May 1, 2012

Texas State-Fish Art Contest Winners Announced

ATHENS—Officials at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center have announced the winners of the Texas division of the Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest.

Toyota ShareLunker Season Ends

ATHENS—April 30 marked the end of the 26th season of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s ShareLunker program.

April 30, 2012

Regional Lone Star Land Stewards Persevere Through Drought, Down Economy

AUSTIN – The ability to manage land in difficult times, through extended dry periods and economic downturns, is the hallmark of a good land steward. This year’s recipients of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Lone Star Land Steward Awards are prime examples.

Local Partners Boost Tarrant County Fishing

ATHENS—Thanks to the Sportmen’s Club of Fort Worth and the Nell V. Bailey Charitable Trust, fishing will be better than ever in Tarrant County this year.

April 12, 2012

Archery hits the mark for Texans

They may not be hunting for food for their families in District 12, like Katniss before The Hunger Games, but archery has still become a popular sport with children and teens across the nation. Seeing this increased interest, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recently began work with the Archery Trade Association to offer archery programs and opportunities in communities across Texas.

TPW Commission Looks to Science for Solution to Quail Woes

AUSTIN –Texas quail hunters should not expect substantive changes for the 2012-13 season after the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission urged biologists to intensify quail conservation efforts, while minimizing the use of regulations as a means to address declining bobwhite populations.

April 11, 2012

Texas Coastal Fisheries Hatcheries Celebrate 30 Years

CORPUS CHRISTI— Putting blackened redfish on the menu back in the 1970s almost helped land the popular game fish on another list, for protected species, had it not been for an ambitious fisheries management initiative that included development of the Texas marine fisheries hatchery system.

The Greatest Conservation Story You Never Heard: 75 Years of Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration

AUSTIN — Imagine a nationwide coalition saying “please tax us; we want to pay federal taxes.” Such a thing seems inconceivable today, but that’s essentially what happened starting 75 years ago when hunters and anglers called for what became the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) programs.

April 10, 2012

Safety First for Spring Turkey Hunting

AUSTIN — The beginning of the spring wild turkey hunting season is an exciting time that more than 2.7 million turkey hunters nationwide have looked forward to for several months. But hunters need to make sure their excitement does not blind them to the precautions they should take to ensure a safe and successful day in the field.

April 9, 2012

O. H. Ivie Proves Toyota ShareLunker Was No Fluke

ATHENS—When O.H. Ivie, the West Texas reservoir now below 20 percent capacity, produced Toyota ShareLunker 535 March 25, some people assumed the catch was an aberration.