Each month the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department publishes some interesting Game Warden field notes. This month it was very apparent that social media is helping them catch lawbreakers. From the Game Warden Field Notes:
Oh, Snap!
In the early morning hours of March 30, a Morris County game warden received a text informing him there was a video on SnapChat of an airboat with underage people on it possibly bow fishing and consuming alcohol. The warden remembered a trailer parked at a boat ramp on the north end of Lake O’ The Pines that could possibly be a trailer for an airboat. He was able to locate the airboat from the shore and waited until the boat arrived back at the boat ramp. The boat was found to be occupied by six males all under the age of 21 and alcohol was found in a cooler onboard the vessel. All occupants confessed to bow fishing as well. Multiple citations and warnings were issued for Minor in Possession of Alcohol, no fishing license, and improper lights on the vessel. All cases are pending.
Busted by the ‘Gram
On March 29 a Real County game warden received an Operation Game Thief wildlife Crimestoppers hotline call about a video of someone shooting a turkey off the roadside. The warden contacted the caller and they stated there was a video on Instagram of a male subject shooting a turkey out of a truck window. Upon viewing the video, the warden recognized the area near Barksdale, and referencing images of the individual’s truck and license plate that also were posted to that Instagram account was able to gain the suspect’s ID and address in Laredo. The warden enlisted assistance from a Webb County game warden, who interviewed the subject and his accomplice and gained confessions to shooting the turkey from a public road. Several citations were issued to both subjects and the cases are pending.
Facebook Advertising Works
On April 3, a Titus County game warden completed a joint investigation on a local wholesale fish dealer for illegally importing and selling whole unprocessed alligator from Louisiana. This investigation was initiated when an unprocessed alligator was advertised for sell on Facebook in Henderson County by an unlicensed retail fish dealer. The wholesale dealer in Titus County was found to have illegally imported the undocumented alligators into Texas for resale. One citation issued for No Alligator Wholesale Dealer Permit. Two warning citations were also issued for No Alligator Import Permit and two warning citations for Illegal sale of alligator.