Asshole in Great Hills killing deer with crossbow

[Biff Tannen 45,691]

WTF

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/someone-with-a-crossbow-is-killing-deer-in-northwest-austin-tpwd-investigating/

 

Quote

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is investigating the deaths of multiple deer in northwest Austin after they were shot with a crossbow.

There have been at least six deer identified who were shot by someone. Four were found dead and two are still unaccounted for, TPWD said.

RELATED: Why is there a deer wearing a collar in Spicewood? 

Some residents living in the Great Hills neighborhood spotted injured deer walking around the neighborhood, and some of them still had arrows in them when they were found.

 

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“It would be odd not to see deer,” said Cici Smith, who lives in the neighborhood. “Typically people around here love the deer.”

The TPWD says the deer were shot between Dec. 10 and early January.

“So, whoever is doing this is purposefully not using a gun because they don’t want the sound of a gun,” Smith said.

Scott Jurk, one of the game wardens investigating the case, said he believes it was someone on foot or someone driving by the deer in their car.

“It was right off a greenbelt near some apartments, but it doesn’t appear that it was necessarily done by someone in those apartments,” Jurk said.

Jurk said he’s seen similar incidents over the years, but whoever is involved could be facing some serious charges.

“In Texas, if you kill a whitetail deer without landowner permission, that is a felony,” Jurk said. “So, if the landowner pursues charges we can file felony cases. Hunting deer at night, hunting deer from a vehicle or on a public road, those are all class A misdemeanors so they all hold jail time.”

TPWD has a program called Operation Game Thief that’s offering a reward for any information leading to an arrest.

Residents have started a GoFundMe offering a reward for information, as well.

TPWD is pursuing leads, but it’s also urging people who live in the Great Hills neighborhood to look over video cameras.

 

[Blotto 23,559]

lulz at the gofund me. What a g'damn genius idea that site was. Scrape 3% plus a set fee off of every transaction. Now, just about every time a person dies in this country they make money. And if that wasnt enough, they are starting to reap profits when deer pass away. In a country stuffed full of scammers and rubes, that idea is basically a legal printing press. 

[crash_davis 23,113]

I think it's homeless dudes who are doing this for food. I saw another Instagram or Twitter pic from Austin of a gutted, half processed deer near a camp and firepit in the greenbelt. 

[High Plains Drifter 11,050]

 

out of all the things to donate money to, people donate to a fund for finding out who is killing the cervid equivalent to large cockroaches.

k

 

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

Don't like injuring deer.  But whoever is doing this is providing some benefits, assuming not being reckless with shot and putting others in danger.  And assuming meat is not wasted.

Way too many deer in residential areas in that part of the state.

[deadshank 24,653]

Pull this guy out of retirement and he'll put this BS to bed.

[Lat22 4,015]

He’s still a Special Game Warden, whatever that is. 

[crash_davis 23,113]

10 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

Don't like injuring deer.  But whoever is doing this is providing some benefits, assuming not being reckless with shot and putting others in danger.  And assuming meat is not wasted.

Way too many deer in residential areas in that part of the state.

this is the issue. deer are running around the neighborhoods with arrows and darts sticking out of them. the deer are suffering. either the assholes are just bad shots or they are sadistic fucks.

the game wardens are involved. they've been through northwest hills neighborhoods a few times talking to people. not sure how they are going to "solve" this unless someone actually witnesses the shooting.

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

2 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

this is the issue. deer are running around the neighborhoods with arrows and darts sticking out of them. the deer are suffering. either the assholes are just bad shots or they are sadistic fucks.

the game wardens are involved. they've been through northwest hills neighborhoods a few times talking to people. not sure how they are going to "solve" this unless someone actually witnesses the shooting.

Yeah, that isn't cool.  Darts should never be used.  That is some sadistic asshole.

And part of the reason I am not a fan of archery in general.  I've killed hundreds of deer with various rifles and never wounded one.  Injured/lost deers are sadly a lot more common with archery equipment.

[BabaYaga 15,301]

15 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

Don't like injuring deer.  But whoever is doing this is providing some benefits, assuming not being reckless with shot and putting others in danger.  And assuming meat is not wasted.

