Sunday, November 4, 2001

Teaching Texas tradition

David Sikes/Caller-Times

Lauren Westerbrook demonstrates the shot that bagged her a spike still in velvet during last week's youth hunt on fomer Texas Rep. Hugo Berlanga's ranch near San Diego.

SAN DIEGO - Jordan Hall's fingers tapped lightly on the oil-stained stock of a rifle her father had held on his first deer hunt.
   If the 16-year-old Aqua Dulce High School junior was nervous, the pre-dawn din didn't reveal this on her face. Perhaps confidence transfers well with hand-me-down guns. I believe it does.
   Ray Hall, Jordan's grandfather, paid about $64 for the Model 788 Remington 6-mm rifle he bought for his 9-year-old son, Larry Hall, when Jordan's dad lived in Bishop. Jordan shot her first deer with it last year and Dad couldn't be more proud.
   She carries this pride with her into the field, reminded of family heritage by the relic in her hands.

David Sikes/Caller-Times

Jordan Hall took this Mustang Ranch spike during a hunt made possible by Hugo Berlanga and the Texas Wildlife Association's Texas Youth Hunting Program.

   Jordan mostly looked left, exposing a blond ponytail from under a blaze orange cap. I peered right. We shared sentry duty for the sendero that extended before us.
   A cottontail on the road below drew my attention and broke our wide-eyed intensity. I whispered for Jordan to look. Her expression relaxed into the smile of a child.
   Jordan was one of five students in John Howard's agriculture class participating in a management hunt on this morning, hosted by former Texas Rep. Hugo Berlanga in conjunction with the Texas Wildlife Association's Texas Youth Hunting Program.
   Berlanga's 1,100-acre Mustang Ranch near San Diego is on a short list of South Texas teaching fields, at which the TWA has been allowed to stage youth hunts. This is a wonderful program that ties in well with deer management operations at ranches small and large.
   Berlanga figures there's no better way to cull 20 deer from his herd while encouraging young hunters to carry on the Texas hunting tradition. I agree.
   The Texas Youth Hunting Program is held as a model for similar ones nationwide. Now in its sixth year, South Texas ranch owners should be clamoring to participate in these hunts. But only a handful have offered.

David Sikes/Caller-Times

More than 60 deer and countless small game were counted and catalogued by John Howard's students during a day in the field.

   Maybe the others just don't know about the program. Please tell them.
   Or perhaps invitations from ranchers are slow to come because of liability concerns. This should not be an issue.
   The TWA carries its own insurance, up to $2 million worth. Lawsuits against such programs generally are limited to $1 million awards, except in some cases involving commercial hunting outfits, according to Jerry Warden, executive director of the Texas Youth Hunting program.
   The program is co-sponsored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which also should lend confidence to potential participants.
   Perhaps ranch owners are apprehensive about having strangers on their property. I cannot quell all fears. But I can say that I've been on three of these hunts and believe the safety controls and dedication to ethics are beyond reproach.

TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION Texas Youth Hunting Program Local contact: Ruben Rosales — 774-1179 TWA headquarters — (800) 460-5494 Needs: Ranchland suitable for hunts Huntmasters Volunteers Young hunters (ages 9-17)

   If a rancher is concerned about young hunters taking animals that should not be taken, (or even if this is not a concern) Warden encourages ranch owners or their staff members to participate in the hunts themselves.
   In all cases, a TWA-trained huntmaster or biologist will make the call on kills. Most youth deer hunts involve does and spikes anyway, so confusion isn't an issue. Other times, young hunters are gunning for doves, quail, waterfowl, small game or hogs.
   Whatever they kill, they eat.
   Here's what Berlanga had to say about his youth hunt experience last week.
   "Its obvious that all participants have been through the hunter safety program. They are extremely conscientious and disciplined in the field.
   "I've always been impressed by the way these hunts are planned, organized and structured.

David Sikes/Caller-Times

Agua Dulce High School agriculture teacher John Howard acted as guide for one of his students, Lauren Westbrook, during a recent youth hunt.

   "In terms of the benefits, as a rancher, having the kids count and record what they see helps validate our own animal counts and teaches them about wildlife management. And of course the best benefit is in knowing that I've been part of a young boy or girl having the experience of a lifetime. That's the icing on the cake, to see the joy on their faces.
   "I'm hoping other ranches will see the net benefit, both to them and the kids."
   Speaking of program rewards, when shadows took shape for Jordan and I, a doe and yearling appeared in the distance. We watched the animals meander closer, but a clear shot didn't present itself. Here's where her training overshadowed her eagerness.
   Meanwhile, early light had exposed a half-dozen deer on the sendaro in front of us. After a few quiet moments of observation, Jordan turned and whispered.
   "Which one should I take?" she asked, reaching for a pair of binoculars.
   "The biggest doe," I said.

David Sikes/Caller-Times

Cottontails lent a playful mood to a still morning spent peering from deer blinds.

   So she did without hesitation and with a single perfect shot.
   Later, Berlanga joined us and offered Jordan a chance at a spike that frequents this spot. Her response was predictably affirmative.
   After a short wait, Jordan shouldered her cherished heirloom once again and squeezed off a second thrill. We found both deer a few yards from where they had been shot.
   Back at camp, two other hunters had bagged a spike each during the morning hunt. The others would have afternoon opportunities.
   None of this would have been possible if not for Ruben Rosales, one of a handful of Corpus Christi-area TWA huntmasters and the primary youth hunt coordinator for the Coastal Bend. Huntmasters are charged with organizing the hunts, contacting landowners, promotions and with most other arrangements surrounding the hunts.
   This is difficult to do alone.
   So the need for additional volunteers is almost as great as the need for huntmasters and ranchland.
   Huntmasters attend a weekend workshop, which simulates a real-life youth hunt. They must be certified by the TWA and be willing to give up an additional weekend or two for hunts each year.
   Other volunteers are usually parents of the young hunters. They help set up camps, prepare meals and provide transportation. No hard labor is involved.
   "We're looking for men and women who are patient and sociable and good with children," Rosales said. "Obviously, hunting experience is a plus, but it's not necessary. Just someone who loves the outdoors and who is willing to promote the heritage."
   Lastly, young hunters are needed.
   Participants must complete a hunter education course. A parent or other adult must accompany each child. The maximum cost for a parent and child for each hunt is $55. But in some cases, this donation is waived. Hunters are accepted between the ages of 9 and 17.
   Several South Texas youth hunts are scheduled for this season, starting with one slated for Nov. 16. As of now, others are scheduled for January and March.
   But the numbers of hunts depends on the number of offers from landowners and the number of applications received from young wannabe hunters
  
  

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