- ANNOUNCER: The Texas Parks and Wildlife Television Series is supported in part by Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation -- conserving the wild things and wild places of Texas, thanks to members across the state.

Additional funding provided by the Toyota Tundra.

Your local Toyota dealers are proud to support outdoor recreation and conservation in Texas.

Adventure: it's what we share.

- NARRATOR: Coming up on Texas Parks and Wildlife... - The Texas Coastal marsh is an extremely dynamic ecosystem of which these alligators have adapted to over millennia.

- The sun will set and cast a direct beam of light onto the Crucifix here.

- It's going to make not only fishing better, but hopefully just improve the habitat in general in Lake Fork and in other lakes in the future.

[theme music] ♪ ♪ - NARRATOR: Texas Parks and Wildlife, a television series for all outdoors.

- NARRATOR: In the heart of the Texas coastal marsh, lies a sprawling network of dense grasses and winding tidal channels.

This rich and complex ecosystem is home to an astonishing array of life, [splash] all working together in a delicate balance that keeps the wetlands thriving.

[dramatic music] In the murky waters is the shadow of an ancient apex predator... [suspenseful music] the American alligator.

Stealthy movement is critical to its hunting abilities.

The alligator's tail delivers a powerful thrust, as it approaches its prey.

[suspenseful music] ♪ ♪ With a bite force of 2,000 pounds per square inch, not even a blue crab's armored shell can withstand the pressure.

As the marshes evolve, understanding the behavior and movements of these apex predators becomes increasingly essential.

[engine starting] [engine rumbling] Enter a team of researchers who are tracking the alligator's movements, across the expanse of wetland terrain at the J.D.

Murphree Wildlife Management Area.

[upbeat music] - There's a high density of alligators here at J.D.

Murphree, a very healthy nesting population.

- NARRATOR: Jon and his team head into the marsh to capture alligators and attach satellite transmitters.

- JON: A big part of the push with this project is to better understand space use.

We just know very little about the spatial ecology and the nesting ecology.

[Phil] That may be this one right here Jon, swimming next to the boat under the water.

That trail of bubbles right there.

Yeah, that's definitely gator.

- JON: If you can get a hook in it, and it's hooked good, and kinda work it so the head comes up, and then you can get the snare as soon as possible, that's kinda what we're trying to do here.

[birds chirping] [splash] Just from the bubble trail, we know it's an alligator.

[suspenseful music] [splashing] Okay, everybody just stay calm.

Oh yeah.

[Jon and Phil talking indistinctly] [splashing] That's all right, that's all right, that's all right.

♪ ♪ Don't get off, please.

[splashing] Soon as I can get a head shot here.

[splashing] It's always thrilling for me, it never gets old, as far as just, the strategy, the approach.

I think it's hooked in the neck, still could lose it.

And I don't wanna pull too hard and bend it out.

[suspenseful music] Come on.

♪ ♪ So that's what's called a top jaw snare, we've just got his top jaw.

Ideally you want it around the whole neck, but he was so big, and that snare just wasn't open wide enough, but he's secure now.

[splashing] [alligator hisses] [Jon talking indistinctly] [alligator growling] Okay, let's get the rest off.

[birds chirping] [metal rattling] [alligator growls] It's fine.

We still got some work to do, but, we needed a little bit of stroke of luck there.

- SARA: This is the biggest one we've had so far.

[engine rumbling] - NARRATOR: With the alligator captured, the team returns to their headquarters, ready to collect samples, record its vital statistics, and attach a satellite transmitter for tracking.

- SARA: One, two.

[people groaning] [alligator growls] - Watch that head swinging.

- PHIL: That snare, rope's caught.

It's comin' slow, okay.

- JON: Everybody just watch that head once it's on the ground.

[alligator hissing] - Well at first, when I saw you guys comin' back, I thought, okay, well, the gator got them, they're gone, but then they pull up and I see that they're straddling this big monster, and I got so excited.

- JON: One, two, three, up.

Yep, that's good.

Okay, move him towards, slow, that's fine, nice and easy.

[alligator hissing] Watch that head, watch that head.

- SARA: And watch stepping on the snares.

Okay.

- JON: Watch his head now.

[alligator hissing] What's interesting about that big male, which is, decades old at that point... [machine whirring] he's probably got females nearby.

