FWC Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Report January 8, 2016 through January 14, 2016

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FWC

Division of Law Enforcement

 

Weekly Report

January 8, 2016 through January 14, 2016

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

BAY COUNTY

Officers Goodwin, Gore and Hellett observed two duck hunters at Crooked Island Sound shooting ducks from a moving vessel. Both hunters were issued citations. Several other hunters in the same area were issued infraction citations for no hunting license (out-of-state) and no state duck stamp.

Officers Gore, Hellett and Goodwin conducted a seafood inspection at a local seafood house. While conducting their inspection, they noticed a bag that contained black bass, speckled perch and whiting for which the owner had no documentation. Three of the black bass were undersized. The seafood house owner was charged with failure to keep adequate records, possession of undersized black bass and improperly tagged freshwater game fish.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY

Officer Ramos and Lieutenant Hahr responded to a night hunting complaint in an area where several big bucks have been seen.  Shortly after their arrival, a truck approached and shined the field.  The occupants were surprised by another vehicle and immediately turned around and left in the direction they came.  After the second vehicle passed by, the truck returned and the occupants began shining again.  The officers stopped them and observed a loaded high-powered rifle in the front seat of the truck.  The two men participating were charged with attempting to take deer at night with gun and light.

JACKSON COUNTY

Lieutenant Allen and Officer Forehand responded to a landowner complaint in which the complainant heard two shots on a road along his property. The landowner saw a vehicle leave the area and a suspect on foot on his property. The landowner provided a vehicle tag number and clothing description of the person on foot. Officers Brower and Henderson responded to assist. They located a shell casing and fresh blood on the landowner’s property. Lieutenant Allen and Officer Forehand located the suspect vehicle and conducted an interview of the driver who admitted to shooting at a deer on the landowner’s property. He also told the officers the second suspect was his cousin. The officers then located the cousin who admitted to going onto the property to try to retrieve the deer that had been shot. After reviewing the case with the local State Attorney, the shooter was charged with felony trespass by projectile and road hunting. The second suspect was charged with road hunting and simple trespass. A 30-06 rifle was seized as evidence.

Officer Guy located a truck and boat trailer at a bridge on Highway 162 at the Chipola Wildlife Management Area (WMA) well after dark. Lieutenant Allen responded to assist. While Officer Guy was waiting at the truck and trailer, a vehicle stopped, dropped off the owner of the truck and left. Officer Guy interviewed the vehicle owner who stated he had been hunting along the creek in the management area when his boat broke down. He stated he walked out to a residence and was picked up by a friend. During more questioning, the hunter admitted to shooting an 8‑point buck with a 30-06 rifle during the muzzleloading gun season. Lieutenant Allen and Officer Guy accessed the creek by foot and after three hours, located the deer in the suspect’s boat. The deer had been shot by a high caliber rifle. The hunter was charged with taking deer by illegal method.

OKALOOSA COUNTY

Officer Arnette observed a light being displayed from a vehicle in a manner capable of disclosing deer while targeting night hunting violations. When the vehicle was stopped, he observed fresh blood on the bumper of the vehicle. The driver was the only occupant of the vehicle and was in possession of two loaded firearms. When questioned about the blood, he stated he had killed an antlerless deer in Alabama. A check with an Alabama Conservation Officer revealed the subject did not have a non-resident hunting license. The subject was charged with attempting to take deer at night with a gun and light. He will also be charged in Alabama for hunting without a non-resident hunting license.

Officer Maltais received a complaint from a homeowner that a vessel tied to his dock was taking on water.  The homeowner gave the vessel owner permission to temporarily tie/secure the vessel on his dock. The homeowner stated it has been several months and has been unsuccessful in his attempts to contact the vessel owner about removing the boat. Officer Maltais was able to make contact with the vessel owner and determined the individual failed to transfer title within 30 days.  The vessel owner was issued a misdemeanor citation for failure to transfer vessel title within 30 days.

Lieutenant Hollinhead and Officer Arnette patrolled Eglin Air Force Base WMA to deter driving on roads closed to vehicle traffic. While conducting surveillance near a closed road, Officer Arnette observed two subjects pull up to a cable gate, exit their vehicle and cut the cable. The subjects were later identified and cited for cutting/damaging the gate.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Officer Hutchinson and Lieutenant Hahr were watching a field where they had received a night hunting complaint when a truck drove by shining a spotlight into the field.  The suspect’s actions led the officers to believe that they might be hunting deer so they stopped the truck down the road.  The juvenile driver and passenger told the officers they were looking for deer and admitted to having a rifle in the back seat. They also had a freshly killed doe deer in the back of the truck.  The two juveniles were questioned and admitted to shooting at deer in three other fields in the area.  The officers located these fields and verified their stories.  Both juveniles were charged with attempting to take deer at night with a gun and light, possession of an antlerless deer out of season and taking wildlife from the right of way.  A rifle, pistol, spotlight and one deer were seized as evidence and both subjects were released to their parents.

Officer Hoomes and Lieutenant Berryman were on foot patrol within the Hutton Unit of the Blackwater WMA when they observed a deer in the back of a truck on adjoining private property.  When they went to check the deer, they observed another deer, an antlerless yearling, lying on the ground near the truck.  The owner of the truck admitted to killing both deer.  The antlerless deer was seized and the man was charged with taking antlerless deer out of season.

Officer Hutchinson responded to a residence where a deer was observed being cleaned earlier in the day.  A man from the residence showed Officer Hutchinson where he cleaned two small yearlings in the yard.  He admitted to shooting both deer earlier that morning.  He showed Officer Hutchinson where he disposed of the carcasses.  One deer was a spotted fawn button buck and the other was a slightly larger doe.  Officers Lewis and Ramos arrived on scene to assist and helped track down the deer meat from both deer, as it had been divided up between several people.  The man was charged with two counts of taking antlerless deer out of season.

Lieutenant Hahr was patrolling in the Blackwater WMA when he observed two men hunting on horseback in the field trial area.  When he turned around to speak to them, they were no longer in sight.  He located one of the men riding his horse down into a bottom and stopped him to check him.  The man initially denied hunting, but later admitted to hunting deer.  Lieutenant Hahr charged him with hunting deer in the field trial area and seized a high powered rifle.  The man was also given a citation for riding a horse off designated trails and for hunting without a license and appropriate permits.

WALTON COUNTY

Officer Brooks encountered two subjects trespassing while patrolling Nokuse Plantation. The subjects had concealed their vehicle and crossed a fence to enter the property prior to Officer Brooks locating them.  Both subjects were cited for trespassing on property other than structure or conveyance.

Officers Tison and Letcher checked a subject hunting after hearing a shot in the area where he was hunting. The subject told the officers he shot at a deer, but missed. When the officers offered to check the area to ensure he missed, he changed his story and admitted to killing an illegal sized small buck. The deer was recovered and the subject was cited for taking antlerless deer out of season.

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