Sec. 12.013.  POWER TO TAKE WILDLIFE; FISH.  (a)  An employee of the department acting within the scope of the employee's authority may possess, take, transport, release, and manage any of the wildlife and fish in this state for public safety, investigation, propagation, distribution, education, disease diagnosis or prevention, or scientific purposes.
(b)  A person who is not an employee of the department who is participating under the supervision of a department employee in a program or event designated by the director as being conducted for research or species propagation and as exempt from the normally applicable size or bag limits may possess, take, transport, or release any fish in this state to accomplish the intent of the program or event.
(c)  An employee of the department acting within the scope of the employee's authority may discharge a firearm to take wildlife on a public road or right-of-way if the wildlife is:
(1)  mortally injured; or
(2)  behaving in a manner consistent with the wildlife being diseased.
(d)  Except as provided by Subsection (e), a person or agent of the person may take wildlife on the person's property if the person:
(1)  has written authorization from the department; and
(2)  is participating under the supervision of a department employee in a program or event designated by the director as being conducted for the diagnosis, management, or prevention of a disease in wildlife.
(e)  Subsection (d) does not apply to a person or agent who is a department employee.
(f)  The commission may adopt rules to implement this section.
Acts 1975, 64th Leg., p. 1405, ch. 545, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1975.  Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1256, Sec. 9, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by: 
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 992 (H.B. 2026), Sec. 2, eff. June 18, 2005.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1159 (H.B. 12), Sec. 20, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 188 (H.B. 3065), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2023.