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Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Report
Patrol, Protect, Preserve
December 14, 2018 through January 3, 2018
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.
NORTHWEST REGION
CASES
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officer Land was conducting resource inspections on the Escambia River. He encountered a group of subjects who were duck hunting. Officer Land began checking each subject’s firearm to ensure it was only capable of holding three shells. One of the subjects informed Officer Land that his shotgun did not have a plug in it. Officer Land inspected the firearm and found that it could hold more than three shells. It is not legal to use a firearm capable of holding more than three shells to take migratory birds. The appropriate action was taken for the violation.
Officers Allgood and Jackson located a baited site on Escambia River Wildlife Management area. Officer Allgood continued to monitor the baited site for several days. Officers Allgood and Hutchinson along with K9 Zara saw a boat parked near the baited stand. The officers approached the subject and after a short interview, the subject admitted to placing food attractant in the management area. The subject was issued a resource citation for placing bait in the Wildlife Management Area.
Officer Allgood was on water patrol working duck hunting on the Escambia River. He saw a group of duck hunters and conducted a resource inspection after the hunt was over. During the inspection, Officer Allgood found one of the subject’s shotgun was unplugged and could hold more than three shells. Officer Allgood issued the group several citations to include hunting waterfowl with a shotgun capable of holding more than three rounds and multiple license violations.
Officer Allgood was on water patrol on the Escambia River working duck hunting. He conducted a resource inspection on a group of duck hunters. The inspection revealed that a subject had taken four wood ducks using lead shot. Officer Allgood issued a resource citation to the subject for taking ducks with lead shot.
Officer Allgood checked a mullet harvester underneath the Highway 90 Bridge in Milton. During his inspection of his fish and fishing license, Officer Allgood smelled a strong odor of cannabis coming from the subject’s bag located next to him. The officer explained he smelled cannabis and asked the man where it was. The man admitted to having cannabis in the bag. During the inspection of the bag, Officer Allgood found cannabis, methamphetamine, a metal pipe with residue in it, another metal pipe and a small digital scale. The subject was placed under arrest and transported and booked in the Santa Rosa Jail.
Officer Cushing was working the Escambia River WMA at location known to be frequented by duck hunters. After legal shooting hours expired, he heard 18 shotgun shots from a group of subjects. Officer Cushing waited until they returned to land and questioned the two subjects about legal waterfowl shooting hours. Both subjects admitted to shooting after hours. In addition, one of the subjects was using an unplugged shotgun. The appropriate state citations were issued.
Officers Cushing and Clark conducted a fisheries inspection of a recreational fishing vessel returning through the Pensacola Pass. Officer Clark discovered several closed season gray triggerfish in the vessel’s cooler. Officer Clark documented the state violations accordingly.
FEDERAL WATERS
Officers Cushing and Clark were on patrol aboard the NW FINCAT in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. During one inspection, Officer Clark discovered two one-gallon bags of reef fish fillets on ice with some skin still attached. Individuals onboard indicated that they were vermillion snapper, grouper and greater amberjack. Reef fish must be landed in whole condition and greater amberjack is currently closed to harvest. The appropriate federal violations were issued.
CALHOUN COUNTY
Officer Hayes was working night hunting when he saw an SUV driving slowly with a spotlight being shined out of the passenger window illuminating a farm field. He conducted a traffic stop and found two subjects in possession of two .22 caliber rifles. The rear portion of the SUV was also lined with a tarp. Both subjects admitted that they were looking for deer. Both subjects were cited for night hunting and both rifles were seized as evidence.
Officers Hayes, Baber and Gerber were working night hunting when a truck drove by shining a farm field. The officers stopped the truck and found two subjects in possession of a 30-06 rifle. Both subjects were cited for night hunting and the rifle and light were seized as evidence.
Officer Baber was conducting surveillance of farm fields at night when he saw a truck drive slowly by with a light being displayed over the farm field. He conducted a traffic stop and found the truck to be occupied by three subjects. Inside the truck he located two loaded rifles. All three subjects admitted to trying to kill deer. All three were cited for night hunting. Both rifles and the spotlight were seized as evidence.
JACKSON COUNTY
Officer Scott was on patrol along a county road when he saw a truck backed up along the side of the roadway. He turned around as the truck pulled away and saw three deer carcasses dumped where the truck had been parked. He initiated a traffic stop and the driver admitted to dumping the carcasses. The subject was cited for dumping in an amount exceeding 15 pounds.
FRANKLIN COUNTY
Officers Kossey and Travis were working night hunting in the Tate’s Hell Wildlife Management Area. They saw a subject shining a light into the woods. They stopped the subject and found a loaded 12-gauge shotgun in the passenger seat. The subject was cited, and the gun and light seized as evidence.
Officers Swindell and Sauls responded to a complaint of subjects duck hunting in St. George Island State Park. They arrived on scene and watched the subjects shoot multiple times. They contacted the subjects and issued citations for hunting in the State Park and multiple warnings.
LEON COUNTY
Officers Korade and Pekerol were on water patrol in Leon County on Lake Iamonia working opening of waterfowl season. They observed three subjects hunting from a permanent blind and contacted them as they were leaving the area. After conducting the investigation, Officers Korade and Pekerol cited all three subjects for hunting from a permanent duck blind on Lake Iamonia.
