Hundreds of illegal shark fins seized at Texas restaurant

Wardens conducting a search last week at a restaurant in San Antonio, Texas, discovered 381 whole shark fins and 29.2 pounds of frozen shark fins inside a commercial freezer.

Wardens conducting a search last week at a restaurant in San Antonio, Texas, discovered 381 whole shark fins and an additional 29.2 pounds of frozen shark fins inside a commercial freezer.

Because the case is pending, Texas Game Wardens, of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, did not identify the Bexar County restaurant or its owners in a news release issued Monday.

A K-9 unit assisted in the search of the property. The fins were seized as evidence.

Texas in 2016 joined the list of U.S. states and territories to ban the sale and possession of shark fins.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Rarely seen wolverines anything but shy in trail-cam footage

Shark fin soup is considered a delicacy in some Asian communities. Shark finning entails catching sharks solely for their fins. Fishermen often toss sharks back to die a slow death after their fins have been removed.

By some estimates, more than 70 million sharks are killed annually by shark finning.

Bald eagle shot in Tennessee, prompting federal investigation

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking for the public’s help regarding the shooting of a bald eagle in Tennessee.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking for the public’s help regarding the shooting of a bald eagle in Tennessee.

The mature eagle, found on Feb. 28 alongside Ebenezer Rd. near Reagan in Henderson County, was euthanized because of its injuries.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency stated Friday that “a potential reward is being offered for information leading to the prosecution of a person or persons involved in the criminal offense.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the USFWS at 615-736-5532 or the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency at 731-423-5725.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Can you spot the rattlesnake in Arizona man’s yard?

The bald eagle has been the national bird of the United States since 1782.

Although removed from the endangered species list in 2007, bald eagles remain protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Four Texans cited for poaching alligator in Louisiana

Four men from Texas have been cited for their suspected roles in an alligator-poaching incident Sunday in Louisiana’s Assumption Parish.

Four men from Texas have been cited for their suspected roles in an alligator-poaching incident Sunday in Louisiana’s Assumption Parish.

The Louisiana Department of Fisheries and Wildlife cited the men after responding to a complaint about an alligator carcass left at a truck stop.

Agents located the alligator and discovered a bullet hole in its head. Video footage from the truck stop implicated the four men.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Rarely seen wolverines anything but shy in trail-cam video footage

The men, cited for killing an alligator out of season, were identified as Boyd Bumbera, 23, from Brookshire; Baron Vargas, 27, and Manuel Gomez, 33, from Houston, and Jesus Fajardo, 35, from Baytown.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries stated in a news release that alligator hunting in the region does not open until the last Saturday in August.

Killing an alligator during a closed season carries fines of between $400 and $950, and up to 120 days in jail. The men might also be forced to pay civil restitution totaling $375 for the “replacement value” of the alligator.

–Alligator image courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Grand Teton park motorist clocked at 132 mph during pursuit

An Idaho man was arrested Sunday after a pursuit in which he was clocked at 132 mph in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park.

An Idaho man was arrested Sunday after a pursuit in which he was clocked at 132 mph in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park.

Police radar clocked the motorist at 108 mph near the Teton Point Turnout, according to the Jackson Hole News and Guide. Police followed with lights flashing and sirens blaring, hoping the man would pull over.

But the motorist stepped on the gas and attained a speed of 132 mph while southbound near Moose Junction. (The maximum daytime speed limit on Highway 89/26/191 is 55 mph.)

Photos: Grand Teton National Park

Park spokesman CJ Adams told the News and Guide that the motorist got stuck in traffic at the Gros Ventre Roundabout and pulled over with other motorists who had pulled over to make way for police.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Yellowstone tourists spot one of park’s rarest animals

If that was an attempt to blend in and evade capture, it didn’t work.

The man, who was driving a Dodge truck, was arrested and cited for multiple offenses, including driving while under the influence, open container, driving with a suspended license, and trying to escape officers.

The man was due to appear in court Tuesday, Adams said.

Poacher nabbed with illegal snook catch despite clever ploy

A Florida angler was cited for possession of illegally caught snook that were discovered hidden beneath a false cooler insert.

A Florida fisherman was cited for possession of illegally caught snook that were discovered hidden beneath a false cooler insert.

