Austin-area firearms dealers may have the Democrats to thank for brisk sales this summer. The prospect that the next presidential administration might favor new gun-control laws has gun enthusiasts bringing dollars and concerns to local firearms stores ahead of the November election.

The National Wild Turkey Federation and its project partners have united to complete projects that will potentially improve more than 550,000 acres in Texas National Forests and Grasslands and Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) through the Master Challenge Cost Share Agreement.

Project partners are the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, the U.S. Forest Service, the NWTF’s Texas State Chapter and NWTF national headquarters. Throughout the five-year agreement, each partner committed $125,000 to create a shared biologist position and oversee the completion of projects that will improve habitat for wild turkeys and other wildlife.

Quail Forever (QF) announces the hiring of Sara Lauren Bales as the wildlife biologist servicing Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Bales joins QF after working for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) as their quail habitat biologist. She is also a member of the Southeast Quail Study Group.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed continuation of liberal hunting regulations for the upcoming 2007-2008 late waterfowl seasons due to improved habitat conditions and waterfowl population estimates. Duck hunting season lengths will be 60 days in both the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways, 74 days in the Central Flyway, and 107 days in the Pacific Flyway.