Hunting guide licenses on the horizon?

A Texas legislator went on a guided goose hunt and, after arriving in the dark, realized they were hunting near a feed lot, which would be considered baiting. A game warden arrived and the guide was ticketed, but wardens later learned the area was hunted multiple more times over the season by the same outftter.

A group of reputable outftters are spear­heading eforts to introduce accountabil­ity for repeated illegal activity by guides and outftters.

In the Texas legislature, Sen. Pete Flores (R-Pleasanton) and Rep. Cecil Bell Jr. (R-Magnolia), introduced the “Conference Committee Revisions and Additions Study on Illegal Game Bird Hunting in Texas” as part of HB 1, the General Appropriations Bill.

The funding was approved by Gov. Greg Abbott and the rider requires Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to “conduct a review of illegal game bird hunting and historical violation levels, recreational and commercial game bird hunting license re­quirements, and any associated rules and statute as well as present its fndings and any recommendations to the Legislative Budget Board and the Ofce of the Gover­nor by September 1.”

“We had heard of people having issues and customers being ripped of,” Flores’ chief of staf said. “This gets the ball roll­ing.”

Flores said once the study is completed, legislation would be required to establish any licensing requirements.

“It’s not the easiest thing to do,” he said. “Many legislators don’t support new li­censes or fees.”

Justin Hill, an outftter with Ranger Creek Goose, in Haskell, said the problems are getting worse in his area and in the Tex­as Panhandle.

“People are habitually breaking laws, trespassing, hunting feed lots, a gamut of things, and there is no recourse or accountability other than a potential fne,” he said. “That’s how I got involved.”

Hill said one guide had been in jail in an­other state for shooting whooping cranes, but then came to Texas where there are no checks or requirements.

“The game wardens across the state are fully supporting this,” he said.

Panhandle landowners fnd guides and customers on their felds when the geese and/or sandhill cranes are feeding in them, often without any contact made or permission obtained.

“It’s cheaper to pay a $200 trespass fee than it is to lease the property,” Hill said.

Other examples of illegal activity in­clude guides taking advantage of potential customers on social media, getting money and then leaving the hunters high and dry.

“And I’ve had people show up at my dove felds claiming someone else took their money and told them to come there,” Hill said.

Turkey hunters aren’t exempt from is­sues, either. On several self-guided hunts, guides took money, gave a pin drop of a location to the hunters and told them to hop the fence. The problem was, there was no permission granted by the landowner.

Numerous other states require hunting guides and outftters to be licensed, with varying levels of requirements.

“In Alaska, you get one ticket and you can lose your license,” Hill said.

Hill said his outftter friends aren’t look­ing for that level of strictness but want ac­countability for those who repeatedly ig­nore game laws.

“We need to require background checks, insurance, frst aid certifcation, and the bad guys need to be subject to consequenc­es, more than just paying a small fne,” he said. “We’re not trying to discourage peo­ple from starting a business, but if you get in trouble multiple times, there needs to be accountability.”