Way too many deer in residential areas in that part of the state.

Gets so bad certain municipalities in the NE have hired wardens with cans, thermal optics, and subs to take head shots to harvest hundreds of animals as auto wrecks were endangering drivers at night.  

[BabaYaga 15,301]

2 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

Yeah, that isn't cool.  Darts should never be used.  That is some sadistic asshole.

And part of the reason I am not a fan of archery in general.  I've killed hundreds of deer with various rifles and never wounded one.  Injured/lost deers are sadly a lot more common with archery equipment.

Guns kill with cavitation.  Archers with hemorrhaging.  They (archers) have a greater responsibility as the margin for error is much, much smaller.  

[South Austin 52,519]

They're just getting ready for the inevitable invasion of the Russians.

[BabaYaga 15,301]

More like this

[ztejas 43,475]

“So, whoever is doing this is purposefully not using a gun because they don’t want the sound of a gun,” Smith said.

Ceci Smith sounds like a regular Nancy Drew. 

[TexasEd 8,067]

The interview goes off on all the things that could be a crime in this but it was done (so far) during deer season, no proof of the hunter not having a license, using a car, hunting at night or trespassing. It could all be legal except for maybe being in the city limits.

 

[High Plains Drifter 11,050]

 

A deer season for dart hunting?

Even bow hunting is a pretty restricted window, isn't it?

 

 

[crash_davis 23,113]

this has been going on for a few months and prob over a year. i remember reading something last summer of a deer walking through the neighborhood with a arrow sticking out of it. it's NOT hunting as there is not legal hunting anywhere near where theses arrowed and darted deer are showing up. 

[Foosters 17,858]

31 minutes ago, TexasEd said:

The interview goes off on all the things that could be a crime in this but it was done (so far) during deer season, no proof of the hunter not having a license, using a car, hunting at night or trespassing. It could all be legal except for maybe being in the city limits.

 

[CleverNickname 1,319]

I always laugh when we have to wait for the deer to clear out before we back out of the driveway so we can drive 100 miles to wait in freezing cold in a blind some drunk moron built (me) and get nothin. 

[Deej 76,830]

They really should be using that crossbow on cyclists. 

[tigol 2,398]

I always laugh when we have to wait for the deer to clear out before we back out of the driveway so we can drive 100 miles to wait in freezing cold in a blind some drunk moron built (me) and get nothin. 

I laugh at my husband for the same shit.

[BrickHorn 18,237]

The only way to catch these guys is to wander around Great Hills disguised as a deer.

[kevwun 15,798]

I know the Game Warden that is quoted in the story.  I wish he would end up on Lone Star Law.  He would definitely write an 8 year old a ticket for a fish that was a 1/16" too short and then probably break their fishing pole over his knee to teach them a lesson.

Edited January 26, 2022 by kevwun

[LonghornSean 4,008]

Seems like we've got a serial deer killer

 

[Jerry Callo 8,704]

1 hour ago, High Plains Drifter said:

Even bow hunting is a pretty restricted window, isn't it?

In Texas there is an archery only season, but archery is also allowed during the regular hunting season.

[High Plains Drifter 11,050]

1 minute ago, Jerry Callo said:

In Texas there is an archery only season, but archery is also allowed during the regular hunting season.

 

ah, was not aware of that little detail. Thanks. I thought archery was only allowed during archery season.

 

 

[High Plains Drifter 11,050]

 

Back when I was in grad school, I worked out of Brackenridge Field Lab on Lake Austin. There were so many deer on the fenced acreage, the caretaker and all the great white hunters in the school of natural sciences would get special permits to bow hunt on the property to thin them out. It would be a massacre. It was also very hush hush because of all the potential blow back from the deer lovers.

 

Then within a month, they would be replaced by deer coming from the surrounding neighborhoods and the golf course across the road.

 

For some unexplainable reason, they never wanted to spend the money on making the fencing deer proof, (or at least, more deer proof). The venison we would feast on was delicious though.

 

 

[next2naus 439]

It's likely one of two things. 1) teenager fucking around 2) someone who doesn't like deer, maybe it's their scat, what they eat, ticks, they hit one w/ their car and the repair bill pissed them off  something else dumb. 

