A hunter from Ellettsville out hunting in a Greene County cornfield allegedly did not have a plug/filler to prevent his pump action shotgun from holding too many shells.

Nolan W. Siniard, 21, of Ellettsville, is accused of unlawful hunting of migratory birds, a Class C misdemeanor, as a result of an investigation by Indiana Conservation Officer Greg Swanson.

ICO Swanson talked to two hunters around 11 a.m. on December 22 in a harvested corn field north of County Road 400 South and west of CR 800 West. The hunters were in the process of picking up decoys and equipment and said they did not have any luck that day but did the day before.

Both hunters had hunting licenses. One had a Federal Duck Stamp that was not signed as required by law. The other hunter, Nolan Siniard, had a valid hunting license with required migratory waterfowl stamps.

When ICO Swanson asked to check their firearms, he found Siniard was hunting with two firearms, one a single shot, 12 gauge shotgun and the other a pump action 12 gauge shotgun. Both were unloaded. Swanson asked for ammunition and they gave him three shotgun shells.

ICO Swanson put the three shells inside the magazine of the pump action shotgun which indicated it was capable of holding more than three shells.

When ICO Swanson asked if he had a plug, a filler used to prevent a shotgun from holding more than three shells, in the firearm, Siniard allegedly said he might have taken it out last season and forgot to replace it. Later he said he removed it and let someone else use the shotgun and forgot to replace it.

A summons has been sent to Siniard ordering him to appear in Greene Superior Court on February 20 for an initial hearing.