Texas Fish and Game Unfiltered with Kevin Burke

Cable Smith has been one of the loudest voices in the Texas outdoor world for over 15 years. As the founder and host of the Lone Star Outdoor Show, he's built a platform around one simple idea — the hunting and fishing lifestyle is worth fighting for.Cable doesn't hold back on the biggest threats facing Texas hunting culture, the high fence debate, trophy hunting, public land access, and what he actually thinks about the new wave of influencer hunters flooding social media.If you hunt, fish, or just love the Texas outdoors — this one's for you.Find Cable Smith:Lone Star Outdoor Show — available wherever you listen to podcastsInstagram: @lonestaroutdoorshowWebsite: https://lonestaroutdoorshow.com/Subscribe to Texas Fish and Game Unfiltered on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinburke_tfgnFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasFishGameUnfiltered/Get Outdoors and Find Your Peace

If you're serious about managing a healthy whitetail herd, doe harvest isn't optional-it's essential. Whether you're managing 100 acres or 10,000, this is the conversation your herd needs you to hear.-Why doe harvest is the foundation of any serious deer management plan-What happens to your herd when you don't manage doe populations-Why neighbors matter more than you thinkInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinburke_tfguFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasFishGameUnfilteredGet Outdoors and Find Your Peace

Texas Pond Fixes with Shan O'Gorman.Fisheries biologist Shan O'Gorman (@aquatic_biologist), reveals why most Texas ponds are mismanaged—and how to fix yours.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinburke_tfgnFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasFishGameUnfiltered/Get Outdoors and Find Your Peace

The fall flounder run is one of the most iconic traditions in Texas coastal fishing. But most anglers chasing flounder through the passes don't know what's actually happening to this fishery — or why it matters.Southern flounder populations have been declining for more than 30 years. And buried in the research is a piece of science that almost nobody in the Texas fishing community is talking about: water temperature determines the sex of southern flounder. As Texas bays get warmer, the population skews toward males — and fewer females means the fishery stops growing.In this episode we cover the full biology of the southern flounder, what drives the fall migration, the climate science that changes how you should think about which fish to keep, and what TPWD and researchers at UT Austin and Texas A&M are doing about a population that is classified as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need.Website: https://www.texasfishandgamenetwork.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinburke_tfgnFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasFishGameNetwork/Get Outdoors and Find Your Peace

Every fall, mature bull redfish stack up on Texas Gulf beaches and near the passes to spawn. Most anglers know the run exists. Almost nobody knows the full story behind it.In this episode we cover the complete life cycle of the red drum — from larvae drifting into Texas bays on tidal currents, to juvenile slot fish on the grass flats, to mature bulls that leave the bays permanently and only return to reproduce. We break down what is actually happening during the fall run, the staggering egg numbers behind it, and where to be on the Texas coast when it peaks.We also cover the conservation comeback that made all of this possible — because 40 years ago, red drum had nearly disappeared from Texas bays entirely. The slot limit, the game fish designation, fingerlings stocked every year — none of that is an accident. It is the architecture of one of the greatest fishery recoveries in state history.Find the full conversation and connect with serious Texas hunters and anglers inside the Texas Fish and Game Network.Website: https://www.texasfishandgamenetwork.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/texasfishgamenetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasFishGameNetwork/Get Outdoors and Find Your Peace

In this episode we break down the Texas speckled trout spawn; much longer than most realize.Website: https://www.texasfishandgamenetwork.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/texasfishgamenetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasFishGameNetwork/Get Outdoors and Find Your Peace

Texas Pond Fixes with Shan O'Gorman: Crappie Traps & Bass HealthFisheries biologist Shan O'Gorman (@aquatic_biologist), reveals why most Texas ponds are mismanaged—and how to fix yours.From his 13+ years electrofishing hundreds of private lakes, Shan breaks down:Bass relative weight: Weigh your catch vs. standard charts (e.g., 24" bass at 8.1 lbs = 100%; under 95% signals forage issues like crappie overload).Crappie killers: They spawn early, devour bass larvae, and stunt growth—harvest won't fix it; drain and restock every 10 years for "new lake effect" booms.Die-offs decoded: Same-species deaths? Spawning stress. Mixed? Oxygen crash Website: https://www.texasfishandgamenetwork.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/texasfishgamenetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasFishGameNetwork/Get Outdoors and Find Your Peace

