Heidi Lyn Rao was hired by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in 1998 and has recruited, trained, and retained volunteers, as the Hunter Education Specialist for Southeast Texas. In 2010 she also assumed the role as statewide Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) Coordinator. During her TPWD career, she developed many partnerships and organized many education & outreach events. She started “Take Me Outdoors Houston” in 2009, when the Texas Wildlife Expo ended, and brings this annual famil...
Mar 01, 2024•41 min•Season 8Ep. 177
Hunting season is not only for adults. Many kids look forward to getting in the field with their parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, or any other adult role model. This is especially true if it is a kid’s first-time going hunting. Unfortunately, many adults do not understand what a huge responsibility this is. What happens on a kid’s first hunt can be a big factor in his or her decision to continue hunting. The next generation of hunters are who will ensure that our hunting heritage continues....
Oct 20, 2023•27 min•Season 8Ep. 176
From as early as he could talk, he could sing! Luke loved to belt out the latest and greatest songs from an early age, and fortunately that has continued until his early teenage years. I can only hope he continues his journey growing his voice and talent! He's been in choir during elementary and middle school - and has earned solo spots over the years. Although he was a bit hesitant, he quickly overcame his shyness after he warmed up his pipes! We do not own the rights to any of these songs - on...
Jul 07, 2023•22 min•Season 7Ep. 175
Ever since Luke was a baby, our family takes an annual summer vacation to Yellowstone National Park. Over the years we've ventured further and further around the local communities throughout Wyoming and Montana in search of the best fishing spot. His memories have always included a summer adventure to the Northwest and across the woods and waters of the great outdoors. We did what we could, fishing the banks and shorelines with the gear we had. Without much luck, we learned from our mistakes and...
Jun 30, 2023•31 min•Season 7Ep. 174
One of the most visited National Parks in the world is Yellowstone National Park, located in Northwestern Wyoming. Yellowstone is an incredible place to view wildlife. All the large mammals that were present when Yellowstone first became a National Park in 1872, are still roaming the landscape today. These wildlife species include grizzly and black bears, wolves, mountain lions, elk, bison, pronghorn, moose, and bighorn sheep. Not to mention the hundreds of other species ranging from birds to sm...
Jun 23, 2023•23 min•Season 7Ep. 173
We all take our safety and security seriously when we are at home, going to and from work, and while running errands around town. Sometimes we let our guard down and are lax when we go on vacation. Afterall, vacations are supposed to be fun and carefree, and a time when you should not have to worry about your safety and security. Many times, when you are on vacation, these are the times when you are most vulnerable and need to be most focused on safety. Depending on your destination there are ce...
Jun 16, 2023•23 min•Season 7Ep. 172
When I conduct a basic rifle class or lesson, I will get questions regarding trapdoor, rolling block, and falling block rifles. The questions will not be centered on the types or the operation of these rifles. Rather, the questions will be much more basic. Most of my students will have a puzzled look on their faces and ask, “What are these?” If a student likes old guns and history, he or she knows what I am talking about when I mention trapdoor rifles, rolling block rifles, or falling block rifl...
Jun 09, 2023•24 min•Season 7Ep. 171
In the shotgun world, trapshooting is a specific form of clay target shooting. Trapshooting is a game of movement, action, and split-second timing. It requires the accuracy and skill to repeatedly aim, fire and break the 4 1/4" disc which is hurled through the air at a speed of 41 mph, simulating the flight path of a bird fleeing a hunter. Shooters need to know that we have our roots in shooting. We have a responsibility to teach others we come in contact with, train or introduce to the shooting...
Jun 02, 2023•23 min•Season 7Ep. 170
The 2nd Amendment is for all Americans, not just those who traditionally exercise their gun ownership rights. The 2nd Amendment was written by our framers to give everyone the ability to protect themselves from tyranny, and from those who seek to do them harm. There are many reasons why Americans own guns. Some of these reasons include hunting, recreational and competitive shootings, collecting, self-defense and for personal protection. But the most complete and thorough answer is because we can...
May 26, 2023•25 min•Season 7Ep. 169
As we age, there are things that we cannot do as well as we could a few years ago. We all slow down, but it is the degree of that slowdown that affects how well we can instruct the next and younger generation. We all will, at some point, experience decreased strength, mental acuity, and stamina. This is just a fact of life! Firearm Instructors, Trainers and Coaches are no different from any other type of instructors. Not only do instructors become physically and mentally compromised, but they be...
