Please quality-check before I fire it off to the applicable folks...I typed it fairly hastily. Stuff in brackets is personal information I didn't wish to post here. Corrections and supporting footnotes welcome.
I am writing to express my opposition to HB 2414. My opposition stems from my hobby as a recreational hunter of reptiles and amphibians. More specifically, I enjoy looking for and photographing these animals while traveling the highways throughout the state. HB 2414 would put an end to this pastime I and many other citizens, both resident and non-resident, spend countless hours and tourism dollars enjoying.
I was born and raised in [...] but became a Texas resident in 1997; as the saying goes, “I wasn’t born in Texas but got there as fast as I could.” I am [work related stuff].
[Stuff about having the "Super Combo" license]. Although it legally entitles me to hunt and fish for pretty much everything the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department allows, I focus mostly on the pursuit of snakes and lizards, many of which can be found on or near roads crossing favorable terrain.
I am also a past vice president of the South Texas Herpetology Association and current member of the West Texas Herpetological Society. As such, I am actively involved with a wide variety of reptile and amphibian related activities, such as nuisance snake removal from residential sites, and educational outreach to various organizations.
Much of Texas land is privately owned and therefore generally off limits to my hunting desires. Public rights-of-way, while small in total acreage, give me and other reptile enthusiasts their primary areas in which to hunt. Please keep in mind that “hunt,” as defined by TPWD, also includes photographing (because we sometimes catch the animal for closeup pictures) and even moving an animal off the road to avoid its being run over by careless motorists. HB 2414 would prohibit anyone from performing these non-consumptive, conservation-oriented actions.
Hunting from the road with a firearm is already illegal. However, reptile/amphibian “hunting” does not involve firearms, and communications from TPWD dating back to the early 1980s (and reaffirmed in the last several years) express specific guidance allowing the collection of reptiles and amphibians from public roads and rights-of-way.
Initial correspondence with legislative officials indicated HB 2414 is needed for two reasons: public safety and protection of dwindling animal populations. Both of these reasons are unfounded. There are no studies showing any vehicle accident, or vehicle-pedestrian accident, involving reptile/amphibian collectors. Similarly, there is no data showing a decrease in species populations due to road collecting—more amphibians and reptiles are inadvertently (or intentionally) killed by vehicle traffic than are collected.
It is interesting to note that other reasons stated for HB 2414’s necessity involve specifically prohibiting collection of reptiles as the bill’s primary focus. The reptile and amphibian community correctly feels blindsided by the amendment which caused the bill to prohibit reptile hunting. In fact, one individual said the bill amounted to the creation of “wildlife sanctuaries” on public rights-of-way. This is a naïve claim. As someone who drives the highways actually looking for reptiles and amphibians, I can speak from personal experience that I have seen easily 10 times more road-killed specimens than I’ve found alive. The people doing the killing are not hunters, do not possess hunting licenses (as reptile enthusiasts do), and their actions will not be curtailed as a result of HB 2414.
I record all sorts of data when I pursue my quarry—weather conditions, numbers and species of animals seen (not just reptiles and amphibians either), etc. My information contributes to the greater body of knowledge regarding our understanding of the natural history of many species of Texas wildlife. Contributions from similar-minded individuals have expanded the knowledge of many species previously thought to be rare, and even road-killed specimens have value to university collections. HB 2414 would prohibit the contribution of interested lay people to the greater scientific understanding of many of our native species.
HB 2414 is redundant (since firearm hunting from the road is already illegal) and does nothing to protect any wildlife (since wildlife will still be killed by vehicle traffic with no regard for any form of hunting prohibition). Its unintended consequence will be to further separate our state’s populace from interaction with wildlife as a form of recreation, reducing the quality of life for our residents and possibly preventing future generations from developing a sense of connection with the land and its wildlife. The lack of connection to, and respect for, the land and its wildlife will contribute to further habitat loss (the real concern for most species).
I appreciate the chance to have my voice heard and look forward to many more enjoyable experiences with our state’s reptiles and amphibians. Thank you for your time.
-----
Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet
