Texas Hunting Leases

Chances are, if you are a hunter in Texas, you also own a rod and reel. According to statistics compiled by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, there are nearly one million hunters in Texas and just over two million anglers – half of which fish saltwater. And, because you can fish virtually year round, many hunters fill in the gaps between hunting seasons with a wet line, especially outdoorsmen in the coastal United States. The outdoorsmen who share this dual love affair have a strong grass-roots organization to back their interests known as the Coastal Conservation Association or CCA. And, some of their strongest supporters and chapters are hours away from salt water.

CCA began in 1977 with a small group of fourteen concerned recreational saltwater anglers. This group created the Gulf Coast Conservation Association to combat commercial fishing excesses and conserve the resource. Today, it spans 17 states along all three coasts of the United States. In Texas, there are over fifty chapters ranging from Midland/Odessa to Tyler/Longview and all points south. So, what does a marine resources organization have to do with hunting the Llano Estacado or the Piney Woods? Plenty! For one, the health of our coastal bays relies heavily on the freshwater inflows from the state’s rivers and streams whose beginnings stretch deep into the heart of the state. CCA has been on the forefront of legislative activity that will help ensure free flowing fresh water for wildlife to enjoy from top to bottom. Second, the Texas coast is home to many wintering waterfowl species whose migration south provides hunting opportunities state-wide. The key driver for this migration is the health of our bays and coastal marshes which provide invaluable winter food sources for these birds. Finally, because of the reciprocity of hunting and fishing among outdoorsmen, CCA’s strong relationship with organizations such as Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Texas State Legislature is a powerful force in shaping public policy that affects all sportsmen.

As a grass-roots organization, CCA relies on the financial resources and volunteerism of its 50,000 plus members across the state. In many local communities, CCA garners support from their popular fund raising banquets and events that offer local sportsmen an evening of food, fun and friendship. In fact, the San Antonio chapter banquet is the organizations single largest annual fundraiser and the city is hours away from the coast. Also popular is the State of Texas Angler’s Rodeo or STAR Tournament that gives away over $1,000,000 in prizes and scholarships each year. Especially focused on children, CCA and STAR have awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships to kids all along the Texas coast.

There are very few conservation organizations that can boast as strong a record of success as CCA - especially in the relatively short term of its existence. So, if you are looking for an evening of fun for you and your hunting lease buddies before hunting season, look into a CCA event near you.  You are sure to have a good time!

Recently, I read a great story by David Sikes about a young man on leave from Iraq who had two important things he needed to get done.  One was hunting a pig.  The other you can read for yourself.  The story gave us the idea that there is a real need to help our service men and women find good hunting opportunities while home on leave or, sadly, coming home with a Purple Heart.  I would imagine that it is hard for many of our Heroes to search for and plan a hunt while protecting our country from harm.  With this in mind, LeaseHunter.com has started a “Take a Soldier Hunting” campaign on the website.

We are looking for landowners, outfitters or lease hunters who can take an active or disabled veteran hunting.  If you can help us with that, please go onto the website and post your opportunity as a “Soldier or Vet Wanted” lease with description and terms.  Here is an example of a recent post.  You establish the terms that fit your opportunity and we will make sure to get it up on the website and to put a link to it from the home page. 

LeaseHunter.com is proud to support our troops and we thank our members who have given their time and resources for this cause.  God Bless America and God Bless our Troops!

Growing up in Texas does not mean that you frequent every part of the state on a regular basis, or even in your lifetime.  I, for one, have not really seen much of West Texas - except from the window of a commercial jet.  But even from that vantage point 30,000 feet in the air, it is amazing to see all of the pad sites with well-heads and pump-jacks dotting the landscape below.

I have not researched it, but I am sure there was some opposition to the incursion of the oil and gas industry’s equipment upon the ranch lands there.  Questions almost surely arose about the effects on the cattle industry and the degradation of the vast vistas the area is known for.  All of that must have quickly subsided when the first checks came in the mail box.  And, I am sure it will again when the next century of energy production covers this land in the form of wind turbines.

According to the American Wind Energy Association, Texas is is ranked #1 in the the USA by existing capacity and #2 for potential capacity.  This should come as no surprise since Texas has large land areas and coast lines which are perfect for the construction of wind farms.

But, like most fledgling industries, there will be growing pains and conflict.  A recently planned wind farm in the hill country was met with strong opposition.  An article online in the San Antonio Express-News reported that many residents were shocked that an energy company obtained leases to build here with very little oversight from governmental agencies.  The group later found out that there is little or no state or federal oversight governing wind farms.  And many observe that you don’t even need wind to make them profitable due to the tax breaks and write-offs earned just by building them.

Hunters are not immune either.  There is concern that the income from wind farms will provide more incentives to land owners than the dollars earned from hunting leases.  This, in turn, will limit access.  Some wind energy contracts signed by land owners limit the use of hunting with rifles and hunters are beginning to loose their leases.  Although no one is successfully arguing that these 100 meter monstrosities will harm wild game populations, hunters have reason to be concerned.  In the meantime, the US Fish & Wildlife Service has also issued a press release naming 22 individuals to serve on an advisory committee who will advise on measures to avoid or minimize the impacts to wildlife and their habitats from land-based wind energy facilities.

On the other hand, industry officials say that they are not anti-hunting and that most leases have full hunting privileges.  And, for land owners who have low incomes from their land operations, this is a way to increase income and hopefully retain larger ranches within the family by not having to sell. 

As the energy capital of the world, Texas will need to be a leader in taking the world’s demand for energy in a different direction.  Open ranges and the wind that blows over them are two things we have plenty of and are arguably endless resources as compared to fossil fuels.  Hopefully, the two learning to live together will fight off the biggest threat to hunting in general - population growth and urban encroachment.