MS Coast wildlife commissioner ticketed for baiting a field to hunt. Here’s what happened
A Biloxian who serves as a commissioner for the state’s wildlife agency has been cited for using illegal bait to hunt turkeys, but he’s the only one talking about it so far.
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks has ticketed Commissioner Leonard Bentz for illegal baiting, Bentz confirmed to the Sun Herald on Tuesday. SuperTalk Mississippi, a radio network based in Jackson, initially reported on the citation, also based on confirmation from Bentz.
While citations are generally issued in the field, Bentz was notified of his several days later. He went turkey hunting Friday at the invitation of a Holmes County property owner and brought along two guests, he said.
Bentz, who would not identify the property owner or his guests, said a DWFP conservation officer stopped them and asked about crickets used as bait on the property, but said there would be an investigation before any action was taken.
Bentz said he immediately called “the colonel,” the agency’s assistant director of law enforcement Scottie Jones.
“I said, ‘Those officers need to do exactly what they would do at any other time,’ “ Bentz told the Sun Herald, adding that he made it clear he did not want any special treatment.
Bentz said that he got a call from an officer on Monday letting him know that he would be cited. He said that he met the officer Monday night in Wiggins to get his ticket.
Governor appointed Bentz to wildlife board
Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is, so far, mum on the commissioner’s potential violation of a Mississippi law he serves to uphold. Bentz was appointed to the commission in 2021, and recently reappointed by Gov. Tate Reeves. He is awaiting confirmation of his reappointment to a five-year term, through June 2028, by the state Senate.
Bentz says he hasn’t talked to Reeves since being cited. “I’m going to take direction from the governor,” Bentz said. “ The last thing I want to do is put the governor in a bad spot. I’m going to do whatever he tells me to do.”
The owner of the Holmes County property readily admitted Friday to a conservation officer that he and his caretaker had put crickets on the land a couple of days before the hunt. The owner said he didn’t know crickets were illegal bird bait.
The property owner bought the crickets at a co-op, Bentz said. A conservation officer said that officers filmed the owner and caretakeer putting out the crickets.
Bentz said he was unaware the crickets had been put out for the hunt. The hunters had only been out for about 30 minutes Friday morning and didn’t have a chance to bag any turkeys before the conservation officer showed up.
“We’re in the woods, there’s crickets everywhere,” Bentz said. “Furthermore, I wouldn’t have known it was illegal to have crickets out. I’m learning all this now.
“It’s an unfortunate situation. I apologize for putting the officers in that situation.”
Cricket jokes coming commissioner’s way
Bentz told the Sun Herald he knew that it was illegal to hunt on a field baited with corn. Apparently, wildlife message boards have been filled with cricket jokes. Bentz said that he’s also been getting cricket jokes by text message.
“You don’t need enemies when you have friends like I have,” Bentz said.
Bentz served as a representative in the Mississippi House before becoming Public Service Commissioner for the Southern District in 2006, an elected position that he resigned in 2013 to serve as executive director of the nonprofit Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District, which is headquartered in Gulfport and covers 15 counties.
This story was originally published April 3, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