May 19, 2023•26 min•Season 7Ep. 168
As an instructor, it is your responsibility to keep all your students safe, including those who may need a bit more special attention. Your responsibility of meeting the needs of your students begins long before the class starts. When you advertise a firearms training course, there is usually a way for potential students to register for the class or some type of communication between the individual seeking training and the instructor. One of the first things I look at what someone registers for ...
May 12, 2023•30 min•Season 7Ep. 167
According to author Ms. Morin, there are 13 things mentally strong people do not do. By following each of these items, you can become a stronger person in your daily life. Each of these items can relate to the outdoors and shooting sports, as we teach, learn and are always on the quest for training. Not only must we train ourselves physically, it is equally important to train mentally as well. Do not waste time feeling sorry for yourself: Mentally strong people do not indulge in self-pity. Inste...
May 05, 2023•33 min•Season 7Ep. 166
Eye dominance is important when shooting a rifle or shotgun because it affects how the shooter aims and where the shooter places their shots. Eye dominance refers to which eye the brain primarily relies on for visual information, and it can be either the right eye or the left eye, and not necessarily the same as your dominant hand. When shooting a rifle, the shooter must align the front and rear sights with the target and maintain that alignment while pressing the trigger. If the shooter's domin...
Apr 28, 2023•32 min•Season 7Ep. 165
Safety is the #1 priority on and off the range. Everyone must do their part to prevent accidents. When properly trained, firearm incidents are rare. Those that happen are the result of ignorance (lack of knowledge) and/or carelessness (not following safe gun handling procedures). If we are trained and plan to instruct or coach others in the proper and safe use of firearms, we need to focus on Risk Management, which is a four (4) step process: Identify risks, Evaluate risks, Select an approach to...
Apr 21, 2023•31 min•Season 7Ep. 164
Throughout history, people have depended on wildlife for survival: as a source of food, clothing, and even tools. Loss of habitat and other factors began to impact many species, and there were no limits on the numbers of animals that could be taken. Once abundant species dwindled, and some became extinct. By the early 1900s hunters and conservationists rallied to support legislation that would sustain North America's wildlife populations. Hunters, conservation organizations, and states worked to...
Apr 14, 2023•30 min•Season 7Ep. 163
It is important that kids be taught the safe handling and rules regarding firearms, by removing the anomaly or the taboo surrounding them. The key to introducing kids to firearms is exposure. When kids were no longer exposed to firearms is when the mystic of guns took over. Not too long ago, it was common for firearms to be in nearly every home. That was back when more people hunted for food and sport. When you talk to people who were raised with guns in their home, their attitudes towards firea...
Apr 07, 2023•31 min•Season 7Ep. 162
There are things that hunters, hikers, and backpackers can do in the backcountry to minimize the risk of bear and human encounters. Knowing how to handle food, meat, and other “smellables” is critical to staying safe while in the outdoors. It is also important to know the correct way to hang a bear when in bear country. Knowing these skills can be a matter of life and death. Preventing bear encounters can be essential to saving your life as well as the life of the bear. This begins during the of...
Mar 31, 2023•25 min•Season 7Ep. 161
Who would have ever thought that you could do all that we can now do, right on the comforts of your phone. As our life gets easier, we have all become spoiled when it comes to research and communications. A technological type of shorthand is developing right before our eyes. In the past, written documents, papers, or articles would have the acronym in parentheses after the formal phrase was spelled out such as National Rifle Association (NRA). Now when we read technical or information articles t...
Mar 24, 2023•35 min•Season 7Ep. 160
Our Founding Fathers had the vision to give us the 2nd Amendment. Giving citizens of the United States the power to resist tyranny, the 2nd Amendment allows for security and safety in our society. The United States was founded on the belief that a good citizen is responsible for their own security. The time it takes Law Enforcement to respond to a crime has dramatically increased over the past few years. Peace Officers cannot be everywhere, and criminals know this. This means if a crime is happe...
Mar 17, 2023•24 min•Season 7Ep. 159
Many times when we visit the shooting range, we only are practicing our marksmanship and trying to get a nice and tight grouping on the target. What about stepping up our training and practicing real potential situations. How many times have you actually practiced drawing your firearm from a concealed position and then shooting for consistency and accuracy? This is a skill that is learned through practice, and a lot of it. Just like any skill that is learned, you must first learn the basics and ...
