April 17, 2012

Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center May 5

ATHENS—The annual Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. May 5.

April 13, 2012

Major East Texas Deer Poaching Case Finalized

AUSTIN – State game wardens have wrapped up an extensive 16-month poaching investigation in East Texas that has netted stout fines and jail or prison sentences for four men responsible for illegally killing 30 deer in Wood and Rains counties.

New Group Pavilion Opens at Palo Duro Canyon State Park

CANYON, TX—Some 200 people from across the region turned out for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the long-awaited Mack Dick Group Pavilion in the bottom of scenic Palo Duro Canyon State Park on Thursday.

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.

Egged in Athens

ATHENS—Leroy and Judy McMillin Egged me.

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

Bastrop State Park Back in Full Swing Post-Wildfire

BASTROP – By this weekend, Bastrop State Park visitors will find most facilities and all but a fraction of the Lost Pines parkland open to the public only seven months after a destructive wildfire burned 95 percent of the national landmark.