Nevada: SCI CEO Laird Hamberlin submitted comments in general support of the 2024 Black Bear Season Draft, the 2024 Mountain Lions Season Draft and the proposed Commission Regulation 514, dealing with Moose.
Texas: SCI Western State and Local Liaison Chris Tymeson travelled to San Antonio, Texas during the week of January 17 to assist Texas Trophy Hunters Association (TTHA) CEO Christina Pittman with a joint meeting of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) officials and TTHA members concerning the topic of chronic wasting disease and management by TPWD. SCI and TTHA look forward to continuing productive and constructive discussions with the agency.
Wisconsin: Last week, Assembly Bill 137 which would require the DNR to establish a statewide wolf population goal in its wolf management plan passed out of the Committee on Sporting Heritage and was assigned to the Rules Committee. Additionally, two other pro-sportsmen’s bills supported by SCI passed the Senate and now head to the House for future consideration. First, Senate Bill 586 would allow hunters to use an airgun when pursuing game animals in seasons open to firearm hunting; SCI supports the bill as well as the technological advancement, and ethical harvest capability of airguns, but also supports a stamp or permit for hunting use of airguns as they currently do not contribute into the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Wildlife Restoration Program, also known as Pittman-Robertson. Secondly, Senate Bill 587 also passed which updates the language for defining a muzzle-loading firearm used for hunting in the state. The bill would allow for the use of encapsulated propellent charges for muzzleloading firearms in Wisconsin. Similar to other technological advances, encapsulated propellant charge for muzzleloaders is an advancement that increases the safety, reliability and access for hunting.
