Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents cited three subjects for alleged alligator violations on Sept. 7 in St. Mary Parish.
Agents cited Johnny P. Templet, 64, and Patricia M. Templet, 62, both of Pierre Part, for removing alligator tags, failing to maintain required records, illegal possession of alligators or skins and intentional concealment of wildlife. Agents also cited Patricia M. Templet for failing to comply with alligator parts tagging requirements. Agents cited Ellery A. Mayon, 72, of Morgan City, for failing to tag alligator upon taking and taking more alligators than he had tags for.
Agents received information on the night of Sept. 5 about an alligator buyer that was removing alligator tags and returning them to the hunter to be used on other alligators. On the morning of Sept. 6, agents visited and questioned Patricia Templet at her place of business in Berwick about removing alligator tags and returning them to the hunter.
After questioning, agents determined that Patricia Templet acquired an 11-foot hide and nine-foot alligator hide and removed the tags and returned them to the hunter. Agents also learned that Patricia Templet did not document acquiring the hides in her records and she had the hides buried on her property.
After finding where the two alligator hides were buried, agents also found a whole seven-foot alligator decomposing on the property. Agents learned that Mayon had brought four alligators to Patricia Templet to sell, but since the seven footer on the line had drowned, she didn’t want that one and removed the tag to return to Mayon. Then the owner of the business, Johnny Templet, put it in the back of his truck and threw it into the weeds where agents discovered the alligator.
Intentional concealment of wildlife brings
