Louisiana Man Arrested Suspected of Hunting Contest Fraud and Other Deer Hunting Violations

Baton Rouge, Louisiana - A 35-year-old Louisiana man has been arrested and charged with violating deer hunting regulations and committing contest fraud in Grant Parish.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) stated on January 6, 2023, that on January 3, enforcement agents arrested a Georgetown, Louisiana man for alleged deer hunting violations and contest fraud in Grant Parish.

Agents cited Farrion Fletcher Jr., 35, with exceeding the seasonal deer limit, failing to comply with deer tagging requirements, and engaging in hunting contest fraud. Fletcher Jr. was additionally charged with criminal trespassing by the Grant Parish Sheriff's Office.

Agents began investigating Fletcher Jr. in early December after learning that he joined a big buck contest with an eight-point deer he harvested on December 4, 2022. Agents discovered on December 29, 2022, that Fletcher Jr. harvested the deer on property he did not have permission to be on near Pollock. He also used a tag other than his own to tag and validate the deer harvest.

During the course of the investigation, agents determined that Fletcher Jr. harvested a total of six antlered deer during the 2022-23 deer season, taking him three over the seasonal limit of three antlered deer for this location. Fletcher Jr.'s entry into the big buck contest was his fourth antlered deer for the 2022-23 deer season.

On January 3, agents apprehended Fletcher Jr. and placed him in the Grant Parish Detention Center.

Taking more deer over the seasonal limit is punishable by a $250 to $500 fine and up to 90 days in prison. Failure to tag deer might result in a $350 fine. Hunting contest fraud carries a $3,000 fine and a year in prison. Criminal trespassing is punishable by a fine of $100 to $500 and up to 30 days in prison.

Fletcher Jr. could also face civil compensation of $6,907 for the deer's replacement value.

Sgt. James Bruce and Senior Agent Ryan Durand are among the agents working on the case.