General

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement agents cited two men for alleged migratory game bird violations in St. John Parish on Nov. 26.

Agents cited Dane Haydel, 20, of Norco, and Jack Strohmeyer, 20, of Destrehan, were each cited for taking migratory game birds during illegal hours and possession of over the legal limit of wood ducks.

Agents received a call about shooting past legal hunting hours on private property near Laplace from a land owner in the area.  When agents arrived they could hear gun shots and were able to locate the subjects hunting in a pond.

Agents then began surveillance and recorded eight separate occasions of gunshots past legal shooting hours.  When agents stopped the two subjects they were in possession of 12 wood ducks, which is six over the daily bag limit of three per person.

Hunting migratory game birds past legal shooting hours and over the daily limit of wood ducks each brings a $400 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail for each offense.

Agents seized the wood ducks and donated them to a local charity.  The men may also face civil restitution penalties totaling $140.40 for the replacement value of the illegally taken wood ducks.

Agents involved in the case are Lt. Jason Russo and Senior Agent Gary Levron.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents cited a Metairie man on Nov. 22 for allegedly shrimping in Lake Pontchartrain without his required Turtle Exclusion Device (TED).

Agents were patrolling in Lake Pontchartrain conducting a TED compliance patrol when they observed Roland Mollere Jr., 62, actively trawling in Lake Pontchartrain.  Agents made contact with Mollere to perform a license compliance check and TED inspection.

During the inspection agents discovered that Mollere’s gear was not equipped with the required TED.  Mollere was issued a citation and his net was seized in relation to the violation.

Trawling without a TED brings up to a $100 to $350 fine and up to 60 days in jail.

Shrimp trawlers in the Atlantic Area or Gulf Area need to have an approved TED installed in each net that is rigged for fishing.  However, certain exemptions to these requirements may apply (e.g. vessels without power or mechanical means of net retrieval, test trawls, skimmer and butterfly nets in compliance with tow time restrictions).

Skimmer and butterfly nets are exempt from TED use; however, federal regulations require skimmer and butterfly net fishermen to limit tow times if they do not use TEDs.  The tow time is measured from the time the cod-end of the net enters the water until it is removed from the water.  Maximum tow times are 55 minutes from April 1 – Oct. 31 and increase to 75 minutes from Nov. 1 – March 31.

Agents participating in the case are Lt. Jason Russo, Sgt. Austin Arteaga and Sgt. Chuck Strain.

With the fall and winter outdoor season underway in Louisiana, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division is reminding hunters about boating safety during the colder months of the year.

Hunting season for many people in Louisiana means utilizing boats to get to remote hunting areas often times during low visibility and in cold weather.

“The fall and winter boating season for Louisiana is a lot different than the spring and summer boating season,” said Lt. Col. Sammy Martin, the state’s boating law administrator.  “A lot of times we have duck and deer hunters leaving before dusk and navigating smaller tributaries.  The air and water temperatures are also much lower during this time of year.  Add all that up and it can put boaters in unsafe conditions if they don’t practice safe boating habits.”

LDWF is reminding all hunters about the importance of wearing a personal flotation device, having running lights on when operating at night, keeping speeds down at night and in narrower waterways, having proper lookouts and keeping a sober operator to and from their hunting location.  LDWF also recommend that hunters file a float plan with friends and family members that lets them know where they are going and when they plan to return.  Lastly, keeping a cell phone in a secure and dry place on your person could come in handy if a distress call needs to be made.

LDWF has reported 23 boating fatalities to date in 2016 for Louisiana.  In 2015, Louisiana had a total of 22 boating fatalities that included 16 fatalities at this same time last year.

As always LDWF offers free boating education classes year round.  Those interested can take either an online or classroom safe boating course.  The safe boating course is required for anybody born after Jan. 1, 1984 and operating a vessel over 10 horsepower.  For a list of boating classes please visit www.wlf.la.gov/boating.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents are investigating a fatal single boating incident in Rapides Parish that occurred on Nov. 6.

Holly A. Schnepp, 55, of Alexandria was pronounced dead on the scene after a vessel she was riding in capsized on the Red River about a quarter mile from the Curtis-Coleman Bridge.

According to the male operator, the steering handle slipped out of his hand and caused the 12 foot vessel to turn quickly ejecting them into the water shortly after 7 a.m.  Schnepp got caught under the vessel and couldn’t resurface.

After they were in the water for about 30 minutes, a tugboat crew saw them in the water and were able to recover them into a tugboat rescue vessel.  The male operator and Schnepp were then transported to the bank where Acadian Ambulance was waiting.

LDWF agents along with Pineville Fire Department, Pineville Police Department, and the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene of the Acadian Ambulance around 7:45 a.m.

Schnepp was unresponsive and pronounced dead on the bank of the river.  The male operator was conscious and brought to the Rapides Regional Hospital for minor injuries.

LDWF will be the leading investigative agency for this fatal boating incident.  Schnepp and the male operator were wearing personal flotation devices.  Schnepp’s body was turned over to the Rapides Parish Coroner’s Office to determine an official cause of death.