This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.
NORTHWEST REGION
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officers Faris Livesay and Kenneth Manning were on water patrol near the Pensacola Pass conducting boating safety and fisheries inspections when they observed a vessel returning from the Gulf of Mexico with three people onboard. The officers conducted a vessel shop and asked the vessel captain about fish they had caught. The captain replied he wasn't able to identify the fish. During the inspection Officer Manning located four red snapper. A Notice to Appear citation was issued for possession of red snapper during the closed season.
Lt. Dan Hahr was conducting enhanced patrol in the Escambia River Wildlife Management Area near the Mystic Springs Campground when he observed a subject drinking beer from a bottle. The subject finished the beer and then threw the bottle into the nearby woods. When Lieutenant Hahr spoke to him, he determined the individual was not yet 21 years of age. A Notice to Appear citation was issued for Possession of Alcoholic Beverages by a Person Under 21 in addition to a citation for littering.
Officers Nick Barnard and Faris Livesay were on water patrol near the Pensacola Pass conducting boating safety and fisheries inspections when they observed a vessel returning from the Gulf of Mexico with three people onboard. During the inspection, the officers located seven red snapper, three of which were undersize. A Notice to Appear citation was issued for the undersize red snapper. A written warning was issued for over the bag limit of red snapper.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officers David Jernigan and Royce Johnson worked a detail on the Escambia River for the opening of small game season. The officers checked a large number of hunters and a lot of game. During the detail, the officers issued 12 citations for violations including license violations, management area stamps, and boating violations.
Officers David Jernigan and Royce Johnson were working dove hunting when they encountered a subject hunting over a field where a corn feeder had been placed. The hunter had placed his decoy dove near the feeder and was hunting over the scattered corn. He was issued a Notice to Appear for attempting to take dove over bait.
On another field, a hunter was found to be using an unplugged shotgun and shooting five times in a row. He was issued a Notice to Appear for hunting with an unplugged shotgun.
OKALOOSA COUNTY
Officer Van Barrow was dispatched to a night hunting complaint off Steelmill Creek Road in Laurel Hill. A sheriff’s deputy had stopped a Chevrolet truck fitting the description from a witness to the shooting of a deer. When Officer Barrow arrived, he observed two individuals in the vehicle. He read the Miranda Warning to the individuals and interviewed both subjects. Officer Barrow determined the individuals used the vehicle’s headlights to disclose the presence of a doe deer, when they then shot. The doe deer, a rifle, and a shotgun were found hidden in the tall grass just off the road. Both subjects were cited for night hunting (gun and light) and the firearms were seized.
Officer Matt Webb was on vessel water patrol near the Destin Pass conducting boating safety inspections, state fisheries and Joint Enforcement Agreement duties when he observed two vessels returning from the Gulf of Mexico. During inspections of both vessels, Officer Webb determined the vessel operators had been fishing. The first operator was found to be in possession of a grossly undersize gag grouper measuring 11 inches. The second operator was found to be in possession of an undersize greater amberjack. Officer Webb cited both vessel operators for the violations.
Lt. Mark Hollinhead and Officer Van Barrow checked a cotton field after someone activated a deer depredation permit. The officers were familiar with the field and knew the crop was not being damaged by deer, knew the cotton crop had been sprayed with defoliant, and had prior knowledge of corn deposited around the field to attract deer. The officers stopped a vehicle in the field after observing a light being displayed capable of disclosing the presence of wildlife. The subjects in the vehicle were in possession of a rifle and admitted to hunting deer. An interview determined the subjects knew deer were not damaging the cotton crop, which is a violation for exercising the permit without crop damage present. The subjects were warned for the permit violation and the permit was voided.
BAY COUNTY
Officer Mike Nobles was on water patrol in East Bay when he approached a fisher who was in the process of dumping redfish overboard. Officer Nobles stopped the individual and found him in possession of three illegal redfish (two undersize and one oversize). Citations were written for the bag limit and undersize violations and a written warning issued for the oversize violation.
Regional Director Louie Roberson was on patrol with Officer Dennis Palmer in the Econfina Wildlife Management Area when they noticed tire sign going around a locked gate. Further investigation revealed a tractor stuck in a ditch. A check of the serial number could not confirm it had been stolen. Feeling otherwise, several nearby residents were contacted about the tractor and one was found to have had a tractor stolen several weeks earlier. The tractor was returned to the owner and the sheriff’s office was notified.
Officers Joe Chambers and David Brady worked the opening of small game season around East River Island in the Choctawhatchee Wildlife Management Area. Numerous hunters were checked and one citation was issued for no management area permit, several other citations were issued to fishers for not having licenses.