That's a vary weary old animal.

Make sure that's okay.

- PHIL: Yeah, that'll work.

- ALYSSA: We'll use tow straps for the gators if they're big enough at least.

And then use the weight to lift them, so they are kinda dangling there, and it looks a little goofy.

- SARA: Tell me when he's up.

- ALYSSA: This guy was definitely our biggest so far, he was 10-and-a-half foot long and 313 pounds.

[winch whirring] - NARRATOR: After weighing the alligator, the team brings it inside to take detailed measurements, known as morphometrics.

- SARA: It was very exciting because we had been looking for a large breeding male for this project, and he was perfect.

- Posterior from the hind-- - NARRATOR: Snout-to-vent length is the most reliable way to measure alligators, from the snout tip to where the tail begins.

- JON: Even if the tail's been taken off right up to the end of that, you can get an idea of how long it should be.

- NARRATOR: At 10-and-a-half feet long, this male alligator likely claims significant territory in the marshlands.

- SARA: This is the local anesthetic, so, that just means that it's gonna numb the area where we're putting the transmitter in.

Basically, we're gonna inject here on each side, right here, and then right here.

So reptiles, they're cold blooded.

When it comes to medicine, you actually can't sedate reptiles in the field, because it will take too long for them to process the drugs.

We're just using a little bit of a local blocker, something that just numbs the area that we're working.

It's a big boy, but here and here, sound about right?

Look good?

- JON: So the basic transmitter attachment is the plate of scoots on the neck, which is, most people refer to as the nuchal rosette.

And then, so he can't feel any of this, and that's where the transmitter's gonna go on.

- SARA: There we go.

- JON: Awesome.

That's where the needle and the wire are going directly underneath.

- SARA: Do you wanna hold onto the string?

- JON: After the fact, set the transmitter on, and begin to barrel crimp the wire, and make sure everything's secure.

Okay.

[Jon sighs] It's shown its self to be a safe and effective method for the alligator, and a very good one as well cause of the durability.

[people talking indistinctly] [light music] [alligator hissing] ♪ ♪ - JON: Hey hey hey, watch the transmitter, just stay on this side.

Now see, that's why you do not wanna be near that tail.

- Once we have the transmitters on these guys, we try to release them as close to the capture spot as possible, 'cause I mean, these guys do have territories out there that they fight for, and they defend.

[dramatic music] - JON: Watch the leg.

That's right, nice and easy.

- ALYSSA: Would not be great if we took a smaller male and dumped him into a bigger male's territory, that could lead to some issues for that smaller male and me missing out on data.

- JON: Okay, let's get him out there, perfect.

[boat rumbling] - NARRATOR: With the transmitter in place, the team returns to the marsh to release the alligator back into its territory.

- JON: If the three of us can just kinda work him up on that lift, yeah just watch that head 'cause he is active.

I can get underneath to help y'all.

One, two, three.

Wrong way buddy, wrong way.

[people talking indistinctly] - JON: We're in good shape, we're in good shape.

Let him go, just let him go.

All right, transmitter looks good, he is wrapped up in this rope, but that's fine.

Our next step here in July, we'll be back, we'll hopefully have started pulling some really good data off these.

As part of our statewide aerial nest survey, we'll get in the helicopter, and, hopefully get as close to a complete count of J.D.

Murphree WMA right here, and we're gonna have a much better picture of how good or bad a nesting year it is here in Southeast Texas.

[dramatic music] [wind whirring] - NARRATOR: As spring turns to summer and alligator breeding season reaches its peak, tracking male gator movements is only part of the puzzle.

Next, the team must survey the wetlands to locate and mark crucial nesting sites.

- PILOT: All right Jon, let's, we got weather behind us, but we can stay over here.

[helicopter whirring] - NARRATOR: In the skies above, a helicopter lifts off to survey the marsh, counting female alligator nests, mapping their locations, and assessing the impacts of predation and flooding.

An alligator nest is a mound of mud, grass, and rotting vegetation built along the marshes edge.

[helicopter whirring] - JON: We're trying to get as close to an exact count here for the WMA.

Lotta really good alligator nesting habitat.

On some of our habitat here at the WMA, our numbers may be down, just because of some of the flooding.

- PILOT: Yeah, looks like it's pushing west, it's just building right here, and pushing west.

