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SPORTS


August 15, 1996

Dove hunting easier, license hunting harder

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By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer

Dove hunters should have an easier time bagging their quarry in the
Trans-Pecos this year, but may have a tougher time getting their license
to do so.
Texas Parks & Wildlife officials said hunting in the area is expected to
be better this year, when the mourning dove season gets underway on
Sept. 1. But before then, getting a license will probably take longer
and definitely cost more than a year ago, according to Larry Windham of
Gibson's True Value in Pecos.
Windham's store is one of the area locations where hunting licenses can
by purchased, but he said for 1996, "We not longer stock hunting
licenses. They're going to be computer generated now."
Gibson's has a terminal connected to the TP&W's main computer in Austin.
Hunters will have to provide their Social Security number, along with
other information to be sent to Austin before a hunting and/or fishing
permit can be printed out.
"People need to get their licenses early, because it takes longer now,
and they're going to have to stand in line," Windham said, while adding
the new system does make license renewal easier for persons who already
have the new computerized driver's licenses.
The state has required retailers to take training courses to sell the
new hunting licenses. In part due to that, Brownlee Hardware won't be
selling licenses this year, while Wal-Mart will, but can't right now,
since they haven't gotten a worker certified yet on the new system.
The fee for the license itself has gone up this year, to $19 for either
a hunting or fishing license, or $32 for the combined license. TP&W is
also offering a $49 license that includes hunting and fishing, as well
as state stamps for all other TP&W seasons.
Windham said his store would be closed the first two days of September
for Labor Day weekend, when the 1996 season gets underway in both the
North and Central Zones.
The dividing line will again bisect Pecos this year, with I-20 serving
as the break between the North and Central Zones from the I-10 junction
in western Reeves County, to the I-30 junction west of Fort Worth. The
line continues westward on I-10 to Fort Hancock, where the Central Zone
ends, and runs east along I-30 to the Arkansas state line.
Hunting seasons this year are Sept. 1 to Oct. 30 in the North Zone and
Sept. 1-Oct. 19 and Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in the Central Zone.
Hunting in the South Zone runs from Sept. 20 to Nov. 7 this fall, and
from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5. The South Zone runs from Del Rio to San Antonio
on U.S. 90 and from there to the Louisiana state line on I-10.
State officials are expecting between 35 and 50 million mourning doves
to be produced across Texas this year, and TP&W wildlife division deputy
director Ron George said that since the birds can travel upwards of 20
miles per day during nesting season and prefer watering and feeding in
relatively dry areas, bird activity could actually improve this year.
"If there is seed on the ground, dry weather usually makes it easier for
the doves to feed. They prefer feeding on open ground where they can get
to the vegetation and they like land on dry ground near tanks and lakes
when watering," George said in the TP&W's July 29 newsletter.
Alpine biologist Mike Hobson said in this area, "Native seed production
availability and distribution throughout the Trans-Pecos far exceeds
that of last year. Hunters should plan on late evening hunts around
stock tanks, springs or seeps which provide permanent water sources."
Shooting hours are from 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset. Bag limit
is 15 mourning, white winged and white tipped dove in the aggregate,
including no more than 6 white winged and two white tipped doves per
day. Possession limit is 30 doves in the aggregate, including no more
than 12 white winged and 4 white tipped doves.
The special white winged dove hunting zone again includes the border
counties in the Rio Grande Valley from Del Rio to Brownsville. Mourning
dove hunting there ends Nov. 3, while the white winged season is the
weekends of Sept. 7-8 and Sept. 14-15 from noon to sunset.
Bag limits in that zone are 10 doves in the aggregate, with no more than
5 mourning and 2 white tipped doves per day. Possession limit is 20 in
the aggregate, with no more than 10 mourning and 4 white-tipped doves.

Hancheys win Rotary golf's top flight title

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The team of Perry and Chad Hanchey took top honors in the First Flight
of the Pecos Rotary Club's Adult-Youth Golf Tournament, held Saturday
and Sunday at the Reeves County Golf Course.
The two shot a 63-63-126 to beat out Mike and Jeff Hensley, who fired a
62-65-127. Third place went to Ronald Miller and Gary Moorehead, who
shot a 63-72-135.
A total of 24 teams were entered in four flights of the tournament. In
the Second Flight, Mike Ortiz and Lee Lyles won with a 70-66-136 score,
one stroke up on Bob Hopper and Chad Andes, who shot a 70-67-137. Bill
Cooksey and Jonathan Johns were third, at 73-70-143.
In the Third Flight, J.C. White and Kim Clark won with a 76-70-146
total. Don and Casey Love were second, with a 75-74-149, while Louise
Cassell and Taryn McNeil shot a 78-72-150 for third.
Jerry Patterson and Amanda Stickels won the Fourth Flight, with a
80-74-154 score, while Ronnie Daniel and Courtney Freeman were second,
at 81-75-156. Third went to Jimmy and Trent Riley, who won on a chip-off
after a two hole playoff.

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Eagles plan Saturday grid events

The first scrimmage of the preseason for the Pecos Eagles is still
eight days away, but two events for fans are scheduled for this Saturday.

