AUSTIN — For the 12th year, Whole Earth Provision Co. will celebrate “April is Texas State Parks Month” by hosting a fund drive supporting Texas State Parks. The Texas-based travel, adventure and nature store will give all funds gathered at its six Texas store locations to help finance day-to-day operational expenses, including enhanced visitor programs, park trail maps and facilities maintenance.
AUSTIN — With peak boating season around the corner, Texans recreating on the coast are likely to spot iconic coastal birds such as brown pelicans, roseate spoonbills, black skimmers and reddish egrets nesting in dense colonies, called rookeries. These rookeries provide breeding homes (and nurseries) for thousands of birds and other species on barrier and smaller islands in Texas bays. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) encourages Texas boaters and anglers to watch out for these nesting birds while on the coast so they aren’t disturbed during this sensitive time.
ATHENS – O.H. Ivie Lake’s historic run of Legacy Class Lunkers charged forward on Saturday with another massive largemouth bass. Kevin Winchester of Ballinger reeled in 13.08-pound ShareLunker 650, giving the lake its 15th Legacy Class fish of the 2023 Toyota ShareLunker collection season. Winchester’s catch was also the 18th overall Legacy Lunker that anglers across the nation have landed in Texas this season.
GALVESTON— Galveston Island State Park invites the public to a grand reopening event with two days of festivities March 31 and April 1 as part of the ongoing, yearlong Texas State Parks Centennial.
AUSTIN — La Comisión de Parques y Vida Silvestre de Texas aprueba múltiples cambios a los Reglamentos de Pesca en Agua Dulce para la siguiente temporada 2023–24 en su reunión llevada a cabo el 23 de marzo.
AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted multiple changes to the freshwater fishing regulations for the upcoming 2023–24 season at the March 23 meeting.
AUSTIN – On March 23, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission approved all the proposed changes to the saltwater fishing regulations. These changes are focused on matching federal regulations to streamline both enforcement and compliance issues.
AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) received confirmation of seven new cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in three separate deer-breeding facilities in Zavala, Washington and Gonzales counties. These cases mark the first detection of the disease in each county.
AUSTIN- The National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) confirmed this week the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a striped skunk recovered from Carson County.
AUSTIN- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), in conjunction with National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) and several Texas landowners, has detected the presence of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (RHDV2) in Bosque and Ector Counties. This case in Bosque County is the ninth and most easterly Texas county to have a confirmed case of RHDV2; TPWD is also investigating suspected cases in Mason County. Several counties in west and central Texas that have had recent confirmed cases of RHDV2 continue to report rabbit mortalities; counties with recently confirmed RHDV2 cases include El Paso, Brewster, Terrell, Gillespie, Reeves, Mills, Pecos, Ector, and now Bosque County. TPWD is currently investigating additional suspect cases in Mason County. The carcasses of two wild jackrabbits were found on a resident’s property in Bosque County and were collected for testing in early March after they were reported to be dead with blood coming from the nose. The clinical signs of RHDV2 can include dullness/apathy, not eating, bleeding from the nose and eyes or watery, congested eyes, however most rabbits are found already deceased.