Dove, Dogs, and Shotguns

Like Browning, Remington is offering a fall promotion with a some really good deals (but I think Browning’s are better).

Here is the basic program:

The 2009 “Rebate Roundup” Fall Promotion offers $30 cash back on Model 870 Express Shotguns, $40 cash back on Model 700 SPS & 700 ADL Rifles, $50 cash back on Model 11-87 Shotguns, $40 cash back on Model 770 Rifles,  Up to $10 cash back on Premier Copper Solid Sabot Slugs and Up to $5 cash backon Core-Lokt Cartridges!  This offer is valid from 8/1/09 through 12/31/09. Click the image for complete details.

Remington also has a coupon good for two dollars off per box on STS and Nitro 27 loads (up to $100). The coupon is valid through October 31st. Click on the image to get the coupon.

Get your Remington needs at Impact Guns.

• Skeet Shooting is Best Practice for Dove Hunters According to Phil Bourjaily of Field & Stream. Phil is a well known writer/gun expert and has some really good points on improving your kill ratio. I've always felt that skeet was a great warm up for dove season. I always start with my shotgun a little lower than most shooters to......
• Buying Guns - We Thought We had it Rough In a story from NPR, the people in Mexico get hosed when it comes to gun ownership. According to the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, there are roughly 54,000 licensed gun dealers in the U.S. In Mexico there is only one. Mexico's lone gun shop is on......
• Remington - An American Legend [caption id="attachment_141" align="alignright" width="336" caption="Remington latest, Model 887"][/caption] Remington is one of the greatest companies in America. Since 1816, Remington has been a leader in firearms, ammunition, targets, and many, many more industries. The legend is that Remington's founder, Eliphalet Remington II, believed he could build a better gun than......

• RCDL Weekly Roundup - Be Prepared to Get Stuffed Thanks for joining us here at RCDL for another weekly roundup. Hope your Thanksgiving dinners are full of good food, great friends, and lots of laughs. Some new categories are with us this week and some old ones. Easy to find and browse for your weekend reading pleasure. Retirement My......
• St. Jude Classic, TPC Southwind, Recap This week’s golf tournament was the last tune up before the U.S Open, bringing in a strong field and strong play.  Eight of the top 20 ranked golfers made their way through the course at TPC Southwind. Players included Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy, Robert Allenby, Padraig Harrington, Camilo......
• Sunday Money Roundup - A Week Alone Edition. In a couple of days, my wife is heading to Chicago to visit her family for a week and I will have the house to myself for the first time since we moved here. (well, other than for the cat) As always I will enjoy a few days my myself......

One fights for our freedom, the other is fighting to take it away.

NO bama ‘12

• Farmer vs. Lawyer From Field & Stream: Farmer vs. Lawyer joke. (Bird Hunting)  A big city lawyer went duck hunting. He shot and dropped a bird, but it fell into a farmer's field on the other side of a fence. As the lawyer climbed over the fence, an elderly farmer drove up on......
• Judge takes away 9-year-old's shotgun The spokesman reported that a judge in Spokane, Washington ruled that a father is not allowed to give his 9-year-old a shotgun. The court was involved due to a divorce between the boy's parents. The mother filed for a restraining order on the shotgun, claiming the boy was too young......
• Layla Learning to Fetch Layla has rapidly became a part of our family. She is spoiled and loved by all four of my boys and my wife. My youngest son, who is 15 months, has a playmate. They fight and play just like siblings. Make no mistake about it though, she is my dog.......

In my readings I found a simple test to determine which eye is your dominant eye.

I just found out that I am cross-eye dominant. Damn, no wonder I’m always struggling with my eyes when I shoot skeet or sporting clays. I’m left handed and right eye dominant. Now that I know this I can take steps to correct the problem.

Take the test yourself and maybe you will be surprised like I was.

From Field & Stream:

Today we have a test with no wrong answer.

Most introductions to shotgunning begin with the “master eye” test. You hold your arms straight out at eye level, fingers up, palms out, hands overlapping, leaving a small hole between the hands  through which you sight a faraway object. Then you pull your hands back, keeping the object in sight, until they wind up over one eye or the other. That’s your master eye. If you pull your hands back over the other eye, the object you were looking at disappears. You can also keep you arms extended, sight the target with both eyes, then close one eye then the other.  The object will seem to jump sideways out of sight when you close your dominant eye. Try it.

