For hunters who do not have access to privately-owned land, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is providing low cost access  to nearly a million acres of department-managed lands for hunting, including most wildlife management areas, some state parks and many leased properties under the Annual Public Hunting permit program.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will hold initial scoping meetings and take online comments this winter about two possible regulations changes for 2012, depending on stakeholder input—a new state scientific area to protect seagrass in the Laguna Madre near the John F. Kennedy Memorial Causeway in Nueces County, and a clarification of emergency rules to protect fish during coastal freezes.

Texas waterfowlers might have better luck bringing in birds with a divining rod instead of a duck call this hunting season. Wetland habitat conditions throughout waterfowl wintering grounds in Texas have suffered greatly under the drought, and what precious little groceries that remain aren’t expected to hold birds for long.

On behalf of Pheasants Forever, we ask that before you fire a shot in the field this October, you fire an email to your U.S. Senators and Representative in support of reauthorization of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission today approved $5.6 million in competitive grants for city and county parks across the state. Commissioners chose 12 out of 52 eligible grant requests for outdoor recreation facilities funding.

This year’s exceptional drought could have significant impacts on waterfowl this fall as habitats these migrants rely upon continue to degrade under a hot, dry Texas sun.

The 78th Federal Duck Stamp goes on sale June 24 with an official ceremony held at 9 a.m. at Bass Pro’s Outdoor World located in the Katy Mills Shopping Center in Katy. Artists of this year’s stamps will be on hand to sign copies of their work. Texas Parks and Wildlife Director Carter Smith will also attend the event.