Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division Law Enforcement Section Field Operations Weekly Report August 14- 20, 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) DAWSON COUNTY On August 16th, Cpl. Freddie Hays was patrolling Dawson Forest WMA at the Edge of the World when he observed several subjects consuming alcohol and littering. He made contact with the subjects. Citations and warnings were issued for unlawful consumption of alcohol on a WMA and littering. On August 20th, Sgt. Lee Brown and Cpl. Freddie Hays responded to Dawson Forest WMA at the Amicalola River below the Devil's Elbow. The rangers were responding to person who was injured while tubing on the river. With the assistance of the Dawson County Sheriff's Office and the Dawson County Fire Department the victim was located and transported to safety. On August 18th, Cpl. Freddie Hays conducted an Online Hunter Education Class at Rock Creek Park. A total of 20 students were certified in Hunter Education during this class. FORSYTH COUNTY On August 20th, RFC Mitchell Crump and RFC Shane Sartor were patrolling Lake Lanier for boating and fishing activity. They responded to Port Royale Marina to a boating accident. Once on scene the rangers interviewed all of the witnesses and talked with the victim. The victim was air lifted to Atlanta Medical Center for treatment. The accident is still under investigation. On August 18th, Cpl. Freddie Hays responded to a drowning on Lake Lanier at the Six Mile Creek Bridge. With the assistance of the Forsyth County Fire Department Dive Team utilizing their Side Scan Sonar the subject was located. The Fire Department's Dive Team recovered the body. GWINNETT COUNTY On August 17th, Cpl. Eric Sanders located a subject who had been previously arrested by the Gwinnett County Police Department. When the subject had been arrested he was in possession of Wild Animal without a Permit (a very venomous snake.) The Gwinnett County Animal Control took the snake into custody. The snake was identified as being a Wild Animal by a herpetologist employed with DNR. The subject was issued a citation for possession of the snake. On August 20th, Sgt. Lee Brown and Cpl. Freddie Hays patrolled the Chattahoochee River from Abbott's Bridge to below Medlock Bridge. The rangers checked numerous boats and fishing license. The rangers encountered several violations throughout the day. The violations consisted of a child under 10 not wearing a PFD while tubing with his family, tubers not having any PFD's (these three subjects were taken to Medlock Bridge where they had put in), vessels with unserviceable fire extinguishers, fishing without a license, fishing without a trout license, and fishing/possession of illegal bait. Verbal guidance, written warnings and citations were issued for these infractions. HALL COUNTY On August 20th, RFC Mitchell Crump and RFC Shane Sartor were patrolling Lake Lanier when they encountered two PWC's operating after sunset. They also, encountered violations of operating a vessel without registration and operating a PWC without having the lanyard attached. Citations and warnings were issued for these infractions. LUMPKIN COUNTY On August 14th, Sgt. Lee Brown and RFC Mitchell Crump were patrolling Lake Lanier up the Chestatee River in the Lumpkin Park area. The rangers checked a boat with two subjects onboard. The boat didn't have any PFD's onboard for the two occupants, the vessel wasn't registered, and the operator was in possession of an undersized bass. Citations and warnings were issued for these infractions and they were loaned two PFD's to complete their day on the lake. On August 15th, Cpl. Freddie Hays had just completed a HIN inspection when he noticed a black cloud of smoke. He went to the resident that the smoke was coming from and found a subject burning plastic toys, ceiling tiles and household garbage in his front yard. A citation was issue for unlawful burning of waste ROCKDALE COUNTY On August 11th Cpl. Eric Sanders conducted an Online Hunter Education Class at Johnson Park. During this class a total of 18 students were certified in Hunter Education. HALL COUNTY On August 19th, RFC Eric Isom responded to a complaint at Burton Mill Park on Lake Lanier. The complaint was in reference to a bunch of juveniles consuming alcohol and riding a PWC. Once one the scene, RFC found approximately 20 juveniles between the ages of 16-18, 8 of them had been consuming alcohol with a blood alcohol content ranging from .113 to .149. RFC Isom made contact with the juvenile's parents and notified them of the situation. The juveniles were released to sober drivers and requested home by their parents. HART COUNTY On August 17th, RFC Josh Chambers and Sgt. Stan Elrod patrolled Lake Hartwell. One citation was issued for operating a personal watercraft without wearing a personal floatation device. Region III- Thomson (East Central) COLUMBIA COUNTY On August 20th, RFC Robert Timmerman received a complaint of an Eagle or Osprey that had broken its wing on a rope hanging from Price Legg Bridge on Clarks Hill Lake. Timmerman turned over the complaint to Game Management. RICHMOND COUNTY August 20, 2011, Cpl. Ben Payne patrolled the Savannah River below the Lock and Dam by vessel. It was the first weekend access was given to the Lower Lock and Dam boat ramp since April. All types of fishermen were on the river in the morning fishing for Mullet, Bream, Largemouth Bass, Catfish and Striper. Five boats were documented fishing for Striper with only small 15-20 inch fish being caught. Mullet fishermen were catching lots of fish. Several coolers full of fish were checked. Only minor violations were documented. Later in the morning, Cpl. Payne worked the Paddle Fest Event at the Riverfront Boat Landing. Approximately 200 people attended the annual event. The event attracts motor free boat races through a six-mile stretch of the Savannah River from the Rapids Pavilion to the finish line at Riverfront boat landing. No incidents were noted at the event. GREENE COUNTY On August 14, CPL David Allen and RFC Ricky Boles responded to a boating incident on Lake Oconee. The incident happened after a small fireworks show in front of the Ritz Carlton. There were no injuries in the