Field operations weekly report, 2017 November 11

Field Operations
Weekly Report November 5-11, 2017
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 Division.

Region I- Acworth (Northwest)
CHEROKEE COUNTY On November 5th, Warden Mark Puig located a hunter in a baited deer stand on US Army Corps property on Allatoona Lake. The hunter was issued a citation for hunting big game over bait and hunting without permission. The hunter was also issued a warning for hunting without hunter orange.
FULTON COUNTY On November 11th, Warden Mark Puig was off duty and observed a truck parked on private property off GA Hwy 400. Warden Puig called Cpl. Bart Hendrix that was on duty. Cpl. Hendrix responded and located a hunter on the property. The hunter was charged with hunting on lands of another without permission.
DADE COUNTY On November 11th, Game Wardens Sgt. Mike Barr and Kalem Burns were patrolling in Dade County. A landowner had contacted Sgt. Barr with concerns that several properties he and family owned might have some illegal hunting. Sgt. Barr and GW Burns found fresh ATV tracks leading into their property off Rebel Drive. They located four hunters on the property. One person said he had obtained permission several years ago but had not updated his permission for this year. The Game Wardens approached a second hunter who was not wearing the required fluorescent orange while hunting deer. He had also harvested two does the previous evening and did not have a harvest record, Go Outdoors App, or had made a phone call to check in his deer. The Game Wardens confirmed the deer were in a cooler in Walker County. The person was charged with hunting deer without fluorescent orange and warned for failing to record his harvest. He was then assisted with information to record his harvest and he later called to give his harvest confirmation number to the Game Wardens. The permission issue was discussed with all hunters.
FLOYD COUNTY On the evening of November 6th, Game Warden Sgt. Mike Barr was patrolling Floyd County in the area of Big Texas Valley Road. He noticed a truck parked beside a barn in a hay field where there was normally was not a vehicle parked. He noticed camouflage in plain view in the vehicle. It was about 30 minutes before the end of legal shooting hours for deer and Sgt. Barr waited for hunters to return to the vehicle. Just after dark, another truck was seen at another barn and headed back to the first truck. Two deer hunters were checked which did not have the required fluorescent orange. One hunter also had not obtained his deer harvest record nor had downloaded the Go Outdoors App in order to be able to record his harvest. The hunters were issued warnings and caught up to date on the recording process when harvesting a deer.
GORDON COUNTY On November 6th and 7th, Game Wardens Cpl. Shawn Elmore and Nolan Callaway assisted with a hunter safety class held at the Sonoraville High School. Participants found that attending a class was very informative especially with hunting safety tips and experiences from hunter safety instructors.
On November 8th, Game Wardens Cpl. Shawn Elmore and Nolan Callaway responded to a call of a person seeing lights and hearing things suspected to be related to illegal hunting activity. After arriving and reviewing the situation, no illegal hunting activities were found.
WALKER COUNTY On November 6th, Sgt. Mike Barr attended the Northwest Georgia district meeting of the Lookout Crisis Intervention Team. The group included local and state law enforcement agencies and mental health agencies coming together to discuss local resources and issues. Law enforcement officers are receiving training to recognize and assist people in crisis and refer them to the proper mental health assistance.

