To: TPWD Executive Director Carter Smith and Honorable Commissioners

Dear Executive Director Carter Smith and Honorable Commissioners:

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has proposed the following beginning 2009-2010:

"the department is looking at extending the early youth only season to include the entire month of October and the late youth-only season by 12 days during January in selected counties to run concurrently with late antlerless and spike seasons. The intent of the proposal is to allow adults and children to hunt together during different special seasons."

The undersigned oppose adding more youth RIFLE hunt days during the Special Archery Season in Texas. We STRONGLY SUPPORT YOUTH HUNTING, but many opportunities already exist for youth to rifle hunt in the State of Texas. Additional youth only rifle hunt days during October will add little in the way of opportunities for youth and will seriously harm the SPECIAL ARCHERY SEASON, for which bowhunters have been annually taxed through the Archery Stamp since 1975. We vote for youth and for bowhunting, but against the above proposed regulation change.