With luck, you will turn out to be right-eyed and right-handed or left-eyed and left-handed. However, you may be cross-dominant — right-handed and left-eyed, for example. The best thing to do is learn to shoot from the dominant eye side. My older son, Gordon,  is left-eyed and right handed. I taught him to shoot left handed from the beginning.

If you don’t want to switch sides, you can shoot with one eye shut, or use a small piece of tape on your shooting glasses positioned so it blocks just enough of your master eye’s vision that the other eye takes over.

I’ve given the master eye test to a lot of new shooters, and I’m learning there is not just right and left eyed dominance. Some people are both-eye dominant or “center dominant.”  My younger son John is center dominant – when he does the eye test his hands wind up over the bridge of his nose, not over one his eyes, but it doesn’t affect his shooting. His friend Nicky, who just joined our high school trap club, is extremely center-dominant. If she puts the gun to her right shoulder, the gun blocks enough of her right eye’s vision that the left eye takes over, vice versa if she tries shooting left handed. The first time she shot I hadn’t figured this out yet, and she broke four targets out of about 100 (she liked shooting and wouldn’t  stop). Next time, I tried making her shoot left handed, but that didn’t work any better than right handed. Then I put a small piece of masking tape over her glasses to block the left eye’s vision,  and she started  pounding targets. Last weekend, her third time shooting a shotgun, she broke a 20×25.

So, how did you all do? “Normal” dominant, cross-dominant or center dominant?

• Clay Sports Online As of late, I've been running into some fabulous sites about dove hunting and shotgunning on twitter. Today I found ClaySportsOnline. The site is a forum about everything that has to do with shooting clays. Sporting clays, trap, skeet, and much more are all topics you can talk shop about.......
• Extreme Dove Hunt If you've got the funds the you should check out LCHunting.com. They are offering some serious dove hunting for a serious dove hunter. Just check out what is included for the price: Ground transportation from McAllen Texas Beretta AL390 Shotgun Deluxe Accommodations** Delicious meals included Open bar daily Field transportation......
• The History of Labrador Retrievers Seeing how I'm a lab owner along with thousands of other people across the world, I thought it would be interesting to do a little research on the most popular breed of dog in the world. Lab's originated on the island of Newfoundland, what is now Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.......

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• Opt Out of PreScreen Credit and Insurance Offers Do you guys also get constant offers for credit cards in the mail? I'm always receiving pre-approved offers for 0% balance transfers and purchases for 12 months, umbrella insurance (not what it sounds like!), and 99% of the time they go right to the trash. The other 1% of the......

In an article from West Virginia Outdoors News, the government in Kanawha County in conjunction with the humane society has passed an ordinance requiring hunting dogs to be be brought inside if the temperature outside is over 80 degrees or below 40 degrees.

I mean really, how can an ordinance like this be passed. What’s next, is the government is going to tell us what temperatures our kids can go outside? I’ve read some ridiculous things before but this takes the cake. If the dumb-asses from the humane society ever went hunting with a dog and actually saw how happy the hunting dogs are, then maybe they wouldn’t pass this stupid s%#t.

I’ll tell you what is in-humane, that is preventing a hunting dog from doing what it has been bread to do for generations, hunt. All the bird dogs I’ve ever been around live to hunt birds, the rest of their time is just waiting until bird season opens again.

I’m afraid this is a small example of the infringements on our rights that are coming in the future.

Here is the full story:

The leader of one of the state’s sporting dog organizations says a recently approved Kanawha County ordinance may very well be a covert effort to eliminate hunting with dogs. 

Gary Knapp, president of the West Virginia Bear Hunters Association appeared before the Kanawha County Commission last week to raise his concerns about the stiff stipulations of the ordinance, aimed at preventing mistreatment of dogs.  

“We could live with most of it,” said Knapp on West Virginia Outdoors. “But it doesn’t matter if you have beagle dogs, squirrel dogs, coon dogs, bear dogs, or bird dogs, they’re outside dogs.  They’re temperament is for outside activities.  It’s like putting a bull in a china shop.”

Knapp says the ordinance, as it was approved, requires dog owners to bring their animals in the house when temperatures outside go above 85 degrees or below 40 degrees.   The range would encompass more than half the year in West Virginia.  Knapp say it also renders the dog ineffective on a hunt if he or she isn’t in proper condition.

