[Bill M]

I have emailed those with addresses this evening and have printed letters to fax in the morning to the others. I used some of Bob Wright's words and also points made by others in my letter.

Here it is.

Dear Mr. ****:

I felt it my duty as a hunter in the State of Texas to voice my concerns over adding youth hunting for the entire month of October that has been archery only since 1975. As I’m sure you are aware, bow hunters basically placed a tax on themselves through the archery stamp to help accomplish this. I have hunted in Texas since 1962 when my Dad took me afield as an 8 year old boy and only began bow hunting in 2002. Quite honestly if I had not discovered hunting with a bow, my hunting would have probably ended as I was no longer challenged using a firearm. I know this is not uncommon. One thing that attracted me to continue was the October archery only season and hunting with a bow.

I understand the need to attempt to recruit new young hunters as that is our future but in my opinion an October youth season is not really an option to accomplish this for several reasons.

• It is my opinion that hunter numbers are dropping not because of a lack of recruitment of youth but because of decreased opportunity for hunters of all ages due to cost, distance from home, lack of availability of private lands to hunt and crowding on public lands.
• Young hunters that don’t have parents that will continue taking them hunting will not continue to hunt due to lack of opportunity and resources, be it time or money.
• Youth that do have parents that hunt will go hunting with them through out the current seasons if the parents truly want them involved in hunting. They can even participate in the archery only season with the removal of minimum draw weights.
• Many leases now do not allow family or children as guests. With the high dollar amounts now involved in hunting in Texas I can see this becoming even more common as many adults would not want the youth to have a head start at deer they themselves have been paying to hunt and scouting prior to season. While this is not the case on my tract of land, I believe this could actually reduce youth hunting opportunities.
• The youth in the State of Texas can already hunt deer beginning in October using archery equipment and hunt through to February in some areas of the state. Also they can hunt many other species of animals through out the remainder of the year in Texas. With all this opportunity, the hunter numbers shouldn’t be falling if we truly believe our youth are the save all of hunting in our great state.

I am opposed to October becoming a youth season and remaining archery only for the following reasons.

• My first concern is safety of bow hunters, both young and old, in the field. While many young can shoot, they still lack the experience of good judgment. With the state lowering the age to 9 years old for the hunters safety course, this gives the potential of very young hunters being on the stand alone. While I continue to bow hunt during the general season I choose my stand locations and days afield very carefully at that point. I myself will no longer carry my grandchildren with me to the blind during October for safety concerns if firearms become common place.
• That this would restrict or limit hunting opportunities for many hunters in the state who hunt on small acreages. Again a safety issue.
• Bow hunting is done at short ranges and can be experienced safely on smaller acreage even in urban settings. TPWD should be doing all it can to encourage bow hunting as a way to increase hunter numbers. Bow hunting may even be a way to keep gun hunters buying licenses that have been priced out of the lease market. The archery only season is a great asset to TPWD, not a liability or the province of “special interests”.
• As stated above with many leases not allowing children, I believe this will actually reduce youth hunting opportunities for the reasons stated above.
• The removal of the minimum draw weight requirement is new in Texas. This should be given the opportunity to attract new, young bow hunters in the state.
• An October youth season would for all intents and purposes end the archery season in Texas.

I would ask that you carefully consider the damage this could actually do to hunting in our great state and ask that the archery only season be left as it is currently. Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully,
William Morris
North Zulch Texas