Field operations weekly report, 2011 April 10-16

Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife Resources Division Law Enforcement Section
Field Operations
Weekly Report April 10-16, 2011
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)
HALL COUNTY On April 13th, 2011 RFC Mark Stephens assisted the Gainesville Police Department and the Hall County Sheriff's Office in an effort to capture an escape prisoner from the Hall County Detention Center. RFC Stephens joined approximately 12 officers in securing a perimeter around three blocks in a successful effort to finally catch the escapee during the early morning hours of April 14.
On April 17th, 2011, Sgt. Mike Burgamy assisted the Hall County Sheriff's Office with a manhunt in South Hall County. A known suspect fled Deputies who is wanted on felony charges in Lawrenceville. Sgt. Burgamy joined several other units in securing a perimeter as Deputies and a K-9 searched the ground. The subject is still at large.
Later that day, at approximately 8:00 pm, Sgt. Burgamy received a call for assistance from Hall County Dispatch in reference to a hot air balloon that had gone down in the lake. Burgamy responded by boat to the area of Old Federal Campground and had no contact with the balloon. Dispatch advised that the balloon was able to lift back off but had crashed on land near the gate at the campground. EMS personnel on scene advised that there were no injuries and no further assistance from DNR was needed.
At 11:30 pm, Sgt. Burgamy received a complaint of a subject in a boat spotlighting the bank. After speaking with the complainant, it was determined that the subject was bow fishing with no state laws had been violated.
WHITE COUNTY On April 15th, RFC Anne Alexander cited a man from the Helen community for hunting from a vehicle, discharging a firearm from a public road, allowing child to hunt w/o hunter safety certification and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. This case was under investigation since the April 2nd.
HABERSHAM/RABUN COUNTY On Monday April 11th, Cpl. Derek Dillard and Cpl. Adam Loudermilk conducted a two hour review hunter education course for Habersham and Rabun Counties. Three students were certified during the class.
LUMPKIN COUNTY On April 13th, RFC Mitchell Crump and Wildlife Technician III Frank Manning were patrolling on Chestatee WMA at Dick's Creek. They encountered one nonresident fishing without a fishing license or a trout license. A citation and warning were issued for these infractions. A written warning was issued for a subject fishing without a fishing license.

On April 14th, Sgt. Lee Brown and RFC Mitchell Crump were patrolling Chestatee WMA at Dick's Creek when they encountered a male and female subject setting up camp. As the rangers approached them they tried to hide the beer that they were drinking (it's illegal to possess alcohol at Dick's Creek.) Written warnings were issued to the subjects for the possession of the alcohol.
On April 16th, RFC Mitchell Crump apprehended one subject fishing without permission on Dick's Creek on the Dunn property. Later in the day he encountered two subjects fishing for trout with illegal methods (two poles) at Dockery Lake. Also, while at Dockery Lake RFC Crump gave verbal guidance to two juveniles for being in a canoe without any life jackets and not possessing any fishing or trout licenses. He also gave guidance to a male and female subject that possessed improper licenses (a WMA license) which they purchased at Wal-Mart. RFC Crump explained which licenses that they needed to fish legally.
ROCKDALE COUNTY On April 10th, Cpl. Sanders was called to assist a stranded boater on Randy Poynter Lake. The boaters battery had died and Cpl. Sanders towed the boat safely back to the dock.
On April 11th, Cpl. Sanders was called by RFC Larry Mills to seek his assistance in gaining access through a piece of property that joined the Yellow River. The Newton County Sheriff's Office was asking for the assistance so that they could dive in the Yellow River for a murder weapon.
Region III- Thomson (East Central)
WALTON COUNTY On April 15th, RFC Niki Spencer received a complaint about a subject killing buzzards and hanging them in trees. Officer Spencer responded and talked with the subject who was killing the buzzards and found that the subject was a farmer and he was having problems with the buzzards in his calves. Officer Spencer warned the subject and advised him on the proper procedure for handling nuisance animal complaints.
RICHMOND COUNTY April 16th, Cpl. Ben Payne patrolled Richmond County checking without permission complaints in the morning. In the afternoon he checked 32 fishing licenses at the Lock and Dam Park. Shad fishermen were checked with a total of 62 fish. Stripers are beginning to run do to Hearing and Gizzard shad present at the Lock. 4 Striper fishermen were checked with only one legal fish over 27 inches.
MORGAN COUNTY RFC Ricky Boles while on foot patrol in Morgan County located several areas that appeared to be baited for turkeys. After spending several days working the baited area, the subjects appeared, hunted and were cited for hunting big game over bait.

