Field operations weekly report, 2009 August 16-22

Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife Resources Division Law Enforcement Section
Field Operations
Weekly Report August 16-22, 2009
This report is a broad sampling of events that have taken place in the past week, but does not include all actions taken by the Law Enforcement Section.

Region I- Calhoun (Northwest)
BARTOW COUNTY On August 16th, DNR Ranger RFC Byron Young was patrolling Lake Allatoona by boat. He was in the area of McKaskey Creek. He noticed a jet ski with a young white male operator that did not have on a life jacket as required by law, so he stopped the vessel. While checking the operator, he noticed that the young man showed signs of alcohol use. The operator was checked for his level of impairment through field sobriety exercises. He was found to be impaired. He was charged with "boating under the influence of alcohol" and "operating a personal watercraft without required PFD" (personal flotation device). The nineteen-year-old man was transported to the Bartow County Jail.
On August 16th, Sgt. Mike Barr received a call of a boating incident near the dam on Lake Allatoona. Bartow County 911 confirmed that there were injuries involved in the incident. Sgt. Barr and RFC Bart Hendrix were at the upper end of the lake at Little River. Sgt. Barr contacted RFC Byron Young who was near the dam area. He responded. RFC Young assisted in transporting emergency care personnel from shore to the injured person. Upon arrival, RFC Byron Young learned that a run-a-bout boat was pulling two people on an inter-tube type device behind the boat. The tube hit a large wake of another boat and the two people flew through the air hitting each other. Both had on life jackets. One of the two skiers suffered injuries to this neck and back. RFC Young was able to assist emergency personnel with getting the person on a spine stabilization board and transport the injured party to an ambulance at Red Top Mountain State Park boat ramp. The injured skier was transported to Cartersville Medical Center. RFC Young completed the required boating incident report regarding the incident.
MURRAY COUNTY On August 22nd, Cpl. Casey Jones, Cpl. James Keener and Wildlife Technician Larry Etheridge assisted a stranded motorist after the rangers observed the driver's horse trailer fall of the side of Mill Creek Road while patrolling Cohutta WMA.
Region II- Gainesville (Northeast)
Region III- Thomson (East Central)
NEWTON COUNTY On August 22nd, RFC Larry Mills taught a hunter education course at the Georgia Wildlife Federation office. During the course the 21 students learned the fundamentals of safe and ethical hunting.

COLUMBIA COUNTY On August 22nd, Sgt. Doyte Chaffin and Cpl. Brian Hobbins assisted Volunteer Hunter Safety Instructors with a class at Kiokee Baptist Church in Appling. Later that day these officers conducted a boating safety patrol on Clarks Hill Lake. The officers issued several citations and warning in addition to verbal guidance for various boating safety violations.
GLASCOCK COUNTY On August 22nd, RFC Brian Adams responded to an emergency call in the Stapleton area along the Glascock and Jefferson County line. A subject was injured while clearing brush on a Bobcat tractor at a hunting club. A tree came through the front of the Bobcat and impaled the operator through the leg. The tractor continued forward causing the tree to push several feet through the man's leg. The wife of the injured man was unsure of their exact location. After a brief search, RFC Adams located the injured man and guided emergency responders to the scene. RFC Adams assisted with cutting the tree on each side of the man's leg and extricating him from the tractor. The subject was airlifted to the Medical College of Georgia trauma center in Augusta.
Region IV- Macon (West Central)
FAYETTE COUNTY On August 18th, and Thursday August 20th, Ranger Adam Jacobs assisted the Volunteer Hunter Safety Instructors with an 8-hour Hunter Safety Class in Fayette County. The class consisted of 15 students.
HOUSTON COUNTY DNR Law Enforcement presence was obvious at the Buck-A-Rama held on August 14th16th in Perry. As in the past, officers instructed a ten hour Hunter Education course, but this year they also manned the Laser Shot system which through interactive video technology allowed the public to experience realistic hunting encounters with such game as deer, ducks, and dove.
MUSCOGEE COUNTY On August 22nd, RFC Jeremy Bolen investigated an anonymous complaint in reference to a fawn being held in captivity inside a residence. RFC Bolen located the fawn inside of the residence. After RFC Bolen learned that the person did not have the proper permits to possess the deer, he confiscated the deer from the residence. The subject was issued a written warning for possession of wildlife w/o a permit.
SPALDING COUNTY On August 22nd, at Cherokee Rose on Baptist Camp Rd in Spalding County Sgt. Russ Ramsey, RFC Travis Sweat, and Ranger Adam Jacobs assisted the Spalding County volunteer Hunter Safety instructors with an all day Hunter Safety Class. 45 Students showed up for the class, lunch was provided and all the students were allowed to shoot shotguns at clay targets allowing the students to have hands on experience.

