Texas Game Wardens have filed 74 charges against Darrell Maguire, 55, of New Braunfels, accused of illegally killing at least 13 white-tailed bucks in Comal, Hays, and Bexar counties between fall 2024 and late summer 2025, according to a May 21, 2026, news release from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
The TPWD release states Maguire is alleged to have poached deer over an 11-month period, often shooting the animals with a crossbow from his vehicle, removing only the heads and leaving the carcasses to waste.
Details of the Charges
Comal County Game Wardens investigated the case after multiple white-tailed buck carcasses were discovered in Comal and Hays counties. Several incidents occurred in residential neighborhoods, where wardens recovered crossbow bolts from front yards and porches.
Texas Game Wardens arrested Maguire in September 2025 on wildlife and drug possession charges. During a search warrant of his residence, wardens recovered evidence linking him to multiple poaching scenes.
Investigators later determined he exceeded the annual bag limit during the 2024 hunting season, allegedly taking five white-tailed bucks over the legal limit in Bexar County. From June through September 2025, he is accused of illegally killing at least eight white-tailed bucks in residential areas across Comal and Hays counties.
.@TexasGameWarden has filed charges against a New Braunfels man accused of illegally killing at least 13 white-tailed bucks.
He allegedly shot many with a crossbow from his vehicle, removing only the heads and leaving the carcasses to waste.
DETAILS: https://t.co/NtPxoqueEb pic.twitter.com/qRDwuHfY6Y
— Texas Parks & Wildlife (@TPWDnews) May 21, 2026
Comal County lies in TPWD’s South Zone. For the 2025-2026 season, the general season ran from November 1, 2025, to January 18, 2026. Archery season was September 27 to October 31, 2025, with a special late season from January 19 to February 1, 2026.
Texas White-Tailed Deer Regulations and Penalties
Statewide bag limits allow no more than five white-tailed deer per license year, with no more than three bucks, subject to county-specific adjustments.
Texas requires hunter education certification for all hunters born on or after September 2, 1971. Youth seasons are available to licensed hunters age 16 and younger. Hunting without landowner consent, at night in many areas, or with prohibited methods also violates state law. Penalties for poaching can include fines, jail time, license suspension, and civil restitution for the value of the wildlife.
Convictions for poaching white-tailed deer in Texas carry significant penalties. Criminal violations are punishable as misdemeanors or state jail felonies, with fines ranging from $25 to $500 for Class C offenses, $200 to $2,000 for Class B offenses, and $500 to $4,000 for Class A offenses.
State jail felonies carry fines of $1,500 to $10,000 and up to two years in jail, per TPWD.
Violators also face automatic suspension or revocation of hunting licenses for up to five years and forfeiture of gear used in the offense. In addition to criminal penalties, TPWD seeks civil restitution for the value of each illegally taken deer.
Context on Poaching in Texas
Poaching cases occur despite active enforcement. Texas Game Wardens have handled large operations, such as the “Ghost Deer” investigation that resulted in approximately 1,400 charges against 24 suspects for illegal deer movement and related violations.
Texas is home to an estimated 5 million white-tailed deer, supporting annual legal harvests of roughly 837,010 animals, according to 2024-2025 TPWD Big Game Harvest Surveys. Regulated hunting generates significant economic activity through leases and related spending.
People engage in poaching for various reasons, including obtaining meat without cost or permits, pursuing trophy animals outside legal channels, or illegal commercial sale.
Regulated white-tailed deer hunting generates substantial economic activity in Texas. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, deer hunters generate an estimated $4.6 billion annually, while landowners who support deer hunting add another $5 billion, for a combined annual economic output of $9.6 billion.
Detection rates for poaching remain low nationwide, with studies estimating that only about 4% of incidents are identified, per the Boone and Crockett Club’s Poach and Pay Project.
The accused in the New Braunfels case faces court proceedings on the 74 charges.
