To the Colonel, the distinction should be made that "everybody's got to pay for the right to hunt game here in Texas." does not apply to the animals in question.
They are categorized specifically as "Non-game" animals. They are not "game" and should not be treated as such.
Where game animals are typically hunted with firearm or bow and killed in the process. The act of game hunting in itself is primarily an activity for the acquisition of the processed game animal end product -- be it a mount, a skin, or flesh. On the other hand, the "hunting" of non-game animals involves the collection of live animals for captive maintenance and propagation.
While the hunting of game animals involves permission of both the landowner and the state, the hunting of non-game animals does not necessarily require permission of a land owner. Historically the non-game animals in question have been more commonly collected from state property (roadways and easements) than from private property.
This "everybody pays the landowner" mentality has no basis of legitimacy in the intent/spirit of such regulatory protections by law.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

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