Public Land Concerns
I’M JUST AN EVERYDAY public-land hunter here in Central Texas, and I’ve got to say the news about that sneaky attempt to sell off millions of acres of public land hit me hard. We don’t have much public ground in Texas to begin with. If you don’t have a lease, you’re already limited. Losing even a sliver of what little we have left would box out folks like me completely.
Public land is where I learned to hunt. It’s where I go when I need to reset. It’s not just about chasing deer or filling a tag. It’s a tradition for me and my family. Selling it off behind closed doors feels like a slap in the face to everyone who values the outdoors.
Thanks for being a voice for hunters and keeping this issue on the radar. We can’t afford to sit quietly on this one.
Daniel M.
THE RECENT THREAT to public lands in the federal budget really opened my eyes. I’ve always assumed those lands were just….there, permanent, untouchable. But seeing how close we came to losing millions of acres without so much as a hearing, lit a fire in me.
I might not live in a Western state, but I travel to hunt. I’ve chased elk in Colorado and turkey in Oklahoma. I count on those open-access lands being there. And here in Texas, with so much land locked behind fences, the few public spots we do have matter even more.
J. Tyler
Editor: We share your concerns. In fact, see our feature article on this hot topic, “Dodging a Bullet on Public Land Loss,” here, in this issue.
Great White Sharks
BIG SHOUT-OUT to Chester Moore for his coverage of great white sharks in the Gulf. I’ve lived on the Texas coast all my life and had no idea we had those kinds of predators cruising our waters. It’s like something out of a documentary, but it’s happening right here.
The detail in those stories was awesome. I passed it along to my fishing buddies and even my kid, who’s now begging me to take him shark fishing (thanks a lot!).
Keep bringing stories like that. It’s part science, part mystery, and all Texas.
Pete Richards
Editor: Thanks for the kind words. It’s a topic I am passionate about and I think we’ve just begun to see unfold!
Publisher: Chester’s a bit too modest to remind everyone here, but he predicted the arrival of great white sharks in the Gulf of Mexico back in our July/August, 2021 issue.
Email your comments to: editor@fishgame.com
