Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 16, 1978 Page: 1 of 8
eight pages : ill. ; page 20 x 14 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
PORT ARANSAS
A
SOOTH JETTY
VOLUME 8 - NO. 22 PRICE 20 CENTS
ON MUSTANC ISLAND, TEXAS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1978
Goose Hunting
Prospects May
Be Poor For
Coastal Area
Unless the habitat conditions
change rapidly along much of the
Texas coast, it’s going to be dryer
than usual for the early part of
the good hunting season.
Accordingly, those hunters who
will be goose hunting on or near
reservoirs, flooded fields and
other bodies of water in the
coastal ricelands have a pretty
good chance of decent hunts,
predicts Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department waterfowl biologist C.
D. Stutzenbaker.
However, the long range pros-
pects for the goose hunting
season are generally discouraging,
he said.
Due to a late breakup of ice and
snow in the Canadian arctic last
spring, the already short goose
nesting season was further short-
ened, causing poor nesting suc-
cess.
The result is that the fall
migration will be reduced for all
species of geese, Stutzenbaker
said.
Particularly damaging for Texas
hunters is the poor production
from the Eskimo Point colony of
snow-blue geese. This colony,
located in the western edge of
Hudson Bay, is a heavy contribu-
tor to the Texas coast, Stutzen-
baker explained.
“The key to goose hunting
success is the per cent of juvenile
geese in the flocks arriving
birds. It is these young, unwary
birds which are easily decoyed by
hunters. This year, the percentage
of juveniles in the Eskimo Point
colony of light geese is estimated
at 20 per cent,” Stutzenbaker
said.
To emphasize the importance of
juvenile geese to the hunter’s
bag, he cited examples from light
geese harvest information collect-
ed by the department during
recent years.
“In 1073, 54 per cent of the
snow-blue geese were juveniles,
and that year they made up 89
per cent of the harvest. In 1974,
when 27 per cent of the flocks
were juveniles, the young birds
made up 69 per cent of the
harvest. In 1975, there were 46
per cent young birds in the flocks
and 79 per cent young birds in the
harvest. Generally, you need 40 to
50 per cent young birds for good
goose hunting.” he concluded.
The truth of the matter is that if
a snow-blue goose makes it to
maturity, it has a good chance of
dying of old age.
And, this year s flock of light
geese will be heavy with old, wary
veterans of Texas good hunting
seasons.
JIM THOMAS, THE LONE STAR SPORTSMAN (1) of TV fame got a
real taste of Port Aransas fishing last Thursday when he and his filming
crew, along with other anglers, hit the nearshore Gulf for big redfish
aboard the Dolphin. Capt. Cy Bennett found a school of the large fish
near an offshore oil platform and the cameras and reels began to buzz.
Also, recently caught in the same area were a few ling, a kingfish, and a
large tarpon was on the line over an hour before breaking free. Other fall
fishing in the area is picking up. More and more flounder are working
Parks & Wildlife
Names Director
Charles Dicky Travis, a long-
time Austin resident and member
of Gov. Dolph Briscoe’s executive
staff, will assume duties as
executive director of the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department on
Jan. 1, 1979, Commission Chair-
man Pearce Johnson has an-
nounced.
In his announcement Chairman
Johnson said the interim period
would allow for an orderly
transition and allow Travis time to
complete projects now- under wav
in the governor’s office.
Travis will replace Henry B.
Burkett, a 32-year veteran with
the department who has served as
executive director since Sept. 1,
1977. Burkett, who is retiring, has
agreed to stay on for a short
period of time in an advisory role.
On retirement, Burkett plans to
return to a small family ranch
near the West Texas town of
Burkett, which was named for his
family.
Chairman Johnson said the
commission’s choice of Travis as
an executive director was ideal
because of his wide range of
financial and budget experience in
state government.
The department’s main difficul-
ty right now is financial, Johnson
said.
Hypothermia
The need to be alert about
water safety does not lessen when
summer comes to an end.
Drownings occur more often in
the warmer months, but the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department
says an increasing number of fa-
talities is being registered in
winter. The cause of 95 percent of
cold-wcathcr drownings is hypo-
thermia.
This condition is defined as
rapid loss of core body tempera-
ture. which means the body loses
heat faster than it can produce it.
rapidly exhausting energy reserves.
Waterfowl hunters as well as
fishermen can be affected if they
are suddenly in the water. The
critical low body temperature is 93
degrees, which can be reached
after only three hours in 50-degree
water if a person remains relative-
ly still.
their way out the pass, providing some good fishing along the channel
bank and jetties. The north jetty anglers are doing well on medium size
reds, trout and flounder, and some big redfish have been taken on the
south jetty. Just the right water conditions in the surf have produced a
few beautiful pompano, in the 3-4 pound range, and some nice trout. The
big reds haven’t made much of a show along the Mustang Island beach
yet, but they are there to be caught in the Big Shell area on Padre
Island.
Port Aransas Elections Close
The close state-wide elections for Texas governor and a U. S.
Senator scat were also close in Nueces County and Port Aransas, but
voters did not side with the winners here. On November 7th Republican
Bill Clements narrowly defeated democrat John Hill by just over 18.000
votes statewide to become Texas first Republican governor in 105 years.
In Nucccs County, Hill took 55% of the vote, and in Port Aransas, Hill
scored 52 % of the vote with 423 of the eligible 1062 voters casting
ballots. Most polls had estimated the race to be a close one. but also
seemed to indicate that Hill, the present State Attorney General, would
win by a small margin.
In the senate race. U. S. Rep. Bob Kruger challanged long-time
republican incumbent John Tower in a race too close for anyone to call.
Tower finally edged out Kruger by about 14.000 votes. Nueces County
gave Kruger 52% of the vote, and Port Aransas did the same.
A last minute re-count request was made this week in both election
contests.
In more local races, state representative Joe Wyatt easily won his
bid for U. S. representative against Joy Yates. Wyatt, in the Democratic
primary defeated incumbent John Young, leading to his victory last
week. Nueces County, in the 14th District, gave Wyatt 68% of the vote,
while Port Aransas was more split, giving him a 54% margin.
Bill Harrison, seeking the Texas Dist. 48C House seat had a close
one with Republican James Meadows, hut won by less than a one
thousand vote margin. In Port Aransas. Harrison took 64 % of the vote.
Harrison will replace retired DeWitt Hale.
.1. P. Luby held onto his County Commissioner Pet. 4 seat with little
trouble in a contest with Republican Tom Knight. Port Aransas gave
Luby a 58% win over Knight.
County Judge Rob Barnes was a big winner in his bid for
re-election, defeating Republican Clifford Cosgrove by taking 76 % of
the votes. Port Aransas voters gave Barnes 63% of the vote.
Local Justice of the Peace Tommy Fisher was retained for another
term, being unopposed on the ballot.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Frishman, Steve. Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 16, 1978, newspaper, November 16, 1978; Port Aransas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth623336/m1/1/: accessed May 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Ellis Memorial Library.