“Think you can outsmart our officers? Think again!” My Florida Fish and Wildlife wrote Tuesday in a statement.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Injured elephant receives prosthetic brace, becomes ‘fashionista’

Law enforcement was tipped off by a concerned citizen, as anglers are required to release snook caught in Sarasota County through May 31.

“When the officer opened the lid to the cooler, all he could see were groceries,” Fish and Wildlife explained. “But, when a false insert sized to fit within the dimensions of the cooler lifted out, seven snook were in a sneaky hiding space.”

The person was issued multiple citations and “the fish were returned to the water to become food for other marine life.”

–Snook image courtesy of My Florida Fish and Wildlife

Suspected poacher caught with 2,611 pompano over the limit

A commercial fisherman in Florida has been cited for unlawful use of a gill net in a restricted area and possessing 2,611 pompano over the allowable limit.

A commercial fisherman in Florida has been cited for unlawful use of a monofilament gill net in a restricted area and possessing 2,611 pompano over the allowable limit.

Ronald Edward Birren, captain of the 48-foot vessel Legacy, was confronted by officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in federal waters, 5.5 miles south of the Pompano Endorsement Zone inside the Gulf of Mexico.

The net was aboard the boat, bristling with its catch.

The boat was escorted back to Everglades City, where FWC officers determined that the net contained 2,711 pompano. (Fishermen outside the endorsement zone are allowed up to 100 pompano as bycatch.)

The weight of the catch was nearly 4,000 pounds. Some of the fish were undersized.

Birren, 52, of Hernando Beach, was cited for possession of more than the allowable bycatch limit, and undersized pompano.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Recent catch outside Yellowstone National Park is cause for alarm

The FWC did not disclose the day Birren was cited, but in a news release issued Monday, Maj. Alberto Maza, FWC South Region B Commander, stated: “Our officers are dedicated to protecting our state and federal fishery resources. Violations such as this one highlights the importance of the work that these men and women do every day.”

Monofilament gill nets are banned in Florida state waters and restricted in federal waters. Violations pertaining to their use in state waters constitute third-degree felonies.

Man ‘not sorry’ for cutting up cedar bridge is sent to prison

A man caught cutting chunks of cedar from a logging bridge showed no remorse and now faces the consequences of his destructive actions.

A man in Washington caught cutting chunks of cedar logs from under a logging bridge with the intent of selling them on the black market showed no remorse and now faces the consequences of his destructive actions.

Troy Crandall, 63, of Forks was sentenced to 17.5 months in prison and ordered to pay $20,220 in restitution after being convicted for malicious mischief in the first degree, theft in the second degree and trafficking in stolen property in the first degree, the Jefferson County Prosecutor General announced.

In October, a hunter reported an active cedar theft taking place behind a locked Department of Natural Resources gate. When DNR officer Allan Nelson arrived at the scene, he found freshly cut cedar blocks and two men sitting in a nearby vehicle.

“The two men were cold, wet, covered in cedar saw dust, and smelled of chainsaw gas,” the Prosecutor General stated. “Officer Nelson asked the passenger what was going on, and Mr. Crandall interjected ‘this is corporate bull—; this bridge is just rotting away.’…

“Mr. Crandall stated he had lived in the area for a long time but ultimately stated he was ‘sorry, not sorry.’”

In sentencing Crandall, Judge Keith Harper said the defendant showed no remorse and no defense for the three charges.

The damage to the bridge created danger to others. Officials were forced to close the bridge, thus restricting access to a section of forest from fire fighters and search and rescue.

“He basically deconstructed a bridge,” Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Anna Phillips said, as reported in the Peninsula Daily News. “This isn’t someone who just picked up some cedar.”

Also on FTW Outdoors: Four men ordered to pay $50,000 in ‘disturbing poaching case’

“Officer Nelson has twenty plus years of law enforcement experience and it showed in the quality of his investigation,” Prosecutor James Kennedy said. “It is great to have professionals like him protecting our natural resources. This case also highlights the importance that everyone of us plays in promoting public safety. Had not the hunter called this case in, the damage might have gone unnoticed until the bridge collapsed under the weight of a passing vehicle.”

DNR officer Allan Nelson.

