Game Warden Blotter

FISHING VESSEL TAKES ON WATER, CREWS COME TO HELP

Two people were aboard a fishing vessel taking on water near Corpus Christi. The Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi command center received a report from the operator of the Working Together, a 44-foot fishing vessel, stating their vessel was taking on water 3 miles southeast of the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi Bay. A 45-foot Response Boat and crew launched while a helicopter crew flew to the location to provide assistance. A Port of Corpus Christi Police Department boat crew also diverted to assist. Once on scene, the crew began assisting the vessel with a dewatering pump, but was unsuccessful due to a mechanical failure. The helicopter crew departed the scene to acquire another dewatering pump from Air Station Corpus Christi. The crew returned, lowered the dewatering pump with a rescue swimmer and began to dewater the vessel. The Working Together’s sister ship arrived to tow the vessel ashore. The Coast Guard boat crew escorted both fishing vessels safely to Corpus Christi Marina.

GEARING UP FOR WARDENS

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s Gear Up for Game Wardens online auction was held Sept. 27-29 and raised more than $175,000. The money will be used to purchase equipment for wardens in the field.

K9 WARDEN HELPS AT BORDER

While assisting Border Patrol during Operation Lone Star, K9 Lola was deployed multiple times to assist with locating individuals that were actively fleeing from law enforcement. Lola is a newly trained tracking and search and rescue Game Warden K9, being certified in April 2022. During this operation she was responsible for locating 26 people.

REWARD FOR DEER POACHER

Sometime between the evening hours of October 7 and the early morning hours of October 8, a white-tailed doe was shot from County Road 1118 in Hunt County and was left to waste. An Operation Game Thief reward is being offered for information leading to the conviction of the person(s) involved in the illegal act.

WARDENS SWARM THE PANHANDLE

A dozen Texas game wardens and the TPWD helicopter were in the Texas Panhandle for the opening weekend of pronghorn season in an operation run by the Amarillo District. Lubbock District Lt. Aaron Sims said hunters showed overwhelming compliance. Out of 81 contacts made with hunters, six warnings were issued and no citations. Contact was made with what was thought to be a hunter but turned out to be a human smuggling case. Sims said the helicopter was used for the first time since 2010, but now has a really good camera that can read a license plate if needed. Sims said this was the second season with no experimental permits, which caused some issues in the past.

LANCHA HAD 200 POUNDS OF SNAPPER

The Coast Guard seized 220 pounds of illegally caught fish in federal waters off southern Texas after intercepting a lancha crew. Coast Guard watchstanders received a notification from a Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi aircrew of a lancha crew engaged in illegal fishing approximately 5 miles north of the Maritime Boundary Line. A South Padre Island 33-foot Special Purpose Craft–Law Enforcement crew launched to intercept the lancha. The boat crew arrived and subsequently seized 220 pounds of red snapper, illegal fishing gear and the lancha. Three fishermen were transferred to border enforcement agents for processing.

REPORT ILLEGAL HUNTING AND FISHING ACTIVITY FOR A REWARD OF UP TO $1,000. CALL OPERATION GAME THIEF AT (800) 792-4263

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FULL-SEASON VERSATILITY

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