“You have to get the animal used to the environment he’s going to be functioning in,” said Knapp.  “If you sit in an air conditioned office all day, then go home and try to mow the yard, it’s had on you.   These animals need to be conditioned to the environment they’re going to hunt in.”

Bear hunting season is in December, coon hunting and rabbit hunting are wintertime pursuits and 40-degrees would be considered a warm temperature during those months.

Nobody seems sure of just where the writers of the ordinance came up with the arbitrary figures of 40-degrees and 85-degrees.   Knapp says he was told by the attorney for the Humane Society it was a recommendation of their organization.    The Humane Society of the United States has long been opposed to any and all hunting.  Knapp says there was a not-so-veiled indication that may be what’s at play here.

“When I was speaking to the commission, one of my friends who’s a coon hunter was sitting beside me and a lady from the Humane Society was sitting behind him,” explained Knapp. “When I explained to the commission this would end bear hunting, her reaction was, ”
Good!”"

Knapp and other dog enthusiasts fear the ordinance is well on its way across the state.  

“It’s like the smoking ban, which started in Kanawha County. This will spread just like it did to other counties,” said Knapp.

The Kanawha County Commission did agree to put a six-month moratorium on the ordinance to address the hunters’ concerns.   Knapp says they hope they can work with the commission to solve the issue and preserve bear hunting in the county.

“There’s not enough bear hunters that live in Kanawha County and that’s evident.   That’s why they have to get guys from other parts of the state and out of state, to hunt these bears,” said Knapp. “They can’t stay out there in a camper or even in a motel, stake their dogs out and comply. 

For some interesting comment go to Field & Streams Field Notes Blog; 

• TPWD Scoping Migratory Bird Issues at Public Hearings News Release Media Contact: Steve Lightfoot, 512-389-4701, steve.lightfoot@tpwd.state.tx.us April 28, 2009 AUSTIN, Texas — In addition to public comment on proposed fee increases and dove hunting seasons, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is inviting input on a series of scoping issues related to migratory game birds during public hearings......
• Positive Reinforcement Training What exactly is positive reinforcement training? According to expert dog trainer, Don Hanson, it is the practice of rewarding your dog with food or play for behaviors you want repeated. Hanson says that "rewarded behaviors tend to be repeated and unrewarded behaviors tend to be extinguished." By using using positive......
• Extreme Dove Hunt If you've got the funds the you should check out LCHunting.com. They are offering some serious dove hunting for a serious dove hunter. Just check out what is included for the price: Ground transportation from McAllen Texas Beretta AL390 Shotgun Deluxe Accommodations** Delicious meals included Open bar daily Field transportation......

• Pheasant Hunting Lodges Pheasant hunting lodges are the perfect place for the person who loves to hunt pheasant. This can take pheasant hunting from monotonous and almost a competition sport with other hunters who go to the same area, to something much more enjoyable. Take some time to find pheasant hunting lodges near......
• The Calculus of Cats and Dogs The other day, I made a passing comment in my article about judging (or not judging) others. I mentioned that although my friend Michael is in dire financial straits, he’s still making life decisions based around the fact that his family has two dogs. (They’re renting a larger, more expensive......
• Choosing a Spot to Hunt One of the things that is most fascinating when it comes to going hunting is to choose the right hunting spot. Obviously you should be choosing a place where you are going to find the animal that you are looking to hunt - So you should be choosing a hunting......

INDUSTRY NEWS

From sknnymoose.com

Some will tell you it is a buyers market out there. If you think now is a great time to purchase a home or automobile, wait until you see the stimulus package Browning has created to put a new shotgun in your safe while doing its part to jump start the economy.

There has never been a better time than now to head on down to your Browning dealer and take advantage of one or more of the four programs designed to put a Browning in your hands while hanging onto more of your hard earned cash.

* Cynergy Club – Receive $500 in Browning merchandise including a $100 check from Browning when purchasing a Cynergy shotgun.

* National Trade-In Days – Trade in any used firearm and purchase a new Browning Citori or BT-99 the same day from participating dealers and get a check from Browning for $150.

* Locked and Loaded – Purchase any new Citori over/under shotgun and receive $150 from Browning towards ammunition.

* Youth Purchase Program – What started as a 4-H program has quickly spread to include SCTP and AIM members as well. Receive the following rebates when purchasing a new Browning…

Cynergy or Citori $200

BT-99 $100

Silver $75

BPS $50

Note: Browning stimulus promotions cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

Get your ‘cash for shotguns’ deal at Impact Guns.

