I know this is not big game related but thought this would get the most views here.

I wanted to inform everybody that Texas Parks and Wildlife is spearheading a reintroduction of the Black Footed Ferret on the Rita Blanca National Grasslands. If they do this under their current proposal it would shut down 50% of the prairie dog hunting currently available to public hunters.

We need to spread the word about this. Contact Texas State officials and TPWD personnel and voice your opinion about this.

To give you a little history about the black footed ferret; It was once thought to be extinct till a small population was discovered in Wyoming. Through a captive breeding program they started reintroducing them in 1991. In order to get them delisted they must have 3000 ferrets living in the wild. Since 2008 they have released almost 2500 ferrets.

Currently they estimate 400-500 living in the wild. They are currently spending about $44000 -$55000 per ferret with a $1,000,000 per year budget.

This project is headed by the Black-Footed Ferret Working Group, which consists of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Wildlife Services, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Texas Agri-Life Extension and researchers from Texas Tech and West Texas A&M Universities.

I personally don't care if they are trying to reintroduce the ferret but do it on private land that doesn't affect the public.

$44,000 - $55,000 PER ferret?! so that'd be 2 a year with their budget...

edit: OOF! math isn't my strong suit. doesn't skip the fact your story states "They are currently spending about $44000 -$55000 per ferret"

That 44000-55000 is the amount they currently have invested in the 400-500 they currently have in the wild.

I wish someone would pay me $44,000 per raised ferret ...

You know, if they fed the little beasts smoked salmon instead of beluga caviar, they could save a little money.

Sean Kyle sean.kyle@tpwd.state.tx.us is the Texas state biologist in charge of this.



I know he is busy with the Lesser Prairie Chicken deal and may not be aware of the concern from the public and needs to be. I encourage everybody to email him and let him know your thoughts.


sean.kyle@tpwd.state.tx.us

quote:

Rita Blanca National Grasslands.

The key word in this whole deal is NATIONAL. TP&W is going to go along with whatever the Feds suggest. Between the two, having the segment of the hunting public that actually goes to the Rita Blanca and shoots Sod Poodles, and Texans being able to draw and do a Pronghorn hunt on the Rita Blanca, I believe I will take Pronghorns over P.Dogs.

When or if push came to shove, I seriously doubt that TP&W would give up the ability to hunt pronghorns so a certain segment of the public could shoot prairie dogs. I could be wrong, but usually such things are all tied together with a common thread.