Associations

Texas Wildlife Association

BY DAVID YEATES, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Texas Wildlife Association (TWA). Established in 1985, TWA was organized as a grassroots public policy advocate for wildlife managers and landowners.

At the time, the Texas Legislature was considering a bill to ban game-proof or “high” fences. TWA mobilized and helped defeat that bill. While it is not for every landowner or every situation, game-proof fencing is a useful tool for wildlife managers and a private property right. As such, TWA was proud to defend its use then; we continue to defend useful management tools today— and in the future.

Since that single galvanizing issue, the organization has matured into a much broader player for wildlife conservation in Texas. Over the last three and a half decades, TWA has served the role of think tank for conservation policy, advocate and program developer.

Success has a thousand fathers, as the old saying goes. By design, public policy work is too complex and inclusive for any single person or entity to be able to claim a victory on their own. What can be said is that TWA has been instrumental in critical pieces of Texas public policy for landowners, hunters and wildlife conservationists today.

Through the years, TWA has played an integral role in the creation and passage of a wildlife designation for “open space valuation” of real estate taxes, establishing groundwater as private property belonging to the surface owner, establishing landowner liability limitations and protections, crafting durable Chronic Wasting Disease regulations and dedicating funding for the state park system, just to name a few notable examples. We find ourselves at the proverbial “tip of the spear” on all wildlife and private property rights matters in Texas public policy, which is both duty and privilege.

It is inspirational to reflect back on the creation of our outreach programs when measured against their annual impacts today. Over the last 35 years, TWA has developed a suite of natural resource literacy programs that are focused on Texans—young and old.

Collectively, our landowner workshops, classroom curriculum, field days and other deliverables have reached millions of Texans; in 2019 alone, we impacted nearly 700,000 people. These programs reach urban and suburban youngsters, multi-generational landowners and everyone in between with a message of wildlife conservation and land stewardship, and more importantly, why it matters.

Likewise over the years, TWA has developed two important partnerships with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, namely the Texas Big Game Awards (TBGA) and the Texas Youth Hunting Program (TYHP). These two programs lead the way on recruiting and retaining hunters here in the Lone Star State. We host regional TBGA banquets around the state to recognize notable harvests, including youth and first harvests. Each summer we host the statewide awards banquet at our convention, recognizing the top harvests of all native big game species in Texas.

The TYHP unquestionably leads the nation in taking young hunters to the field. With an army of volunteers and generous landowners, we have been able to take tens of thousands of kids hunting through the years. Additionally, we have shared the lessons we have learned with like-minded organizations in other states to help spread the impacts.

As we enter our 35th year, we are excited to be moving into a new headquarters building. Designated the David K. Langford Center, the new headquarters is a first-class facility located just outside of New Braunfels on Hunter Road. Not only will it house our staff and provide a meeting location for our volunteer leadership, but the new building will serve as a venue for our hunter education classes, teacher trainings and other exciting new offerings from TWA.

If you are a member of TWA, thank you. If you are not, please consider joining. Only through the support of our membership can TWA continue to serve on the frontlines of wildlife conservation advocacy and outreach here in Texas. We have made so much progress for the betterment of wildlife and land stewardship over the last 35 years. With your support and involvement we can achieve even greater successes in the next 35 years.

Rest assured, the future will demand proactive solutions and TWA is poised to fill that role. Thank you!

Texas Land Brokers Network

BY DEE BRABHAM, PRESIDENT

January brings new business, new opportunities and always a good time to get together with our TLBN group to see what’s happening in their industry. Our speaker in January was Sydney Levine, Attorney, discussing land partitions. This was really informative especially when landowners subdivide land. LAND Magazine was our sponsor that month!

Punxsutawney Phil didn’t have to tell us anything we didn’t already know in Texas as February brought in a warmer-than-normal February! The February meeting was a treat at the Waller County Fairgrounds. The renovation at the hall performed by Clint Sciba and crew with CRC Farm and Ranch Supply, our sponsor and speaker, was fantastic! Clint gave a presentation on pretty much

the full gamut of everything a property owner would need—from land clearing and ponds to ranch fencing, site prep to full construction for covered arenas and barndominiums!

In March, we’ll be in The Woodlands at the Pizza Shack; April, in Katy at Rudy’s BBQ; and May, in Bryan at Cooper’s BBQ.

We have so many great speakers and sponsors lined up for this year! If you have a chance, join us for one of our upcoming meetings. Just give Chris George a call or email, and we’ll be glad to have you be our guest! We meet the second Tuesday of each month! For more information, join us for a meeting, or join our group at TexasLandBrokersNetwork.com

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

BY KATRINA HUFFSTUTLER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Falls County Man Arrested, Faces Six Counts of Livestock Theft Charges Former employer discovered suspect sold cattle he didn’t own. It seemed like a mundane task: cleaning out a ranch truck following an employee’s termination. But stray papers left behind weren’t just trash. They were evidence of a crime.

When the ranch manager came across the sale receipts from a local livestock commission, he grew suspicious. As far as he knew, Logan G. Collier, the former employee whose name was on the paperwork, owned no cattle.

The ranch manager immediately contacted Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Marvin Wills, who initiated an investigation with the assistance of fellow special rangers Kenny Murchison and Hal Dumas and Falls County District Attorney Jody Gilliam. Through the investigation, they found record of Collier consigning and selling 11 head of cattle for a total of $8,067.45 between May 31, 2019 and December 20, 2019. Additional records showed the former employee had used the ranch-provided truck and trailer to transport the stolen livestock to the auction market.

Six theft of livestock charges—third-degree felonies—were filed against Collier. He turned himself into authorities at the Lee County Jail on January 17. He was released the next day after posting bonds totaling $30,000.

On January 29, the Falls County District Attorney presented the six cases to a grand jury, who returned six indictments of theft of livestock, a third-degree felony, against Collier. Collier is currently on felony probation out of Hutchinson County for assault of a public servant, another third-degree felony.

While cattle theft may sound like a crime from the Old West, Wills says it’s still a big threat to ranchers, and thieves have only grown more sophisticated over time. But there are ways cattle producers can help protect themselves, like branding.

“Of these 11 head stolen and sold, only one animal was branded,” Wills says. “Descriptions are helpful and ear tags are, too, but there are a lot of black cows out there and ear tags are easily removed. But a brand is a permanent mark that the animal belongs to you.”