July 14, 2020

Clayton Wolf Named TPWD Chief Operating Officer

AUSTIN — Clayton Wolf, a 27-year veteran of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), has been named Chief Operating Officer (COO).

July 10, 2020

Commercial Gulf Shrimp Season Opens Wednesday, July 15

AUSTIN- The Gulf of Mexico commercial shrimp season for both state and federal waters will reopen 30 minutes after sunset on Wednesday, July 15, 2020. The opening date is based on an evaluation of the biological, social and economic impact to maximize the benefits to the industry and the public.

July 8, 2020

Texas Game Wardens Wrap up Busy July 4th Weekend Boating Safety Effort

AUSTIN – Thousands of Texans headed out to lakes, rivers and coastal bays to celebrate July 4th weekend, and Texas Game Wardens were out in force to ensure everyone stayed safe on the water. Game wardens conducted safety checks on more than 11,000 vessels across the state between Friday and Sunday.

July 7, 2020

TPWD Expands Scale Loaner Program

AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is expanding its scale loaner program for the first time since it started in 2017. This program gives local tournament organizers the ability to incorporate the catch, weigh and immediate release formats made popular through professional-level fishing events, such as the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest (TBTF) and Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour.

Balmorhea Closure Extended to Fall 2020

TOYAHVALE— Due to construction delays caused by the public health crisis, Balmorhea State Park’s closure has been extended until the fall. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department remains in constant consultation with onsite contractors to ensure that the projects are completed safely and in as timely a manner as possible.

July 6, 2020

TPWD Launches Innovative Bass Tracking Study

AUSTIN – With more people heading out to the water, recent reports have shown anglers aren’t catching bass as often despite healthy fish populations in lakes. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department launched a new study tracking the movements and behaviors of largemouth bass at Toledo Bend and Lake Fork to try and figure out why.

2020-21 TPWD Drawn Hunt Permit Applications Now Being Accepted

AUSTIN — Hunters looking for a new opportunity or a change of scenery this fall are encouraged to check out the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) drawn hunt permits program. Applications are being accepted now for a shot at more than 9,500 permits in 56 hunt categories.

July 2, 2020

TPWD Prompts Boaters to ‘Clean, Drain and Dry’

AUSTIN – The July 4th Holiday arrives this weekend and Texans may be getting out on the water. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) inland fisheries and law enforcement staff are urging boaters to do their part to fight back against aquatic invasive species, such as zebra mussels and giant salvinia, threatening Texas lakes.

July 1, 2020

Texans Urged to Be Safe on the Water Over July 4th Weekend

AUSTIN – With the July 4th holiday weekend on the horizon, Texans around the state are making plans to take advantage of the sunshine on the state’s waterways. Compared to this time last year, drownings are up more than 30 percent, so the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is reminding everyone to be safe this holiday weekend by following basic boating safety precautions and public health guidelines while on the water.

June 30, 2020

Bear Conservation Efforts Prove Successful as Sightings Increase in Northeast Texas

AUSTIN— Since April, there has been an uptick in black bear sightings in Bowie, Grayson and Titus counties in northeast Texas. The bears are thought to originate from the neighboring states of Oklahoma and Arkansas, or possibly Louisiana, where resident bear populations are well established and expanding. As the numbers of this iconic species grows, dispersing black bears find their way across state lines into Texas, signaling the possibility of its eventual permanent return to our landscape.