Texas Hunting Leases

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, at its March 26 meeting, adopted changes to hunting and fishing regulations designed to create additional recreational opportunities while effectively managing the state’s natural resources.

As part of the annual regulations review process, public input and discussion among agency staff two proposals related to upland bird hunting were withdrawn. Staff recommended turning to the Commission’s newly appointed Game Bird Advisory Committee for further discussion on potential changes to quail and pheasant regulations.

One other proposal, which would have extended regulations allowing the take of catfish by means of bow and arrow, was also withdrawn. As of Sept. 1, 2008, taking of catfish by means of bow and arrow will no longer be legal.

Meanwhile, the following changes were approved by the Commission:

Carp Bag Limit

Anglers fishing Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) in Austin will be allowed to retain only one common carp 33 inches or larger per day. There will remain no limit on common carp measuring less than 33 inches in length.

Community Fishing Lake Pole Limit

Anglers will be limited to using two fishing poles on designated community fishing lakes. This new rule addresses hoarding of limited bank fishing access. The change affects impoundments 75 acres or less totally within a city limits or a public park, but will not be enacted on any waters inside a state park.

Lake Nacogdoches Bass Limit

This rule changes the largemouth bass regulations on Lake Nacogdoches to a 16-inch maximum size limit. The daily bag will be five bass under 16 inches, although one bass 24 inches or larger can be retained temporarily in a livewell and then weighed using handheld scales for possible donation to the Budweiser ShareLunker program.

Purtis Creek/Lake Raven Bass Limit

This rule changes the largemouth bass temporary retention length limit to 24 inches on Purtis Creek State Park Lake and Lake Raven (Huntsville State Park). Both lakes are catch and release only for largemouth bass, although currently one trophy bass may be retained temporarily for weighing purposes and donation to the Budweiser ShareLunker program.

Lake Texoma Spotted Bass

This rule removes the 14-inch minimum length limit for spotted bass on Lake Texoma consistent with the Texas statewide regulation (no length limit) and the limit for the Oklahoma side of Texoma.

Lake Nasworthy/Colorado City Red Drum Limit

This removes the harvest exceptions for red drum on Lake Nasworthy and the 20-inch minimum length limit for red drum on Colorado City Reservoir. Both water bodies revert to the statewide limits of three fish per day and a 20- 28-inch reverse slot limit.

Expand Panhandle Mule Deer Season

This adds Sherman and Hansford counties to the northern Panhandle mule deer season (16 days beginning the Saturday before Thanksgiving) and in Gaines, Martin, and the eastern portion of Andrews counties to the southwest Panhandle season (nine days beginning the Saturday before Thanksgiving). These counties, wildlife biologists believe, have mule deer populations sufficient to allow the harvest of a few buck mule deer.

Eliminate Bowhunting Minimum Draw Weight

This removes the requirement of a 40-pound minimum peak draw weight on bowhunting equipment.

Deer Proof of Sex Requirement Change

This allows special deer permit tags, including Managed Land Deer Permits, Landowner Assisted Management Permitting System, antlerless mule deer, special public hunting and Antlerless and Spike Control, to satisfy proof of sex tagging requirements.

Lower Minimum Age for Hunter Education Certification

This lowers the minimum age a student may receive hunter education certification from 12 years to 9 years.

Quota for Commercial Catch of Gulf Menhaden in State Waters

This rule establishes a quota for the commercial catch of Gulf menhaden in state waters. The move is a precautionary measure that basically limits the fishery at its current level. The total allowable catch from state waters would be set at 31,500,000 pounds

The changes will take effect after the required posting period or as specified in the rule.

The following are excerpts from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports as of February 2008.

Warrant Uncovers More Than 100 Stolen Items: Feb. 6, a Young County game warden received a call from a hog hunter who reported seeing two suspicious looking all-terrain vehicles on the road. When the warden and several Young County deputies arrived on the scene, the suspects fled the scene in their vehicles. A high-speed chase ensued. After an extensive search, the suspects were not located, but the evidence was seized. The investigation determined that both ATVs were stolen. The warden remained in the area until 11:00 p.m., when he observed a vehicle leaving a nearby pasture. Upon receiving backup, a felony vehicle stop was made. Four subjects were arrested without incident. After searching the property with warrants, the officers recovered more than 100 stolen items, including: stolen hunting equipment, commercial tools, TVs and guns. The ongoing investigation has resolved numerous cases in several counties. Felony charges up to $20,000 were filed for possession of drug items, evading arrest, deadly conduct and stolen property.

Eight Deer Heads in a Shed: Feb. 5, a Potter County game warden and a Randall County game warden went to an Amarillo home to investigate a city clean-up crew member’s claim that there were eight deer heads in a shed behind the home. After inspecting the deer heads, the wardens determined them to be fresh, noting that deer season had ended two months ago. The occupant of the home invited the wardens inside and showed them the fresh deer meat that filled his freezer. The occupant said the last deer was brought home two days ago. Soon after, the main suspect arrived at the home and confessed to killing eight mule deer during the last seven to eight months.A hunting rifle that had been stolen 10 years ago was also found in the home. Cases are pending.

Get Your Own License: Jan. 19, a Val Verde County game warden inspected the kills of a hunting camp and found several misdemeanors. The warden found two deer to be tagged with a female’s hunting license, as well as a 6-point buck in violation of the spike and antlerless season. Upon returning to the camp, one hunter said there were no female hunters in the group. Shortly after, another hunter said his wife killed the two does, but left camp to return home. After a short visit with the warden, the hunter said he had used his wife’s tags and that she had not been hunting. Another hunter stepped forward and claimed ownership of the 6-point buck. Appropriate charges were filed on both hunters. Cases and restitution are pending on the three deer.

