We recently called Strong Skirt TX to come to the rescue to replace a very weathered and worn out skirting that was on our home. We researched many different types of materials and when we came across Strong Skirt, we knew we had landed at our destination. The metal skirting is wind resistant up to 100MPH, it is weed eater proof, affordable, and has a 40 year valspar finish paint, so we know it will stand up to the test of time better than all the alternatives. We highly recommend you give them a call and check out their website for more information!
​~GB

I first learned about the One80 headlight when the company held a kickstarter campaign roughly two years ago. I remember seeing an ad and thinking this was a truly ingenious product. Being a hunter, hiker, outdoorsmen and a dad, there has been many times when a good headlamp has come in handy.

What is unique about the One80 Light is that the LED lights cover 180 degrees of your vision – a truly first of its kind peripheral light - so you don’t have to move or turn to light up whatever is around you…this alone sent me to their campaign immediately to purchase one of the One80 Lights. It is worn like a headband and is super comfortable and not hot at all.
 
I can’t tell you how many times I have used it since I first purchased one. Around the house, I have used it to install ceiling fans (kinda hard to do in the dark), to work under the hood of my truck or my wife’s car, to find all those Christmas decorations that hide in the far corners of the attic, and for going to check the brakers when the electricity was knocked out during a storm.
 
At the ranch, I have also used the light to walk to my deer stand countless times. Using a normal headlamp would light up the pathway wherever I was looking. With the One80 Light, I was able to see my pathway, and all the areas around me. With a few types of venomous snakes in our hunting areas, you want more light, not less! One80 Lights will surely give you the comfort of being able to see more than your tradition headlamps. I used my One80 at night to fill feeders when it gets too dang hot to work in the middle of the day here in Texas. I have also used it when working under the hood of tractors and other farm implements. There are countless uses for the One80 Light!
 
Recently my wife mentioned she wanted to get her own One80 Light, so I ordered our second one on the One80Light.com website – and learned that it now has two illumination settings and comes with an improved battery – with 3 hours on high or 7+ on the low setting! The batteries are rechargeable via an included USB cable. I know it is only April, but I just finished my Christmas shopping early. Everyone is getting a One80 Light! Just keep this on the down low…don’t want to spoil their surprise!
 
UPDATE: check out the TREK Belt below! You can have a One80 headlamp and a One80 Belt - you so can run, walk, work, and more - in what feels like daylight conditions! 

A couple weeks ago, we ordered some custom Map My Ranch hats from Steve Freeman at Circle 66 Outfitters - and let me tell you, we were blown away with the quality and prices! We will definitely be doing business with them again, and suggest you do as well!

When you get a chance, go check out Circle66's website to check out their full line of custom embroidery and printing products:  www.circle66.com

If you want a free sample of our new foldable, tear-proof, water resistant WeatherProof maps, send us an email with your address and we'll send you a sample 4" x 6" in the mail for you to check out.

If you are looking for a unique and impressive gift for your favorite hunter, rancher, or landowner, you've come to the right place. We can create a custom map for you to gift, to be delivered in time for the Holidays! You can either create a map for us to design, print, and ship, or you can purchase a Gift Certificate to gift! If you want us to deliver a finished map, we will have to have you approve the Draft Map no later than December 15th this year, to guarantee a Dec 25th delivery. However, you can purchase a Gift Certificate anytime, 24/7 on our Products page and then print out a Gift Certificate to fill out to give the gift of a custom map! Feel free to call or email us if you have any questions, or to get started, visit the Products page, today. Happy Holidays for the Map My Ranch crew!

We are excited to announce our latest mapping product: WeatherProof Maps! After months of testing new printable products, we have developed the highest quality maps that are tear proof, water resistant, and foldable! While we are still offering our laminated maps (that are dry erase friendly), we recommend that you check out the WeatherProof Maps, especially if you are looking to get Field Maps made. WeatherProof Field Maps can be sized to fit your property. Our minimum order is (2) 12" x18" Field Maps, but we also offer them individually in the following sizes: 18" x 24", 24" x 36", and 36" x 48" (our large poster sized product). We can make larger maps as well, if you need something bigger. Please take a look at our Products page for more information, and if you have any questions, please feel free to call or email us today! Thanks again for visiting our website!

~George Blitch
george@mapmyranch.com
713-302-2028

Bob Lemmons was one of the greatest mustangers of all time. He became a legend in his day by perfecting his unique method of catching wild mustang horses. 

