Posted on 05/05/2012 9:01:19 AM PDT by DogByte6RER
It’s officially legal to kill Bigfoot in Texas
Cryptid conservationists, be on the alert; it's officially open season on Sasquatch. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, if you can find Bigfoot in the state of Texas, you can kill it.
Cryptomundo reader John Lloyd Scharf sent a letter to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department about whether it would be legal to kill Bigfoot, and apparently department Chief of Staff L. David Sinclair replied that killing an indigenous cryptid would be legal since it isn't listed as a game animal:
The statute that you cite (Section 61.021) refers only to game birds, game animals, fish, marine animals or other aquatic life. Generally speaking, other nongame wildlife is listed in Chapter 67 (nongame and threatened species) and Chapter 68 (nongame endangered species). "Nongame" means those species of vertebrate and invertebrate wildlife indigenous to Texas that are not classified as game animals, game birds, game fish, fur-bearing animals, endangered species, alligators, marine penaeid shrimp, or oysters. The Parks and Wildlife Commission may adopt regulations to allow a person to take, possess, buy, sell, transport, import, export or propagate nongame wildlife. If the Commission does not specifically list an indigenous, nongame species, then the species is considered non-protected nongame wildlife, e.g., coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, cotton-tailed rabbit, etc. A non-protected nongame animal may be hunted on private property with landowner consent by any means, at any time and there is no bag limit or possession limit.
An exotic animal is an animal that is non-indigenous to Texas. Unless the exotic is an endangered species then exotics may be hunted on private property with landowner consent. A hunting license is required. This does not include the dangerous wild animals that have been held in captivity and released for the purpose of hunting, which is commonly referred to as a "canned hunt".
So apparently, as long as you hunt Bigfoot on private property with the permission of the property holder, you are allowed to kill it. I'm a bit surprised, however, that spotting a previously undocumented animal doesn't automatically transform it from a nonexistent animal into an endangered one. Then again, I suppose rare evidence isn't evidence of rarity.
Given that Bigfoot is generally considered a Pacific Northwestern cryptid, however, I'm much more interested to hear what Oregon or Washington have to say on the matter. Do their game and wildlife statutes similarly allow you to shoot non-game animals that aren't recognized as existent?
Happy hunting ... successful Texas hunters might need a good taxidermist
From Crypto Mundo ...
John Lloyd Scharf got a response from the Texas Wildlife officials about killing Bigfoot:
Mr. Scharf:
The statute that you cite (Section 61.021) refers only to game birds, game animals, fish, marine animals or other aquatic life. Generally speaking, other nongame wildlife is listed in Chapter 67 (nongame and threatened species) and Chapter 68 (nongame endangered species). “Nongame” means those species of vertebrate and invertebrate wildlife indigenous to Texas that are not classified as game animals, game birds, game fish, fur-bearing animals, endangered species, alligators, marine penaeid shrimp, or oysters. The Parks and Wildlife Commission may adopt regulations to allow a person to take, possess, buy, sell, transport, import, export or propagate nongame wildlife. If the Commission does not specifically list an indigenous, nongame species, then the species is considered non-protected nongame wildlife, e.g., coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, cotton-tailed rabbit, etc. A non-protected nongame animal may be hunted on private property with landowner consent by any means, at any time and there is no bag limit or possession limit.
An exotic animal is an animal that is non-indigenous to Texas. Unless the exotic is an endangered species then exotics may be hunted on private property with landowner consent. A hunting license is required. This does not include the dangerous wild animals that have been held in captivity and released for the purpose of hunting, which is commonly referred to as a “canned hunt”.
If you have any questions, please contact Assistant Chief Scott Vaca. I have included his e-mail address. I will be out of the office and in Houston on Friday.
Best,
L. David Sinclair
Chief of Staff – Division Director I
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Law Enforcement Division
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, TX 78744
Office 512.389.4854
Cell 512.971.2668
Fax 512.389.8400
“Texas Game Wardens Serving Texans Since 1895-Law Enforcement Off the Pavement”
From: Peter Flores
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2012 5:59 PM
To: David Sinclair
Subject: Fw: TAKING WILDLIFE RESOURCES PROHIBITED
Please respond.
Pf
RACISM!
Got him!
lock and load
ping
ping
Do idiots in Big Foot costumes count?
Costumes? What costumes? They ALL look real to me!
I would think it should be considered an invasive species.......and if it should happen to speak Spanish then that's another whole set of problems.
What could possibly go wrong?
Is a Wookie a close relative of Bigfoot?
Like the one in the Jack Links, “Messin’ With Sasquatch” commercials?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJF0cuYbYyI
Only if they went to school.
Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
The meat is very similar, particularly in the young, smaller specimens.
They're both "a little Chewie."
I'm here all week, folks... don't forget to tip your waitress.
Stay outa Texas, mmmmkay?
I am surprised he’s not on the endangered species list.
Keep your powder dry..
IIRC, the state of Washington made it illegal to kill a Sasquatch, if they exist. Some legislators argued that they didn't believe in Sasquatch but they didn't want bounty hunters with high-powered rifles firing at man-like shapes in poor visibility conditions. Actually, seems pretty prudent to me.
This interpretation of the statute doesn't surprise me from what I knew about Texas game laws. Once again, going from memory, I remember a number of years back someone shot a monster bull elk out in West Texas but it couldn't get listed in the Boone and Crockett Record Book because there were no regulations on hunting elk there and hence, it didn't qualify as a "fair chase" hunt in the eyes of B&C Club.
strange, Shooting one might not be a bad thing. It would be proof they exist and lead to conservation laws that would protect them. But as I think the big foot creature is highly intelligent and psychic to boot, they would be hard to impossible to hunt and harder to kill. The Forrest is there home —There they are king and you an interloper and novice.
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