THE MUDDY SHIRT

 By Sgt. Remy Broussard

   Every now and then it seems that an agent can cover every square inch of a parish and not find a violation; other times it is as if everyone is knocking on the door trying to turn themselves in for something.

   This was the case one hot June afternoon.  Agent Christopher Harp and I were on patrol by vehicle in Cameron Parish.  It was one of those days that you just wish there were someone to check to break the monotony.

   As we passed by a gate coming out onto the highway, we noticed a pickup truck coming out of the marsh.  Knowing there were crab traps recently placed nearby, we wondered if the crab traps belonged to this individual.

   We pulled over to let the truck onto the roadway and as it passed us, we could see a box of crabs in the back of the truck.  We stopped the truck and identified ourselves to the driver, whom I knew from Hackberry. 

   As the driver got out of his truck we saw that he was all wet and had a good deal of mud on his shirt.  We began to ask him about how and where he had caught the crabs.  He naturally said that he had caught them on a string and with chicken for bait.  That was when we decided to count the crabs to see if he was over the recreational limit of twelve dozen crabs.   There were only about ten dozen crabs in the box, but our guts told us that something was just not right with this picture.

   After determining that he had no commercial license, we resumed our questions about the crab traps and where he was bringing the crabs. We stepped back to our truck to discuss the situation and our options.  That was when the mud stains on the shirt told us the story.

   Standing next to the subject it was just another muddy shirt.  However, when it was viewed from a distance away, the distinct pattern of hexagonal mesh wire was evident.   It wasn’t long before this “recreational” crabber was showing us where his crab traps were set in the marsh.

   Knowing this area of marsh is adjacent to the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge, I decided to get GPS readings on the trap placements.  Guess what?  Not only was the guy running traps without any commercial licenses and selling the crabs, but he was also catching the crabs off a Federal refuge!!!!

   So I guess the moral of this story is that if you’ve just gotta get muddy when you are outlawing; you had better bring a change of clothes with you.