Weeklong National Fossil Day Events

The City of Ladonia and the Pete Patterson Fossil Park have an exciting


Collecting Fossils

event planned to celebrate National Fossil Day. 

A Family Fossil Fun Day is slated for Saturday, October 19th. The day will focus on kids and new fossil hunters at NSR. It all begins in Ladonia at Fannindel School Gymnasium located at 701 Mill Street. A separate fossil program has been created by two Texas Master Naturalists who are childhood education specialists and will be held in a separate area of the building to focus on kids fossil activities and learning. Adults will gather in the gymnasium for introductory learning about the NSR and fossil and artifact hunting there. Then, the adults and kids will adjourn from the school for guided exploration at nearby North Sulphur River Canyon fossil beds. The North Sulphur River in southeast Fannin County is noted for CreItaceous Period marine megafossils such as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs and for Ice Age fossils such as mammoths and mastodons.

Registration at the Workshop will begin at 8:00 am and will continue to 9:00 am when the programs begin. Ladonia Mayor Jan Cooper will welcome adult visitors to Ladonia. Texas Master Naturalist Doug Franklin will give history of the NSR, and North Sulphur River fossil hunter and event chairman PK Kirkpatrick will address safety issues for safely hunting at Ladonia Fossil Park, aka Pete Patterson Fossil Park, and provide information on how to have a great hunt at the North Sulphur River Canyon.  During the same time, kids will be talking about fossils, making artcraft fossils, and having sandbox fossil digs. At 10:30 am the group will adjourn for the guided exploration at Ladonia Fossil Park.

Partners joining the City of Ladonia to host the National Park Service sanctioned event include the Dallas Paleontological Society, and Texas Master Naturalist Bois d’ Arc Chapter and Blackland Prairie Chapter. Workshop chair, PK Kirkpatrick tells hunters, “While workshops of this caliber are usually with significant fee, these National Fossil Day events are free, thanks to a number of volunteers from our sponsoring organizations!”

In event of heavy rainfall, the river excursions will be postponed. Event Chair Kirkpatrick said those going on the excursion need to pack water, wear close-toed shoes or mud boots or mud wading shoes if the area should be so lucky to have had recent rainfall, and those with arthritic knees, ankles, backs, and mobility problems may want to stay topside at the park and not enter the river bed because of steepness and height of steps at the park.

The park is open 365 days a year but hunting is determined by whether water is in raging flow. Due to safety issues, hunting is allowed only when the river is not flowing.  The banks are very steep and in most places are impossible to climb out.  There are steps in the park area and they are not the easiest to climb down.  Visitors are warned to be alert to the possibility of snakes and wild animals such as feral hogs and watch the weather carefully.  Rain in the forecast?  Best to wait for another day.

The fossils date back about 80 million years or more. With a few exceptions, hunters may collect and take fossils out of the river. A fossil left in the riverbed or embankment will not be there after the next big rainfall due to extreme flow rate of the raging North Sulphur River. Exceptions are large museum worthy finds and unusual and rare specimens. For many years, the North Sulphur River has been an attraction for local fossil hunters, amateur and professional paleontologists, and various fossil, paleontological, gem and mineral groups and societies in Northeast Texas. More recently, it has attracted national attention. read more... http://www.cityofladonia.com/Fossil%20Park/Fossil.html or join the Fossil Forum for extensive information about collecting fossils in the Lake Texoma area  and Ladonia Fossil Park:  http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/19344-pete-patterson-fossil-park/

Fossil hunting is very popular in the Lake Texoma area and they are quite plentiful.  The Fossil Forum is a great place for beginners to visit for information, identification and fun conversation for fossil collecting enthusiast.. 

Texas State Parks are OPEN

Press Release - Texas Parks & Wildlife

All Texas state parks remain open. As the federal budget impasse persists


Eisenhower Sate Park Camp Site

well into the second week, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wants you to know that the welcome mat is still out at the 90-plus Texas state parks.

A number of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department offices and state parks have received calls since the partial federal government shutdown on Oct. 1 from people wanting to know if state parks are still open. Many of the customer inquiries are coming from people who had planned to visit Big Bend National Park, national forests or lake parks operated in Texas by the U.S. Corps of Engineers that have closed their gates due to the federal shutdown.

“Although our federal partners are experiencing temporary closure of their sites, which we hope will reopen soon, Texas state parks remain open and our staff is eager to welcome visitors to the great outdoors,” reported Brent Leisure, Texas State Parks director in this news story.

Plan a day visit or an overnight stay. State park reservations can be made by Internet, fax or phone (512) 389-8900 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. A tip: call volume tends to be heaviest early in the week, so customers might try calling Wednesday through Friday to reserve a campsite, cabin, screened shelter or group facility.

