Thursday, November 13, 2014

FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Report 11/07 - 11/13/2014

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
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FWC
Division of Law Enforcement
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Weekly Report
November 7, 2014 – November 13, 2014

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.

Patrol, Protect, Preserve


NORTHWEST REGION

ESCAMBIA COUNTY

Officer Manning checked a vessel in the early morning hours that was returning to the Shoreline Boat Ramp.  A fisheries check revealed the individual in possession of two red snapper.  Red snapper season is currently closed.  Officer Manning issued a notice to appear citation for the violation.

Over a period of several days, Officer Manning worked a baited hunting site in the Blackwater Wildlife Management Area.  While checking the site one day this week, he encountered a hunter hunting over the bait.  The hunter admitted placing the bait reportedly because he had several good bucks on camera and he wanted to keep the deer in the area.  Officer Manning issued a notice to appear citation for the violation.

Officer Cushing was on water patrol on a very busy Veterans Day. While conducting fisheries inspections at Mahogany Mill Boat Ramp, he made contact with two people on a small boat who claimed they had a big black grouper.  The two individuals were on a 17‑foot center console vessel and claimed they were fishing 50 plus miles out. Knowing that black grouper are not common in this area, Officer Cushing had to see for himself.  The inspection revealed a very large gag grouper and a large black grouper plus ten scamps. The fishermen were over their four per person grouper aggregate. The Captain stated that he must have miscounted.  A citation was issued to the Captain.

HOLMES COUNTY

Officer Yates concluded an investigation stemming from a complaint regarding the unlawful taking of deer during the 2013-2014 hunting season.  The complaint alleged that two individuals had illegally killed a buck deer at night from the highway.  After numerous interviews and leads, Officer Yates was able to file warrants on two Westville residents for taking deer at night with a gun and light and shooting from the roadway.  While serving the warrants, one of the individuals was also found to be in possession of cannabis.  Both subjects were arrested and taken to Holmes County Jail.

JACKSON COUNTY

Officers Forehand and Loyed worked several baited sites in the Chipola Wildlife Management Area that were located in the weeks prior to the opening of archery season. All three sites were baited with shelled corn and had tree stands and a hunting blind set up in close proximity. Just before sunrise, three hunters entered the area and each went to their respective stand or blind armed with a crossbow. The officers waited a short time until the sun was up and then made contact with the subjects. All three subjects were cited for hunting over a baited area in a wildlife management area.

OKALOOSA COUNTY

Officer P. Rockwell was working the Destin East and West jetties after receiving previous information and complaints that subjects were catching and keeping over sized red fish.  After checking several subjects returning from the jetties, one of the subjects advised that two males were currently still out fishing and had an oversized red fish strung up and hidden in the rocks.  Officer P. Rockwell contacted Officer Brooks who arrived to assist.  The officers conducted surveillance and waited for the subjects to return.  Upon an inspection of their back packs, Officer P. Rockwell discovered an over sized red fish that had its head and tail cut off to conceal its size limit.  The subject was charged with failure to land red drum in whole condition.

Officer Molnar concluded an investigation involving an untitled vessel anchored in Destin Harbor. The owner purchased the vessel in 2012 from a private party and had been storing it on Florida waters since the transaction date. The owner was unable to provide any proof of ownership; therefore, Monroe County FWC Investigator Brown assisted in locating the previous owner in Key West to obtain a written statement and bill of sale. Based on the circumstances of the investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for storing an untitled vessel on the waters of the state.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

OKALOOSA COUNTY

Officers J. Rockwell and C. Jarvis presented the laws & ethics portion to a Hunter Education class at Okaloosa Correctional Institute. There were 39 students in the class. The officers answered many questions about the new antler restrictions for the new Deer Management Units.


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