Todd,
Thanks for taking the time to meet with Joe today. As you've noticed, many of us are extremely upset about the hunting ban rider on HB12 and the way that it everything happened. However, what is done is done. If you and Rep. Hilderbran are ready to listen to our concerns and try to work with us, then I’m willing to give that a chance. If something positive develops from your efforts, I’ll be glad to voice my support. The fact is, the herping community has wanted a constructive dialogue with TPWD for many years but old stereotypes and past grievances have gotten in the way.
I suspect that many of the past actions by you and Rep. Hilderbran were done in a good faith attempt to protect our natural resources. Unfortunately, it seems that you based many of those past actions on misinformation and misunderstandings from a few prior and current employees at TPWD. For now, I will refrain from getting into my opinions on those individuals and their motives. Perhaps we can work together to make them irrelevant. I truly believe that most at TPWD would support our interest if given the chance to understand those interests. The hobby of field herping has evolved considerably over the past few decades, but many in wildlife enforcement have not noticed those changes.
It may help if you, Rep Hilderbran, and TPWD got to know us. Toward that end, let me tell you a little about myself. I am 42 with three children and a wife that has tolerated me for 20 years. I became interested in snakes when I was about 10. My interest became quite serious when I was 13. That interest led me to become serious about science and learning in general. I went from being a B-C student to a solid A student for the rest of my high school and college years. My first few road trips to west Texas were in the 80’s with a few more in the 90’s. Two or three of those early trips were partly financed by the sale of wild caught animals. That practice was generally (though often grudgingly) accepted within the hobby back then. Thanks to incredible advances in captive propagation and a growing environmentalist attitude, the practice of selling wild caught animals is now widely (and often loudly) rejected. There are still a few snake hunters that sell captive animals, but they DO NOT represent me and I DO NOT condone their actions. Personally, I’d be glad to see trade in all wild caught animals prohibited (with limited exceptions for selling to research or medical institutions or licensed captive breeders that are not able to obtain captive bred animals or capture their own from the wild).
About ten years ago, I realized that I was far less capable than others at captive propagation. As a result, I stopped collecting herps altogether. However, my interests in them remained and I continued to go out field herping on occasion (observe, catch, and release only). Over the last several months, I have taken up an interest in photography. This new hobby has led me to a renewed interest in my first hobby (snake hunting). I’m lucky enough to live in west Texas and where I can go out on a moments notice and appreciate some of this state’s most incredible snakes. My boys (ages 3 and 6) have now started to develop an interest in snakes and I would love to nurture that.
I often go field herping on my private property between sundown and sunrise. However, more and more often, my herping activities are controlled by my sons’ desire to go out with me. Obviously, if they are coming along, the ONLY option is road cruising and walking cuts (3yo stays in the truck or home while walking cuts). They love helping me spot snakes, lizards, and toads and my 6yo loves holding the lights while I shoot photographs. Their favorite part of herping (mine too) is watching the animals crawl safely away. The only thing they dislike is the many dead animals we find on the road every time we go out. They insist that every live animal be moved off the road to safety and they insist that every dead animal also be moved off out of respect and in order to prevent the hazard of a scavenger coming onto the road to feed on the carcass. Please don’t be offended, but we have been ignoring the road hunting ban in order to continue these environmentally friendly activities. My 6 year old is learning all about civil disobedience!
It is worth noting that my family also does a fair amount of hiking. Prior to getting back into serious field herping this spring, by six year old merely viewed hikes as a walk in the desert or the mountains. His greatest interest was in running ahead or climbing rocks. Now, thanks to going out and observing herps, he is starting to really notice the various plants, animals, and habitats that make the wild such a special place. He is also more careful about where he puts his hands and feet
Sincerely,
Daryl Eby
PO Box 463
Terlingua, TX 79852
432-371-2861
