New Toulouse

Dear Tattler—

Please clarify that while “several who have gone gunning for these birds have been arrested,” no New Toulouse hunter has yet been arrested, fined, or even detained for hunting the local gros-bec out of season. Your warning is appreciated, it is possible that these penalties might apply outside of our fair district.

Please also tell your readers that the mayor is offering a reward for the report any sightings of any member of the “Conservation Commission of Louisiana.”

Individuals who are night hunting or spot lighting are requested to avoid shooting the Pic à bec d’ivoire, or Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, these birds are no longer plentiful, do not taste good, and Madame Ulysse has been earning a good income showing these birds to the professors from the north.

—The Mayor

A warning to “gros-bec” hunters was issued Wednesday by the Conservation Commission of Louisiana. Many hunters living in the vicinity of New Toulouse are under the impression that the open season for night herons or “gros-bec,” as they are more locally known, began July 15, and several who have gone gunning for these birds have been arrested.

The open season does not begin until November 1, the commission’s warning sets forth, and any found violating the game law will be liable to a fine or imprisonment.