Passport to Texas

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

Dove season signals the beginning of fall hunting opportunities in Texas. And, Saturday September first is opening day in the north and central zones…with the south zone opening later in the month.

And that is to protect late-nesting mourning doves. We have indications from studies that a significant proportion of young are produced after September first in South Texas. And obviously, we want to set the hunting seasons when we’re not going to affect the survival of the young that are still in the nest.

Jay Roberson is the leader of the webless migratory game bird program at the agency. He says protecting the species not only makes good conservation sense, it makes good economic sense.

A Southwick Economic Survey, in 1995, indicated that about two hundred sixty million dollars are generated annually to local economies from dove hunting. Over five thousand four hundred jobs are created because of dove hunting, and about ten point five million dollars in sales tax is generated annually from dove hunting. This comes from leases, gasoline, groceries, hunting licenses, goods and services at local stores. So it is an extremely important species.

Plan on hunting dove this season? Then get your license early to avoid long lines.

That’s our show…made possible by the Wildlife restoration Program…providing funding for the Private Lands and Public Hunting Programs.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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2007-2008 Hunting Seasons [Adobe Reader required]
Where to Get Information and Licenses
Hunting & Fishing Requirements/Restrictions

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

The mourning dove is the subject of a nationwide banding program. Small silver leg bands placed on the doves allow wildlife biologists in Texas, and elsewhere, track harvest rates of these ubiquitous birds.

We’ll also determine survival rates, where they go, when they get there, and when they leave. And all kinds of good information.

Jay Roberson is the leader of the webless migratory game bird program. The bands are packed with information.

And it has the toll free number on it that people can call. And a nine digit number and the office location of the bird banding lab in Laurel Maryland.

If you harvest a banded dove, call the number on the band.

All the work we put in on banding doves is for naught, if they’re not reported by hunters or people who find them. And, it’s very important that hunters check their birds that they bag – make sure that their birds are not banded. If they are, we ask they report the number to the toll-free number: 1-800-327-BAND.

Learn how to report a leg band at passporttotexas.org.

Dove season opens September first in the North and Central Zones. Buy your license early to avoid long lines at the end of the month.

Our show receives support from the Wildlife Restoration Program…providing funding for the Private Lands and Public Hunting Programs.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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Copy and paste the following link into your browser and go to the site where you can report the dove band: http://www.reportband.gov/ .

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

It’s illegal for hunters to track deer with dogs. And Game Warden, Major Robert Carlson, says violators can be relentless.

For decades we have had the running deer with dog issue and some 20 years ago when they made it illegal, we just had a significant number of folks that just wouldn’t quit it. We have been actively working on reducing the number of calls, the number of violations that occur with hunting deer with dogs.

Wardens developed strategies to deal with the crime.

Some of the things we’ve done is for 3 years during deer season we had special operations where we brought in about a dozen wardens from across the state. Every time one of the violators loaded a dog, we made sure they seen a Game Warden truck. And so that reduced their opportunity to actually hunt.

A change in the law helped Wardens with enforcement.

Basically what those law changes, and proclamation changes did, was it helped us because it made the offense of hunting deer with dogs easier to prove and it also made it a higher class misdemeanor with the opportunity for it to become a felony with subsequent charges.

That’s our show for today…we had research and writing help from Loren Seeger…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

East Texas is known for more than its pine trees. It’s also known for being the only place in the state where running deer with dogs is commonplace.

Running deer with dogs is an illegal “sport” whereby a dog owner sends Fido into the woods to flush deer into the open. If the dog’s master correctly calculates the outcome of the chase, his prize is a clear shot at a whitetail. Game Warden Major Robert Carlson.

The dog trails the deer and the sport of it is for me [as the dog’s owner] to determine where that deer is going to cross the road and that’s where I need to be standing for me to shoot the deer. When they’re doing this, they’re running across people’s personal property. You know, it just boils down to that was a legal activity years ago, but you were supposed to shoot them on your property. You don’t have a right to turn a dog loose for it to wreak havoc on everybody’s personal property.

Running deer with dogs was made illegal twenty years ago. Major Carlson says this unlawful sport persists, and interferes with those who hunt deer legally.

What happens is with the deer running through there on a semi-regular basis, well that keeps the deer heard stirred up and run off so that the legal hunters can’t hunt either.

Beefing up efforts to eliminate the activity is tomorrow.

That’s our show for today…with research and writing help from Loren Seeger…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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

With your hunting license, a $48 annual public hunting permit, and the two map booklets of public and private hunting lands, a great hunting experience is closer than you think.

Just for dove hunting alone, this program has a hundred and fifty-five areas in the public dove and small game map booklet. And another fifty areas in the annual public hunting lands map booklet. So, over two-hundred areas just for small game.

Dove season opens September first in the North and Central Zones. Kelly Edmiston, public hunting program specialist, says there’s more than dove and small game on these lands.

There’s also deer and feral hogs and spring turkey and a lot of waterfowl. So, for forty-eight dollars and a hunting license, you can hunt a lot of game birds and a lot of game animals.

And the heavy rains this year mean we could see improved hunting statewide.

All of this rain, believe it or not – in spite of what a lot of people think – is happening almost at the right time, because what’s happening is everything is greening up and the habitat is improving. It’s improving to the point that I think, probably come this fall, a lot of people will notice that the hunting is going to be better.

Public hunting permits go on sale August fifteenth wherever licenses are sold. Find more information at passporttotexas.org.

Our show receives support from the Wildlife restoration program…working to increase shooting and hunting opportunities in Texas. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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Link to 2007-2008 Hunting Seasons [You will Need Acrobat Reader]
Link to Hunter Education Information

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