TX: Texas Game Wardens bust illegal duck hunting practices on Brazos River

https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/texas-game-wardens-bust-illegal-duck-hunting-practices-brazos-river/500-c6e82ab4-2dc5-4bc7-b5ba-1f1485b64fe4

02/04/2025

On Saturday, Jan. 25, Texas Game Wardens from Hamilton and Bosque Counties took advantage of favorable duck hunting conditions on the final weekend of the season to patrol the Brazos River.

As the wardens were loading their boat later that morning, they heard shots from a nearby area. Using a satellite mapping program, they identified several private lakes nearby that could be potential hunting locations. At the entrance to one of these lakes, they spotted a man in camouflage exiting an equipment shed. The man appeared evasive and was texting urgently. After a brief conversation, he led the wardens to a nearby duck blind where three hunters were packing up their gear.

The hunters offered conflicting accounts of the group’s size, initially claiming there were eight hunters, then seven. None could name the individuals who had allegedly left. As one warden interviewed the hunters, the other warden examined a pile of ducks across the bank and discovered a fourth individual hiding behind a dam with a stringer of ducks. This hunter, who lacked a valid hunting license, had crossed two fences to conceal the 16 ducks he had killed.

When confronted, the group falsely claimed the hunter was simply retrieving a lost bird. Further investigation revealed more violations. Near the blind, wardens found additional ducks, as well as around 250 shotgun shells containing prohibited lead shot. The hunters admitted to using leftover shot from dove season, knowing it was illegal for waterfowl hunting.

The wardens determined that only four individuals were hunting—three of whom had valid licenses. They were using four shotguns, some loaded with lead shot, and had illegally harvested 54 ducks, more than three times the legal daily limit of six per licensed hunter. Three of the hunters, residents of Louisiana, admitted to exceeding the bag limit, explaining they didn’t want to stop shooting because they believed this was the most ducks they had seen all season in both Texas and Louisiana.

The group faced multiple citations for exceeding the bag limit, hunting without a valid license, and using lead shot for waterfowl hunting. They were also charged civil restitution for the illegally taken ducks. The total fines and restitution amounted to more than $7,000. The ducks were seized, cleaned, and will be distributed to families in Hamilton and Bosque counties.