Decoys add realism to duck spreads.
A West Monroe man on Sept. 19 pleaded guilty of killing a bald eagle this spring, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reported yesterday (Sept. 22).
Jeffrey M. Miles, 22, entered his guilty plea to U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Hayes for the April 4 shooting of the mature bald eagle in Franklin Parish.
LDWF agents began the investigation after finding a dead bald eagle in a drainage ditch along Camphouse Road on April 4.
After a thorough investigation and receiving tips from the public through the department’s Operation Game Thief hotline, agents cited Miles on April 22 for violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
“Getting a guilty plea in federal court proves that the investigative work our agents did was factual and sound,” LDWF’s Col. Winton Vidrine said. “Utilizing the public tips, gathering crucial evidence and interviewing suspects or people with information about this case all led to a successful conviction.”
Hayes ordered a pre-sentencing investigation, with sentencing set for Jan. 3.
Violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act brings up to a $100,000 fine and up to 12 months in jail.