Robert Lemmons was born a slave in Lockport, Caldwell County, Texas in 1848. He moved to Dimmit County, Texas; then a sparsely uninhabited land overrun by wild horses. Lemmons gained his freedom at the end of the Civil War at age seventeen. He found employment with Duncan Lammons, a man who taught him about horses and gave Robert the surname “Lemmons,” (a variant spelling that evolved over the years). Robert Lemmons farmed, hauled supplies, and went on cattle drives for Duncan Lammons. 

No other cowboy equaled Lemmons in capturing mustangs, which were in high demand for roundups during the cattle drive era of the 1870s and 1880s. Lemmons usually worked alone totally isolating himself from humans to gain a mustang herd's trust and thereby infiltrate the heard.  He then uprooted the herd hierarchy by mounting the lead stallion and then taking control of the herd, which followed him into a pen on a nearby ranch. 
​
In 1870 at age twenty-two, Robert Lemmons had earned a small fortune of $1,000 for gathering wild mustangs.  He bought his own ranch and learned how to read and write. Eleven years later he married Barbarita Rosales, a Chicana, on September 3, 1881.  The couple had eight children. During his life Robert Lemmons had amassed 1,200 acres of land and impressive holdings of horses and cattle.  With his own financial security achieved, Robert and Barbarita Lemmons became well known as people who helped their neighbors during the Great Depression.  Robert Lemmons died on December 23, 1947 at the age of ninety-nine years.
​
(reference: http://www.blackpast.org)

I will try to get some better pictures of his rifle, but this was a shotgun he used as his primary weapon during his days on the frontier. Bob Lemmons carved out an Indian chief into the buttstock of the rifle, as seen in this photos below. Bob faced many dangers on the open rang while tracking and managing the wild mustangs, so this rifle was used not only for procuring food, but also for his own defense. 

Black Cowboy, Wild Horses
by Julius Lester and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
​
"He could make horses think he was one of them. Bob Lemmons is famous for his ability to track wild horses. He rides his horse, Warrior, picks up the trail of mustangs, then runs with them day and night until they accept his presence. Bob and Warrior must then challenge the stallion for leadership of the wild herd. A victorious Bob leads the mustangs across the wide plains and for one last spectacular run before guiding them into the corral. Bob's job is done, but he dreams of galloping with Warrior forever -- to where the sky and land meet.This splendid collaboration by an award-winning team captures the beauty and harshness of the frontier, a boundless arena for the struggle between freedom and survival. Based on accounts of Bob Lemmons, a former slave, Black Cowboy, Wild Horses has been rewritten as a picture book by Julius Lester from his story "The Man Who Was a Horse" in Long Journey Home, first published by Dial in 1972."

Black Cowboys of Texas
edited by Sara R. Massey
"In the early days of Texas, the work of the cowhand was essential to the newly arrived settlers building a life on the frontier. The story of the Anglo cowboys who worked the ranches of Texas is well known, but much more remains to be discovered about the African American cowhands who worked side-by-side with the vaqueros and Anglo cowboys.The cowboy learned his craft from the vaqueros of New Spain and Texas when it was the northern territory of Mexico, as well as from the stock raisers of the South. Such a life was hardly glamorous. Poorly fed, underpaid, overworked, deprived of sleep, and prone to boredom and loneliness, cowboys choked in the dust, were cold at night, and suffered broken bones in falls and spills from horses spooked by snakes or tripped by prairie dog holes. Work centered on the fall and spring roundups, when scattered cattle were collected and driven to a place for branding, sorting for market, castrating, and in later years, dipping in vats to prevent tick fever.African American cowboys, however, also had to survive discrimination, bigotry, and prejudice. The lives of these cowhands tell a story of skill and grit, as they did what was necessary to gain the trust and respect of those who controlled their destiny. That meant being the best -- at roping, bronc busting, taming mustangs, calling the brands, controlling the remuda, or topping off horses.From scattered courthouse records, writings, and interviews with a few of the African American cowhands who were part of the history of Texas, Sara R. Massey and a host of writers have retrieved the stories of a more diverse cattle industry than has been previously recorded.Twenty-five writers here recounttales of African Americans such as Peter Martin, who hauled freight and assisted insurgents in a rebellion against the Mexican government while building a herd of cattle that allowed him to own (through a proxy) rental houses in town. Bose Ikard, a friend of Charles Goodnight, went on Goodnight's first cattle drive, opening the Goodnight-Loving Trail. Johanna July, a Black Seminole woman, had her own method of taming horses in the Rio Grande for the soldiers at Fort Duncan.These cowhands, along with others across the state, had an important role that has been too long omitted from most history books. By telling their stories, Black Cowboys of Texas provides an important contribution to Texas, Western, and African American history."