 

 

[BabaYaga 15,301]

4 minutes ago, next2naus said:

It's likely one of two things. 1) teenager fucking around 2) someone who doesn't like deer, maybe it's their scat, what they eat, ticks, they hit one w/ their car and the repair bill pissed them off  something else dumb. 

 

 

[4doorsMoreWhores 107]

4 hours ago, deadshank said:

Pull this guy out of retirement and he'll put this BS to bed.

/csb

Got checked at the ramp on lake Fork after a duck hunt a few years ago by this GW. He and his partner were very unfriendly, to the point of being dicks. We got the last laugh though because one of my buddies had to get a replacement hunting license the night before but did not want to pay for the federal stamp again. So on the way I remembered I had an extra stamp from the PREVIOUS year because TP&W had mistakenly enclosed two stamps in the envelope sent to me. Anyway he put the stamp on the back of his hunting license and signed it in case we got checked. Ol' Benny was completely fooled even though it was the wrong stamp with a different duck on it. Probably saved my buddy a $150(or more) ticket that day. 

[Brisketexan 105,155]

Yeah, I deer hunt.....and many of the best bucks I've seen have been within feet of my mailbox in NW Austin.  It's funny, though...you get to know specific deer, and they're a familiar part of the landscape.  I'd feel weird shooting "Thick bases who got halloween decorations hung up on his rack that one year," even if I could.

I don't get people shooting deer just to shoot them.  Game warden was actually on our block a few months ago because a couple of carcasses were found on the greenbelt behind our house.

These dipshits will probably get busted eventually.

[4doorsMoreWhores 107]

6 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Yeah, I deer hunt.....and many of the best bucks I've seen have been within feet of my mailbox in NW Austin.  It's funny, though...you get to know specific deer, and they're a familiar part of the landscape.  I'd feel weird shooting "Thick bases who got halloween decorations hung up on his rack that one year," even if I could.

I don't get people shooting deer just to shoot them.  Game warden was actually on our block a few months ago because a couple of carcasses were found on the greenbelt behind our house.

These dipshits will probably get busted eventually.

Yeah most likely they will brag about it or post on social media and get caught. Definitely not cool despite an overpopulation issue

[AUS-97HORN 11,809]

2 minutes ago, 4doorsMoreWhores said:

/csb

Got checked at the ramp on lake Fork after a duck hunt a few years ago by this GW. He and his partner were very unfriendly, to the point of being dicks. We got the last laugh though because one of my buddies had to get a replacement hunting license the night before but did not want to pay for the federal stamp again. So on the way I remembered I had an extra stamp from the PREVIOUS year because TP&W had mistakenly enclosed two stamps in the envelope sent to me. Anyway he put the stamp on the back of his hunting license and signed it in case we got checked. Ol' Benny was completely fooled even though it was the wrong stamp with a different duck on it. Probably saved my buddy a $150(or more) ticket that day. 

I honestly think the GW Captains and producers must beg them to go easy on the people they show that are making small, but legit errors.  because every fucking interaction I have had with a GW has been letter of the law shit, and my 1 time getting popped at the dock because the 6 of us on the boat brought back 24 Red Snapper, and of the 24, I was the ONLY one who was a 1/4" short on 1 fish.... fully my bad, but he was fucking gleeful writing out the damn $160 ticket and taking that shorty (again, I know I was in the wrong). 

 

but then I watch the show and they have fuckers 10 fish over the bag limit, or not giving a singe fuck about under or overrsized fish getting the same fine as me, maybe 1 extra, and they are given the benefit of the doubt.

[NeverMarryAStripper 21,907]

7 minutes ago, 4doorsMoreWhores said:

Yeah most likely they will brag about it or post on social media and get caught. Definitely not cool despite an overpopulation issue

They'll probably end up missing the deer and skewering some kid in his backyard

[TexasEd 8,067]

27 minutes ago, AUS-97HORN said:

I honestly think the GW Captains and producers must beg them to go easy on the people they show that are making small, but legit errors.  because every fucking interaction I have had with a GW has been letter of the law shit, and my 1 time getting popped at the dock because the 6 of us on the boat brought back 24 Red Snapper, and of the 24, I was the ONLY one who was a 1/4" short on 1 fish.... fully my bad, but he was fucking gleeful writing out the damn $160 ticket and taking that shorty (again, I know I was in the wrong). 

