Hunting Guides Sentenced for Violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act

Press Release

Memphis, TN - Two men employed as hunting guides were recently sentenced for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The men were convicted for placing "bait"-grain, feed, or salt to serve as a lure-to attract waterfowl for the purpose of hunting. Reagan Fondren, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentences today.

A federal grand jury in the Western District of Tennessee indicted the following individuals on March 19, 2024, with placing bait to take or attempt to take a migratory game bird, violations of Title 16, United States Code, Sections 704(b)(2) and 707:

• Chase Michael Courville, 27, of Abbeville, Louisiana; and
• Dalton Harrison, 20, of Shelby County, Tennessee.

Violations of these statutes are punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of $100,000, or both, and forfeiture of any firearm used to hunt the waterfowl attracted by the bait.

In early December 2023, Courville and Harrison placed corn and wheat on the ground next to a small pond in a field near Rosemark, Tennessee, a rural area in northern Shelby County. In the early morning hours of December 7, 2023, special agents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service went to the pond and found Courville, Harrison, and several other people hunting waterfowl there. The agents saw corn and wheat on the ground and in the pond. By the time the agents arrived, the group had killed eight mallard ducks and a Canada goose. Both Courville and Harrison had worked as waterfowl hunting guides prior to this incident.

Courville and Harrison both pled guilty to the baiting charge. On September 6, 2024, Senior United States District Court Judge Jon Phipps McCalla sentenced Harrison to one year of probation and a fine of $7,500.00. On November 1, 2024, Judge McCalla sentenced Courville to one year of probation and a fine of $7,500.00. Courville and Harrison are prohibited from hunting or working as hunting guides during their probation. Courville and Harrison also agreed to forfeit the shotguns they were using on December 7 to the government.

"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Office of Law Enforcement strives to ensure a fair and equitable hunting experience for all members of the public while protecting waterfowl populations from unsustainable methods of harvest," said Doug Ault, the Special Agent in Charge of the Service's Southeast Region. "We take the illegal placement of bait for the hunting of migratory birds seriously, and we will continue to work closely with the United States Attorney's Office to investigate and prosecute these cases."

The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Murphy, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners for their role in the investigation.

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Updated November 13, 2024