RFC Ricky Boles responded and provided back up to the Madison Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol in reference to a robbery/shooting on April 16th in Madison Georgia.
MCDUFFIE COUNTY On April 12th, Capt. Thomas Barnard, Sgt. Doyte Chaffin, RFC Brian Adams, and RFC Robert Timmerman responded to a boating incident that had occurred in Hart Creek on Clarks Hill Lake. The incident involved a vessel that was swamped due to a throttle malfunction and rough water conditions. One subject lost his life in the event. Rangers recovered the sunken vessel. Two other subjects were listed in good condition. RFC Robert Timmerman was the lead investigator in the case and stated that the McDuffie County Coroner gave death by drowning as the reason for the fatality in the matter.
COLUMBIA COUNTY On April 11th, Cpl. Ryan Swain and RFC Robert Timmerman continued a marine theft investigation in Evans. The investigation was started due to a HIN inspection request. During the inspection it was observed by Cpl. Swain that the HIN on the vessel had been removed. Subjects are still being interviewed on the matter and the vessel is still under constructive seizure.
Region IV- Macon (West Central)
BUTTS COUNTY On April 16th, while on routine boat patrol of Jackson Lake, Sgt. Tim Kendrick and Cpl. Susan Morris observed four people on the bank fishing. No one possessed a fishing license. During a consent search, marijuana was found on two of the four subjects. All four were charged with fishing without a license and two were charged with possession of marijuana less than one ounce.
HARRIS COUNTY On April 16th, RFC Mitch Oliver, RFC Jeremy Bolen, and Intern Scott Middleton were checking fishing activity on Goat Rock. The officers noticed a subject fishing around the dam. As the officers approached the subject they noticed that he appeared to stick his hand into his left pocket and throw something down. Upon being questioned the subject admitted to having marijuana in his pocket. The subject also had several bream lying on the bank which he admitted to catching in a cast net. The subject was arrested for possession of marijuana and taking game fish by illegal method. He was transported to the Harris County jail.

TROUP COUNTY On April 16th Sgt. Jim Bradfield checked turkey hunting activity in south Troup County. One hunter was located as he was leaving a property. This hunter was properly licensed but had an open container of beer in his truck and was about to turn out onto a public road. After determining that he hunter was safe to drive Sgt. Bradfield asked the hunter poor out the beer before leaving the area. Later that morning another hunter pictured below was checked. The turkey this hunter harvested was his first in Georgia. The two year old bird had a nine inch beard and inch spurs. The hunter had never cleaned a turkey before and Sgt. Bradfield assisted him with the process.
UPSON COUNTY On April 16th, while on routine patrol, Sgt. Tim Kendrick and Cpl. Susan Morris observed a canoe coming into the boat landing at the Pobiddy Bridge on the Flint River. There were two people in the canoe and there were no life preservers (PFD's). The operator was issued a citation for operating a vessel without PFD's.
Region V- Albany (Southwest)
DOUGHERTY COUNTY On April 13th, RFC Ben Roberts conducted a boating safety program for 25 GA Power Company employees in Dougherty County. On April 10th, RFC Ben Roberts was checking a complaint area in Dougherty County when he encountered a non-resident hunter hunting turkeys. Violations documented were hunting big game over bait and hunting without a non-resident hunting license. DECATUR COUNTY On April 12th, RFC Tony Cox conducted a boating and water safety program for Georgia Power employees at their Bainbridge office.

