Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents arrested six men for allegedly committing fraud in hog hunting contests in Caldwell and Bienville parishes.
Wildlife agents received information the six allegedly won two Louisiana hunting contests by capturing wild hogs in Texas prior to the contests and entering the animals in the competitions.
Agents arrested Trace Davis, 30, of Longville; Hunter Webb, 27, of Pitkin; Colby Bushnell, 26, of Dry Creek; Davy Haymon, 35, of Pitkin; Nathan Granger, 34, of Vinton; and Don Pollard Jr., 40, of Pitkin; for hunting contest fraud and criminal conspiracy. Davis, Webb, Bushnell, Haymon, and Pollard Jr. were also arrested for violating interstate commerce. Davis was also arrested for obstruction of justice. Webb was also cited for hunting under a hunting license suspension.
The arrests come on the heels of a fishing contest fraud arrest last month stemming from a Toledo Bend tournament. The arrested man allegedly placed lead weights inside fish in attempt to win the contest.
During the hunting contest investigation, wildlife agents obtained evidence indicating the six men caught hogs in Texas to be used for the Dingler Wild Hog Roundup in Bienville Parish on February 9-10 and the Swamp Time Hog Hunt in Caldwell Parish from March 14-16.
The feral hog is an invasive species that causes severe crop and land damage throughout Louisiana. An estimated 500,000 wild hogs inhabit all 64 Louisiana parishes causing millions of dollars in damage to the state’s agriculture and natural resources.
Nathan Granger turned himself in on June 4 to the Bienville Parish Jail since he did not participate in the Caldwell Parish hog hunting contest. The five other subjects turned themselves in on June 7 at the Bienville Parish Jail and the Caldwell Parish Jail.
The rules of both hog hunting contests stipulated the hogs must be caught during the contest dates and be caught in Louisiana.
Hunting contest fraud may be punished by a fine of up to $3,000 fine and one year in jail. Criminal conspiracy carries a fine in the same manner as the offense considered by the conspirators. Violating interstate commerce brings a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail. Obstruction of justice carries up to a $10,000 fine and five years in jail. Hunting under a hunting license suspension can incur a $250 to $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail.
Even with hunters harvesting over 200,000 feral hogs each year in Louisiana, the population continues to grow.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
