Raising and Catching Catfish

By Stephen Graham

The channel catfish,one of the best tasting and sport friendly fish made for the rod angler. I believe that this fish reigns supreme in it's habitat. A fish made for fishing by kids of all ages. you can have a good time catching and eating this fish. Watch out for it's fins and have a pair of pliers or skin pullers at the ready and you will be prepared for a great experience. Chicken liver reigns supreme as bait to catch him. There are also many baits ready made by manufacturers to get him on your hook . Since the channel grows to such large proportions,a large hook and tough terminal gear should be used. I have kids and grandchildren who love to fish. Bass need bigger areas of water in which to live and grow large. Sun fish and bream are okay but they do not grow to large sizes. Kids love to catch the smaller fish but are especially delighted to have a change of pace and have a chance to hook into Mr. whiskers.

I wanted an area where my children could have fun in a clean environment. I had a stock tank built on my property for a reasonable cost. I started to build a fishing pier by myself.The rains came and the pond began to fill up with water. Any ideas that I had in my head about putting post supports in the ground for the pier were dashed. I obtained 55 gallon non metal drums at a reasonable cost and began to work. I built the floating pier next to the waters' edge without the use of any electricity. I used drills that worked off of batteries and hammer and nails, I used treated wood and spiral nails that would not rust in the elements. I used my 6 year old as a pilot to test the stability of my project. After several dunks in the water I added structure onto the pier until it was very stable. I added a box structure on the end of the pier to hold one of my deer feeders. I cut a hole in the bottom and bolted the feeder down. Since I was one person and trying to find the most simple and most efficient means for building, I installed ropes on both sides in two locations. The ropes were secured to trees on the shoreline. The ropes could be secured so that they would not interfere with your fishing. This setup also aids levity in the natural rise and fall of water levels.

I went on a shopping trip to one of the local fish hatcheries, I came away with several hundred channel catfish in plastic bags, The fingerlings averaged from 4-6 inches long. I had already procured cat fish chow from one of the local feed stores. Dog food will do just as well. I put the pellets into the feeder and set the timer to discharge feed early in the morning and about 1 hour before sunset. Monitoring the quantity of pellets released can give you a good idea of how much the fish are actually eating and how much is waste. I changed the batteries in the feeder occasionally and watched as the fish came up to feed on the floating pellets. Catfish do not eat as much in winter months, so adjust the feed output accordingly. I waited until the fish reached a certain length before fishing was allowed.

After 2 1/2 years wait the kids and family were catching catfish that weighed 8 pounds. We had many fish fries where many families were fed. My kids and family looked forward to going fishing at the stock tank and many good times were enjoyed by us all. Outdoor activities like fishing are good ways for kids and adults to spend their leisure time. In this instance we were bringing a lot of food home to the larder. MY son developed an affinity for the outdoors and now my grandchildren are beginning to reap the rewards of my efforts so many years ago.

Stephen Graham-Avid outdoors man has spent his life in Texas fishing and hunting.

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Deer Hunting Guns in Texas

By Stephen Graham

Are you planning your first deer hunting trip in Texas or are you a seasoned veteran? The Texas white tailed deer is not overly large as deer go. Deer up in the northern parts of the country and Canada tend to get larger. The hunters in Texas are blessed with a prolific deer herd that covers a good part of the state. Though the deer are not overly large they do require certain caliber requirements. Anything 22 caliber or below is considered verbotten and illegal in the state. The bigger caliber rifles tend to have harder bullets that will not expand as readily as the smaller calibers. I would not suggest the 416 Remington Magnum that I used on a buffalo hunt several years ago as a good choice for deer sized game.

