AUSTIN, Texas — Expanded conservation efforts are in the offing for the desert bighorn sheep, an iconic symbol of wilderness in West Texas, with plans to extend bighorn restocking efforts into Big Bend Ranch State Park and elsewhere in the region as part of a comprehensive Desert Bighorn Sheep Restoration Plan.
AUSTIN, Texas — A month after Hurricane Ike roared ashore in Galveston, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is working to reopen a handful of still-closed east and southeast Texas state parks, assessing the future of two coastal parks that suffered catastrophic damage and assisting displaced park employees.
Mention great Texas comeback stories and some people will think of Staubach and Pearson and the Hail Mary pass that gave the Cowboys a victory over Minnesota in the 1975 play-offs. Texas Tech fans will cite the Red Raiders’ record-breaking comeback win over the University of Minnesota in the 2006 Insight Bowl.
FALCON HEIGHTS, Texas-A species of tiger moth never before recorded in the United States was discovered last Friday, Oct. 3, at Falcon State Park in South Texas. Volunteer Park Naturalist Frances Bartle discovered the moth during a routine check at the park’s recreation hall.
ATHENS, Texas-Most anglers probably know that many fish caught from deep water can suffer from an over-inflated swim bladder, a condition called hyperbuoyancy. The air bladder inside the fish that inflates and deflates to give the fish neutral buoyancy can expand suddenly when a fish is brought to the surface after being caught. This puts pressure on other internal organs and may even lead to the stomach protruding from the fish’s body.
ATHENS, Texas-Texas students in grades 4 through 12 are invited to enter the eleventh annual Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest. Deadline for entries is March 31, 2009.
ATHENS, Texas-John True of Dallas kicked off the 2008-2009 Budweiser ShareLunker season October 3 with a 13.38-pound largemouth bass from a private lake in Rusk County.
DICKINSON, Texas — For those anglers who have found a way onto Galveston Bay since Hurricane Ike passed through nearly a month ago, fishing reportedly has been better than average.
AUSTIN, Texas — Because of Hurricane Ike, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department previously announced closure of public hunting activities by Annual Public Hunting Permit on several national forests that contain state wildlife management areas, which have since reopened.
AUSTIN, Texas — Hurricane Ike’s big storm surge caused hundreds of localized oil and hazardous materials spills that pose threats to fish and wildlife, and it pushed saltwater into upper coast freshwater wetlands that support migrating waterfowl and estuarine life. But ecological damage to coastal habitats may not be as widespread or severe as some had initially feared.