Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was told that Rep. Hildebran is an exotic game rancher. Is this so? If so, he and his ilk are the ones responsible for damaging the ecology of the state. In 35 years I have never seen a non-indigenous herp in the wild in Texas except for the few gecko speceis - for which herpers bear no responsibility. I have, nowever, seen massive herds of Axis deer, numerous fallow deer, a few blackbuc and have aoudad cross the road a few feet in front of me. Why is nothing being done about the exotic game ranchers who regularly allow non-indigenous animals to escape into the wild?

I dont know if there is anything I hate more (besides grackles) than feral hogs, dogs, and cats. Right after them is feral exotic "game" animals.
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South Texas Herps

John,
I think Harvey was at one time, the President of Hunting Ranches, i.e. "canned hunts"

Oh sure, it's okay for him and his clients to shoot penned animals, now that's a real sport! But it's sad that they won't allow herpers to take snakes from the road,.

Randal Berry

Unfortunately, exotic game hunting in this area is a money maker for the big ranches. Big Ranches and money translate into political power. Their interests are taken care of....While ours are crapped on.
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Snakes of Hudspeth County, Texas

Actually, here's Uncle Harveys bio.

Rep. Harvey Hilderbran was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1988 and was most recently re-elected in 2006 to serve the people of District 53..

Since January 2003, he has served as chairman of the House Committee on Culture, Recreation and Tourism. As chairman of the committee, Hilderbran oversees the regulation and control of hunting and fishing, the preservation of wildlife and fish, operation and control of state parks, development and regulation of the state's cultural and historical resources, and the promotion of international and interstate tourism. The committee has jurisdiction over the Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Historical Commission, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Rep. Hilderbran is dedicated to restoring excellence to the Texas park system. He plans to file a series of bills this session that will increase funding sources and address the deficiencies in the park system. He was the recipient of the 2006 Distinguished Legislator Award by the Texas Recreation and Parks Society. He was also named February 2007 "Legislator of the Month" by the Texas Municipal League.

As a member of the Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Hilderbran is actively engaged in legislation regarding the conservation of the natural resources of Texas, the control and development of land and water, and the creation and regulation of water supply districts. The committee also oversees the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as it relates to the regulation of water resources, and the Texas Water Development Board.

He also serves as co-chairman, along with Sen. Kip Averitt, of the legislative oversight committee for the Edwards Aquifer Authority.

During his tenure with the House of Representatives, Rep. Hilderbran served as chairman of the Human Services Committee for three sessions. During that time he wrote and passed 1995's landmark welfare reform legislation. In 1997, he was instrumental in passing the state=s most significant legislation protecting residents of Texas nursing homes.

Rep. Hilderbran was the 1999 recipient of the Bob Bullock Award for Outstanding Public Stewardship and the 2004 recipient of the Vietnam Veterans of America Texas State Council's Legislator of the Year Award. He was named Freshman of the Year by the Young Conservatives of Texas, and also won the Legislative Courage Award for his involvement in school finance reform. In 2001, he was named Legislator of the Year by Texas Young Republicans. In 2003, he created the Hilderbran Scholars Fund.

His first public policy assignment was service as a congressional legislative assistant for agriculture and small business issues in Washington D.C. in the mid-1980s. He later served as assistant director of state affairs for the Texas Farm Bureau, where he concentrated his efforts on property and water rights.

In the private sector, Rep. Hilderbran has worked in real estate, ranching, advertising and business management. He currently serves as vice-president of marketing for an engineering firm in Kerrville. Born in Uvalde in 1960, he is a 1983 graduate of Texas Tech University. He lives with his wife, Tracy, and their two daughters in Kerrville, where they are members of St. Peter's Church.

last updated on 03/06/2007

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Why are there no articles about the feral animals loose in Texas? We have cats, dogs, hogs, numerous types of deer, antelope, sheep, some of them introduced by TPWD. TX dept. of agricultrue some yeas ago released african dung beetles into the area around Austin and these have driven out the native dung beetles.
Does anyone have contacts at Texas Monthly? They might like to do such an article. Also it could be used to attack HH and to lessen his credibility. Any mithods which might help defeat him would be welcome.

Besides, it is time to put the heat on someone else.