Nearly a century ago, wildlife biologists estimated there were about 500 desert bighorn sheep in Texas. Half a century later there were none. Today there are more than 800 of these majestic animals in the state and counting.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted a series of wildlife and hunting related regulations that expand special buck antler restrictions and liberalize antlerless harvest opportunities in dozens of counties. The new rules take effect during the 2009-10 hunting seasons.

Texas Wildlife Association representatives were busy in Austin this week reviewing the record 7300-plus bills filed this session, presenting testimony at committee hearings, and preparing for next week's hearings on key issues such as eminent domain reform.

Texas Game Warden Vance Wallace was recognized as the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies "Officer of the Year" today.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission on Jan. 21 authorized the department to seek public comment on a suite of proposed wildlife and hunting related regulations that would expand special buck antler restrictions and liberalize antlerless harvest opportunities in dozens of counties, part of a broader move to transition away from political boundaries and toward biologically-based communities for managing deer populations.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has transitioned away from political boundaries for the purpose of monitoring white-tailed deer populations and toward biologically-based communities or Resource Management Units (RMUs).