Field operations weekly report, 2018 October 20

Field Operations
Weekly Report October 14 October 20, 2018
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)
CARROLL COUNTY October 19th, Cpl. Chad Cox responded to a call about a man skinning a deer in the backyard of a residence in the Temple Area of Carroll County. After looking at the entrance wound on the deer the man admitted to shooting it with a rifle. Rifle season didn't open until October 20th. He was issued a citation for using a rifle during primitive weapon season. The deer was confiscated and taken to a needy family.
October 20th, Cpl. Brooks Varnell and GWFC Daniel Gray investigated a tip they had received about a hunter who had killed a deer illegally. Game Wardens charged the hunter for hunting w/o a license, hunting w/o big game license and failure to record harvest.
WHITFIELD COUNTY On October 17th, Game Wardens Corporals Shawn Elmore, Cody Jones, Brooks Varnell with K-9 Taz, and Game Wardens Daniel Gray and Mark Puig responded to the Mill Creek area of Whitfield County in response to a request from Whitfield County EMA for a search. The search was for a missing 63 year old female. The game wardens searched Dug Gap Mountain on foot with no luck. On Thursday October 18, the female was located deceased in the area.
FLOYD COUNTY On October 15th, Corporal Shawn Elmore was notified of a tree stand hunting incident that had occurred on Saturday October 13. The victim was in ICU at Floyd Medical Center in Rome. Cpl. Elmore met with the victim, a 52 year old from Rome. The victim said he was entering his lock on stand from his climbing sticks with his bow in his hand. He stated he lost his grip on the stand and fell. The investigation revealed he fell approximately 22 feet. His injuries included 11 broken ribs, fractured pelvis, fractured back and fractured coccyx.
Region II- Gainesville (Northeast)
BARROW COUNTY On October 14th, Game Wardens Chris Kernahan and Kevin Goss completed an illegal hunting investigation which stemmed from the 2017 and 2018 deer seasons. The investigation concerned a subject who in 2017, illegally sold deer meat, hunted big game over bait, hunted deer without wearing fluorescent orange, harvested multiple deer illegally, and failed to game-check them. During the 2018 deer season, the subject hunted without a license, hunted without a big game license, and failed to game check the deer he harvested. The Game Wardens made contact with the subject at his residence, and confronted him with the evidence. The subject admitted to the violations. The violations were addressed, and antlers were seized.
Game Wardens Kernahan and Goss also completed an illegal dumping investigation. The investigation involved a subject who dumped a large amount of household garbage along a public roadway. The Game Wardens made contact with the subject at his residence. The subject admitted to dumping the egregious litter. He stated that he did so, because he did not want to pay for trash collection services. The violation was addressed.
Region III- Thomson (East Central)
WILKES COUNTY On October 20th Cpl. Mark Patterson patrolled Fishing Creek WMA for hunting activity. Violations addressed during the patrol were hunting hogs without wearing fluorescent orange and hunting with an unplugged shotgun.
WALTON COUNTY On October 20th, Game Warden Jason Harrison Patrolled Walton County for Hunting and Fishing Activity. A Violation for Fishing Without a License was documented.

HANCOCK COUNTY On October 21st, SGT Matt Garthright and Game Warden Jason Harrison Patrolled Hancock County for Hunting Activity. A Violation for Operating a Taxidermy Business without a License was documented. GREENE COUNTY On October 21st, CPL Worth patrolled Greene county for hunting activity. During this patrol, violations of hunting without a license, hunting without a big game license, and hunting without orange were documented.
Region IV- Macon (West Central)
No activity to report.
Region V- Albany (Southwest)
Game wardens from across the state continued conducting operations providing relief to those effected by Hurricane Michael. The incident command post established in Albany was in operation twenty four hours a day until the evening of the 19th.
Region VI- Metter (Southeast)
TELFAIR COUNTY On October 19th, Ranger First Class (RFC) Rodney Horne apprehended a poacher hunting deer at night from a permeant tree stand with a Ruger .308 Sniper Style rifle with Night Vision optics, silencer, and a thermal monocular. The poacher was charged with hunting deer at night.
WILCOX COUNTY On October 20th, Game Wardens John Kennedy and Corporal Dan Stiles were patrolling for deer hunting activity. A young hunter was encountered with a deer he harvested with his father. The officers provided the young man with a new hunting vest.

ECHOLS COUNTY On October 20th, Sergeant Patrick Dupree, Game Warden First Sam Williams, and Game Warden Joseph Cowart were patrolling in Echols County when they received information from off-duty GWFC Daniel North about two subjects at Mayday Beach on the Alapaha River fishing with a cast net. The officers responded to the area and located the subjects. While observing them, the officers saw one of the subjects throwing the cast net in the main channel of the river. The officers made contact with the subject and determined that the subject throwing the cast net did not possess a fishing license, along with fishing by illegal method. The subject received a citation for fishing without a license and taking gamefish by illegal method. The cast net was also seized for evidence.
On October 20th, Sergeant Patrick Dupree, Game Warden First Class Sam Williams, and Game Warden Joseph Cowart were patrolling a hunting club in South Echols County. As they entered club, the hunters were located. While checking the hunters the officers determined that one of the hunters was a non-resident and did not possess any of the required license to hunt deer in Georgia. Violations of a non-resident hunting without a non-resident hunting license and non-resident hunting without a non-resident big game license were documented.
TOOMBS COUNTY On the evening of October 20th Game Warden First Class Bobby Sanders encountered one hunter who was hunting deer without fluorescent orange, the violation was documented.
Region VII- Brunswick (Coastal)
No activity to report.