Two local hunters could be facing hefty fines and prison time for poaching federally protected birds. Cody Jones, Trey Hale, Billy Bob Walker and Garrett Beam — game wardens for both Marshall and Bryan Counties — in concert with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Federal Officer Chris Owens, had been investigating the illegal killing of 28 federally protected migratory birds.
The birds were on the US Army Corps of Engineers property at Lake Texoma, and sparked the investigation with the multiple agencies,
During the investigation, investigators were able to get a lead on potential suspects. This lead assisted the investigators to discern and recover the shotguns, and interview the suspects.
In a press release, Jones said the murdered birds consisted of .great blue herons, greater and lesser egrets and double crested cormorants.
The birds were killed in their roosts, their homes; meaning, theywere killed near their hatchlings.
The investigators found multiple broken eggs and empty nests, and recovered over 100 shotgun shells near the trees.
If found guilty, the suspects could face state charges of over $7,500, or federal charges over $15,000 each. They could also lose their hunting licenses.
Since this is an active, on-going investigation, the suspects names cannot be listed at the moment.