Texas continues to lead the nation in whitetail deer sales. Two weeks ago, the nation’s largest state association dedicated to whitetail deer — the Texas Deer Association (TDA) — welcomed hundreds of deer enthusiasts to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and raised more than $850,000 at its 1st Annual Spring Gala Banquet and in Grapevine, Texas.

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.

The wildlife industry’s leading game management technology, GMS® recently unveiled its new automatic offsite backup system for GMS data at the North American Deer Farmers Association (NADeFA) annual conference in Lexington, Ken. Hundreds of deer and wildlife breeders attending the conference praised the new service which prevents catastrophic data loss due to hard drive crashes, accidental changes and deletions, viruses, file corruption, fire, flood, theft and other circumstances that could wipe out on-site data.

Helping to make deer commerce easier and more efficient, GMS® is pleased to report its new Sell-A-Deer software module has received rave reviews from deer breeding operations from Michigan to Texas. Users of the new innovative program claim the software has exceeded expectations.

The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo featured more than just hooves and horns; it also featured some of the state’s largest deer antlers. More than 1,000 whitetail enthusiasts, deer breeders, ranchers and exhibitors saddled up for the Texas Deer Association’s first Superior Genetic Whitetail Deer Auction of 2009. The two-day event generated more than $860,000 as part of a statewide industry that funnels more than $650 million annually into the Texas economy.

Networking is still one of the most successful methods for marketing and increasing business for those in the deer industry, and the Texas Deer Association (TDA) is pleased to announce the launch of an all-new online directory service for deer breeders - Deer Connection (www.DeerConnection.com).

The American Deer & Wildlife Foundation, in conjunction with DB Hunting Ranch and the American Deer & Wildlife Alliance, is helping kids pig out this month. Youth ages eight to 15 are invited to attend the 1st Annual Pig-apalooza Youth Hog Hunt. The event will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2009 and March 1, 2008, at DB Hunting Ranch in Bertram, Texas, and will provide a morning and evening hunt as well as a pork sandwich lunch and some other fun, educational activities during the day.

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.

Taylor Brands LLC, the official manufacturer and wholesale distributor of Smith & Wesson and Schrade Knives, has joined the American Deer & Wildlife Alliance to help ensure the promotion and continued growth of the deer and wildlife industry nationwide.

Gorilla Treestands Inc. has improved the legendary comfort of its AirRide seat with improved, more durable foam and improved camouflage pattern. The seat and backrest now feature Mossy Oak Treestand camouflage.