Found Oct. 8 with shotgun slug in the head, LDWF says
Agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are looking for leads on an illegally killed black bear found in Avoyelles Parish on Oct. 8, according to a press release.
A citizen found the bear laying in the woods a couple of miles south of the Grassy Lake Wildlife Management Area and alerted authorities.
According to the release, a necropsy revealed the bear had been dead about five or six days, and had been shot in the head with a shotgun slug.
Agents also located an arrow where the bear was found, and believe it may have been shot with the arrow first.
A cash reward totaling up to $8,000 is being offered to anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons involved in the killing of the bear, the release states.
Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to call the Louisiana Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511. You can also text your tip to 847411 via the Tip411 program, or download the “LADWF Tips” app available free of charge.
Tipsters can remain anonymous, and both the hotline and Tip411 program are monitored 24 hours a day.
The Louisiana black bear has been listed on the Federal Threatened and Endangered Species List since 1992, the release states.
Citizens are reminded that killing a Louisiana black bear is a violation of both state law and the federal Endangered Species Act. Violators are subject to penalties of up to $50,000 and six months in jail. In addition, a restitution fine of $10,000 for the bear may be imposed on anyone convicted of killing a black bear in Louisiana.
With the number of interactions between bears and hunters on the rise, LDWF encourages hunters to carry bear spray, according to the release.
