Louisiana Hunter kills endangered black bear, faces jail time and $10k in fines
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March 6, 2015
Game Warden Field Notes
March 6, 2015
ST. MARY PARISH, LA (WVUE) –A hunter killed a Louisiana black bear after he says he mistook it for a wild hog.
According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, agents received a call from a hunting group on Feb. 28 claiming that 52-year-old Richard A. Picard of New Iberia illegally shot and killed a Louisiana black bear.
According to LDWF agents, Picard was hog hunting with a group of hunters near Cypremort Point when he shot that 5-year-old, 350 pound bear with his 12-gauge shotgun. Picard claims that he thought the black bear was a wild hog.
Agents seized Picard’s shotgun and issued him a citation for killing the bear.
The Louisiana black bear is considered a threatened species and is protected under the Endangered Species Act.
According to the LDFW, killing a Louisiana black bear brings a $900-to-$950 fine and up to 120 days in jail. Picard also faces up to $10,000 in civil restitution for the replacement value of the bear.