Crandall’s accomplice pled guilty and was sentenced as a first-time offender to 12 months of DOC community custody and ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution.

“When a person pleads or is found guilty of a felony and is sentenced in Washington State, they become labeled an offender and are monitored for a period of time by a state official,” Rhodes Legal Group in Seattle explained. “This state monitoring process is called community custody, a term that has replaced what used to be called parole.”

Phillips told the court Crandall had 15 warrants for his arrest—with one active—and a history of failing to appear in court. Harper highlighted that Salinas has had more than 90 warrants for his arrest over the last 40 years and a history of bail jumping and failure to appear in court.

“To those who get caught endangering the public and DNR staff: ‘Sorry, not sorry,’” the DNR tweeted.

Photos courtesy of Jefferson County Washington.

[listicle id=1854901]

Trophy moose poacher receives lifetime hunting ban

A Montana hunter who illegally killed a trophy-size moose in 2019 has received a lifetime ban from hunting and trapping in the state.

A Montana hunter who illegally killed a trophy-size moose in 2019 has received a lifetime ban from hunting and trapping in the state.

Shiloh Berry, 41, pleaded guilty last fall to unlawfully possessing and waste of a game animal, and hunting without a valid license. He was sentenced Friday in Broadwater County Court District.

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Berry also received a three-year fishing ban and was ordered to pay $12,100 in restitution. He also received a suspended five-year jail sentence.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Rare Yellowstone cougar sighting documented by tour company

An investigation was launched in November 2019 after Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks received a tip on its anti-poaching hotline. Wardens found the decapitated moose 17 miles east of Townsend. Nearby were “distinctive” tire and boot prints.

In April 2020, wardens were tipped off that Berry was in possession of moose antlers said to have been found at the same location. An authorized search of Berry’s premises turned up the antlers, which were an impressive 56 inches wide.

His boots and truck tires were found to have made the prints discovered at the scene. Berry confessed to killing the moose during interviews with wardens.

–Moose image courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Search on for Oregon deer poacher who ‘fled the scene’

Oregon officials are seeking help from the public in finding a poacher who “fled the scene” after killing a deer on private property and removing its head.

Oregon officials are seeking help from the public in finding a poacher who “fled the scene” after killing a deer on private property and removing its head.

State Troopers continue to investigate the incident, which occurred Dec. 9, 2021, in Lane County.

The suspect is described as being 5-foot-1 with brown hair and beard. He was driving a late 1990s white Chevrolet flatbed pickup.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife stated in a news release issued Feb. 2 that the man shot the buck close to a private residence and alongside a driveway leading to other homes.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Anglers set out for tuna, land 1,000-pound marlin

The suspect “fled the scene” on foot, and later in his truck, after he was encountered by a passerby, the ODFW explained. The man left behind the deer carcass and head, which he likely removed to keep as a trophy.

Senior Trooper Josh Wolcott and a Conservation K-9 named Buck conducted a field survey and Wolcott collected evidence. Wolcott field-dressed the carcass and the meat was donated to local charities.

“The silver lining to poaching cases like this – where we are able to locate the animal while it’s still salvageable – is that the meat is put to good use,” he said.

A $500 reward is being offered to the person who can provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect.

Anglers busted with 152 crappie over the daily limit

Authorities in Mississippi have busted two anglers in possession of 152 crappie over the limit at Enid Lake.

Apparently, a statewide daily creel limit of 30 crappie was not sufficient for two anglers at Mississippi’s Enid Lake.

Authorities on Thursday announced that after receiving a recent call regarding “suspicious activity” at the lake, an officer encountered two individuals in possession of 152 crappie over the limit.

The bust was carried out by Cpl. Brian Tallent of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. The unidentified anglers also were charged with game violations.

Enid Lake

The DWFP’s Col. Jerry Carter stated in a news release: “We would like to thank the general public for reporting game violations thereby allowing our officers to further protect our state’s wildlife resources. We would also like to thank Cpl. Brian Tallent for his work in this investigation.”

RELATED: Utah poachers killed 1,153 wild animals in 2021, ‘stealing’ from public

The world record for white crappie – 5 pounds, 3 ounces, by angler Fred Bright – was set at Enid Lake in 1957.