Alligators Don’t Make Nice Family Pets: Jan. 18, two Howard and Dawson County game wardens executed a search warrant for an alligator on a residence in Big Spring. Upon entering the bedroom of the house, the wardens saw a 4-foot long alligator in a round tank. The alligator was seized and was subsequently pressed into educational service, as it made an appearance in programs at three local schools. The alligator was released into an alligator-friendly environment Jan. 21.

Young Hunters Spotlight White-Tailed Deer at Night: In January, a Kendall County game warden filed multiple charges against two young hunters, after receiving information about their late night hunting activities. Upon being caught with a freshly killed buck at 2:00 a.m., the hunters said they didn’t know spotlighting and hunting white-tailed deer at night is illegal. Ironically, they said they were aware that shooting deer without a hunting license is illegal.

Call it Game Warden’s Intuition: In January, a Lamb County game warden testified before a grand jury concerning a case he filed against a Bailey County man for hunting without landowner consent. During the mule deer season, the warden received a call from a landowner saying a deer had been shot from the road. Upon the warden’s arrival, an adjoining landowner said there had been a misunderstanding and that his hunters had shot the deer, causing it to run across the road and die. Feeling uneasy about the story, the warden began an investigation that proved that the story had been concocted by the hunters who had tagged and reported the deer.

Bragging About Illegal Activity Proves Unwise: In January, an Ellis County game warden concluded an investigation on a subject who illegally obtained a free military license. The subject denied knowledge of the illegality of obtaining the free license until he was shown transcripts of his bragging on an Internet hunting forum about how easy it was to get away with. After a thorough tutorial on the consequences of tampering with government documents, the subject wrote a statement of confession for illegally obtaining the free military license and for illegally killing five deer this past hunting season. The deer were seized and multiple cases and restitution are pending.

Annual Handicapped Youth Hunt: For the twelfth year, Kerr County game wardens participated in an annual January youth hunt for persons with disabilities. The hunt, which was sponsored by a local landowner, included 18 children. The children were permitted to hunt in a high-fenced, managed area with no restrictions on the taking of animals. Each child was assisted with the hunt by a parent or guardian and a representative of the ranch. Sixteen children successfully harvested bucks, including a 15-point buck, with a 23-inch spread.

Dec. 19, 2007 - TP&W

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas game wardens this month concluded an investigation into an illegal deer hunting ring in Southeast Texas, filing 247 criminal charges against 20 offenders.  The case involves illegal activity spanning four counties. A total of 27 animals are known to have been killed, with 13 sets of antlers and one doe head seized as evidence. Game wardens uncovered 606 possible criminal charges ranging from Class C misdemeanors to felonies, although ultimately 247 criminal charges were filed in late November and early December.  A team of nine game wardens participated in the investigation, which eventually led to two search warrants and charges filed with six courts in four counties: Montgomery, Edwards, Liberty, and Houston. Two assistant district attorneys from Montgomery County assisted with most of the investigation. The suspects face paying approximately $15,000 in civil restitution, a process that compensates the people of Texas for each illegally taken wild animal. 

The suspects range in age from 16 to 25 years old. Most of the charges filed against them were for hunting deer at night, hunting from a public roadway, hunting during closed season, hunting from a motor vehicle and possession of illegally taken deer.

“We did consider the ages of those involved when preparing to file charges, and more charges could have been filed,” said Col. Pete Flores, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement director. “We understand that young people occasionally make mistakes. But the scope and nature of this activity goes way beyond a youthful prank, and wildlife crimes cannot be tolerated in Texas. I would add that this illegal activity is not hunting, and it is not representative of youth hunters in our state.”

The case began three months ago, when a man who was aware of ongoing poaching activity by a group of young men in the Splendora area northeast of Houston was driving on Highway 59. He drove by a highway billboard advertising Operation Game Thief, the Texas wildlife “crime stoppers” program that offers rewards for tips that lead to convictions. The man later told game wardens he began thinking about the message on the billboard and the ongoing poaching activity, whereupon he turned around and drove back to get the telephone number off the billboard and called OGT.

Game Wardens Dean Fitzpatrick and Brannon Meinkowsky of Montgomery County then began leading what became a two and a half month investigation of illegal hunting dating back to fall 2006. Most of the illegal activity took place in Montgomery and Edwards Counties, with one episode each in Liberty and Houston counties. The primary targets of the illegal hunters were white-tailed buck deer. Secondary targets were exotic wildlife species such as axis deer and black buck antelope. Most of the incidents occurred at night, from a vehicle on a public roadway. The majority of the animals were retrieved by the suspects, but some were left behind because the animal’s antlers were not considered big enough or the poachers were scared off by oncoming vehicles. The illegal hunting took place in developed urban subdivisions as well as rural areas.

Participants were caught poaching by two different game wardens during the course of the investigation. Game wardens had been investigating the killing of a deer on the Splendora High School football field. A few days after that incident, Montgomery County Game Warden Alan Biggerstaff caught three suspects after they shot and killed a deer in a subdivision near Conroe. Edwards County Game Warden Cody Hatfield caught four of them hunting from the roadway near Rocksprings in Edwards County. These two incidents were instrumental, providing a big break in the investigation that yielded names of many of the suspects. The two incidents also show how Texas game wardens are able to communicate and share information across the state.