 

but then I watch the show and they have fuckers 10 fish over the bag limit, or not giving a singe fuck about under or overrsized fish getting the same fine as me, maybe 1 extra, and they are given the benefit of the doubt.

I've only been checked twice as an adult both times duck hunting.  Once on a guided spot and once on public lake and both times no problems.  I have heard of GW checking trucks for lead shells and that was too far since the reg is on your person. 

I was checked once as a kid after shooting my first buck when we drove to the processor but my dad had already tagged it and all. It was memorable because it could have been an issue in hindsight.  It was my first buck and I had a heart shot but it ran so my dad shot it and took off its rack.  Dad kept saying I missed as we walked up but I knew I hit it and stuck my finger in the heart shot hole when we got there.  Warden asked who shot it and I said, "Me, sir" I knew I was the extra meat in the freezer guy back then.

 

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

Our GWs in South Texas are great.  Know them well.

The ones I come across fishing have been cool.  I've had a lifetime license for almost 20 years, and I think that helps.  I also try and follow all regs to the letter.

Many people screw up tagging, harvest logs, and not keeping proof of sex.  Or not having a wildlife resource document if it is someone else's kill.  We just print out a bunch and keep them handy.  

[Dennis Taylor 18,830]

Quote

There have been at least six deer identified who were shot by someone. Four were found dead and two are still unaccounted for, TPWD said.

If they've identified the deer, why didn't they publish the names? I'm sure their families would want closure 

[Brisketexan 105,155]

Game wardens I've encountered fishing have all been cool.  We often end up talking about fishing, what's working, where they're biting, and whatnot.  Of course, I've always had a license, not been over a limit, etc.  Even had them measure a seine net we were using once with the kids, it was legal length, and we chatted about that.

Only time I had a game warden give us shit was dove hunting on some army corps land.  We get out of the truck, and he's there to check us -- checked the guns for plugs (all fine), and then checked our licenses, and started ranting at us about how all of our licenses were invalid....we just start blinking with a WTF? look.  He yells that the license clearly says PRINT your name on your tags (that you had to put your name on back then in advance), and we had all SIGNED our names (which is the way it was before then).  He then acted like he was being supercool by letting us off with a warning.

[atomheartbevo 89,730]

Wait, this thread isn't about armybrat deer hunting?

Edit: AB is not an asshole, but deer lovers might think that.

Edit2: I maybe confusing AB with somebody else that has a crossbow. I could swear he posted a photo of one not long ago.

Edited January 26, 2022 by atomheartbevo

[Brisketexan 105,155]

2 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Wait, this thread isn't about armybrat deer hunting?

Edit: AB is not an asshole, but deer lovers might think that.

Edit2: I maybe confusing AB with somebody else that has a crossbow. I could swear he posted a photo of one not long ago.

Armybrat prefers to hunt with the weapon of his childhood...

[PRONG HORN 3,146]

 

 

[4doorsMoreWhores 107]

1 hour ago, Dennis Taylor said:

If they've identified the deer, why didn't they publish the names? I'm sure their families would want closure 

HIPPA violation

[CleverNickname 1,319]

1 hour ago, Dennis Taylor said:

If they've identified the deer, why didn't they publish the names? I'm sure their families would want closure 

They said it was Doe #1, Doe #2, etc. Obviously fake names.

[Samson's Wig 3,192]

4 hours ago, crash_davis said:

this has been going on for a few months and prob over a year. i remember reading something last summer of a deer walking through the neighborhood with a arrow sticking out of it. it's NOT hunting as there is not legal hunting anywhere near where theses arrowed and darted deer are showing up. 

There is private land where hunting is legal close enough that an arrowed deer could wander back into the city.  I don't think that's what is going on here, but it has undoubtedly happened at one point or another.

