Bill Comes Due for Ranch Mis-manager

South Texas game wardens recently wrapped up a six month multistate investigation of an illegal commercial hunting operation on a ranch in Live Oak County. The wardens were contacted by a landowner regarding his ranch manager selling hunts under the table and hunting without consent. The landowner learned of the illegal activities when contacted by a taxidermist regarding an unpaid balance for several mounts belonging to the ranch manager. The landowner did not give the ranch manager or his family permission to harvest any animals on the ranch. During an extensive investigation, wardens determined the ranch manager had been selling trophy hunts to out of state clients, pocketing their money, and falsifying the ranch harvest records. The ranch manager was responsible for brokering illegal hunts for 14 white-tailed deer (with scores ranging from 245 B&C to under 100 B&C) and numerous exotic game animals. The ranch manager and his daughter also unlawfully appropriated $17,450 from the ranch owner. Hunters paid for their hunts by check made out to the ranch manager or daughter instead of to the ranch. The wardens obtained arrest warrants for the ranch manager for hunting without consent for white-tailed deer and exotic animals. He was arrested without incident.