Image: tx_ghost_deer

Twenty-four people in Texas face charges related to an illegal deer breeding program. (Image by Dennis W. Donohue)

An investigation into an illegal deer breeding program in Texas has resulted in approximately 1,400 charges against 24 people across 11 counties in the state.

According to mysanantonio.com, game wardens discovered the first violations during a traffic stop in March 2024. The wardens caught a South Texas deer breeder and his business partner attempting to smuggle seven deer from a licensed deer breeding facility in East Texas through Montgomery County to Brazoria and Duval counties, where they planned to illegally release the deer into the wild on private property.

Texas regulates the possession and movement of deer to control the spread of diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease and to ensure the health of both captive and wildlife populations. Game wardens say a white-tailed deer that leaves a breeding facility must be uniquely and permanently identified.

Breeder deer that have had their identification hidden or illegally changed or removed or that have not been properly identified are often referred to as "ghost deer."

During an investigation that started with the March 2024 incident, game wardens have discovered a larger network of suspected crime, including widespread, coordinated deer breeding violations including smuggling captive breeder deer and free-range whitetail deer between facilities and ranches, CWD testing violations, license violations and misdemeanor and felony drug charges relating to the possession and mishandling of prescribed sedation drugs classified as controlled substances.

On Thursday, August 14, Ken Schlaudt, 64, from San Antonio and Bill Bowers, 55, from San Angelo, turned themselves in on felony charges, leading to a possible conclusion in the case. Schlaudt owns four deer breeding facilities and one release site and Bowers served as the facility manager.

According to Texas officers, both men face charges of felony tampering with a governmental record for allegedly entering false information into the Texas Wildlife Information Management System to facilitate illegal smuggling of white-tailed breeder deer. They also face more than 100 misdemeanor charges related to unlawful deer breeding activities in Tom Green County.

Officials euthanized the "ghost deer" due to their unknown disease status and the risks they posed to wild deer if released into the wild. Texas Game Wardens said investigators were concerned about a heightened risk of disease exposure. However, an epidemiological investigation revealed no detection of CWD.