• Remington - An American Legend [caption id="attachment_141" align="alignright" width="336" caption="Remington latest, Model 887"][/caption] Remington is one of the greatest companies in America. Since 1816, Remington has been a leader in firearms, ammunition, targets, and many, many more industries. The legend is that Remington's founder, Eliphalet Remington II, believed he could build a better gun than......
• TPWD Scoping Migratory Bird Issues at Public Hearings News Release Media Contact: Steve Lightfoot, 512-389-4701, steve.lightfoot@tpwd.state.tx.us April 28, 2009 AUSTIN, Texas — In addition to public comment on proposed fee increases and dove hunting seasons, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is inviting input on a series of scoping issues related to migratory game birds during public hearings......
• Training Time Since Layla came in my life, I've been told one hundred different ways to train her. I've read articles on positive reinforcement training, clicker training (which is positive reinforcement training with a clicker), negative reinforcement training and everything in between. Hell, last night I read an article that recommended putting your......

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• To Tip or Not to Tip? That is a Question That May Be Easier Than You Think Keeping with the theme of Valentine's Day, there is a good chance that many couples went out for a nice, romantic dinner. You've had a great time together and it's a nice break from cooking your own dinners, but then comes the most complex decision of the night. What do......
• 2009 Individual Stimulus Money Worth More Than Last Year's Package. Good idea or not, President Obama's individual economic stimulus package is worth more to each person than the last one was that was done under President Bush. Bush's stimulus package gave every person $600, while Obama's gives each person about $13 a week...or $676. The difference? We got the $600......

Jerry Wood has listed a day lease in the prime whte-wing dove area near San Antonio. If anyone has hunted on Jerry’s place please send us a review. Below are the details:

NAME_OF_LEASE: Jerry Wood

EMAIL: texasdiamondw@yahoo.com

CONTACT_NAME: Jerry

CONTACT_PHONE_NUMBER: 210-259-1454

PREFERRED_METHOD_OF_CONTACT: Phone

LOCATION_INCLUDING_CLOSEST_CITY_OR_TOWN: San Antonio

TYPE_OF_LEASE: Day

PRICE: $60

DESCRIPTION: Approx. 80 acres near the Toyota Plant in South Bexar County. The field is in a known white-wing flyway. The field is planted in sunflowers. We will limit the number of hunters per day.  This is an evening hunt only with the grounds opening at 3:00 pm.

• Guns May Save Us From Healthcare In an interesting twist, a gun conviction ruling by the Supreme Court becomes the precedence in a Texas lawsuit against Obama Care. From the Houston Chronicle: A Texas high school student's decision to bring a .38-caliber handgun to school in 1992 could end up at the center of the legal fight......
• Texas Migratory Bird Report North Zone Dove: Drier conditions have helped dove hunters the past few days. Grain fields of milo and corn continue to produce in the Panhandle north of Amarillo. Mourning doves have been best in the afternoon on the edges of fields. Abilene hunters have had good shoots in sunflowers. Red......
• New Dove Lease Listing Charlie at the Picosa Ranch has recently listed his dove lease on our free listing service. THANK YOU, Charlie. Our goal at DD&S is to build a free site where hunters can view available listings and read reviews from hunters who have hunted these leases. So Charlie, get some of......

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• Fishing Report: May 21, 2010 Sturgeon, Salmon and Halibut At Berkeley/Emeryville, 12 anglers got 7 salmon over the weekend, and 26 got 44 halibut. They also got a few striped bass. The biggest halibut from the trip topped out at 15 pounds and the biggest salmon was 16 pounds. Capitola is a good place to......

The lucky bastards from Shooting Times got to be the first to test Benelli’s new Vinci model out in Argentina. The folks from Benelli allowed them to abuse the latest member of the Benelli family, in an effort to establish the Vinci as one of Benelli’s premier shotguns.

Argentina boasts the largest population of mourning dove in the world. The dove there never migrate and the mild climate allows for 4 to 5 nestings in a single year. Dove are so thick that the farmers call them pests. When you throw in the fact that there are no bag or day limits in Argentina, one begins to see the potential for a sore shoulder. These conditions make a shoot in Argentina like nothing else.

Benelli took the guys from Shooting Times to Cordoba. Home to 30 or 40 million doves on a land mass one-third the size of California. We are talking 1,000 birds per in acre in some areas. A good test area I’d say.

