The following are excerpts from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports
Mississippi or Bust
A Lubbock District game warden was patrolling for mule deer compliance in Lamb County when he came across a group of hunters loading up a mule deer buck. After checking their hunting licenses, the warden noticed a mule deer tag missing from one of the hunters’ license. The hunter said he hadn’t taken a deer this season. When asked about the missing tag, the man told the warden that he had put the tag on a mule deer another hunter killed. The warden asked where the antlers were located, and the hunter wasn’t certain. Further investigation revealed the antlers were probably in Mississippi with a local taxidermist. The warden called the taxidermist and the antlers were in fact there. A Mississippi warden was contacted and the antlers were seized. The hunter was cited for allowing another to hunt under their license. The warden later contacted the hunter who actually shot the mule deer, and she was cited for hunting without a hunting license, hunting under someone else’s license and no hunter education. Charges and restitution pending.
Facebooked
A Limestone County game warden obtained a social media picture involving a female hunter posing with a freshly harvested white-tailed doe in Kosse. The warden began their investigation, and it was determined that the suspect did not have a valid Texas hunting license. Since the woman resided in College Station at Texas A&M University, the warden reached out to a Brazos County game warden for assistance. After a brief interview, the woman admitted to harvesting the white-tailed doe during opening weekend and using her father’s hunting license tag to properly tag her deer. The meat was processed and taken to her father’s residence in Montgomery County. A Montgomery County game warden contacted the father and inspected the deer meat. Multiple charges and warnings were issued, and civil restitution is pending.
Small World
A Polk County game warden was contacted by a woman on social media asking if he had any meat to donate for her family of six. The warden donated deer meat and after getting to know the family, learned the dad was a disabled veteran and hadn’t been hunting in over 10 years since before the military. The warden then reached out to local landowners and got a hunt donated for him and one of his children at Rocky Creek Ranch. The veteran took his eldest daughter of 13 on her first hunt and during the hunt, the warden found out his kids were from the same town the warden grew up in. Small world, great memories.
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TPWD receives funds from the USFWS. TPWD prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, and gender, pursuant to state and federal law. To request an accommodation or obtain information in an alternative format, please contact TPWD on a Text Telephone (TTY) at (512) 389- 8915 or by Relay Texas at 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2989 or by email at <accessibility@tpwd.texas. gov>. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, please contact TPWD, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041.