By Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News
This story originally appeared in the June 12 issue of Lone Star Outdoor News
The Texas Outdoor Annual Hunting, Fishing and Boating Regulations will go digital-only for the upcoming hunting and fishing license season, starting Aug. 15.
Texas Monthly had produced the annual for 27 years as part of a public-private partnership with TPWD. According to the contract between Texas Monthly and TPWD, the printing and distribution costs were paid by sponsors and advertisers, and profits would be shared by the two entities.
Dwindling advertising sales may have led to the decision, as the contract also indicates that if sales aren’t enough to pay for the costs, the parties may step away from the deal.
“We are well aware that this change may be disappointing to some of our long-time outdoorsmen and women that have become accustomed to bringing the Outdoor Annual booklets on their hunting and fishing trips,” said Carter Smith, TPWD’s executive director. “It is not going away and will still be accessible via the web and our special Out- door Annual Mobile app.”
TPWD said more than 2.8 million users visited the Outdoor Annual website last year, compared with 2.3 million printed copies of the Texas Outdoor Annual.
However, hunters on social media said they often take the booklet with them to the deer blind, they keep the booklet in their trucks year-round, and they consult it multiple times during each season. Other fishermen and hunters don’t have access to a computer, or even a cell phone and, as shown on the television show, Lone Star Law, Texas game wardens often hand out copies of the printed annual to help people learn and understand the regulations, and hunter education instructors pass out the booklet as part of the course.
The Outdoor Annual mobile app does include the ability to view regulations offline and in remote locations, and to carry a digital copy of one’s license, and TPWD said all hunting, fishing and boating regulations are included in the online version.
In social media posts, some people reported they were unable to access the app without cell service, despite it being avail- able offline. Another suggested downloading the.pdf as a solution to the issue, making the information always available.
