TPWD Game Warden Field Notes

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Note: This item is more than 19 years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.

The following are excerpts from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.

Foiled Scheme — Recently, Palo Pinto and Wise county Game Wardens, along with Federal Wardens went onto a ranch that had been suspected of being baited in years past. Upon entry, there were 15 hunters in the field. The area in which the hunters were hunting was a wheat field that had been shredded. A careful examination of the field showed it to be baited. Two hundred twenty-three doves were seized, and a federal citation was issued to the landowner.

And More Illegal Baiting — State and Federal Game Wardens made a sweep recently on a baited dove field in Western Coryell County. The landowner had spread out 5,000 pounds of milo for his guests. There were 17 state violations for which citations were issued. In addition, the landowner was filed on by the federal officials for putting bait out for the hunters.

Wardens Didn’t Come ’Down the Shoot’ Yesterday — Recently, a Cooke County Game Warden filed a hunting case where the subject made a u-turn in front of the warden and shot dove off the highline wires from the road. When stopped, he had freshly killed birds in his truck and empty shotgun shells caught in his windshield wipers; yet he insisted he was not road hunting.

Deserved Honors —

  • Hockley County Game Warden Jay Oyler was honored as the State Employee of the Year for Texas Parks and Wildlife by the Lubbock Regional Director’s Round Table. Regional directors from 15 state agencies sit on the round table and select an employee from each of the agencies. A plaque and certificate were presented to Jay by Representative Pete Laney at the State Employees Picnic held at Reece Center in Lubbock. Sen. Robert Duncan and Rep. Delwin Jones were also present.
  • Congrats to Goliad County Game Warden Jesse Garcia, who was named Game Warden of the Year by the 2004 Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
  • Also, congratulations to Hale County Game Warden Mark Collins for being selected as the Shikar Safari Club Texas Game Warden of the year for 2004.

Caught in the Act — Galveston County Game Wardens working off of a 65-foot patrol boat caught two gulf shrimp boats pulling four nets within two miles of the beach. A total of 12,288 pounds of shrimp were confiscated and sold for $15,000. Charges for shimping in a closed area are pending.

Daily Limits Means ONE DAY — A Taylor County Game Warden was checking an evening dove hunter who was cleaning his birds. He thought he had killed a limit but only had 11. The warden commented that the birds were flying really well in that location. The man commented that they were even better that morning. The warden asked if he had gotten any that morning. He advised that he had taken a limit that morning. The warden advised that 12 was the "daily limit." It took a minute to sink in, and then the man said, "I don’t guess I will be seeing the wife and kids tonight."

Big Bust — Pecos and Reagan county game wardens assisted Department of Public Safety officers in a vehicle pursuit, which led to two vehicles being stopped and 350 pounds of marijuana being recovered.

You Can Plan but You Can’t Hide — A Hale County Game Warden learned that a bull elk had possibly been killed from the roadway. He suspected it was the same elk that had been spotted a couple of weeks back. After a lengthy investigation several charges were filed on two subjects who admitted to killing the elk after they had learned the warden was going out of town for a few days. They learned the hard way that just because the game warden can’t be seen doesn’t mean the suspects will get away.

Helping Out — Gonzales County Game Warden Jason Davis and Caldwell County Game Warden Joann Garza assisted in the 18th Annual Double D Youth Hunt in Bastrop County. The hunt was a 100 percent success with 18 youth hunters harvesting a trophy animal. The hunters included handicapped and underprivileged children. The Double D event includes hunting, fishing, lunch, and the Ranch provides each of the children with a shoulder mount of their trophy animal. A special thanks to all the staff at the Double D Ranch.