of three blinking lures (one each for shallow, middle and deep water) called the Bite Light® Each lure is a different color. They work in fresh or salt water, contain rattle attractants inside and last 300 hours in the water. This year, they’re introducing a new series of the Bite Light, the Bite Light MM15, for even better action. One kit of three Bite Lights costs $32.95, two cost $29.95 each and three cost only $25.00 each. S/h is only $7.00 no matter how many kits you buy. To order, go to www.FishingTech Today .com or call 1-800-873-4415 any- time or day and ask for the Bite Light® lure (Item #kbl). Or send your name, address and a check to Scientific Edge LLC (Dept. BL-273), 40 E. Main Street, Suite 1416, Newark, DE 19711. The company gives your money back, if you don’t catch more fish and return your purchase within 30-days. 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PRODUCTS & SERVICES Meet the Beauty in the Beast Discover this spectacular 6½-carat green treasure from Mount St. Helens! F or almost a hundred years it lay dormant. Silently building strength. At 10,000 feet high, it was truly a sleeping giant. Until May 18, 1980, when the beast awoke with violent force and revealed its greatest secret. Mount St. Helens erupted, sending up a 80,000-foot column of ash and smoke. From that chaos, something beautiful emerged… our spectacular Helenite Necklace. EXCLUSIVE FREE Helenite Earrings -a $129 value- with purchase of Helenite Necklace Necklace enlarged to show luxurious color. Helenite is produced from the heated volcanic rock of Mount St. Helens and the brilliant green creation has captured the eye of jewelry designers worldwide. Today you can wear this massive 6½-carat stunner for only $149! Make your emeralds jealous. Our Helenite Necklace puts the green stone center stage, with a faceted pear-cut set in .925 sterling silver finished in luxurious gold. The explosive origins of the stone are echoed in the flashes of light that radiate as the piece swings gracefully from its 18" luxuri- ous gold-finished sterling silver chain. Today the volcano sits quiet, but this unique piece of American natural history continues to erupt with gorgeous green fire. Your satisfaction is guaranteed. Bring home the Helenite Necklace and see for yourself. If you are not completely blown away by the rare beauty of this exceptional stone, simply return the necklace within 30 days for a full refund of your purchase price. JEWELRY SPECS: - 6 ½ ctw Helenite in gold-finished sterling silver setting - 18" gold-finished sterling silver chain Limited to the first 2200 orders from this ad only Helenite Necklace (6 ½ ctw).................Only $149 +S&P Helenite Stud Earrings (1 ctw) ..................... $129 +S&P Helenite Set $278 .... Call-in price only $149 +S&P (Set includes necklace and earrings) Call now to take advantage of this extremely limited offer. 1-800-859-1979 Promotional Code HEL724-04 Please mention this code when you call. Stauer ® Rating of A+ “My wife received more compliments on this stone on the first day she wore it than any other piece of jewelry I’ve ever given her.” 14101 Southcross Drive W., Dept. HEL724-04, Burnsville, Minnesota 55337 www.stauer.com Smart Luxuries—Surprising Prices ™ - J. from Orlando, FL Stauer Client IMAGE SPECS: Nikon D3S camera with 80-200mm f/2.8 lens. Shot at 145mm, f/7.1 at 1/1250th of a second. ISO 500. While on assignment at Corpus Christi Bay, Texas Parks & Wildlife photographer Chase A. Fountain captured this image of Don Alcala, a Corpus Christi fly angler and saltwater fly-fishing instructor for Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi’s community outreach program. “As Don and I were walking across the flats in pursuit of tailing redfish, the reflection of the water and sun in his sunglasses caught my eye, so I fired off a few quick shots,” Chase says. O JUNE 2015 58 SAVE TODAY. S’MORES TOMORROW. See how much you could save on RV insurance. for your RV geico.com | 1-877-434-2678 | local office Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. The GEICO Gecko © 1999-2015. © 2015 GEICO