Agents found seven hunters in possession of more than 130 birds, LDWF says
Seven men in two separate cases pleaded guilty to migratory game bird violations earlier this month for shooting over the limit of ducks on Oak Island in New Orleans East and in Venice, according to a press release from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
In the first case out of Venice, Ty Scott, 44, of Belle Chasse, Alan Yedor II, 50, of Port Sulphur, Alfred McDonald II, 42, of Bay Minette, Ala. and Kevin Simmons, 40, of Grand Bay, Ala., were each sentenced on March 3 to pay a $2,752 fine for violations of the Migratory Game Bird Treaty Act, according to the release.
Scott, McDonald and Simmons were also placed on three years of probation, with Yedor receiving four years. All probation periods stipulate no hunting, no migratory bird hunting and not entering a National Wildlife Refuge anywhere in the United States, the release states.
During the 2016-17 season, agents found the men harvested more than 90 ducks in the Venice area, and attempted to conceal their actions by creating harvest tags with false information in order to deceive enforcement agents.
In the second case out of Oak Island in New Orleans East, Cody Cefalu, 27, and Mitchell Messina, 24, both of Metairie, and Christopher Littlejohn, 23, of Kenner, were each sentenced to pay $1,500 on March 3 for violations of the Migratory Game Bird Treaty Act.
In addition, they were each placed on one year of probation during which time they will not be allowed to hunt or enter any National Wildlife Refuge or wildlife management area anywhere in the United States, according to the release.
Agents on patrol in January of 2017 heard multiple gunshots on Oak Island, where they set up surveillance and observed Cefalu, Messina and Littlejohn actively hunting ducks. After the hunt, agents found the three men in possession of 48 ducks, more than twice the daily limit, the release states.
