AUSTIN, Texas – A recent investigation by the Texas Game Wardens has resulted in 22 suspects and approximately 1,200 total pending charges from across the state involved in a deer breeding industry and black-market wildlife trade, according to a news release.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said wardens uncovered a larger network of alleged offenders during a previous investigation involving the illegal smuggling of captive white-tailed deer.
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The suspects and charges are associated with three deer breeding facilities, 10 release sites, a deer management pen and three illegal facilities not registered with the Texas Wildlife Information Management Services database, the release said.
The suspects face around 500 Class C charges, 700 Class B charges, 22 Class A charges and multiple state jail felony charges, the release said.
TPWD said it referred the cases to prosecutors offices in 11 Texas counties, and the final number of charges may change as the investigation continues.
“These individuals and ranches operated with impunity, repeatedly violating established laws designed to protect Texas’ natural resources and safeguard the state’s wildlife against disease transmission,” said Col. Ronald VanderRoest, TPWD law enforcement director. “Systematic abuse of the regulatory framework governing the deer breeding industry will not be tolerated as we focus on our mission of conservation law enforcement.”
The department has established science-based regulations and procedures to manage deer breeding in the state and prevent major disease outbreaks to ensure the long-term sustainability of native and captive deer in Texas, the release said.
VanderRoest said in the release that the suspects intentionally placed the state’s entire deer population at risk by bypassing requirements, disregarding regulations and falsifying official records.
Pending charges include the following:
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Transfer of deer without valid antemortem chronic wasting disease tests, which is a fatal neurological disease that can devastate deer populations, according to the release.
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Lack of identifying tattoos or valid transfer permits, failure to report mortality within the required seven-day period following detection and failure to submit CWD samples within seven days of collection.
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Illegal selling and purchasing wild white-tailed deer and hunting deer in a closed season to falsify and circumvent chronic wasting disease testing requirements by submitting samples from free-ranging wild white-tailed deer in place of breeder deer.
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Class A charges for taking white-tailed deer without landowner consent and for hunting exotic animals from a public roadway or right of way.
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Tamper of government records falsifying information in TWIMS reports, which were certified as accurate. These incidents include falsifying tests through the submission of tissue samples from poached wild deer for CWD testing in place of the samples of breeder deer, tag swapping between breeder deer, and swapping tags between breeder deer and replacement deer captured in the wild.
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Possession of wild deer in breeder facilities to replace dead breeder deer, multiple Trap, Transport and Transplant (TTT) permit violations and criminal mischief for the destruction of county and state property.
TTT charges stem from illegal trapping, transporting and transplanting of free-ranging white-tailed deer for release for hunting, trapping previously released wild deer and reselling them, illegal operation of unregistered facilities participating in the same TTT activities and the undocumented and unauthorized transportation and release of unidentified fawns.
“The hard work and commitment of our Texas Game Wardens to uncover these violations cannot be overstated,” said TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz. “Their pivotal role in conservation law enforcement helps ensure the health of all deer populations in the state. These violations don’t just break the law—they undermine the very foundation of responsible wildlife management in Texas.”
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