FWC Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Report January 6, 2017 through January 12, 2017

(Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.) FWC Division of Law Enforcement   Weekly Report January 6, 2017 through January 12, 2017 This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past two weeks; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Patrol, Protect, Preserve NORTHWEST REGION CASES OKALOOSA COUNTY Officer Arnette received information that a man had killed an illegal deer well before daylight. When he went to interview the subject, he saw a deer carcass under a piece of plywood that was partially covering it. The subject was not home at the time, so Officer Arnette went to find the location where the deer was allegedly shot. He located an area along the roadway where a deer was recently killed a short distance from the subject’s residence. After confessing, he was issued a notice to appear for taking an antlerless deer out of season and taking deer before legal shooting hours. SANTA ROSA COUNTY Officers Lewis and Ramos were on patrol when they received information from Officer Hutchinson about a baited area in Blackwater Wildlife Management Area (WMA). They checked the area and found a man hunting over scattered corn concealed behind a blind made of freshly cut vegetation. The subject admitted to cutting various trees in the area to make a shooting lane and a blind. He was also hunting deer without wearing any hunter orange protective clothing. The subject was charged with hunting over bait in a WMA, failure to wear hunter orange, and cutting vegetation within a WMA. Officer Lewis was on patrol in Blackwater WMA when he saw vehicles that appeared to be setting up a perimeter in a still-hunt area. He had checked hunters the previous day that were setting up for a man-drive in the same area. Officer Lewis saw a subject standing beside a pickup truck that was parked on a paved right-of-way and saw the subject walk to the front of the pickup truck carrying a rifle. Officer Lewis explained to the subject that he could not take wildlife with a gun from the right-of-way. The man initially stated that he was unaware of the road-hunting rule, but finally admitted that he knew the law. He admitted to hunting deer and stated that he would have shot from the roadway if he saw a deer cross the road. The subject was cited accordingly. WALTON COUNTY Officers Letcher and Tison were patrolling private property for suspected trespassing when they saw a vehicle parked on the property at night. A short time later, the officers heard shots and encountered a hunter returning to his vehicle. The subject had shot at a deer at night from his tree stand. An inspection of the area revealed a motion sensor light at the subject’s feeder so he could shoot deer at night. A records check determined the subject had a prior charge for taking deer at night. While searching the area, it was determined the subject missed the deer. He was charged with attempting to take deer at night with a gun and light and for hunting without a hunting license.

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