Have you read TWA's position on the Public Value of Wildlife on Private Lands?

[bloodycactus]

Thats a totally valid comment. I was lucky enough to grow up when hunting was pretty cheap. My earliest hunting memories were of a 1200 acre ranch about 8 miles south of Fowlerton in La Salle County that my dad leased for 25 cents an acre. That same country goes for $15-$20 an acre or more now and I'm not even 60 yet.

It's stupid expensive. I was lucky enough to be born into a family that has our land since 1760, but it is still very expensive. Last year we spent over $12000 in deer feed alone(protein only). Gas, desiel,corn,ect...It's crazy, but we are dedicated to be stewards of are land and try to grow the biggest deer, heaviest turkeys, and largest covies of quail we can.

[rubydog]

It's stupid expensive. I was lucky enough to be born into a family that has our land since 1760, but it is still very expensive. Last year we spent over $12000 in deer feed alone(protein only). Gas, desiel,corn,ect...It's crazy, but we are dedicated to be stewards of are land and try to grow the biggest deer, heaviest turkeys, and largest covies of quail we can.

You are indeed lucky. On the other side of the coin factor in the notion that as a person that leases land the only rights you have are the ones that are covered in the contract. Being good stewards sometimes comes at a price as well. Look at all the people that have managed a ranch for better quality deer and just as it reaches it's pinnacle you get out bid by others that have heard of your success. I , personally am not so much against high fences as I am the my deer syndrome that has taken over. When money was dollar signs follow a deers antler score it tends to muddy the water for me. I am certainly not a fan of breeding operations or soft releases but that is just me.

[TxTechsan]

TWA is one the good side of the fence in support if hunting and landowners. An earlier post made light of their membership of only 6000. Those 6000 members own or control 40,000,000 acres that support a lot if hunters. They are definitely a property owner advocate but they support legal hunting and do a lot of previously mentioned really good stuff.
I find it hard to believe that so many people on a Texas forum have never heard if them. Go check them out if you haven't.

[rubydog]

I will add one more item for discussion. I am not a fan of the idea that you as a member of TWA are only allowed to vote or have a voice per say based on the amount of or level of your monetary dues. I think every adult paying member should have a voice and not those that are paying a higher rate.

Oh and why does this organization find a need to have 160 active directors?

[ratterrier]

TWA is a good old boys club consisting of San Antonio/Austin lawyers, realtors and high fence installers and there respective suppiliers of t posts and 8 foot wire. They have never to my knowledge done anything to stop the overharvesting of deer on small tracts of land which led to the high fence problem in the first place. There trophy deer record book entries have never been published in print or put online even though they partner with the TPW, waste of time and money to join this group which is just lobby rats for the high fence industry and lawyers who have made windfall profits from suing fellow texans. If you think they are earning there money ask them to produce a annual listing of all of the buck deer entries they collect from all of the Texas Big Game Awards, they have them all sitting in a warehouse and the only way you can see them is thru paying for a freedom of information release, crazy huh, I quit them when i realized they were mainly as far as i could see a money making organization that exists just to keep paid lobbists on its payroll and to have annual drinking partys at the YO Hilton on members money and have a big staff and fancy magazine promoting themselves. It would be great to look at their books and see how much money is spent on there bloated organization from memberships. If they run a contest they should be able to produce the county by county results yearly or be banned from running it utill all of the previous years have been published and or put online. We used to belong but quit shortly after they quit publishing the record book so one could see what trophy deer were harvested and awarded the TBGA papers county by county.

I would love to join a organization that would get the high fence ruled illegal as it only benfits those who put up fences privately but get state money from the public. Its never too late they say but it would be a uphill battle but one can dream for free!!!! As soon as they rule the high fence illegal the second law this new group should get passed is a next door overharvesting law where 40 people can not hunt 40 tags out from 40 acres like so many still do even with the high fence option as a last resort.

[systemnt]

TWA is a good old boys club consisting of San Antonio/Austin lawyers, realtors and high fence installers and there respective suppiliers of t posts and 8 foot wire. They have never to my knowledge done anything to stop the overharvesting of deer on small tracts of land which led to the high fence problem in the first place. There trophy deer record book entries have never been published in print or put online even though they partner with the TPW, waste of time and money to join this group which is just lobby rats for the high fence industry and lawyers who have made windfall profits from suing fellow texans. If you think they are earning there money ask them to produce a annual listing of all of the buck deer entries they collect from all of the Texas Big Game Awards, they have them all sitting in a warehouse and the only way you can see them is thru paying for a freedom of information release, crazy huh, I quit them when i realized they were mainly as far as i could see a money making organization that exists just to keep paid lobbists on its payroll and to have annual drinking partys at the YO Hilton on members money and have a big staff and fancy magazine promoting themselves. It would be great to look at their books and see how much money is spent on there bloated organization from memberships. If they run a contest they should be able to produce the county by county results yearly or be banned from running it utill all of the previous years have been published and or put online. We used to belong but quit shortly after they quit publishing the record book so one could see what trophy deer were harvested and awarded the TBGA papers county by county.

