Billy Halfin's archive

When hunting squirrel, keep an eye out for other critters

With the arrival of May, we traded wild turkey hunting for squirrel hunting. Squirrel season is open the entire month of May in East Texas. However, with the lack of rainfall, it can be tough. The few showers that have come through have been welcome, but the woods are still dry.

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Striped, hybrid striped bass both make good eatin’

Several of the lakes in our state of Texas have been introduced to both striped and hybrid striped bass. These fish do grow to large sizes and offer some really good action for anglers. Lake Livingston and Toledo Bend are great places for taking both species. Sam Rayburn has some hybrids remaining, but none have been introduced since a malfunction at the hatchery. Hybrids are not usually able to reproduce and are available through put-and-take efforts. According to Ronald G. Habron of Southern Region Aquaculture Center, striper can actually spawn.

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Have fun, stay legal targeting blue crab

As the local saltwater areas become warmer, some super fun outdoor activity picks up. We are fortunate to be in an area where the blue crabs are plentiful. Historically, the pursuit of these tasty crustaceans has been a family adventure. Cold weather means cold water, and the crabs don’t move around much. With the type of winter that has just passed the water was chilled for quite a time. That trend has been changing and with the warmer water comes some really fine times to head out to the areas where the crab action is.

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