A Bienville Parish man finds himself on the wrong side of the law after the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) came down on him for several deer hunting violations. Rhett Sims, a 61-year-old Arcadia resident, was booked not only for obstruction of justice but for a slew of hunting-related offenses that spanned two parishes in Louisiana, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
It seems that Mr. Sims' appetite for deer hunting overstepped legal boundaries when on December 1, 2024, he illegally harvested an 11-point buck, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents have disclosed. Further investigation by the agents revealed that Sims did the deed while under a hunting license revocation, without a basic hunting license, a deer hunting license, or deer tags—which are all mandatory for hunting deer. And, compounding his woes, the harvested deer was left in the field on private property without the owner's permission. When another individual tried to retrieve and tag the animal for Sims, the landowner intervened, and the authorities were soon at Sims' heels.
The agents' probe didn't end with just the one deer. As they dug deeper into Sims' hunting activities, they uncovered that he illegally took home more than just one prized antlered animal. According to a report by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the transgressions stretched over a month with Sims unlawfully bagging an eight-point deer on November 12, a five-point on November 17, and another 11-point deer on November 29—all while still under license revocation.
Sims faces serious consequences. He could get fined up to $10,000 and spend five years in jail for obstruction of justice. He also has several hunting violations, like hunting after his license was revoked and exceeding the limit of three antlered deer per hunter. Additionally, he owes $7,316 in civil restitution for the illegally harvested deer. This is a major violation of wildlife conservation laws designed to protect the state's natural resources, as per the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Wildlife enforcement agents including Lt. Ryan Brasher, Sgt. Patrick Staggs, Sgt. Charles Dison, Sgt. William Holomon, Sgt. Michael Meserole, Corporal John Blalock, Corporal Evan Hoek, and Senior Agent Trace Francis have been credited for their thorough work in bringing Sims to justice. As the case moves forward, it serves as a stark reminder to hunters about the importance of respecting hunting laws and regulations—a message that Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is keen on enforcing.
