Wednesday, July 20, 2011
From The Lufkin Daily News
Texas Parks & Wildlife press release
AUSTIN — A Dallas man and three fishing and hunting guides from
Crockett have been charged with taking wildlife on private property
without the landowner's permission following a state game warden
investigation into the death of a 13-foot, 1-inch alligator killed in
Leon County.
Named in arrest warrants filed Tuesday were 42-year-old Levi
McCathern of Dallas, the hunter who allegedly killed the alligator, and
the three guides, Steve Barclay, 47; Sam Lovell, 56; and Ryan Burton,
21. Barclay and Lovell operate a guide business called the Gar Guys. The
four men were expected to turn themselves in Wednesday at the Leon
County Sheriff's Office in Buffalo.
State game wardens in Leon and adjoining Houston County began an
investigation when a man who owns land on the Trinity River in Leon
County reported that a large alligator had been killed on his property
without his consent on June 11. He also said a second, smaller ‘gator
was taken on his property the day before.
As part of their investigation, game wardens seized a 13 foot, 1-inch
alligator and an 8 foot, 8-inch alligator.
Taking wildlife on private property without the landowner's consent
is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $4,000,
confinement in jail up to one year or both. In addition, the Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department will seek restitution for the two alligators, an
amount likely to exceed $5,000.
The case was investigated by Game Wardens Oscar Henson and Logan
Griffin of Leon County and Zack Benge and Eddie Lear of Houston County.
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