Live From the Duck Blind

Jeremy and Trever come at you live with guest Evan Porterfield @evanowski on this episode of the podcast.  We talk how about BHA, today's declining hunter numbers, increase of public hunters?, protecting your hunting spots, and are today's hunters more dedicated.

Jeremy and Trever sit down to talk with Dustin Machado of Southern Trackers Wounded Game Recovery.  We talk about how he handles his dogs to find your wounded game and the best steps to help you find your game when you can't.  Dustin tells stories about his dogs finding deer and some of his wildest tracks from last season. Dustin also tells us how the dog's use their nose to trail and track a wounded deer and the best conditions for his dogs to track a wounded deer.  Dustin explains to us how his dogs run a track and the way he follows them and lets them work. Dustin walks you step by step what to do in a situation where you make a fair shot all the way to a shot you know was bad, or even worse. Dustin Machado Southern Trackers Wounded Game Recovery 713-412-0950 www.deertrackingdogsoftexas.com www.facebook.com/bloodtrackingdogsoftexas www.texasbloodtrackers.com www.unitedbloodtrackers.org    

 Jeremy and Trever Talk about the opening weekend of the Texas 2018 Teal Season.  Jeremy and Trever talk about the ethics of walk-in duck hunting. Guys setting up too close to you and how to talk and what to do when someone sets up on top of you or what to do when you arrive late, and break down what we have been doing and our plans for upcoming hunts.

Jeremy and Trever sit down and talk about the highs and lows of the Texas opening weekend of a new hunting season. We sit down and talk about our dove hunts over the weekend, how we found success opening morning and had to work to find birds going forward. Jeremy talks about the battle that is waking an 11 year old up to go hunting. We talk about upcoming plans for early teal and discuss our meal of wild game we provided from the land. www.castblastgrillchill.com www.backcountryhunters.com www.facebook.com/castblastgrillchill Instagram @jeremy8it @trever.cbgc @castblastgrillchill

We are Back!  After a short summer break and adventures.   Trever and Jeremy, sit down to talk about our upcoming hunting season, Trever's trip to Chicago, and Jeremy's new puppy. TPWD is going to ad 16,000 acres to Black Gap WMA, and the fact that BHA was vocal about supporting this purchase, of prime Big Horn Sheep, Mule Deer, and Black Bear habitat. We talk preseason Whitetail Deer scouting, what we have been seeing on camera, and the Deer Trever calls "Droopy" an interesting buck Trever is going target during the early season.  We talk about just how dry it has been and how it is changing our plans for the opening weekend of bow season and early teal if we don't get any rain.  We talk about the tree stands we have put out and our trail cam strategy. We talk about our trip to the Full Draw Film Tour and getting to put a bunch of faces, to names from the Texas BHA community.  Once again the BHA community feels more like family, and we are thrilled to be members of this group guys, and our 2019-2020 Colorado Elk trip, with some other BHA guys. We talk archery and our preseason practice and bow tuning.  Jeremy and Trever have been destroying arrows at an alarming rate as we get our bows dialed in for the opening of bow season.   We talk about scouting doves, the fact we managed to find a hot field, and Jeremy's son first opening day of dove season. Finally as we get ready to wrap up we give you our tips for the best Jalapeno Dove Poppers.

Jeremy and Trever, talk about volunteering at the Mule Deer Foundation Lone Star Chapter https://mdflonestar.org/  , Banquet for Back Country Hunters and Anglers www.backcountryhunters.org so if you can make it out to the event make sure you come say "Hi". We talk about Trever's big spends, and big deals, and the "buy once cry once" on his higher end spends before a multi-day backcountry mule deer trip that rolls right into a guided sandhill crane hunt. We talk about our upcoming plans for preseason prep, including hanging stands, scouting waterfowl, and using hog hunting to scout deer. Jeremy goes into what his waterfowl plans, and big purchases are this off season including a new member of the hunting party a brand new puppy from Sammy Livingston of Livingston Gun Dogs www.livingstongundogs.com/ a Gunner Kennel  https://gunnerkennels.com/ and cornerstone gundog academy www.cornerstonegundogacademy.com We also just catch up and give each other hell, including a bet to name Jeremy's puppy, fishing stories, building jugs for catfish, and it being just to hot to fish. www.castblastgrillchill.com www.facebook.com/castblastgrillchill [email protected] Instagram @castblastgrillchill @jeremy8it @trever.hfr

