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Complete Forecast for  Sep 07 2008

TOP JOBS

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced Monday Wildlife Division director Mike Berger will retire Oct. 31.

Berger joined the department in 1997. He became the wildlife director in 2003. During Berger’s time as the division director the statewide acreage under approved wildlife management plans expanded from 14.5 million acres to more than 22 million acres involving 6,000 landowners. The division also expanded public hunting opportunities, implemented new state-of-the-art wildlife surveys in response to an external science review, and developed and began implementing the Texas Wildlife Action Plan to proactively aid hundreds of wildlife species before they become rare by studying, restoring and protecting critical habitats.

Berger is a graduate of Texas A&M. Besides the department he has also worked in wildlife with the Southwest Primate Research Center in Kenya, a Recreation and Parks Specialist with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, the National Wildlife Federation’s Assistant Director of Conservation, Ducks Unlimited and several private corporations.

TPWD Executive Director Carter Smith said a nationwide search will be conducted to fill the wildlife director position.

Rose City Flying Clays will hold its monthly sporting clays fun shoot Saturday.

Shooting will begin at 10 a.m. Cost is $35 per shooter.

The range has been revamped to 12 stations.

The range is located on County Road 485, one mile north of Loop 323.

For more information call 903 597-3345.

The Oklahoma Sooners won the inaugural Collegiate Bass Anglers Association Big 12 Championship June 21-22.

The Sooners team brought in team limits both days for a total of 50.13 pounds, almost 15 pounds more than second-place Texas Tech.

OU had home lake advantage while fishing on Lake Eufaula, which is about 130 miles east of Norman.

Tech took second by less than half a pound over Oklahoma State, which was penalized half a pound for bringing in a dead fish.

Seven of the Big 12 schools competed, but among those not present was Texas A&M, which is ranked second in the nation behind Virginia Tech in the latest CBAA rankings. OU is ranked sixth, Kansas State 14th and Tech 16th.

Texas artist Jack Cowan was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award and Texas Parks & Wildlife Commissioner John Parker of Lufkin was presented with the 2008 Man of the Year Award at Recreational Fishing Alliance’s (RFA) annual Texas banquet recently in Clear Lake.

Cowan, who died Friday in Tennessee, has been Texas’ leading outdoors artist for more than 40 years and has worked to support sportfishing, duck, quail and other outdoor groups, giving of both his time and his artistic talents.

His paintings have appeared as cover art and illustrations in such magazines as Sports Afield, Outdoor Life, Fortune, Life, Look and Esquire.

He was named Texas State artist in 1978-79, has been awarded silver medals by the Houston Artists Guild and is past Artist of the Year for Ducks Unlimited.

He was selected one of the top 12 contemporary artists on the 100th anniversary of Sports Afield magazine.

Cowan and the late Perry Bass of Fort Worth were key figures in getting the Texas Legislature to ban netting to protect in Texas bays in the 1970s.

Parker was presented with RFA-Texas’ 2008 Man of Year Award in recognition of his tireless efforts on behalf of Texas coastal fishermen.

Parker has attended Texas and National Marine Fisheries management meeting along the Texas Gulf Coast, in Austin and in other states when issues could impact Texas. He’s working to ensure sensible regulations which protect recreational fishermen and the coastal economies and jobs that depend on recreational fishing, to prevent damage to coastal resources by commercial interests and has an open door policy to listen to the concerns of Texas citizens.

Tournament Results
Tyler Bass Club
Lake Jacksonville

Jason Martin, 5 bass 21-3

Clay Martin, 4 bass, 16-4

Billy Taylor, 2 bass, 9-5

Big Bass: (tie) Taylor and Johnny Crocker, 5-14.

Bassmasters of East Texas

Red River

David Murphy, Frankston, 5 bass, 11.36

J.P. Duran, Flint, 5 bass, 10.59

Dale Jackson, Van, 5 bass, 10.16

Big Bass: Jackson, 4.48