Outdoors Briefs By Matt Williams

February 2, 2018Tiemann buck nets 209, eclipses Hay buck for youth state record NT

Nine-year old McKenzie Tiemann's 24 pointer from Washington Co. was recently rescored after 60 days drying. The buck now ranks as the new Texas youth state record non-typical with a net score of 209 1/8. (Courtesy Photo)

A 24 point Washington County non-typical buck killed on Oct. 28 by nine-year-old McKenzie Tiemann of Brenham has officially eclipsed the Makayla Hay buck as the Texas Youth State Record for open range non-typicals.

The Hay Buck was killed in November 2012 on a lease along the Trinity River in Madison County. It grosses 213 7/8 and nets 203 1/8.

Tiemann's buck was recently re-scored after a mandatory 60-day drying period by Boone and Crockett scorer Greg Pleasant of Giddings. Pleasant taped the buck at 219 1/8 gross and 209 1/8 net.

Texas Big Game Awards scorer Jeff Shows of Dime Box had originally scored Tiemann's deer at 208 2/8 gross and 198 3/8 net.

Pleasant said he exchanged videos and photos with several other B&C scorers during the re-scoring process so as to settle any discrepancies and make the correct judgement calls when assessing the freak set of antlers.

"It was a challenging deer for sure -- one of the guys up at the B&C headquarters called it a "train wreck," Pleasant said. "It wasn't the most complicated deer I've ever scored, but it was definite a challenge. I wanted to give the deer every bit of credit I possibly could. I probably spent 3-3 1/2 hours on the whole process."

Tiemann shot the big buck off the 120-acre family farm. It came to a feeder located in close proximity the barn where she raises 4-H show cattle.
  
Duck, goose seasons winding down  

Duck and light goose seasons wind to a close on Jan. 28, but don't store those scatterguns just yet. The light goose conservation order kicks in Jan. 29. The special late season for snow and Ross' geese runs through March 18.

It's basically a free-for-all out there when the late conservation season gets underway. The are no daily bag or possession limits, the use of electronic calls is allowed and unplugged shotguns holding more than three shells are legal. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

Hunters are still required to possess a valid Texas hunting license. All hunters 17 years of age or older must possess a state Migratory Game Bird endorsement. Federal law also requires waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and older to have a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp. The stamps are available at some postal offices, TPWD regional field offices and through hundreds of license vendors statewide.

Iles/Shook crack 31.92 in Bass Champs opener

Fishing deep around brush piles and main lake structure paid off for the top teams in the Bass Champs East Division season opener held Jan. 20 on Sam Rayburn.

Danny Iles of Lufkin and Brian Shook of China said they relied on a combination of deep diving crankbaits and Carolina-rigged plastics in water as deep as 30 feet to catch 31.92 pounds on five fish to top the field of 332 boats. They won $20,000 cash.

Harold Allen of Shelbyville and Matt Loetscher of Many, La., took second place with 30.72 pounds, reportedly caught on jigs worked slowly along a deep ledge with brush. They earned $7,000.

The weights fell off significantly from there with a tie for third at 23.49. Four other teams cracked the 20-pound mark and it took 13.74 pounds to get paid in 44th place.

Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by e-mail, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.