Field operations weekly report, 2010 December 19-25

Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife Resources Division Law Enforcement Section
Field Operations
Weekly Report December 19-25, 2010
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)
Region II- Gainesville (Northeast)
MADISON COUNTY On December 12th, RFC Shane Sartor checked an area that had been baited for deer. He issued two citations for hunting over bait and two citations for hunting without orange.
On December 13th, RFC Shane Sartor apprehended one subject hunting deer over bait. One citation was issued.
DAWSON COUNTY On December 18th, Cpl. Roberson conducted a youth squirrel hunt in conjunction with the Amicalola Long Beards Chapter of the NWTF and the Gold City Squirrel Hunters Association. In all, thirty-two children and twenty adults had the opportunity to enjoy skeet and .22 shooting with hands on instruction. They also were able to participate in a guided squirrel hunt with dogs. Approximately thirty squirrels were harvested and all had a good time.
DEKALB COUNTY On December 18th, Cpl. Eric Sanders was patrolling the old prison farm and apprehended two subjects that were trespassing on the property. The two subjects were turned over to the Dekalb County PD.
On the same property, Cpl. Sanders found five stolen vehicles. These vehicles were also turned over to the Dekalb County PD for further investigation.
On December 18th, Cpl. Sanders answered a complaint of illegal trapping behind Wesley Stone Apartments. Cpl. Sanders met with the manager and he showed Cpl. Sanders where the traps were located. Walking in the area Cpl. Sanders located three more trap sites. After meeting with the complainant Cpl. Sanders returned to the area to search for more traps when he came upon the trapper. A citation was issued for trapping w/o permission.
HALL COUNTY On December 23rd, RFC Eric Isom was notified by the State Operations Center that three individuals that went fishing on Lake Lanier the day before had not returned home. RFC Isom made contact with the Hall County Sheriff's Office deputy that was assisting with the case. RFC Isom along with a helicopter from the Gwinnett County Police Department began searching for the missing fisherman. RFC Isom notified Sgt. Lee Brown and asked if he could assist with the search. Sgt. Brown was enroute to Shoal Creek to assist when RFC Isom notified him that the missing fisherman had been located. The fisherman boat had capsized about 4:30 the day before. The three men onboard put

on a life jacket and were able to swim to a nearby island. They were able to make a fire, which saved their lives during the freezing temperatures and high winds of the night.
FORSYTH COUNTY On December 21st, Sgt. Lee Brown assisted the Texas Park and Wildlife by interviewing a subject about a deer that was illegally taken in the state of Texas in November of 2009. The subject admitted to the infraction. The head of the deer was seized as evidence for the Texas Game Warden investigating the incident. The Texas Game Warden will be issuing the subject a citation.
Region III- Thomson (East Central)
BURKE COUNTY On December 19th, RFC Jeff Billips checked a hunting without permission and over bait complaint. No violators were contacted. RFC Billips and RFC Grant Matherly patrolled Burke and Jefferson Counties for deer hunters. That evening RFC Billips set up surveillance for duck roost and night hunting.
On December 21st, RFC Billips assisted the Burke County Sheriff's Department with the theft of wire from several center pivots.
MORGAN COUNTY On December 19th, RFC Ricky Boles responded to a 911 call about a suspicious vehicle riding up and down the road. Upon arriving in the area authorities located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. After being questioned the driver admitted to dropping another person off to steal some copper. RFC Boles located the other suspect walking down another road in the area. Upon activating his blue lights and pulling up to the individual the suspect fled on foot. RFC Boles gave chase on foot for several hundred yards. RFC Boles apprehended to individual. Both suspects were arrested on charges from Morgan County Sheriff's Office.
WALTON COUNTY On Sunday December 19th, RFC Niki Spencer was checking a hunting without permission complaint when she found a subject loading a deer close to the property. The subject said that he had not been on the property but had killed the deer on an adjacent property. After tracking the drag marks and blood trail RFC Spencer found that the subject had been hunting without permission on the property. The subject was charged with hunting without permission.
OCONEE COUNTY On Wednesday December 22nd, RFC Nick Jenkins was contacted by a complainant in reference to 3 subjects hunting ducks after hours on the Oconee River. RFC Jenkins arrived and found 3 subjects hunting ducks. The subjects were nonresidents and were hunting well after legal hours. Violations included hunting ducks after legal hours, NonResident hunting without a license, Non Resident hunting without a Georgia Duck Stamp, Hunting without a federal duck stamp.

