July 29, 2008

Game Warden Field Notes, July 29, 2008

The following are excerpts from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.

July 8, 2008

Consumption Advisory Issued for Spotted Seatrout from Galveston Bay

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Department of State Health Services today advised limiting consumption of spotted seatrout (commonly called "speckled trout") and all species of catfish from Galveston Bay because of concerns about chemicals known as PCBs and dioxins. This marks the first time the state health department has issued an advisory for an inshore  gamefish species from an entire major bay system.

Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Season to Open July 15

AUSTIN, Texas — The Gulf of Mexico commercial shrimp season for both state and federal waters will open 30 minutes after sunset Tuesday, July 15, 2008. The opening date is based on an evaluation of the biological, social and economic information to maximize the benefits to the industry and the public.

July 1, 2008

Sea Center Staff Makes Valiant Effort to Save Beloved Mascot

LAKE JACKSON, Texas — The thing most people remember about Gordon is how much visiting schoolchildren loved him. Sometimes they’d stretch out on the floor of the visitor’s center, in front of the glass.

June 23, 2008

Conservation License Plates Support Texas Wildlife, Parks, Fisheries

AUSTIN, Texas — What started as a wild idea in 1999 has become an important way to fund wildlife and fisheries conservation and support state parks in Texas, as evidenced by tens of thousands of motorists who have raised more than $4 million by humming down Lone Star roadways sporting conservation license plates.

TPW Magazine July Issue Dives Into Gulf of Mexico

AUSTIN, Texas — As an ecosystem, the Gulf of Mexico functions on a global scale. At more than 579,000 square miles, it’s the ninth largest body of water in the world. The July issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine offers an in-depth exploration of the gulf from a number of angles.

June 9, 2008

Research Documents Child-Nature Disconnect, Shows "Life’s Better Outside"

AUSTIN, Texas — "We have this rock in our yard we call our thinking rock. We’ll go out there and read, and if we see a bird, we look it up in my husband’s bird book."

Game Warden Field Notes, June 9, 2008

The following are excerpts from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.

June 2, 2008

Death of Endangered Turtle Signals Need for Vigilance on Texas Beaches

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As best anyone can tell, sometime during the middle of May a female Kemp’s ridley turtle crawled out of the surf on South Padre Island and was struck by a passing vehicle. The cautionary tale illustrates why biologists are asking beachgoers to keep an eye out for the endangered sea turtles and report sightings.

Waco Man Named to Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame

ATHENS, Texas — Charlie Pack of Waco will be inducted into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame at a banquet at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center June 7.