Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Troy Hibbitts gave me a heads up on this bill. As it is now, it will have little impact on collecting reptiles.

But to quote Troy in our emails "Someone at the hearing asked it to be amended to read “wildlife” instead of “game, birds, and fowl” . . ."

If that one word gets put in there it will effectively shut down herping in Texas.

We need to make sure that does not happen. It would be even better if this bill did not pass at all, but is sure as anything can not be altered to cover "Wildlife". I also wonder in the back of my mind if that would effect people fishing under bridges?

You can also pull up this link to download a PDF or DOC copy
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=80R&Bill=HB2414
HB 2414

Please take the time to write to these representatives. While as currently written, HB 2414 only applies to game animals and birds, there has been a suggestion to amend it to apply to all wildlife. Please write to these representatives and suggest that if they are going to pass HB 2414, that they amend it in such a way as to exclude the capture of reptiles and amphibians from public right-of-ways by and or non-lethal hand-held device (e.g. “snake hooks”, “tongs”, or “lizard noose”). Be sure to include poetic prose about the traditions of “road cruising”, recalling Kauffield, Conant, and Stebbins – road cruising and road hunting for snakes is a time-honored tradition throughout the US, not just in Texas. Furthermore, describe the effects of loss of income on west Texas hotels (e.g. Sanderson).

Sincerely,

Troy Hibbitts

Camp Wood, TX

The following lists the Representatives on this Committee for House Bill 1309. The addresses, phone, fax and emails are listed below.

Rep. Harvey Hilderbran (R)
Chairman
Room CAP GW.12
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768

(512) 463-0536
(512) 463-1449 Fax

**e-MAIL:
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/email.php?dist=53&rep=harvey.hilderbran
125 Lehmann Dr
Kerrville, TX 78028

(830) 257-2333
(830) 792-4289 Fax
Crockett, Sutton, Schliecher, Real, Kerr, Kimble, Menard, Mason, Llano, San Saba, McCulloch, Concho, Coleman, Runnels, Callahan

Rep. Edmund Kuempel (R)

Vice Chair
Room CAP 3N.06
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768

(512) 463-0602
(512) 480-0391 Fax

**e-MAIL:
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/email.php?dist=44&rep=edmund.kuempel
523 E. Donegan #102
Seguin, TX 78155

(830) 379-8732
Wilson, Guadalupe, Gonzales

Rep. Dawnna Dukes (D)
Budget & Oversight Chair
Room EXT E1.504
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768

(512) 463-0506
(512) 463-7864 Fax

**e-MAIL:
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/email.php?dist=46&rep=dawnna.dukes

Travis (part)

Rep. Mark Homer (D)
Member
Room EXT E2.408
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768

(512) 463-0650
(512) 463-0575 Fax

**e-MAIL:
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/email.php?dist=3&rep=mark.homer
1849 Lamar
Paris, TX 75460

(903) 784-0977
Lamar, Delta, Hopkins, Franklin, Titus, Red River

Rep. Donna Howard (D)
Member
Room EXT E2.812
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768

(512) 463-0631
(512) 463-0901 Fax

**e-MAIL:
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/email.php?dist=48&rep=Donna.Howard

Travis (part)

Rep. Mike O'Day
(R)
Member
Room EXT E1.208
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768

(512) 463-0707
(800) 878-6826 Fax

**e-MAIL:
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/email.php?dist=29&rep=mike.oday
P. O. Box 2358
Pearland, TX 77588

(281) 997-8071
(281) 997-3686 Fax
Brazoria (part), Matagorda

Rep. Larry Phillips (R)
Member
Room EXT E2.604
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
(512) 463-0297
(512) 463-1561 Fax

**e-MAIL: http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/email.php?dist=62&rep=larry.phillips
421 North Crockett
Sherman, TX 75090
(903) 891-7297
(903) 870-0066 Fax
Fannin, Grayson

This is my sample letter. Please do not copy and paste it directly when emailing - use your own words. Out-of-staters, please emphasize the amount of money you spend on hotels on trips expressly for the purpose or road-cruising for snakes.

Note also I see this as an opportunity to slip in pro-snake hunting language, hence my suggestion at the close of the letter. If one word can "shut us down" as Lance put it, why not try to amend the thing to open snake hunting wide for us?

Anyway, here is my sample letter:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am writing today to express my reservations in regards to HB 2414, “BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to hunting from public roads or rights-of-way”. Upon first reading, this bill seems perfectly reasonable – it is inappropriate and unsafe for persons to hunt WITH A FIREARM from a public roadway or right-of-way. However, it has come to my attention that a suggestion was made during testimony to the committee on 3/27/07 to amend the phrase “game animal, wild fowl, or bird” to read “wildlife”, and this amendment would make illegal the pursuit for live capture of a variety of native reptiles and amphibians, because Texas Parks & Wildlife Code current defines hunt very broadly to be simply “the pursuit with the intent to capture or kill”. Therefore, the simple act of driving down the roadway, stopping safely off the road, and picking up a snake would be illegal under the proposed legislation (if the current bill were amended to read “wildlife”).

“Road-cruising” in search of snakes (e.g. driving slowly down a back country road at night or in the morning or late afternoon hours in search of snakes basking on the roadway) is a time-honored method cited by many authors as the best way to make observations or captures of snakes and other reptiles. Both major Peterson’s series field guides suggest this method to search for reptiles and amphibians. Furthermore, the roadways of Texas are one of the few places that a reptile or amphibian enthusiast can view or capture these animals today. In addition, the legislation in question (if amended to read “wildlife”) would also prohibit hiking along right-of-ways and searching under roadside rocks for reptiles or amphibians hiding underneath.

Please consider amending HB 2414 to include a subsection that would read “it shall be legal to pursue or capture reptiles and amphibians from public roadways or right-of-ways in Texas by hand or non-lethal device such as “snake hooks”, “tongs”, or “lizard noose”, with or without the aid of artificial lighting device.”

Sincerely,
Troy Hibbitts
Camp Wood, TX

Troy,
Thanks for the heads up and the well-written letter.
Tim Cole is currently spreading the word to our Austin herp group.
-Jack
-----
V.P.
Austin Herp. Soc.

Do not know if this might help.

TPW has a program for citizens to help in a Horned Lizard study. They give you three ways to do it, and one is the Transect method. They are telling you to road cruise, which would become illegal.

www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0038.pdf

If I am not mistaken, we purchase a nongame permit, not a small game permit, so it is the language of the bill that matters. If the bill says game animals, we are safe, if it says wildlife we are screwed. Make mention of this permit. We spend money for it exclusively, and it is provided by Parks and Wildlife for such animals. That was a good read about the HL's!
Todd Hughes

Here we go again...aren't we only required to carry a hunting license? Non-game permits are for certain numbers of animals in possession (10, perhaps?). Please clarify if I am wrong.

You're right-we're required to carry a general hunting license or small game hunting license.....

Brad Chambers

My bad, sometimes I have more than x number in the aggregate, but not usually.
Todd Hughes

Did anyone notice that if it passes by 2/3rds in each house then it goes into effect immediately?

Yes Maakie, that was mentioned above!