2021 Hunting Trips Reports

12/18/21 Self-guided Inland Duck Hunt

Two hunters had a good time on a small pond on Fort Hood in Area 25.  Randy Rowley killed two wood ducks of four that came in (his first wood ducks, in his 11th season of hunting ducks in Central Texas).  Randy and Burl both missed an easy shot at a drake mallard.  The ducks locked in on the decoys and landed right by them.  Randy took one step too many when he went to retrieve his decoys – water went over the top of his waders and filled them up.  When he got to the bank, he couldn’t take another step as they were so heavy.  He walked out of them and then drained them one leg at a time.  As it was 52 degrees at the time, he was a little chilled.  Fortunately, the 15 – 25 MPH with gusts up to 35 MPH didn’t materialize except for around a 10 minute period.  It also didn’t rain nearly as much as the weather dudes forecast.

12/10/21 – 12/12/21 Self-guided/chartered Coastal Blast and Cast (Duck Hunt and Bay Fishing Trip)

Four participants had a challenging time near Corpus Christi.  They arrived too late on Friday to hunt or fish.  On Saturday they went out with the chance of rain and were able to get a decoy spread set up.  The wind was dead with clouds looming over them.  They heard a few shots nearby and the distance.  They had a flock of about 8 that flew over from behind but they did not get a shot at them since they came at them so quickly and no one had seen them.  Then a cold front pushed through and they only saw a few ducks in the distance but never close enough.  As the decoys were pushed against the shore they called it a day. Then headed back to the boat when they noticed the anchor had finally let go and the boat was beached!  They worked hard to get her off the sand bottom pushing against the wind and the waves and finally managed to get her loose before they were totally exhausted. They decided to fish a little that evening in the 30mph winds on the Packery Channel but were unsuccessful in pulling anything in the boat except for seaweed as the tide was going out.  They left Sunday morning and while going over the causeway they saw thousands of ducks flying south over the intercoastal channel.  Thanks to Daryl Shipper for heading up this event.

12/4/21 Self-guided Inland Duck Hunt and 12/5/21 Self-guided/chartered Inland Blast and Cast (Duck Hunt and Fishing Trip)

11/20/21 Self-guided Inland Duck Hunt

Four participants saw a few ducks on Lake Belton, but none came anywhere near them.  They didn’t make it very far up the Leon River (about half way between Winkler and Iron Bridge parks) before bottoming out.  A group about 300 yards away shot at a few ducks and killed one.

10/1/21 – 10/3/21 Opening Weekend Semi-guided Doe (Axis and/or Whitetail) and Hog Bowhunt

Two hunters had a good time on a 2000 acres ranch near Carta Valley (west of Rocksprings) with Ricky Ethridge.  Steve Fusco and Raul Pena harvested a whitetail doe each and had opportunities for more.  They saw many does and bucks, a few axis (but they were never in bow range), and a few blackbucks.  They also saw a lot of hog sign but no actual hogs.

9/18/21 Semi-guided Dove Hunt

The hunt with Texas Wild was a success, although the heat was difficult to handle.  Eleven hunters had a slow start Saturday morning on a field near Jourdanton.  The mourning doves were few and far between but hunters bagged on average four birds.  The afternoon hunt was on a different ranch where the sunflowers and a large pond drew in hundreds of birds.  Birds flew non stop from 4:00 – 7:00 PM.  Most hunters limited out.  The group didn’t hunt Sunday – the field they hunted on Saturday afternoon was booked on Sunday with another group.  The guide said that this is the worst dove season he has seen in his 28 years of guiding in that area.

9/18/21 Self-guided Teal Hunt

Three hunters mostly enjoyed the scenery on Lake Stillhouse Hollow.  They had a flock come over the decoys, from behind them, five minutes before legal shooting time.  Later a solo flew by.  One of the hunters shot at and missed it but it was a long shot.  They saw several more, but not near them.  The water was 82 degrees – waders weren’t needed.

