by John Jefferson
On May 21, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission was finally able to conduct a previously postponed March meeting delayed by COVID-19 and adopted changes to state saltwater and freshwater fishing and hunting regulations. The new rules will go into effect September 1.
I liked having the virtual meeting since viewers got to see the biologists testifying and hearing their presentations clearly instead of sitting in the audience and seeing only the backs of their heads.
The biggest change in saltwater regs is the increased minimum size limit for flounder. It goes up an inch from 14-inches to 15. That was done to protect a declining flounder population. A proposal would have closed recreational and commercial flounder season from November 1 to December 15. The Commission, however, postponed that until 9/1/21.
Clarifying language for commercial harvest reporting was added and a change in the all-water paddle craft guide license requirements was approved.
The usual number of freshwater waterbody changes were approved including the Moss Lake maximum length limit on largemouths, several changes concerning bass and catfish on Brushy Creek Lake and Brushy Creek below the dam, the Lake Nasworthy crappie minimum length limit, and the catfish regs for Lake Texoma and the Texas side of the Red River below. On Falcon Lake, the five-fish daily bag limit for alligator gar was set to expire on 9/1/20, but it remains unchanged.
An interesting comment was made by fisheries biologist, Ken Kurzawski, as he concluded his testimony on the freshwater changes. He informed the Commission that regarding the Brushy Creek Lake proposal, a local fly-fishing shop (Living Waters Fly Fishing) had alerted its customers and a large number of contacts urged approval of the proposed changes. Ninety-three percent of the total comments were in favor of the staff recommendations. Public participation matters.
Most significant among hunting reg changes were bag limit reductions for scaups from three to one in all zones and a drop in the light goose bag from 20/day to 10/day in both zones. Light geese have declined somewhat and fewer were coming to traditional Texas hunting areas in recent seasons. The Western Zone goose season and conservation season were also shifted one week later than previously. Other migratory birds bag limits and season lengths were unchanged. Oh, except for the ever-popular snipe hunting season dates: It’ll start two weeks later than usually set.
And, like COVID-19, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) just won’t go away despite stringent regulation by TPWD to protect Texas deer herds. Additional cases were detected in Val Verde, Kimble, Medina, Bandera, and Uvalde counties, the area where most confirmed cases have been found, prompting the new rules.
Finally, TPW clarified existing fees and permitting procedures for alligator hunting, farming, sale, import and export.
WHEW! Busy meeting.
Additional information and dates for the 2020-21 seasons will soon be on the TPWD website. These changes go into effect on Sept. 1, 2020 and will be included in TPW Outdoor Annual available August 15.
