Frank's outdoors...

I, my wife, my baby, and her family are heading to their condo near Panama City Beach, FL for the week after Christmas. Its a gulf-front property, and truly beautiful! I will hopefully be busy catching some whiting, pompano, and the occasional red that lingers on past while fishing from the surf! I caught my first Florida Pompano this past summer, and I tell you what, those little boogers can fight! Beautiful looking fish, too! This time, I have the camera rigged up and ready. I also caught a fish called an Oyster Toad... the ugliest, meanest looking rock fish you ever saw. Had jaws and teeth that I wouldn't mess with. It was only about 14" long, but had the attitude of a great white! When I get back, my public lands hunt at Lake Houston State Park is the following weekend/week (Jan 9-11). Now, the rules are as follows. They have blinds/areas pre-set that get determined the opening morning of the hunt by first come/first serve basis. Centerfile rifles only, and you ...

As I have started blogging, and thinking about all the hunts I have gone on over the past couple of years, there is a common thread for me and my hunting experiences. Either my uncle or my father-in-law (FIL) were there. Both of them are like father figures to me, even though I do have a very wonderful and loving father (a non hunter). All of my hunting adventures and experiences have been magnified by having the two of them with me, in particular in the outdoors. Being in the outdoors is a gift and an honor, and spending it with two of my best friends has truly been special for me. My uncle lives in South Carolina, and during my early hunting ventures, he really nurtured my spirit and friendship by "training" me and pointing out things I didn't know as well as building up my excitement, hence the father figure-esque description. But, he never did it in a condescending way. I truly count him in my circle of best friends. I shot my first buck, turkey, and goose...

I was hunting with my father-in-law (FIL) a month ago, just outside Llano, TX. Its an area of Texas with rolling hills, mesquite trees, cactus, and thickets of thistle brush. Truly beautiful country. We arrived at the camp at about 2pm, and knew we were going to make an afternoon hunt. We chose our blinds, and I went to this blind called Big Moo. Mainly because its a ground blind and there are frequently lots of cows around being in the middle of a 2300 acre cattle ranch. My FIL is friends with the guy on this lease, and he has invited us out there the past few years. We can shoot a buck, a doe, and as many hogs as we see. So I get to my ground blind, and its a box blind that could easily accomodate 2 people, but its old and has 4 huge windows. Pretty much looks like 4 sheets of plywood with a plywood roof, painted dark green, very homegrown. It serves it purpose. So, I am settled in, have my binoculars up and am glassing the area. There is a feeder approx. 45yds directly in front ...

Ever since I got actively involved in the outdoors, I have wanted to be a guide. To be in the outdoors on a day-to-day basis, and hunt and help others hunt and learn, really motivates me. However, I grew up a city boy, and don't know anyone with a farm or land on which I can hunt freely... Kinda puts a damper on my spirits. The more I work and meet people, the more I have gained some excellent relationships with friends who also hunt and have a passion for the outdoors. My ultimate goal is to buy some land (100-200 acres) and have a place to hunt on my own. To be a guide however may not be that far fetched... This morning, I was reading the Houston Chronicle Outdoors section and came across this article ( http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/outdoors/pike/3501220.html ). It talks about this guy who started a vocational school here in Texas (originally out of Colorad0) for training people to be a professional whitetail guide ! I am considering it, but now that it is really a...

My cousin Tom and I are going on a public land deer hunt here in Texas in early January (9-11). We are preparing now, as we will be hunting in unfamiliar territory. We'll be hunting the Lake Houston State Park, which is just northest of Houston about 45 minutes to an hour. Over the next couple of weeks I'll be blogging about our preparation. So, right now we are discussing which weapon to use (rifle or shotgun). I think when we go scouting, we will see what the terrain is looking like. If the shot is less than 50 yards and heavy pine tress abound, shotgun for sure (this is most likely). Otherwise, I'll be using the trusty 30/30 my uncle gave me a few years ago. Either way, I am pumped. Nothing better than getting out in the woods to scout. I am hoping to get this climber tree stand for Christmas that I can use, otherwise I'll be sitting at the base of a tree and keeping the eyes peeled.

I found out about this interesting charity through the Houston Chronicle , called Hunters for the Hungry . Now the great thing about this charity is that they take pretty much all the types of game you want to harvest, and they process and donate the meat to local charities. I have had a VERY successful year in the outdoors thus far. I shot an 11-pt buck, a doe, and 2 hogs, as well as being part of an 18 goose slaughter! That, combined with my father-in-law's buck and doe, now that is a lot of meat for one small freezer! Now, I do have a freezer in the garage, but it is pretty stocked as it is. So, this charity allows many outdoorsmen like myself to go out and enjoy the outdoors, enjoy hunting, harvest game, and not worry about wasting the harvested meat. Consider this worthwhile charity before you let meat in your freezer get freezer burn because you took more than you can eat. My wife and I love deer, goose, fish, etc, but we don't have the time to cook it most of the t...