Two individuals in Beauregard Parish have found themselves on the wrong side of the law, cited by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents for turkey hunting violations. According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries statement, Chad Cole, 48, and Konner Seal, 24, were caught up in the legal snare on April 17.
Cole is facing serious charges for breaking several hunting laws. He hunted turkeys without a license or the proper tags, went over the daily limit, and used someone else’s tags. Seal got in trouble too, for letting Cole use his tags. The case started after a complaint about someone taking too many turkeys near Sugartown. When officers questioned him, Cole admitted to taking two turkeys in one day, as reported by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Enforcement agents Sgt. Devin Bryant and Corporal Michael Darbonne confirmed that Cole did not have a turkey hunting license nor his own turkey tags when they seized the two illegally taken birds. The laws in Louisiana are clear: each of the offenses carries a maximum fine of $350, while overshooting the daily limit could add to the tally, costing a perpetrator anywhere from $250 to $500 and up to 90 days in jail, as per the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Beyond the fines and potential jail time, Chad Cole faces a hefty tab in civil restitution. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has put the replacement value of the illegally harvested turkeys at $3,079. Such figures stand testament to the seriousness with which the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries treats wildlife conservation, always ready to rigorously ensure that hunters frequently do comply with regulations designed to preserve Louisiana's natural heritage.
