The following is compiled from recent law enforcement reports from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
It’s a rescue
Texas Game Wardens and US Fish and Wildlife Agents have inspected some antique resale stores. These places had alligator skulls, black bear mounts, waterfowl mounts, raptor mounts, and migratory bird mounts for sale. While inspecting a store, an individual entered with a pet possum. To own, sell or buy a furbearing animal, a person must have a valid furbearing animal propagation license. The opossum was confiscated and transferred to an approved rehabilitation center. Citations have been issued and cases are pending.
Dude where is my car?
A Bexar County game ranger was boat patrolling Calaveras Creek because the shores were closed to the public when they saw a person enter and then hide in the mesquite brush. The director called in for reinforcements and two other directors and a K-9 officer arrived to help. After an exhaustive search, they were still trying to locate the subject. One of the keepers continued to steer his ship north to the cove when he saw someone walking on the other side. Subject was arrested and told he had intruded. He said he had no fish or fishing gear and was walking back to the causeway where his van was parked.
The subject said his friend had brought him to the property but had already left and was waiting at the van. The warden got out of the ship and walked along the subject’s path where they found a cooler with six tilapia, a black bass, and a hawk. The man said he left the cooler on the trail because he was scared. The manager of K-9 called the manager by radio to let him know that the other suspect and the van were gone. The man said, “How am I supposed to get home?” He told the manager that his phone, wallet and money were in the van and his friend was supposed to wait for him and take him home. The warden arrested the man for criminal trespassing, boarded him on the ship, and transported him to the Bexar County Jail. Case pending with the public prosecutor’s office.
Gig ‘Em
A Uvalde County game ranger found an unaccompanied vehicle at a crossing of the Nueces River. Believing that the occupants got into another vehicle and drove down the river, the manager went to a hill overlooking the river a few kilometers away. There they saw four individuals going down the river, three with goons and spears and one with a fishing rod. The manager saw two of the individuals with snorkeling gear diving into the river along with the concerts. Another person in the group greeted the divers, who dove in and came out with a catfish at the end of a concert. The guard descended to the group and discovered a fishing rod but no other fishing, concert or snorkeling equipment.
After searching the area, the warden found the convertibles and spears, which had been thrown into the water and hidden. Gigged catfish were nowhere to be found. The manager interviewed the four individually and found that none of them had a fishing license. After chatting with each subject, one of them finally admitted to catching a catfish and leaving it at his last fishing spot some distance away. The catfish was recovered and seized with three gigs and spears. Multiple citations were issued with civil restitution.
Not so Happy Hour
A Coryell County game ranger and a Falls County game ranger were patrolling the Lake Waco area of ​​McLennan County when they noticed a vehicle had pulled up to the side of the road. When the guards tried to pass the vehicle, a truck cut them off, driving on the wrong side of the road. The vehicle pulled over to the side of the road and motioned for the guards to pass. During the traffic stop, the guards noticed that the driver was unable to turn down the music on his radio.
When asked what he was doing, the driver replied, “I was just trying to…†The driver then picked up his beer and handed it to the guards. The driver had difficulty expressing himself and was unable to maintain his balance when exiting the vehicle. Following the administration of the standard field field sobriety test, the driver was transported to McLennan County Jail and was incarcerated on a DWI offense. A blood sample was obtained. The case is pending.
And this is the boat-tom line
Three Bell County game wardens were patrolling Lake Belton to check on crappie, white bass and tournament anglers when they came across a vessel hull identification number that did not meet the standards of the US Coast Guard. The wardens used the TX number and the vessel was flagged for mandatory boat inspection.
The man who operated the vessel had purchased the boat several days ago from another person who had not put the vessel in his name and had not provided title to the boat. Keepers contacted the current registered owner who said the boat was stolen from Belton in 2009. No police report has been made. The vessel was seized and citations issued to the subject who sold the vessel.
His name is Mudd (Bugs)
A Jefferson County game ranger followed up on information from a social media post where a subject was selling live crayfish. When the manager contacted the seller, he claimed to own a catering business that sold live crayfish to local restaurants and individuals. Selling live crayfish for business and personal use would require a Texas wholesale fish dealer license. The man claimed over the phone that he was duly licensed in Texas and Louisiana. After requesting a face-to-face meeting with the subject, the director discovered that the subject did not have any type of business license and that his vehicle was not properly marked to transport aquatic products.
Don’t be crustaceans
Two Jefferson County game wardens were patrolling the sea channel near Port Arthur when they saw a commercial truck about to be loaded with a pallet of shrimp at one of the local shrimp processing facilities in large. They stopped to inspect the vehicle and found it already had a shipment of 15 cases of fresh blue crab on board.
The driver acted very suspiciously and claimed to have bought the crabs legally in Louisiana and transported them to Texas, which requires a Texas wholesale fish dealer license. The driver could not produce a wholesale license or bill for the transportation of aquatic products, or other documents indicating the origin of the crabs. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries custodians have been contacted to assist with the investigation. They interviewed the dealership in Louisiana where the driver claimed the crabs originated and found the driver to be deceptive. Texas game wardens seized the 15 crates of crabs and sold them to the highest bidder, as required by law. The driver received citations and warnings.
Oh-Fish-ially in trouble
Galveston County Game Wardens received a call about two people catching sheep heads with a net and going over their bag limit. The guards saw two coolers overflowing with fish. When the keepers asked how they caught all of the fish, they said “with the netâ€. While inspecting the coolers, the guards found two hidden bags also containing fish. The two individuals were in possession of 47 sheep heads (27 undersized), three speckled sea trout and a 28 inch red drum. Multiple citations were issued to each individual. Cases are pending.