In this episode Jeremy runs solo and talk with  Kelly Edmiston, Public Hunting Coordinator with Texas Parks and Wildlife(TPWD). We talk public land hunting, from permits to draws and the big time hunts, we go into the costs of the permits, and costs for the draws, as well as a little bit of Texas draw hunt strategy. We cover the amount of land in Texas that is open to hunting via TPWD, and the ways of accessing this land to hunt. We Talk about the big time hunts, and the Texas draw hunts, including the prices and how to get into the draws. We talk about the Texas mentored hunting program and the importance of hunter education, and the benefits of the class. Texas Parks & Wildlife https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/ https://tpwd.texas.gov/btth/ https://www.facebook.com/texasparksandwildlife/ Instagram @texasparkswildlife @castblastgrillchill @jeremy8it www.castblastgrillchill.com www.facebook.com/castblastgrillchill      

In this episode we are joined by Dylan Dowson of OnX Maps, and the OnX Hunt app. www.onxmaps.com    Trever and Jeremy sit down and record a quick opening and talk about the Boone and Crockett layer, and the other premium layers OnX offers, that didn't get brought up in the podcast.  Trever talks about his recent trip to the coast and how the weather affected his trip, we also talk about how we used the share a waypoint feature helped Trever find a spot out of the wind and rough surf and manage a few fish, in tough fishing conditions.  Trever also starts talking gear and using OnX Hunt app, for his upcoming mule deer hunt this fall with Tobin with Top Pin Taxidermy https://www.facebook.com/CustomSkullMounts/ In the interview with Dylan Dowson, Community Coordinator at OnX, he talks about how using the public private mapping services, keeps you legal, and how he is using it on his bear hunt, to get all the guys to bear camp.  Dylan tells us how and why OnX was created by Eric Siegfried and how in 2011 the OnX Hunt app was created.  Dylan gives explains how the app shows you the owners of the private property and what type of public land you see, and the topo, satellite, and hybrid layers.  How the app keeps updated with hunt zones, and how it updates as hunting season goes.  For your free 7 day trial visit your phones app store and download the OxHunt App, and purchase your mapping app for your state for only $29.99 or for the entire US for $99   www.onxmaps.com www.facebook.com/onxhunt/ www.castblastgrillchill.com www.facebook.com/castblastgrillchill Instagram @OnXHunt @castblastgrillchill @Jeremy8it @Trever.HFR  

