Deciding Factors: More time with family prompts career change for wildlifer

By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition

Two-year-old Dustin Rees checks out one of the Corriente cows on the family's Lavaca County farm. -- Courtesy photo

May 19, 2005 - Almost a year ago, Gene Rees of Lavaca County made the decision to leave his position as a wildlife biologist for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in Lavaca and Jackson counties, after 10 years.

Things haven't been the same for Rees since then!

The father of three sons, Dillon, 8-years-old, Dustin, 2, and Derek, 1, Rees … with occupational therapist wife, Grace … decided they needed to decide which was more important to them: making more money, or spending more time with their sons. "We had to decide if it was more important to make more money or spend time with our kids," explained Rees.

For the couple, the decision was easy … the sons won by a long shot! (Coming from large families themselves ... Gene has eight siblings and Grace has six siblings ... three kids seem like a piece of cake!)

A graduate of Texas A&M University (TAMU), Rees said he had really enjoyed working within Texas Cooperative Extension, along with the TPWD, but it was time to put his family first.

Dillon Rees shows off his big catch. The boys, and their brother Derek, were big factors when their dad Gene Rees decided to change careers. -- Courtesy photo

Rees began to increase his herd of purebred Corrientes cattle to sell and/or lease for quality rodeo and/or breeding stock. Today, he has about 170 head, counting bulls and heifers. His idea was to use this business to help finance his "primary" dream of becoming the owner of a wildlife service. Thus was born the "Gene Rees Wildlife Services," where he is available to help and assist landowners who are interested in leasing some or part of their property to hunters.

"My mission is to help landowners, large or small, get the most from their property while improving it … and my goal is to help you maximize your enjoyment of your property and to help you avoid costly mistakes - in time, money and the negative impact on your land and wildlife," noted Rees.

While Rees is most knowledgeable in wildlife management, he is an expert in habitat management, which without proper care can ruin a landowner's dream, and drive animals away from the area. Rees works with them to decide the property vegetation and practices for their land, including shredding, disking, dozer work, hydro-ax and water wells, among other things. He said he has sub-contractors he can call on for all of these things.

Other related services include trained dogs to find wounded deer, and pond management.

One area Rees is very interested in is working with prospective landowners to assist them in choosing the properties that will offer them the most for their money and provide the opportunity to meet their goals. To Rees, it is more important to give good service to landowners than to do "just enough to get by," and he reiterated that honesty was most important to him.

He is available to trap wild hogs or other wild animals. He related one case where within a 10-week period he trapped 111 hogs ... and that was working on Friday and Saturday nights. Presently, Rees has 15 traps available, but is working toward having 60 available.

For landowners who are thinking about opening their properties to hunters, Rees said he is able to offer "complete wildlife management service, including liability insurance, hunter management, TPWD information and even helping to see if the landowner might qualify for state assistance."

On most days, you'll find Rees with young Dustin, who rides "shotgun" with dad during the day, before picking up Dillon from school. Rees said it is amazing how much these boys have learned in the last year, and he continues to teach them wildlife safety that is appropriate for their ages … and he is looking forward to coaching PeeWee football, next year, something he said he would never have been able to do if he still worked for the state.

He said he doesn't regret his decision to leave the TPWD in order to spend more time with his sons, but that he does miss the people he worked with, although he is still connected through his animals and landowners.

(To contact Rees: rockin_r@awesomenet.net or 361-798-3810.)