Houston man accused of illegally hunting near Armand Bayou Nature Center

A southeast Houston man has been arrested and accused of illegally hunting in the area of a popular nature preserve.

And it turns out he has been convicted of the same crime multiple times before.

The Armand Bayou Nature Center is one of the largest urban wilderness preserves in the United States.

People of all ages go to enjoy nature and learn about conservation, where nearly 400 species live, several of them endangered.

"Our job here is to try and protect that wildlife, so it's very disconcerting to us when we hear of incidences here or in other places where folks are engaged in illegal taking of wildlife," Tim Pylate, the center's executive director, said.

Herbert Joseph Wickham is accused of illegally hunting deer and wild hogs on protected Harris County property.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, the incident, which allegedly happened in October 2023, is being investigated in the nature center area.

"The kind of high-powered rifles that it would take to do hunting here would be very, very dangerous to our residential neighbors," Pylate said, "We're very, very keen on ensuring that our neighbors stay safe and our wildlife stays safe."

Wickham was arrested, and records show he was convicted for illegal hunting in 2014, 2013, and 2012.

His bond was set at $7,500 on Tuesday, with a judge also telling him to stay away from firearms and other weapons.

Texas Parks and Wildlife said if members of the public witness a wildlife violation in progress, they should call Operation Game Thief (800-792-4263), Texas' Wildlife Crime-Stoppers Program. Operation Game Thief offers rewards to tipsters for information that leads to a wildlife crime conviction.

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