FWC DIVISION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WEEKLY REPORT January 27 – February 2, 2012

FWC

DIVISION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT

WEEKLY REPORT

January 27 – February 2, 2012

 

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

 

A landowner complaint was received regarding several individuals attempting to shoot a deer at night. The landowner provided a vehicle tag number. Lieutenants Brian Lambert and Dan Hahr responded to the address where the tag was registered, and interviewed three individuals. All three subjects confessed to attempting to take a large buck. The individuals were legally shining, but upon observing deer, they returned home and got a gun. The gun and light were seized and the three subjects were issued notice to appear citations for attempting to take a deer at night with a gun and light.

 

Officer Ben Pineda was working an ongoing night hunting complaint on a field in the Bratt area. He observed an individual working a light on the field where deer were present. Officer Pineda stopped the vehicle and discovered a loaded rifle and a spotlight. A computer check revealed the operator’s driver license was suspended. Additionally, the individual was arrested a year ago for night hunting and his hunting license was suspended for three years. The subject was cited for driving with a suspended license and a notice to appear citation was issued for attempting to take deer at night using a gun and light. The rifle and spotlight were seized during the arrest.

 

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

 

Lt. Dan Hahr checked a man who killed an antlerless deer on a deer depredation permit. The inspection determined that the deer was killed in an area not covered by the permit, an area where no depredation was occurring. The subject was issued a notice to appear for violation of a deer depredation permit.

 

SANTA ROSA COUNTY COPS

 

Officers Royce Johnson, Joe Murphy, Steve Hoomes, David Jernigan, Reserve Officer Lila Wise, and Captain Mary Sumner, together with FWC Wildlife and Fisheries staff, worked the first weekend of the annual mobility impaired hunt at the Blackwater Wildlife Management Area Hutton Unit. The officers teamed with staff from other FWC Divisions to provide the hunters with a meal each day, assist with tracking deer, retrieving and cleaning deer, and ensure the hunters enjoyed a quality hunting opportunity. Seventy-four mobility impaired hunters and their hunt assistants participated in the annual event, harvesting 14 deer.

 

OKALOOSA COUNTY

 

Officers Pete Rockwell, James Rockwell, and Lt. Keith Clark were on vessel patrol near Destin Pass and observed approximately ten individuals fishing off the end of the west jetties. Officer James Rockwell was dropped off onto the jetties to conduct a license and fisheries compliance. During the inspection, Officer Rockwell found an individual in possession of seven red drum. Four of the red drum were not in whole condition and six of the fish were oversized. The fisherman claimed he harvested three of the seven red drum, but was given the other four fish. The individual was cited for possession of over the bag limit, failure to land in whole condition, and possession of oversized red drum.

 

Gulf County

 

Officers Karl Hellett and Hal Webb were on water patrol on the Brothers River when they received a trespass complaint from a member of a nearby hunt lease. The lease member had confronted a hunter dragging a hog off the property while in possession of a rifle and had identified himself to the lease member. The suspect indicated he had killed four hogs. The lease member told the hunter that he was trespassing and he would be contacting the FWC. Officer Hellett contacted Officer Scott Hoffman for assistance in meeting with the complainant to identify the subject. Officer Hellett photographed the boot tracks and the remains from the four hogs that were killed on the lease. The officers took witness statements and seized the suspect’s boots for comparison. The State Attorney’s Office agreed to file a felony trespass charge.

 

Bay County

 

During surveillance in Warren Bayou, Officer Neal Goss observed three individuals fishing from a vessel. One fisherman caught a fish, yelled over to Officer Goss, and asked him what type of fish it was. Officer Goss informed him that it was a mangrove snapper and it had to be ten inches long. The fishermen continued fishing and talking to Officer Goss who was in an undercover capacity. One subject caught a sheepshead and placed it in the vessel. Officer Goss informed them they were fishing in a catch and release area, considered a sanctuary during the winter months. The fishermen said that it was good to know that information. A little later, one of them caught a spotted seatrout and asked one of the others what he should do with it. One of them replied, “Put it in the box.” Officer Goss watched the subjects catch two more sheepshead and another spotted seatrout and place them in their vessel. As the fishermen prepared to leave, Officer Goss pulled alongside of them and identified himself. The officer issued citations for possession of four sheepshead and two seatrout in a closed area and two written warnings for possession of two undersized sheepshead and failure to possess a saltwater fishing license.

 

Officers Dennis Palmer and Nick Price worked a bait site in the Econfina Wildlife Management Area when their efforts paid off. A hunter was found in his ground blind overlooking bait. The hunter was cited for the baiting violation, as well as for littering and failure to possess a hunting license.

 

Officer Joe Chambers received a disposition on a case in which a convicted felon shot a decoy deer from the back of a pickup truck and fled into the woods, but was later apprehended. The subject was adjudicated guilty on all charges: felon in possession of a firearm, night hunting, and resisting an officer without violence. The subject was sentenced to 39 months in jail, 24 months probation, 100 hours of community service, and $1,077 in fines.

 

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