For more information about State Parks in the Lake Texoma Area visit www.texomaconnect.com.  While the Federal lands operated by the Corp of Engineers or National Park Service remain closed during the Congressional impasse, Eisenhower State Park, many marinas and privately owned concessions remain open on Lake Texoma, offering camping facilities, boat launches and other lake services.

Walmart BFL Regional Championship Headed to Lake Texoma

News Release FLW



Lake Texoma host to BFLBass Tournament

POTTSBORO, Texas (Oct. 8, 2013) – The Walmart Bass Fishing League is headed to Lake Texoma Oct. 17-19 for one of six regional championships. This three-day tournament features the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from each of the Arkie, Cowboy, Okie and Ozark divisions.

Anglers will be competing for a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy 1500 Silverado in the boater division and a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard in the co-angler division. Anglers in both divisions are also competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of  the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy.

     “The last time I fished a BFL regional was the year I made the All-American,” said Rayovac pro Jason Christie. ”Making the regional is a big deal. It’s a hard event to do well in. I think I finished seventh through 10th a couple of times and that’s a heart breaker. I’ve fished the Forrest Wood Cup and the Bassmaster Classic, but they don’t take care of you any better than in the All-American.

     “If I was going, the thing I would look forward to the most is that you’ll have a chance to win fishing in 3 feet or less,” continued Christie. “Texoma doesn’t have a lot of shallow cover, but those fish go to that shallow cover.

     “More than likely it’s going to be a shallow-water deal. There will be fish caught on square-bills around rocks and little brush piles and stuff like that.

     “It’s a pretty good topwater lake,” continued the Park Hill, Okla., pro. “There’ll probably be some fish caught on topwater baits, too.

     “One thing they get on in the fall and winter there is in the marina docks. You can catch them on a swimjig and a swimbait around the marina docks.

     “The wild card in the event is the smallmouth,” said Christie. “If somebody figures out how to catch the big smallmouth they’ll have a good chance to do well.

     “It’s cooling off pretty fast, and the cooler it gets the better it gets,” finished Christie. “I’d say about 45 pounds will win.”

     Anglers will take off from Highport Marina located at 120 Texoma Harbor Drive in Pottsboro, Texas, at 7 a.m. daily. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will be also be held at Highport Marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Walmart located at 401 North U.S. Highway 75 in Denison, Texas, beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

The BFL Regional Championship event is being hosted by the Denison Area Chamber of Commerce.

The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or
even the Walmart FLW Tour.

For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWOutdoors.

ABOUT FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2013 over the course of 220 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show and is broadcast to more
than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water.” For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.

For more information about Lake Texoma, visit www.texomaconnect.com, a community website featuring tourism information, striper fishing guide directory and local fishing reports along with places to stay and things to do in the Texoma area.

Boot Scootin Ball 2013 Themed "Lucky 13"

“Lucky 13”, the 13th Annual Boot Scootin’ Ball, is scheduled for October


Boot Scootin' Ball 2013

19th at 6:00 pm at the Bar-K-R Ranch in Pottsboro.

  For thirteen years the Ball has been the largest single fundraiser in support of the fire and medical emergency services provided by Preston Volunteer Emergency Services(PVES).   PVES provides fire suppression service to the Preston Peninsula of Lake Texoma and emergency medical service to the lake communities of Preston, Pottsboro and Locust.  In addition, PVES has a mutual aid agreement with both Locust and Pottsboro Fire Departments.   Among the needs funded by Ball proceeds include matching grants to purchase equipment, provide fire and medical training, endow a Grayson College Emergency Services scholarship and assist in funding a capital funds campaign for a future new emergency services facility.

With over 1,000 Ball-goers, this year’s Ball should prove to be better than ever.  The incomparable Eddie Deen will furnish the barbeque with all the trimmings and a variety of ice cold libations will be   ready to quench your thirst.  Dance the night away to the boot stompin’ music of Chance Cody and Spur 503. The live auction features items such as a hunting trip, metal sculpture, carved eagle, beach and mountain vacations, firearms training, catered dinners and much more.  The silent auction will have the always- anticipated selection of beautifully decorated and ready-to-give baskets and stand-alone items.  The BIG BOARD kicks it up a notch by offering one-of-a-kind items such as a designer-made John Wayne portrait quilt, stained glass art, original paintings, gourmet dinners and an assortment of not-to-be-missed offerings.  Chances for the  Landmark Bank money machine, 50/50 split and gold krugerrands could offer an opportunity to go home with some extra cash.
 
For tickets or more information call 903-786-9522.

For more interesting things to do in the Lake Texoma area, be sure to visit
http://www.texomaconnect.com/Texoma_Area_Events.html   If you feel the need to tap your toes to live music or swirl around the dance floor visit the Live Music Calendar

  Hope to see you on the Lake this weekend!