Six arrested for indiscriminate Texas wildlife slaughter

Texas authorities arrested 6 people Wednesday, accused of months of indiscriminate wildlife slaughter, including almost 70 white-tailed deer, several house cats and at least one cow hacked to death with a machete. less Texas authorities arrested 6 people Wednesday, accused of months of indiscriminate wildlife slaughter, including almost 70 white-tailed deer, several house cats and at least one cow hacked to death with a ... more Photo: Texas Parks And Wildlife Photo: Texas Parks And Wildlife Image 1 of / 6 Caption Close Six arrested for indiscriminate Texas wildlife slaughter 1 / 6 Back to Gallery

Texas authorities arrested 6 people Wednesday, accused of months of indiscriminate wildlife slaughter, including almost 70 white-tailed deer, several house cats and at least one cow hacked to death with a machete.

Four adults and two juveniles in Leon County, between Houston and Dallas, now face 175 felony and misdemeanor wildlife violations for what the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department called "a surreal chain of poaching events" between June 4 and August 29.

"This investigation represents one of, if not the most egregious poaching cases I am aware of in my 41 years in law enforcement," said Col. Craig Hunter, TPWD law enforcement director.

The offenders allegedly spent nights driving county roads, shooting firearms out their vehicle windows at wildlife and public infrastructure like street signs, windows and mailboxes. Although a few deer had select cuts removed for consumption, most of the fallen creatures were left to rot.

According to TPWD, the suspects also killed cattle, vultures, squirrels, foxes, feral hogs, doves, ducks, cormorants, blue herons, alligators, white egrets, armadillos and raccoons. Exact tallies remain unknown.

"This reprehensible and senseless killing spree has absolutely no resemblance to hunting, and I know sportsmen and outdoor enthusiast everywhere will be appalled to learn of this thoughtless waste of life," said TPWD director Carter Smith.

Game Wardens partnered with the Leon County Sheriff's Office to investigate the killing spree after a September 1 phone call from a local landowner, concerned that a deer had been poached on private property.

Game Warden Mike Hanson said he was amazed that no reports came in before September, even as the suspects are thought to have fired hundreds of rounds of ammunition from public roads.

That may be thanks to a homemade suppressor fashioned to a .22 rimfire rifle authorities confiscated from the suspects after their arrest, along with eight other firearms.

"The danger that the violators put the public in, the sheer number of violations committed and the fact that they had little or no fear of being caught really stands out I my mind," Hanson said.