TROUP COUNTY On August 20th, Cpl Jim Bradfield and Cpl Brent Railey interviewed two 17-year-old subjects in Troup County about a night deer-hunting incident that occurred a few weeks prior. Upon arrival at the residence where the two subjects were located both officers noticed what looked like a marijuana smoking pipe adjacent to one of the subject's vehicle. While Cpl Railey was interviewing one of the two Cpl Bradfield took a closer look at the pipe and discovered that it was in fact a marijuana smoking pipe. There was also marijuana on the dash of the vehicle in plain sight. Both subjects were interviewed about the night hunting incident, the pipe, and the marijuana in the vehicle. Neither subject admitted to knowing about the hunting incident or who the marijuana belonged to. Both subjects were arrested for possession of marijuana by the Troup County Sheriffs Office drug unit. Both subjects were on active probation for alcohol violations a few weeks prior.
On August 22nd, Cpl Jim Bradfield participated in a hunter education class in Troup County. This class was held at the Georgia Sheriffs Youth Home Pineland at Camp Pioneer. There were 27 people in attendance. Two volunteer instructors taught the majority of the class. Cpl Bradfield also checked the West Point WMA shooting Range Saturday evening. There were about 5 shooters at the range when Cpl Bradfield arrived and these shooters were packing up to leave.
On August 19th, Cpl. Brent Railey taught two high school science classes on the topic of game and fish law.
Region V- Albany (Southwest)
STEWART COUNTY During the period of August 21st-23rd, RFC Bob Holley, RFC Jim Atchley, Cpl. Steve Robinson and Sgt. Butch Potter conducted coordinated patrols on Lake Walter F. George in conjunction with officers of the Alabama Department of Conservation. The focus of the patrols was regulations pertaining to the opening of the Alabama alligator season. On Friday night and Saturday morning, Cpl. Robinson and Sgt. Potter issued four citations and eight warnings for hunting alligators out of season in Georgia and boating safety infractions. At approximately 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning, Cpl. Robinson and RFC Holley located and cited four individuals for hunting alligators out of season in Hannahatchee Creek on the Georgia side of the lake.
Region VI- Metter (Southeast)
LOWNDES COUNTY On August 22nd, Quail Unlimited sponsored a ten-hour Hunter Education class in Lowndes County. Ranger Keith McDonald and instructor Wayne Davis conducted the class. Thirty-three students were certified on Saturday.

BERRIEN COUNTY On August 22nd, Sgt. David Nugent and Cpl. Greg Moody patrolled Paradise PFA. Several violations were documented and many were brought into compliance through verbal guidance.
APPLING COUNTY On August 22nd, Ranger Chase Altman and Corporal Jimmy Williams conducted a boating safety patrol of Lake Mayers. During this patrol, several violations were discovered by the officers, to include: towing a skier w/o a mirror or observer, operating a vessel within 100 feet of an object in the water, operating a vessel without registration numbers, operating a vessel without a throwable device and operating a personal watercraft without a life jacket.
On August 23rd, Ranger Altman and Corporal Williams patrolled several creeks and rivers for fishing activity. Two persons were found fishing without a license.
EFFINGHAM COUNTY On August 18th, Ranger Brandon Pierce responded to a call in reference to a capsized vessel on the Savannah River. The search resulted in no vessel or person(s) being found.
On August 21st, Ranger Brandon Pierce and Cpl. Eddie Akins patrolled the Savannah River for an abandoned vessel that was first reported on the 18th. No vessel was found. Later that evening the officers patrolled landings on both the Ogeechee and Savannah Rivers. A total of one fishing license was checked. One violation for fishing without a license was documented.
On the night of August 22nd, Ranger Brandon Pierce, Sgt. William Vickers, and Cpl. Eddie Akins patrolled river landings in search of any night activity. A total of one boat and one fishing license were inspected. No violations were documented.
On August 23rd, Ranger Brandon Pierce and Cpl. Eddie Akins conducted a boating safety patrol on both the Ogeechee and Savannah River landings. A total of eighteen boats were inspected. Two violations consisting of operating a vessel without PFD's (life jackets) and operating a vessel without registration were documented. Verbal guidance was given on how to obtain and display registration numbers.
Region VII- Brunswick (Coastal)