Calibers from the 243 Remington up to the 30 caliber magnums are widely used here in the state. The magnums tend to be used more in open country where long shots are considered the norm. The 30-06 is a very versatile choice for any type of hunting The 243 Remington is adequate but should only be used with 100 grain bullets. Any caliber that will bring about a quick and humane kill is just about right for white tail hunting. Shorter barrels are better suited to confined spaces,tree stands,hunting blinds and the deep woods where vegetation might become a problem with longer barrels. In the deep woods where shots are not overly long,the lever action with its' associated calibers will fill the bill quite nicely. The 30-30 Winchester with a 170 grain bullet works like lightening on deer. My personal favorite is a 45-70 that I handload up to about 2,000 f.p.s. I use a hollow point which has given me nothing but complete satisfaction. I usually find the spent bullet up against the hide of the deer. It uses all of it's stored energy inside of the deer where it will do the most good. The innards of a deer are usually reduced to confetti size material with this round.

I have used the 243 to blow fist sized holes in deer. This limits their activities and stops a tracking job that might have to be done at night. The 35 Remington is more dramatic on deer than the 30-30. The 30-06 or it's cousin the 308 with 150 and 180 grain bullets tend to bring a hunting situation to a quick closeure. I like the lever action calibers that use blunt nose bullets.The blunt nose bullets have a more dramatic effect on game than their sharper nosed counterparts. You don't need specialty bullets for deer except for use in the big magnums. You need tough bullets at the speed some of these calibers are attaining.

I own a 30-378 Weatherby magnum in which I only use Barnes x and Nosler bullets in hunting situations I have shot deer with this caliber at extreme ranges. The rifle and caliber combination works well along with it's component 6x20 scope. You have to match the conditions to your choice of caliber. A rifle that works wonderfully at long range would not necessarily be the right choice for the deep woods.

Hand guns for hunting have become very popular in recent years. Most of the single shots like the Contender and Encore in correct calibers will do the job nicely. The 44 magnum,45 colt,454 casull and the new Smith and Wesson handguns are right on target. The 460 Smith and Wesson with it's great engineering and radical bullets will shoot as true as a rifle up to about 200 yards.

Pair the right caliber to your style of hunting. Resist the temptation to get too large of a boomer. You will not be able to shoot it as acurately as a smaller caliber and it might lead you into a habit of flinching with every shot. This habit does nothing at all to enhance your accuracy. African hunters long ago realized that a heavy bullet travelling about 2400 f.p.s. was about the best medicine for their tasks at hand. A light and fast bullet at close ranges tended to blow up and disentergrate on the hide with little internal harm to the animal. Enjoy your sport and be safe with your firearms. Following these guidelines will enable a growing number of hunters to participate in this ritual year after year.

Stephen Graham- Avid hunter and outdoorsman has hunted in Texas and other states.

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Deer Hunting in Texas-Synonym for White Tail Deer

The big state of Texas is synonymous with white tail deer hunting. Because it is so big there are different ways to hunt them in completely different landscapes.

Hunting in south Texas is usually done on big privately owned ranches. Most deer hunting in Texas is done on private land. The bigger the horns, the bigger the price tag. Usually when you think of big deer and horns you think of south Texas. Hunting towards Abilene out west usually rewards you with good results. Going north towards the red river involves trees and open spaces. Hunting east towards Louisiana puts you in a completely different geographic area. There you will find trees and more trees and forests beyond comprehension.

Out east the bag limits are usually smaller than the rest of the state, except in years of overpopulation when extra tags are offered. In the past a limit of five deer was offered in Brown county. On one hunt in Brown county our hunting party spotted hundreds of deer in an hours worth of scouting on the ranch. On an area in the next county over a scouting trip intense scouting revealed no tracks at all. The owner offered to let us hunt on his private ranch down by the river if we did not connect on a deer by the closing dates of the season. Down by Athens,Texas, the deer are big but become nocturnal with little hunting pressure. we travel down to Junction,Texas and the deer are easy to see because they readily come to feeders because generally the land is poor and food is scarce. Out east during times of huge acorn production ,deer are hard to come by because they will not come to feeders during day light hours. All they have to do is travel a few yards to get their nourishment from fallen acorns. Down south food plots are very advantageous. Baiting with corn down the senderos is a fixed practice,with very good results. Heat is the downside to Hunting in Texas. Temperature in the 80s are sometimes the norm in this area.

