Bad exit plan
A Fannin County game warden was alerted of a vehicle pursuit near his residence on May 14. The warden joined the pursuit and lent his knowledge of the area backroads to the other officers involved. When the subject entered a road the game warden knew had a recently excavated pond, he advised officers the chase would be over soon.
As predicted, the subject drove straight into the lake. The warden and other officers greeted the individual as he swam back to shore and placed him into custody. The warden returned home to retrieve his river boat and assist with the recovery of the vehicle from the lake.
Loaner car loaded
In early May, a Nacogdoches County game warden received a call from a car dealership concerning damage and questionable items found in one of their loaner vehicles that had been impounded by local police. The subject driving the vehicle at the time had been arrested for shoplifting.
While inspecting the vehicle, the dealership discovered a bullet hole in the driver side mirror, and deer hair in the trunk, as well as a rangefinder and empty packaging for a spotlight. After reviewing the police report, the warden learned a rifle was also in the vehicle at the time of arrest. The warden interviewed the incarcerated driver, who denied any wrongdoing until presented with the evidence against him, and confessed to poaching a deer.
Despite having a confession in hand, the warden still couldn’t reconcile the case based on the evidence, particularly the bullet hole in the side mirror. After additional questioning, the subject’s girlfriend admitted shooting the deer with a .22 while her boyfriend held the spotlight. Her first shot had hit the side mirror. The couple then loaded the deer in the trunk and decided to dump it in a nearby pasture. Numerous cases are pending.
Ejected and arrested
After sunset on May 25 while patrolling for water safety compliance on Lake Conroe, Montgomery County game warden’s observed a couple on a personal watercraft enter a no wake zone at high speed, and lose control while attempting a maneuver. Both the operator and passenger were ejected.
When wardens made contact, they noticed signs of intoxication. A breath sample of the operator indicated a blood alcohol content of 0.134. The operator was placed under arrest for Boating While Intoxicated.
Mussels bum a ride
In May, a Travis County game warden received a call about multiple barges covered in zebra mussels being transported from the Sandy Creek boat ramp. The barge rental company was identified and contacted. The owner admitted that they did not fully clean their barges before transporting them from all the different bodies of water. The warden educated the owner on how to improve his procedures to be in compliance with the law. Multiple commercial citations were issued for transporting zebra mussels.
Just stand up
Harris County game wardens were patrolling the San Jacinto River when they observed two individuals displaying signs of drowning after falling off floating tubes near a beach swimming area. The wardens tossed lifebuoys to the subjects and towed them to shore. Even though the average depth of the area was three feet the subjects were too scared to try and feel for ground. This same beach last year had four drownings.
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