Eagles' coach Mike Belew said Wednesday that the players will be
dressed out for individual and team pictures Saturday afternoon between
1 and 2 p.m. at Eagle Stadium, while the Pecos Eagles Booster Club will
be holding a watermelon and cantaloupe feast from 7-9 p.m. Saturday in
the Pecos High School cafeteria to meet the players and support the new
coaches.

"Any parents who want to can come out and take pictures of their kids
on Saturday," said Belew, who took over as Eagles' coach at
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD athletic director this past April.

The first of the Eagles' two preseason scrimmages will be at home on
Aug. 23 against the Crane Golden Cranes. Pecos scrimmages Greenwood at
Midland on Aug. 30, opens regular season play in Lamesa on Sept. 6, and
plays their home opener on Sept. 13 against the Alpine Bucks.

Two-a-days are continuing for Pecos, with the second half of practice
seet for 8-10 p.m. both tonight and Friday at Eagle Stadium.

Oilers' fan support hits dry hole

By MICHAEL A. LUTZ
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON - Don McLachlan is living a marketing executive's nightmare.

He's not trying to sell snow in Alaska, but the assignment might be
nearly as difficult - selling Houston Oilers tickets until the team
defects to Tennessee.

As senior vice president for marketing, it's McLachlan's job to entice
fans into the stands. And like any good salesman, he's is putting a
positive spin - as positive as he can, anyway - on the situation.

``We're heading into uncharted waters,'' McLachlan said. ``No team has
ever had a situation like this before. We're at the point where we're
trying to be aggressive and customer-oriented and take care of
everybody.''

The first indication of how difficult it will be to sell tickets came
Saturday, when only 12,851 showed up to see the Oilers beat Indianapolis
16-12 in their first home exhibition game this season.

It was the smallest crowd to see an Oilers game in the Astrodome and
would be dwarfed by throngs at many Texas high school football games.

Phyllis Dorrough of Friendswood, watched the game from her regular seat
at the dome, renewed her season tickets despite the perceived betrayal
by Oilers owner Bud Adams.

``I'm disgusted with Bud, but these guys (players) have nothing to do
with him,'' she said. ``I come to see the Oilers play. Sometimes they
play football and sometimes they don't. I don't come to put stars in
Bud's crown.''

Adams has become one of the most-despised men in Houston over the years.
He threatened to move the team to Jacksonville in 1987 but agreed to
stay when the county spent millions to upgrade the Astrodome.

Taxpayers are still paying for that, even as the Oilers have a foot out
the door to Nashville. The move is expected to come before the 1998
season.

The Astrodome work Adams demanded also meant tearing out the dome's
exploding scoreboard, long a fan favorite.

``He pulled that Jacksonville thing,'' Ms. Dorrough said. ``Every time
you turn around he was saying if he didn't get this or that, he would
take his club and go.''

``I came to the Astrodome the first year they built it, and that
scoreboard was fantasy. It had everything, and he took it away.''

Rice sociologist Stephen Klineburg, who regularly surveys attitudes
among Houstonians, believes Adams' tactics over the years had much to do
the fact that the city did little to keep him.

Adams began negotiations with Nashville after his demand for a new
taxpayer-funded stadium in Houston were rejected.

``If it had been anybody else, there's a good chance that the public
would have been much more insistent that something be done to keep the
Oilers,'' Klineburg said.

``He's just a very bad politician, very ineffective in building the
necessary sort of loyalty and commitments to the fans that's so
crucial.''

McLachlan is trying to keep season-ticket sales from dropping to
disastrous levels, but the early returns aren't good.

The Oilers have sold just over 13,000 season tickets this year, compared
to 31,000 at this time a year ago. Sales topped out at 35,000 last
season, but there's little hope of attaining anywhere near that this
year.

McLachlan has hit the corporate trail in his attempt to hawk blocks of
season tickets. The Oilers are using telemarketing extensively for the
first time and they've also introduced two sets of four-game mini-season
ticket packages.

The message is simple: Plenty of good seats remain available.

``People are realizing that for the first time ever, there are good
season tickets available,'' McLachlan said. ``Some people have used the
situation to upgrade their tickets.''

Donald and Elizabeth Chachere - he likes the Oilers, she likes the
Cowboys - have been season-ticket holders five years and took advantage
of the wider selection to move from the end zone around to the goal
line.

``It's still the only game in town,'' Chachere said. ``It allowed us to
upgrade. It's nice to get out of the end zone.''

The most important part of the ticket equation will be a successful
season on the field.

``If we don't win, it won't matter what anyone else does,'' quarterback
Chris Chandler said. ``The place will be empty.''

McLachlan agreed.

``That's pretty much the feeling I get, too,'' he said. ``We'll have a
lot of excitement and anticipation for the year and if this team does
well, they'll come because it's NFL football.''

That may not be enough for some fans.

``I don't see why we have to keep giving,'' Donald Chachere said. ``With
the kind of money they throw around, they could pay for it themselves.

``We just paid $11 for two drinks and a dog. I don't see why they need
help.''

State and Regional Sports Pages--San Angelo Standard-Times


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Copyright 1996 by Pecos Enterprise
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
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