AUSTIN —Each February for more than 15 years, countless volunteers spend 10 days on the water along the Texas coastline searching the bays for abandoned crab traps left to foul shrimpers’ nets, snag anglers’ lines, “ghost fish,” and create unsightly views. To date, they’ve hauled off more than 32,000 of these derelict traps.
ABILENE — Christmas came early for “Big Country” anglers this year as Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries staff and the local Friends of Reservoirs organization, the Still Waters Bass Club, partnered up to place 150 donated Christmas trees as fish attractors Jan. 28 in the Stamford Reservoir near Abilene.
AUSTIN — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission at its Thursday, Jan. 26, public hearing approved changes to the regulations on the possession and sale of gizzard and threadfin shad collected from public waters.
AUSTIN — Changes to harvest regulations for bass in the Devil’s River highlight this year’s list of proposed freshwater fishing regulation changes.
AUSTIN —The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is seeking public comment on proposed modifications to hammerhead shark and grouper regulations. The proposed changes would alter the current size and possession limits for hammerhead sharks and grouper to be consistent with federal regulations. This will reduce confusion for anglers fishing in state and federal waters and enhance compliance, administration and enforcement. All public input will be considered prior to any action by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission at its March 23 public hearing.
AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is closing TX-31 in St. Charles Bay to commercial and recreational oyster harvest on Monday, Jan. 30. 2017.
The following items are compiled from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.
AUSTIN – Increased dove hunting opportunities across South Texas and expanded landowner-managed pronghorn permitting in the Panhandle highlight this year’s slate of proposed regulation changes for the 2017-18 Texas hunting seasons.
AUSTIN— Texas game warden Heath Bragg was recognized as the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) Officer of the Year award recipient at today’s Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting. This is the 47th year that this award has been presented to a Texas game warden.
AUSTIN — Chronic wasting disease has been detected in a hunter harvested 1 1/2 –year-old white-tailed buck submitted for sampling within Surveillance Zone 3 in Medina County. This marks the first confirmed case of CWD in a free-ranging Texas whitetail.