9/1/21 Semi-guided Dove Hunt

Eleven hunters had a great time at the 9/1/21 Semi-guided Dove Hunt on a ranch near Holland.  The birds flew steadily during the early morning and late afternoon.  The landowner planted black tar Sunflowers, on the south field on the hill, and the mourning doves and a few Eurasians flew to them to feed.  The landowner also placed several round bales of hay in amongst the mowed strips to provide shade and cover for the hunters.  The two small ponds in the trees were attracting doves also and hunters there got limits.  The mojo dove decoys that the landowner provided at several locations on the property really helped to draw the birds in close for great shooting action.

4/30/21 – 5/1/21 Self-guided Hog Hunt

Burl Fulenwider and Randy Rowley had a good time of fellowship on a ranchette near Austin.  It rained moderately to heavy until 1:00 AM.  During the rain storm they saw nothing.  Afterwards, they saw five deer.  They gave up at 3:30 AM.

4/23/21 – 4/25/21 Semi-guided Hog Hunt

Christian Bana, Burl Fulenwider, and Blake and Ted Lieb had a wonderful weekend on a 2,000-acre ranch near Carta Valley (west of Rocksprings) with Ricky Ethridge.  On Saturday Christian’s pinpoint shooting bagged the first pig of the day – a whopping 190 pounder.  Blake also bagged a boar – a 60 pounder.  While the group didn’t get the total amount of pigs they were hoping for, according to Burl, there were tons of animals seen, just not the right ones.  Check out the Group Photo.

3/6/21 Guided Upland Bird (Pheasant, Chukar, and Quail) Hunt

Seven hunters had a great time again with Mike Schumann at the old Dismukes/Bieberstein Ranch near Dime Box.  The total bag was 58 birds (41 quail, 11 chukars, and 6 pheasants).

1/22/21 – 1/24/21 Self-guided/chartered Coastal Blast and Cast (Duck Hunt and Bay Fishing Trip)

Eight participants had a good time at Port O’Connor.

On the first afternoon, Daryl Shipper’s crew bagged one duck and Randy Rowley’s crew was skunked.  On the second afternoon, Randy’s crew was skunked again, although Blake Lieb downed one that fell in water that was too deep (and Randy couldn’t find it later with his bay boat).

Fishing was much more successful.  Daryl Shipper’s boat caught two black drum that were approximately 39 inches long (by Isaac Lieb and Daryl), a 30-inch long bull redfish (by Blake Lieb), a black drum that was approximately 30 inches long (caught by Burl Fulenwider), and a couple of hardheads.  Randy Rowley’s boat caught a 39 3/4 inch long, 30.51 lb. bull redfish (by Jonathan Fleming) and a 37 inch long, 30.18 lb. black drum (by Blake Lieb).  No live shrimp was available.  The fish were caught on piggy perch, cut sardines, or cut crabs.

They stayed at The Inn at Clark’s.  Daryl and Randy really enjoyed their boat slips and not having to launch and recover their boats every time that they went out.

Randy Rowley led a devotional called Steering Straight.

Thanks to Daryl and Randy for bringing their boats.

1/16/21 Guided Inland Duck Hunt

Four hunters had a great time near Speaks with Rayce Jenkins and his helper, Blaine.  They hunted next to a flooded field.

The group killed 17 ducks – nine spoonbills, four bluebills (lesser scaups), three green wing teal, and a ringneck.  Randy Rowley killed two teal with one shot and then swung to the right and bagged the third one.  Blake Lieb killed a spoonbill.  There was considerable friendly disagreement on who killed the rest.  Rayce said that our group killed the most ducks so far during the second half of the season.

The group also saw several pintails, snow geese, and sandhill cranes.  One group of snow geese flew directly overhead but they were too high to shoot at.

1/9/21 Guided Inland Duck and Goose Hunt

Three hunters mostly enjoyed watching a lot of far-away geese, sandhill cranes, and ducks with Blue Roan Outfitters near Eagle Lake on their 280-acre lake.  They set up on the levy of a rice field.  It was sunny, about 37 degrees, and there were light winds.  Very few birds came close.  Most were flying high and away.  The group killed four birds – a blue goose, two spoonbills, and a pintail hen.

1/1/21 Self-guided Inland Duck Hunt

Four participants mostly enjoyed the scenery on Lake Granger in the San Gabriel Wildlife Management Area.  They saw around four flocks of ducks but they were at least 200 yards away.