BATON ROUGE - The State Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is trying to find whoever illegally shot a flock of geese near University Lakes.

WBRZ spoke with the man who called 911, who said just after sunrise Saturday morning, he set out for a walk and stopped at Lake Erie, off East Lakeshore Drive. 

"I came outside with my daughter, and we were going to walk the dogs, and I just saw a dead goose in the water," he said.

He went to get a closer look and then noticed something else.

"I see another adult bird, another baby, that's dead. I believe I saw about six of them," he said. 

The man called authorities, and the LDWF arrived to investigate. Officials told WBRZ the person who shot the geese was in a white Volvo SUV.

On Sunday, the bodies of multiple geese were near the water.

The Louisiana Wildlife Federation confirmed that they were Canada geese.

"The Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects Canada Geese. You cannot kill, trap, or sell birds that are covered under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act unless permitted," Louisiana Wildlife Federation Executive Director Rebecca Triche said.

According to LDWF, there is a hunting season for Canada geese, but it runs from November to February, making it illegal this time of year.

The Wildlife Hospital of Louisiana says there is an increase in the number of birds, particularly geese, arriving for treatment.

"We're already up 25% in our overall caseload from last year, which was a record. We're about to have 200 more cases at this point in time from last year for total cases. The majority are birds," Hospital Director Mark Mitchell said.

The man says one of the reasons he called the authorities is how populated the area around the lake is, both with wildlife and people who enjoy nature.

"It's just unacceptable to me that people are just going to be shooting across a lake. Our kids are walking on the street. You can see at any given minute, runners, joggers, walkers, or bicyclists who are just using these lakes," he said.