On April 13th, RFC Tony Cox presented two wildlife oriented educational programs at Elementary Schools in Bainbridge.
BROOKS COUNTY On the night of April 14th, RFC Jon Penuel conducted a patrol on the Little River where he encountered a group fishing limb lines. The operator of the vessel was charged with operating a vessel without lights during hours of darkness.
CLAY COUNTY On the night of April 16th, Sgt. Butch Potter and RFC Jim Atchley responded to a boating incident on Lake Walter F. George where a boat took on water and sank during high winds. There were no injuries and the occupants were able to swim to shore. The boat was recovered the following day.
Region VI- Metter (Southeast)
TATTNALL COUNTY On April 17th, RFC Clint Jarriel and Cpl Jon Barnard patrolled the Ohoopee River in Tattnall County for fishing activity from Hwy 147 to Hwy 56. One boat was checked and a citation issued for fishing without a license.
WARE COUNTY On April 15th & 16th, Sgt. Patrick Dupree, Cpl's Gary Simmons, Damon Winters and Jimmy Williams along with RFC's Keith McDonald, Tim Hutto, Chase Altman and Joe Hilton conducted a hunter development program at the Georgia Hunting & Fishing Federation's Sporting Dog & Trade Show in Waycross. The officers assisted visitors with enjoying the laser-shot hunting simulator.
SCREVEN COUNTY On April 10th, Cpl. Shaymus McNeely investigated a complaint of turkey hunting without permission in northwest Screven County. Cpl. McNeely located a blind built from brush containing four spent shot shell hulls. A search was made of the area for a turkey but none was found. No evidence that the turkey had been hit at all was located. During the search of the area Cpl. McNeely found foot prints around the makeshift blind and tracked two subjects to an adjoining property. The track ended where a vehicle had been. An interview with the owner of the property provided the name of two male subjects who had been allowed to camp. The owner feared they had trespassed on the neighboring property to hunt. Cpl. McNeely located one of the men involved. The man admitted that he and a friend had left the property they had permission to camp on, and hunted turkeys without permission. The men had fired two shots each at a turkey approximately thirty yards from the blind. Charges are pending in the case upon the location of the second man involved.

On April 10th, while investigating the hunting without permission case above. Cpl. McNeely found an area that had been the scene of extensive artifact digging. Cpl. McNeely observed recent digging, two sifters, buckets, a shovel, and more than 100 feet of PVC pipe attached to a pump in a nearby creek. The property owners had given no permission for any artifact digging. Cpl. McNeely interviewed neighboring property owners and residents of the area. A male subject from the area was identified as a man seen coming and going from the dig site. Cpl. McNeely located this subject and conducted an interview. When confronted with evidence collected at the scene the man confirmed the information given by the witnesses. A shoebox of arrowheads and stone artifacts along with a five-gallon bucket of pottery shards were recovered from the suspect's vehicle. The suspect was charged with excavating artifacts without written permission and failure to notify the state archaeologist before digging.
EVANS COUNTY On April 16th, RFC Debbie Brannen and Fisheries Tech III Steve Mincey conducted a concentrated patrol of the Evans Public Fishing area. A total of 7 vessels and 20 fishing licenses were checked. Violations for fishing on a PFA without a WMA license, operating a vessel without PFD's, and operating a vessel without registration were documented.
Region VII- Brunswick (Coastal)
GLYNN COUNTY On April 10 around 6:40 pm, Cpl. Chris Ridley received a call from the State Operations Center to call the Brunswick Coast Guard station in reference to a lady and child on a kayak that was stuck on a large mud flat just off of Hwy.17 near the Spanky's marsh side restaurant. Cpl. Ridley and Cpl. Jessie Cook responded to the scene and met with Capt. Mobley of the Brunswick Fire Dept. and the Coast Guard. The tide was still falling out of the large basin and it would be approx.4-5 hour before the water would return. The kayak was approx. 80-100 yards out on the mud flat. The concern was that the mother and child would fall out of the kayak into the thick mud and succumb to hyperthermia. Contact was made by phone by Cpl. Cook to the victim and it was determined that the child was 6 years old, scared and already very cold. Cpl. Cook advised the woman that we were going to get them out and not to panic. During this time, the Coast Guard was in the process of getting a helicopter out of Savannah. Many attempts were made to get to the kayak while waiting for the helicopter, boards and pallets were laid in the mud and a fishing rod was even used to try and get a line to them so a larger line could be tied to the kayak and pulled to the bank. Once on scene, the helicopter was able to lower the rescue swimmer to the kayak and both the child and mother were recovered safely.

CHATHAM COUNTY On April 8, RFC Chris Moore and CPL Phillip Scott along with Savannah Chatham Marine Patrol, Coast Guard, and Marine Rescue Squadron assisted 1st Ranger Battalion from Hunter Army Airfield with training exercises off of Tybee Island. A Chinook helicopter dropped troops who would parachute into the ocean. With a perimeter in place the troops were picked up and delivered to larger vessels to be transported back to Coast Guard Station Tybee.
On April 10, RFC Chris Moore patrolled the Skidway River area. RFC Moore stopped an individual who was intoxicated. RFC Moore arrested and cited the individual for operating a vessel under the influence.
BRYAN COUNTY On April 15th, Sgt. James Shelton cited one person at Morgan's Bridge boat ramp for possession of an open container of alcoholic beverages at a DNR boat ramp.
LIBERTY COUNTY On April 13th, Cpl. Jay Morgan and RFC Jack Thain patrolled the Sunbury St. Catherine's Sound areas, citing one boater for not having a fire extinguisher on board.