Texas Hunting Leases

I was surprised when I saw the title of National Geographic Magazine’s Feature article on their website. “Hunters, for the Love of the Land” by Robert M. Poole, is a wonderful story which validates the benefits of hunters and hunting to our wildlife and their habitat.  I have always enjoyed National Geographic’s pictures and stories about the world we live in.  But, I have to admit that I was surprised to find a “pro-hunter” article among pages that most would argue are usually not so favorable to a conservative viewpoint.

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Poole, a hunter himself, writes about the various ways hunting and hunters help the very animals they seek to harvest.  Through the support of scientific research to habitat protection, America’s hunters (and more specifically their dollars and voting numbers) have done more to preserve and restore wildlife then any other group.  This especially includes the so-called environmentalists groups combined.

Traveling across the country, Poole observes how local communities and ranchers still survive on hunting dollars.  Even media-mogul Ted Turner advocates the use of hunting to manage free-range herds of wild game on his large ranch lands.   The article also contains a series of pictures to chronicle the author’s travels.

Looking forward, Poole recognizes the threat of population growth and the urbanization of our youth.  The number of people who hunt are dropping across the country.  And, one can only surmise that this will have a direct correlation to the health and abundance of our wildlife.

Marko Barrett of San Antonio made Muy Grande Deer Contest history with this record breaking Webb County buck entered in the All-Around Men’s Division.  The deer scored about 273 gross B&C points with 34 points and a 25 1/2-inch spread. The buck was still in velvet when it was harvested off his 4,000 acre, high-fenced ranch under a Managed Lands Deer Permit.  The deer was harvested via rifle from a brush blind at about 120 yards.

On his website, Barrett describes the deer as a 7 year old that he had been watching for years.  This year, the ranch received “56 inches of rain and counting” which pushed this deer well over his historical best score.  Barrett thinks that he will score somewhere in the 270’s when “he is stripped of velvet and dry”. 

Barrett describes the ranch’s management program as an “all native deer” operation with no breeding.  They feed protein year-round and “use multiple feeders so the dominant buck won’t keep the others from the feed.”

Barrett says things have been crazy since he shot the buck with all of the emails and phone calls.  However, that is what “buck fever” is all about.

Earlier this year Texas lost a hero.  But like Texans do, they made sure he would always be remembered in a way that would befit his contributions to the people and wildlife resources of the state.  Justin Hurst, Texas Game Warden, lost his life in a gun battle with a poacher and left behind a legacy as a husband, father and dedicated public servant.   For that, and all that he stood for, Texas Parks & Wildlife named the 15,000 acre Peach Point Wildlife Management Area after him during a ceremony on October 12th, 2007.

Its really hard to connect the dots.  As a hunter, its hard enough to accept a poacher among our ranks.  But, then again, a poacher is not a hunter.  He is a thief and a traitor to the men and women who nurture the tradition along.  And, in the case of this poacher, he can add murderer to a long list of adjectives that we could list here but would not be fit to write.

Justin left behind a family and friends who thought a lot of him.  He earned their respect both professionally and personally.  The next time you hunt waterfowl, say a little prayer for Justin and guys like him.  They represent all the is good and right about Texas and the outdoorsmen who live in it.