SAN ANTONIO – Residents on the city's North Side said they're worried and saddened by deer poaching in their neighborhood.
Kimberly Waters, who lives in a neighborhood near Highway 281 and Loop 1604, said eight large bucks have been found decapitated over the past two months, including three in the past week.
"These deer have been here for years and years and years," Waters said. "The neighborhood is a well-kept secret."
KSAT 12 News agreed not to reveal the specific location of the neighborhood after Waters and other residents said doing so may lead to more poaching.
"The people that are coming in here are doing this are doing this for money," Waters said. "They are cruel. They're taking only big bucks which there are very, very few of. And they're cutting the heads off and leaving the bodies in our yards."
A Texas Parks and Wildlife spokesperson said the deer are being poached at night for their antlers.
Waters said poaching puts the neighborhood children at risk of having their feet sliced open from arrow remnants.
"It's very dangerous, very dangerous," Waters said. "Kids go out to play in their yard with no shoes on and they step on mechanical blades."
Waters said there are signs posted throughout the neighborhood that say poaching is prohibited. But Karen Volmer, a resident, said it's obviously not deterring some poachers.
Volmer said she was eating breakfast one morning and couldn't believe what she saw outside her window.
"A large buck was walking by and he had an arrow through his neck," Volmer said. "It's very sad. It's very disturbing that people actually do that."
Waters said there are at least three agencies investigating the poaching.