Rayville man charged with illegal hunting

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents arrested a Rayville man for alleged deer hunting violations on Jan. 18 and 19 in Tensas Parish.

 Agents cited Robert M. Harris Jr., 31, for taking over the season limit of antlered deer, taking over the daily limit of deer and failing to comply with deer tagging requirements on Jan. 18.

 On Jan. 19, agents arrested Harris Jr. for hunting deer during illegal hours, hunting deer from a public road, hunting deer from a moving vehicle, discharging a firearm from a public road, taking over the season limit of antlered deer and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

 Agents were on patrol in Tensas Parish on the morning of Jan. 18 when they found Harris Jr. with a freshly harvested antlered deer.  During questioning, Harris Jr. admitted to harvesting two antlered deer on Jan. 16 and another antlered deer earlier in the hunting season.  He also used one of his nephew’s deer tags for one of the antlered deer he harvested on the 16.

 Agents were again on patrol in Tensas Parish on the night of Jan. 19 when they found him in possession of another freshly harvested antlered deer.  Agents were able to determine that Harris Jr. took the deer from his truck while his juvenile son and nephew were with him.  He also used his son’s tag on the deer.

 Harris Jr. was arrested and booked into the Tensas Parish Detention Center.  Agents seized a .22 rifle.

 For this area of the state, the seasonal limit of antlered deer is three and the daily limit of antlered deer is one.

 Contributing to the delinquency of a minor carries up to a $500 fine and up to six months in jail for each offense.  Hunting deer during illegal hours brings a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail.  

 Possessing over the seasonal limit of deer, possessing over the daily limit of deer, and hunting from a moving vehicle each brings a $250 to $500 fine for each offense.  

 Hunting deer from a public road and failing to comply with deer tagging requirements each carries a $100 to $350 fine and up to 60 days in jail for each offense. 

  Discharging a firearm from a public road carries up to a $50 fine and 30 days in jail.

 Harris Jr. may also face civil restitution totaling up to $5,691 for the replacement value of the illegally taken deer.