Game Warden Blotter

WARDEN TURNED FIREFIGHTER

While sitting in traffic, a Bexar County game warden observed a group of welders working on a fence when sparks from the welding erupted into a fast-growing grass fire. The warden hopped the curb in the patrol truck and used the extinguisher to attempt to put out the flames. The wind and fire proved to be too strong for a single extinguisher. San Antonio Fire responded after the warden radioed in for assistance. No injuries or property damage were sustained.

NIGHT HUNTERS’ STORY DOESN’T CHECK OUT

While patrolling for illegal night hunting, a game warden observed a vehicle operating without headlights or taillights. The vehicle had a light bar, which appeared to be turned on to the lowest setting and was installed close to the ground. The warden contacted three individuals who claimed they were participating in a local varmint hunting contest. A harvested pig was in the back of the truck. The driver said the hog was taken in a field south of their location and not from the road. The individuals were cited and released for traffic violations and hunter education. In a nearby location, the warden observed tire tracks that appeared to reverse in the road and a discarded ammunition box, fresh cigarette butts and bullet casings lying in the roadway. The tire tracks went into the field. Evidence was gathered from the scene. The warden knew the landowner had not granted permission for persons to access the property. The warden intercepted the hunters again and inquired about the firearms and ammunition they were using. The men stated the exact calibers and ammunition brand that had been collected from the roadway, and one man had the matching cigarette brand in the truck. After separating the hunters for questioning, the warden confirmed the individuals did shoot from the roadway and into the field. The suspects were arrested for hunting without landowner consent. The warden returned to the field to find five more pigs that had been shot and left in the field. Charges pending.

KAYAKER RESCUED

The Amistad National Recreation Area Park Rangers had received a call from a monitoring center for a beacon activation. The National Parks Service contacted Val Verde wardens to assist a person on the Pecos River in a remote location. A game warden and coordinated with the Border Patrol helicopter to assist in picking up a stranded kayaker. The 75-year-old kayaker had sustained damage to his kayak, which sank, and having no other options pushed his SOS button.

POACHER HIDES MULE DEER HEAD IN TREE

A Lamb County game warden received a call about a deer with its head cut off in a pasture. The warden determined the mule deer buck had been recently poached. When speaking with the initial reporting party, the warden learned of an individual who the landowner had been having trespassing issues with. The reporting party mentioned the suspect had several deer heads in his front yard. The individual was located and questioned about his hunting activity. The individual was an illegal immigrant with no identification, and three mule deer buck heads were located in the yard. The suspect vehicle had fresh blood and a bloody machete in the bed. After confessing to poaching the deer, the individual was placed under arrest and booked into jail. The head was later recovered on the landowner’s property in between the branches of a tree. The suspect was charged with two counts of hunting without consent.

GATORS KILLED, HEADS REMOVED

On July 30, game wardens responded to a call of several dead alligators in the south Guadalupe River. Four alligators were found ranging from 6 to 10 feet, deceased with their heads cut off. Two alligator lines were set close to the area. Anyone with information is asked to contact Operation Game Thief.

BRINGING IN BANNED SNAKEHEAD FISH

A Texas game warden seized invasive exotic fish from a Texas resident for importing Snakehead fish. The fish, on Texas’ invasive species list and illegal to import or sell, had been shipped to DFW Airport. Charges were filed on the repeat offender.

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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