Texas Hunting Leases

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reminds hunters and trappers there is no indication of a human-animal disease relationship with swine flu and to continue to use common sense when handling feral hogs.

While there is no known threat of contracting swine flu from feral hogs, they do carry other potential hazards.

Due to the danger of contracting swine brucellosis, the Texas Animal Health Commission urges hunters and trappers to always wear a mask or bandana and gloves when handling feral swine during processing. Trappers or any producers who have pigs that are ill with respiratory infections should contact their veterinarian. Trappers or hunters that become ill should seek medical attention and inform their doctors they have been around pigs.

Safeguards for Hunters

Wear gloves when dressing out hogs and dispose of gloves properly.
No eating/drinking/smoking while doing so.
Wear eye protection if there is risk of eye splashed with blood/other fluids.
Wear coveralls over clothes or promptly change into fresh clothes after dressing animals.
Wash hands and equipment thoroughly with hot, soapy water.
Practice good handling/storage procedures with the meat.
Properly cook the meat.
Information about Swine Flu

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security:

People cannot get swine flu from eating pork or pork products. Most influenza viruses, including the swine flu virus, are not spread by food.
Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.
No food safety issues have been identified, related to the flu.
Preliminary investigations have determined that none of the people infected with the flu had contact with hogs.
The virus is spreading by human-to-human transmission.
The CDC recommends the following measures to prevent the transmission of flu:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands frequently and use alcohol-based sanitizers.
Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Try to stay in good general health.
Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.
Detailed information and updates on the flu outbreak may be obtained at:

Texas Department of State Health Services http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/

If you own swine, consider the following practices to enhance the biosecurity on your farm to prevent the disease from being transmitted to your herd:

Workers should shower and change into farm-specific clothes and shoes before entering swine facilities.
Establish, implement and enforce strict sick leave policies for workers presenting influenza-like symptoms.
Recommend that workers with symptoms be seen by a medical provider immediately.
Restrict the entry of people into your facility to only workers and essential service personnel.
Prevent international visitors from entering your facilities.
Ensure adequate ventilation in facilities to minimize re-circulation of air inside animal housing facilities.
Vaccinate pigs against the influenza virus. Vaccination of pigs can reduce the levels of virus shed by infected animals
Contact your swine veterinarian if swine exhibit flu-like or respiratory illness, especially if the onset or presentation of the illness is unusual.
Notify your Texas Animal Health Commission area office or the Austin headquarters at 800-550-8242, after you have contacted your veterinarian.

The Texas Animal Health Commission is ready to assist with on-farm investigations, if pigs are present where a known human case has occurred, and to assist with epidemiological investigations with any human cases that may have links to swine in Texas.

AUSTIN, Texas — Attention landowners: Looking to make some extra money and got a weedy field not in production or being rested this fall?

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Public Dove Hunting Program is not only an opportunity for hunters, but it is also an opportunity for landowners to make some extra money by leasing the hunting rights for dove and other small game to TPWD.

This is a short termed lease usually for 45 to 60 days in length — the equivalent of the first split of the dove season.

Revenue from the sale of hunting licenses and the annual public hunting permit enable TPWD to expand public hunting opportunities through private land lease programs.

“We are looking for properties that are at least 50 or more acres where hunting is legal, with access, food, water and cover to attract dove,” said Kelly Edmiston with TPWD’s public hunting program. “Ideal sites have a good food source such as grain crops; sunflowers, croton (goat weeds), water or that have become recently fallowed.”

Additionally, each tract must have a public access point where hunters can park their vehicles, from which they will walk to the hunting area.

Temporary signs will clearly identify property boundaries. Game wardens and other departmental staff will monitor the units to ensure compliance with all regulations. Edmiston said most entrance points are designated for parking to protect the private property and reserve the maximum acreage for actual hunting activities.

“We expect our public hunters to respect the land and the landowners who have been so generous. We want to maintain a good relationship for the future,” Edmiston said.

This is a short termed lease usually for 45 to 60 days in length — the equivalent of the first split of the dove season. Not everyone with a hunting license is allowed legal access to these short-term lease lands. Only those hunters who purchase the $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit (approximately 31,000 are sold annually statewide) from TPWD are allowed to hunt and only at times the area is open to hunting under the terms of the contract.

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Price per acre is dependent on size, habitat, game species and hunt dates included. Location is also very important. We would like to find areas that are along the corridors of interstates 35, 45, 10 and 20 within about 100 miles of major urban areas.

“However if a property is located in other areas and you are interested, give us a call anyway,” Edmiston said. “We try to find a good hunting opportunity, which means that we don’t lease all properties that are offered due to limited funding and not meeting the criteria we are looking for. If you know your local wildlife biologist or game warden you can also contact them.”

More information about this program, locating your local wildlife biologist or game warden can be found by visiting: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/land/private/hunt/small_game/ or calling Wildlife Information at 512/389-4505.

AUSTIN, Texas — Most hunters, anglers and boaters in Texas could see a modest $2-$4 bump in license and boat registration/titling fees if a proposed 5 percent across-the-board increase is approved in May by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says the fee increase is necessary to address critical needs.

“As you know license fees were last increased in 2004 and prior to that there had been no increase in eight years,” Gene McCarty, TPWD’s deputy executive director for administration, told commissioners. “Since that time, our operational costs have increased an average of 6.1 percent, while our fund balances continue to dwindle.”

McCarty said the department initially considered a 10-15 percent increase, but scaled back due to the current economic downturn.

“Instead we are proposing a very slight increase of 5 percent rolled up to the next dollar,” he explained. “This fee increase will not create new programs or services. The last fee increase in 2004 was just enough to maintain current levels of service. This increase will do the same. ”

Under the proposed increase, hunting licenses would go from the current price of $23 to $25, while the popular Super Combo all-inclusive license would increase from $64 to $68. Fishing packages would increase by $2. McCarty noted the cost for all of the special endorsement stamps would not go up.

The vast majority of boat owners in Texas would also see only a small increase in boat registration and titling fees under the proposal. Biennial boat registration for vessels less than 16 feet in length would increase from $30 to $32 and those in the 16-26 foot range would go from $50 to $53.

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Two exceptions pertain to larger craft. Those vessels 26-40 feet in length would increase by $40 and 40-foot-plus vessels would go up by $110. These larger increases are necessary because the department has been undercharging for these larger boats for many years in comparison with smaller boats, especially when considering the fee as a percentage of boat size and value.

A complete list of proposed fee changes can be found online at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/news_roundup/license_and_boat_fees/.

The public is invited to comment on these proposals by visiting the TPWD Web site or by writing TPWD Public Comment, attn. Robert Macdonald, 4200 Smith School Rd., Austin, TX 78744 or email robert.macdonald@tpwd.state.tx.us.