 By 1869, he was commissioned as a Deputy Sheriff.After being sent to Sonoma County in 1871 to investigate the Houx Gang, a group of Wells Fargo stage robbers, Venard played an important role in the capture of John Houx.After retiring from his career as a lawman due to advancing age and chronic rheumatism, Venard became a partner in the Detective Mine on Cement Hill in 1888.