What started as a few gruesome discoveries on quiet Hill Country streets has turned into a sprawling poaching case. A New Braunfels man has been arrested after a multi-county investigation into headless deer carcasses found in Central Texas neighborhoods and crossbow bolts stuck in porches, authorities say. Investigators allege the killings stretched across Comal, Hays and Bexar counties and ran through much of the 2024-25 hunting cycle, rattling residents who first reported decapitated deer last summer.
According to Chron, Texas Parks and Wildlife investigators believe 55-year-old Darrell Maguire illegally killed at least 13 white-tailed bucks between the fall of 2024 and late summer 2025. Wardens told the outlet they believe he often fired from his vehicle with a crossbow, removed only the heads and left the carcasses to rot in or near residential areas. The probe widened after multiple carcasses and crossbow bolts turned up in neighborhoods, according to officials quoted by the paper.
Headless deer turning up in neighborhoods
The pattern first drew public attention last June, when state game wardens and New Braunfels police warned residents after decapitated bucks were discovered in yards and along curbs. As reported by KSAT, wardens said arrows or crossbow bolts tipped with broadheads were being used and that the missing heads were likely taken as trophies. Those early incidents prompted officials to promote the Operation Game Thief tip line and offer a reward for information leading to a conviction.
Arrest, scene evidence and drug find
Wardens arrested the suspect in September 2025 and say a search of his residence turned up evidence tying him to several of the alleged poaching scenes. Chron reports investigators also found about 5.86 grams of methamphetamine and a misdemeanor amount of marijuana during the search. Authorities have since filed a long list of hunting-related charges against the man, with the total number reaching into the dozens.
Legal stakes and penalties
Filed offenses include hunting without landowner consent, which is a state-jail felony in Texas, along with hunting from a vehicle, hunting at night and failing to retrieve and preserve meat in edible condition, according to the public reporting. Under Texas law, a state-jail felony carries a potential sentence of 180 days to two years behind bars and a possible fine of up to $10,000, per the Texas Penal Code. The meth possession allegation adds a separate layer of criminal exposure that prosecutors can pursue alongside the wildlife counts.
Investigation status and where to report tips
The case remains pending while prosecutors review the evidence and decide how to move forward. Local coverage notes that Operation Game Thief is still taking anonymous tips and that residents who saw suspicious activity last summer can call the tip line at 1-800-792-4263, per MySanAntonio and other outlets. Texas game wardens are asking anyone with photos, video or other information tied to the incidents to come forward so investigators can close out open scenes and better protect neighborhoods.
As the legal process plays out, wardens and local law enforcement say they will keep trading notes across Comal, Hays and Bexar counties, chasing down new leads in a case that has turned backyard wildlife from a Hill Country perk into a source of unease.