The Mustangs
by J. Frank Dobie

J. Frank Dobie’s history of the “mustang”—from the Spanish mesteña, an animal belonging to (but strayed from) the Mesta, a medieval association of Spanish farmers—tells of its impact on the Spanish, English, and Native cultures of the West. In this book, Dobie explores the cultural past of the Mustangs, and includes wonderful stories from Bob Lemmons, who Dobie claimed as "the most original Mustanger I ever met". Lemmons explained, "I acted like I was a mustang. I made the mustangs think I was one of them. Maybe in them days I was. After I stayed with a bunch long enough they'd foller me instid of me having to foller them. Show them you're the boss. That's the secret."

Below is a story, published in the Journal of the Texas Trophy Hunters, by George Bowe Blitch

MANAGED LANDS DEER PROGRAM INFORMATION 
2017-2018 
General Requirements 
The Managed Lands Deer Program (MLDP) is intended to foster and support sound management and stewardship of native wildlife and wildlife habitats on private lands in Texas. Deer harvest is an important aspect of habitat management and conservation. Landowners enrolled in either the MLDP Harvest Option or Conservation Option are able to take advantage of extended season lengths and liberalized harvest opportunities. 
Application and General Enrollment Information 
 MLDP participation is completely voluntary. Once enrolled program participants must meet MLDP requirements for the year of enrollment. 
 Applicants seeking to enroll in either the MLDP Harvest or Conservation Option must complete an online application through Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s Land Management Assistance Application in the Texas Wildlife Information Management Services (TWIMS). The application will require the landowner to create an account and to draw a property boundary in the online system. 
o Note: an email address is required for the landowner and any designated agents the landowner may assign to the account. 
 Deadline to withdraw from MLDP participation is September 15 of each year. The applicant must formally withdraw from MLDP through the department’s online web application in TWIMS. 
o If the applicant fails to withdraw from MLDP by the deadline, no deer harvest may occur on the enrolled property except in accordance with MLDP rules during the enrollment year. 
 A landowner may appoint a person to act as the landowner’s authorized agent for the purposes of MLDP participation. Authorization of a designated agent will be completed through TWIMS. 
 Multiple landowners may combine contiguous low-fenced tracts of land to create an aggregate acreage for enrollment in the MLDP Harvest or Conservation Option. 


Tag Issuance and Tagging Information 
 MLDP tags are issued to a program participant (either the landowner or designated agent). 
o The program participant will be responsible for printing and distributing MLDP tags issued for the enrolled property (tags are no longer mailed from TPWD). A PDF document that contains the tags will be created upon acceptance of the harvest recommendation by the program participant. Program participants may access their online account and print the tags at any time after acceptance of the harvest recommendation. 
o MLDP tags may be printed on any type of paper but the hunter must maintain the tag in legible condition until tagging requirements cease. 

Waterproof paper, plain copy paper, card stock, colored paper, or other paper types are some options participants may use. MLDP tags should be printed on 8 ••• x 11 paper and will fit 6 tags to a page. 
 MLPD tags are valid only for the specific tract of land for which they were issued. 
 A properly executed MLDP tag meets “proof-of-sex” requirements. 
 There is no personal or annual bag limit for the type of deer for which MLDP tags have been issued; however, every deer killed must be tagged with an appropriate MLDP tag. 
 Archery stamp requirements do not apply on the enrolled property for the type of deer for which MLDP tags have been issued (i.e., antlerless, buck). 
 Once MLDP tags have been issued for a property, all deer harvested on the property must be tagged with the appropriate MLDP tag. Hunting license tags may not be used for deer harvested under the authority of a MLDP tag and may not be substituted in lieu of a MLDP tag. 
o Deer that are not subject to the provisions of the MLDP must be tagged with a hunting license tag and the hunter must complete the license log on the back of the hunting license. County season dates, bag limits, legal means of take, and any other restrictions apply. 
 All deer harvested under the authority of MLDP must be immediately tagged with a MLDP tag by the person who killed the deer, unless the person who killed the deer immediately takes the carcass by the most direct route to a tagging station (location where tags are maintained on the enrolled property) where an appropriate MLDP tag shall be attached immediately. 
 The MLDP tag shall remain attached to the carcass until the carcass reaches its final destination. 


Harvest Log Requirements 
 The MLDP program participant is required to maintain a daily harvest log on the tract of land for which MLDP tags have been issued. 
o The daily harvest log shall be on a form provided or approved by the department. 
o The log must be maintained until the last day of tag validity (MLDP season ending date which is printed on the tag). 
o A hunter who kills a deer that is required to be tagged with a MLDP tag must legibly enter the required information in the daily harvest log the same day the deer is killed. A hunter should not list on their hunting license log deer harvested under the authority of a MLDP tag. 
o No MLDP tag and corresponding tag number may be entered into the MLDP harvest log or be used to tag a deer more than once. 
o The harvest log shall be available to any department employee upon request. 