Texas Public Land Hunting & Beyond   Part 1 This is going to be a four part series of podcast starting with just Trever and Myself on this first episode, explaining how we find places to hunt and what we hunt.  Part 2 will be an interview with a member of Texas Parks and Wildlife, on public hunting, big game draws, & postcard hunts. In Part 3 we will be having On X Maps on to explain how using a online public private mapping can help you be a more productive hunter.  Part 4 is the Beyond we are trying to get a guest on to talk about out of state hunting both out west and draws and tags both over the counter and points, because neither of us is experienced in hunting much outside of Texas   Texas is more than 95% private land, Lease prices go up every year and are becoming harder to find, but we all own a large amount land in Texas, it is our public land.  I didn't always know about public land hunting and didn't know it was even an option for hunting. So i will humbly ask this of us all who use public land be it a for hunting, fishing, camping or just enjoying the outdoors, leave it better than you found it, even the simple act of picking of trash in the parking area, just do a little to help ensure we get to enjoy these lands for a long time to come.  If you enjoy Hunting and Fishing, consider joining Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, they help us make sure that we will continue to have a place to hunt and fish, on top of the fact they it's just a bunch of like minded people who are good folks. www.backcountryhunters.org/   All that being said…………..   This Podcast series is going to piss some people off, and I understand and get that but the public land we hunt and fish on doesn't just belong to you and I, it belongs to all of us, and all of us means exactly that all of us.  It belongs to every American citizen, and our public land able to be used by anyone who wishes to to use it. So that means the hikers, campers, bird watchers, trail runner, hunters, fishermen, EVERYONE, so we need to be the best stewards of this land, and make sure we take the best care of it as hunters and fishermen, be courteous and polite to the other users of this land we all have the right to use this land but we need to show the non-consumptive users we are the best conservationist's and use this land as we have the right to, and encourage others to use this land and to leave it better than they found it everytime they use it. Land in Texas: Total acres in Texas 167,188,000 US Forest Serv 755,000 acres BLM 11,000 acres State Owned 825,000 acres Land open to hunters 1.591 million acres About 1% available to hunt or 0.1acre per resident   www.backcountrychronicles.com/   What can we Hunt in Texas on Public…. Alligator, Frogs, Aoudad, Axis Deer, Gemsbok, Scimitar Oryx, Nelgi, Feral Hog, Whitetail Deer, Javelina, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Turkey, Bighorn Sheep,  Waterbuck, Squirrel, predators and Furbearers (bobcats, cougars, coyote, foxes, Racoon, etc.) Dove, Duck, Quail, Pheasant, Geese, Crain, and more. Types of Public Land in Texas Natl. Forrest & Grasslands Natl. Seashore Natl. Parks Natl. Preserve Natl. Wildlife Refuge Military Bases Corps of Engineers State Parks Wildlife Management Areas (APH) Private Land State leased (APH) Who manages each of these US Forest Serv. Natl. Park Service Natl. Park Service Natl. Park Service US Fish and Wildlife The US Military Army Corps of Engineers TPWD TPWD/US Fish Wildlife/US Forest Serv. TPWD and Private Owners Mentored Hunting Workshops Public Hunting Opportunities, that don't always happen on public land, but are available to hunters.   For anyone who is not a hunter and wants to try and become a hunter but doesn't know where to start, who to ask, or how to get your kids into hunting in a safe fun manner the mentored hunting workshops are a good way to get started.  TPWD, Texas Wildlife Association and several other agencies in Texas offer learning hunts.   Texas Wildlife Association Youth Hunts https://www.texas-wildlife.org/program-areas/texas-youth-hunting-program http://www.tyhp.org/   TPWD mentored Hunts https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/mentored_hunting_workshops/   Hunting license & Hunters Education https://tpwd.texas.gov/ Youth License $7.00 Resident $25 Senior Resident $7.00 Trappers License $19 Super Combo $68.00 Saves $18 Hunting and fishing license All 5 state "stamps" archery, freshwater, saltwater w/ red drum tag, upland game bird, and migratory game bird. Senior Super Combo $32 Disabled Vets, & Texas Resident active duty $FREE$ HIP, Sandhill Crane, Experimental Pronghorn Permit are all free Endorsements Archery,Texas Migratory Bird, Upland game bird $7.00 each Duck Stamp $25.00 Lifetime super combo $1800 3 chances to win a lifetime super combo $5 https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/licenses/lifetime_licenses/drawing.phtml   Non resident General Hunting $315   Hunter ED $15.00 exempt if born before Sept. 2, 1971 but you should take it! One year deferral $10 *must be in voice control of a hunter who has hunter ED and can only be used one. Be Aware that some NWR's require bowhunter education on top of hunters ED. Tips and Tricks for Hunting Public Lands   GIS Maps http://www.glo.texas.gov/land/land-management/gis/   Google Earth https://www.google.com/earth/ This is no secret, but google maps and google earth are different, and the 3d terrain mapping feature, the timeline feature allows you to see what how the area looks at different times of the year and after weather events, use in conjunction with www.wundergrounds.com 's weather archive of past weather and the times the satellite photos were taken.   