Arnaudville man cited for poisoning coyote, vultures and possums

Taylor admits to lacing pig parts with carbofuran to improve his rabbit hunting, LDWF says

A 71-year-old Arnaudville man was cited by agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries earlier this month after admitting to lacing pig parts with a toxic pesticide and putting them out on a road in St. Martin Parish to kill coyotes and improve his rabbit hunting.

According to a press release, Laurant W. Taylor was cited for intentional concealment of wildlife, taking non-game birds illegally, taking non-game quadrupeds illegally and taking opossums illegally.

Agents started investigating Taylor earlier this spring when they received complaints about dead birds that appeared to be poisoned along Mike LeBlanc Road. They noticed pig parts spread out on the road and shoulder that were covered with a white coating, and located five dead vultures and two dead possums a short distance away, the release states.

They returned to the scene on April 4 and found three more dead vultures, two more possums and more pig parts, and on April 7 they learned the chemical coating the pig pieces was carbofuran, a toxic pesticide.

They approached Taylor with the lab results, and according to the release, he admitted to lacing the pig parts and putting them out on the road to kill coyotes on March 29.

He said the area where he spread the pig parts was where he hunted rabbits, the release states.

Taylor also admitted to finding and removing a dead coyote in the area on April 1, the release states.

Intentional concealment of wildlife brings a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail.  Illegally taking non-game quadrupeds and non-game birds each brings a $400 to $950 fine and up to 120 days for each offense, and illegally taking opossums brings a $250 to $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail, according to the release.

Taylor also faces a total of $139.28 in civil restitution for the illegally killed animals, the release states.