incident and minor damage to the vessels. The operator at fault will be charged with reckless operation of a vessel. On August 21, CPL Derrell Worth and RFC Ricky Boles responded to a boating incident that occurred between two jet skis. There were no injuries in the incident. The incident involved two juvenile operators. The incident was a result of reckless operation of both operators. On August 21, CPL Derrell Worth and RFC Ricky Boles checked the Parrott Cove, Beaver Dam Creek, and the cove near Wallace Dam for ongoing complaints for 100' violations and other boating related incidents. CLARKE COUNTY On Friday August 19, Cpl. Greg Colson inspected Wild Animal Permits in Clarke County. Permits inspected were for the holding of Siberian and Russian Sturgeon. The permits are inspected to ensure that all state regulations regarding the holding of wild animals are being followed. WILKES COUNTY On Thursday August 18, Sgt. Brian Carter assisted the Governor's Drug Task Force search for illegal drugs in Wilkes County. Region IV- Macon (West Central) Region V- Albany (Southwest) CHATTAHOOCHEE/STEWART COUNTIES On August 19-20, Sgt. Butch Potter, Cpl. Steve Robinson, Cpl. BJ Foster and RFC Jim Atchley patrolled Lake Walter F. George and the Chattahoochee River. The focus of the patrols were boating safety and monitoring hunters involved in Alabama's alligator season. The rangers issued 13 citations and warnings for hunting alligator out of season in Georgia. Other citations and warnings were issued for operating vessels with improper lights and insufficient PFD's. CRISP COUNTY On the night of August 18, Cpl. Tommy Lawrence was conducting a boating safety patrol when he observed someone operating a vessel without lights on Lake Blackshear. Cpl. Lawrence stopped the vessel and found the operator had insufficient PFD's and was allowing a child under 10 to ride in a moving vessel without wearing a PFD. Citations and warnings were issued to the operator. While on patrol in Crisp County, Cpl. Tommy Lawrence observed dark smoke rising from an area near a house. As Cpl. Lawrence checked on the origin of the smoke, he found an individual was burning insulation from wire. Lawrence determined the origin of the wire and issued the violator a warning for illegal burning. MITCHELL COUNTY On August 18th, RFC Randy Davis completed an investigation of illegal dumping near the Flint River. An interview was conducted during which the suspect confessed. A warrant was then obtained and the suspect was charged with unlawful dumping. Region VI- Metter (Southeast) APPLING COUNTY For the weekend of the 20th and 21st RFC Chase Altman, Corporal Jimmy Williams and Sergeant David Reckley worked boating safety at Lake Mayers and Deens Landing on the Altamaha River. Violations documented ranged from towing a skier with a PWC without an observer to operating a PWC above idle speed within 100 feet of the shore/object in the water. Verbal guidance was also given to correct other minor violations. DODGE COUNTY On August 19th, Cpl. Johnny Ashe noticed two male subjects walking out from a complaint area of the Dodge PFA. After a brief inspection of their catch and their licenses, it was found that one of the men did not possess a license at all and was also in possession of an undersized bass. He was issued citations for the offenses and both were given a current regulation booklet to help them understand the size limits and license requirements. JEFF DAVIS COUNTY On August 20th, RFC Barry Britt, RFC Rodney Horne, Cpl. Dan Stiles, Wildlife Tech. Allen Mills, and Wildlife Tech. Mark Poole worked a detail at Rocky Hammock landing along the Ocmulgee River. There have been on-going complaints of littering, alcohol and drug related violations occurring at the landing. Three male subjects were charged with littering after they were observed throwing beer bottles across the river and sinking cans in the river. Two other male subjects were charged with operating a vessel with insufficient life jackets. A female subject who was charged with DUI during a similar detail at the same landing on July 24th was also charged with violating Georgia's open container law. LAURENS COUNTY On August 21st, while patrolling Beaverdam WMA, Cpl. Dan Stiles encountered a jeep with two occupants and one additional person on an ATV entering the WMA. Cpl. Stiles stopped the vehicles and determined the driver was driving without a license and there was not a current registration or tag on the Jeep. The two subjects in the jeep were turned over to GSP and Cpl. Stiles gave verbal guidance to the ATV operator pertaining to operation of an ATV on a WMA. Cpl. Stiles also encountered several people utilizing the firing range at Beaverdam WMA and discussed range safety rules with them and gave verbal guidance for failure to wear eye protection on firing range. CLINCH COUNTY On August 7th, RFC Jason Shipes received a call about an injured black bear. The animal was located walking down US Highway 441 in downtown Homerville. The bear had to be euthanized due to injuries sustained from being struck by a vehicle. During an inspection of the animal, the number 92 was discovered tattooed inside the upper lip. RFC Shipes learned from WRD Biologist Greg Nelms that this particular bear was captured during a research study in 1996 in the area of Craven's Hammock within the Okefenokee Swamp NWR. At the time of capture in 1996 she weighed 175 lbs. and was approximately 7.5 years old. She had lost almost 100 pounds and was estimated to be 22.5 years old at time of death. This would make her the second oldest bear officially recorded in Georgia. Region VII- Brunswick (Coastal) LIBERTY COUNTY On August 20th, RFC Jack Thain, Cpl. Phillip Scott, and Sgt. James Shelton patrolled the St. Catherine's Sound area. A person on a Wave-Runner was stopped for not having his PFD properly fastened, and was cited for no registration and no ID on board. Another person was cited for fishing without a license. WAYNE COUNTY On August 20th and 21st, the 7th annual Grand Slam Fishing Tournament was held on the Altamaha River. 176 fishermen participated and total prize money awarded was over $10,000. The tournament consists of the largest pan fish, catfish, and largemouth bass.