Paper Topo Maps: USGS Maps, Natl. Forrest Maps, State Park Maps, COE. Shows all the road systems, legal hunting area, and sometimes its just Easier to get you head around paper maps and you can write notes, etc.   On X Maps https://www.onxmaps.com/ Public/Private mapping will be on part 3 of the series Shows property lines, and owners of private Offline mode download your maps and use in airplane mode On X Maps takes all of the above and combines it into one simple easy to use product that works on computers and your phone   Keeping Good Notes I used not to be great at this, but now I am almost a slave to this process and I find it amazingly helpful. I keep notes on location, game seen, harvested, trails, weather (including before and after the hunt).moon phase, who I was with where we parked How we accessed the property, anything that just stood out from the hunt. I also will keep notes on anything I see in just my day to day life about deer movement or bird migration, or even I just happened to notice an uptick on doves sitting on power lines a few weeks before season.   Scouting pre and post season The most useful thing for hunting public, grab a fishing pole or camera and get your boots on the ground.   Find deer beds, trails, feeding areas.Find where the birds are on the reverse migrations, odds are they will be in the same spot on the trip south.   Scouting is a year long activity, if your spring turkey hunting, you should also be looking for sheds or other deer sign, and making notes in your hunting/scouting log as soon as you can to make sure when whatever season it is that sign you found you can remember where it was.   Time to Hunt Arrive Early, Extra early for WMA's that have a drawing to get a unit.   Remember when hunting public your hunting against other people as well as the game, you need to think of how they will act, and the affects that could have on the game you are chasing that day. Don't be married to "your spot"  have a backup plan or 3 in the bag and Ready to go, stay light so you can hunt on the more run-n-gun style. Use GPS tracks, avoid flagging tape if at all possible not only is it technically littering, but it also leads everyone else to the spot your found. Hunt during the week if you can to avoid the crowds *the exception to this if you can use the crowds to your advantage. Silence your gear as best you can, practice your shooting in the gear your gonna be hunting in.   TYPES OF PUBLIC HUNTING LAND:   Public Land Hunting that only takes your Hunting license. Natl. Forrest, Natl. Grasslands 755,000 Acres Free with hunting license Free camping and use of land for all Low cost permits, per unit, or area COE, NWR, NPS Permits thru postcard draws At COE offices or regional HQ Some have test to show proficient with weapons Permit fee's vary from unit to unit   The Big Book $48 APH (annual public hunting permit) LPU $12 Hiking, Fishing, Camping etc. In 1987 TPWD started the APH, Last season 2017-2018 was the30th Anniversary, of the program.  It has been an inexpensive way to get families hunting, fishing and camping and into the outdoors. Get it wherever you get your hunting license. WMA, land leases, and how to use the big book     The Big Hunts,  TPWD Draw Hunts. How to apply for tags, e-postcard hunts, standard draws, youth draws Permits rage from Free-$3.00 $10.00 for the Guided Draw hunts Exotic Permits $3.00 to draw, and hunts fee $80.00(NWR hunt locaation)   Military Bases This info is online and specific to each base, you have to do the leg work. Look for the link in the show notes on www.castblastgrillchill.com   Public Water Lakes, Rivers, Bay, and Coastal Marsh Free to hunt in most cases Blind Draws cost money, permits may cost or have a deposit Boat launch fees Check with COE or River authorities, (e.g. LCRA, Trinity RA, Brazos RA)   The Hidden Gems County and City parks, Land the is open to hunting but not in the books Links: https://tpwmagazine.com/archive/2002/oct/ed_4/   https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=13mUk2vplKM   https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0112a.pdf   https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/   https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/mentored_hunting_workshops/   https://www2.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hunt/public/public_hunt_drawing/   http://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/georgetown/Information/Hunting%20Guide%202014-2015.pdf   http://www.ducks.org/texas/public-hunting-on-du-projects-in-texas   https://www.texas-wildlife.org/   https://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/ByState.cfm?state=TX   https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/texas-monthly-hunting-guide/   https://www.fs.usda.gov/texas/

Jeremy and Trever, talk about whats been going on over the past two weeks as it feels like summer is trying to come on strong at the end of May.  Pig hunting public land, "spot and stalk" and "still hunting" style is paying off for Trever finding the pigs.  Trever and Danielle go out fishing and manage to catch a few.  Trever talks about trying to clean a gar, and what he learned in the process, and Jeremy and Trever talk about how to cook gar.  We also talk about the Crappie, and White Bass runs.  Jeremy discusses his new catfish jugs he is building, and some tricks to keep up with them.  Trever talks bow tuning and training tips as he prepares for the up coming bow season.   www.castblastgrillchill.com www.facebook.com/castblastgrillchill Instagram @castblastgrillchill @jeremy8it @trever.hfr Email: [email protected]