Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas form Texas Park and Wildlife and the Wildlife Restoration Program

The majority of wildlife in Texas falls into the non-game category.

There are over six hundred species of birds, four hundred species of reptiles and amphibians, small mammals, and we really need every dime we can get to manage those animals properly.

Matt Wagner is program director for wildlife diversity. Money to study these species comes from the sale of Texas Horned Lizard license plates, which generate about 200-thousand dollars annually for conservation of non-game species…including the horned lizard.

We’re concerned about the decline of the horned lizard in part of our state, and we have some genetic work going on, and some other population analysis going on in the state that will hopefully reveal some answers to some of those questions.

The horned lizard plate strikes a chord with Texans.

People attach themselves with the horned lizard. And, whether they know where the money goes or not they reveal a value there. And so that is a vote of confidence going to wildlife. So, we want to take those dollars and put them back into the resource that they were intended for.

Go to conservation-dash-plate-dot-org to see the Horned Lizard Plate and to learn how helps wildlife in Texas.

That’s our show for today…we receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program… providing funding for the operations and management of more than 50 wildlife management areas …For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

We see more horned lizard license plates in Texas than horned lizards. Since 1999, drivers have purchased approximately ten thousand license plates a year featuring this spiny reptile.

I think it’s the fourth largest selling plate, in the entire state, as far as vanity plates are concerned.

One species vanity is another species salvation. Matt Wagner, program director for wildlife diversity, says money from the sale of horned lizard license plates supports conservation of non-game species in Texas.

We get about 20-dollars per plate. And on average, we sell about 10-thousand plates, give or take, and that generates around 200-thousand dollars per year. And again, that money goes into a fund, specifically for non-game wildlife—things like the horned lizard and other reptiles that don’t have a dedicated source of funding.

Funds raised also help study and protect small mammals and birds…and even plants.

We are actually mandated to manage rare plants in our state. And the horned lizard plate is one of the few sources we have that allow us to do that.

Learn about all our conservation license plates at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Relive the agony and ecstasy of the First Toyota Texas Bass Classic this month on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV show. Series producer, Abe Moore.

So on the last week of August, we’re profiling the Toyota Texas Bass Classic. It just wrapped up its second year at Lake Fork, but we’re going to profile the very first year. And we followed two characters: one was the tournament favorite, Alton Jones whose from Waco, Texas. I

t’s been a lot of fun. I’ve been fishing professionally now since 1990. I never dreamed that when I was starting out that some day I would earn more than a million dollars bass fishing. Now we just travel around, all over the United States and fish bass tournaments. It’s pretty fun.

So, he’s kind of established, and he’s doing pretty well in this bass fishing thing. And the other character is Darrin Schwenkbeck, and he’s only won a couple of tournaments and he’s barely making enough money to pay for gas to get himself from lake to lake.

It’s a tough road. And it’s where I stand. And then I’m going to have to get my act together and start catching them in the next few to, uh, keep on going.

So, what’s interesting about this story is that we follow the characters of professional bass fishing. So, maybe when the next Toyota Texas Bass Classic happens next year, folks can go down there and look at these anglers with a different perspective.

Thanks, Abe.

Find a list of stations that air the series at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TP&W TV: Bass Classic Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Relive the agony and ecstasy of the First Toyota Texas Bass Classic this month on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV show. Series producer, Abe Moore.

So on the last week of August, we’re profiling the Toyota Texas Bass Classic. It just wrapped up its second year at Lake Fork, but we’re going to profile the very first year. And we followed two characters: one was the tournament favorite, Alton Jones whose from Waco, Texas. I

t’s been a lot of fun. I’ve been fishing professionally now since 1990. I never dreamed that when I was starting out that some day I would earn more than a million dollars bass fishing. Now we just travel around, all over the United States and fish bass tournaments. It’s pretty fun.

So, he’s kind of established, and he’s doing pretty well in this bass fishing thing. And the other character is Darrin Schwenkbeck, and he’s only won a couple of tournaments and he’s barely making enough money to pay for gas to get himself from lake to lake.

It’s a tough road. And it’s where I stand. And then I’m going to have to get my act together and start catching them in the next few to, uh, keep on going.

So, what’s interesting about this story is that we follow the characters of professional bass fishing. So, maybe when the next Toyota Texas Bass Classic happens next year, folks can go down there and look at these anglers with a different perspective.

Thanks, Abe.

Find a list of stations that air the series at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TP&W TV: Bass Classic Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

For $10-dollars by mail, or $9 online, anyone can enter Big Time Texas Hunts for the chance to win one of seven exclusive hunting trips, including the popular Texas Grand Slam—an opportunity to hunt all four of Texas’ premier big game animals.

White-tailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, and desert bighorn sheep, which is very rare to get the chance to do that.

Linda Campbell is Program Director of the Private Lands and Public Hunting Program. Other packages include the Whitetail Bonanza, Premium Buck, Big Time Bird Hunt, Exotic Safari and more.

Enter as many times as you wish to for one or more packages. Most of our hunts are held on private lands—high quality ranches with great lodges. We feed people well, and they’re fully guided. And it’s a really neat opportunity.

The goal of the program is to raise money for wildlife management and research, habitat conservation and public hunting opportunities in Texas. Deadline to enter is October 15.

And that is so we can draw the hunters, get them in touch with the outfitters and people can get in the field. In certain areas the rut happens early, so we want to get the hunters in touch with the outfitters and get them going by the time deer season begins.

We have a link to the Big Time Texas Hunts web page at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… with support from the Wildlife restoration program…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.