The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

I would like to go on record as suggesting that we make some sort of holiday out of opening weekend of hunting season, give everyone the following Monday off to enjoy one of the greatest events in Texas. This past weekend kicked off the general hunting season in our great state and to say we could not have asked for better conditions would be an understatement. Absolutely "chamber of commerce" weather greeted hunters all over the state and for many it was the perfect set up for success. Many of the local deer hunters I have spoken with were really happy with the cooler temps as they reported increased rutting activity and above average deer movement in general. I saw several very nice deer that were taken locally and I look for that trend to continue.

Waterfowl hunters who have patiently waited for the regular season to begin, after the early teal season appetizer, got their chance to burn a little powder and they made the most of it. Reports from the coast were good overall as many hunters reported mixed bags of both green winged and blue winged teal along with a good many gadwall as well. A few hunters were lucky enough to even take a few geese as they wandered into range. Local hunters taking advantage of public opportunities were very hit and miss, It was truly a case of the "haves and have nots". The results also varied from Saturday to Sunday as some hunters enjoyed limits on Saturday only to return to seemingly empty skies on Sunday. Such is the life of a duck hunter.

Now with the majority of the focus going to the hunting community the local waterways have emptied out and are almost as bare as a Biden rally. With water temps in the mid 60's you can tell the trout and redfish are really gearing up and feeding hard. The water clarity in both the lake and the rivers is gorgeous right now and as long as we don't get any big rain or runoff that will only get better. The clear water is nice to look at but it can pose a different set of problems for anglers, be mindful of using a leader and downsizing your lure never hurts. The last redfish I cleaned had 40 shrimp in its stomach and they would all fit in your hand, they were that small. Looking at those shrimp was a great reminder that sometimes a smaller bait makes all the difference in the world.

Looking ahead it appears that the folks to our north are getting ready to get some real winter weather and I for one cannot wait. The extreme front that is scheduled to come barreling down from Canada could do a lot of good for local hunters, especially waterfowlers. Getting a huge front like the one forecast this early in the season will most definitely help usher more birds down the flyway and in turn help bring more birds to our area. For several years now we haven't really had any type of weather to speak of that would help out the duck hunters, especially this early in the season. If we can get those birds to our part of the world that will help them come back on the next migration next season and that will be a big plus going forward. Hopefully we can keep some cooler temps for a while so the birds don't reverse migrate once they get here, only time and the weatherman will tell.

Do yourself a favor and get out and enjoy the conditions because right now its about as good as we can ask for. Be safe and be courteous.