Texas Parks and Wildlife needs hunter education instructors, and it’s coming to Waco to find some.

The state’s wildlife management department will conduct a free hunter education instructor training workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Dewey Recreation Center, 925 N. Ninth St.

Classes will be offered for new applicants and currently certified instructors in skills, trail, live-fire exercises and home-study procedures, and will put fun and exciting activities into the learning experience.

Part of the training students will go through involves actual hunting simulations where they will make their own decisions regarding responsible actions using “shoot-don’t-shoot” scenarios.

Before the workshop, students are responsible for going over the instructor training manual, which can be found at the TPWD website.

Every Texas hunter born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, must successfully complete a hunter education course. The hunter education program’s goals are to reduce hunting-related accidents and violations; promote safe, responsible and knowledgeable hunting; and enhance hunting traditions and values.

Hunter education provides instruction in Texas hunting regulations, wildlife management and identification, conservation, ethics, firearm and hunting safety and responsibility and outdoor skills.

To register, contact Brent Heath at 254-722-5660 or heathconstruction@juno.com.

Fall approaching

Soon, we’ll be hearing the popping sounds of shoulder pads and shotguns across Central Texas, as football season and dove season dovetail to kick off fall.

Texas hunting and fishing licenses (except year-to-date fishing licenses) expire Aug. 31, and 2011-2012 licenses go on sale Aug. 15.

Texas issues over 2 million hunting and fishing licenses annually through the agency’s 28 field offices, more than 65 state parks, and at over 1,500 retailers across the state. For a $5 administrative transaction fee, licenses may also be purchased online through the TPWD website or by phone (800-895-4248). Call center hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The online transaction system is available 24/7.

Outdoorsmen will notice a few differences in policy this year, including a provision that exempts resident anglers born before Jan. 1, 1931, from purchasing a fishing license. Plus, those 65 and older qualify for reduced-cost licenses.

Fishing in state parks continues to be free to everyone.

Wing shooters will now be required to purchase a game bird stamp — dove and teal hunters need a $7 migratory bird stamp, and duck hunters will have to purchase a federal duck stamp. An upland game bird stamp ($7) is required to hunt all nonmigratory game birds, including turkey, quail, pheasant, chachalaca and lesser prairie chicken.

One way to simplify things is to purchase a Super Combo license package for $68. This license comes with all the required state stamps, but duck hunters still need to fork over the money for the federal stamp.

For information about the latest regulations, as well as articles on hunting and fishing in Texas, check out the 2011-2012 Outdoor Annual.

Tuneup for dove season

Can’t wait for dove season to get here? Well, think of it as a little preseason football and head out to an area shooting range for a little tuneup on your hand-eye coordination.

Central Texas is ripe with places to get your shot sharpened up and your gun fine-tuned, including Waco Skeet & Trap Club near the airport, Central Texas Rifle & Pistol Club in China Spring, Chandler’s in Valley Mills, and Weber’s on the Interstate near Troy.

Wildlife management

Successful hunting and fishing trips don’t just happen, and if you want to find out ways to improve your results, then you should pull up a chair at the Purina Wildlife Series Wildlife Management Expo, slated for Aug. 29 at the Heart O’ Texas Fairgrounds Creative Arts Building.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for refreshments, followed by presentations at 6:30. Topics will include using trail cameras to find and pattern trophy bucks, basic pond management and raising quality deer on small acreages. Attendees can also register to win a stealth electric vehicle.

RSVP by Aug. 27 at 756-6687.

www.centexoutdoors.com

717-8907