Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents cited two Louisiana men for alleged Louisiana Black Bear violations in St. Mary Parish.
Agents cited Cody J. Charpentier, 31, of Glencoe, and Bailey Rogers, 21, of Youngsville, for taking and/or possessing a black bear during a closed season and intentional concealment of wildlife.
Agents received a tip that Charpentier had shot and killed a Louisiana black bear on Nov. 12, 2017 in St. Mary Parish. Charpentier and Rogers then moved the bear from the kill site six miles to a field off of Hwy. 83 near Glencoe that night.
On April 30, agents acquired a search warrant for Charpentier’s residence, handheld global positioning system (GPS) and cell phone. Agents were able to use the cell phone and GPS to track where Charpentier was on the night of Nov. 12.
Agents used the GPS and cell phone to track Charpentier’s location from the kill site to the location of a black bear skeleton and claws in the mitigation field.
Agents seized Charpentier’s 7 mm rifle in connection with the case.
Taking or possessing a black bear during a closed season and intentional concealment of wildlife each brings a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail. The men may also face up to $10,000 in civil restitution for the replacement value of the illegally taken bear.
The bear in this case is not tied to the other two illegally killed black bears that were found earlier this year in St. Mary Parish. Agents are still looking for leads for the killing of two black bears that were discovered on Feb. 14 off of Humble Canal 10 miles south of Franklin. If anyone has information about these two bears, please call the Louisiana Operation Game Thief Hotline at 1-800-442-2511 to qualify for up to a $5,500 reward.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.la.gov
