A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials are content with the 1,360 birds collected during two years of field research comparing lead and non-lead ammunition effectiveness for doves.

Don't complain about the cost of hunting in Texas if you haven't taken advantage of the many public hunting opportunities available. There are several raffles that give you a 1 in 10 chance of winning - did you buy your $10 permit?

State and federal officials are investigating the deaths of about 2,000 geese and ducks discovered this week near Dalhart in the northwest Texas Panhandle. Preliminary results of lab evaluations indicate naturally-occurring avian cholera is a factor.

On Dec. 2 the North Deer Island Protection Team received the Coastal America Partnership Award-the only environmental award of its kind given by the President of the United States-for their efforts to protect the most important colonial water bird rookery on the upper Texas coast: North Deer Island.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission on Nov. 5 acted to place 15 of the 50 known Texas species of freshwater mussels on the state threatened list. Currently, state fisheries regulations allow harvest of most of these mussels, though practically none of them ever get large enough for harvest. The listing makes it a Class C misdemeanor to kill or collect them.