DRAGNET, TEXAS GAME WARDEN EDITION

HUNTING IS A staple for many Galveston County residents. For those who enjoy the craft and follow the rules, there are always a select few who think they can break the law without consequences. The following updates from state game wardens should be treated as a friendly reminder that Santa Claus isn’t the only one who knows who’s naughty or nice. Facebook Timeline Unravels Hunter’s Account When crafting a hunting story on social media, always pay attention to the timeline. A Trinity County man posted information about a white-tailed buck he claimed to have taken on Nov. 4 that caught the eye of game wardens. A quick check revealed the individual actually purchased his hunting license the day after he claimed the kill. After monitoring the subject’s Facebook page for a couple of days, and noting he had already gotten the finished taxidermy mount of the deer antlers, wardens paid him a visit. Wardens arrived at the residence and asked to see the hunter’s license. The hunting license was missing a mule deer tag, and the harvest log revealed the hunter killed a doe on the same day it was purchased. Wardens already knew a buck was killed and asked to see the head. The hunter led the wardens to the living room of the residence where the skull was European mounted and displayed on the wall. According to the hunter, he had killed the buck on Nov. 4, and received the mount back the next day. After a short interview, it was determined the buck was taken on Oct. 23 with a rifle during the archery-only hunting season. Multiple cases were filed as well as civil restitution. Low Hanging Rotten Fruit Some folks have a reputation for bad habits, particularly when it comes to breaking game laws. Game wardens have habits, too, like revisiting hunting camps with a known history of violations. One camp in particular in southeast Texas, for example, gets a routine checkup and during a recent visit wardens discovered five improperly tagged deer. One hunter tagged a doe with a buck tag to avoid exceeding the bag limit on antlerless deer and another used his son’s tag rather than his own. Cases are pending. Grass Not Always Greener In early November, a hunter witnessed another hunter on an adjacent property shoot a buck on his side of the fence. The offending hunter then jumped the fence, retrieved his arrow and began to search for the deer when he was confronted by the landowner who then called game wardens. After interviewing the landowner and the suspect, the wardens began searching for the deer. After following the blood trail, and searching for several hours with no results, the wardens contacted the game warden K9 team for assistance. Game warden wildlife K9 Blitz and his handler arrived early the next morning, and quickly located the deer. Appropriate charges and restitution were filed and are pending. Slippin’ Sliders Tiny turtles are cute, but come with risks in tiny hands; salmonella cases have been traced back to common turtles like red-eared sliders and small children have a tendency to put things in their mouths and not wash their hands. That’s why it is illegal to sell turtles less than four inches in size. On Nov. 3, Cass County game wardens received a call concerning individuals selling undersize turtles at the Cullen Baker Fair in Bloomburg, TX. The caller stated two stands were selling small one-inch redeared sliders and did not possess the required a non-game wildlife dealer permit. Wardens investigated both stands. The first vendor they checked had removed his turtles and was very deceptive during questioning. Further investigation revealed the vendor heard game wardens were on the scene and attempted to hide his turtles in his truck. The second vendor was honest about his activities. Appropriate charges were filed.