Exotic Wildlife Association
INGRAM, Texas --(Ammoland.com)- The Exotic Wildlife Association (EWA) has announced its strong opposition to two Texas bills — HB 2433 and SB 1412 — which would change deer release regulations that have proven successful for more than 80 years, and needlessly risk the lives of thousands of deer.
The two bills — HB 2433 and SB 1412 — were introduced into the Texas 83rd Legislative Session by the Texas Wildlife Association and would change the so-called ‘10-Day Rule’ on releasing breeder deer to a 60-day period. According to many wildlife biologists, moving the state’s release dates to the hottest month of the year would result in the needless death of thousands of deer and fewer hunting opportunities for Texas sportsmen.
“These bills are designed to damage high fence hunting ranches’ ability to sell better bucks to hunters and ultimately kill deer breeding and damage the hunting business,” says Charly Seale, executive director of the Exotic Wildlife Association. “More and more hunting ranches in Texas are being high fenced so private property owners can conserve open space, protect their investments and maintain superior antlered animals as an option for hunters. Under the current law, many deer breeders supply those ranches with these quality animals, but the proponents of this bad bill, who predominately own low-fence ranches, want to use the Legislature to eliminate competition.”
The current Texas statute, known as the 10-Day Rule, has regulated release dates for whitetail deer since 1933 and it is a cornerstone regulation for the hunting and breeding industries which now provide nearly one billion dollars annually for the Texas economy. In the 1990s, elements of the 1933 law were also incorporated into the current Texas Parks & Wildlife Code to address breeder deer.
Founded in 1967, the EWA works to preserve the rights of exotic wildlife owners, and to promote the development and expansion of the exotic wildlife industry. The EWA is now the oldest and one of the most successful associations of it’s type in North America, and it represents members throughout the United States and in several foreign countries that have propagated and protected some of the largest populations of privately owned exotic wildlife.
To learn more about the Exotic Wildlife Association, call 830.367.7761 or visit www.exoticwildlifeassociation.com.
Headquartered in Ingram, Texas, the Exotic Wildlife Association is dedicated to encourage and to expand the conservation of indigenous and non-indigenous hoofstock animals, and to foster development of the alternative livestock market through agricultural diversity. For more information on EWA, call 830.367.7761 or visit www.exoticwildlifeassociation.com
