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News from Texas Parks & Wildlife

Texas Statewide Quail Symposium Slated for August 16-18 in Abilene

ABILENE – Quail experts from across the state are convening Aug. 16-18 in Abilene for The Texas Statewide Quail Symposium.

They will discuss quail management and share research updates, along with general quail conversations, at this event hosted by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation (RPQRF) and the Texas Wildlife Association (TWA).

The event begins with a tour of the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch located between Roby and Snyder. The symposium then shifts to the Abilene Convention Center fortwo days of sessions covering everything from hunting gear, technology and resources for landowners to improve and maintain habitat for quail. TPWD’s upland game bird program leader, John McLaughlin, is one of the notable speakers at the event.

“The Statewide Quail Symposium has always been a great opportunity for quail enthusiasts, recreational and professional alike, to gather together in the name of Texas quail, and this year’s meeting is shaping up to be no different,” said McLaughlin. “An incredible lineup of conservationists, landowners, wildlife managers, researchers and more will cover topics ranging from habitat to hunting.”

The symposium also offers opportunities to network and is open to landowners, land managers, hunters, students, naturalists and anyone with interest in quail.

“The Symposium will be an ideal place to connect with other quail-loving Texans,” added McLaughlin. “We’re excited to be a sponsor of this year’s event and looking forward to networking and learning from everyone in this diverse and far-reaching community.”

For more information on the event and to register, visit the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation website. Those interested in attending can also contact Dana Wright with the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation at dwright@quailresearch.org.

Big Time Texas Hunts Offers 27th Year of Unique Hunting Opportunities

AUSTIN – This season, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) Big Time Texas Hunts program is awarding 10 lucky winners with premium guided hunt packages, offering some of the very best hunting opportunities in Texas.

In the last 26 years, Big Time Texas Hunt (BTTH) participants have helped raise more than $19.5 million to fund wildlife research, habitat conservation and public hunting access. The 2022-23 hunting season was the biggest revenue producing year for the program, raising over $1.4 million, and the third year in a row with sales exceeding $1 million.

Conservation efforts funded by BTTH include desert bighorn sheep restoration work in West Texas, thousands of acres of brush control work across the state for the benefit of species like mule deer, pronghorn and quail and multiple grassland restoration projects. Public hunting efforts include the funding of numerous public hunting leases and the purchase of hunting equipment such as ADA-accessible blinds for several Wildlife Management Areas.

“Revenue generated from the sale of BTTH entries cover the cost of next year’s hunts plus provides funding for wildlife habitat work and improves the quality of public hunts across the state,” said Kevin Mote, TPWD’s Private Lands and Public Hunting Program Director. “In our 27th year, we are extremely excited to continue offering hunters a chance at once-in-a-lifetime hunting opportunities and raising important wildlife conservation funding at the same time.”

Some of the most popular hunts in this year’s drawing include an Exotic Safari, where the winner and a guest will have a chance to hunt gemsbok and scimitar-horned oryx at Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area — plus receive a YETI Limited Edition Red Tundra 65 hard cooler, donated by Yeti Coolers, LLC. Another hunt, the Texas Grand Slam, offers the winner four separate hunts for desert bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, pronghorn and desert mule deer. The Ultimate Mule Deer Hunt offers a three-to five-day hunt for mature mule deer in the Texas Panhandle.

Big Time Texas Hunts entries are available online for $9 each, or at license retailers or by calling 800-895-4248 for $10 each. The deadline to purchase entries is October 15 and winners will be announced within two weeks.