Passport to Texas

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.
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CLICK HERE TO FIND A PROCESSOR NEAR YOU

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

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

Non-hunters may not approve of hunting. Perhaps this will offer a new perspective: hunters fund conservation efforts in Texas.

There’s no question. Because there’s an excise tax put on sporting arms and ammunition that goes into conservation that states use to manage WMAs [Wildlife Management Areas] and run programs.

Dave Morrison is waterfowl program leader. The various stamps hunters need to harvest certain species fund conservation.

If you look at the duck stamp since 1937, look at all the land that has been purchased and is out there in perpetuity for wetlands.

Morrison adds you don’t have to be a hunter to buy a duck stamp.

If people may not necessarily agree with hunting, or they don’t hunt themselves, one of the smartest things they can do is go buy a duck stamp. Because that duck stamp goes into acquisition of habitat that certainly benefits ducks, but benefits a whole wide range of species. Even if you don’t hunt, buying a duck stamp will show that you, too, are concerned about conservation, and that you are doing your part by spending that fifteen dollars, which in turn, is going into purchase land for our grandkids to be able to watch waterfowl as they migrate south.

Learn more about hunting and conservation when you visit passporttotexas.org.

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.

Waterfowl Stamp & Conservation Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

Non-hunters may not approve of hunting. Perhaps this will offer a new perspective: hunters fund conservation efforts in Texas.

There’s no question. Because there’s an excise tax put on sporting arms and ammunition that goes into conservation that states use to manage WMAs [Wildlife Management Areas] and run programs.

Dave Morrison is waterfowl program leader. The various stamps hunters need to harvest certain species fund conservation.

If you look at the duck stamp since 1937, look at all the land that has been purchased and is out there in perpetuity for wetlands.

Morrison adds you don’t have to be a hunter to buy a duck stamp.

If people may not necessarily agree with hunting, or they don’t hunt themselves, one of the smartest things they can do is go buy a duck stamp. Because that duck stamp goes into acquisition of habitat that certainly benefits ducks, but benefits a whole wide range of species. Even if you don’t hunt, buying a duck stamp will show that you, too, are concerned about conservation, and that you are doing your part by spending that fifteen dollars, which in turn, is going into purchase land for our grandkids to be able to watch waterfowl as they migrate south.

Learn more about hunting and conservation when you visit passporttotexas.org.

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.

Waterfowl Stamp & Conservation Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

A generation ago, families spent some part of every day together outdoors. That doesn’t happen as much today; Ashley Mathews says that may have to do with location.

My generation of adults have typically been raised in urban settings, and unless we were involved in scouting, have not often been taught those basic outdoor skills that we might have learned on the farms, or out on our families ranches.

Mathews oversees the Outdoor Families program for Parks and Wildlife.

Now that we have children — young children – we might not feel capable of taking them on these outdoor experiences, or we might feel a little foolish is we didn’t excel at it.

A typical Outdoor Family event includes an overnight family camp out, where families learn the skills they need to get the most from their outdoor experience.

It’s a two-day event; we usually start early on Saturday mornings and run through Sunday about lunchtime. Saturday afternoon we break up and go to various classes of their choosing…everything from fly-fishing, to fishing basics, to camping, air rifle, archery, kayaking, and then we have a lot of youth nature activities as well. And then we transition the group to a camp out experience.

We’ll have more about Outdoor Families tomorrow.

That’s our show for today… with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… working to increase fishing, hunting, shooting and boating in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Outdoor Families Play Now | Play in Popup | Download