Texas Game Wardens tipped off to illegal whitetail deer kill in Angelina County through social media

A teenager later confessed to the hunting violation. Charges are pending, officials say

Image courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife. (Copyright 2020 by KSAT - All rights reserved.)

ANGELINA COUNTY, Texas – Texas Game Wardens were tipped off to an illegal killing of a whitetail deer over social media after an Angelina County teenager bragged about the dead buck online, the department said in a statement to KSAT.

According to officials, an Angelina County game warden received a report about a large buck killed in southern Angelina County known to frequent a hayfield at night near a county road.

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A local teenager posted pictures of the deer on Facebook, saying it had been killed with a bow.

The department said the game warden patrolled the area and found marks on the ground where the buck was dragged from the hayfield to the road. The deer’s hide and carcass were found in a nearby creek.

Another game warden, also an avid bow hunter, was called in for a second opinion to help determine the means by which the deer was killed, officials said.

“After a quick examination, the wardens agreed the deer had been shot with a rifle and then a bow,” the department said.

According to Texas' hunting regulations, Angelina County is one of 252 counties in the state with an “archery-only” season for hunting whitetail deer. The archery-only season runs from Oct. 3 to Nov. 6 in most of the state.

The game warden told a family friend of the teenager about the evidence collected against him and the buck killing and he later confessed to the hunting violation, officials said.

Criminal charges and civil restitution are still pending.

Related: Shooting of black bear in Del Rio under investigation, Texas Parks and Wildlife officials say


About the Author:

Jakob Rodriguez is a digital journalist at KSAT 12. He's a graduate of Texas State University, where he served as the editor-in-chief of the student-run newspaper, The University Star.