TERRELL, Texas — RW Trophy Ranch sits on 1,500 acres in the town of Terrell and also shares both Hunt and Kaufman counties. Robert Williams and his daughter Maree Lou are white-tailed deer breeders, who also run a hunting ranch.
For over a year, the Williams have been feuding with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) over possible chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the herd.
TPWD said it will have to "euthanize" the deer to mitigate exposure and spread.
Robert Williams told WFAA that during the 2021 February winter storm, they lost a few deer and mandated testing returned positive results for CWD, the neurological and reportedly fatal disease.
"It's a political disease. They're using it to put deer breeders out of business, that's my opinion," said Robert Williams.
In a March letter to Williams, TPWD identified nine white-tailed deer that are confirmed positive for chronic wasting disease. The state agency claims the rancher refused to provide pen-by-pen inventories.
"Standard practice in these circumstances is to depopulate all deer at Facility 170B," read the letter.
In that same letter to Williams, Texas Parks and Wildlife said euthanasia and postmortem disease testing are in accordance to Parks and Wildlife Code 43.953, to prevent the spread of the neurological disease.
The Williams would be financially responsible for costs associated with the operation.
"This is an unfortunate situation that TPWD takes very seriously. TPWD must respond to this matter to protect the public's resource from disease exposure," read a statement from Wildlife Division Director John Silovsky.
"We're not trying to be a boogeyman trying to put people out of business, that's not why we are here," said Dr. J Hunter Reed, the state's wildlife veterinarian with TPWD.
In late March, Robert Williams and RW Trophy Ranch had requested a temporary restraining order.
"[TPWD] plan[s] to shoot the deer in their breeding pens, causing a mass panic and the potential of stray bullets reaching Mr. Williams’ and his daughter’s homes which are on the ranch, as opposed to allowing the orderly, humane euthanizing of the deer by Mr. Williams and his family," read the March court filing.
"Defendants are acting in excess of their authority, the action they plan is nothing more than an illegal trespass, search, seizure, and taking without due process or compensation," read the March court filing.
"It's senseless to me. A disease is a disease but you've got to have knowledge before you make those kinds of decisions," said Maree Lou Williams.
The Williams have bucks and does and have 497 deer total, separated out in dozens of pens. TPWD said it offered the owner alternatives to depopulation that could have also mitigated the spread of CWD at the breeding facility.
Texas Parks and Wildlife recommended four herd plans for the facilities, which would have allowed some deer to be released after testing and implementation of control protocols.
"We've offered several alternative management options that would not include complete depopulation," said Reed.
Williams refused to agree to a herd plan and offered alternative herd plans that TPWD did not agree to.
Texas Parks and Wildlife has been held off by two temporary restraining orders and mediation has not worked.
"Their herd plans have been ridiculous. I won't sign a herd plan the way they're written," said Robert Williams.
Texas Parks and Wildlife said the infected deer could have grave impacts and Reed says the slow-growing disease will ultimately hurt the herd.
"Unfortunately, with this disease, we are left with very few options," said Reed.
The Williams are worried that the time will come for the state agency to come to their pens at night to euthanize their "pets." Maree Lou admitted to having bad dreams and not sleeping well. Robert told WFAA that states, like Louisiana and Oklahoma, have no such state agency restrictions on deer breeders to routinely test.
This fight has been going on for more than a year now. And, it appears once legal remedies run its course, things will ultimately have to come to a head.
"I haven't shed a tear yet. I'm doing all my anger trying to stop them," said Robert.