Mike,

Let me address your questions that were directed at me.





>>>Joe explains how box turtles are in deep trouble and that his >>>recreational group supports the TPWD actions of the past year.



I support the Black listing of Box Turtles. Under the current regs you can collect up to six individuals for personal use. We are hoping they allow sale of Captive Born Box Turtles.



>>>What is this based on Joe?



This is based on over 30 years of field experience in Texas. I am infinitely familiar with hundreds of thousands of acres of "historical box turtle habitat" in which they no longer exist, for a variety of reasons.



>>>Did you read through the box turtle papers yourself?



I have read a great deal of them, though probably not all of them.



>>>Or did you just get someone’s opinion on the situation?



No I formulated my own opinion.







>>>I have a good friend, who has been keeping and breeding box >>>turtles for over 25 years, who has reviwed all of the popular >>>box turtle papers used to push the box turtle agenda.



>>There are all kinds of opinion, data skewing and other false >>assumptions in these papers.



Can you be specific here? Give us an example. This is a very vague statement. I can't say if I agree or not without more information.





>>Now, I am not saying that box turtles are not being affected by >>anything but that the agenda pushers are exaggerating and >>inflating the situation.



Here again, this is vague. If you could provide some evidence that would be great. I can tell you that there are many areas where they are gone. Gone is gone.



>>>They are using scare tactics and over-use of the precautionary >>>principal to push their agenda. Box turtles maybe declining >>>but the main cause is habitat destruction and roads. >>>Collecting is minimal at best.



So what you're saying here is that who cares that Box Turtles are in trouble by Fire Ants, pesticides, habitat destruction, you want to be able to keep right on collecting and selling them 8 at a time from the last remaining stronghold in Texas?



That does not make sense Mike. I will never agree with you on this.
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