So one of the bills passed will require licensing certain herps to keep them from getting loose into the wild and reproducing? In 55 years of herping the only non-indigenous stuff I've seen was in FL - other than the few gecko species whice were NOT released by herpers.
However, I have seen large herds of Axis deer, aoudad, fallow deer, blackbuck and other stuff loose in Texas. THis has come off canned hunt "game ranches" such as the one owned by HH. TPWD in its great wisdom has actually allowed some conties to put a season on some of these introduced species.
Why is there no outcry about this? Why hasn't legislation been passed to require pit tagging and radio tracking devices to be attached to all these non-native species so the people who release them into the wild can be held accountable? Why aren't they allowed to be killed on sight?
This is a MAJOR factor in the Texas ecosystem. In some areas the axis deer have replaced native deer. I've seen fallow deer wiped out by motor vehicles' it would be nice to know who let them loose so that damages could be claimed.
Doesn't ANYONE have a friendly representative who could produce legislation on this? HH should be willing to gladly go alont with it, given his stance on animals getting into the wild.
