A Farmerville man, identified as Jeffry L. Page, 48, faced arrest for multiple violations, including illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and illicit hunting practices in Union Parish, as per Saturday's bust by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents. The arrest followed surveillance of Loch Lomond Drive in the parish, where Page was seen equipped for hunting well past the legal hours, according to an LDWF report.
Surveillance agents, patrolling the area, observed Page around 9 p.m. navigating with a flashlight. Donning full camouflage, the suspect was seen using a climbing deer stand, ascending approximately 10 feet up a highline pole, in a pursuit clearly out of sync with the designated hunting timeframe. Carrying hunting equipment and weapons prohibited for a felon, the agents decided to make their move and approached Page.
Upon questioning by agents, the 48-year-old, armed with both a .22 caliber rimfire revolver and rifle, confessed to hunting deer. The inventory of his gear also included items such as rattling deer antlers, a deer call, deer scent, and a headlamp. Senior agents Mollyann Moore and Caleb Kennedy, along with Sgt. Tyler Wheeler discovered Page was already on the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office's radar with an active warrant for criminal trespassing, exacerbating his legal troubles.
The penal consequences for these infractions are hefty, including fines and potential jail time. Caught in the act armed with illegal firearms, hunting during off-limits hours using non-permitted weapons, and even criminal trespassing compound Page's legal woes. Specifically, illegal firearm possession by a convicted felon can attract a fine between $1,000 to $5,000 and 10 to 20 years of jail, while hunting deer during prohibited times and with unallowed weapons entails fines and possible jail time, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Following the arrest, Page was booked into the Union Parish Jail. If convicted for these offenses, his transgressions in the wild may lead Page into a far more constrictive habitat behind bars, away from the backcountry freedom he once illicitly roamed.