- JON: We had a lot of rain in the spring.

That gave us a pretty good metric of which nests looked completely flooded out.

- PILOT: I don't see her, Jon.

- JON: Yeah, that one may have flooded.

What had been predated by hogs at that point, [helicopter whirs] and, which nests stay on high ground, on levies, still looked good.

We're in a pretty severe drought last year, very different conditions this year with all the rain we've had.

Looking very green, higher water levels.

- NARRATOR: Tracking nest locations and conditions helps identify the best nesting female alligators for capture and tagging.

- PILOT: See how light it is on top?

Not as dark.

So, hopefully she has her eggs high.

- JON: Yeah, that one probably never went all the way underwater.

If you're in the wild, and you're a crocodile or a turtle, by, hatching at the same time, what they call synchronous hatching, you basically inundate or confuse any potential predators.

[helicopter whirring] This year, from everything that we saw from the air, it seems that the vast majority, probably 80%, at least in my eyes, looked flooded.

[helicopter whirring] - NARRATOR: With suitable nest locations identified, the team sets out under the cover of night, to capture a female alligator.

[engine rumbles] [suspenseful music] - JON: Capturing at night comes down to one simple dynamic, their eyes are reflective, you get that nice red eye shine.

It just lets you lay eyes on a lot more alligators if they're in the area.

- PHIL: I think it's over here somewhere.

- JON: All right, right there.

[suspenseful music] - ALYSSA: The goal is to get the boat up to the alligator as close as possible.

-JON: It's fine, let the energy out.

- ALYSSA: Try to let the alligator tire themselves out before you get them all the way up.

[alligator hissing] [suspenseful music] ♪ ♪ - ALYSSA: Hopefully, luck is on your side, and they chomp and they miss, and then you can very quickly tape up their mouth, and get them into the boat with you.

- JON: Very similar size to that last one we caught, which was a male, this one is very nice breeding size female.

[alligator growling] Right around seven foot or so.

- ALYSSA: It's really exciting, we finally got our last one, all done.

- JON: Again, right in the ball park of what we're looking for.

[boat rumbling] - NARRATOR: With the female gator safely captured, the team keeps her secured until morning, when they'll attach the transmitter.

- JON: The ones that we've captured so far, especially in that time sensitive window, where the females are nesting.

Let's, go ahead and get her in if you guys are ready.

We'd still like to know, where are they going?

What type of habitat are they using?

[boat rumbling] We think, especially during nesting season, that the females have a fairly tight home range.

They're not venturing far from those nests.

All right, let's go ahead and just carry her onto the grass right here.

[boat rumbling] This girl, since she's on land, I'm just gonna tape, and then one, two, three, off, and, she might sit, or wait until we move off, but, she'll be on her merry way here shortly.

One, two, three, off.

Oh, that's awesome, that's what they call the high walk, right there.

[dramatic music] - NARRATOR: Tracking alligators' movements, helps reveal how these ancient creatures navigate the wetlands, using their deep knowledge of the environment.

- JON: They know every square inch of the real estate that they're living on.

It's always fun, just to be out here in this beautiful marsh with these animals.

- ALYSSA: It is definitely a privilege to actually be able to do this kind of thing.

It's summertime now, which is when they're most active.

They're probably gonna be moving around quite a lot.

- NARRATOR: As the marsh continues to evolve, so does our understanding.

- JON: The Texas coastal marsh is an extremely dynamic ecosystem, of which these alligators have adapted to over millennia.

The more we can learn, the better.

[dramatic music] [birds singing] [Gregorian chant] - JARED RAMIREZ: We're here in Mission Espirtu Santo de Zuniga, established at this site in 1749.

[Gregorian chant] One of the most interesting features we have here is an annual event we call 'The Illumination.'

[Gregorian chant] In a lot of the Franciscan missions there is a documented event that will usually coincide with some sort of a solar event, a lot of the times it's one of the holy days of the Catholics.

In our mission we have something that happens every year on April 16th, and we don't really have an official explanation for it, but basically what happens is the sun will set in the 'window of the sun' as we call it, and cast a direct beam of light on the Crucifix here.

It happens every year on April 16th at around 7:00 p.m. One of the things that we do know is April 16th is an important holy day for Franciscans.

It's the anniversary of the founding of the Franciscan Order, and so it's a very important day for the Franciscans.

