Lozano: Safety is paramount with the Texas Youth Hunting Program

·25 min·2 clips

Spencer's .257 rifle went off and shot a hole right through the driver's door of that Ford truck.

The episode features an interview with Gabe Lozano III, a hunter safety instructor since 1992 who has trained over 2,500 students. He discusses the Texas Youth Hunting Program's upcoming hunts in Raymondville and Port Mansfield, noting there were 172 hunts across Texas on the first weekend. Lozano explains the program's origins, tracing hunter safety requirements in Texas back to 1987 due to other states' mandates. He shares a personal story about a near-fatal accident involving his uncle Spencer, whose rifle discharged through a truck door. Statistics show hunting fatalities in Texas dropped from 35 in 1987 to just one last year, attributed to safety education. Lozano describes how the program teaches kids to only load rifles in deer blinds, with kids sometimes educating their parents on this rule. He addresses deer overpopulation in Port Mansfield, where feeding corn caused health issues like founder, and how the program helps manage this by harvesting deer and testing for fever ticks. The episode touches on broader themes like the importance of getting kids outdoors away from screens, which can change their behavior and appreciation for nature. Lozano mentions collaborations with ranches like King Ranch and the Norias Ranch, which benefit from the program's liability insurance. He also discusses how the program aims to preserve hunting heritage against vocal minorities in states like Colorado and Ohio. The interview concludes with details on how to apply for hunts via TYHP.org, including specific dates in December and January.

As heard by us

Gabe Lozano the Third links hunter safety, youth participation, and the public image of Texas hunting.

Safety anchors Gabe Lozano the Third's discussion of youth hunting in Texas. Drawing on his work with the Texas Youth Hunting Program and Parks and Wildlife hunter safety since 1992, he frames instruction as more than rules and range time: it is also about ethics, field…

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Why you'd press play

You want to know why hunter safety reaches beyond the range? Gabe Lozano III turns a class into a larger story about ethics, perception, and keeping youth connected to hunting.

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