NACOGDOCHES, Texas –-(Ammoland.com)- During a highly contentious hearing of the Texas House Committee of Culture, Recreation & Tourism, one of the nation’s most respected authorities on whitetail deer, Dr. James C. Kroll (aka ‘Dr. Deer’), voiced his opposition to pending legislation that risks the lives of thousands of deer and reduces hunting opportunities across Texas.
Kroll, who last year was appointed as Wisconsin’s first Deer Trustee to help manage the state deer herd, criticized House Bill 2433 and Senate Bill 1412. Both bills were introduced recently into the Texas 83rd Legislative Session and changes the usual September release period (known as the 10-Day Rule), which has been in effect for more than 80 years, to a release period that requires moving deer during the hottest and deadliest times of the year.
“We’ve seen a lot of emotion and heard a lot of philosophy, but unfortunately most of the testimony given in this hearing is not backed up by peer-reviewed science. It’s experiences, random data and personal philosophies. I firmly believe that decisions made by regulatory agencies should be based on science, and where is the science on which this legislation is based?” says Dr. Kroll.
“If some organizations are so concerned about 10-Day releases, they need to step up and fund scientifically valid research. Until then, I do not think it prudent to change long-standing regulations based on anecdotal or unscientific concerns. I think this legislation is a philosophical agenda hidden behind questionable science.”
The current Texas statute, known as the 10-Day Rule, has regulated release dates for whitetail deer since 1933 and it is a cornerstone regulation for the hunting and breeding industries which now provide nearly one billion dollars annually for the Texas economy. In the 1990s, elements of the 1933 law were also incorporated into the current Texas Parks & Wildlife Code to address breeder deer.
“The real issue behind this legislation is not the 10-Day Rule. The real issue is that there is a deep philosophical divide among wildlife people on how wildlife should be managed,” adds Dr. Kroll. “There is very little sound science backing this up.”
The director of the Institute for White-tailed Deer Management and Research and Henry M. Rockwell Chair of Forestry, Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU), Dr. Kroll has authored more than 300 technical and popular articles, ten books and numerous videos. Over the past three decades, he has appeared on TNN, ESPN, the Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, Wild TV and Pursuit Channel, winning two awards for his Dr. Deer contributions. He appears weekly on North American Whitetail TV, and stars in Winchester presents Dr. Deer.
Based in Nacogdoches, Texas, Dr. James C. Kroll has celebrated the lives of whitetails for four decades and he is often considered the Father of Modern Deer Management. Through Dr. Deer Inc., Dr. Kroll provides information on the latest applied research and consulting services through the all-new Dr. Deer Management System. For more information on Dr. Deer Inc, visit www.DrDeer.com