Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents federally cited three subjects for alleged duck hunting violations in Claiborne Parish on Jan. 27.
Agents cited Zachary Roden, 21, of Benton, Cade Maclin, 19, Sterlington, and Lynn McClain, 20, of Belcher, for hunting migratory game birds over a baited area. Agents also cited Roden for hunting with an unplugged shotgun.
Agents located and documented bait in the water off Liles Road near Athens and setup surveillance on the area. Agents observed the three subjects actively hunting migratory game birds over the baited area on Jan. 27 and found them in possession of one wood duck.
Hunting migratory birds over bait, being antithetical to the principles of fair chase, has been illegal since the mid-1930’s. Migratory game bird hunting regulations are controlled under the authority of the Migratory Game Bird Treaty Act of 1918.
Federal waterfowl baiting regulations apply to ducks, geese, swans, coots, and cranes and are more restrictive than baiting rules applied to doves and other migratory game birds. The definition of baiting includes, “the placing, exposing, depositing, distributing or scattering of shelled, shucked, or un-shucked corn, wheat or other grain, salt or other feed so as to constitute for such birds a lure, attraction or enticement to, on or over any area where hunters are attempting to take them.” This does not prohibit the taking of such birds over standing crops, flooded standing crops (including aquatics), flooded harvested crop lands, grain crops properly shucked on the field where grown, or grains found scattered solely as the result of normal agricultural planting or harvesting.
If bait has been present at a location where hunting is desired, it shall be deemed a baited site until 10 days after all bait has been removed from the site.
All federal cases for hunting migratory game birds over a baited area are filed with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution in Federal Court.
Agents participating in the case are Sgt. Ryan Brasher, Lt. Kenneth Balkom, Corporal Justin Greer and Agent Zachary Funderburk.