Region II- Gainesville (Northeast)
No activity to report.
Region III- Thomson (East Central)
GREENE COUNTY On November 7th, Cpl. Derrell Worth cited two subjects for hunting big game over bait.
On November 8th, Cpl. Derrell Worth observed a subject discharge his high powered rifle from a public road twice. Warrants were secured on the subject for discharging a firearm from a public road and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Four separate firearms were seized.
On November 11th, Cpl. Derrell Worth cited one subject for hunting big game over bait and one subject for unlawful enticement of game.
On November 12th, Cpl. Derrell Worth started, investigated, and completed an unlawful dumping complaint. One subject was cited.
NEWTON COUNTY On November 8th, Rgr Schay and CPL Allen worked a hunting without permission investigation. During the course of the investigation violations of hunting without permission, hunting deer with illegal weapon, hunting without a license, hunting without a big game license, and failure to record deer harvest were documented.
On November 9th, Rgr Schay worked a hunting without permission investigation. During the course of the investigation violations of hunting without permission, hunting without a license, hunting without a big game license, and failure to obtain a harvest record were documented. Later that day, Rgr Schay responded to a body recovery incident on Lake Jackson.
On November 12th, Rgr Schay, CPL Worth, and SGT Garthright responded to a body recovery incident on the Yellow River in the area of Porterdale.
WALTON COUNTY On November 11th, Rgr Harrison patrolled Walton county for Deer Hunting Activity. Violations for Hunting Without Fluorescent Orange, and Hunting Without a License were documented.
WILKES COUNTY On November 8th Cpl. Mark Patterson cited one subject for hunting big game over bait. On November 11th Cpl. Julian Wilkins and Cpl. Patterson checked areas known to have baited stands. Violations documented include hunting big game over bait and hunting deer without fluorescent orange.
Region IV- Macon (West Central)
JASPER COUNTY On November 09th RFC Fred Hays completed a week long investigation of a complaint of someone hunting from a public road and hunting from a motor vehicle. Once RFC Hays located the subjects he interviewed each separately. During their respective interviews, each person confessed that they shot a doe deer from the road. They were issued citations accordingly.

MONROE COUNTY On November 10th RFC Keith Page located a man hunting deer in an area where he had previously located multiple baited deer stands. Page located the stands approximately two years ago and had been checking the area regularly, each hunting season, since the baited stands were first found. The person hunting the baited area was a non-resident who was hunting without a license or a big game license. The hunter was also found to be hunting deer without wearing an orange vest. RFC Page charged the man for hunting big game over bait, hunting deer without a big game license and hunting deer without wearing an orange vest. The hunter received a warning for hunting without a license.
UPSON COUNTY On November 9th Cpl. Wil Smith and Cpl. Jeremy Bolen responded to a call regarding a hunter who fell from an elevated hunting stand. An investigation determined the hunter was climbing down from a homemade box stand in the rain when he lost his footing on the wet steps. The hunter fell approximately 10 feet, breaking his hip when he impacted the ground. The hunter was transported to a local hospital and treated for his injuries. The Game Wardens determined a Fall Arrest System (safety harness) could have prevented the fall and injuries.
Region V- Albany (Southwest)
MACON COUNTY On November 5th, Game Wardens Clint Martin, Jesse Harrison and Al Greer were working a night deer hunting detail when the occupants of a truck stopped in the road and fired one shot into a pecan orchard. Martin pursued the vehicle through the pecan orchard and conducted a traffic stop. The subject was arrested and charged with hunting deer at night, hunting from a vehicle, hunting big game from a public road, hunting without permission, littering, possession of open container and criminal trespass.
On November 11th, Game Warden Jesse Harrison observed a subject hunting without fluorescent orange. When the hunter saw Harrison approaching, he climbed down out of the stand and hid in the woods. The subject finally came out of the woods and said he was only scouting for deer sign. Harrison conducted a brief investigation and the bow the subject was hunting with was recovered from the woods. The subject was charged with hunting deer without fluorescent orange, hunting without a license and hunting without a big game license.
CRISP COUNTY On November 11th, Game Wardens Jesse Harrison and Clint Martin responded to a hunting without permission complaint. During the investigation of the incident, Harrison obtained evidence which showed the subject in question on the property with a rifle. The subject was charged with hunting without permission, hunting deer without florescent orange, and hunting big game over bait.
Region VI- Metter (Southeast)
DODGE COUNTY On November 6th, Game Warden Allen Mills received an anonymous complaint about an individual that had taken three male deer (bucks) this season and had another person record the harvest of the last buck on their harvest record. Game Warden Mills met with witnesses and checked the Go Outdoors web site to verify the story. The land owner was contacted and stated he was upset that this had happened on his land. The juvenile had already taken a small buck the day before on this landowner's property and had also taken another antlered deer in Emanuel County. Game Warden Mills then contacted the two suspects and conducted an interview. The father of the juvenile admitted to telling his son to shoot the buck and then recording the deer on his own harvest record. After discussing the situation with all parties involved, the father voluntarily turned the deer over to DNR (Department of Natural Resources). One violation for possession of illegally taken wildlife was documented. The deer was donated to an educational group.

RFC Allen Mills with illegal antlers On November 11th, Corporal Dan Stiles and Game Warden Allen Mills were contacted in reference to road hunting in progress near the Dodge/Telfair County line. The Game Wardens responded and arrived on scene. Game Warden Mills interviewed the complainant and two witnesses while Cpl. Stiles searched the area. A vehicle matching the description given by the witnesses was located at a residence where the two suspects were cleaning a deer in the front yard. The two suspects were riding along in a pickup truck, saw a deer standing in the middle of the dirt road, and shot down the roadway towards the complainant's residence. Violations for discharging a firearm from/across a public road, hunting from a vehicle, and hunting from a public road were documented. The meat and antlers were confiscated and were given to a group that feeds the hungry.
RFC Allen Mills with confiscated deer meat and antlers WARE COUNTY On November 5th, Game Warden Joseph Cowart and Corporal Mark Pool conducted a night hunting detail in the northern portion of the county. At approximately 11 PM, a vehicle was witnessed with a light being shined over the field that the officers were watching. Two poachers were charged with hunting deer at night, hunting from a public road, and hunting from a vehicle.

Night deer hunters in Ware County PIERCE COUNTY On November 10th, Game Wardens Judd Sears and Joseph Cowart conducted surveillance for night hunting on a recent clear cut. A vehicle approached their location on the county road, stopped and the headlights were turned off. The driver of the vehicle then began shining a light into the clear cut and fired a shot at a deer out window of the vehicle. A traffic stopped was initiated and a loaded .270 rifle was located and the flashlight the subject was using. A .40 caliber handgun was also located in the vehicle along with an open container of alcohol. Game Warden Sears contacted the Georgia State Patrol in reference to the subject being under the influence. Upon completing field sobriety exercises the subject was not above the legal limit. Violations of hunting from a motor vehicle, hunting big game from a public road, and hunting deer at night were documented.
Weapons and light used in Pierce County night deer poaching incident BULLOCH COUNTY On November 11, Corporal Wilcox and Ranger First Class Crawford responded to a call in Bulloch County near Sink Hole Road about hunting dogs on unpermitted property. The officers made contact with the complainant who caught hunting dogs on his property. They met with the individual who owned the dog and documented one violation of failure to keep hunting dogs on permitted property.

SCREVEN COUNTY On November 5, Corporal Shaymus McNeely patrolled the Newington area of Screven County. Cpl. McNeely checked a number of deer hunters during the patrol, and documented violations for hunting deer without wearing orange and hunting without license. COOK COUNTY On November 11th, Cpl. Tommy Daughtrey responded to a complaint from the Cook County Sheriff's Department in reference to three subjects shooting crows from the roadway. The subjects were also hunting on private property. The subjects were located and violations of hunting w/o permission, hunting from a vehicle, and hunting from the road were documented.
Cpl. Daughtrey was notified that a subject had shot two bobcats out of season the first week in November. The subject was located and a violation of hunting out of season was documented.
LANIER COUNTY On November 8, 2017, Sergeant Morty Wood and Ranger Chris Thompson were conducting a night deer hunting detail in Lanier County. The Game Wardens observed a pickup truck approach their location and shine a light across the field. The game wardens stopped the truck and found two men and a woman occupying the truck. After investigation, no firearm was located and violations of blinding wildlife with lights were documented. The male passenger had an active warrant in Lanier County. He was released to the custody of the Lanier County Sheriff Office.

Region VII- Brunswick (Coastal)
No activity to report.