Raceland man pleads guilty to deer hunting violations, LDWF says

Savoie sentenced for incident on Eagle Island last December

A Raceland man accused of killing two does at night last December pleaded guilty to several hunting violations last week in 17th Judicial District Court in Lafourche Parish.

According to a press release from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Eric Savoie, 37, was sentenced to $3,750 in fines, 120 days in jail suspended and forfeiture of his 7 mm rifle with scope, 12-gauge shotgun and .22 rifle in connection with the violations.

Savoie also faces up to $3,249 in civil restitution for the illegally taken deer, the release states.

After receiving complaints that Savoie had killed two does on the night of Dec. 20, 2013, agents went to his residence on Eagle Island on Christmas Day and saw him behind the house with the three loaded guns and a utility street light to shine on the deer.

Agents also discovered Savoie had placed several pounds of soybeans on the ground to attract the deer at night, according to the release.

Agents originally cited Savoie for taking deer during illegal hours, failing to tag deer, over limit of deer, taking deer illegally during an open season, hunting deer without a big game license and hunting with an unplugged shotgun.

According to the release, Savoie admitted to harvesting two antlerless deer during illegal hours on Dec. 20 and attempting to harvest more deer during illegal hours on the night of Dec. 25, 2013.