10/08/2025
Game Wardens with Texas Parks and Wildlife arrested Ethan McNeely, a 39 year old Oregon transplant, yesterday after discovering him crouched in the woods below the dam at Lake Tawakoni attempting to hunt squirrels with nothing but his bare hands and teeth.
McNeely, who insists heâs âa primal predator, not a sportsman,â argued with officers that his âGod-given claws and fangsâ exempt him from needing a hunting license. âIf I catch it with my molars, thatâs between me and Mother Nature,â he reportedly told wardens while spitting out a mouthful of bark.
Authorities were not convinced. TPWD officials say that while McNeelyâs hunting technique is unique, state law doesnât make exceptions for âwannabe cavemen.â He was booked on charges of hunting without a license and disorderly conduct after growling at the officers.
McNeely maintains heâs being persecuted. âThey can cage me,â he said, âbut theyâll never cage my inner wolf!â