JULY 2021 Blues Vol 37 No. 7

TEXAS GAME WARDENS
The legislature expanded the oversight of
the Fish and Oyster Commission to include
the responsibility of managing game animals
and laws in 1907, and the agency morphed
into the Game, Fish and Oyster Commission.
By 1919, six game wardens enforced the
regulations protecting fish and game in Texas;
in the next decade, the number grew to
80.
Radios were introduced in the 1930s, a
revolutionary way for wardens to communicate
and conduct law enforcement. Most
game wardens patrolled on horseback or in
personal vehicles. They were outfitted with
their first official uniforms in 1938.
In 1946, the first game warden cadet class
graduated from a school held at Texas A&M
University. The class consisted of 17 cadets,
who studied wildlife law and more. By the
end of the 1950s, 210 game wardens were
patrolling the state.
As the commission became the Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department in 1963, life as a
game warden evolved as well. Game wardens
were assigned state patrol cars with
the comforts of automatic transmission and
air conditioning, along with firearms and
other equipment.
The 1970s ushered in a new era for game
wardens as they received peace officer
status. This new designation allowed game
wardens to enforce not only game laws, but
all state laws. They also began patrolling
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