Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples is pleased to announce the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is committing $4.9 million in emergency funds to help control a growing fever tick infestation in South Texas.

The new Keith Warren’s Deer & Wildlife Stories television program, sponsored by the American Deer & Wildlife Alliance (ADWA), continues to get up close and personal with North America’s most popular big game animal — the whitetail deer. In its second episode, airing this week, Dick Cain of Trophy Ridge Whitetails in Saint Jo, Texas, opens his ranch to children for a day of outdoor education and adventure.

Texas Deer Association Executive Director Karl Kinsel was a featured speaker during the recent 79th Annual Meeting of ASFMRA (American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers), held at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel in San Antonio.

Response to Hurricane Ike last month was an impressive team effort as individuals, associations and government officials throughout the state recognized the issues at hand were larger than the resources of any one agency or association.  

Some say that the deer industry starts and ends in at the State Capitol, so it seems appropriate that the TDA announces its newest Sportsman’s Banquet will be held in Austin on October 11, 2008.

Higher fuel and feed prices have worried some ‘experts’ on the continued growth of the deer industry, but there was only excitement and frenzy at the state’s largest-ever deer sale at the 10th Annual Texas Deer Association’s Convention & Trade Show. From attendance to deer sales to grand auction, the 2008 TDA convention set new records across the board and was, by all accounts, the most successful convention in the association’s history.

Per the following posted notice, the Legislative Interim Study on Deer Breeding is scheduled for Oct. 1, 2008 at 10:00 A.M. in Austin.  The notice states the testimony will be provided by invited witnesses and to-date, we don’t have any more details than this on expected topics or invited witnesses. It is a public hearing, and for those of you who may want to attend, you may want to make your arrangements now.