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
GADSDEN COUNTY
Officer Ben Johnson received information from Officer Alton Ranew in reference to an individual taking gopher tortoises. Officer Johnson located the suspect’s residence and he and Lt. Harry Parker interviewed the individual. The officers seized six live gopher tortoises from behind the subject’s home and two dressed tortoises from the freezer inside the home. The subject was cited for illegal possession of gopher tortoises and driving on a suspended license.
Officer Shon Brower cited two Liberty County men for taking a wild hog during the closed season. The men admitted to taking the hog from the Apalachicola National Forest.
FRANKLIN COUNTY
Officer John Allen was conducting license and fisheries inspections in the Bald Point State Park. During one inspection Officer Allen found an angler in possession of undersize mangrove snapper and red drum as well as over the bag limit on red drum. The angler was issued a misdemeanor citation for the undersize red drum, written warnings for the undersize mangrove snapper (released alive) and the bag limit violation on the red drum.
On the night of September 28, Officer Chasen Yarborough and Lt. Charlie Wood conducted a search-and-rescue mission in Apalachicola Bay in the area of Porter’s oyster bar. A 15-foot commercial oyster vessel occupied by two individuals had been reported overdue. Utilizing night vision equipment, the officers began a search grid just west of Porter’s oyster bar. With no vessels in sight, Pilot Frank Utermohlen was summoned to assist in the search from the air, along with another commercial oyster vessel. Just before 1 a.m. Officer Yarborough and Lieutenant Wood spotted a signal fire on board the overdue vessel. After arriving at the overdue vessel and ascertaining that the motor would not start and that no one was in need of medical attention, the disabled vessel was towed into Eastpoint.
On the night of September 30 Officers Travis Huckeba, John Allen, and Jason Carroll were on water patrol in the area of Lanark Reef. Utilizing night vision equipment, the officers located a gill net boat fishing the area. While attempting to stop the vessel one of the crewmen pushed the illegal gill net overboard. After stopping the vessel, and retrieving the illegal net from the water, the two fishermen admitted to the officers that the net was theirs. The two fishermen were each charged with possession of a gill or entangling net, possession of a net with mesh size larger than two inch stretch, possession of a gill or entangling net on a vessel under 25 feet in length with the motor in the forward half of the vessel, and carriage of a gill or entangling net across state waters. Felony charges are also pending the outcome of the measurement of the net’s square footage.
LEON COUNTY
Officers Matt Bell and Jeff Babauta located a dove field in southern Leon County that was baited prior to opening of dove season. Surveillance was set up on the field over opening weekend, but no one showed up. The following Monday, four individuals showed up and started hunting and shooting dove. The officers cited the subjects for attempting to take migratory birds over bait. One individual was cited the prior year for the same violation.
JEFFERSON COUNTY
U.S. Fish and Wildlife K-9 Officer Eddie Brannon was assisting Lieutenant Harvey in the Aucilla Wildlife Management Area checking archery hunters. Officers stopped two trucks exiting the management area near the sinks area. While Lieutenant Harvey was checking licenses, Officer Brannon walked his narcotics detecting K-9 partner around the trucks. The dog alerted for the presence of narcotics and a subsequent search revealed the hunters in possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis and drug paraphernalia. The subjects were cited for the violations.
Lt. Kent Harvey received information of individuals hunting deer over bait in Aucilla Wildlife Management Area. Upon arrival, the subjects had left but Lieutenant Harvey found several subjects fishing on one of the entry roads in the management area. While conducting fishing license inspections on four subjects, Lieutenant Harvey noticed an odor of cannabis coming from the truck of one of the individuals fishing. Further investigation revealed two of the subjects in possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis and none of the subjects in possession of a valid fishing license. Subjects were cited for the fishing license violations and possession of cannabis.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
FWC officers assigned to Escambia and Santa Rosa counties responded to a request for assistance from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office to the area around the Gulf Power Plant on the Escambia River. A murder suspect fled from his worksite at the power plant when Escambia deputies attempted to serve an arrest warrant. The power plant is adjacent to the University of West Florida campus causing the school to lock-down. K-9 officers responded to search the river swamp around the power plant and university. FWC officers assisted with setting and monitoring a perimeter on the Escambia River. After several hours and negative results with K-9 searches, the search was halted. The suspect, Bruce Day, remains at large.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officers assigned to Santa Rosa and Escambia counties worked the opening day of dove season. Numerous hunters were checked and several were pleased with the large number of birds in the area. There were a few violations noted. One subject was found hunting with an unplugged shotgun and received a citation for the violation. Another man was charged with hunting over a field baited with corn.
OKALOOSA COUNTY
Officer Matt Webb stopped a vessel in Destin Pass to conduct a fishery inspection. The inspection revealed undersize trigger fish. The captain of the vessel was cited for the fish violation.
FWC officers assigned to Okaloosa and Walton counties worked a detail the opening day of the first phase of dove season. The detail was organized to maintain compliance with migratory bird rules and regulations. During the detail, 93 hunters were checked and several warnings issued for minor violations.
Officer Alan Kirchinger and Capt. Mary Sumner were working a detail on opening day of dove season when they heard an all terrain vehicle (ATV) operating within Blackwater Wildlife Management Area. The officers tracked down the ATV and located the operator now stuck almost waist deep in a clay pit. The subject was issued a citation for unlawfully operating an ATV within the management area.
WALTON COUNTY
Officers Don Walker and Espy Letcher were patrolling private hunting leases when they encountered two subjects trespassing. The officers recently increased patrols on the property due to receiving numerous trespass complaints. The officers issued written warnings to both subjects and instructed them to exit the property.
BAY COUNTY
Officers worked a detail targeting the opening day of dove season. Officers Joe Chambers and David Brady heard shooting coming from an area and later found around 30 hunters in a grass field that was baited with cracked corn. Lieutenant Jay Chesser, Officer Mark Clements, and Reserve Officer Joey Miles responded to assist. Fifteen citations were issued for hunting dove over bait and several written warnings were issued to juveniles for the same offense. As the officers were wrapping up, several shots were heard about a mile away and Officers Clements and Miles responded and located two hunters on a clear-cut hunting over cracked corn. Each was issued a citation for the violation.
Officers Joe Chambers and David Brady checked two hunters who were shooting doves over a dirt road scattered with bait. Citations for hunting dove over bait were issued.
