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 Sporting Clays Mobile Range provides shooting opportunities for youth, women, gun clubs and ranges. The unit may be scheduled for public or some private events, but must be scheduled a year in advance.

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 following are excerpts from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.

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).

The Sporting Clays Mobile Range provides shooting opportunities for youth, women, gun clubs and ranges. The unit may be scheduled for public or some private events, but must be scheduled a year in advance. The range supports special events such as the 4-H Whiz Bang, competition and Becoming An Outdoors Woman workshops. Call (361) 275-2178 or (512) 389-8140 for more information about the sporting clays mobile range.

Late quail production due to dry and hot range conditions has set the stage for an average hunting season, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists.