Field operations weekly report, 2013 February 24-March 2

Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife Resources Division Law Enforcement Section
Field Operations
Weekly Report February 24 March 2, 2013
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)
CARROLL COUNTY On March 2nd, Sgt. Rick Dempsey, Cpl. Eric Brown, RFC Chad Cox, and RFC Daniel Gray ran various venues such as archery, BB guns, wildlife exhibits, and more at the John Tanner Outdoor Day. Even though temperatures never exceeded 40 degrees with brief periods of snow, there were over 174 people that participated in the annual event. CHEROKEE COUNTY On February 24th, Cpl. Lee Burns and Cpl. Byron Young patrolled the north end of Allatoona Lake. The officers checked 19 boats and 37 fishing licenses. The rangers found one vessel operating without PFD's (lifejackets), two boats operating without registrations, and three people fishing without a license. The Rangers loaned two PFD's to boaters without the required lifejackets to ensure they had proper safety equipment if needed. The Rangers will be checking boat registrations closely this year to ensure all motorized vessels have updated and properly displayed boating registrations. For more information, log onto goboatgeorgia.com. COBB COUNTY On February 25th, Sgt. Mike Barr and RFC Brooks Varnell worked with the First Baptist Church of Powder Springs and their Sportsman's Outreach Program. The program put on a wild-game supper and had a guest speaker, Hank Parker Jr. Over 500 people attended. Sgt. Barr and RFC Varnell set up the hunter laser shot simulator and worked with various age kids and young adults on firearm safety and shooting skills with the interactive system.
Shown is RFC Brooks Varnell assisting a shooter with the laser shot interactive system.

Region II- Gainesville (Northeast)
DEKALB COUNTY On March 1st, Cpl. Eric Sanders and Sgt. Lee Brown provided In-Service to the Stone Mountain Park Police Officers. The in-service consisted of the laws, rules, and regulations related to boating safety and the different functions of the Law Enforcement Section.
FORSYTH COUNTY On February 24th, Sgt. Lee Brown was patrolling lake parks around Lake Lanier for boating and fishing activity. Several boats and fishermen were checked throughout the afternoon. Citations, warnings and verbal guidance was given for operating a vessel without any PFD's, operating a vessel without registration and fishing without a license.
LUMPKIN COUNTY On February 26th, RFC Mitchell Crump and Wildlife Technician III Frank Manning assisted the Union County Sheriff's Office with locating a hiker that had become disoriented. The hiker was located by the rangers behind the U.S Army Camp Merrill (Ranger Camp.)
HALL COUNTY On February 28th, Cpl. Jason Roberson taught a hunter education class. During the class 19 students were certified.
On March 2nd, Cpl. Jason Roberson responded to a complaint of illegal fishing on Lake Lanier. Upon arriving he determined that two individuals were catching crappie with a cast net and neither had a fishing license. A total of 29 crappie had been caught with the net. The individuals were issued citations and warnings for taking game fish by an illegal method, fishing without a license, and possession of illegally taken fish.
Region III- Thomson (East Central)
COLUMBIA COUNTY On Sunday February 24, RFC Bobby Timmerman and Sgt. Doyte Chaffin responded to a boating incident on the Savannah River near the Augusta Canal head gates. Officers found that a novice kayaker paddled too close to the low head dam and was overtaken by the current. The kayaker went over the dam and was ejected from the kayak. The kayaker sustained lacerations and abrasions to his legs. The kayaker was wearing a PFD at time of the incident. No charges were filed in the incident.

MORGAN COUNTY RFC Ricky Boles taught a hunter safety class where he certified nine individuals.
WALTON COUNTY RFC Ricky Boles participated in a career day program at Social Circle Elementary School. RFC Boles spoke to around 300 students during the course of the day.
GREENE COUNTY Cpl. Derrell Worth taught a hunter education course.
HANCOCK COUNTY Cpl. David Allen and Sgt. John Harwell taught a hunter education class at John Hancock Academy for their GISA shooting team. Twenty students participated in the class.
Cpl. David Allen worked an illegal dumping investigation for several weeks in Hancock County. After gathering evidence Cpl. Allen and Sgt. John Harwell interviewed the suspect who admitted to the illegal dumping. The suspect was issued a citation for unlawful dumping.
Region IV- Macon (West Central)
BALDWIN COUNTY On the afternoon of March 2nd, Ranger Derek Cobb, Ranger Jeremy Reese, Corporal Bubba Stanford and Sergeant Bo Kelly conducted a boating safety program at the grand opening of the new Sinclair Marina on Lake Sinclair. The officers gave out boating handbooks as well as answered boating questions from the public.
CRAWFORD COUNTY On the morning of March 2nd, Ranger David Fisher was patrolling property where he had received complaints of hunting and fishing without permission. While there, Fisher encountered a truck parked on the property and upon inspection he noticed several steel traps lying in the bed of the truck. When the subject returned to his vehicle, Ranger Fisher observed the man was in possession of a dead bobcat. Although it was determined the man had permission to be on the property, Ranger Fisher cited the individual for trapping bobcat out of season and issued a warning for possession of illegally taken wildlife.

Region IV's Ranger David Fisher in Crawford County.
Region V- Albany (Southwest)
DECATUR COUNTY On February 27th,Sgt. Rick Sellars and RFC Tony Cox assisted Florida FWCC Officers with the serving of felony arrest warrants on a Bainbridge resident. The arrest warrants resulted from a lengthy investigation concerning the removal and sale of archaeological resources from Florida waterways, which are considered Florida State Property.

Region VI- Metter (Southeast)
LANIER COUNTY On March 3rd, Cpl. Tommy Daughtrey and RFC Keith McDonald responded to stranded boaters in the Alapaha River in Lanier County. Two individuals were operating jet skis on the river when they capsized. The individuals were able to hold onto a tree limb until rescuers could reach them. Due to large amounts of rainfall in the area the river was moving swiftly and the jet skis were not recovered.
Region VII- Brunswick (Coastal)
CHATHAM COUNTY On February 19, Cpl. Bill Bryson received all call from GBI Agent Keith Axel about a witness who saw some individuals dumping tires from a rental truck. Agent Axel was able to stop the rental truck several minutes later. Cpl. Bryson, Ranger Kiel Toney, and Sgt. Cindy Miller responded to Agent Axle's location. Upon arrival Cpl. Bryson interviewed the driver. Later that evening the Rangers went to a different location and interviewed more individuals. The driver of the rental truck was arrested and taken to the Chatham County Jail for driving on a suspended driver license. On February 19, Cpl. Bryson and Ranger Toney talked with the Assistant District Attorney and secured an arrest warrant for the driver of the rental truck and a passenger that was in the rental truck. The warrant was for Felony dumping.
On February 24, Ranger Kiel Toney, RFC Buster Cooper, and Sgt. Cindy Miller conducted an offshore JEA patrol to check offshore fishermen. The Rangers checked a boat at the DUA Reef and the captain of the boat said they had a few black seabass on board. Ranger Toney boarded their boat and counted 112 black seabass. The three individuals that were fishing agreed to sign a Federal Abandonment Form turning the black seabass over to the Rangers. Once the Rangers returned to the dock they measured each fish. Of the 112 black seabass 88 of them were undersized. The three individuals are facing Federal charges for undersized fish and possession of a prohibited species of fish.

WAYNE COUNTY On March 2-3, 2013 RNG Kate Hargrove, RFC Randy Aspinwall, CPL Bobby White, SGT Wayne Hubbard, CAPT Doug Lewis and Commissioner Williams assisted the Wayne County Tourism Board with the Second Annual Wayne County Hog Jam. The event, along with others throughout the year, is intended to promote the outdoor recreation opportunities that Wayne County has to offer. The Hog Jam is a hog hunting tournament that pays cash prizes in several categories. In conjunction with the Hog Jam, the board is host to a Wounded Warrior Project. RFC Randy Aspinwall is the coordinator for this project and he worked tirelessly to secure sponsorships, food and lodging for six Wounded Warriors this year. The soldiers harvested six hogs during the event.
On March 2, 2013 RNG Kate Hargrove and Sgt. Wayne Hubbard responded to a disabled vessel in the Altamaha River. The officers were able to locate the vessel and operator and assist them back to the landing. MCINTOSH COUNTY On February 26, 2013 RNG Jay Bright and CPL Jimmy Finn assisted the McIntosh County Sheriff's Office respond to a domestic violence call on Herd Island. The Rangers provided transportation to the island in a DNR vessel, assisted with the arrest and transportation of the subject back to the mainland.