GULF COUNTY
Officers Scott Hoffman, Karl Hellett and Lt. Raz Castaneda arrested three hunters taking doves over a baited field. Officer Hoffman had suspicion that the field was baited and went out the night before and found bird seed spread out over the area. The next day, the officers positioned themselves to overlook the field and observed the hunters attempting to take doves. The officers checked the three individuals’ hunting licenses and bag limits and advised them of the offense. The three individuals confessed that they knew the field was baited. Citations were issued for the violation.
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Officers Lane Kinney and Larry Morris worked the opening day of small game season on the Choctawhatchee River. They checked ten vessels with 25 users and cited two for failure to present a valid hunting license and a wildlife management area permit. They also responded to a search and rescue for a lost hunter. The officers found the missing person safe on the riverbank in the area where he had been dropped off earlier.
Officer Kathy Jackson found two young men in possession of two deer in the back of their truck east of Chipley. The deer had been taken with a firearm during archery season. Further investigation revealed the deer were killed the previous night from the road right-of-way utilizing the car headlights. Officer Jackson seized the two deer and rifles as evidence. Two adult men and one juvenile are facing charges for Taking Deer at Night, Taking Deer by Illegal Method During Archery Season, Driving with a Suspended Driver License, and Shooting a Firearm from the Road Right-of-Way.
RESOURCE PROTECTION UNIT WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
GULF/LIBERTY COUNTY
Officers conducted three days of enforcement activities on the Apalachicola and Chipola Rivers during the opening of small game season. While on water patrol, they observed individuals cleaning game onboard a floating structure/houseboat at the mouth of the Chipola River. A camp inspection was conducted. The individuals were found to be in possession of cannabis onboard the structure and adjacent vessels. Also some individuals onboard did not possess a valid hunting license. Citations were issued for the cannabis and license violations.
Officers conducted a camp inspection aboard a floating structure located in Kennedy Creek off the Apalachicola River. The officers heard a shot fired the previous night in the camp area. During the inspection, they found an individual onboard the structure in possession of five black bass, four of which were undersize. The fish were returned to the river alive and the individual was cited.
JEFFERSON/MADISON COUNTY
Officers were enroute to an area where they received complaints of night hunting and trespassing when they drove up behind a tractor traveling down the road. While behind the tractor, the officers noticed a large alligator tail hanging out of the grapples that were attached to the tractor’s front end loader. A traffic stop revealed that the gator was not tagged and the individual did not possess a license to harvest the alligator. The alligator measured 11.5 feet in length. The individual was cited for Taking an American alligator.
Officers received a complaint of a deer shot at night by individuals from Georgia near the Georgia/Florida line. Subsequent investigation revealed the deer was shot about 200 yards over the line in Georgia. The officers contacted Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officers in Georgia and turned over the evidence and information collected. The DNR officers located the suspects in Quitman, Georgia. During their investigation, they determined two individuals trespassed on the complainant’s property and shot a spike buck around 8:45 p.m. Both suspects confessed to the crime and were charged by Georgia DNR for Taking Deer at Night by use of Gun and Light. Further charges are pending in Florida.
LEON COUNTY
Officers received a complaint of an area baited in Talquin Wildlife Management Area. While investigating the complaint, officers ran into a suspect going to his stand where the area was baited. The officers played along and advised the hunter they were in the area scouting for deer. The officers returned that evening to find the same individual hunting deer over the corn out of a climbing stand. They identified themselves and summoned the hunter out of the tree. After citing the hunter for hunting deer over bait, the hunter commented it had been a bad day. He stated that he ran into two hunters earlier where he likes to hunt, he had seen a bobcat in the area that was interfering with his hunt, and was being cited for hunting over the corn he had put out.
GADSDEN COUNTY
Resource patrol officers stopped at a convenience store in rural Gadsden County to purchase something to drink. When exiting the truck, an individual approached and offered to sell them saltwater fish. The suspect showed them an ice chest in his truck that contained mullet and perch. The officers agreed to buy mullet, so the suspect counted out the mullet and asked for payment. At this point, the officers identified themselves and asked him for his license. The individual could not produce the appropriate license and was cited for the violation.
FRANKLIN COUNTY
Officers were on water patrol in Ochlocknee Bay when they located three individuals harvesting shellfish in a restricted/closed area of the bay. The individuals stated they did not know the area was closed. The area in question is permanently closed and has always been closed. The individuals harvesting the shellfish have worked this area for years. The subjects were cited and several bags of shellfish were returned to the water.
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