TDA Endorses New “Texas Model” for Wildlife
The Texas Deer Association (TDA) announced its endorsement of the newly introduced “Texas Model,” the first wildlife model specifically published for the state’s successful combination of wildlife management needs and private land ownership. The new 21st Century Landowner Guide Texas Model was a collaborative work by five of the most respected wildlife professionals in Texas—Horace Gore, Mickey Hellickson, Dr. James Kroll, Macy Ledbetter, and Robert Zaiglin—who possess more than 170 years of combined professional experience managing wildlife on public and private property in Texas. These authors brought this collective work to a recent TDA Board of Directors meeting and the Board endorsed it.
The Texas Model identifies the important role private landowners have had and continue to have in enhancing the welfare of wildlife for future generations and in providing access to others for the enjoyment of wildlife. The Texas Model also calls for strengthening landowner rights — including trespass and liability laws — and states that rights and privileges of Texas landowners should not be weakened for any purpose. “We’re very proud to endorse the 21st Century Landowner Guide Texas Model,” says Karl Kinsel, executive director of the Texas Deer Association. “Texas has a strong hunting tradition and private landowners have been instrumental in nurturing that heritage and advancing hunting opportunities for many decades. The Texas Model identifies this unique relationship between the landowner, the state and individual hunters, and it offers a blueprint for others. We wholeheartedly commend the authors of the Texas Model on a job well done.” Texas Model co-author and Journal Editor Horace Gore explains that Texas has achieved a highly successful record in wildlife management primarily because of the dedication and support of private land owners.
“The North American Model for wildlife conservation has been the cornerstone for wildlife restoration and the utilization of wildlife resources for the past century. However, that model adheres mostly to wildlife on public lands and migratory species,” says Gore, a wildlife biologist with over 50 years experience in Texas wildlife conservation and management. “The Texas Model reflects the role of private landowners in a state that is 97 percent private property. Texas is unique to all the other states because of its diverse habitats, which hold a variety of both game and non-game species. The Texas Model for wildlife preservation and management on private property was long overdue.” To get your copy, visit www.texasdeerassociation.com or call 210-767-8300.—courtesy TDA
