2009 TPWD Statewide Public Hearings
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is recommending changes to next year’s hunting and fishing regulations, expanding upon the success of several resource management initiatives. The department is seeking comment on these proposed changes to the state’s hunting and fishing regulations during a series of public hearings. Each year, TPWD considers changes in hunting and fishing regulations to achieve resource management objectives and maximize outdoor recreation opportunities consistent with good stewardship. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission will make final decisions on the proposals.

Commission Meetings, Agendas and Transcripts
Don't know how many have seen this, but I received it in a TP&W Update bulletin.

The only way rules/regulations concerning our sport can be set up accurately, is if we, as sportsmen and women take the time to go to these mettings and get involved.


All meetings begin at 7 p.m. City - Date - Location (Meeting sites will be added when available.)

Abilene - March 9, 2009 - Taylor County
Alpine - February 17, 2009 - Brewster County
Amarillo - February 17, 2009 - Potter County
Brownwood - March 11, 2009 - Brown County
Canton - March 5, 2009 - Van Zandt County
Centerville - February 23, 2009 - Leon County
Childress - February 23, 2009 - Childress County
College Station - March 9, 2009 - Brazos County
Corsicana - February 25, 2009 - Navarro County
Crockett - February 17, 2009 - Houston County
Dalhart - March 3, 2009 - Dallam County
Dickinson - February 23, 2009 - Galveston County
El Paso - March 3, 2009 - El Paso County
Fort Stockton - February 19, 2009 - Pecos County
Fort Worth - February 19, 2009 - Tarrant County
Friona - March 5, 2009 - Parmer County
Graham - February 23, 2009 - Young County
Greenville - March 3, 2009 - Hunt County
Haskell - February 25, 2009 - Haskell County
Henderson - March 11, 2009 - Rusk County
Huntsville - March 4, 2009 - Walker County
Jasper - February 23, 2009 - Jasper County
Kountze - March 3, 2009 - Hardin County
La Grange - March 2, 2009 - Fayette County
Lamesa - March 9, 2009 - Dawson County
Lampasas - February 19, 2009 - Lampasas County
Laredo - March 9, 2009 - Webb County
Liberty - March 5, 2009 - Liberty County
Lufkin - February 19, 2009 - Angelina County
New Boston - March 9, 2009 - Bowie County
North Houston - February 19, 2009 - Harris County
Palestine - February 19, 2009 - Anderson County
Pampa - February 19, 2009 - Gray County
Pilot Point - March 5, 2009 - Denton County
Pleasanton - February 17, 2009 - Atascosa County
Port Arthur - February 17, 2009 - Jefferson County
Port Isabel - March 11, 2009 - Cameron County
Port Lavaca - February 25, 2009 - Calhoun County
Rockport - March 5, 2009 - Aransas County
San Angelo - February 17, 2009 - Tom Green County
San Antonio - March 3, 2009 - Bexar County
Sherman - March 11, 2009 - Grayson County
Sonora - February 17, 2009 - Sutton County
Waco - March 3, 2009 - McLennan County
Wichita Falls - February 25, 2009 - Wichita County
Woodville - February 25, 2009 - Tyler County

Might just have to get my fellow lease members and go to the Greenvile one and air our "views" on ARs! Might not do any good but we as hunters can't afford to think that way. Thanks for the info. Mr. Crazyhorse!

Maybe some of the Brown county area hunters will go to one, there is NO way they can put AR for that county, it wouldnt work. Just hope area hunters & those with leases there will speak out. Thanks for putting it up Randall, maybe a good mod will sticky it.

TP&W is giving the Public, AKA us geniuses that call ourselves hunters, a really good chance to openly give our opinion on proposals that will effect our hunting and fishing.

Having been to a couple of these, there are a couple pieces of advice I am going to pass along to anyone attending.

1. Do not give a statement that is angry/accusatory/berating toward any person/group/entity.

Calmly and concisely state your opinion and offer any evidence that you feel is supportive of your opinion.

Does not matter if you are for or against the proposal, but if a person that is really interested/concerned about these proposals, they need to attend one of the meeting and express those concerns and do it in a reasonable and clearly worded manner.

