Teens accused of illegally killing deer

HORSESHOE BAY, Texas (KXAN) - Three Hill Country teenagers were caught killing a deer from a public road and then abandoning the body. Horseshoe Bay police officers pulled over Tanner Shaffer, 17, of Marble Falls and Zach Schoch, 17, of Oak Ridge the night of Nov. 5. The recently removed head of a buck Whitetail deer was discovered in the bed of their truck, along with an assortment of bows and arrows.

Game warden Kevin Webb was called to the scene to question the two teenagers. The teens lead him to the scene of the kill. Webb found the remains of a deer that had been poached and abandoned. Webb later determined another 16-year-old boy was also involved in the kill.

"This particular vehicle had been suspected of similar activities and we have been watching for it for several weeks prior to this incident," said Horseshoe Bay Police Chief Bill Lane.

Shaffer and Schoch have both been charged with hunting from a public road and wasting game.
The current restitution rate for the specific deer killed in this incident is $3,000. The rate can be as high as $10,000 for larger animals. All three teenagers are scheduled to appear before a judge for adjudication.