COLUMBIA COUNTY On December 22nd, RFC Timmerman received a call in reference to hunting without permission. RFC Timmerman responded to the scene. Upon arrival, RFC Timmerman heard shots being fired from a pond on the complaint property. RFC Timmerman found one subject hunting waterfowl from a kayak. RFC Timmerman found that the subject was hunting waterfowl without permission and killed 3 ducks. The landowner has an affidavit filed with the region office. The subject was cited for hunting without permission and possession of illegally taken wildlife. The waterfowl was taken and given to a needy family on request of the landowner.
Region IV- Macon (West Central)
HARRIS COUNTY On the morning of December 19th, RFC Mitch Oliver was on routine patrol when he came upon two trucks parked at a hunting lease. RFC Oliver got out of his truck to look around and noticed that there was some corn in the bed of one of the trucks. The officer began walking and following tracks that eventually led to the hunter and his ATV. The subject was hunting deer over corn and was subsequently charged for the violation.
LAMAR COUNTY On the morning of December 21st, RFC Keith Page received a call from a deer hunter stating that he was watching two men hunting ducks in a swamp that was on his land. Being familiar with the area, RFC Page responded quickly, but rather than go directly to the property, Page went to another location where he had previously located the vehicle of other people who were hunting in the same swamp. RFC Page found the vehicles of the two men right where he suspected. The men were headed out of the swamp when RFC Page arrived. Page put on his waders and had the men show him where they were hunting. The officer followed their tracks back through the swamp, across the property line where they both stepped within 12 inches of a posted sign that was hung on a pole. The men continued past the property line about 100 yards before they got to where they were hunting. RFC Page charged both men with hunting without permission and gave them warnings for possession of illegally taken wildlife since they came out with several ducks.
MONROE COUNTY On the morning of December 13th, Sgt. Tim Kendrick called Cpl. Tony Wynne to tell him there was a duck shoot going on in the vicinity of Culloden. Wynne drove to the area, found a vehicle parked near where he knew a pond was, and located three hunters standing near a canoe containing shotguns and ammunition bags. When Corporal Wynne asked about the hunt, one of the hunters admitted that he had taken over the limit of wood ducks. An inspection of the pond revealed that it was baited with cracked corn.

TALBOT COUNTY On December 19th, RFC Jeremy Bolen was checking baited deer stands on a hunting club when he located a truck with corn in the back of it. RFC Bolen used K-9 Ruger to track the hunter from the truck to the deer stand. Ruger tracked up to a box stand which was empty and then tracked through the woods to another box stand - the hunter stated that he got down from the first stand and moved to another location. After a search of the area, RFC Bolen located a salt block near the stand. RFC Bolen and the hunter went to the other box stand and searched around that area as well; Bolen located a salt block and corn. The hunter was issued a citation for hunting big game over bait.
On December 24th RFC Jeremy Bolen located a duck shoot with 5 hunters. After checking the licenses of the hunters, RFC Bolen discovered that one of the hunters did not possess a Georgia waterfowl license. The hunter was issued a written warning for the violation.
Region V- Albany (Southwest)
EARLY COUNTY On December 20th, Sgt. Rick Sellars and RFC Jeff Phillips conducted a patrol and wrote citations to 3 subjects for hunting big game over bait, hunting deer without wearing fluorescent orange and non-resident hunting without a license and without a big game license.
On December 24th, RFC Jeff Phillips wrote citations to 2 subjects for hunting big game over bait and for failure to allow inspection.
SCHLEY COUNTY On December 20th, while working a night deer hunting complaint where two dead deer had previously been found shot. Cpl. Tommy Lawrence observed the occupants of a truck hunt and fire two shots across a pecan orchard. Cpl. Lawrence arrested the two occupants for hunting deer at night, hunting big game from a public road and hunting from a vehicle.
Region VI- Metter (Southeast)
ATKINSON COUNTY On December 23rd, RFC Tim Hutto and K9 Gauge checked a complaint of hunting deer over bait off of highway 90. One subject was located hunting over an automatic feeder with shelled corn in it. The subject was issued citations for hunting big game over bait, hunting without a license, and hunting deer without fluorescent orange clothing.
LANIER COUNTY On December 24th, RFC Tim Hutto heard shots coming from an area along the Alapaha River. He followed fresh tracks leading into the river and found a subject sitting in a deer stand without any licenses or orange clothing. The subject was questioned about how he got to the stand and he explained that his friends dropped him off and that they were duck