It's a day that they renew their vows and rededicate themselves to the faith.

And so we think that this may have been something that the missionaries here planned to help to convert the native people here, also to celebrate their faith.

- ♪ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia ♪ - JARED: It's something we get a lot of questions about, probably more questions than we have answers, but we're always researching it and trying to find out more about it.

It's kind of hard to study because it only happens once a year.

And so if we get clouds on that one day we have to wait an entire year to see if yes, it is happening on the 16th again.

[Gregorian chant] From what I've seen over the last few years, generally the whole thing starts and finishes in about 20 minutes.

It will start at the lower left hand side of the altar and kind of work its way up towards the center.

And usually by about 7:15 or 7:20, it's hit dead center and it's on its way out.

[Gregorian chant] [Gregorian chant] [church bell rings] [upbeat music] - NARRATOR: Here at Lake Fork in northeast Texas, a unique boat is making a special delivery.

[rocks splashing] It may look like littering, but this recycled rip rap will make a happy home for the fish, thanks to Texas Parks and Wildlife's Habitat Barge.

- JAKE NORMAN: It's just opened up doors for us to do larger projects and, really, make bigger impacts to fishing in a lot of these areas.

It's going to have a lot of fish-attracting power.

There's plenty of locations on this lake, and all of our lakes, we can keep doing this.

[bird calling] - DAVE TERRE: The Lake Fork Project is really unique in the fact that we get to use rip rap... [upbeat music] which provides great fish habitat, you know, for the fish themselves, but also a great place for the anglers to go fish.

We saw that as a unique opportunity to get involved in a project that would support fishing and also help the fish community up at Lake Fork.

♪ ♪ - NARRATOR: From PVC to Christmas trees, biologists use a variety of material to create cover and foraging areas for fish.

The barge will boost these efforts to improve fish habitat across the state.

- JAKE: We can move a lot of rock, or a lot of any material, pretty quickly.

We moved about five tons per hour, we figured out.

[hydraulics humming] [rocks splashing] It's a different type of structure, and also, it's going to not break down like timber does over time.

- DAVE: From an angler's perspective, you know, it's really cool to be involved in a project that provides a habitat type in Lake Fork that is generally limited.

There's not a lot of rock habitat in Lake Fork.

We know that the rock would do well to support the fish community, we also know the rock habitat would make great places for anglers to fish, so it's easy to see how anglers could gather around this, and it could become a priority project for conservation.

- JAKE: It's going to make not only fishing better, but, hopefully just improve the habitat in general in Lake Fork, and in other lakes in the future.

[upbeat music] [upbeat music] - NARRATOR: To celebrate 40 years of our television series, we are taking a trip back in time to look at some of our earliest episodes.

♪ ♪ [upbeat music] Why fish?

Well, uh, [chuckles] one of the reasons is to get something to eat.

Fish are delicious, and the folks these days say they're low cholesterol and so forth, but, in my particular view, if you go just to catch something to eat, well, you're missing part of the fun of it.

The pleasures of fly fishing, many of 'em, are being in pretty places.

It puts you in the outdoors at some very pretty times of the day.

The beginning and the ends of the day are some of the nicest times to fish.

Over and above that, you have the pleasures of casting, tricking the fish, you're enticing the fish to try something that really isn't real.

There is a, this world is a, down there is a mystery to us.

We can, you know, we can see it, we can take its [lips smack] temperature, but that's a different world, down there.

And we use a rod and a line to try to investigate that world and to entice the fish that live down there to bite on something.

Ha!

Quick, turn on the camera!

[laughs] [fish splashing] Look how pretty they are.

Don't talk about the size.

[laughs] So what, he's only, he's only so big.

How much fun can you have?

Hey, compared to not catching nothing, he's a great deal of fun!

[chuckles] [water flowing] [water flowing] [water flowing] [birds chirping] [water riffling] [water riffling] [birds chirping] [birds chirping] [wind blowing] [bee buzzing] [wings flapping] [wind blowing] [wind blowing] This series is supported in part by Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation -- conserving the wild things and wild places of Texas, thanks to members across the state.

Additional funding provided by the Toyota Tundra.

Your local Toyota dealers are proud to support outdoor recreation and conservation in Texas.

Adventure: it's what we share.