Passport to Texas

K-9 Game Warden Ruger ready to protect and serve.

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This is Passport to Texas

Texas Game Warden, Christy Vales says her partner has a knack for sniffing out illegal items. Of course he does. After all, her partner is a K-9 police dog named Ruger.

He is a certified Peace Officer, you know he’s been commissioned. His badge number is K-9-5. All of our dogs are very high drive, they need a job. The job that we give them is to use their nose. You know it’s just a win-win for everybody.

Catch Officer Vales and Ruger in action the week of October 7 on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series on PBS.

So I got a call this morning from Sonny, the Game Warden out of Bastrop County, and he entered a property to check a group of dove hunters. Sonny felt maybe there is, there was a chance that they hid a shotgun, so, I was going to assist with Ruger to do an article search. [Christy] How’s it going Sonny? [Game Warden Sonny Alaniz] We’ve got a 13-year-old that just came out right now. He claimed that he wasn’t hunting. [Christy] How y’all doing? State Game Warden Christy Vales. So are you doing any hunting today? [Hunter] Uh, no ma’am. [Christy] Do you have a hunting license? [Hunter] No I do not. [Christy] Okay. So I’m going to get my K-9 partner out Ruger just to clear the area. What we’re going to do is if you can just go back there and just stay with Officer Alaniz and then I’m going to get my K-9 out, okay? (dog barks).

See Officers Vales and Ruger in action the week of October 7 on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series on PBS….and find out of the young man was telling the truth.

Our show receives support from RAM Trucks: Built to Serve.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Texas Game Wardens are cracking down illegal fish trade in markets after nearly 20 area fish markets and restaurants were cited for buying illegal seafood. Image: KTRK

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This is Passport to Texas

Houston has a dynamic culinary scene, where seafood is on the menu. In April, Texas Game Wardens wrapped up a two-year covert operation by issuing more than 150 citations to fish markets and restaurants in the Houston area that illegally purchased game fish from undercover officers.

Over the two year period, we approached approximately 40 businesses in the Houston area—restaurants and markets. And I think the final number was 19 purchased from us. So, about 50% purchased.

Captain Josh Koenig oversees the Game Warden’s Special Ops Criminal Investigations Division. During the two-year operation, wardens in plain clothes offered to sell more than a dozen different Texas saltwater species to seafood markets and restaurants along the upper Texas coast.

The black market fish market is definitely a global issue. The legal folks who are doing everything correct, it could put a damper on them; these illegal fish can change the market, and affect you then when you in turn go to buy fish. So, trying to slow down or stop the black market fish trade is a very high priority.

Wardens received tips from sources identifying businesses known to purchase fish under the table. They began approaching them using product seized from other cases. These covert investigations are ongoing.

That’s our show, brought to you in part by Ram Trucks…built to serve.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Texas Game Wardens

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This is Passport to Texas

Texas Parks and Wildlife is accepting nominations for its brand new Prosecutor of the Year Award. The award reflects the critical role legal professionals play in the protection of Texas woods, waters and wildlife.

Texas Game Wardens may spend months investigating and building cases against lawbreakers who kill endangered species, poach wildlife, or dump polluting chemicals in waterways. Partnership with local prosecutors ensures violators are brought to justice.

The Prosecutor of the Year Award aims to formally recognize a courtroom champion each year for exemplary efforts in prosecuting fish, wildlife, water safety, natural and cultural resource or other environmental crimes in Texas.

Nominees may include any prosecutor at the county, district, state or federal level whose action occurred during the previous two calendar years.

Nominations are due May 15 each year, and award recipients will be announced at the August meeting of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.

Nomination forms and instructions are on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website. [Find links to nomination forms and instructions on the homepage.]

That’s our show for today… Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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This is Passport to Texas

Scott McIntosh is Lead Chaplain for Texas Parks and Wildlife’s LE Division. He says game wardens reach out to him via email, text, phone calls and face-to-face.

The issues vary between family issues, stress issues, Interpersonal issues, peer-to-peer… It can be anything. And has been.

These peace officers, who refer to themselves as law enforcement off the pavement, have jobs that can put them in emotionally charged and dangerous situations.

Most of the time people that they run into are as armed, or even more armed, than they are. And so, they are trained and taught at dealing with these people. You don’t rush up on someone with a deer rifle while waving a gun.

No matter how well trained and composed they remain, exposure to daily tense situations can stay with a person; that’s why it’s good to have someone to talk to.

Although I don’t celebrate the fact that people have difficulties in life, I celebrate the fact tht they now have someone that they can call; I’m grateful that I’m that person.

Scott oversees five volunteer chaplains around the state who help game wardens who need it…to work through their difficulties.

I don’t have all the answers. But I’ve got plenty of care and love in my heart to deal with any many people as I can.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation supports our series and helps keep Texas wild with support of proud members across the state. Find out more at tpwf.org

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

A chaplain is always on duty.

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This is Passport to Texas

Scott McIntosh is a big man with a big heart. And he brought that heart with him to Texas Parks and Wildlife’s law Enforcement Division as its lead chaplain. A position that didn’t exist before July 2016.

I was sitting in my office in Orange, Texas and got a text message from a man that used to be in my congregation when I pastored here in Austin—Assistant Commander Cody Jones. And he said, ‘Have you ever thought about being chaplain for Texas Game Wardens?’ And I said, ‘Man, I didn’t know you even had those.’ And he said, ‘Well, we don’t. But we’re thinking about trying to get it going.’

Scott laughingly explained that starting a position from scratch is like flying a plane while building it. But he’s since brought on some “co-pilots and riveters.”

Right now, I have five volunteer chaplains around the state. My hope is to have at least one per region. We have nine regions, but we have eight that are geographic.

Game Wardens aren’t the only people Scott McIntosh supports in his job as a Chaplain. He goes to the sites of accidents with game wardens.

The role of a chaplain is triage. When we get there, our job is to find out, okay, what are the needs of these people.

How Chaplain McIntosh supports Game Wardens. That’s tomorrow.

That’s our show for today… Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti