Robert Sloan's archive

Find more public land hunting in Port Arthur and Pineywoods

Just before the duck season began, I talked with Jim Sutherlin, Upper Coast Wetland Ecosystem project leader, at the J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area in Port Arthur. Thanks to the drought, he wasn’t too sure how good the public duck hunts were going to be at this Southeast Texas hotspot. His thinking was that the ducks would get here but leave in short order due to an acute lack of food. Come to find out, big time numbers of birds are here, and duck hunts at the J.D.

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West Texas goose and duck hunts are best, hands down

We easily had over a thousand geese circling the decoys Sunday morning, Dec. 11, and there was no doubt that they we’re coming on down, so it was no surprise when guide Evan Botsford, yelled for us to shoot ‘em.

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First duck season split was much better than expected

I don’t know if it’s possible to have a better duck season than what we have experienced so far. The first split came to a close on Nov. 27, and based on what I’ve seen and heard, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was dead on when they advised duck hunters to get set for a better than average season. The second half will run from Dec. 10 through Jan. 29 in both the north and south zones.

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When hunting, don’t forget to put safety in your sights

A number of years, ago I did a grim deer-hunting story on a man that went into the woods and didn’t come out alive. I got a call from a game warden about a guy that left his house one afternoon to go deer hunting at a local club he belonged to that was not far from his house in Jasper. The man packed up his gear and told his wife he would be home shortly after dark. When he didn’t return late that evening, his wife called the sheriff’s department, which in turn called a game warden.

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Better get ‘em while you can

I’ve spent the better part of the past couple of weeks fishing on Sabine Lake. During that time, we’ve caught everything but the kitchen sink on a variety of lures from Wedgetail Mullets to Bayou Chubs made by Egret Baits. Without a doubt, the most consistent action has been chasing the birds. That’s where lots of anglers are taking specks, reds and some of the biggest sand trout I’ve ever seen.

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