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ALEXANDRIA, La. — Duck hunters Brandon Nettles and Colton Nettles of Woodville, appeared before a federal judge in the Western District Court of Louisiana last Tuesday to set a bench trial date. They motioned to set July 19, 2023 at 1:30 p.m as their bench trial date and the motion was accepted according to court documents. 

The men are federally charged with one count of taking or attempting to take migratory game birds more than the daily limit and two counts of wanton waste of migratory birds according to the court docket. Brandon and Colton pleaded not guilty to the charges. 

The Nettles were first cited by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for alleged migratory bird violations on December 20, 2021, in LaSalle Parish. 

LDWF Agents cited them for taking over the daily limit of ducks, the daily limit of pintail, intentional concealment of wildlife and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. Louisiana’s daily limit of pintail ducks is one and the Nettles had allegedly harvested 12 pintails and 25 ducks in total, six ducks is the daily limit. 

Agents additionally found seven pintails which were concealed. The case was referred for federal prosecution by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in January 2022.