Novice hunter and THFN member Matthew Bell shares how he recently introduced his 8-year-old son to the sport of hunting by taking him on a one-day quail hunt at the Thunderhole Ranch in Coke County, Texas.  Their experience shows that even inexperienced sportsmen can create a family hunting tradition to pass along.

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.

By Dr. Dale Rollins, Wildlife Specialist, Texas Cooperative Extension, San Angelo, TX

Over much of Texas, when the corn feeder goes off, the first game species to arrive isn’t deer, but quail—either bobwhites or blues.  Supplemental feeding (usually with grain, e.g., milo) is a popular, but unproven, management practice for increasing quail abundance on private lands in Texas. The practice is not without its critics.