It is standard after a day’s shoot for your shotgun to get a thorough cleaning, but for the test, there would be as much torture as possible, no cleaning or lubricating.

The shoot consisted of three six hour days. They shot 6,375 rounds in 18 hours, more than 25 cases of shells, more than most shoot in an entire dove season.

On the first day the Vinci fired 2,200 shells without one mis-fire. About two hours into the second day, the shotgun failed to eject twice. Keep in mind, we are talking 3,000 rounds with no oil or cleaning. Two drops of oil were applied to the rotating, locking lugs of the bolt and another to the locking lug recesses of the barrel. This was repeated every 50 boxes of shells, or 2500 rounds. After that, not a single malfunction, and if the three drops of oil had been applied after the first 50 boxes there would have been no malfunctions in 6,375 rounds.

If you are not impressed, you don’t know much about shotguns. The volume we are talking in three days rivals what most shotguns see in a lifetime, with virtually no hang-ups. Simply amazing, Benelli has done it again.

The winner is BENELLI VINCI, hands down, it took what Argentina had and came out on top.

Shooting Times goes on to explain all the awesome features of the Vinci, you can read their entire article here.

Let me just say, that if anyone would like for me to test any shotguns in Argentina, I’ll be glad to take one for the team. I know it will be a great sacrifice, but I’ll do it. That’s how I roll, I’m a team player.

Time to RELOAD!

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

• Bird dog training (part I) The following is the first article, written by my brother, in a series on how to train your bird dog. Darla. his lab, is an awesome bird dog. He has trained her since she was a puppy. Not only is she awesome hunting dove, she's great hunting quail also. If you've......
• Walking the field Perhaps my favorite way to hunt dove is to walk the field for those dove that  have lighted in the field. Of course, if you are in a big shoot with many other shotguns, you can't do this for obvious safety reasons.  However, later in the season this method can be......
• TPWD Sets Hearings on Lastest Proposals In a news release from Steve Lightfoot with Texas Parks and Wildlife, he announced the the department would conduct 21 public hearings. The hearing would cover the topics of increasing fees and yhe new dove season propsals. Changes proposed for the 2009-10 Texas dove season include a 70 day season......

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AUSTIN, Texas — The Lone Star State boasts some of the finest hunting anywhere in the country, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Big Time Texas Hunts offer hunters a chance to experience the best of the best.

The Big Time Texas Hunts program offers the opportunity to win one or more top guided hunts with food and lodging provided, as well as taxidermy in some cases. The crown jewel of the program is the Texas Grand Slam hunt package, which includes four separate hunts for Texas’ most prized big game animals — the desert bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, mule deer and pronghorn antelope. There are several quality whitetail hunt packages available, as well as opportunities to pursue alligator, exotic big game, waterfowl and upland game birds.

Entries for the Big Time Texas Hunt drawings are $10 each and are available wherever hunting licenses are sold or by calling 800-895-4248. They may also be purchased online this year at a discounted price of $9 each. There is no limit to the number of entries an individual may purchase. Purchasers must be 17 years of age or older.

Proceeds from the Big Time Texas Hunts are used to provide more public hunting opportunity and to fund wildlife conservation and research programs in Texas.

Here’s a summary of the Big Time Texas Hunts offerings:

