Don't complain about the cost of hunting in Texas if you haven't taken advantage of the many public hunting opportunities available. There are several raffles that give you a 1 in 10 chance of winning - did you buy your $10 permit?

The sun was just beginning to break over the eastern horizon, a welcome sight to Jacob Sands and myself as we huddled low in the marsh grass, waiting for legal shooting light. The temperature was in the low twenties and a brisk northwest wind made it seem colder. Whistling wings could be heard overhead as teal, pintail, mallards and an assortment of diving ducks stirred from their night’s rest on the water. Across the wetland, the sound of a big flock of geese, a mixture of snows, white front and Canada’s could be heard as the big birds stirred and took flight from their night’s roost and headed to a distant field to feed. The day was coming to life and legal shooting time was seconds away.

Hunting season has been underway for over 3 months now and chances are good many of you have a freezer well stocked with everything from dove breasts to venison steaks. Game meat is far more nutritious than domestic but it does require different cooking techniques. Take venison, for example. Venison is very lean and what fat there is in the meat should be removed; it’s the fat that sometimes contributes to the ‘gamey’ taste that some folks complain about.