Passport to Texas

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

The September issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine offers a forecast for the hunting season ahead. Managing Editor, Louie Bond.

We have our hunting forecast in which we put on our turban, and we hold the card up to our forehead and say, ‘where is hunting going to be great, and what’s going to be plentiful, and what might not be. And, John Jefferson is a great long-time outdoors man and writer, and he interviews all of our top-notch biologists, and we analyze the weather…there’s a lot of complex factors that go into our prognostication. And we may get it right most of the time, or we may get a few things wrong, so…it’s very interesting, though, to try to look ahead and foresee the future. And then another really interesting article that we’re featuring this month is about dove hunting, and whether we should be using lead shot or not in hunting dove. Interestingly enough, this study that we’re doing is so extensive and so important that worldwide wildlife groups are waiting for the results of this. We’re studying every aspect of it. So, not only will our hunters be watching this, but worldwide people are going to be watching this to see where it’s going to lead. So, get out your camo; make sure it’s all ready; get our your guns and get them cleaned; buy your shot and get ready for a great hunting season.

Thanks Louie.

That’s our show…supported by a grant from 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.

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

Texas hunters are not only conservationists, they are also philanthropists who help feed hungry Texans.

This past season, we had 192,040 pounds of meat donated, which is the most that we have had donated in one season.

That translated to more than 768-thousand quarter-pound servings of ground venison. Anitra Hendricks coordinates the Hunters for the Hungry program, administered by the Texas Association of Community Action Agencies.

The way that the meat processors package it is in two pound servings. Some of the pantries will use the venison in soups, or they will use it in spaghetti, or they may just hand out the individual packages.

Hunters taking part, bring donated deer to participating processors, and pay a small processing fee.

He can request a receipt if he’s not automatically given one; and that receipt will be for what he paid for the processing. That cost may or may not be tax deductible. And that is up to the hunter to contact a tax consultant.

We have links to more information about Hunters for the Hungry at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show, made possible by a grant from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…working to increase fishing, boating, shooting and hunting in Texas.

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

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

Most people support conservation in theory. Yet, hunters and anglers support it in practice when they buy licenses.

Money from hunting and fishing license sales finds its way back into wildlife conservation and wildlife management, whether it’s a hunting activity or a fishing activity.

Tom Newton, a license revenue manager, says money from the sale of licenses is significant.

License sales, which includes hunting and fishing, of course, all of our recreational licenses, and our commercial licenses…we usually net somewhere around ninety million dollars depending on how the year went.

Resident hunters and anglers aren’t alone in supporting conservation in Texas, their non-resident counterparts also make an important impact.

It’s a very large impact. For the hunters, the licenses generate 2.7 million in annual revenue. And fishing licenses, approximately 3.5 million in license revenue.

Even if you aren’t a hunter or angler, by purchasing a hunting or fishing license, you can help to support conservation work in Texas.

Hunting licenses go on sale August 15; with dove season fast approaching, Newton recommends buying early to avoid lines.

That’s our show… made possibly by a grant from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motorboat fuel.

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

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

Hunting and fishing licenses go on sale August 15.

The best license we have is the Super Combo, which includes all of the hunting tags; the freshwater and saltwater privileges for fishing…so it’s sort of an all-inclusive package.

The only other thing a hunter needs is the federal duck stamp, if duck hunting is on the agenda, says Tom Newton, license revenue manager. He adds that license fees have gone up this year across the board.

The average recreational license went up from two to five dollars; and of course, the non-residents went up a little bit more than that. But we haven’t increased license prices since 2004.

Newton says Parks and Wildlife does everything in its power to avoid fee increases; the current adjustment keeps up with inflation. When you consider what you pay for recreational gear, a license, says Newton, is a bargain.

The cost of a license, whether it’s hunting or fishing, usually is the smallest cost that you have in your activity. A fishing license for example—freshwater—is 28 dollars, and it will be going to 30 dollars this year. The price increases that we have implemented this year, have averaged five percent, or just a little over five percent.

Licenses are available at 1600 locations statewide or online at the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show… made possibly by a grant from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motorboat fuel.

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

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

The Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series talks turkey this month. Series producer, Don Cash explains.

One of the really fun things we’re going to do in August is go Turkey hunting.

[turkey gobble] Oh…did you hear what I just heard? That was a gobbler back down in the creek bottom, guys. [Mockingbird, turkey gobble].

Spring turkey hunting is real big in the state of Texas; and, went on a turkey hunt down in McMullen County, which is halfway between San Antonio and Corpus Christi with some folks. And they really had a great time on the hunt.

Hunting Rio Grande turkeys in south Texas…it just can’t be beat.

One of the things they’re trying to do is sort of outsmart the turkeys, and try and figure out where they turkeys are going to be. And, sometimes it takes a little time, and sometimes the turkeys are just smarter than the hunters are.

Yeah, it’s kind of a game. And sometimes the turkeys win and sometimes we win. We spent three days patterning the turkeys; we finally outsmarted them.

What this is really about is old friends getting together and enjoying the outdoors and hunting and really using that as an excuse to get up and see the sunrise.

Thanks, Don.

That’s our show, made possible by a grant from the Sport Fish and Wildlife restoration Program…working to increase fishing, boating, shooting and hunting opportunities in Texas.

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

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