The Texas Grand Slam — This truly is the hunt of a lifetime. The bighorn sheep hunt is very exclusive; TPWD issues only a handful of permits a year. The bighorn sheep hunt takes place on a West Texas Wildlife Management Area. The other three hunts included in the Texas Grand Slam will be on some of the most exclusive private ranches in the state. The winner may also bring along a non-hunting companion to share in this awesome outdoor adventure.
Texas Whitetail Bonanza — Ten winners will each get to experience a high-quality white-tailed deer hunt, something legendary to Texas on popular ranches known to produce big bucks. Guide service, food and lodging are provided on these 3-5-day trips. Each winner can also bring along a companion to hunt as well.
Texas Gator Hunt — One winner and a guest will enjoy a rare and unique three-day trip pursuing alligators at the J. D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area on the Gulf Coast. Each hunter may harvest one alligator. All necessary equipment, expert guides, lodging and gator hide removal are included. The winner and guest will also be treated to an airboat tour of the marsh to view alligators.
Texas Waterfowl Adventure — One winner and as many as three invited guests will win a series of three exciting waterfowl adventures. The hunts are located on some of the best waterfowl areas in Texas. Trips include a Coastal Prairies guided hunt for snows, blues and white-fronted geese; a guided duck hunt in the Coastal Marshes; and an East Texas hunt for wood ducks and mallards.
Texas Exotic Safari — Two winners will experience the thrill of hunting African exotic game right here in Texas on the Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area in the Texas Hill Country. Each winner can take two exotic species, including sable antelope, gemsbok oryx, scimitar-horned oryx or common waterbuck. Hunters may choose to shoot modern rifle, muzzleloader, archery or crossbow. Winners can also bring along a companion to hunt a management exotic. Food and lodging will be provided at the scenic Mason Mountain WMA lodge. Taxidermy service will be provided for the two winners. Proceeds go to benefit wildlife conservation and research on Mason Mountain WMA.
Texas Big Time Bird Hunt — One winner along with as many as three hunting buddies will enjoy a unique package of upland game bird hunts: two days of quail, two days of pheasant hunting in the Panhandle and two afternoons of dove hunting. There will also be a two-day guided spring turkey hunt for two included in the package. Food, guide service and lodging are included on all bird hunts, and pointing dogs are provided for quail and pheasant hunts.
Texas Premium Buck Hunt — This is the ultimate deer hunting experience-an opportunity to harvest a trophy white-tailed buck in the rugged South Texas brush country. One winner and a guest will enjoy the finest deer hunting trip that Texas can offer. Professional guide service, food and high quality accommodations are included to provide each hunter comfort as well as great hunting.
The deadline to apply for this year’s Big Time Texas Hunts is Oct. 15. Winners will be announced in November.

———
On the Net:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/bigtime

• TPWD Scoping Migratory Bird Issues at Public Hearings News Release Media Contact: Steve Lightfoot, 512-389-4701, steve.lightfoot@tpwd.state.tx.us April 28, 2009 AUSTIN, Texas — In addition to public comment on proposed fee increases and dove hunting seasons, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is inviting input on a series of scoping issues related to migratory game birds during public hearings......
• Tips on Starting Kids Out Shotgunning Starting a youngster out with a shotgun can be a great experience for both of you. If you follow a few guidelines, you can help ensure that you pour a solid foundation. A foundation that will be the basis of a lifetime of hunting and shooting. I'm not going to......
• Extreme Dove Hunt If you've got the funds the you should check out LCHunting.com. They are offering some serious dove hunting for a serious dove hunter. Just check out what is included for the price: Ground transportation from McAllen Texas Beretta AL390 Shotgun Deluxe Accommodations** Delicious meals included Open bar daily Field transportation......

• Grand Slam Tournaments in Tennis Should you happen to be a tennis lover, then you are probably already well aware of the four grand slam tournament events, and what each of these events happens to involve. If you are not currently aware of everything that tennis involves, then now is your chance to learn a......
• Federer Wins His 15th Grand Slam! When the dust settled from the epic battle between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick, Federer managed to capture a fifteenth Grand Slam title after a classic five-set Wimbledon match. The final scoring was 5 - 7, 7 - 6 (6), 7 - 6 (5), 3 - 6: 16 - 14......
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Enjoy the collection of Layla growing up set to Eric Clapton’s ‘Layla’.

• Save the Bob Whites   Texas' wild quail numbers continue to decline     Its sound is distant as it whistles out its name: Bob-White. but the sound is becoming increasingly muted as the quail population across the state decline.  "The landscape for quail has changed very significantly over the last 40 years," said Dale......
• When To Start Training I'd like to introduce you to Layla. She's six weeks old and I just brought her home two days ago. Soon she'll be retrieving my dove but for now I have to start the training process. Let's face it, at six weeks old her attention span is short and......
• Judge takes away 9-year-old's shotgun The spokesman reported that a judge in Spokane, Washington ruled that a father is not allowed to give his 9-year-old a shotgun. The court was involved due to a divorce between the boy's parents. The mother filed for a restraining order on the shotgun, claiming the boy was too young......

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas hunting and fishing licenses for 2009-2010 will go on sale Saturday, Aug. 15. Sportsmen are reminded all current Texas annual hunting and fishing licenses (except for the year-to-date fishing license) expire Aug. 31.

Most fees for recreational hunting and fishing licenses have increased by five percent; resident hunting licenses now cost $25, while the Super Combo all-inclusive license costs $68. There is no increase in price for any of the required stamp endorsements or the $48 Annual Public Hunting permit.

