On March 10, 2020, former Mississippi State University baseball star Jake Mangum announced the release of his new camouflage HAWK2 metal bat in a promotional video posted to Twitter.
“Whether you’ve got a rifle in your hand or you’ve got a bow in your hand or a baseball bat in your hand, that ‘hunt’ mindset … you’re going up there to do damage,” Mangum said in the advertisement.
Mangum certainly did some damage Jan. 22, when he was cited for three different violations during a Clay County duck hunting trip.
Mangum, former MSU pitcher JT Ginn and a third man — 47-year-old Andrew Bounds of Slidell, Louisiana — were busted for illegally baiting ducks off of Lake Grove Road in the Una community.
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks officials found milo (sorghum) seeds throughout the duck blind where the trio had been shooting, evidence of the illegal baiting. Federal regulations prohibit hunting waterfowl “by the aid of baiting or on or over any baited area where you know or reasonably should know that the area is or has been baited.”
The officers confiscated 18 ducks from the trio, ruling the birds had been shot illegally.
Mangum and Ginn lacked the necessary stamps to duck hunt legally, and Bounds’ hunting license had been revoked due to unpaid fines.
Mangum was fined $684, including court costs. He was charged with the lack of a federal duck stamp as well as for unlawful possession of game and illegal baiting.
Ginn was cited as a nonresident lacking a waterfowl stamp as well as the latter two charges. His fines totaled $734. In addition to baiting and illegal possession, Bounds was charged with hunting without a valid license. His fines added up to $779.
Mangum told The Dispatch on Tuesday night the fines had been paid.
Now in the Miami Marlins organization, Mangum played for MSU from 2016 to 2019 and was a three-time all-American and a three-time all-Southeastern Conference selection. He ended his career as the SEC’s all-time hit leader.
Ginn, who pitched for the Bulldogs in 2019 and 2020, is currently in the minor leagues with the Oakland Athletics. Both players were original draft picks of the New York Mets.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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