Mar 10, 2023•29 min•Season 7Ep. 158
Mindset is the habitual mental attitude that determines how you will respond to a situation. How you train is a good indication of how you should react to any situation you might encounter. Develop an individual personal protection plan to suit your particular needs, including a plan of what to do to avoid a confrontation. Visualize scenarios you may encounter outside of your home and mentally practice how you will respond to them. Get into the "When-Then" way of thinking. This puts you in the m...
Mar 03, 2023•35 min•Season 7Ep. 157
Firearms have always been a part of our lives, and we raised our four boys to respect them and know how to use them. Listen to 13-year old Luke share his upbringing around firearms, the training and safety he learned, and introduction to hunting from as far back as he can remember. "It's just something we've always done." Luke talks about youth hunting opportunities in Texas and how to go about taking advantage of them. He'll share some of his successes when he was drawn for some of these hunts....
Feb 24, 2023•40 min•Season 7Ep. 156
Situational awareness is keeping your head on a swivel, checking, and assessing your surroundings at all times. You never want to be in a position where your "guard" is let down, making you a "soft target" and not being mentally or physically prepared for a potential attack or encounter. It is important to know the four levels of awareness: UNAWARE AWARE ALERT ALARM Unaware: These are the people who are so distracted, head down and eyes glued to their phones, they walk into poles or fall down st...
Feb 17, 2023•33 min•Season 7Ep. 155
With our 2nd Amendment right to own firearms come responsibilities. It is our responsibility to store, operate and maintain his or her firearms safely. It is our responsibility to ensure that unauthorized or untrained individuals cannot gain access to our firearms. It is our responsibility to learn and obey all laws related to the purchase, possession and use of a firearm in the area in which we live. It is also our responsibility to know the laws when traveling across our state and into other s...
Feb 10, 2023•30 min•Season 7Ep. 154
Why do we hunt? What is it that lures us into the woods, fields and waters each year during hunting season, and throughout the "off-season?" Not only is hunting a lifestyle - it is also a state of mind. But where did it all come from and how did we get where we are today? To be where we are today requires an understanding of where we've been. We as hunters and outdoor enthusiasts must recognize that: _the natural environment creates and eliminates plant and animal life each year; _human beings a...
Feb 03, 2023•27 min•Season 7Ep. 153
With so many hogs, you would think that every time you head to the field, you can count on bagging a hog. It is just the opposite. Feral hogs are considered an invasive species. There are an estimated 9 million hogs nationwide doing about $2.5 billion worth of damage annually. The reason why feral hogs are such a problem is because of how fast they reproduce. Sows can breed as young as 3 months of age. They can breed 2-3 times a year and have 1-14 piglets per litter. They come into “season” ever...
Jan 27, 2023•14 min•Season 7Ep. 152
Anyone who has ever been hunting will tell you, it is after you take your animal that the real work begins! Game recovery is not only taking possession of game animals, but field dressing and legal quartering. Depending on the state, legal quartering is how far you can cut up the animal in the field. Legal quartering is usually two shoulders, two hams, two backstraps, two tenderloins, and boned-out rib and neck meat. The right tools make the easy and efficient recovery of game possible. Failure ...
Jan 20, 2023•13 min•Season 7Ep. 151
There are things that you can do to help you fill your tag during this time of year. You must take advantage when deer, especially trophy bucks, drop their guard and make a mistake. That does not mean that they are just going to throw caution to the wind and prance around in a meadow, presenting the best broadside shot for you. This means that the odds are still in the deer’s favor, but you can take advantage of any mistakes made by late season wary deer. From brushing-in your hunting blind, to ...
Jan 13, 2023•24 min•Season 7Ep. 150
I just can't get enough listening to Matthew play his guitar. He picked it up while recovering from a knee injury during football his Junior year of high school. While recovering, he began picking away. It wasn't long before he became really good at it! Enjoy some of his progress... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 06, 2023•17 min•Season 7Ep. 149
Learn all about the world of cutting horses through the eyes and experiences of Matthew. Since he graduated high school in 2022, he moved to Northwest Arkansas and became a Razorback, attending the University of Arkansas. His degree is in Animal Science with a focus of large animals and equine, and possibly as a pre-vet student. During the first week of school the Animal Science college had a career fair and Matthew attended. He met some other students and professors and was encouraged to visit ...
Dec 30, 2022•29 min•Season 6Ep. 148
