Collecting Plants inside 610

[Mzungu]

Re: Collecting Plants inside 610

:clap:  Now, if only everyone could do that, Tiapan, and report their findings!!  

[Ellen]

Re: Collecting Plants inside 610

I did that exact same thing a couple years ago, including the fall.   My fall was spectacular also, only I was on mossy rocks, not mud. My dog was very offended when I spashed her when I fell.  

I got more of them (try, try again) and put them in a 10 gallon with java moss. The java moss took over (I hate the stuff!) and the little fish thrived. They were very active and fun to watch, but dull colored.

Ellen

[PlanB]

Re: Collecting Plants inside 610

When me an my sister were kids, we used to go out to drainage ditch in our backyard and catch all sorts of fish and critters. There wasn't anything spectacular in terms of plant life, but I swear, everybody's unwanted pet ended up in there. Even saw a pancake turtle which I'm pretty sure isn't native. The most impressive sight was this huge alligator snapping turtle that had to have been 4 feet long unless my revisionist memory is tricking me. I would tell people about it and everybody would think I was crazy--it was like the Loch Ness Monster or something. Oh yeah, and falling into foot-thick mud was definitely part of the deal.

[Tiapan]

Re: Collecting Plants inside 610

gotta love that mud. and slick clay too.

[Tsigoloeg]

Re: Collecting Plants inside 610

you may need a license for game fish but other then that you shouldnt need it because you are not taking any fish in numbers, and not for profit either. there shouldnt be a license for plants either.

Law man says you need a fishing license and freshwater stamp for removing any aquatic animal life from any public fresh body of water in Texas. If you want frogs (I assume their young as well) and turtles you actually need a hunting license. There is also some crazy regulation about "community fishing lakes" which are defined as ANY impoundment of water 75 acres or smaller within an incorporated city limit, or ANY impoundment 100% within a park boundary. You are not allowed to remove any fish (game or non-game) by any means other than with a line and pole.

Back in MN when I lived there, I spoke with a Dept Natural Resources official about keeping native fish. In order to collect any non-game fish, I needed a special permit (given out free) that allowed me to collect only in a specific body of water. I was supposed to call and inform the local DNR office 24 hrs in advance of when I was going to start collecting. No collected fish was ever to be re-released. And, I had to mail in a letter by Dec. 30 of each year stating how many fish of which species I had collected and their eventual disposition.

I've been tossing a minnow trap into the local bayou by my house here for the past couple months, I don't have a license yet because I still haven't bothered with getting my TX driver license.

[Brownsnoutuk]

Re: Collecting Plants inside 610

You better watch a cop doesnt pull you over . If you havent changed the address on your licence within 30 days its a $90 fine. If your the named insured on your policy and the insurance is registered in TX( but your licence says MN) hes gonna know you moved down here and your not just visiting.

[Mzungu]

Re: Collecting Plants inside 610

8O Wow, that's a lot of regulations for keeping natives! I wonder what the reasons behind them are...knowledge of which species are where, or an attempt to encourage responsibility in keeping natives? Both?

[Tsigoloeg]

Re: Collecting Plants inside 610

I met with a fairly high-rank official at the capitol office who explained the law to me. I can't remember what I was doing there but it was a spur-of-the-moment meeting, and I told him what I was doing (collecting from the lakes my family has property on) and asked him what the law was. In MN, any species of fish not expressly treated in the fishing regulations is considered protected. Thus, the need for the permit.

In principle I liked the idea. In practice it didn't work so good. It was very limiting in that I had to specify precisely which lakes I wanted to collect in, so having the permit really meant nothing if I wanted to go explore new areas. Not to mention the spontaneity problem by needing to call 24 hrs in advance. I humored them for a couple years, but I moved to CA so that put an end to all of it.

BTW, plants were not really dealt with, except this was the time that Eurasian milfoil was becoming the major problem it is and new laws were enacted that prohibited the transport of ANY aquatic plant on the public roads on MN. But as I was told, how is any law enforcement official going to notice if you had one in a bag inside your car? It was really intended to keep boat owners responsible for removing plant material from their boats/trailers before they left the landing.

[turtle]

Re: Collecting Plants inside 610

If anyone is still monitoring this thread... there is a park along White Oak Bayou where I used to walk my dogs called Litle Thicket Park.  Go south on Ella from 610 and take a right on 24th St (just a couple of blocks). Park at the dead end and follow the sidewalk into the park.  On the edge of the cleared grassy area you will see trails leading down to the bayou.  (watch out for kids making out or smoking pot... its pretty safe though).

Once you get to the bayou, follow it upstream (back toward 610) until you reach a good sized pool (watch out for snakes along the way).   I have seen tons of fish here from small bass to perch to cats.  You will probably need a cast net, but could also be seinned if you have the marbles to get in there.

More generally, check the downstream side of a bridge-culvert crossing any bayou or drainage ditch... there ill usually be a scour there where fish wil congregate.

Happy hunting (and you do need a fishing liscence, and a hunting liscence if you plan on gathering reptiles or amphibians)

From:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/annual/general/fish_licenses/

A valid fishing license with a freshwater or saltwater stamp is required to take fish, mussels, clams, crayfish or other aquatic life in the public waters of Texas. A hunting license is required to take turtles and frogs.