Texas Senator John Cornyn will soon have a voice in Texas agriculture like never before, following his appointment to the Senate Committee for Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition last week.

With all the recent talk of pork bill spending in Washington, nearly two dozen young boys and girls with their fathers enjoyed the thrill of the hunt and the taste of pork without deficit spending. The American Deer & Wildlife Alliance recently hosted its 1st Annual Pigapalooza Youth Hog Hunt at DB Hunting Ranch in Bertram, Texas, and sponsored hog hunting opportunities for 20 children, ages eight to 15.

Continued dry range conditions throughout much of the state this spring could have a negative impact on wild turkey production and hunting prospects, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists.

Addressing a problem already persistent nationwide, this week’s Keith Warren’s Deer & Wildlife Stories takes a closer look at how a small community is dealing with deer overpopulation in its own backyard.

Young hunters will be taking the first shots of the 2008-09 Texas hunting seasons during upcoming special youth-only seasons and state wildlife officials say range conditions and wildlife populations are ripe for success in the field.