LIBERTY COUNTY
Officer Richardson was on land patrol in Liberty County when he received a call to assist Major Duval with a hunting violation Off Highway 67 in Liberty County. While enroute Officer Richardson heard radio communications between Major Duval and the Tallahassee Regional Communication Center and learned that a subject had taken an illegal deer. Officer Richardson arrived and saw a group of subjects standing in front of Major Duval’s vehicle and a deer in the back of the Major’s truck. Major Duval told Officer Richardson that he was holding the subjects until he arrived. Officer Richardson examined the deer and confirmed it was an illegal deer. The deer had two main beams that did not have any forks or splits. Officer Richardson issued the appropriate citation to the subject.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Land witnessed a pickup truck transporting a large quantity of used tires on the highway. The vehicle was not displaying the proper decal to transport more than 25 waste tires. Officer Land conducted a traffic stop to address the violation. There were three individuals in the vehicle. The driver did not possess the required permit to haul more than 25 waste tires, he was driving with a suspended driver’s license and he was in possession of drug paraphernalia. The two passengers both had warrants out of Okaloosa County. The appropriate actions were taken to address the violations.
While on patrol during the recent archery season on Eglin WMA, Officer Jones found a baited hunting site. After checking the area for several days without contact with the subject, he seized all hunting equipment at the site as evidence. After an investigation Officer Jones was able to identify the owner of the hunting equipment and was able to file charges for placing bait on a wildlife management area.
Officer Mullins was on water patrol on the Escambia River working duck hunting. He heard several shots that were after the legal hunting hours. The officer located four subjects who admitted to shooting after hours. Upon inspection Officer Mullins discovered one of the subjects with an unplugged shotgun, and another hunting with no valid hunting license. Officer Mullins issued the appropriate citations and warnings.
WAKULLA COUNTY
Officer Hughes was on water patrol near Goose Creek Bay just east of Live Oak Island. He conducted a resource inspection on three subjects sitting in their duck blind with decoys deployed. After completing the inspection, Officer Hughes addressed their location chosen to hunt. The investigation concluded with Officer Hughes citing two of the subjects for hunting waterfowl in an area of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge that prohibits this activity.
Officer Gerber received a trespass complaint for Deseret Cattle and Timber property. Fresh blood was found in the middle of the road and drag sign. A trail camera was also stolen nearby. A subject was established and interviewed at a camp. Officer Gerber located a trail camera in the vehicle that did not belong to the subject and a cooler full of fresh deer meat that could not be explained. The subject had recently washed the back of his rental vehicle, but a small spot of deer hair and blood was located. Blood samples were taken from the vehicle and roadway and submitted to the lab for DNA testing. A few days later, the Gulf County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance with a subject that had been arrested and was in possession of two large bucks in the bed of a rental truck. The subject was interviewed by Officer Gerber and Lieutenant Guy. The subject was the same subject from the earlier investigation. He admitted to night hunting the two bucks while trespassing. The subject got his vehicle stuck on private property while trying to gut the deer. He broke into a nearby home and stole multiple firearms and a tractor to get his truck unstuck. When returning to the home to retrieve a set of keys he dropped, the Sheriff’s Office was waiting on him after he was spotted by the home owner driving his stolen tractor. During his custodial interrogation, he also admitted to trespassing and night hunting on Deseret property from the previous violation and the deer meat from the cooler was in fact the same deer that produced the blood and hair found in the roadway and the bed of his rental truck. Multiple felony and misdemeanor charges were filed in Bay and Gulf County for armed trespass, night hunting, grand theft, armed burglary and taking wildlife with rim-fire rifle. A rifle and headlamp as well as the deer were seized. The subject was booked into the Gulf County Jail.
OKALOOSA COUNTY
Officer Corbin was on land patrol when he received a complaint reference an unregistered vessel being docked at a marina without permission. He met with the dock master and was able to confirm the identity of the owner of the vessel. Officer Corbin located the owner in Fort Walton Beach. When asked, the individual stated he had purchased the sailboat 3 years ago but never titled the vessel in his name. The owner located the vessel title and provided it to the officer. The vessel owner was cited and issued a notice to appear citation for failure to transfer vessel title in his name within 30 days of purchase.
Officer Corbin was on land patrol when he received a complaint from United States Coast Guard Station Destin (USCG) of a sailboat that had sank in Boggy Bayou. The officer located the sailboat and confirmed it was 90 percent submerged with only part of the bow sticking out of the water. The portion of the bow sticking out of the water displayed a Florida registration number. By Florida statue, the sailboat is in derelict condition. Also, it is a navigational hazard. Officer Corbin identified the vessel owner. The vessel owner is residing out of state. The officer was able to secure an arrest warrant.
WALTON COUNTY
Lieutenant Hollinhead patrolled an area of private property after hearing a rifle shot just after daylight. A subject was later seen at a residence standing at the rear of his truck as if he was preparing to process a deer. The subject acted suspicious when Lieutenant Hollinhead contacted him and stated he had not been hunting although he had deer hair on his coat. When questioned about the deer hair he stated his brother gave him a deer. The deer was in the back of the subject’s truck and was a legal buck. Lieutenant Hollinhead left the residence and tracked the subject’s vehicle tire sign to private property where he drove his vehicle around a locked gate onto posted private property. An area on the private property was later located where the subject had parked, hunted, and killed a deer. Once the subject learned what had been located he admitted to killing the deer on the property without permission. The landowner was later contacted and requested that the subject be cited for trespassing due to ongoing trespass problems he has had in the past. Trespass charges will be direct filed.
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