It's most likely kids or homeless folks, but could be some nutbag fed up with the deer feeding dumbasses in NW Austin who think it's cool to have a bunch of disease spreading vermin wandering around because they're cute.   They need to catch whoever is doing this as it's cruel, but the enabling jackwagons who create the initial problem should also be held to task.  They never will be, so some vigilante asswipe likely decided to do something about it but isn't any good at it.

[Brisketexan 105,155]

13 minutes ago, Samson's Wig said:

There is private land where hunting is legal close enough that an arrowed deer could wander back into the city.  I don't think that's what is going on here, but it has undoubtedly happened at one point or another.

It's most likely kids or homeless folks, but could be some nutbag fed up with the deer feeding dumbasses in NW Austin who think it's cool to have a bunch of disease spreading vermin wandering around because they're cute.   They need to catch whoever is doing this as it's cruel, but the enabling jackwagons who create the initial problem should also be held to task.  They never will be, so some vigilante asswipe likely decided to do something about it but isn't any good at it.

Not any huntable land anywhere close to where this is happening.  Hunting is illegal in the city limits as far as I know, and these areas are miles from any city boundary.

That said, I remember hunting in a treestand 25 years ago where I couldn't shoot to my left because Leander high school was about 150 yards away.  That was weird, but legal (we were technically not in any city at that spot).

And I don't have a problem with the deer in the hood.  They're there.  Yeah, they can be a hazard if you're hauling ass through the hood, but maybe don't do that.  We don't feed them, but we don't mind them either.  And I'm pretty sure nobody in NW hills is coming down with a disease because some does graze in their front yard.  If they need to be thinned, then I'm fine with TWPD coming in with a professional hunter and doing what they need to do.  But in spite of their numbers, they aren't any real "problem," just an occasional nuisance.

[Biff Tannen 45,691]

16 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

And I don't have a problem with the deer in the hood.  They're there.  Yeah, they can be a hazard if you're hauling ass through the hood, but maybe don't do that.  We don't feed them, but we don't mind them either.  And I'm pretty sure nobody in NW hills is coming down with a disease because some does graze in their front yard.  If they need to be thinned, then I'm fine with TWPD coming in with a professional hunter and doing what they need to do.  But in spite of their numbers, they aren't any real "problem," just an occasional nuisance.

Yep.  I grew up there and my immediate family all still live there.  I am the rebel that moved all the way to Hyde Park.  It's still nice when I go visit the parents to see all the deer.  

It makes me laugh when I'm out hiking in a national park or something and I get excited when I see a deer.  Not sure why it feels different than NW Hills.  I guess the ones in my parent's yard are just the "locals".

[elfenix 34,310]

4 hours ago, LonghornSean said:

Seems like we've got a serial deer killer

 

knew i'd seen this before

[Samson's Wig 3,192]

Lyme disease is real and increasing in TX.  Deer spread it, along with a number of other diseases by way of ticks.  I'm not advocating culling them, even though they are without questions a nuisance, but I think the people who think they're Bambi and feed them are naive.

[HOOKEM4 5,037]

My hood went from maybe 2-3 deer to having a herd of 50+ inbred 1/2 zombie deer in the span of 10 years due to all the new folks feeding them. These aren't displaced deer from development as most all of the surrounding area has been built out for 30+ years. I am tired of seeing fucked up deer, tongues hanging out, 3 legged, sick looking degenerates on a daily basis. Somehow these idiots, no matter how much you try to explain with tpwd data, think they are saving these animals by feeding them. I am looked at as the monster for harvesting meat in the sticks but they are saints for creating the most fucked up herd I could imagine.

I would never shoot/hunt any in the hood even out of mercy, but Jesus it is sad. We need to somehow educate people about feeding, cull and sort this problem out. Hell, we now have coyotes roaming the streets during the day looking for a fucked up deer to eat.

Edited January 27, 2022 by HOOKEM4
ousux

[jimmyjazz 45,976]

5 hours ago, CleverNickname said:

I always laugh when we have to wait for the deer to clear out before we back out of the driveway so we can drive 100 miles to wait in freezing cold in a blind some drunk moron built (me) and get nothin. 

Dammit, I've been laughing for several minutes over this.  I'm not a hunter, but man, I get it.