hunting on the river behind a locked gate. RFC Hutto went to the gate and met one of the hunters who had been called to unlock the gate. The hunter said that he was deer hunting and had been sitting on the ground watching a two path. After further questioning the subject admitted to shooting ducks and sending his friend out of the area with his shotgun and more ducks. RFC Hutto used K9 Gauge to track the subjects back into the river where they had been shooting. The officers located shelled corn, shotgun shells and ducks that had been left in the water. The other hunter was called back to the scene and questioned. Citations were issued to the subjects for hunting deer without fluorescent orange, hunting without a license, hunting without a big game license, hunting ducks over bait, and possession of illegally taken wildlife.
BACON COUNTY On December 22nd, Cpl. Gary Simmons was working a night detail in northern Ware County. Around 9:15 pm, Trooper First Class Chris Williams called Cpl. Simmons and requested assistance with K-9 Jake. TFC Williams was assisting Alma Police Department with an armed man threatening to kill people in an apartment if they came out. As TFC Williams and the Alma police officer arrived the armed gunman ran from the apartment into a wooded area. A perimeter was set up and officers waited until Cpl. Simmons arrived with K-9 Jake. Cpl. Simmons & K-9 Jake tracked and apprehended the suspect without incident. The suspect was turned over to the Alma Police Department.
ECHOLS COUNTY On December 24th, Sgt. Patrick Dupree & RFC Jason Shipes located a baited dove shoot near Mayday. Five individuals were discovered to be hunting doves in a clear-cut that had cracked corn scattered about. The hunt was stopped & hunting doves over bait, unlawful enticement of game & possession of illegally-taken wildlife violations were documented. All the illegally-taken doves were confiscated.

BULLOCH COUNTY
On December 19th, Cpl. Eddie Akins and Sgt. William Vickers checked a four-man duck shoot. The inspection of the hunters resulted in nine violations being documented and twenty-two ducks being confiscated. The violations consisted of three over the limit violations, two violations for hunting without a federal duck stamp, two violations for hunting with illegal ammunition and two violations for hunting without a Georgia waterfowl license. On December 23rd, Cpl. Eddie Akins checked a deer hunter that resulted in violations for hunting over bait and hunting without fluorescent orange. EFFINGHAM COUNTY On December 17th, RFC Brandon Pierce and Sgt. Brian Mundy, from the Effingham County Sheriff's Office, responded to a call from the Coast Guard in reference to a possible stranded boater on the Savannah River. The subject had been on the water for approximately eight hours. Upon arriving at the landing the subject was spotted drifting down the river. He was assisted to the landing and went on his way after loading his boat. EVANS COUNTY On December 18th, RFC Debbie Brannen checked duck hunters on the Evans County Public Fishing area. Several licenses were checked and violations for hunting without a wildlife management license were documented.

On December 19th, RFC Debbie Brannen checked deer hunters in north Evans County. One violation was documented for hunting without license on person.
On December 20th, RFC Debbie Brannen worked on a hunting without permission complaint. Violations were addressed for hunting without a license, hunting without big game license and hunting without permission.
On December 21st, RFC Debbie Brannen, Cpl. Dave Sims and Sgt. William Vickers worked a complaint for hunting ducks after hours. Three duck hunters were checked and written for hunting ducks after legal hours, hunting with unplugged shotgun, hunting without a Georgia migratory bird stamp, failure to sign migratory bird stamp and possession of illegally taken wildlife. Five ducks were confiscated.
JEFF DAVIS COUNTY On December 12th, RFC Barry Britt checked a hunter at a public landing along the Ocmulgee River. The hunter had a doe and a single wood duck in his vessel; everything appeared to be legal after an initial inspection of his licenses and vessel. However, further investigation revealed that the hunter was a resident of Tennessee and was using an old Georgia address to purchase resident hunting licenses. He was charged with several violations based on the fact he was non-resident hunter with a resident hunting license.
LAURENS COUNTY On December 20th, Cpl. Johnny Ashe was working a complaint off of Snowhill Church road, when he encountered a vehicle matching one of the suspects in the area. After observing the suspect in the area it was determined that he was actively pursuing deer in the peanut field and was holding the loaded .260 rifle in his lap when he was stopped. The suspect was using the riflescope and the moonlight to locate a suspected large buck in the area. After further investigation it was also determined who was responsible for a stray rifle bullet that entered a nearby house previously from the same field.
Region VII- Brunswick (Coastal)
GLYNN COUNTY On December 19th, while on routine patrol, SGT John Harwell and RFC Rebekah Huson checked the Altamaha Waterfowl WMA for hunting activity. Several hunters were checked and two citations were written for hunting on a WMA without a WMA license.