Two hunting guides in Tennessee were recently sentenced for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act by using bait to attract waterfowl for hunting. Reagan Fondren, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentencing of Chase Michael Courville, 27, from Abbeville, Louisiana, and Dalton Harrison, 20, from Shelby County, Tennessee.
The men were indicted by a federal grand jury in the Western District of Tennessee on March 19, 2024, for placing bait to attract migratory game birds, which violates Title 16, United States Code, Sections 704(b)(2) and 707. Such violations can result in penalties including up to one year of imprisonment, a $100,000 fine, or both, as well as the forfeiture of firearms used in the illegal hunting.
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The incident occurred in early December 2023 when Courville and Harrison placed corn and wheat near a small pond in Rosemark, Tennessee, to lure waterfowl. On December 7, 2023, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents discovered the bait and found the two men and several others hunting waterfowl at the site. The group had already killed eight mallard ducks and a Canada goose.
Both Courville and Harrison pled guilty to the charges. On September 6, 2024, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Jon Phipps McCalla sentenced Harrison to one year of probation and a $7,500 fine. Courville received the same sentence on November 1, 2024. During their probation, both men are prohibited from hunting or working as hunting guides and agreed to forfeit their shotguns used on the day of the incident.
Doug Ault, Special Agent in Charge of the Southeast Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, emphasized the importance of fair hunting practices and the protection of waterfowl populations. He stated that the illegal placement of bait for hunting migratory birds is taken seriously and that the agency will continue to collaborate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute similar cases.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Murphy handling the prosecution. For more information, contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or X at @WDTNNews for updates.
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