John Kennedy may not see the need for strengthening ethics for U.S. Supreme Court justices (see post immediately below this) but by God, the Dingler Wild Hog Roundup up in Bienville Parish or the Swamp Time Hog Hunt in Caldwell Parish have their standards and you better not be caught trying to short circuit their regulations lest you run the risk of a fine and jail time.
The folks in these two contests take a dim view of porcine poaching as six men have learned.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, insisting it isn’t just hamming it up, has arrested Hunter Webb, Davy Haymon and Don Pollard Jr., all of Pitkin, Colby Bushnell of Dry Creek, Trace Davis of Longville and Nathan Granger of Vinton.
The rules, which apparently are more strictly enforced by the swine society than any idea of some obscure ethics code for Supreme Court Justices, mandate that all bacon-on-the-hoof entered in the contests must be caught during the contest dates – and in Louisiana.
The six, who were declared winners of the two contests initially, are accused of catching wild hogs in Texas prior to the contests.
In a pig’s eye, contest officials are now grunting that the six hog hunters are perfidious peccary pilferers. Accused of hunting contest fraud and criminal conspiracy, Davis, Webb, Bushnell, Haymon and Pollard Jr. are also accused of violating interstate commerce and Davis is charged with obstruction of oinker justice and Webb of hunting under a suspended license.
The pig perpetrators are looking at fines of $3,000 each and up to a year in the porker, er, pokey.
Louisiana Voice 
14:214 Hunting contest fraud. Been the law since 1985. Don’t know why you are being so snarky about it and trying to tie it in to strengthening the ethic code for US Supreme Court justices. Guy got caught last month stuffing a bass with lead weights. Cheating is cheating and given the amount of prize money involved can constitute a serious fraud in fishing rodeos and other outside contests.
Hey, Gary. You kinda missed my point. I wasn’t trying to be snarky. What I was attempting to show is that even hog-hunting contests (and as you mentioned, bass tournaments) have their standards to which participants are expected – and required – to adhere even as the U.S. Supreme Court and our own junior senator resist ethics for the court. I was in no way attempt to belittle the contests or their rules because, as you pointed out, cheating is cheating.
Tom, after I posted, I found the earlier column with the stuff about SCOTUS. I agree with you and get the point. Apologies for going off half-cocked. And as far as the Judiciary goes….let’s just say that I am totally disgusted with it on both the state and federal levels for reasons too numerous to list. Not to mention my total disgust with the Celtics for not wrapping up the NBA title last night and costing me $100. Got to remember what is REALLY important!!! Gary
Gary F. LeGros, Jr. Lawyer 1217 Main St. Franklin, LA 70538 (337)519-4621 Mailing address 211 Canal St. Jeanerette, LA 70544
Go Celtics…and Red Sox (the Patriots not so much).