FWC Law Enforcement Field Operations

Oct. 23 - 29, 2009

This report represents some events the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.

NORTHWEST REGION

WALTON COUNTY

On Oct. 22, a deputy with the Walton County Sheriff's Department stopped a vehicle after observing a light being displayed from the vehicle in a manner capable of disclosing deer.  When the deputy approached the vehicle, he observed three freshly killed doe deer in the bed of the truck that had been shot with a shotgun.  Lt. Mark Hollinhead and Officer Ken White responded and charged the subjects for taking deer at night with a gun and light and road hunting.  A shotgun and the three deer were seized.

GULF COUNTY

Officer Tony Lee located a tree stand that was baited with corn on the Apalachicola Wildlife and Environmental Area two days prior to the opening of archery season.  Officer Lee conducted surveillance and observed three individuals arrive and set-up in two different tree stands on opening morning of archery season.  Both tree stands were baited with corn and two individuals were issued citations for hunting over bait on a wildlife management area.  The third subject was a non-hunter.

BAY COUNTY

Officer Neal Goss IV conducted an inspection of a commercial fishing vessel and found the captain in possession of undersize red grouper, seven undersize grey triggerfish and one grey tilefish.  The captain was charged with possession of seven undersize triggerfish and written warnings were issued for the undersized grouper and tilefish.

Officer Neal Goss IV checked two subjects fishing from the Cooks Bayou Bridge.  Officer Goss discovered they were in possession of undersize spotted sea trout.  Both subjects were issued a citation for being in possession of undersize speckled trout.  The subjects also did not have their shoreline fishing licenses and were issued warnings for the violation.

Officer Jim Moore observed the driver of a vehicle throwing items out of the window.  Officer Moore stopped the vehicle and discovered the subject was driving on a suspended license and had an expired tag and no valid insurance.  The subject was issued citations for all of the offenses and taken to jail for driving on a suspended driver license.

Officer Nick Price and Lt. Dennis Welsh were on patrol in St. Andrew Bay and conducted a vessel safety check.  During the inspection, Officer Price found two greater amberjack.  One of the amberjack was undersize measuring 21 ½ inches.  The captain/owner of the vessel produced a registration that was not in his name or the other occupant/owner of the vessel.  He advised he had just purchased the vessel and produced a bill of sale.  The law was explained to them regarding the vessel and the greater amberjack.  One of the occupants was issued a citation for being in possession of undersize greater amberjack, and the captain was issued a warning for the vessel not being registered.

Officer David Erdman made a vessel safety stop on St. Andrew Bay in the area of Redfish Point.  The stop was for the vessel not displaying an anchor light.  Further investigation led the officer to believe the subject might be operating a vessel while impaired.  The officer conducted his afloat tasks and determined the operator was impaired.  The subject was arrested and charged with operating a vessel while impaired, not displaying an anchor light and resisting an officer without violence.  The operator refused both breath and urine tests.

Oct. 30 – Nov. 5

WALTON COUNTY

On Wednesday, Nov. 4, Dispatch received a call from Eglin Air Force Base Range Patrol asking for assistance with apprehending a subject who fled from them while being checked.  Officer Pete Rockwell was the first to arrive on scene and attempted to locate the subject along with Eglin Range patrol officers.  Officers Van Barrow, Alan Kirchinger, Danny Arnette, and Ken White also participated in the search.  The subject, who is a convicted felon, was tracked by Department of Corrections’ K-9s through a section of Eglin Air Force Base Wildlife Management Area to a road where it appears he was picked up by a vehicle.  The area is a weekend hunt only area.  The incident is under investigation.

GULF COUNTY

While on patrol of the Apalachicola Wildlife and Environmental Area, Officer Scott Hoffman discovered where an all terrain vehicle (ATV) had driven around a locked gate.  Officer Hoffman notified Officer Tony Lee who was in the area on ATV patrol.  The officers located the hunter and his ATV and determined he was hunting on the area from a tree stand over bait.  He was cited for the violation.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

Officers John Allen and Travis Huckeba were on patrol to address illegal net fishing when they boarded a vessel occupied by two fishermen near the mouth of the Carrabelle River.  The inspection revealed that the fishermen were in possession of illegal nets.  The two were charged with possession of an entangling net, fishing with an entangling net, possession of 51 mullet and an entangling net, and possession of an entangling net on a vessel 22- to 25-feet long with the motor in the forward half of the vessel.  The nets were seized along with 1135 pounds of black mullet.

Officers John Allen and Travis Huckeba were conducting patrol to address illegal net fishing when they boarded a vessel occupied by two fishermen near Pilots Cove.  An inspection revealed that the fishermen were using monofilament trammel nets.  The anglers were charged and jailed on felony violations for flagrant net violations, fishing with a gill net, use of monofilament net and possession of a gill net on a vessel 22- to 25-feet long with the motor in the forward half of the vessel.  Two infraction citations were also issued for no navigational lights and no visual distress signals.  The net was seized along with 338 pounds of black mullet.

Officers Steven Cook, Woody Cook, Chasen Yarborough, Benjamin Barnard and Lt. Charlie Wood conducted patrol to address the illegal harvest of undersize oysters at Cat Point oyster bar.  The size tolerance inspections revealed four different harvesters were in possession of undersize oysters.  The undersize percentages ranged from 37-51 percent.  Each harvester was charged for the misdemeanor violations.

GADSDEN COUNTY

Lt. Harry Parker and Officer Lane Bentley cited a Gulf County man for taking freshwater fish by illegal method.  The individual was taking flathead catfish with an electro fishing device.