160 miles. That's how close the New World screwworm fly is to the Texas border right now. A pest we thought we defeated 60 years ago is back — and fawning season is happening right now. This short alert episode covers what it is, how it came back, and exactly what Texas hunters and landowners need to do today.Full story: https://deerassociation.com/the-screwworm-fly-is-back-and-approaching-texas-threatening-deer/USDA screwworm live updates: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/stop-screwworm/current-status?page=1April 22nd USDA/DOI webinar registration link: https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/7b70c3d5-4440-4d0f-9f8c-92e2fb12d712@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697Website: https://www.texasfishandgamenetwork.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/texasfishgamenetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasFishGameNetwork/Get Outdoors and Find Your Peace

The bass spawn is the best fishing opportunity of the year in Texas freshwater. In this episode I break down the full picture. The biology of what a largemouth bass is actually doing during the spawn, why the Texas fishery looks the way it does today, how lakes spawn in stages, and how wind and geography can put you on fish or keep you completely off them.We also get into the three phases — pre-spawn, spawn, and post-spawn — what gear to throw in each, and why water temperature matters more than the moon phase most people obsess over.If you're heading to the water this spring, this episode is for you.Find the full conversation and connect with serious Texas hunters and anglers inside the Texas Fish and Game Network at texasfishandgamenetwork.com. 30 days free, no credit card required.Website: https://www.texasfishandgamenetwork.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/texasfishgamenetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasFishGameNetwork/Get Outdoors and Find Your Peace

Before you spend any more time listening to me talk, you probably ought to know who's talking.In this episode I tell the story behind Texas Fish and Game Unfiltered and the Texas Fish and Game Network — where I came from, why I built it, and what I got tired of in the outdoor media space that finally pushed me to do something about it.No sponsors. No agenda. Just a guy who's obsessed with the outdoors and decided to build the home that Texas hunters and anglers never had. 30 days free, no credit card required.Website: https://www.texasfishandgamenetwork.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/texasfishgamenetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasFishGameNetworkGet Outdoors and Find Your Peace

Every deer camp has that argument — shoot the spikes or let them walk. But what if it doesn't matter as much as everyone thinks? In this episode we dig into the actual research from TPWD's Kerr WMA and the Caesar Kleberg Institute to look at what the data really shows about spike harvest and herd genetics. The answer might surprise both sides of the debate. If you're managing Texas whitetail, this is a conversation worth having.Website: https://www.texasfishandgamenetwork.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/texasfishgamenetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasFishGameNetwork/Get Outdoors and Find Your Peace 

Duck numbers are down, migration patterns are shifting, and hunters across the flyway are noticing. In this episode, we dig into what's actually driving the decline - drought on the prairies to flooded corn controversies in wintering states. If you love waterfowl hunting and want to understand what's really going on, this one's for you. Website: https://www.texasfishandgamenetwork.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/texasfishgamenetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasFishGameNetworkGet Outdoors and Find Your Peace

Texas has more wild turkeys than any other state- 500,000 birds. The Rio Grande turkey is a genuine conservation win. But nationally, populations are down since 2019. I break down the state of the bird in Texas, what's driving the national decline, and an honest calling and gear guide. The warning signs are real. Texas hunters need to pay attention.Website: https://www.texasfishandgamenetwork.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/texasfishgamenetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasFishGameNetworkGet Outdoors and Find Your Peace

High fence or low fence - it's the most divisive argument in Texas deer hunting. At what point does a hunt stop being a hunt and start being a transaction? This one's got opinions.Website: https://www.texasfishandgamenetwork.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/texasfishgamenetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasFishGameNetworkGet Outdoors and Find Your Peace

Why forward-facing sonar is changing the sport forever.Website: https://www.texasfishandgamenetwork.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/texasfishgamenetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasFishGameNetworkGet Outdoors and Find Your Peace

Everyone is protein feeding, but does it actually work?I dove into the research from the Caeser Kleberg Wildlife Institute to find out what science says.Spoiler alert: it's complicated.Website: https://www.texasfishandgamenetwork.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/texasfishgamenetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasFishGameNetworkGet Outdoors and Find Your Peace