What I am beginning to see in Texas is a plan to gather deer with good genes from all over the state and reintroduce quality deer to that specific area. There are a great many ranches all over the state that offer high fences,quality deer, bunking facilities.airport pick up service,quality guides,carcass preparation and meat and taxidermy services. The culinary services at these places is usually quite good also.

Deer feeders are the norm in Texas. To be within the law you must have these feeders in operation for a certain time period. Hunters on a restricted budget can get a public hunting permit. There are not many things more relaxing than sitting at your favorite deer site and enjoying the moment. For a more competitive hunt you can venture to some of the better ranches where management practices are in effect. Some ranches that I have hunted require the harvesting of only bucks that are 8 points or better. You had better not harvest anything smaller or you will pay for the oversight out of your pocket book.

Have a safe and enjoyable hunting season putting your wits up against the master of the woods. The wily whitetail deer has made many of us seem like rank amateurs. Year after year we pursue this crafty veteran of camouflage and escape. For those of us that are hooked , we never tire of the challenge and the time spent outdoors with one of the craftiest animals on earth. Hunt safe and hunt hard and maybe this season you will be rewarded with new knowledge and a far greater respect for the white tailed deer. Adios amigos

Stephen Graham-Avid hunter and outdoorsman has years of experience hunting in Texas and other states. Other interests include fishing and Indian lore and artifacts.

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Habanero Hot Sauce – Beware!
By Chris McCarthy

The Habanero hot sauce is an icon amongst all the various types of hot sauces that are available in the market. Chili peppers are fruits of plants hailing from the Capsicum genre and Habanero happens to be the most spicy and hot pepper in this lineage. The habanero pepper is a small lantern, round or oblong shaped pepper with small creases and the colors range from green to bright orange when ripe. The habanero’s size can vary from 1" - 2.5" in length and 1" - 2" in diameter and it is the hottest chile on the Scoville scale, with an intense flaming, flowery flavor.

The habanero pepper is believed to have originated in Cuba and the word Habanero means "From Havana". Cuba is also where the hottest of all Habanero peppers is from. This habanero is named the Red Savina Habanero, which has even made to the Guinness Book of World Records as the “world’s hottest spice”. The Habanero is local to the Caribbean, Cuba, Yucatan, Texas, California and north coast of South America.

The Habanero hot sauce, as the name suggests, is made from this legendary Habanero pepper and is famed to be the hottest sauce around.

The sizzling Habanero Hot Sauce with its trademark tangy, lemony-flavor and flowery fragrance is a popular accompaniment in cuisines all around the world. However, not all Habanero sauces are equally hot. The heat intensity depends on the type of Habanero pepper being used.

The Habanero pepper hot sauce is produced by varied manufacturers. For instance, Ashley Food Co. offers an unique Habanero flavored flaming Mad Cat hot sauce, while Dave Gourmet’s Dave’s Insanity hot sauce is a veritable raging hot sauce. With your tongue and the entire intestinal tract up in flames, you would realize what made Dave insane.

Amongst the Habanero pepper hot sauce, there are interesting variations like the Florida-based Hog’s Ass Garlic Habanero pepper hot sauce. This is an inimitable blend of fresh vegetable juice, vinegar and garlic and has the entire state swooning over it.

Hot sauce manufacturers have come up many different kinds of Habanero sauces like the Habanero pepper hot sauce From Hell and befitting the name, this hot sauce releases hellish heat. Another hell raiser is the tomato-based Paw-Paws Snake Bite hot sauce or Idiot Boys Habanero Hot Sauce. This 2005 Scovie Award Winner proves its merit with a piquant taste that is sure to set off the fire alarms.

There are countless numbers of hot sauces doing the rounds but nothing quite matches the habanero variety in zing and definitely the intense heat that it can generate. No wonder, the Habanero Hot Sauce has been catapulted to a cult status among sauce lovers of the world.

Chris McCarthy is the owner of InsaneChicken's Hot Sauce and BBQ Sauce Catalog. Check out the large selection of hot sauces on http://www.InsaneChicken.com

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