AUSTIN, Texas — As an ecosystem, the Gulf of Mexico functions on a global scale. At more than 579,000 square miles, it’s the ninth largest body of water in the world. The July issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine offers an in-depth exploration of the gulf from a number of angles.

AUSTIN, Texas — What started as a wild idea in 1999 has become an important way to fund wildlife and fisheries conservation and support state parks in Texas, as evidenced by tens of thousands of motorists who have raised more than $4 million by humming down Lone Star roadways sporting conservation license plates.

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is scheduling a series of scoping meetings to gather public input on a proposal to move the South Zone second split of dove season deeper into January.

The following are excerpts from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.

Train Gets Pulled To Siding: On May 25, while working Lake Amistad, Val Verde County game wardens observed a boat operator waving at everybody and making a noise like a train. The game wardens stopped the boat to conduct an equipment check and determined that the operator had been drinking. The San Angelo resident failed a standard field sobriety test and a breath test, which showed a blood alcohol content of 0.112.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As best anyone can tell, sometime during the middle of May a female Kemp’s ridley turtle crawled out of the surf on South Padre Island and was struck by a passing vehicle. The cautionary tale illustrates why biologists are asking beachgoers to keep an eye out for the endangered sea turtles and report sightings.

ATHENS, Texas — Charlie Pack of Waco will be inducted into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame at a banquet at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center June 7.

Pack was nominated in the angler category in recognition of his fishing accomplishments, fishing inventions and work with introducing young people to fishing.

TPWD Proposing Late Shift to South Zone Dove Season AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is proposing moving the South Zone second split of dove season deeper into January, but otherwise is recommending minimal changes to the 2008-09 Early Migratory Game Bird Proclamation.

AUSTIN, Texas — It’s taken more than a decade and close to $12 million, but an effort to purchase and retire commercial shrimp licenses and improve the ecological health of Texas bays has achieved its goals, thanks to support from recreational anglers, shrimpers and conservation-minded financial supporters.

AUSTIN, Texas — Game Warden Alan Biggerstaff of Conroe has been named the 2008 Southern States Boating Officer of the Year for Texas.

Biggerstaff graduated from the Texas Game Warden Academy in 1988. His current patrol area includes Lake Conroe and the San Jacinto River, where his efforts have made area waters safer. One of his responsibilities is to organize and coordinate boating safety saturation patrols. His proactive efforts to detect alcohol use led the way in taking 22 intoxicated boat operators off area lakes. He has also worked with teachers to bring boating safety programs to five area schools.

AUSTIN, Texas — Research surveys show that finding a place to hunt is a barrier for many people in today’s Texas, which is why Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has created the Hunt Texas Online Connection, a new, free Web service that allows anyone to view hunting opportunities posted by private landowners across the state.

AUSTIN, Texas — A "Free Sportfishing Day" will highlight National Fishing and Boating Week, allowing anglers to fish any public waters in Texas without a fishing license on Saturday, June 7.

AUSTIN, Texas — A regulation requiring inland party boat operators to be licensed and their vessels inspected goes into effect June 1. A party boat operator license is required of operators of charter vessels more than 30 feet long and carrying more than six passengers on inland waters.

AUSTIN, Texas — Dr. Larry McKinney, known affectionately as "Dr. Doom" for his candid, outspoken approach to addressing environmental issues, is leaving the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department a legacy not built on despair, but on hope.

ATHENS, Texas-The Budweiser ShareLunker season ended April 30 with a total of 13 fish entered into the program.

While this is below the long-term average of 20 fish per season, the number of spawns was above average. Two fish spawned a total of six times, producing 110,148 eggs. The average number of spawns each season is four.

AUSTIN -- The Gulf of Mexico commercial shrimp season for both state and federal waters will close 30 minutes after sunset on Thursday, May 15 until an unspecified time in July.

The closing date is based on samples collected by the Coastal Fisheries Division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) using trawl, bag seine and other information gathered from the shrimping industry.

May 4–11, 2008

Program 1606-R — Originally Aired November 4–11, 2007

Learning to live with the American Alligator; maintaining your tent; enjoying the altitude of Davis Mountains State Park; honoring Doc Shelton; the wild west at Palo Duro Canyon.

HOUSTON — Three priority bird species-the endangered Brown Pelican and threatened Reddish Egret and White-faced Ibis — have been conserved thanks to an erosion-protection project on North Deer Island in West Galveston Bay. Project partners protected the highly populated bird nesting habitat by armoring approximately 1.7 miles of shoreline.

ATHENS, Texas — Winners of the Texas division of the Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest were announced today by officials at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

The annual contest, open to any Texas student in grades 4 through 12, requires students to draw a picture and write an essay about any officially recognized state fish.

Light Goose Conservation Order: The special season began in the Panhandle Feb. 6. Lots of snows remain in the Etter area, but have been reluctant to decoy with traditional hunting methods. Outfitters are hoping liberal tactics will make a different. Good hunts were posted last year in the High Plains through early March. Along the coast, overcast skies have helped put geese in callable range. Good hunts were posted near Palacios, Anahuac and Seadrift in the fog. A few days last week saw sea fog develop along the coast and hunters took advantage with 70, 80 and 100-bird hunts. On the prairie, geese have been scattered. Some outfitters have said they have had to drive over 250 miles a day to find huntable numbers of birds. Southerly winds have helped decoying action, and most outfitters have been happy with 20-bird hunts. With fewer than normal birds on the prairie, blue-bird, north wind days have been tough. Expect fewer birds daily as snows begin their trek north. Typically,å large waves of birds depart plus or minus a few days around Valentine’s Day. Prospects are fair.

WESLACO, Texas — The birding industry has established universal appeal, but birds and butterflies are not the only winged migrants to attract a crowd. Dragonflies and damselflies are gaining popularity among wildlife enthusiasts, and southern Texas is home to 93 species, making it one of the most biologically diverse regions in the United States.