Two Louisiana Men Charged With Numerous Night Hunting Violations

   10.29.12

Two Louisiana Men Charged With Numerous Night Hunting Violations

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents cited two men for alleged night hunting violations and cruelty to animals on Oct. 27 in East Baton Rouge and East Feliciana parishes.

During the early morning hours of Oct. 27, agents received information of possible night hunting activity in the northern section of East Baton Rouge Parish. Agents investigated the area and found Ryan Stogner, 20, of Denham Springs, and Nicholas Tarver, 21, of Zachary, involved in night hunting activities.

After further investigation, agents were able to track and locate a white tail doe deer the pair had shot and killed earlier in the night off of Pride/Port Hudson Road. Agents also learned that the two men had shot and killed a personally owned malamute husky belonging to a couple in East Feliciana Parish along Hwy. 409 earlier in the night.

Agents cited the two men with two counts each for taking deer during illegal hours, taking deer from a public road, hunting from a moving vehicle, hunting without basic and big game licenses and violating deer tagging regulations in East Baton Rouge and East Feliciana parishes. Stogner was also cited for discharging a firearm from a public road in both parishes. Both men were also cited for aggravated cruelty to animals in East Feliciana Parish for killing the husky.

Agents seized one whitetail deer along with one malamute husky, a Remington .308 rifle with scope and a Q-beam spotlight.

  • Hunting or taking deer during illegal hours brings a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail for each count. Hunting or taking deer from a public road carries a $100 to $350 fine and up to 60 days in jail for each count. Hunting from a moving vehicle brings a $250 to 500 and up to 90 days in jail for each count.
  • Hunting without basic and big game licenses carries a $50 fine and up to 15 days in jail for each count.
  • Violating deer tagging regulations brings a $100 to $300 fine and up to 60 days in jail for each count. Discharging a firearm from a public road carries a $50 fine and up to 30 days in jail for each count.
  • Aggravated cruelty to animals brings a $5,000 to $25,000 fine and between one and 10 years in prison plus possible court ordered physiological evaluation.

In addition to the criminal penalties, both men are subject to pay restitution in the amount of $800 to $1,000 for the malamute husky back to the owners and $1,624.61 for the deer to the state.

Agents participating in this case were Sgt. Randy Lanoux and Lt. Will Roberts. Deputies from the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office also assisted agents in this case.

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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries – Enforcement Division(LDWF) is the fish & game regulatory agency of Louisiana. It has jurisdictionanywhere in the state, and in state territorial waters. The agency enforces both state and federal laws dealing with hunting, fishing, and boating safety. The agency also enforces criminal laws in rural areas including DWI enforcement both on highways and waterways. Most of the Department’s Wildlife Agents also carry Federal law enforcement commissions issued from the United States Department of the Interior - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and United States Department of Commerce - U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). These federal commissions allow these state officers to enforce federal migratory waterfowl laws and federal marine fisheries laws in state and federal waters off the coast of Louisiana. Besides their traditional role as a “game warden”, Louisiana Wildlife Enforcement Agents also have a number of other responsibilities, including conducting board of health inspections on some portions of the state’s commercial fishing industry. Agents are trained in and conduct numerous search and rescue operations, both in remote land areas and on the state’s waterways. Agents ensure that hunters, anglers, boaters, dealers, breeders, farmers, and transporters are in compliance with regulations governing equipment, quotas, licenses, and registrations. Agents also assist other State departments and law enforcement agencies in the coordination of educational and professional endeavors, as well as national and state emergency alerts by the Federal Office of Emergency Preparedness. In addition, agents perform search and rescue missions alone or in conjunction with other local, state, and federal agencies.

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