E. Texas lawmaker looks to preserve hunter rights

KTRE.com | Lufkin and Nacogdoches, Texas
LUFKIN, TX (KTRE) –As hunting season comes to a close, the historical Texas pastime may be under fire.

Captain Shawn Phillips of East Texas Parks and Wildlife, explains what gamers can look forward to in the piney woods.

“A late youth season is going on right now, and you know we will still have a little bit of hunting going on through January and early part of February,” said Phillips. “Then, it’ll taper off and we’ll start to transition into fishing, boating, and water safety.”

But could this recreational activity be taken away from the citizens Texas?

As of now, the state constitution doesn’t give Texans the right to hunt and that’s why state representative Trent Ashby has proposed a constitutional amendment to preserve this opportunity.

“The constitutional amendment that I have set for with Senator Creighton would essentially enshrine in our state constitution that we will forever have the right to hunt and fish and use that as a preferred method of managing our state’s wildlife population,” said Ashby.

18 states have already implemented similar amendments that solidify the right to hunt and fish.

“There have been a number of states that have woken up and realized that these extremist groups and anti-hunting groups have gotten a foothold in a number of the states,” said Ashby.

For the people of East Texas, this would be a devastating loss.

“In East Texas and I’m sure everywhere else in the state, it’s always been a big part of our history and our culture,” said Captain Phillips.

Source: KTRE