Poaching Conviction

In 2004, rangers received a report from park visitors of a man with a gun on South Beach near the 18 mile marker who was covered in blood. The responding rangers found the man and his vehicle. The man was wearing a holster on his belt and the vehicle had blood in it. A rifle and a pistol were recovered from the vehicle. A search of the area by park employees and a Navy aircraft led to the discovery of a field-dressed deer about 200 yards from the man?s vehicle. A follow-up investigation by rangers and Texas Parks & Wildlife game wardens matched a bullet recovered from the deer to the rifle found in the vehicle and blood from the suspect?s clothing to the dead deer. The man was charged in state court with taking of wildlife without the consent of the landowner.  In late 2005, he pled guilty to the charge and was sentenced to five years probation and fined $10,000.