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!

AUSTIN, Texas —The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced it is this fall piloting a target shooting program similar to its popular Archery in Schools initiative.

The Clay Sports in Schools pilot, designed to introduce 6th through 12th grade level youth to competitive shotgun clay target shooting, will be offered in selected schools throughout the state, beginning with the Wildlife Management and Recreation curriculum in high schools.

“I have no doubts there are some potential international clay target shooters sitting in our classrooms and a program such as this could be the key to discovering those gifted athletes,” said Steve Hall, TPWD education director. “The thing about competitive clay sports is you don’t have to be the strongest or the fastest athlete to be successful, which means it’s more accessible to more kids.”

Hall points to the department’s Archery in Schools program, where in less than two years more than 300 physical education teachers have received training in archery target shooting and more than 400 students have competed at two statewide competitions.

“Texas has a strong dove and quail hunting heritage,” said Hall. “Clay target games simulate the flight of these popular game birds, so a program like this is a natural fit.”

Similar programs are growing in popularity in other states, such as Tennessee, where participants are receiving extra-curricular recognition lettering in clay target sports. Some students are advancing toward national and international competition, with an eye toward college scholarships in clay target sports and a possible berth on the U.S.A. Shooting Team.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Commissioner John Parker of Lufkin learned of the Tennessee program about a year ago and believes the concept will be successful in Texas, too.

“I think the potential is there,” he said. “We have a dedicated group of folks working together to make it happen and I support the effort enthusiastically.”

The Texas Clay Sports in Schools pilot will focus initially on professional educators who already teach hunter education in schools, specifically in the high school agriculture science curricula. TPWD’s Charlie Wilson, who introduces newcomers to clay sports through the department’s mobile five-stand sporting clays system, came up with the idea for the pilot and received approval from the Texas Agriculture Science administration to implement the trial program at their annual conference this past July.

Pilot schools will be tasked with putting together teams or clubs interested in shooting trap, skeet and/or sporting clays. During the current school year, participants will focus on developing trapshooting skills.

TPWD will be looking to expand shooting range facilities that accommodate the school teams, offering incentives to those ranges that provide access to these young shooters through its federal grants program. At its Aug. 23 public hearing the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission awarded three shooting range grants to facilities that are compatible with youth clay sports recruitment.

In addition to the Clay Sports in Schools pilot, TPWD will continue to support existing youth clay target programs, the Texas Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Shooting Sports program, the largest program of its kind in the nation, and National Shooting Sports Foundation Scholastic Clays Program, which already has a successful chapter in Texas.

Looking ahead, TPWD is also planning to launch in 2008 an introductory program to youth clay sports, called Junior Clays. This initiative is a similar after-school program, whereby youth that are relatively new to shotgun sports can enter “hunter class” competitions already held at many of the ranges throughout Texas and sponsored by various state and national shooting sports organizations. The effort will stress opportunities for families new to shooting to come to ranges to enjoy the shotgun sports.

Wilson, who currently reaches 6,000 shooters annually with the mobile sporting clays range operation, has been tasked to initiate the two new programs, with the assistance of regional and statewide hunter education staff and volunteers.

For more information about these programs, contact TPWD’s hunter education staff at (512) 389-4999 or toll free at (800) 792-1112; ext. 4999.

I never went to camp.  My parents never really encouraged it – probably because my dad did not like his camp experience as a young man.   The letters to my grandparents could have been used as a script for  Alan Sherman’s famous Camp Granda song.  But, if they had a camp like Outdoor Texas Camp I might have broke with tradition.   Offering camp sessions for both hunting and fishing, these camps are backed by the Christian Outdoor Alliance and offer both boys and girls hands on experience with trained instructors.  Doug Pike recently wrote about this in an article in the Houston Chronicle.

It probably should go without saying that parents who enjoy the outdoors, usually have introuduced their children to the wonders afield.  But, with urbanization and population concentrations limiting kids opportunities to get out, camps like this one can go along way to preserving our sporting heritage here in Texas.  I am definately going to tell my kids about the Outdoor Texas Camp, all while wishing I were a kid again.  Maybe they need some more instructor help?  You never know!