General

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents cited 11 people for alleged turkey hunting violations during the opening weekend of the 2014 turkey hunting season.

The 11 cases were made in West Feliciana, Jackson, Vernon, Natchitoches and Tangipahoa parishes on March 22 and 23.

Agents cited Jim Bailey, 73, Mathew Lenard, 37, Jimmy Lenard, 67, and Harvey Stover, 56, all of West Monroe, for hunting turkeys over a baited area on March 22 in Jackson Parish.

Also on March 22, agents cited Mark Granger, 54, of Hackberry, for failing to comply with turkey tagging regulations in Vernon Parish.

Agents cited Brock Herring, 29, of Camden, Ark., for hunting turkeys with an unplugged gun on March 22 in Claiborne Parish.

Agents cited Jerry Green, 44, of Slagle, for hunting turkeys over a baited area and not possessing turkey tags on March 22 in Vernon Parish.

In West Feliciana Parish, agents cited Frank Gonzales, 58, of St. Francisville, for hunting turkeys over a baited area on March 22.

On March 23, agents cited Baylor Blanchard, 21, of Amite, Russel Thompson, III, 32, of Amite, and John Bel, 20, of Arcolo, for hunting turkeys over a baited area in Tangipahoa Parish.  Agents also cited Bel for hunting without a basic hunting license, without a big game license, without a turkey stamp and failing to comply with turkey tag requirements.

According to the 2014 Turkey Regulations pamphlet, no person shall hunt or take turkeys by the aid of baiting or on or over a baited area.  Hunters are not allowed to place, expose, deposit or scatter corn, wheat or other grain, salt or other feed to lure turkeys to their hunting area.

Also, turkey hunters are required to possess Louisiana basic hunting and big game licenses, Louisiana wild turkey permit and turkey tags.  In addition, shotguns capable of holding over three shells must be plugged with a one piece filler.

Hunting turkeys over a baited area and hunting without an unplugged gun each bring a $250 to $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail for each offense.  Failing to comply with turkey tagging regulations carries a $100 to $350 fine and up to 60 days in jail.  Not possessing a basic hunting license, big game license and turkey stamp brings a $50 fine and up to 15 days in jail for each offense.

Agents participating in the cases are Lt. Kenneth Balkom, Senior Agent Bryant Coburn, Sgt. Wesley Duck, Senior Agent Kurt Hatten, Senior Agent Russell Brack, Sgt. Billy Shoemaker, Senior Agent Andy Mitchell, Sgt. Eric Droddy, Senior Agent Scotty Delaney, Lt. Will Roberts, Sgt. Guy Adams, Sgt. Carl Armstrong, Sgt. Toby Miller, Senior Agent Brody Roberts and Senior Agent Lee Davis.

For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.

March 10, 2014 – The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) announced today that the reward has been increased to $20,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for shooting the two whooping cranes found in Jefferson Davis Parish on Feb. 7.

Anyone with information on this incident can contact LDWF’s Enforcement Division by calling 1-800-442-2511 or using the tip411 program.

To use the tip411 program, citizens can text LADWF and their tip to 847411 or download the "LADWF Tips" iPhone and Android app from the Apple App Store or Google Play free of charge.  CitizenObserver, the tip411 provider, uses technology that removes all identifying information before LDWF receives the text so that LDWF cannot identify the sender.

Organizations contributing to the reward fund include the Humane Society of the U.S., Dr. Ben Burton, the Louisiana Operation Game Thief Program, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation, Sara Simmonds, the Animal Welfare Institute, Operation Migration, Lake Charles Area Sportsmen, the International Crane Foundation, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Audubon Nature Institute, Zoo New England, King White, Lowry Park Zoo, Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park, San Antonio Zoo, Joe Brooks and anonymous donors.

The whooping cranes were found near the corner of Compton Road and Radio Tower Road just north of Roanoke, about five miles north of Interstate 10. One bird was already dead when found and the second crane was transported to the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge, operated on and subsequently had to be euthanized when it failed to respond to recovery efforts.

LDWF has been working to restore a wild whooping crane population in Louisiana. Fifty juvenile cranes, brought to Louisiana in four separate cohort groups, have been released at LDWF’s White Lake property near Gueydan since 2011. Prior to this incident, 33 of those birds were alive and well on the landscape in central and southwest Louisiana.  Some have been lost to predators, some to naturally occurring health problems, and five in total have been confirmed as killed or wounded by firearms.

To learn more about LDWF’s whooping crane re-population project, visit http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/wildlife/whooping-cranes.

For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents arrested a Rayne man for alleged shrimp violations on Feb. 26.

Shannon J Roche, 36, of Rayne, was booked into the Lafayette Parish Jail for 13 counts of selling shrimp without a retail seafood license, three counts of theft by fraudulent sales, and failing to maintain records.

LDWF agents first learned of Roche’s illegal methods from a number of consumers posting photos of him on social media websites and describing his illegal practices.

During the investigation into Roche’s illegal methods, agents learned that Roche allegedly purchased shrimp from a wholesale retail dealer and resold them to consumers on 13 different occasions during the months of January and February.  He additionally made three transactions to consumers whom did not receive the correct amount of shrimp purchased.  Roche also did not keep proper documentation of his sales.

Selling shrimp without a retail seafood license brings a $250 to $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail.  Theft by fraudulent sales carries up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.  Failing to maintain records brings up to a $250 to $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail.

Lt. Beau Robertson, Sgt. Justin Sonnier, Sgt. Lance Devillier, and Senior Agents David Boudreaux, Derek Logan, and Donald Murray participated in the case.

For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.