Texas Game Wardens say a New Braunfels man accused of poaching deer across three Central Texas counties left behind a disturbing trail: headless buck carcasses dumped in neighborhoods, crossbow bolts lodged in front yards and porches, and at least 74 criminal charges.
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, investigators believe 55-year-old Darrell Maguire illegally killed at least 13 white-tailed bucks in Comal, Hays and Bexar counties over 11 months between the fall of 2024 and late summer 2025.
Wardens allege Maguire often used a crossbow to shoot deer from his vehicle, then removed only the heads and left the rest of the animals behind to rot.
The investigation began in June 2025 after multiple white-tailed buck carcasses were discovered in Comal and Hays counties. Several of the alleged poaching incidents happened in residential neighborhoods, where game wardens recovered crossbow bolts from front yards and porches, according to TPWD.
Texas Game Wardens arrested Maguire in September on wildlife and drug possession charges. During a search of his residence, investigators said they recovered evidence linking him to several poaching scenes.
Graphic warning: Disturbing images ahead.
As the investigation expanded, wardens alleged Maguire also exceeded Texas’ annual deer bag limit during the 2024 hunting season, illegally taking five white-tailed bucks over the legal limit in Bexar County.
From June through September 2025 alone, investigators believe Maguire illegally killed at least eight white-tailed bucks in residential areas across Comal and Hays counties.
The charges filed against Maguire include hunting without landowner consent, a state jail felony; hunting white-tailed deer at night; hunting white-tailed deer from a vehicle on a public roadway; and failing to retrieve deer and keep the meat in edible condition.
He also faces felony methamphetamine possession charges after wardens allegedly found 5.86 grams of methamphetamine, along with a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge and several additional Parks and Wildlife Code violations.
The case remains pending.