Harvest Option (HO) 
(White-tailed Deer Only) 
The Harvest Option is an automated, ‘do-it-yourself’ option for MLDP participation that provides landowners with a deer harvest recommendation, tag issuance, and general guidance about wildlife and wildlife habitat management. Participation in the Harvest Option does not require habitat management practices, deer population data, or the participant to receive technical assistance from a TPWD wildlife biologist. This option provides enhanced harvest opportunities through longer seasons and enhanced bag limits with minimal involvement from TPWD. Harvest Option participants may still request technical guidance from a TPWD biologist through our technical guidance program, but the MLDP deer harvest recommendations and tag issuance are calculated automatically on a one-time basis through TPWD’s online Land Management Assistance Application in TWIMS and cannot be revised. 
Participation Requirements: 
 Deadline to complete the online application for enrollment in the Harvest Option is September 1 of each year. 
 The MLDP participant must report the number of bucks and does harvested by April 1 of each year. Failure to report harvest numbers by the deadline will result in MLDP tags not being issued for the succeeding season. 


Aggregate Acreage Properties 
 Multiple landowners may combine contiguous tracts of low-fenced properties to create an aggregate acreage for program enrollment. 
 All landowners in the aggregate acreage will be required to create an online account in TWIMS, provide a map of their property boundaries, and acknowledge consent for their properties to be part of the aggregate acreage. 
 Program participants must designate a single participant as a point of contact for the aggregate acreage. 
 MLDP tags issued to the aggregate acreage may be used on any tract of land within the aggregate acreage. 


Tag Issuance: 
 Prior to enrollment, a landowner will be able to preview the tag issuance for that property and decide whether to proceed with enrollment. 
 Tags may only be issued for white-tailed deer under the Harvest Option. Mule deer tag issuance is not available under this option. 
 Program participants may choose a harvest recommendation and MLDP tag issuance for: 



o only buck deer, 
o only antlerless deer, or 
o buck and antlerless deer. 
 If MLDP buck tags are issued, the department will specify harvest recommendations for: 
o tags to be used on any buck, and 
o tags to be used only on bucks with at least one unbranched antler. 
 An equivalent number of MLDP tags will be issued for the number of bucks and/or antlerless deer released (deer obtained from a permitted deer breeder) on the property during the year prior to the current MLDP season. Properties with a department-assigned release site identification number must record that number via the online TWIMS account in order to receive the additional tag issuance. 
 Tag issuance is automated in the Harvest Option and TPWD staff cannot adjust or customize individual harvest recommendations for a property. 


Season Dates 
 Antlerless Deer 
o September 30, 2017 through February 28, 2018. 
 May be taken by any lawful means, including modern firearms. 
 Buck Deer 
o September 30, 2017 through November 3, 2017. 
 Bucks with at least one unbranched antler may be taken with any lawful means, including modern firearms. 
 Any other buck may be taken only with lawful archery equipment. 
o November 4, 2017 through February 28, 2018. 
 Any buck deer may be taken by any lawful means, including modern firearms. 


CONSERVATION OPTION (CO) 
The Conservation Option offers program participants the opportunity to work with a TPWD biologist to receive customized, ranch-specific habitat and deer harvest recommendations and MLDP tag issuance for white-tailed deer and/or mule deer. This option does require the reporting of certain types of deer data as well as completion of specific habitat management practices each year in order to participate and remain in the program. 
Enrollment and Participation Requirements: 
 Deadline to request participation in the Conservation Option is June 15. 
o Applications received after that date will not be enrolled in the Conservation Option for that hunting season, but the applicant may choose to enroll in the Harvest Option. 
 Entry into the Conservation Option requires a department-approved wildlife management plan (WMP) that includes: 


