When a concerned citizen contacted Calhoun County , Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Warden Kevin Stancik regarding the unlawful take of migratory waterfowl by several Delaware residents that own property in the Guadalupe River Delta -- Stancik then contacted Stacy Campbell, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Agent in Victoria and they initiated a joint investigation.
The law enforcement officers began their surveillance of two waterfowl hunting blinds located on a private waterfowl-hunting club in the Guadalupe River Delta in late January. During the surveillance operation, Game Warden Stancik and Service Agent Campbell observed the six individuals from Delaware commit the following violations:
Take over the daily aggregate bag limit, (41 ducks killed when limit for six people is 36); take over the daily bag limit of a single species, (17 canvasbacks killed when limit for six people is six); wanton waste of migratory waterfowl, (36 ducks and one white-front goose left on water around blinds); hunting with an unplugged shotgun; possession of lead shot shells, (a total of 152 lead twenty gauge shot shells, not including spent hulls); hunting without a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp; hunting in violation of state law to include: no state hunting license and no state waterfowl stamp/endorsement; and take of migratory waterfowl in a closed season (two White-front geese).
The surveillance operation resulted in seizure of 41 ducks and two geese, along with 134 twenty-gauge lead shot shells.
Thanks to this combined law enforcement effort by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a total of 32 federal violation notices were issued and the six individuals from Delaware paid $18,775 in fines. In addition they were assessed civil wildlife restitution of approximately $4,644 by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
"Weve had a great working relationship with US Fish and Wildlife Service agents that has helped us enforce laws to protect migratory birds in our region," said Capt. Rex Mayes with TPWD Law Enforcement in Victoria . "Game Warden Kevin Stancik has worked effectively in our area for many years. His experience and his diligence in working with US Fish and Wildlife Service enabled us to apprehend these individuals and charge them with multiple offenses."
The enforcement of waterfowl hunting violations continues to be vital to the core mission of the Service and as such should reinstill legal hunter ethics in all who hunt waterfowl," said Juliana Scully, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Services Southwest Region.
Visit the Services website at http://www.fws.gov.
- http://www.southwest.fws.gov -
