Tales from Texas Game Wardens from TPWD Reports

January 5, 2018 - Texas game wardens often find themselves in situations that at times can be just as peculiar as they are humorous. Here are a couple of samples recently filed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's law enforcement division:

Caught Gaming the System

On December 9, Trinity County game wardens found a van parked at the end of a county back road. The wardens noticed a hunter coming down a trail toward the van, and then disappear after spotting them. The wardens ran down the trail, but before they could reach the man, he emerged back onto the trail. The wardens made contact and asked the man why he ran into the woods out of sight. The hunter stated he was walking around a washout. While one warden checked the man’s guns and hunting license, the other warden started walking down the trail where the hunter had emerged. At that point, the hunter admitted to shooting a doe and hiding the meat in a backpack he ditched near the trail after seeing the wardens. The hunter produced an active military hunting license, although he was not currently nor had he ever served in the military. The hunter had also used a tag on another deer he had taken earlier in the season. Multiple cases were filed with civil restitution.

Did You Find Your Dog?

In early November, a Harrison County game warden was contacted by a landowner who came upon a suspicious man on her property while she was bow hunting. The man told her he was looking for his wife’s dog, and departed. Later that evening the landowner reviewed her game camera footage and saw the same guy lurking about on two previous occasions.  On the first occasion the game camera caught the individual shooting at a white-tailed doe and miss. A couple of days later, the same subject returned and shot a white-tailed doe. Wardens questioned area residents and based on images from the game camera were able to identify the suspect at a nearby residence. After an interview, the man admitted to trespassing and shooting the deer. Numerous charges and restitution are pending.