Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program

Small, relatively harmless, populations of golden algae exist in most freshwaters. Yet when conditions are right, as when temperatures cool, the population of this toxic organism may explode.

It could very well be that the cold knocks down the other competing algae so that then the golden algae has an advantage over them and blooms.

Dave Sager works with inland fisheries in the area of ecosystems and habitat assessment. He says golden tinged water with foam on the surface is a sign that a bloom is underway. Dead fish is another.

Initially, the fish that are in the shallows or at the surface of the water are impacted first. You’ll see the bait fish, the shad or minnows and shiners that will die first. And then later on as the bloom and the toxins spread through the water column you’ll see other fish like the sunfish, large mouth bass, striped bass and others starting to be affected.

Sager reminds freshwater anglers and boaters that they play an integral role as a kind of early warning system.

They can see when a fish kill event is taking place – see that the water is golden; there’s foaming on the water. And call in to let us know so that we can then go out and do an investigation.

You’ll find the number to call to report a golden alga bloom at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… made possible by the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…working to increase fishing, hunting, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Know & Report Golden Algae Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program

More than one-hundred marine mammals a year strand on Texas beaches and most of them die. The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network tries to figure out why. The network covers the entire Texas Coastline in efforts to save the few mammals that strand alive.

Even though we’re based in Galveston, we have six different regions across the state. When we do get animals in, we’ll rehab them either in Corpus Christi or in Galveston depending on where they strand.

Lindsey Godlove is a volunteer with the Network. We caught up with her at Parks and Wildlife Expo.

We do get, just mostly dolphins and whales. Not the bigger whales, we get some of the smaller ones. We’ve had sperm whales before and kogias, which are pygmy sperm whales. The most of what we get, ninety percent, are bottle nosed dolphins. We get some interesting species like striped dolphins or rough tooth dolphins, things like that.

The Network believes dolphins and whales can tell us about what is going on in the oceans.

Since, obviously, that’s their environment. We can kind of tell when they do come in and we run tests on them maybe what bio-toxins and things like that are going on in the ocean and that can help us in other areas of research. We work with other agencies to help figure out what’s going on in the ocean at that time.

Learn how to volunteer with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program supports our series …we had research and writing help from Kate Lipinski… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
_____________________________________________________________________

How to Volunteer with the Texas Mammal Stranding Network

The next volunteer training day will be held February 2nd, 2008. Contact tmmsn at tamug.edu or call the State Office at (409)740-4455 if you would like to attend.

Texas Mammal Stranding Network Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program

It’s fall hunting season in Texas, and various game species are “on the menu.” According to the most current statistics, hunting is good business.

Break duck hunting out if you will. There’s about almost fifty million dollars of economic impact to the state through retail sales.

Dave Morrison is waterfowl program leader. He says the statistics he’s quoting are ten years old, and he expects new data soon. Nevertheless, overall, hunting has been good to Texas and Texans.

The economic impact to Texas, based on 1996, was over a hundred million dollars, and it supported about a thousand jobs and earnings of almost twenty million dollars.

It’s the small Texas towns, says Morrison, that really feel hunting’s positive economic impact.

And you look at some of these small towns…you go down to Katy…on opening day of duck season. There are people everywhere. The motels are full. People never need to lose sight that even though it is for enjoyment and recreation, it is a very, very big business.

Not only does hunting support the economies of many small towns, the various fees paid by hunters support conservation in the state.

That’s our show…with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program… funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuels.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Economics of Hunting Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Wildlife Restoration Program

Since 1990 Texas Hunters for the Hungry has distributed 1.5-million pounds of donated game to Texans in need; it’s easy to do.

Take it to one of our participating meat processors, pay a reduced processing fee – it’s usually around thirty dollars – the meat processor takes that deer, grinds it into burger, bags it, and freezes, and calls a food assistance provider in their community to come pick it up. And then it gets distributed that way.

Karen Meyer coordinates the Hunters for the Hungry program. Not all processors charge a fee, or the same fee.

Through a grant from the NRA Foundation, we’ve been able to subsidize processing fees for some of the high schools that have meat processing facilities where they’re teaching a vocation to the students. There are even a couple of processors that participate in the program that don’t charge anything.

Processing fees are tax deductible. Your donation helps people you would expect, and some you would not.

People that lost their houses in the Abilene area from the wildfires they had last year; a couple years ago Katrina and Rita evacuees; people from all walks of life might end up being a recipient of it.

Donate wild game to Hunters for the Hungry. Learn how at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show for today…supported in part by the Wildlife Restoration Program…providing funding for the Private lands and Public Hunting Programs…

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Hunters for the Hungry, Part 2 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Wildlife Restoration Program

One thing you can say about food banks is…

They’re always needing meat.

Karen Meyer coordinates the Hunters for the Hungry program through the Texas Association of Community Action Agencies. Started in 1990, Hunters for the Hungry encourages outdoorsmen to donate deer they have harvested.

It’s gradually grown significantly over time. In the early years, there was probably less than fifty thousand pounds of meat donated a year. And now we’re reaching near two-hundred thousand pounds a year.

The donated meat goes to hunger relief agencies across Texas where, says Meyer, approximately six million, quarter pound servings of nutritious venison has been distributed to hungry Texans.

Different agencies that receive the meat use it in different ways. Some give it out directly to families; some use it in their kitchens. I know that one organization makes use out of it in their soup that they prepare every day. And so, that probably serves a lot more people than a quarter pound serving per person.

If you’re a hunter with a freezer full of venison, but who still has a deer tag, consider harvesting an animal for Hunters for the Hungry. Find a link to details at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… we receive support from the Wildlife Restoration Program, which fund our Private Lands and Public Hunting Programs…

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
____________________________________________________________________

CLICK HERE TO FIND A PROCESSOR NEAR YOU

Hunters for the Hungry, Part 1 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download