2. Go to the meeting and conduct yourself in a business like manner, also, be aware of how your addressed.

This is just my opinion, but if you attend one of these meetings, keep in mind that the folks conducting the meeting, know that when you walk into the meeting that you have an interest of some kind in the proceedings, and dressed in all your best camo ain't gonna impress no body.

Go to the meeting dressed the same way you would to go to work or the Drs. office, these are not camo style shows/redneck fashion shows.

The opinions you give at these meeting may or may not change one thing, but it is like griping about which individual is elected to a Public office, if you did not take the time to vote, you don't have the right to complain. JMO.

Keep that chit up and your Dr. is gonna give your wife a dart gun and some tranquilizer darts to keep you doe cile!

Reckon I'll put away my camo tuxeeder and starch press my denim bib overalls then take a big ol' slug of moonshine to calm my temper about ARs before I go!

The important part is to go, and let them know what you think or feel about the proposals for your area.

TP&W does not really have to do this, and in the past, too many times the only ones that attended and gave thier opinions did so because of some vested interest they had in the outcome.

While it might not make a difference in the short term, it might help out to get possibly bad regulations changed faster then just taking the wait and see attitude.

So true Mr. Crazyhorse and just showing up period is a great way to show the TP&W that there are true interested hunters out here and not just hunters who sit around uninvolved and gripe about regulations they don't agree with. I have been rather guilty of that myself.

Anyone planning on attending one of these meetings needs to click on the link below.

www.tpwd.state.tx.us

It will take you to the TP&W Home Page.

On the right side of the screen, under the search box you will see Quick Links and under that Hot Topics .

Click on: Statewide Public Hearings.

It will take you to the chart showing the meetings schedule, the city where they will be held, and now they are posting the exact location in each city where the meetings will take place.

If you go, please let us know I want to be there and see you share your opinions. the great javelina filibuster of 2009

where can u find this years proposals?

Seek and Ye Shall Find!

Sweeping Texas Deer Regulation Changes Proposed, Public Hearing Dates Set

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission on Jan. 21 authorized the department to seek public comment on a suite of proposed wildlife and hunting related regulations that would expand special buck antler restrictions and liberalize antlerless harvest opportunities in dozens of counties, part of a broader move to transition away from political boundaries and toward biologically-based communities for managing deer populations.

Also, after extensive public scoping, the department has dropped consideration of a general gun deer season in Grayson County, opted to keep the current pheasant season in the Panhandle, and proposed the first ever deer season in Parmer County. The commission also decided not to expand youth hunting season throughout October, but did propose 12 new youth hunting days in January, among other items detailed below.

The deer proposals are part of statewide proposed hunting and fishing regulation changes for the upcoming 2009-2010 season. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has set a record 46 public hearings across the state in February and March to explain the proposals and seek public input. Hearing dates and locations are on the 2009 TPWD Statewide Public Hearings Web page. After the regulations proposals are published in the Texas Register in early February, anyone may also comment online via the TPWD Opportunities for Comment Web page. The TPW Commission will make final decisions about proposed regulations at its March 25-26 meeting in Austin.

In proposing a more science-based approach to deer management, the department has identified 33 unique Resource Management Units (RMUs) across the state having similar soils, vegetation types and land use practices they believe will more accurately capture deer population dynamics. The intent is to develop deer season bag limit frameworks based on these units, although implementation will still track county boundaries to avoid confusion among hunters.

In briefings to the TPW Commission’s Regulations Committee Jan. 21, the department Wildlife Division staff unveiled an extensive suite of potential regulation changes in deer harvest throughout much of the state, as well other wildlife proposals. The proposals are substantially similar to early ideas described last fall, with three significant changes involving youth-only hunting seasons, the archery-only season in Grayson County, and a new mule deer season for Parmer County, as detailed below.

Expansion of Antler Restriction Regulations
One key proposed change involves further expansion of the department’s successful antler restriction regulations into 52 additional counties where biologists have identified a need to provide greater protection of younger buck deer. In these counties, data indicates more than 55 percent of the harvested bucks are two-and-a-half years of age or younger, which creates an imbalance in the deer herd age structure.

According to Clayton Wolf, TPWD big game program director, the antler restrictions have improved age structure while maintaining ample hunting opportunity, based on data to date in the 61 counties where the rule is currently in effect.

