Game Warden Field Notes 1/14/15

The following items are compiled from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.

• Going Through a Rough Patch
  After a couple flipped their boat in a swift water section of the Colorado River, they borrowed a phone from some passing kayakers and called a Bastrop County game warden. Since the couple did not know where they were, the warden had them text a dropped pin from the cell phone they were using. With the location sent, the warden located the young husband and wife. The warden and the man were able to drag the aluminum boat up to the bank and load it onto his state vehicle. He then took the couple back to their vehicle.
• Girl’s Got a Gun
  A game warden in Angelina County was on patrol when he heard two shots fired. The warden soon found a suburban stopped in the road and a subject walking with a flashlight. Inside the suburban were two males, two females and a toddler. A second warden came to assist and received confirmation from each person that the male with the flashlight had shot a doe with a pistol belonging to one of the females. During the investigation, the warden also found that one of the females had an outstanding theft by check warrant from 1997. Cases pending.
• Trail of Clues
  Two Tyler County game wardens received information that a felon with a firearm killed several deer. The wardens found an all-terrain vehicle trail in the woods behind the subject’s residence and followed the trail onto another piece of property. There, they observed a corn pile and a feeder. The wardens then followed the trail to a game cleaning pole directly behind the subject’s house, where they found a freshly cleaned carcass and a nearby cooler of meat. After a brief investigation, the resident said that the deer was his. The wardens also discovered an eight-point buck head near an outbuilding that the subject claimed as well. The man could not produce a hunting license and was arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, drug paraphernalia, possession of illegally taken whitetail deer, and given several warnings. Case pending.
• Locked (In) and Loaded
  After a Gregg Country game warden received a call about a suspicious gunshot and wounded buck, he arrived at the scene and received assistance from the landowner, rancher and neighbors to confirm whether or not the suspect was the landowner’s former employee. When the warden located the subject, he confessed to shooting the deer from the roadway and leaving the wounded buck in the field after he saw the neighbor approaching and couldn’t get the gate open. A firearm was seized and the following charges were filed: hunting deer from public roadway; discharging firearm from public roadway; failing to retrieve; untagged deer; and no hunter education certification. Charges and restitution pending.
• If It Looks Like a Duck…
  An Angelina County game warden received a call that a six-point buck had been dumped in a ditch. After receiving a vehicle description of the suspected violator and where he hunted, the warden went to check the area. There, he made contact with a subject who was holding a rifle and dressed in camouflage. The warden asked to see the subject’s hunting license, but the subject said he wasn’t hunting—he was scouting. The subject was filed on for hunting without a license and no proof of hunter education. Cases pending.
• Don’t Tell Mom
  Two wardens in Harris County responded to a call for assistance from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office about a group of people trespassing with a bow and pellet gun on private property. When the wardens arrived on scene, they interviewed the subjects who said that they were just taking the kids to target shoot. After searching the area, the wardens discovered a shotgun, additional pellet gun, rifle and ammo hidden amongst pine needles. The wardens also found a freshly killed six-point buck nearby. The suspects admitted to hunting without landowner consent and criminal trespassing. Cases pending.
• Takes Two to Tango
  A Grimes County game warden noticed two vehicles parked along the side of the road. As the warden approached, he saw the occupants engaged in what he believed to be a hand-to-hand drug transaction. The warden followed the vehicles and requested assistance from the Grimes County Sheriff’s Department. The warden and a sheriff’s deputy stopped both cars, and a subsequent search yielded a total of 28 grams of methamphetamine and a stolen pistol. The occupants of the vehicles were placed under arrest. Numerous charges pending.
• That’s What Friends Are For
  An anonymous tip was given to a Grimes County game warden regarding a group of individuals who placed a photo of two illegally taken deer on a social media site. The warden followed up on the lead and eventually tracked down one of the individuals involved. After a short interview, the warden secured a statement from the individual who shot the two deer and also received the names of the other people in the vehicle. The warden was able to recover meat from the two deer and the firearms used in the offense. He was also able to get statements from four other individuals involved. Numerous charges pending.
• Deerly Beloved
  A Karnes County game warden entered a camp to check reports of possible illegal deer being shot. As he approached, he saw a buck hanging from a tree and two antlerless deer in the bed of a truck. A female had harvested the buck, and her husband had taken the two antlerless deer. All deer were not tagged, and neither the ranch nor hunter had permits for the two antlerless deer. The warden seized all three deer. Cases pending.
• In the Spotlight
  A Real County resident called the local game warden to report hunters who were riding around in a pasture and shining a spotlight into homes of the neighboring subdivision. When the warden arrived on scene and made contact with four individuals, he found three whitetail doe in the bed of the truck. When asked if the deer had been shot after legal hunting hours, all individuals stated that the deer were shot around 5 p.m. The warden confirmed with the caller that no shots were heard after legal hunting hours. When asked why they were shining a spotlight into people’s homes, all four said that they were looking for a wounded deer. The warden then asked why the gutted deer hadn’t been tagged, to which both subjects replied that they didn’t have time or something to tag them with. Both subjects were cited for possession of untagged whitetail deer. Cases pending.