Hello all, this is going to be rather lengthy, so bare with me, because my dream is your dream. Yes, I'm a member of TDHA and a member of the NRA. Its almost UN- American not to be a member of the NRA. I'd be a member of ETHD, if there was a paid membership to support and join. I really enjoy the forum and keep up the good work, promoting our sport. I'm also a paid member of the Mississippi Dog Hunters Assn., the Foundation Ranchers Working Dog Assn, and the Responsible Pet Owners Assn., and I'll pay my dues to any organization that will fight to preserve our right to breed, raise and utilize our working dogs.
A couple of weeks ago, Joe Leveridge, known to most of you as Us Hog, called me and asked if I'd be interested in helping him tackle the TPWD in reference to being able to hog dog in the Sam Houston National Forest, Wildlife Management Areas. I answered Joe by saying, I have a little age under my belt, and through the years, I've had numerous hunting and fishing properties taken away from me by the government. I listed some of these in the first thread I ever posted on a public forum, named “Whats the Deal Here??” Hog/coon dog VS. Cow/bird dog, now located on page 11 (as of 9/24/10), in the TDHA general discussion forum. Read the link (thread) later.
http://tdha.org/tdha_smf/index.php?topic=1991.msg13807#msg13807 The SHNF WMA is another example of land being taken away from us. This land is a federally owned forest (public hunting) that the TPWD were having numerous complaints from the general public on, so the TPWD takes this federal land and makes a WMA out of it, giving them total control over this piece of property and the ability to make separate laws pertaining to the WMA and this WMA's only. Take a look, at the Public Hunting Booklet, and you'll notice almost every WMA has a different set of rules.
This is very sad, but it's today's reality. I've fought these WMA's in the past and its a hard road to battle. I'm not saying the privilege to hog dog can not be overturned, it will just take a while. The rules for 2010-2011 have already, been printed and sent out, so it's next to impossible to have any changes for this year, but we can surely get started for next years changes.
At this time, I informed Joe, that there are two other large goals we need to get accomplished. The first topic to cover, no where found written as law, is that it is legal to hunt hogs with dogs. I want to do whatever it takes to have TPWD write, in black and white, in the Texas Hunting and Fishing Rules and Regulations, in the legal Means and Methods section, that dogs may be used to pursue wild hogs. We all know that its legal for us to hog dog, but nowhere, that I can find, is it written as law.
Most of you already know this, but wild hogs are classified as exotic "Livestock", belonging to the landowner that the hoof resides on. The second major topic that I want to work on is to have cow dogs, sheep dogs, hog dogs, and other working dogs classified as working Livestock, just like a horse (property management livestock). This will be a little harder, as this will have to go through the legislative process on the floors of Congress in Austin. This law will segregate our working dogs from the household pets. Our dogs are just as valuable assets to the rancher and landowners, as their horses and should be recognized as such. PETA and HSUS is being very successful in the larger cities abolishing the right to sell pups, and enforce spay and neuter laws, etc. Having our dogs classified as working dog livestock, like the horse, will eliminate our working dogs and working dog kennels, from being affected by the PETA and HSUS idiotic household pet laws.
Joe and I are just two people , but we can speak for thousands, and we promise to represent you well. Petitions speak for thousands and we need your help. We are putting together three petitions as follows.
1.) Would like to have my hog dog hunting privilege back in the SHNF WMA units.
2.) TPWD, Please help us protect our working dogs from PETA and HSUS by listing them as a legal means and method of taking wild hogs in the Texas Hunting and Fishing Rules and Regulations.
3.) Texas Legislators: We request a law, classifying our working dogs as working livestock, to separate and protect our working dogs from the PETA and HSUS family pet laws.
We need your help in order to represent you and fight for you. As we can't mail or take a petition around to each and everyone, the following is three ways or options you can participate in this Petition Drive.
1. Send an email to:
workingdogpetitions@yahoo.com, stating that you are in favor of the topics in the petitions, or copy and paste the three topics above and send them to us.
2. For those of you that have friends with no computer access, have them hand write a short letter, stating their approval of the three petition topics and Sign their letter, including the County and State they reside in. Mail to:
Joe Leveridge
15631 Autumn Oaks Lane
Iola, Tx 77861
3. Simply, reply to this thread, agreeing that you wish to be on these three petitions, giving your name, county and state you reside in. If you do not wish to have your personal information on a public forum, then use option 1 or 2 above.
Once we receive all your emails and letters, we will organize and binder your letters and these books of your letters, will act as our petitions. Contact all your friends, especially the landowners that allow you to dog hunt and help protect their properties. Our strength is numbers. Our goal is a very sizable number of signatures, emails and letters. We will have USDA, TAHC, Texas Cattleman Assn, Texas Swine Assn, US Natural Resource, US Fish and Wildlife, but I won't bore you with the long list of all the other alliances we will have on our side, to support this cause. Don't expect others to do it for you. Send your petitions, emails, or letters. If you don't want to do it for yourself, then do it for the reason I am doing this. I want my grandson to enjoy the working dog world the way we are enjoying it today.
Folks, this thread is being used as the petition itself. If you want to make a copy of this post and carry it around for friends and strangers to sign, fine. All your help will be appreciated. Leave it at your feed stores, hardware stores, etc., then mail it to us.
IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO THIS POST, PLEASE ASK THEM ON THE THREAD TITLED" PETITION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS."
It is important that it be done this way,so as not to clutter the Signed Petition Thread.
Thank you,to all,for your support on this Very Important Matter.
Sincerely,
Richard Benson
rchrd_bnsn@yahoo.com 
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