December 12, 2013
By PH Online Editors
Choosing to break game laws is bad enough in itself. Having to call for help from the people paid to enforce said game laws after you've flipped your boat is even worse.
Nevertheless, that's exactly what happened to a Louisiana couple, Mark and Michelle Tarver, who were out hunting ducks illegally when they found themselves stranded and forced to call for help.
According to The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune, the Tarvers were paddling their canoe into Bayou Nezpique — which is closed to hunters along with the rest of the state's Coastal Zone — when they lost control in some fast-moving water.
After being ejected from their canoe, the two swam to shore. Unable to climb the bluff, however, the two remained halfway in the chilly waters. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents were sent out after receiving a 911 call and rescued the couple, who were treated for severe hypothermia and sent to a nearby hospital — but not before admitting they'd already harvested a couple quackers.
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Granted, we're happy the Tarvers made it out alive, but we certainly believe there's a lesson to be learned here — if an area is closed to hunters, it's probably best to stay out. For calling for help from the agents paid to protect the wildlife you're illegally pursuing, we at Petersen's Hunting award the Tarvers the prestigious "Little Help?" Award.
