Passport to Texas

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

Hunting and fishing licenses for the 2007-2008 seasons go on sale statewide this month.

The new season, dove season, opens September first. It’s on a Saturday. I think it would be a very good idea for hunters to start buying their licenses and their super combos as soon as our sales season opens, which is August fifteenth.

Tom Newton manages licensing at Texas Parks and Wildlife. Buying your license early is like planning your morning commute; you can sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic or you can leave early and breeze through. Whether you buy licenses now or later — be aware of two changes.

We had a license that we called a special resident license that encompassed young hunters and the older hunters. And we took that licenses and we split it into two. Now we’re going to have one senior and one youth hunter. The other thing that we’ve done…our temporary day plus licenses have been consolidated into one single license; we had twelve.

Now there’s a one day license for residents and a one day license for non-residents.

Which will un-complicate things considerably.

Get your licenses online, or at 17-hundred retailers statewide, state parks, game warden offices and Texas Parks and Wildlife headquarters. Find license links at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with support from the Wildlife restoration program…working to increase shooting and hunting opportunities in Texas.

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

Link to Fishing License Information
Link to Hunting License Information
Link to Big Time Texas Hunt Information
Link to Public Hunting Information

License Changes Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

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

It’s August: time to renew hunting and fishing licenses.

The licenses are effective beginning September first, but they actually go on sale August 15th.

Tom Newton manages licensing at Texas Parks and Wildlife.

The fishing is broken down into saltwater or freshwater, or what we call an all-water, which covers both. There’s a couple of different hunting licenses, which is your standard deer hunters, or turkey hunters. With the hunting license you have to purchase a couple of stamps if you’re a bird hunter.

Those include the upland, migratory and federal duck stamps. The best license to buy — if you plan on hunting and fishing — is the Super Combo.

Which encompasses everything: All the stamps, all of your hunting options, all of your fishing options. The only thing you need in addition to that is your federal duck stamp. So, the Super Combo – at sixty-four dollars – is the best priced license. And, like I say, you buy that, you need nothing else for the whole year.

It takes an average of five minutes to process a license sale transaction. Even if there are only four people ahead of you, you’ll still be in line for twenty-five minutes. So buy early. Licenses are available online and at 17-hundred agents statewide.

All of our parks sell licenses. All of our law enforcement sells licenses as we do here at Headquarters.

That’s our show…with support from the Wildlife restoration program…working to increase shooting and hunting opportunities in Texas.

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

Link to Fishing License Information
Link to Hunting License Information
Link to Big Time Texas Hunt Information
Link to Public Hunting Information

Licenses Go On Sale -- Buy Early Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Texas Parks and Wildlife television series brings the outdoors in. Series producer Don Cash says one segment on Wyler Aerial Tramway and will take viewers to new heights.

It’s really kind of an unusual state park because it’s a tramway, and not your typical, “I’m gong camping” kind of place. The history of the tramway is really interesting; it was originally there to service the television towers on the top of the mountain.

The main purpose of the tramway being built was to get his engineers up to the transmitter site to do maintenance. When they saw that the ride beautiful, they decided to open it up to the public. And it ran until 1986 when it was shut down.

And the view is just…

Breathtaking, huh? Yeah (laughter).

We’re also going to go way down in the valley to the Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park, which is also part of the World Birding Center.

[bird chirps] This is one of the best places in the country to see birds. We have over five hundred species just in the Lower Rio Grande Valley alone [bird chirps] Which is more than what some states have.

All year round at Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park, you’re going to see lots of birds… you’re going to hear lots of birds. It seems to be pretty constant down there, no matter what time of the year you’re there.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Television series airs on PBS stations. Check your local listings.

That’s our show for today… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

TPWD TV – Taking to the Sky Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

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

Autumn is gaining on us…and no self-respecting Texan would ever allow an entire summer to go by without spending time in or on the water. Fortunately, state parks provide many opportunities for both.

Inks Lakes State Park near Burnet offers first-time boaters a chance to take part in their basic canoe skills clinic, which prepares participants for the Devil’s Waterhole Canoe Tour at the same site.

Already a skilled paddler? Then make tracks – or is that waves – to any Texas inland or coastal paddling trail. These trails provide well-mapped accessible day trips in a variety of settings, for all levels of paddling experience.

Anglers will gain a new perspective on their sport by casting a line from a kayak or canoe. It’s simple to do.

And, what’s better than being neck-deep in cool water on a hot summer’s day? No matter where you live in Texas, there’s a state park with a lake, river or creek, or ocean just waiting for you to dive in.

Find links to information about the opportunities I mentioned today when you log onto passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with support from the Sport Fish Restoration Program…working to increase fishing and boating opportunities in Texas.

For Texas parks and wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Getting Splashy at State Parks Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

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

You may think a marsh area is the same as any other waterlogged piece of land, but Goose Island State Park interpreter Mike Mullenwig, begs to differ.

In this case, a marsh is a wetland that is distinguished by the vegetation that is growing in it, which would be low grasses and shrubs. If you have a wetland that has tall wooded plants, that would be considered a swamp.

Development is often to blame for loss of marshland, but not at Goose Island. Wind and waves from the gulf have eroded significant portion of the land.

At Goose Island over the past 25 years, almost close to 35 years, we have lost roughly 25 acres of marshland due to erosion. So, the marsh walk that I do talks about what Texas Parks and Wildlife is doing to restore the wetlands here around Goose Island.

Attend a Marsh Walk at Goose Island with interpreter Mullenwig, and learn about this fascinating ecological resource.

The plants that we look at on our marsh walk include the front line grass, and that’s the smooth Court Grass. As far as the animals living out there, probably the most noticeable that you will see are of course the Brown Pelican and Great Blue Herons.

The Marsh Walk is Saturday, August 4th from 10 to 11 AM at Goose Island in Rockport. The program is free with park entrance fee.

That’s our show for today…with research and writing help from Loren Seeger…The Wildlife Restoration Program supports our series…and provides funding for wetland conservation through the Private Lands Enhancement Program.

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

______________________________________________________________

August 4, 2007 — Goose Island SP — Marsh Walk
— Come join our park interpreter as he leads a walk along the shell ridge and high marsh of the western portion of Goose Island. Learn about the flora and fauna that make this area their home and learn what the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is doing to protect and preserve this endangered ecosystem. Bring your binoculars, drinking water, insect repellent, sun screen and some shoes you won’t mind getting muddy. 10-11 a.m. (361) 729-2858.

Marsh Walk Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download