o Deer population data for the two years immediately preceding the application. 
o The number of bucks and does harvested during the two years immediately preceding the application. 
o Documentation of two department-approved habitat management practices conducted during the two years immediately preceding the application on the tract of land to be enrolled in the Conservation Option. 
 Consult with a TPWD biologist for more information on applicable habitat management practices. 
o A WMP may be prepared by TPWD biologist, landowner, or landowner’s designated agent. A WMP prepared by a landowner or an agent must be in a format approved by TPWD and submitted to the cooperating TPWD biologist for approval. MLDP tags will not be issued unless the WMP has been approved by TPWD. 
o The participant must agree to allow site visits at the request of the department to assess habitat management practices and provide guidance and recommendations on habitat and wildlife management. 
 To be eligible for continued program participation in the Conservation Option, a program participant is required to: 
o Provide current year’s deer population data. 
 Note: Additional tag issuance may be authorized on the enrolled property, provided the program participant furnishes survey or other population data that in the opinion of the department justifies additional harvest. 
o Report the number of buck and antlerless deer harvested. 
o Implement three (3) department-approved habitat management practices each year for each enrolled tract of land as specified in the wildlife management plan. 
 Deer harvest may count as a habitat management practice provided an appropriate level of harvest is achieved each year. 
 Supplemental feeding (including non-native food plots and pelleted feed) is NOT considered to be a habitat management practice. Check with your local TPWD biologist for information about acceptable habitat management practices. 
o MLDP participants will automatically be enrolled in MLDP for the next season once all required data are entered into TWIMS by April 1. Participants will need to opt out of MLDP if they do not plan to participate in the upcoming MLDP season. 
 A MLDP participant must annually report the number of bucks and does harvested as well as the minimum of three (3) habitat management practices (as specified in the WMP) conducted on each tract of land enrolled in the Conservation Option. The report deadline is April 1 of each year. 
o Failure to report required data by the deadline will result in removal from the Conservation Option. 


Wildlife Management Associations (WMA) and Cooperatives PWD 1047 – W7000 (2/17) 


 The department may enroll a wildlife management association (WMA) or cooperative in the Conservation Option. 
 A single WMP that addresses all tracts of land within the WMA or cooperative that will be enrolled in the Conservation Option and receive MLDP tag issuance must be submitted to and approved by a TPWD biologist. 
 A WMA or cooperative may choose to receive MLDP tag issuance for: 
o Only antlerless deer. 
 If only antlerless deer tag issuance is chosen, buck deer may be harvested on enrolled properties but are subject to county bag limits, restrictions, season dates, and must be tagged with a hunting license tag. 
o Both buck and antlerless deer. 
 MLDP tags will be issued to the landowner or landowner’s agent of each individual property enrolled under the WMA or cooperative. 
 All program participants of the WMA / cooperative are required to report (via TWIMS) the number of bucks and does harvested as well as the habitat management practices conducted on each property. 
 The WMA or cooperative must collectively complete a total of 3 habitat management practices as specified in the WMP. 


Aggregate Acreage Properties 
 Multiple landowners may combine contiguous tracts of low-fenced properties to create an aggregate acreage for enrollment in this option. 
 All landowners in the aggregate acreage are required to create an account in TWIMS, provide a map of property boundaries, and acknowledge consent for their properties to be included as part of the aggregate acreage. 
 A single WMP that address all tracts of land in the aggregate acreage is required. 
 Program participants must designate a single participant as a point of contact for the aggregate acreage. 
 MLDP tags issued to the aggregate acreage may be used on any tract of land within the aggregate acreage. 


Season Dates and Tag Issuance 
 White-tailed Deer 
o September 30, 2017 through February 28, 2018. 
 Antlerless and buck deer may be taken by any lawful means, including modern firearms. 
 Mule Deer 
o September 30, 2017 through November 3, 2017. ​



 Antlerless and buck deer may be taken only by lawful archery equipment. 
o November 4, 2017 through January 28, 2018. 
 Antlerless and buck deer may be taken by any lawful means, including modern firearms. 


Refusal of Enrollment or Removal from MLD Program 
 The department may refuse or terminate enrollment in the MLDP for any applicant or program participant who: 
o fails to comply with reporting requirements, 
o exceeds the harvest recommendation, 
o fails to implement three (3) habitat management practices specified in the WMP, or 
o submits falsified data to the department. 
 The department may prohibit any person from participating in the MLD Program if the person has a final conviction or has been assessed an administrative penalty for a violation of: 
o Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 43, Subchapter C, E, L, R, or R-1 (relating to permits authorizing the possession of live animals); 
o a provision of Parks and Wildlife Code not addressed in the previous bullet that is punishable as a Parks and Wildlife Code: 
 Class A or B misdemeanor; 
 State jail felony; 
 Felony; 
o Parks & Wildlife Code 63.002; or 
o The Lacey Act. 
 The department may also refuse enrollment or participation to any person that is acting on behalf of or as a surrogate for another person prohibited from participation in MLDP. 


For Additional Information 
For additional information on Wildlife Management Plans and/or the Managed Lands Deer Program, please contact the nearest TPWD Wildlife Biologist or Technician through the following web page: 
www.tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/land/technical_guidance/biologists/