Texas Deer Breeder and Partner Found Guilty in Illegal White-Tailed Deer Smuggling Scheme

A deer breeder in South Texas and his partner were recently found guilty of multiple charges related to illegally transporting captive white-tailed deer. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reported this news last Thursday.

The duo tried to smuggle seven deer from a licensed breeding facility in East Texas, passing through Montgomery County on their way to Brazoria and Duval counties. Their plan was to unlawfully release these deer onto private land.

The investigation started when a game warden in Montgomery County pulled over a vehicle and discovered the deer inside. The transport lacked proper documentation and identification, raising red flags.

Upon further inspection, wardens uncovered various significant violations of wildlife regulations, in addition to other criminal and traffic infractions. Both men were arrested. The breeder admitted guilt to three violations of the penal code and 29 infractions related to deer breeding. His partner faced two penal code violations and 28 breeding violations, for which he was convicted.

The charges included attempts to bypass disease monitoring protocols, such as failing to conduct required testing for chronic wasting disease (CWD). They also neglected to obtain valid transfer permits and illegally possessed live game animals.

The total fines for both men amounted to $12,060. According to Col. Ronald VanderRoest from TPWD, these violations not only threaten the health of deer populations but also jeopardize the broader economy tied to deer hunting in Texas, which contributes around $9.6 billion annually.

The state closely regulates deer movement to control diseases like CWD, safeguarding both captive and free-ranging deer. When deer leave a breeding facility, they must have a unique identifier. Those without proper identification are often termed “ghost deer.” Since these deer had no home to return to, officials decided to euthanize them to adhere to disease-testing protocols. Fortunately, an investigation found no evidence of CWD among the deer.

Ann Kuykendall, the Montgomery County assistant district attorney, praised the efforts of Texas Game Wardens for exposing this illegal scheme. She emphasized that those who break wildlife laws will face consequences, highlighting the importance of protecting natural resources.

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Texas,Environment,Animals