UNETHICAL HUNTING DOES NOT PAY

“Hunter Pays Big Fine and Loses Hunting Rights”

By Sgt. Jubal Marceaux

 

Hunting in Louisiana is definitely one of the great thrills and special privileges the state offers, especially for fathers and sons.  However, it seems like there will always be those hunters who try to take short cuts to get the game, no matter how unlawful or inappropriate it may be.  As is the case that was made back in January by Sr. Agent Jeorge Briolo and me.

We were traveling by vehicle while on patrol near Forked Island.  We observed two subjects in a field walking toward geese that were shot and apparently down.  We stopped our truck and headed in the direction of the subjects and the downed geese.  Upon arrival, we observed eight geese, six dead and two wounded.  On closer inspection, we discovered that they were Speckle Belly geese.  We approached the subjects and identified them as a father and his eleven-year-old son.  We questioned the father as to if he was aware of the limit on these geese and he stated that he knew it was only two.  We asked the father from what point were they shooting and he pointed to a ditch beside the highway.  We inspected the muddy area around the ditch and could not find any footprints.  At this time, we read him his Miranda rights.  He then stated that he had shot the geese from his vehicle on the highway and had used both lead and buckshot.  The adult was cited for using lead shot in areas designated as steel shot only, possession of over the limit of Speckle Belly geese, hunting migratory birds from a vehicle, and hunting from a public road.

The subject appeared in Federal court and was fined $1510 for taking over the limit of geese, $260 for using lead shot in an area designated as steel shot only, and $260 for hunting migratory birds from a moving vehicle.  His fines totaled $2030 and he was placed on one year probation with the stipulation of no hunting privileges while on probation.

We tried to impress that these practices are unlawful and very costly.  They are not in the true spirit of good sportsmanship and should not continue.  We can only hope that this hunter learned his lesson, but most importantly that his son has learned not to carry these practices into the next generation of hunters.