I would love to join a organization that would get the high fence ruled illegal as it only benfits those who put up fences privately but get state money from the public. Its never too late they say but it would be a uphill battle but one can dream for free!!!! As soon as they rule the high fence illegal the second law this new group should get passed is a next door overharvesting law where 40 people can not hunt 40 tags out from 40 acres like so many still do even with the high fence option as a last resort.

Don't stop there. join an organization that makes it illegal to shoot with longbows..because..well.. you suck at shooting them.. oh and join an organization that makes it illegal to have equipment to mow pastures, plant crops, dig tanks or roll chop..because well...you cant afford that stuff ..why should they have it.
The grass is greener arguement always makes me giggle a little.

[k9trainer]

TWA is a good old boys club consisting of San Antonio/Austin lawyers, realtors and high fence installers and there respective suppiliers of t posts and 8 foot wire. They have never to my knowledge done anything to stop the overharvesting of deer on small tracts of land which led to the high fence problem in the first place. There trophy deer record book entries have never been published in print or put online even though they partner with the TPW, waste of time and money to join this group which is just lobby rats for the high fence industry and lawyers who have made windfall profits from suing fellow texans. If you think they are earning there money ask them to produce a annual listing of all of the buck deer entries they collect from all of the Texas Big Game Awards, they have them all sitting in a warehouse and the only way you can see them is thru paying for a freedom of information release, crazy huh, I quit them when i realized they were mainly as far as i could see a money making organization that exists just to keep paid lobbists on its payroll and to have annual drinking partys at the YO Hilton on members money and have a big staff and fancy magazine promoting themselves. It would be great to look at their books and see how much money is spent on there bloated organization from memberships. If they run a contest they should be able to produce the county by county results yearly or be banned from running it utill all of the previous years have been published and or put online. We used to belong but quit shortly after they quit publishing the record book so one could see what trophy deer were harvested and awarded the TBGA papers county by county.

I would love to join a organization that would get the high fence ruled illegal as it only benfits those who put up fences privately but get state money from the public. Its never too late they say but it would be a uphill battle but one can dream for free!!!! As soon as they rule the high fence illegal the second law this new group should get passed is a next door overharvesting law where 40 people can not hunt 40 tags out from 40 acres like so many still do even with the high fence option as a last resort.

You are a poor example of an outdoorsman and the reason why there is so many fighting against each other. Don't even know why you'd be a part of this website, you're always bashing some form or another of hunting.

[Grayson]

TWA is one the good side of the fence in support if hunting and landowners. An earlier post made light of their membership of only 6000. Those 6000 members own or control 40,000,000 acres that support a lot if hunters. They are definitely a property owner advocate but they support legal hunting and do a lot of previously mentioned really good stuff.
I find it hard to believe that so many people on a Texas forum have never heard if them. Go check them out if you haven't.

By my math that's an average of 6,666 acres per member. Definitely a group that will support the little guy.

[Peyton]

twa is a good old boys club consisting of san antonio/austin lawyers, realtors and high fence installers and there respective suppiliers of t posts and 8 foot wire. They have never to my knowledge done anything to stop the overharvesting of deer on small tracts of land which led to the high fence problem in the first place. There trophy deer record book entries have never been published in print or put online even though they partner with the tpw, waste of time and money to join this group which is just lobby rats for the high fence industry and lawyers who have made windfall profits from suing fellow texans. If you think they are earning there money ask them to produce a annual listing of all of the buck deer entries they collect from all of the texas big game awards, they have them all sitting in a warehouse and the only way you can see them is thru paying for a freedom of information release, crazy huh, i quit them when i realized they were mainly as far as i could see a money making organization that exists just to keep paid lobbists on its payroll and to have annual drinking partys at the yo hilton on members money and have a big staff and fancy magazine promoting themselves. It would be great to look at their books and see how much money is spent on there bloated organization from memberships. If they run a contest they should be able to produce the county by county results yearly or be banned from running it utill all of the previous years have been published and or put online. We used to belong but quit shortly after they quit publishing the record book so one could see what trophy deer were harvested and awarded the tbga papers county by county.

I would love to join a organization that would get the high fence ruled illegal as it only benfits those who put up fences privately but get state money from the public. Its never too late they say but it would be a uphill battle but one can dream for free!!!! As soon as they rule the high fence illegal the second law this new group should get passed is a next door overharvesting law where 40 people can not hunt 40 tags out from 40 acres like so many still do even with the high fence option as a last resort.

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[ratterrier]

You are a poor example of an outdoorsman and the reason why there is so many fighting against each other. Don't even know why you'd be a part of this website, you're always bashing some form or another of hunting.

One could say the same thing about you bashing me and breaking rudenss rules after just sucking up in the thread about rudeness rants and banter Mike the owner posted, do the rules apply to you Nazi forum police or are you just special or what?? I would be willing to weigh the acres i own, management awards, # of ranches i have roller chopped or rome disced or the 100's of tanks i have dug for wildlife conservation against anything you have ever done for wildlife, you dont see the view from a landowners side, you only bash and judge me, lets see your record of wildlife conservation??