Celebrating 41 Years of Operation Game Thief

Operation Game Thief is Texas’ Wildlife Crime-Stoppers Program which began in 1981, offering rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction for a wildlife crime.

The program began as a result of laws passed by the 67th Legislature to help curtail poaching and is a function of the Law Enforcement division of The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

This was the results of the bust TPWD wardens made in Jefferson County. OGT helps support the efforts of game wardens to protect our resources. (TPWD Photo)

OGT is highly successful, having been responsible for the payment of over $195,000 in rewards thus far. The program is privately funded, meaning it is dependent on financial support from the public through the purchase of OGT merchandise and memberships, donations, sponsorships, and gifts.

The program is designed to pay rewards for confidential information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals and organizations for the violation of natural resource laws. OGT has enjoyed tremendous public participation in reporting potential violations. In the past six years there have been 8,130 calls for an average of 1,626 each year or almost five per day.

Other important facets of our program are outreach and education, financial support to families of game wardens lost in the line of duty, and purchase of equipment not funded by the Law Enforcement operating budget.

Our symbiotic relationship with Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens has developed a direct link for the public to engage in action to protect our diverse resources.

The ongoing and increasing profit of individuals and criminal organizations is causing great harm to our resources. The illegal taking and trafficking of shark fins, red snapper and oysters are just a few examples.

A recent important case was solved in Galveston County. Oysters were being harvested from an area considered closed. These shellfish were deemed unfit for human consumption, and had the violators not been caught, the oysters very likely would have found their way into a market for sale.

OGT is committed to leading and partnering to protect our unmatched natural and cultural resources. CCA and its passionate members have been among our strongest partners. Saltwater fishing sustains and improves our quality of life in ways that are unattainable in most other places in the world.

We will continue to operate and focus on our core values of confidentiality, service and integrity. We pledge to use CCA’s support of our program in an effective and transparent manner.

We believe conservation is a team sport. Please help us to protect our valuable resources by going to ogttx.org to make a gift or donation. We encourage you to attend one of our fundraising events which are posted on our website. As a member of our team, you can also report a violation on our confidential tip line at 800-792-GAME. Operation Game Thief is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

CCA Assistance

CCA has provided strong support in the form of equipment and financial aid since OGT began. In fact, CCA has funded over $750,000 of equipment to coastal game wardens. These funds have been used to purchase boats, 4-wheelers, night vision, video recorders, body cameras, range finders, sonar units, navigation equipment, life jackets, generators and airboat repairs to name a few.

By Danny Shaw, OGT Executive Director