SAN ANTONIO, Texas – One of the state’s strongest and most respected voices for Texas hunters, the Texas Trophy Hunters Association questions the merits of two bills currently proposed in the Texas Legislature.
The two bills — HB 2433 and SB 1412 — would enact new deer management regulations that could be harmful to deer and reduce hunting opportunities throughout the state.
As written, the bills would change the long-standing ‘10-Day Rule’ regulation for releasing breeder deer to an extended 60-day period. Many whitetail experts, including TTHA Founder Jerry Johnston, and wildlife biologists such as Dr. James Kroll and Macy Ledbetter have denounced the bills for their potential risk factors. These experts explain the release dates proposed in the bills mean moving deer in the hottest month of the year which would result in the needless death of thousands of deer and ultimately reduce hunting opportunities for Texans.
“White-tailed deer living in the wild in Texas undergo their worst stress period of the year in August,” said Horace Gore, wildlife biologist and editor of the Journal of Texas Trophy Hunters. “After working for Texas Parks and Wildlife for over three decades and dealing closely with deer, I can’t imagine anyone being compelled to release a deer from a pen situation into the wild during the month of August.”
“For more than 35 years, the Texas Trophy Hunters Association has worked to defend hunting in all its forms and to bring together sportsmen so we can better preserve our hunting heritage for future generations. The freedom to choose how to hunt and where to hunt is a core principle of hunting in Texas, and we do not favor any legislation that would intentionally or unintentionally reduce hunting opportunities,” says Hal Gahm, senior vice president of sales and operations of the Texas Trophy Hunters Association.
The Texas Trophy Hunters Association was founded in 1975 with the goal of bringing together the most serious and passionate deer hunters, so they could learn from one another, share hunting stories and skills, improve the wildlife and habitat, and work together to protect and promote our hunting heritage for future generations. Today TTHA continues to unite all segments of the hunting community for the dissemination of information and joining of energies to promote and protect our hunting heritage. Through its nationally distributed Journal of the Texas Trophy Hunters publication, nationally-syndicated TV show, and annual Hunter Extravaganza events hosted in San Antonio, Houston and Fort Worth, the TTHA has a well-earned reputation for being the most prestigious and respected deer hunting organization in the world.
To learn more about the Texas Trophy Hunters Association, visit www.TTHA.com or call 800.800.3207 or 210.523.8500.
Headquartered in San Antonio, the Texas Trophy Hunters Association is a membership-based organization, dedicated to the promotion of the sport, science and heritage of hunting. For more information on the Texas Trophy Hunters Association, call 800.800.3207 or 210.523.8500 or visit www.TTHA.com.