URBAN MOUNTAIN LIONS CAUSE A STIR
A mountain lion was spotted behind an El Paso County hospital adjacent to Franklin Mountain. It was “just sitting there” and would not leave, a caller reported. El Paso Game Warden Ray Spears enlisted the assistance of Game Warden Mike Legarretta, and they arrived to find not one but two mountain lions (perhaps a mother and a large offspring). With the hospital on one side, houses and businesses close by, the roar of a college football game not far away and bystanders watching, they were formulating a plan when the two cats wandered down into nearby brush. The wardens geared up and made their way down into the area where the cats were last seen only to find they were gone.
DEER EVIDENCE FOUND ON ATV
Jasper County Game Warden Chris Fried was patrolling a hunting club when he heard a shot. He traveled to the location where he had heard the shot and saw an ATV cross the highway and pull into the front yard of a house. When Fried arrived at the house, he noticed the ATV had blood and deer hair on it. The person riding the ATV ran out of the house and was later found hiding under a mobile home. Fellow Jasper County Game Wardens Morgan Inman and Justin Eddins arrived at the house and helped locate an antlerless deer. Charges pending.
BAITED DOVE FIELD DISCOVERED
During the special white-winged dove season, Game Wardens Bubba Shelton and Ram Coronado were patrolling the Duval-Webb county line when they heard shots at a distance. Once the ranch where the shots were coming from was identified, they both went in. Two different groups were hunting on the ranch; corn was discovered on the ground where the hunters were shooting doves. Cases pending for hunting over bait.
DEAD MULE DEER REPORTED; SHOOTER CHARGED
A landowner reported a mule deer carcass found north of Midland on the Midland-Martin county line. The deer’s head and backstraps had been removed. The landowner told Midland County Game Warden Brooks Yeates and Howard County Game Warden Matt Woodall muddy tire tracks were found leaving the property and leading to a nearby residence. The wardens obtained a search warrant for the residence. With help from Game Warden Capt. Scott Davis, Sgt. Alan Thompson and investigator Beau Estes with the Midland County Sheriff’s Department, the officers found evidence of the deer killing at the home. After questioning, the male suspect confessed to shooting the deer. The man then led the officers to where he had buried the head near his home and where he had killed the deer. One charge of felony hunting without landowner’s consent is pending.
WARDENS TAKE THE BAIT BEFORE TEAL
One man was found with a sack of milo poured out in the field in front of him while trying to shoot teal at Lake Gilmer. The man admitted placing the bait to Upshur County Warden David Pellizzari and Wood County Warden
Derek Spitzer. Charges pending.
CHILDREN TEASING CRITTER IN LAREDO
Webb County Game Warden Michael Hummert responded to a call from Laredo police of a baby hog in a northern Laredo neighborhood. Once on the scene, Hummert realized the baby hog was actually a full grown and angry javelina. The javelina had been chased around by neighborhood children, and now the children’s parents
were afraid the javelina might pose a safety risk to the children. With the assistance of Webb County Game Warden Colt Gaulden, the javelina was moved to a nearby brushy area. The members of the neighborhood who were present at the scene were also told not to chase wild animals.
WRONG LICENSE FOR SELLING SHRIMP
A would-be businessperson needed more than a recreational fishing license to resell shrimp in Aransas County. ame Warden Danny Flores cited the person, who bought a large amount of shrimp from a commercial shrimp boat captain and set up shop down the street to resell the shrimp for a profit. As Flores approached, the person asked him if he would like to purchase some shrimp. Flores replied, “No, but I would like to see your license.” The person handed Danny a recreational fishing license. A citation for no retail truck dealer’s license closed the “shop.”
LARGE HUNTING PARTY WAY OVER LIMIT
Region 6 Game Warden Shaun Bayless and Capt. Bill Jones were on patrol for dove hunters in Gaines County when they came across a group of hunters at the end of the day. While checking the hunters, Jones and Bayless heard more shots about 200 to 300 yards down the same road. Bayless was writing a citation for an unplugged shotgun when Jones said he would walk down the road to watch the other group hunting. Bayless finished up with the first group and made his way down to the second group and noticed that Jones had made contact with the two men who were hunting. When Bayless pulled his patrol vehicle to the location where the two men were hunting, he noticed many doves lying all around the subjects. Jones walked around the whole area and picked up several more doves out of the weeds and brush surrounding the area. Bayless asked them if they had any other people hunting with them, and they said the rest of their group was camping about 100 yards behind where they were hunting. After checking all of the guns, licenses and doves, Bayless issued citations to each individual
for exceeding the daily bag limit. The two gentlemen had 45 doves over their bag limit with 75 doves killed total between the two of them. Bayless and Jones then went to the camp, where another individual was cited for no hunter education and having 18 doves over the bag limit. The group of 10 hunters had 63 doves over the bag limit.
KNOW YOUR RECORD BEFORE RUNNING
While patrolling Lake Newcastle, Young County Game Warden Brent Isom made contact with three people who were drinking beer along the bank. During the contact, one person ran into the brush. Another person had arrants for his arrest. The man with warrants was secured while a perimeter was set up to begin the search for the person who fled. Once the perimeter was set, a search ensued into the thick brush along the lake. A sheriff’s deputy with a tracking dog was assisted by Throckmorton County Game Warden Shea Guinn and Albany County Game Warden Brian Huckabee. They picked up the trail of the individual and pushed him out of the brush where Isom and Chief Deputy Carl McGee were waiting to make the arrest. The suspect had a history of armed robbery and ran because he thought he had outstanding arrest warrants. To his dismay, no warrants
existed.
WARDEN POSSE ROUNDS UP DOVE POACHERS
Region 10 game wardens made their annual trip to Hidalgo and Cameron counties for the special whitewinged dove season. They issued 625 citations and 22 warnings. The majority of the cases were for exceeding the limit of mourning dove.
The Great Outdoors
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