Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

04 He’s gonna get out of here. He’s going to get flushed. What a smart little guy!

We love the Finding Nemo scenario; the aquarium trapped fish released back into the wild. The problem is most fish in Texas aquariums aren’t from Texas.

Luci Cook-Hildreth is a Parks and Wildlife projects coordinator in Inland Fisheries.

18–Even really really smart people sometimes don’t understand that a fish is not just a fish and water is not just water. They go, “I have a creek in my backyard, and I have a fish that’s too big for my tank. Well, why don’t I just set him free?” And they don’t understand that there’s a lot of biological and ecological ramifications to that decision.

Many of these non-natives end up thriving in Texas waters and out-competing native fish populations.

Cook-Hildreth says controlling what fish people own is practically impossible because of the Internet. Despite state laws, there seems to be a constant supply and demand for illegal species. And these fish can sometimes be expensive.

16–Folks that are interested in selling illegal fish have the potential to make thousands of dollars on these fish. And we can slap a fine on them, for 200 or 300 dollars, and it’s really just the cost of doing business for these folks.

So remember, by releasing your fish into the wild, you might just be endangering a lot more.

That’s our show…with support from the Sport Fish restoration program…funding sport fisheries research in Texas.

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

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This is Passport to Texas

The April issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine is sure to intrigue and delight with stories that take you from one side of the state to the other. Editor, Louie Bond.

55—One thing in particular we’re going to look at is the bighorn sheep relocation out in West Texas, that happened in December, which was a glorious project, and very exciting for everyone who participated as they literally air lifted sheep from one location to another. But, it’s a great restoration project that the agency’s been working on for a long time, and we’re very proud. And I know that people are going to be so excited to drive down the road and be able to see a bighorn sheep again. In fact, I already had a friend tell me, ‘I saw a bighorn sheep out there the other day.’ So, it’s a great success story for all of us. Another great success story are the paddling trails that are opening up all around the state, due in large part to our partnerships with lots of great people across the state who want these paddling trails in their areas, and we help them make these a reality. So, people are getting out on the water and seeing the sights in this quiet, peaceful way of travel. So, I hope whether you like land or water, you’ll get outside and enjoy the great things our agency’s done this month.

Thanks, Louie.

Find more information at www.tpwmagazine.com.

We receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…providing funding for wildlife restoration and water access.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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This is Passport to Texas

The Louisiana pine snake is so rare, it’s even hard for wildlife professionals to find.

Craig Rudolph is a research ecologist for the US Forest Service Southern Research Station. He says the US Forest Service and the zoo in Lufkin, TX, have established a new captive breeding program for the Louisiana pine snake.

There’s just one problem…

07—Over the last four years, we’ve only come up with one female, so that is obviously limiting our ability to establish this population.

The non-venomous snakes are native to East Texas and Louisiana, where they depend almost entirely on the pocket gopher. The snakes burrow into the gopher’s tunnel, then…

06—They wait in one of the feeding tunnels for the gopher to come along, and they function as ambush predators.

But, in East Texas, much of the gopher’s habitat has been destroyed. That means fewer gophers and fewer pine snakes. Rudolph says this problem isn’t new and they’ve been working to restore native habitat for decades.

12—Habitat on public land especially has been considerably improved over the last 10 to 20 years, primarily through more prescribed fire.

By the time the snakes are ready to be released in several years, researchers hope the habitat and, consequently, the gopher population will be ready for them.

That’s our show… the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program supports our series… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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This is Passport to Texas

The Wildlife and State Parks Divisions teamed up to make history in December 2010 with the reintroduction of desert bighorn sheep at Big Bend Ranch State Park.

13—Today is a historic day for the wildlife division and state parks, because this is one of our more significant wildlife conservation efforts, where we’re collaborating with state parks to reintroduce a species that hasn’t been here in decades.

Clayton Wolf is Wildlife Division Director. Using a helicopter and nets, biologists removed animals from Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area, and transported them by trailer to Big Bend Ranch, about an hour and a half away.

20—[helicopter] We’re capturing bighorn sheep, of course, and we’re transplanting them to Big Bend Ranch State Park. They’re part of our natural history out here in West Texas. They were here long before any of us showed up. They’re part of the natural ecosystem out there, and of course, that’s part of our mission to restore those species that have been out here. And, of course, bighorn sheep they’re a flagship species for these mountains.

The animals underwent testing, and most were fitted with radio transmitters, to track them over time.

11—Our bighorn sheep restoration program has been very successful. So, this is just one of those steps in the process. There’s a lot of other private land tracts and public land tracts we hope to restore sheep to one day.

Watch the bighorn sheep relocation effort when you log onto the Texas Parks and Wildlife YouTube channel.

That’s our show… with support from the Wildlife Restoration Program… funding bighorn sheep restoration work in Texas.

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

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This is Passport to Texas

Texas is home to hundreds of bird species, and Texas Parks and Wildlife TV Producer, Alan Fisher, explains how a couple of segments in March programming are for the birds.

We are featuring a story on quail—Northern Bobwhite quail are in decline across the US, faring better in Texas than some places, but it’s still a concern. Um, and we meet with some landowners and biologists who are trying to help the quail stay around.

It’s a small park with a whole mess of birds.

Thanks, Alan.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…providing funding for boat ramps in Texas.

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

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