Passport to Texas

Shooting: Girls on the Range, 1 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Lynne Finch is a certified NRA pistol instructor and one of the founders and organizers of National Take Your Daughter to the Range Day; the inaugural event is June 9.

06—The idea came in January of this year, reading Julie Golob’s book “Shoot.”

In the book Golob recounts a childhood that included spending time at the shooting range with her father. Lynne says most women who come to her want to learn personal defense.

23— So I hadn’t heard a lot of stories about growing up and the bonding opportunities with dads. I have a Facebook Page called Women Firearms Instructors, so I put the question out: How did you come to shooting? And I got so many wonderful responses from women who had grown up going to the rock quarry or going to the range, and shooting with their dads and the wonderful memories that they had.

Lynne conferred with a fellow instructor and queried others about creating an event where fathers could take their daughters to the range for a day of learning and bonding. The idea gained momentum, and became National Take your Daughter to the Range Day, set for June 9.

13— [When] girls learn to master a skill that’s not traditional, it helps with self-esteem, it opens up opportunities for them. Plus, shooting is fun. It’s something the whole family can do together.

Find a link to participating ranges in Texas at passporttotexas.org.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series and works to increase shooting sports in Texas. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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

If you plan on hunting migratory game birds in Texas this fall, you need to be HIP – HIP certified, that is. HIP stands for Harvest Information Program.

Its purpose is to gain information on waterfowl and migratory bird hunters nationwide. Basically a name and address and a little bit about their previous year’s hunting activity—as well as what they plan on hunting what they plan on hunting in the upcoming year.

Kevin Kraai is Assistant Waterfowl Program Leader. He says the HIP program helps wildlife professionals improve resource management practices as well as track various waterfowl populations throughout the country.

It’s a very useful tool in setting the future year hunting regulations and management decisions.

Being a HIP certified waterfowl hunter isn’t just a good idea—it’s the law.

Officially, it is a requirement by law that every individual that plans on hunting migratory birds in the state of Texas us HIP certified. If you are not HIP certified and you are hunting migratory game birds, you are subject to game violations.

We have a link to information about becoming HIP certified at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show for today…made possible 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.

It's Cool to be HIP Certified Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Mason Mountain WMA Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

Located in the central mineral region of the Texas Hill Country, about six miles northwest of the town of Mason, is Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area.

It’s a pretty unique region in Texas, where you have the huge granite boulders that have uplifted; it’s an extension of the same uplift that created Enchanted Rock.

Mark Mitchell is a biologist at the 53-hundred acre site.

We’ve got some bottomlands, we’ve got the granite gravel uplift. We’ve got the more traditional hill country habitat such as the limestone hills.

The site supports diverse native flora and fauna, including: six hundred fifty identified plant species, spiny crevice lizards, black bellied tree ducks, white tailed deer, javelina, and black-capped vireos, just to name a few.

I think for the hill country and a 53-hundred acre management area, we may have as much diversity as you can possibly find.

Because of exotic species like gemsbok and impala and outstanding facilities on the site when the agency acquired it, the WMA is self-supporting.

We don’t receive tax dollars for operation and maintenance of the area; we have to generate our own income. And we do that through — primarily – guided hunts. And because of the facilities that were here when we obtained the place, we can host conservation meetings.

Access to Mason Mountain WMA is limited to hunters with  a Special Permit, or to groups that make prior arrangements. That’s our show… made possible by a grant from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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

Boys and girl with an interest in hunting who don’t have a family member who hunts, can participate in Texas’ youth hunting program.

We offer a Texas youth hunting program through Parks and Wildlife and the Texas Wildlife Association.

Heidi Rao is a hunter education coordinator from Dickenson.

This is a program that offers youth hunting opportunities to those of the ages between nine and seventeen. They go through the hunter education course, and then they have opportunities to go on a variety of youth hunts that are guided by trained hunt masters.

With the proper training, even young hunters can become volunteer hunter education instructors.

We have an assistant hunter education instructor program for those who are between the ages fifteen and twenty. They have to go through the same requirements as a full instructor, such as the student course, the game warden interview, and the instructor course. The only other requirement that we have is that our assistant instructors has to team teach with a full instructor, who’s at least twenty-one years of age. When that assistant turns twenty-one, if they are still active, we will roll them over, and they will become a full instructor.
Learn more at passporttotexas.org.

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

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

Teaching Youth to Hunt Play Now | Play in Popup | Download