Non-resident hunting licenses increase by $15 from $300 to $315, which also reflects a five percent hike.
The resident freshwater fishing package costs $30 and the saltwater fishing package is $35.

Effective Sept. 1, the resident lifetime fishing and hunting licenses will increase to $1,000 and the lifetime combination license increases to $1,800.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department issues 2.1 million hunting and fishing licenses annually through the agency’s 28 field offices, more than 65 state parks and at over 1,500 retailers across Texas.

Licenses may also be purchased online through the TPWD Web site or by phone (800-895-4248). Call center hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday — Friday. The online transaction system is available 24/7. A $5 convenience fee will be charged for online and phone orders.

A license confirmation number is issued at the time of purchase for online and phone orders, and the physical license is mailed separately. Confirmation numbers will verify that a license has been purchased, which is sufficient for dove hunting, but will not allow hunters to take fish or wildlife that requires a tag.

In addition to a hunting license, all wing shooters will need to purchase a game bird stamp. To hunt doves or teal in September, a Migratory Game Bird Stamp ($7) is required. Duck hunters also need to purchase a Federal Duck Stamp and receive HIP (Harvest Information Program) certification. HIP certification will be printed on the license at the time of sale only after the purchaser answers a few brief migratory bird questions. Lifetime license holders must also be HIP-certified and purchase the Federal Duck Stamp to hunt migratory birds. All other state stamp endorsements are included with a lifetime license.

New this year, purchase of the Federal Duck Stamp will cost $15-$17 depending on where you buy. If purchased through the TPWD license system there is a $2 administrative fee. Your license will indicate Federal Duck Stamp purchase and the physical stamp will be mailed. There are other options for purchasing the stamp, either at some major post offices or online.

“Remember, it’s your responsibility to make sure you are properly licensed, so be sure to check your license before you leave the sales counter,” said Tom Newton with TPWD’s license program. “We do get a fair number of requests for re-issuance of licenses because the hunter forgot to get HIP certified.”

There are other mandatory endorsements to consider at the time of purchase, too. An Upland Game Bird Stamp ($7) is required to hunt all non-migratory game birds, including turkey, quail, pheasant, chachalaca and lesser prairie chicken.

Of course, anyone who purchases the Super Combo license package, the best bang for the buck, automatically gets these needed stamps.

Also new this year, sandhill crane permits may be obtained in person at no cost only through TPWD Law Enforcement offices and TPWD headquarters in Austin. Permits are also available anytime online through TPWD’s online license sales and by calling 800-792-1112 (option 5, menu 2) or 512-389-4820 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For online and phone orders, a confirmation number will be issued in lieu of a permit and a $5 transaction fee will be charged.

Hunter Education Certification is also required of any hunter born on or after Sept. 2, 1971 and who is at least 17 years old. For hunters who are unable to work in a hunter education class before hunting season for whatever reason, TPWD does offer a deferral option.

The deferral option allows people 17 years of age or older a one-time only extension to complete the state’s hunter education requirements. The individual must first purchase a hunting license and then may purchase the deferral option.

Hunters using the deferral must be accompanied by someone 17 years old or older who is also licensed to hunt in Texas. The accompanying individual must have completed hunter education or be exempt from the requirements (born before Sept. 2, 1971). The extension is good for one license year, by which time the person with the deferred option needs to complete a hunter education course.

This option is not available to those who have ever received a conviction or deferred adjudication for lack of hunter education certification. They still must take the course before going afield.

Also available through license agents and online are chances for TPWD’s Big Time Texas Hunts. The Big Time Texas Hunts program offers the opportunity to win one or more top guided hunts with food and lodging provided, as well as taxidermy in some cases. The crown jewel of the program is the Texas Grand Slam hunt package, which includes four separate hunts for Texas’ most prized big game animals — the desert bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, mule deer and pronghorn antelope. There are several quality whitetail hunt packages available, as well as opportunities to pursue alligator, exotic big game, waterfowl and upland game birds.

Entries for the Big Time Texas Hunt drawings are $10 each and are available wherever hunting licenses are sold. They may also be purchased online at a discounted price of $9 each. There is no limit to the number of entries an individual may purchase, and entries may be given as gifts for others. Purchasers must be 17 years of age or older.

• http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/bigtime/
• http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hunt/public/

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