Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Mr. Beckwith:

It was a pleasure talking to you. I am filing your comments on HB 2414 in our database, but I also wanted to share with you a statement I received from Texas Parks and Wildlife regarding the bill.

Currently, it is a violation to hunt game animals, game birds, furbearers, exotic animals, or exotic fowl on a public roadway. “Hunt” is defined as capture, trap, take or kill, or the attempt to capture, trap, take or kill. Additionally, it is a Penal Code violation to discharge a firearm on or across a public road. Currently, it is not illegal to hunt nongame animals from a public road or rights of way, as long as a person is not hunting from a vehicle. Any hunting from a public road may create a potential traffic hazard and safety concern. House Bill 2414 HCS, prohibits the hunting of a wild animal or wild bird from the public road or rights of way. The bill does not apply to the trapping of a raptor for educational or sporting purposes as provided by Chapter 49, Texas Parks and Wildlife Code. An offense will be a Parks and Wildlife Code Class C misdemeanor. If enacted, the bill will provide game wardens with an enforcement tool that will enable them to clearly distinguish lawful activities on roadways from unlawful activities. A person hunting nongame on a public road or rights of way would be clearly in violation if they do not have a Texas Parks and Wildlife permit authorizing collection on a public road or rights of way. Much of nongame wildlife collection on public roads and rights of way is for commercial purposes. This bill would stop this aspect of nongame collection on public roads and rights of way. This bill would create a wildlife sanctuary where collection would be prohibited. The bill also provides an alternative enforcement tool for game wardens. Hunting from a vehicle on a public road is currently a Parks and Wildlife Code Class A misdemeanor. This bill makes the offense for hunting any wild animal or wild bird on a public road or rights of way a Parks and Wildlife Code Class C misdemeanor. Game wardens would have the discretion to file a lesser charge, if conditions warranted (e.g., juvenile or first time offender.) This bill will not prohibit entities such as schools from obtaining a collection permit for zoological collections, scientific research or educational display.

We will watch this bill and how is progresses through the legislative process.

Katherine Frolow

State Representative Pete P. Gallego

Texas State Capitol - 4S.5

(o) 512-463-0566

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From: Doug Beckwith
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 10:52 PM
To: Katherine Frolow
Subject: HB2414

Ms. Frolow & Mr. Gallego,

Ms. Frolow thanks again for taking the time to speak w/ me this evening regarding the subject above. Please make it known that this voter and constituent is strongly against HB2414 w/ it's all inclusive newly proposed verbiage of "wildlife" w/ regard to roadside collection.

I find it horribly ironic that after literally 20 years of coming to and working towards moving to Alpine that the 2 main reasons for moving here may be taken away by government actions. Those 2 things being my hobby of snake observing along the roadsides and the more important quality of life issue that will be spoiled by La Entrada al Pacifico and it's increased truck traffic and all the detrimental things those trucks will bring to this community. Please look at these two issues and know that this voter and his voting wife are dead set against both.

Thank you,

Doug & Nancy Beckwith

Alpine, TX

Looks like Jason beat me to the punch by a couple of minutes. Sorry for the redundancy.

DB

No redundancy problems here Doug, it just shows 1.) that we are acting with one voice and 2.)that they are to the point of sending out copied and pasted responses.
Maybe they're getting tired of us. They know how to shut us up
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Snakes of Hudspeth County, Texas

"A person hunting nongame on a public road or rights of way would be clearly in violation if they do not have a Texas Parks and Wildlife permit authorizing collection on a public road or rights of way." Is this a new permit?

"Much of nongame wildlife collection on public roads and rights of way is for commercial purposes. This bill would stop this aspect of nongame collection on public roads and rights of way."
Where is she getting this information?

"This bill would create a wildlife sanctuary where collection would be prohibited." Do hunters have any rights in Texas?
Is TPW responsible for "managing" wildlife so that a balance is struck between wildlife managment and the rights of hunters? Wildlife sanctuaries are good, but aren't they called State and National Parks, and WMA's? Doesn't she realize that private land, in effect, provides another wildlife sanctuary and that the only PUBLIC strip available to take non-game species are public roads and right-a-ways, especially in certain parts of Texas?

RP

Robert,

Gallego's office did not issue that statement, it came to us from Gallego's office and was issued to them by TPWD. I have a copy of it as well, and am waiting for TPWD to respond to my query in regards to this.

Troy

Thank god! I thought for sure it was a lost cause. See how frazzeled I am about this - I didn't even catch that. I'm liable to kill somebody tonight

R

Dim the lights, put on some soft music, lean the recliner back and have a drink..... There nice and calm now.

Yes, I spoke to people in that office as well, and they think this bill is a very bad idea and will not support it. They tried to get it amended so that reptiles could be taken on right of ways and were told by Isett’s office that the wording will stand and they plan to move forward. See the posting of TP&W's concerns as to why it will stand as is on the house floor for voting, now I did not say they were 100% legitimate concerns, but on the surface they sound good to people that are seeing this for the first time.

Inform our representatives, make them understand that this is a bad idea.

Your attempt to soothe me didn’t work. Woke up last night with my hands around my wife’s neck. Thankfully, I snapped out it before she took her last breadth, so she’s recovering nicely. Said I kept shouting something like TEE PEE ARE YOU while I choked the life out of her. Hmmm...I wonder what that could have meant

That has to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.