Baiting field for mourning doves nets man fine, probation

GULFPORT -- A man who baited a field in Poplarville for the shooting of mourning doves has been fined $1,000 and prohibited from hunting migratory birds for a year.

Luther Ladner also will be on probation for a year for an incident that occurred in Pearl River County around Sept. 14, 2014.

He must report to a probation officer as scheduled, but after his fine is paid in full, he will be on non-reporting probation, said a judgment signed Wednesday by U.S. Magistrate Judge John Gargiulo.

The U.S. Attorney's Office charged Ladner in a bill of information filed Nov. 18. The charge is a misdemeanor.

Ladner waived the right to a trial and pleaded guilty Dec. 14, court records show.

Mourning doves are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Baiting is the placement or scattering of salt, grain or other feed to lure migratory birds to areas where hunters can shoot them. A baited area is still considered to be baited for 10 days after feed has been removed.

Mourning doves, other migratory birds and waterfowl, including ducks and geese, can be hunted legally in scheduled seasons over standing or flooded crops or natural vegetation.

The current season for hunting mourning doves and white-winged doves in South Mississippi runs through Jan. 3, according to the state Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. There is a 15-bird limit per person.

Federal regulations require hunters and landowners/managers to be familiar with related rules and laws.

This story was originally published December 24, 2015 at 2:05 PM with the headline "Baiting field for mourning doves nets man fine, probation ."