Proposed affected counties include: Anderson, Angelina, Archer, Atascosa, Brazos, Brown, Chambers, Clay, Cooke, Denton, Ellis, Falls, Freestone, Grayson, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hunt, Jack, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Liberty, Limestone, Madison, McLennan, Milam, Mills, Montague, Montgomery, Navarro, Newton, Orange, Palo Pinto, Parker, Polk, Robertson, San Jacinto, Smith, Stephens, Tarrant, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker, Wichita, Wise, and Young.

Bag Limit Changes
The department is also proposing to increase the bag limit from one buck to two bucks in Baylor, Callahan, Haskell, Jones, Knox, Shackelford, Taylor, Throckmorton, and Wilbarger counties. Wolf noted this area of the state is characterized by relatively large tract sizes and light hunter density and deer numbers have grown over the years as habitat has become more favorable to white-tailed deer.

In addition, the department proposes to increase the bag limit from four deer to five deer in Pecos, Terrell, and Upton counties. White-tailed deer densities throughout the eastern Trans-Pecos are very similar to densities on the Edwards Plateau, where current rules allow the harvest of up to five antlerless deer. This change would increase hunting opportunity while addressing a resource concern.

The department also proposes to increase the bag limit in most Cross Timbers and Prairies and eastern Rolling Plains counties from three deer (no more than one buck, no more than two antlerless) or four deer (no more than two bucks and no more than two antlerless) to five deer (no more than 2 bucks). Counties affected include: Archer, Baylor, Bell (West of IH35), Bosque, Callahan, Clay, Coryell, Hamilton, Haskell, Hill, Jack, Jones, Knox, Lampasas, McLennan, Palo Pinto, Shackelford, Somervell, Stephens, Taylor, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson (west of IH35), and Young.

Another proposed change would increase the bag limit from three deer to five deer (no more than one buck) in selected counties in the western Rolling Plains. Although white-tailed deer densities are highly variable in this part of the state, areas containing suitable habitat have become saturated with deer and whitetails are expanding into marginal to poor habitat. Browsing pressure is severe in these areas, where little woody vegetation exists within five feet of the ground. The proposal would provide additional hunting opportunity while addressing a resource concern.

Counties affected include: Armstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Childress, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dickens, Donley, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hall, Hardeman, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Kent, King, Lipscomb, Motley, Ochiltree, Roberts, Scurry, Stonewall, and Wheeler.

The department is also proposing for the first time a general open season in Dawson, Deaf Smith, and Martin counties (three deer, no more than one buck, no more than two antlerless).

Another issue where deer surveys indicate a need for change involves additional antlerless deer harvest opportunities. Therefore, the department proposes to increase antlerless deer hunting or "doe days" in the following areas:

from 16 days to full-season either-sex in Dallam, Denton, Hartley, Moore, Oldham, Potter, Sherman and Tarrant counties;
from 30 days to full-season either-sex in Cooke, Hardeman, Hill, Johnson, Wichita, and Wilbarger counties;
from four days to16 days in Bowie and Rusk counties;
from four days to 30 days in Cherokee and Houston counties;
from no doe days to four doe days in Anderson, Henderson, Hunt, Leon, Rains, Smith, and Van Zandt counties.
This proposal offers more hunting opportunity as well as making "doe days’ more consistent within each resource management unit (a suite of counties with similar population and habitat characteristics). Data indicate that the deer populations can withstand the additional harvest pressure proposed.

The department also proposes to expand the late antlerless and spike season into additional counties. Counties affected include: Archer, Armstrong, Baylor, Bell (West of IH35), Bosque, Briscoe, Callahan, Carson, Childress, Clay, Collingsworth, Comanche, Cooke, Coryell, Cottle, Crosby, Denton, Dickens, Donley, Eastland, Erath, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hall, Hamilton, Hardeman, Haskell, Hemphill, Hill, Hood, Hutchinson, Jack, Johnson, Jones, Kent, King, Knox, Lampasas, Lipscomb, McLennan, Montague, Motley, Ochiltree, Palo Pinto, Parker, Pecos, Roberts, Scurry, Shackelford, Somervell, Stephens, Stonewall, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Throckmorton, Upton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson (West of IH35), Wise, and Young. In Pecos, Terrell, and Upton counties, the proposed season would replace the current muzzleloader-only open season.

