Mississippi Man Cited For Drowning A Louisiana Deer

A Mississippi man has been cited and fined for allegedly drowning a deer in the Mississippi River. Authorities with Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries say they witnessed 40-year old David Hayes of Natchez drive his boat alongside a deer that was swimming in the river. The man then dropped a rope around the deer's neck and proceeded to drown the deer.

Adam Einck with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said their agents found the  man and the body of the 8 point buck lying in the front of the vessel when they approached him. Agents say the man, David Hayes,  admitted to drowning the buck in the river on the Louisiana side.

If convicted, Hayes could face several hundred dollars in fines, 90 days in jail and be forced to pay the replacement cost of the deer. The restitution figure for replacing a deer is about 2-thousand dollars.