Student artists across Texas in grades K — 12 take notice: It’s time to start preparing your entries for the 2012 Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest.  The contest is open to all students in public, private or home schools. Entry deadline is March 31 each year.

In the largest desert bighorn sheep relocation operation in Texas Parks and Wildlife history, 95 of the high country animals have been trapped this month in the mountains north of Van Horn and released some 190 miles away on Big Bend Ranch State Park.

For hunters who do not have access to privately-owned land, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is providing low cost access  to nearly a million acres of department-managed lands for hunting, including most wildlife management areas, some state parks and many leased properties under the Annual Public Hunting permit program.

A partnership between the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, Playa Lakes Joint Venture and other conservation organizations has recently filled three new Farm Bill wildlife biologist positions in the Texas Panhandle.

With whooping cranes now making their way back to Texas for the winter, biologists are hoping this year will see a record number of the endangered birds in the state.

The recent discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a captive deer in Missouri underscores the need for vigilance in monitoring whitetails and taking action when questionable deer are discovered in Texas captive breeding facilities.

With hundreds of thousands of Texans getting ready for opening day of the general gun season for white-tailed deer on Nov. 5, it’s important to keep safety in your crosshairs.

The following items are compiled from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission today approved a 2012 budget that reflects a 21.5 percent cut in Texas Parks and Wildlife Department funding over the next two years. The agency is trying to limit impacts on the public involving state parks, fisheries and wildlife, and leaders say there are ways people can help.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission today approved $5.6 million in competitive grants for city and county parks across the state. Commissioners chose 12 out of 52 eligible grant requests for outdoor recreation facilities funding.