Biologists are also proposing a special muzzleloader season in additional counties, lengthening the existing muzzleloader season by five days to be equivalent in length with the special antlerless and spike buck seasons in other counties, and altering the current muzzleloader bag composition to allow the harvest of any buck (not just spike bucks) and antlerless deer without permits if the county has "doe days" during the general season.

Counties affected include: Austin, Bastrop, Bowie, Brazoria, Caldwell, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Colorado, De Witt, Fayette, Fort Bend, Goliad (North of HWY 59), Goliad (South of HWY 59), Gonzales, Gregg, Guadalupe, Harrison, Houston, Jackson (North of HWY 59), Jackson (South of HWY 59), Karnes, Lavaca, Lee, Marion, Matagorda, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Upshur, Victoria (North of HWY 59), Victoria (South of HWY 59), Waller, Washington, Wharton (North of HWY 59), Wharton (South of HWY 59), and Wilson.

In response to a commission directive to seek additional youth hunting opportunities, last fall the department began looking at extending the early youth only season to include the entire month of October and the late youth-only season by 12 days during January in selected counties to run concurrently with late antlerless and spike seasons. The intent of the idea was to allow adults and children to hunt together during different special seasons.

The October youth-only proposal generated significant opposition, especially from bowhunters, who are currently able to hunt that month before gun season starts. Department leaders and staff met with the Lone Star Bowhunters Association in December and the group articulated several persuasive points. First, they pointed out that days of opportunity are not the primary bottleneck limiting youth hunting; bigger factors include a need for more mentors to take young people hunting and a need for increased hunter access to public and private land. They expressed strong support for increased youth hunting opportunity, and pointed out that bowhunting is one of few hunting segments that is growing, saying the sport has grown from about 70,000 to more than 100,000 bowhunters in Texas over the past l5-to-20 years. They said the current archery season before gun season functions as recruitment tool to get people into bowhunting during a quieter and less crowded time, and they pointed to growing Archery in the Schools programs nationally and in Texas as feeder programs that could further increase bowhunting’s popularity.

For all of these reasons, TPWD will not propose making all of October part of youth-only deer season. Instead, commissioners directed the staff to seek public comments on a proposal to add one additional weekend and 10 additional weekdays in January to the current youth-only season. For next season, that would add Jan. 4-15, 2010 as additional youth-only days. Currently, the only January dates in the existing youth-only season are the third weekend.

The department had also been considering a petition to implement a general open season (with antlerless harvest by permit only) in Grayson County, where currently archery is the only legal hunting means. The petition provided impetus to explore something TPWD staff had already been considering-a more science-based approach consistent with deer management by Resource Management Units in surrounding counties.

However, after extensive discussion with stakeholders, including a special public meeting held Jan. 8 near Sherman, the department received overwhelming public opposition to allowing gun hunting in Grayson County. The public input process did yield substantial benefits, including improved relationships with local hunter groups and elected officials, who offered to assist TPWD. As are result, gun hunting is not being proposed for the county. Instead, the department is proposing new archery regulations and a new collaborative project to collect better data for future deer management.

Current deer regulations in Grayson County allow archery-only harvest of one buck, two antlerless deer, and four "doe-days" per hunter. The proposal is for TPWD staff to coordinate a volunteer data collection effort to collect harvest data at a county scale. It would keep archery-only hunting, but would change harvest regulations to a two buck bag limit with antler restrictions, and antlerless hunting by permit only.

The department is also proposing a one buck only, anterless by permit, nine-day mule deer season for Parmer County, the first ever deer season for that county. This proposal was discussed last fall, but held until the latest mule deer survey data for the county became available this month.

wow, did you see the part about javelinas being nuisance rodents.

thanks

When you go, can you talk about proposals that affect areas different than the one you are attending?

I did not notice that, but if you would like to come out to my place and ride up to Graham with me on the 23rd. of February, to the meeting for Young county, I would be glad to have the company, don't know if Lora will be going or not, but you are more than welcome to ride along if you wish.

I definitely will be.

THF shirt? Yall have shirts? Bunch a hold outs.

Crazy horse wears the half shirt

Yes they will think THF

is Texas Havelina Friends

You know something, Lora and I are proud to be members of this site, and we talk to a lot of folks about the THF when we are wearing our shirts, did not realize anyone had a problem with that.